Glen Nant

Coordinates: 56°24′21″N 5°13′51″W / 56.405888°N 5.230946°W / 56.405888; -5.230946
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Glen Nant National Nature Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1]
View over Glen Nant Looking towards Ben Cruachan
View over Glen Nant Looking towards Ben Cruachan
Map showing the location of Glen Nant National Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Glen Nant National Nature Reserve
Location within Argyll and Bute
LocationArgyll and Bute, Scotland
Coordinates56°24′21″N 5°13′51″W / 56.405888°N 5.230946°W / 56.405888; -5.230946
Area338.5 ha (836 acres)[2]
DesignationNatureScot
Established1979[1]
OwnerForestry and Land Scotland (FLS)
Glen Nant National Nature Reserve

Glen Nant (

Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Neannta)[3] is a glen lying to the south of Taynuilt in the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. An area of woodland of 339 hectares on the western side of the River Nant is designated as national nature reserve (NNR), which is owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).[4] It is an example of an Atlantic Oakwood, and is one of largest areas of upland oak woodland in north Argyll.[5]

The woodland at Glen Nant was

Sitka spruce. By the later 1970s the focus on increasing the amount of commercial forestry led to oak woodland on the eastern side of the lower glen being felled in preparation for conifer plantations: following negotiations between the Nature Conservancy Council (predecessor body of NatureScot) and the Forestry Commission the area was declared a national nature reserve (NNR) in 1979. Deer fences were erected to encourage natural regeneration of the forest. Work has since been undertaken to remove non-native conifer species and reinstate the coppicing of some areas of trees. In 2003 the NNR was extended to include the FCS woodland on the western side of the lower glen.[6]

Flora and fauna

Glen Nant contains examples of several different types of woodland.

sallows. The wide range of different woodland types leads to a diverse range of other plants, with ferns and heath growing on acidic soils and herb species in the lime-rich areas. At least 234 species of lichen have been recorded here, mostly being those that require humid and oceanic conditions.[5]

otters.[7]

Visitors

Two short waymarked trails have been built to allow visitors to walk around the forest. The 400 m Riverbank Trail leads from the car park to picnic area by the River Nant, whilst the Ant Trail is a 3.3 km circular route through the oakwoods.[8] The charity Plantlife have produced a short leaflet that highlights some of the flora that can be seen on a 1.6 km section of the Ant Trail.[9]

B845.[10]

Conservation designations

As well as being a national nature reserve, Glen Nant is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest,[11] and forms part of the Loch Etive Woods Special Area of Conservation.[12] The NNR is designated a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c "Glen Nant". Protected Planet. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Glen Nant National Nature Reserve". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Database". Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  4. ^ "Search by A-Z". Scotland's National Nature Reserves. NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b Glen Nant SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 2.
  6. ^ Glen Nant SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 4.
  7. ^ Glen Nant SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 3.
  8. ^ "The Forests of North Argyll" (PDF). Forestry and Land Scotland. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  9. ^ "The wild plants of Glen Nant" (PDF). Plantlife. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  10. ^ "Glen Nant". Forestry and Land Scotland. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Glen Nant SSSI". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Loch Etive Woods SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Glen Nant.
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