Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest

Last updated

Fisherfield Forest Footpath to Coire Mhic Fhearchair - geograph.org.uk - 713058.jpg
Fisherfield Forest

The Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest covers a large mountainous area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, lying between Loch Maree and Little Loch Broom. It is sometimes nicknamed The Great Wilderness, as the area is entirely devoid of permanent settlements.

Contents

Although termed a forest the area has very few trees. It is in fact a deer forest; an area maintained by the owners primarily for deer stalking. Three estates cover the principal area of the forest. Dundonnell Estate (134 km2) covers the northwest part of the forest, including the northwestern flanks of An Teallach, whilst Eilean Darach estate covers 262 km2 in the northeast, including the northeast flank of An Teallach. The majority of the area, including all the southern and central sections, forms the 323 km2 Letterewe estate.

Mountains

Three of the most famous mountains in the area are An Teallach, which lies to the southwest of Dundonnell, A' Mhaighdean, which rises northwest of Lochan Fada, and Slioch, which rises north of Loch Maree, near Kinlochewe. There is a bothy at Shenavall, and it is used occasionally by hill walkers crossing the area or to climb An Teallach.

Lochs and rivers

Fionn Loch is the largest in the forest proper. Other lochs include Loch na Sealga, Lochan Fada and Loch a' Bhraoin.

Rivers in the forest include the Dundonnell River, Gruinard River, Little Gruinard River and Uisge Toll a' Mhadaidh.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross, Scotland</span> Traditional region of Scotland

Ross is an area of Scotland. It was first recorded in the tenth century as a province. It was claimed by the Scottish crown in 1098, and from the 12th century Ross was an earldom. From 1661 there was a county of Ross, also known as Ross-shire, covering most but not all of the province, in particular excluding Cromartyshire. Cromartyshire was subsequently merged with the county of Ross in 1889 to form the county of Ross and Cromarty. The area is now part of the Highland council area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Maree</span> Loch in Wester Ross, in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland

Loch Maree is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At 21.7 km (13.46 mi) long and with a maximum width of four kilometres, it is the fourth-largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is 28.7 km2 (11.08 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beinn Eighe</span> Mountain massif in the Scottish Highlands

Beinn Eighe is a mountain massif in the Torridon area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Lying south of Loch Maree, it forms a long ridge with many spurs and summits, two of which are classified as Munros: Ruadh-stac Mòr at 1,010 m (3,314 ft) and Spidean Coire nan Clach at 993 m (3,258 ft). Unlike most other hills in the area it has a cap of Cambrian basal quartzite which gives the peaks of Beinn Eighe a distinctive light colour. Its complex topography has made it popular with both hillwalkers and climbers and the national nature reserve on its northern side makes it an accessible mountain for all visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">An Teallach</span> Mountain group in Scotland

An Teallach is a mountain group in Wester Ross, in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. It lies west of Dundonnell Forest, north of Loch na Sealga, and south of Little Loch Broom. Its highest peaks are the Munros of Bidean a' Ghlas Thuill at 1062 m, and Sgùrr Fiona at 1058 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wester Ross</span> Area in the North West Highlands of Scotland

Wester Ross is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to the west of the main watershed of Ross, thus forming the western half of the county of Ross and Cromarty. The southwesternmost part of Ross and Cromarty, Lochalsh, is not considered part of Wester Ross by the local tourist organisation, Visit Wester Ross, but is included within the definition used for the Wester Ross Biosphere Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Gruinard</span> River in Scotland

The Little Gruinard is a river in Wester Ross, Scotland which runs from the Fionn Loch into Gruinard Bay. It lies within the Letterewe Estate, previously owned by Paul Fentener van Vlissingen, a Dutch businessman. It has a healthy run of Atlantic Salmon. The Little Gruinard has been a forerunner in the development of catch and release fishing amongst Scottish salmon rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenmore Forest Park</span> Park in Highland, Scotland, UK

