Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

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Coordinates: 57°11′20″N 3°50′53″W / 57.188948°N 3.848020°W / 57.188948; -3.848020
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Craigellachie National Nature Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1]
Lochan and woodland at Craigellachie
Lochan and woodland at Craigellachie
Map showing the location of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve
Craigellachie, shown within Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland
LocationNear Aviemore, Scotland
Coordinates57°11′20″N 3°50′53″W / 57.188948°N 3.848020°W / 57.188948; -3.848020
Area257 ha (640 acres)[2]
Established1961
Governing bodyNatureScot
Craigellachie National Nature Reserve

Craigellachie (

blaeberry.[7]

By tradition Craigellachie was an important place for Clan Grant, being used as a vantage point and as the site for signal fires to gather the clan. Craigellachie appears on the clan's crest, and the clan's Slogan is "Stand fast Craig Elachie!".[5][4]

Flora and fauna

The birkwood at Craigellachie NNR can be described as "semi-natural", having arisen before the middle of the eighteenth century: the earliest known reference to it was made by mapmaker

Scots pine and juniper.[6]

The range of habitats supports a diverse range of plant communities, with over 385 flowering-plant types being recorded at the reserve, including nationally-scarce species such as

dwarf birch, and bog hair grass. 71 species of fungi and 22 lichen species have been recorded at the reserve, owing to the birchwood habitat.[9][10]

The reserve provides an ideal habitat for

UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) species. Of particular note are the Kentish glory and Rannoch sprawler, the larvae of which favour young birch saplings as a food source.[7][11] Woodland butterflies at Craigellachie NNR include Scotch argus and orange tip, as well as the pearl-bordered fritillary, which is also a UKBAP species.[7]

Around 50 bird species are present, including a number of UKBAP species, such as

pine marten.[9]

Visitors

Around 8500 people each year visit the reserve, which is linked to the centre of Aviemore via an underpass beneath the

A9.[13] There are four marked trails, three of which provide circular routes of between 0.7 and 1.8 km. The fourth trail, which is 4.4 km long, continues up to the summit of Craigellachie.[3] In 2007 a ‘Mobitour’ system was trialled, whereby visitors could access information about specific parts of the reserve via a mobile phone. The system proved popular with visitors, and has since been extended to cover all four of the marked trails.[13][14]

Other designations

The national nature reserve forms part of the Craigellachie Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which covers a larger area (380 ha).[15] The site lies entirely within the Cairngorms National Park,[16] and is designated a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Craigellachie". Protected Planet. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Craigellachie NNR". NatureScot. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Visit Craigellachie National Nature Reserve" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 2.
  5. ^ a b The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 1.
  6. ^ a b The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 4.
  7. ^ a b c d The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 5.
  8. ^ The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 8.
  9. ^ a b c The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 6.
  10. ^ The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 7.
  11. ^ "Rannoch Sprawler Brachionycha nubeculosa". UK Moths. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
  12. ^ Scottish Natural Heritage (9 June 2016). "Craigellachie's all-new peregrine TV and visitor hub". Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  13. ^ a b The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 11.
  14. ^ The Story of Craigellachie National Nature Reserve. p. 12.
  15. ^ "Craigellachie SSSI". NatureScot. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Cairngorms National Park". NatureScot. Retrieved 15 September 2020.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Craigellachie, Aviemore.
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