Glen Tanar

Last updated

Glen Tanar
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) [1]
Caledonian Pine Forest above the Water of Allachy - geograph.org.uk - 1142564.jpg
Scots pines in Glen Tanar
Aberdeenshire UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Glen Tanar shown within Aberdeenshire
LocationGlen Tanar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Coordinates 57°03′00″N2°52′00″W / 57.050093°N 2.866778°W / 57.050093; -2.866778
Area41.9 km2 (16.2 sq mi) [2]
Designation NatureScot
Established1979 [1]
OwnerGlen Tanar Estate
www.glentanar.co.uk

Glen Tanar (Scottish Gaelic : Gleann Tanar) is a glen in Aberdeenshire, eastern Scotland, [3] through which the Water of Tanar flows. Near the mouth of the glen, at Tower o' Ess, the Water of Tanar flows into the River Dee. This flows through Deeside into the North Sea at Aberdeen. [4] Glen Tanar contains the third largest area of Caledonian Forest in Scotland, and is of national and European importance. [5] It lies 29 km east from the British royal family's private residence of Balmoral Castle.

Contents

42 km2 of the glen is designated by NatureScot as a national nature reserve (NNR). [2] Most of the area remains under private ownership as part of the Glen Tanar Estate. However 182 ha is owned by NatureScot, being designated as the "Strict Reserve Zone" of the NNR. [6] [7] Glen Tanar lies within the Cairngorms National Park, [8] and is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), [9] a Special Protection Area (SPA), [10] and a Special Area of Conservation. [11] The NNR is designated a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [1]

Glen Tanar provides the eastern walking route to Mount Keen, Scotland's most easterly Munro. Starting at the car park at the end of the public road, walkers follow the glen through the native Caledonian Forest into open moorland before crossing the river to begin the ascent. [12]

Flora and fauna

Glen Tanar, along with the side glens formed by the Water of Gairney and the Water of Allachy, comprises the third largest area of Caledonian Forest in Scotland, which grows from the valley floor up to an altitude of 450 metres. As a Caledonian Forest, the predominant tree species is Scots pine, although broad-leaved tree species including birch, alder, rowan, holly, aspen and oak are also present. Juniper grows at the boundary between the forest and the open moorland above, and areas of blaeberry, heather and feather mosses can also be found. the woodland floor provides a habitat for many of the species typically found in the Caledonian Forest, including twinflower, creeping lady's-tresses, toothed wintergreen and intermediate wintergreen. [5]

Invertebrate species at Glen Tanar are representative of the Caledonian Forest. Of particular note are the rare false blister beetle, the hoverfly Callicera rufa , the bumblebee robberfly and the green hairstreak butterfly. [13]

Glen Tanar is an important site for birds, reflected in its SPA designation, which notes the breeding presence of four particular species: capercaillie, Scottish crossbill, osprey and golden eagle. [10] The capercaillie population here is of national importance. [5] In early 2019 visitors were asked to stay away from certain parts of the estate in order to avoid disturbing a particularly aggressive lekking capercaillie. [14] Glen Tanar is also noted for black grouse, hen harrier, golden plover and merlin, and is probably the most important site for the Scottish crossbill, a species endemic to Scotland. [5] [13]

Mammal species at Glen Tanar include red squirrel, Scottish wildcat and otter, and the river system is important for atlantic salmon. [13] [11]

History

Glen Tanar was historically part of the lands of the Marquis of Huntly. In 1865 the estate was bought by William Cunliffe Brooks, an English barrister and merchant banker who in 1869 was elected as Conservative MP for East Cheshire. [15] [16] Brooks had a major influence on the estate, building a large house, cottages for estate workers, a school, stables, and kennels, as well as constructing several bridges and landscaping the gardens. He also installed numerous carved stones and memorials in the surrounding countryside, many of which make playful references to his name or celebrate the virtues of drinking water rather than alcohol. [17] In 1905 the estate was bought by George Coats, [18] owner of the Paisley based thread manufacturer J & P Coats Ltd. In 1916 Coats was raised to the peerage as Baron Glentanar, [19] and the estate remains in the ownership of his descendants. [15]