Glenmore Forest Park is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest near Aviemore in the Badenoch and Strathspey district of Highland, Scotland. Owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, it lies within the Cairngorms National Park, and is one of six forest parks in the country. The forest park, which was established in 1948, covers 35.7 km2, of which 21.1 km2 is designated as a national nature reserve (NNR). Glenmore surrounds Loch Morlich, and is below the rise of the Cairngorms to the south; to the north the park extends to the summit of Meall a' Bhuachaille. The forest forms part of an expanse of Caledonian Forest that stretches from Glen Feshie to Abernethy, and which as a whole forms the largest single area of this habitat remaining in Scotland. It is home to much wildlife including Scottish crossbills, crested tits, capercaillie, narrow-headed ants, red squirrels and red deer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slioch</span> Mountain in Scotland

Slioch is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands situated in Wester Ross, eight kilometres north of the village of Kinlochewe. Slioch reaches an elevation of 981 metres and towers above the southeastern end of Loch Maree to give one of the best known and most photographed sights in the Highlands. VisitScotland, the Scottish national tourist agency, has used video footage of Slioch in its television advertisements.

The Northwest Highlands are located in the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen. The region comprises Wester Ross, Assynt, Sutherland and part of Caithness. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the south-west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north-east splits this area from the rest of the country. The city of Inverness and the town of Fort William serve as gateways to the region from the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deer forest</span> Deer hunting estate in Scotland

The deer forest is a sporting estate which is kept and managed largely or solely for the purposes of maintaining a resident population of red deer for sporting purposes. It is an institution and phenomenon peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Broom</span> Sea loch on the west coast of Scotland

Loch Broom is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, on the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A832 road</span> Road in Scotland

The A832 is a road in the Scottish Highlands, linking Cromarty, on the east coast, to Gairloch on the west coast, and beyond Gairloch to Braemore Junction. It is 126 miles (203 km) long and runs entirely in the former county of Ross and Cromarty. The road forms part of the Wester Ross Coastal Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Sùbhainn</span>

Eilean Sùbhainn is the largest of several small islands in Loch Maree, Wester Ross, Scotland. It is the second largest freshwater island in Scotland after Inchmurrin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beinn Dearg Mòr</span> Mountain in Scotland

Beinn Dearg Mòr is a Corbett in the middle of the Fisherfield Forest, near Dundonnell and Northwest Highlands in Scotland. It rises to an elevation of 906 metres (2,972 ft) above sea level.

Rubha Mòr is a remote peninsula in west Scotland, in the western region of Ross and Cromarty. The peninsula stretches from Greenstone Point in the north to the villages of Poolewe on the southern coastline and Laide on the northern coastline. The region immediately to the east of the peninsula contains Inchgarve Forest and Fionn Loch, which feeds via the Little Gruinard River into Gruinard Bay to the north. Further south are the forests of Letterewe overlooking Loch Maree, and northeast of Fionn Loch are the forests of Fisherfield and Strathnasheallag overlooking Loch na Sealga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sail Mhòr</span>

Sail Mhor is a mountain in the Northwest Highlands, Scotland. It lies in Wester Ross, close to the remote hamlet of Dundonnell and south of Ullapool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lochan Fada, Letterewe</span> Freshwater loch

Lochan Fada is a large remote and deep freshwater loch that is located three miles north-east of Loch Maree in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Garbhaig, Letterewe Forest</span> Freshwater loch

Loch Garbhaig is a small remote shallow freshwater loch that lies underneath the northern cliffs of the mountain Slioch and is located between Loch Maree and Lochan Fada in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Loch Garbhaig drains into Loch Maree through River Abhainn na Fùirneis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Kernsary</span> Freshwater loch

Loch Kernsary also known as Loch na h-Airde Bige is a small remote shallow low-altitude freshwater loch, located directly southeast of Poolewe in Kinlochewe, Wester Ross. It is fed by the river Coulin from the south and its outflow is into Loch Clair in the north-west. The Kernsary River drains into the loch from the south and in turn is drained through a tiny lochan Loch Poll Uidge à Chrò. The Lochan drains into the Inveran River, that drains a short distance into Loch Maree directly to the south-east.

References

[1]

  1. "Who Owns Scotland". Who Owns Scotland. Retrieved 24 July 2017.

57°46′N5°20′W / 57.767°N 5.333°W / 57.767; -5.333