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Our work here
27 April 2011
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Image: Andy Hay
Inversnaid nature reserve lies within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, and the woodland forms part of the larger Loch Lomond Woods Special Area of Conservation. The reserve is also part of The Great Trossachs Forest.
Inversnaid reserve is made up of 90 hectares of deciduous woodland and 727 hectares of open moorland, which supports a wealth of fauna and flora. The RSPB is managing the reserve for its biodiversity, including the rare black grouse, and aims to increase the amount of woodland on the reserve by encouraging it onto the moorland.
Woodland for wildlife
We are managing the semi-natural deciduous woodland for the benefit of breeding birds, such as pied flycatchers and wood warblers, as well as its important moss and lichen communities. The in-bye ground is grazed throughout the year with Highland cattle and sheep specifically to encourage black grouse.
Restoring woodland
We plan to restore mixed native woodland and montane scrub on poor quality heathland over the next 100 years.
The Great Trossachs Forest
Inversnaid Reserve is part of The Great Trossachs Forest project, which is the result of a unique collaboration known as the Scottish Forest Alliance and made up of Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), RSPB Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland (WTS) and multi-national company, BP.
The Great Trossachs Forest lies at the heart of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and covers around 9 per cent of the park's land area. At around 16,650 hectares in total, the area is equivalent in size to more than twice the surface area of Loch Lomond (Scotland's largest loch and the UK's largest body of fresh water) and close in size to the City of Glasgow.
The land covered by The Great Trossach Forest project was once largely native forest, with trees stretching up into the surrounding mountains. In more recent history, much of that forest was felled and many areas of exposed ground were allowed to be severely overgrazed, dramatically reducing the biodiversity value of the land. In modern times, the remnants of the most important habitats have become formally designated as protected sites, acknowledging their special value.
One of the main aims of The Great Trossachs Forest project is to act as a demonstration site and showcase for sustainable land management and use. This aim will be achieved through an extensive programme of tree planting, natural woodland regeneration and active land management, maximising the potential for as many species as possible to adapt and move in response to the effects of climate change.