Timber has been extracted from the woodlands at Glen Tanar for at least 250 years, with the earliest record of a sawmill dating from 1732. The rate of felling increased during the Victorian period, and this, combined with an increase in deer and livestock numbers on the estate, hampered the natural regeneration of the forest. The forest avoided the heavily felling that affected other woods on Deeside woods during the Great War, and in 1937 deer fencing was erected to allow natural regeneration of the forest. [20] During the 1950s and 60s some areas were planted with non-native conifers, but these are now being gradually removed. Seasonal grazing of cattle ceased in the 1990s, [6] and a section of the deer fence was removed in 1996. The forest is now allowed to regenerate naturally, with deer numbers being controlled by culling. [20] The reduction in pressure on the forestry has also allowed trees to spread onto areas of the adjoining moorland. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Dee, Aberdeenshire</span> River in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in the region between Braemar and Banchory because Queen Victoria came for a visit there in 1848 and greatly enjoyed herself. She and her husband, Prince Albert, built Balmoral Castle there which replaced an older castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairngorms</span> Mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland

The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain Cairn Gorm. The Cairngorms became part of Scotland's second national park on 1 September 2003. Although the Cairngorms give their name to, and are at the heart of, the Cairngorms National Park, they only form one part of the national park, alongside other hill ranges such as the Angus Glens and the Monadhliath, and lower areas like Strathspey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairngorms National Park</span> National park in Scotland

Cairngorms National Park is a national park in northeast Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was set up in 2002. The park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and surrounding hills. Already the largest national park in the United Kingdom, in 2010 it was expanded into Perth and Kinross.

<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">Loch Fleet</span> Sea loch on the east coast of Scotland

Loch Fleet is a sea loch on the east coast of Scotland, located between Golspie and Dornoch. It forms the estuary of the River Fleet, a small spate river that rises in the hills east of Lairg. The loch was designated a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1998, and is managed by a partnership between NatureScot, the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Sutherland Estates. The NNR extends to 1058 hectares, including the Loch Fleet tidal basin, sand dunes, shingle ridges and the adjacent pine woods, including Balbair Wood and Ferry Wood. The tidal basin of the loch covers over 630 ha, and forms the largest habitat on the NNR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caledonian Forest</span> Ecoregion in the British Isles

The Caledonian Forest is the ancient (old-growth) temperate forest of Scotland. The forest today is a reduced-extent version of the pre-human-settlement forest, existing in several dozen remnant areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Wyvis</span> Mountain in Highland, Scotland, UK

Ben Wyvis is a mountain in Easter Ross, in the northern Highlands of Scotland. It lies north-west of Dingwall, in the council area of Highland, and the county of Ross and Cromarty. Ben Wyvis is a large winding and undulating ridge running roughly north–south for about 5 km, the highest point of which is Glas Leathad Mòr at 1,046 metres (3,432 ft). Geologically, the ridge is composed of Moine pelitic gneiss. The mountain is prominent in views of the area, presenting a whale-back shape above the farmland of Strathconon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creag Meagaidh</span> Mountain in the Scottish Highlands

Creag Meagaidh is a mountain on the northern side of Glen Spean in the Highlands of Scotland. It is a complex mountain, made up of a flat summit plateau, with five ridges spreading out from it, overlooking five deep corries; it is most famed for the cliffs surrounding the corrie of Coire Ardair on the north-eastern face. These crags are a renowned venue for ice climbing. Creag Meagaidh rises to 1,130 metres (3,710 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Affric</span> Valley in northern Scotland

Glen Affric is a glen south-west of the village of Cannich in the Highland region of Scotland, some 15 miles west of Loch Ness. The River Affric runs along its length, passing through Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. A minor public road reaches as far as the end of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin, but beyond that point only rough tracks and footpaths continue along the glen.

<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">Abernethy Forest</span> Forest in Highland, Scotland, UK

Abernethy Forest is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest in Strathspey, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It lies within the Cairngorms National Park, close to the villages of Nethy Bridge, Boat of Garten, and Aviemore. The forest is an RSPB reserve, close to Loch Garten Osprey Centre, which is also owned by the RSPB. It is popular with walkers, as there are various trails throughout the reserve. The forest forms part of the wider Abernethy National Nature Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Strathfarrar</span> Valley in Scotland

Glen Strathfarrar is a glen in the Highland region of Scotland, near Loch Ness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mar Lodge Estate</span> Estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Mar Lodge Estate is a highland estate in western Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which has been owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) since 1995. Its principal building, Mar Lodge, is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the village of Braemar. The estate is recognised as one of the most important nature conservation landscapes in the British Isles and occupies nearly 8% of the Cairngorms National Park, covering 29,340 hectares. The natural heritage value of the estate is reflected by the fact that much of it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA). The entire estate has been classified as a national nature reserve since May 2017, and is designated a Category II protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrie Fee</span> Corrie and nature reserve in Angus, Scotland

