Гленмор орманы: Шотландияның табиғи қазынасы

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). It is home to much wildlife including Scottish crossbills, crested tits, capercaillie, narrow headed ants, red squirrels and red deer. During the Second World War the area was a training base for Norwegian resistance fighters, who are commemorated by a memorial located near to the visitor centre.

A fairy known as the Ly Erg, a portent of death, is said to frequent the area of the forest. According to local legends a small lake in the park, An Lochan Uaine, has its water coloured in green due to the fairies, who wash their green clothes in the lake.

As a Caledonian Forest, the predominant tree species at Glenmore is Scots pine. Around half of the pines originate as a result of natural processes, whilst the remainder have been planted using seeds of local origin. Broadleaved species such as birch, willow and rowan are also present, and there are areas of juniper scrub and alder. Glenmore Forest is important for many bird species, especially Scottish crossbill and capercaillie. In 2006 Glenmore was identified as having the highest productivity of capercaillie for any monitored site in Scotland. Golden eagles can be seen over parts of the forest, and ospreys regularly hunt over Loch Morlich. Peregrine falcons and merlins also hunt in the area, and occasionally breed at Glenmore. Dotterel can occasionally be found on the higher parts of the area, above the tree line, although they normally prefer the open habitats of the mountain plateau. The rivers and lochs of the forest provide a home for otters, and are an important spawning area for Atlantic salmon. In addition to its status as a national nature reserve and a forest park Glenmore is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and forms part of the Cairngorms Special Protection Area (SPA). There are also two Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) that overlap with the NNR: the Cairngorms SAC and the River Spey SAC.