North Abernethy Forest

Acquisition of North Abernethy (581 ha). This purchase was hugely significant in a wider reserve context. It joined the Loch Garten section to the Forest Lodge section, giving a continuous landholding of 12,447 hectares stretching from the summit of Britain’s second highest mountain Ben Macdui to the Strath of the River Spey some 23 kilometres away. Two reserves became one and the Abernethy Forest Reserve was born. Sadly, North Abernethy comprised one of the most “damaged” areas in habitat terms, within Abernethy Forest, large areas of the natural forest had been felled in 1969 and a loophole in the SSSI re-designation period in the 1980s allowing forest bogs to be drained and moranic Ice Age topography to be ploughed and planted. However, much natural Scots pine woodland remained with characteristic species such as capercaillie, Scottish crossbill, parrot crossbill, crested tit, black grouse, otters, pine martens and red squirrels. The property currently carries the following designations: Site of Special Scientific Interest, Dell Wood National Nature Reserve (part), Special Protection Area, Candidate Special Area of Conservation, Environmentally Sensitive Area and within The Cairngorms National Park