Glen Lochay
Glen Lochay is located in the Scottish Highlands, west of the village of Killin on the banks of Loch Tay. The upper glen is a place of moorland and mountain; until recently devoid of forest of its historic woodland cover and intensively grazed. More recently, native woodland is beginning to sprout again.
Woodland has been re-established using seed from the nearest viable sources, and with up to 1,000 hectares of woodland, the glen can generate its own seed once again.
The glen is a quiet place, never a major through-route for transportation, and often escaping the historical record. The works of 18th-century poet Duncan Bàn MacIntyre are a great exception, where the flora, fauna and interconnected ecology are meticulously recorded.
Glen Lochay is also a popular destination for walkers and is accessed from a signposted car park at the end of the public road. The glen includes five dramatic summits above 3,000 feet and many more secluded corners.
The Woodland
The Glen Lochay reforestation project took its name from the Forest of Mamlorn, the ancient hunting forest that straddled Glen Lochay.
The restoration project took off in 2010, establishing 522ha of new native woodland and 800,000 native trees. The forestry is subdivided into twelve compartments straddling the walls of the glen, allowing the trees to grow free from grazing pressure. This lays the foundations for a forested landscape, the likes of which have not been seen in this glen for generations.
This new woodland creates a mass of fresh habitat whose protection attracts fungi, insects and wildlife. And as the forests grow, so they will be colonised by these species. This woodland is not only visually pleasing, it improves the conditions for wildlife and soil, slows runoff and sequesters atmospheric carbon.
