Restoring native woodland in Glen Affric

Glen Affric is one of Scotland’s most beautiful glens. Described as a ‘national treasure’, it is home to an amazing variety of species and habitats.

The woodland is one of the best examples of the Caledonian pinewood that once covered much of Scotland. Today, the whole glen is protected as a National Nature Reserve.

It’s no accident that Glen Affric has such special woodland. We’ve been leading the way in conserving it for more than half a century.

Preserving a national treasure

Snowy glen with trees in the foreground and a bridge over water.

Glen Affric’s ancient woodland became part of our national forests in 1951. Since then, foresters, deer managers and volunteers have carried out a huge amount of conservation work.

We have helped create pinewood reserves, managed the deer and removed more than 1,400 hectares of non-native conifers. Some areas have been thinned to encourage natural regeneration. In that time, we’ve also planted more than 500,000 new trees.

Today, our work to enhance species and habitats is moving out of the woodlands and up to the mountain tops. You can find some of our rarest plants there, such as montane willows.

Glen Affric in numbers

  • 17,604 hectares managed by Forestry and Land Scotland
  • 14,360 hectares covered by national and European conservation designations
  • 28 species of mammals
  • 117 species of birds
  • 272 varieties of trees and plants
  • 6 reptiles and amphibians
  • 30 butterflies and dragonflies
  • 101 moths (and 140 other invertebrates)
  • 240 fungi and molds
  • 390 lichens, mosses and liverworts

The future for Glen Affric

We will continue to work in partnership with organisations, such as Trees for Life and the local Deer Management Group. We will make sure that Glen Affric and its rich diversity of species and habitats are protected for future generations to experience and enjoy.