What’s happening in Glen Affric?
Guest blog by Beat Forester Sam Brown.
There has been a lot going on in the glen over the past two years as we push on with our nature restoration objectives – native woodland expansion, peatland restoration, even a couple of species re-introductions. Below is a brief summary of what’s been happening in the glen.
Native woodland expansion – Doire Mhòr
The Doire Mhòr project sits to the north of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain (NH 224 272). In 2021, we installed new sections of deer fence to link into existing enclosures and an area of approximately 1,000 ha in size to work within.
Existing seed sources within Doire Mhòr are almost non-existent at this scale. The nearest ancient Caledonian pinewood remnant — Coille Ruigh na Cuileige — sits to the east of the project area and, unfortunately, does not benefit from the prevailing winds needed to carry seed into the glen.
Doire Mhòr represents a classic Highland story: a long history of sheep grazing (though none have been present for around 30 years) combined with persistently high deer numbers has left the landscape virtually treeless.
The name Doire Mhòr is quite interesting. At first, we assumed it translated literally as “Big (Mhòr) Wood (Doire),” but it’s more likely to mean “Big Copse.” What this suggests is that the area must have been notably different from the wider pinewood present at the time — distinct enough for native speakers to give it a specific name. Our working assumption is that it was dominated by broadleaves, perhaps even managed as coppice, in line with the traditional meaning of the word copse.
This context, combined with the relatively fertile (for Affric) mineral soils and the current moratorium or temporary suspension on planting Scots pine due to the risk of introducing Dothistroma, shaped our species selection. We opted for a straightforward mix of sessile oak, downy birch, rowan, and aspen, with the intention of establishing a resilient seed source for the future.
Dothistroma needle blight
Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) is a serious fungal disease that infects pine needles causing defoliation, reduced growth and potentially mortality. It affects all pine species in Scotland, including our native Scots pine, and has become one of the most significant conifer diseases in the UK. Dothistroma is one of the major threats faced by our Caledonian pinewoods.
Why is this relevant to Glen Affric?
With just 84 recognised Caledonian Pinewood Inventory (CPI) areas surviving across Scotland, their safeguarding is at the heart of our decision making in Glen Affric. Planting pine sourced from anywhere other than inside the CPI areas carries a risk of introducing DNB. As a precautionary measure, a moratorium on planting pine within 600m of the core CPI areas is in place for the foreseeable future.
We completed the first 50 ha phase last year (2024/25), and the second 50 ha phase (2025/26) has already been ground-prepped, with planting scheduled for the spring.
Alongside the main contractor-led planting, we have also granted permission to Trees for Life to undertake planting on more inaccessible areas through their residential volunteer groups. Over three seasons they have planted approximately 68,000 trees using a mix of native species grown in their own nursery at Dundreggan.
Native woodland expansion – Gleann na Cìche
Gleann na Cìche — often referred to by the local team as “Little Norway” — is a steep-sided off-shoot glen at the western end of Glen Affric, roughly 10 km from the public road (NH 123 166). You may know it as the home of the “Ent of Affric,” an ancient surviving wych elm — but more on that in a moment. The glen also holds some of Scotland’s finest remaining montane willow populations, most notably downy willow (Salix lapponum).
The Gleann na Cìche project is smaller — around 60 ha — but no less significant as a woodland and peatland restoration site. Despite years of dedicated effort from the local deer management team, conflicting objectives on neighbouring land mean that browsing pressure has remained too high to allow natural regeneration. With the last remaining seed sources clinging to inaccessible crags above the site, we felt intervention was necessary.
Last year we installed new sections of deer fencing, carried out ground preparation and planted an intimate mix of rowan, birch, oak and aspen. We have also taken the opportunity to restore several small peatland areas through reprofiling and revegetation, and the new fence will help protect these sites by reducing trampling.
Our main objective is to encourage native woodland to extend further up the glen and eventually connect with the existing montane scrub, re-establishing the natural altitudinal transition of woodland habitats.
Scottish Plant Recovery Project
Over the last two years we have been working closely with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) on their Scottish Plant Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at “kick-starting the recovery” of ten of Scotland’s native tree and plant species.
At the end of 2023, RBGE reached out about identifying a suitable site to establish a new population of genetically resistant wych elm (Ulmus glabra) around the old Ent of Affric. We gladly agreed, and in spring 2024 we planted the first 35 saplings grown from seed collected from mature wych elms in the Borders that had shown high levels of genetic resistance.
Fast forward to spring 2025, and we not only planted a further 165 wych elm but also added 200 wild apple (Malus sylvestris) at the same site. While wych elm has been severely affected by Dutch elm disease, wild apple faces a different threat: hybridisation with cultivated varieties.
Last September we introduced a third species from the project — Britain’s rarest fern, oblong woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis). We planted 250 of these small alpine ferns high on one of the glen’s scree slopes at around 650 metres, making for an interesting day’s planting. Oblong woodsia suffered greatly during the Victorian fern-collecting craze and continues to be threatened by habitat fragmentation and climate change.
Return of a keystone species
And finally, it wouldn’t be a Glen Affric update without mentioning the recent high-profile return of beavers to Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain. Absent for at least 400 years, and following an extensive consultation period, our colleagues working alongside the Beaver Trust — with support from our project partners Trees for Life — translocated seven of these ecosystem engineers from the River Tay catchment.
Our local environment team will continue to work closely with the project’s Beaver Officer to monitor the animals and any ongoing impacts. You can find more information about the release in our press release.