Corrie Fee is a glacier-carved corrie situated at the head of Glen Clova in the Angus Glens of Scotland. It forms part of Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is managed by NatureScot and lies within the Cairngorms National Park. The adjoining Corrie Sharroch and the slopes of Craig Rennet are also included in the NNR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariundle Oakwood</span> Forested nature reserve in Highland, Scotland, UK

Ariundle Oakwood is situated to the north of the village of Strontian in the Sunart area of the Highlands of Scotland. It is located on the western side of the glen of the Strontian River, to the south of former lead mining sites that lie further up this glen. The wood is part of the ancient Sunart Oakwood, and is a remnant of ancient oakwoods that once spanned the Atlantic coasts of Europe from Norway to Portugal. It was designated as a National Nature Reserve in 1977, and is managed primarily by NatureScot, in conjunction with Forestry and Land Scotland, who own the land surrounding the National Nature Reserve. The reserve is classified as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and also forms part of both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve</span>

The Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve (NNR) comprises six separate woodland sites in the Clyde Valley region of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. These six sites are located along a 12 km section of the River Clyde and its tributaries, and lie close to built-up areas such as Hamilton and Lanark on the southern outskirts of Greater Glasgow. The sites can be easily accessed by about two million people living in the surrounding urban areas, making the reserve unique amongst Scotland's NNRs, most of which tend to be located in more remote areas. The six sites are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craigellachie National Nature Reserve</span>

Craigellachie is a hill lying to the west of the village of Aviemore in Strathspey, in the central Highlands of Scotland. Craigellachie was declared a national nature reserve (NNR) in 1961, and is managed by NatureScot through a lease from Reidhaven Estate. The reserve covers 257 hectares on the eastern slopes of the Monadhliath range of hills, lying between 225 and 535 m above sea level. It is dominated by birkwood, being one of the largest remaining areas of this type of habitat on Speyside, and is also of national importance due to the variety of moths present on the reserve. In addition to the birkwoods, the reserve encompasses a variety of other habitats, such as rocky crags, lochans and open heath with blaeberry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of Scotland</span> Designated area for protection in Scotland

Many parts of Scotland are protected in accordance with a number of national and international designations because of their environmental, historical or cultural value. Protected areas can be divided according to the type of resource which each seeks to protect. NatureScot has various roles in the delivery of many environmental designations in Scotland, i.e. those aimed at protecting flora and fauna, scenic qualities and geological features. Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designations that protect sites of historic and cultural importance. Some international designations, such as World Heritage Sites, can cover both categories of site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Nant</span> Woodland and nature reserve in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Glen Nant 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). It is an example of an Atlantic Oakwood, and is one of largest areas of upland oak woodland in north Argyll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invereshie and Inshriach National Nature Reserve</span> National nature reserve in Highland, Scotland

Invereshie and Inshriach is a national nature reserve on the western flank of the Cairngorms in the Highland council area of Scotland. The reserve covers habitats at a range of different altitudes, ranging from Caledonian Forest beside the River Feshie in the west, via bog and open moorland, to an arctic-alpine environment on the Cairngorm plateau. The Munro summit of Sgòr Gaoith (1118 m) lies on the eastern boundary of the reserve. The forested areas of the reserve form part of an expanse of Caledonian pinewood that stretches from Glen Feshie to Abernethy, and which as a whole forms the largest single area of this habitat remaining in Scotland. The reserve is owned and managed jointly by NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS): NatureScot own the Invereshie portion of the reserve and FLS the Inshriach area.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 "Glen Tanar". Protected Planet. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Glen Tanar National Nature Reserve". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Glen Tanar". portal.historicenvironment.scot.
  4. ↑ "Glen Tanar". VisitScotland. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Glen Tanar SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 1.
  6. 1 2 3 Glen Tanar SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "Property Page: Glentanar". WhoOwnsScotland.org.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Cairngorms National Park". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Glen Tanar SSSI". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Glen Tanar SPA". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Glen Tanar SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  12. ↑ Donald Bennet & Rab Anderson, ed. (2016). The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalkers' Guide. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. p. 125. ISBN   9780907521945.
  13. 1 2 3 Glen Tanar SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 2.
  14. ↑ "Walkers told to stay away from capercaillie looking for a mate". BBC News. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  15. 1 2 "About us: A little bit of background". Glen Tanar Estate. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  16. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)
  17. ↑ Fouin, F L P (2009) 'Glen Tanar - valley of echoes and hidden treasures' (Leopard Press, Aberdeen)
  18. ↑ "George Coats". belleisleconservatory.com.
  19. ↑ "No. 29651". The London Gazette . 4 July 1916. p. 6597.
  20. 1 2 Glen Tanar SSSI Site Management Statement. p. 3.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.