Queen Elizabeth Forest Park facts for kids
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is a huge forest park in the Scottish Highlands. It covers about 19,665 hectares (that's over 48,000 acres!). This amazing park stretches from the eastern side of Loch Lomond all the way to the mountains of Strathyre.
It's one of six special forest parks in Scotland. This park was created in 1953, the same year that Elizabeth II became Queen. Today, a group called Forestry and Land Scotland takes care of it.
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Exploring Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
This beautiful park is part of the larger Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It's a quiet area with lots of mountains, hills, lakes (called lochs), and valleys. Many of the higher areas are open and wild, while the lower parts are covered in thick forests.
What Mountains Can You Find?
The park is home to several impressive mountains. The tallest one is Ben Lomond, which stands at 974 meters (about 3,196 feet) high. Other well-known mountains include Ben Venue (727 meters or 2,385 feet) and Ben Ledi (879 meters or 2,884 feet).
Discovering the Lochs and Forests
You'll find many beautiful lakes, or lochs, within the park. Some of these include Loch Ard, Loch Chon, Loch Venachar, Loch Arklet, Loch Katrine, Loch Achray, and Loch Drunkie. The park also has several named forests, such as Achray Forest, Buchanan Forest, Strathyre Forest, and Loch Ard Forest.
Visiting the Park
The main place to start your adventure in the park is The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre. You can find it near Aberfoyle, right where the highlands begin, on the eastern side of Craigmore hill (which is 354 meters or 1,161 feet tall).
Trails and Drives for Visitors
At the visitor centre, you can find maps for marked hiking trails. There's also a special car trail called the Three Lochs Forest Drive. It's a great way to see more of the park's stunning scenery from your car.
