Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve

Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve

The first National Nature Reserve to be established in Britain and now a Biosphere Reserve, the designation of Beinn Eighe was an effort to protect an area of Scots Pine woodland on the shore of Loch Maree in the west Highlands. It is a large reserve, covering nearly 5000ha with two hiking trails through lakeside pinewoods with holly, rowan and birch, and upland grassland and moorland bog. At the highest elevations there are scree slopes and Arctic-Alpine heaths.

In these higher zones the typical birds are Golden Eagle, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Rock Ptarmigan and sometimes, Snow Bunting with Common Buzzard, Red Grouse and Ring Ouzel at lower elevations. The woodlands support Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Woodcock, Tawny Owl and a host of passerines including Wood Warbler, Common Redstart, Siskin, Common Crossbill and Lesser Redpoll. Greenshank and Dunlin occur in the wetter valley bottoms and Red-throated and Black-throated Divers breed on the lochs along with Common Sandpiper, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. Grey Wagtail and Dipper can be seen along the streams.

Mammals are well-represented with Red Cervus elaphus, Sika Cervus nippon and Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Mountain Hare Lepus timidus and Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, and rarities such as Pine Marten Martes martes, Otter Lutra lutra and Wildcat Felis silvestris. Dragonflies include the rare and local White-faced Darter and Azure Hawker.

There is much of interest for the botanist with orchids including Creeping Ladies' Tresses and Lesser Twayblade in the woodlands and Purple Saxifrage and Roseroot on the moorlands. At the highest levels there are Dwarf Willow, Mossy Saxifrage and Moss Campion.

The best time to visit this reserve is May-July and there is a visitor centre at Aultroy, near Kinlochewe, open May-September. Access to the reserve is restricted during September-November when the Red Deer are culled. Visitors to the highest areas should be aware that the weather can change very suddenly and be very severe at times. A pony trail provides the best route to the higher ground.

Birds

Birds you can see here include:

Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Red Grouse, Rock Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Woodcock, Common Snipe, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Common Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Common Wren, Common Dipper, Bohemian Waxwing, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Common Treecreeper, Siskin, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Twite, Lesser Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Common Bullfinch, Snow Bunting

Content and images originally posted by Steve