Garten Wood, Strathspey

Acquisition of Garten Wood, a 274 ha wood adjacent to Loch Garten, was the second major land purchase to follow the establishment of the Loch Garten Reserve in 1975. The area had been managed as a pension fund woodland, so a lot of planting had taken place with resultant draining of bogs. Some exotic conifers had been planted also. A detailed map of the site was made to aid management planning and land valuation. Thankfully most of the planted woodland comprised native Scots pine, and small pockets of “granny pines” had also survived. The area purchase has all the key pinewood bird species resident, capercaillie, Scottish crossbill, crested tit along with red squirrels, pine marten and otter. The property currently carries the following designations: Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, Candidate Special Area of Conservation, Environmentally Sensitive Area and within The Cairngorms National Park.