Conservation
The Estate is within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and we are committed to protecting and enhancing the wildlife and habitats that occurs on the Estate. We have mountains, heather moorland, ancient oak forests, areas of natural woodland re-generation, farmland, lochans and rivers and these contain a vast plethora of different species, that all need managing in a careful integrated way.
Peatland Project
Protected Sites
In collaboration with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA), we are taking part in a conservation project to restore and enhance mountain peat bogs. Click here to find out more about this project.
We have 3 areas on the estate which have been recognised for their important biodiversity.
Ben More and Stob Binnein is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and Meall na Samhna is a SSSI as well as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). They are two of the four sites selected in the Breadalbane Hills of the southern Highlands for a range of important upland plant communities, invertebrates and nationally rare and scarce plant species.
Innishewan Wood is a SSSI, as it is a great example of ancient deciduous woodland and of high importance to biodiversity. It is one of the largest ancient deciduous woodlands in the north Stirling district. There has been a historical fragmentation of these types of woodland in the UK and it is important that they are preserved.
In partnership with Scotish Natural Heritage (SNH) we have management strategies in place to protect the SSSIs and the SAC.
Woodland Regeneration
In partnership with Scottish Woodlands, we have started some woodland regeneration projects.
Where we have cut down old monoculture Fir plantations, a larger area has been re-fenced and allowed to regenerate naturally with species, such as birch, rowan, alder & hazel.
This has resulted in a mosaic of scrubby woodland which is ideal for black game. A few birds have been seen in the Glen and we are hoping that as the habitat is managed to their benefit, their numbers will increase.
Wader Projects
In partnership with the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park (LLTNP), we have begun to manage the wetter, flood-prone valley bottom fields to increase their suitability for wildfowl and waders. Our hope is to increase the numbers of breeding waders such as lapwing, redshank, curlew and snipe.
Beavers
In the middle of April 2015, we begun to see marks on the river back that suggested that beavers had reached Auchlyne. There have been sightings at the head of Loch Tay and in the lower Tay River System. We have set up a camera to take pictures so we will keep you up to date with any sightings.