PARTNER PORTRAIT:
Glen Nevis Estate
Nestled below the UK’s highest mountain, Glen Nevis Estate forms part of one of Scotland’s most iconic glens, attracting visitors from around the world. As a founding partner in Loch Abar Mòr, the Estate is committed to working with others to catalyse ecological recovery across Lochaber.
Coire an Lochan, Coire Dearg and Mullach nan Coirean, Glen Nevis Estate, Lochaber, August 2023
Nestled below the UK’s highest mountain, the 1,000-acre Glen Nevis Estate forms part of one of Scotland’s most iconic glens, attracting visitors from around the world. From the cool, clear waters of the River Nevis, the estate rises through an impressive area of restored and ancient woodland, into a dramatic corrie dotted with fragments of rare montane plants and shrubs.
As a founding partner in Loch Abar Mòr, Glen Nevis Estate is committed to working alongside other landowners to catalyse ecological recovery across Lochaber.
From river to mountain top, Glen Nevis Estate is a rich mosaic of habitats.
Naturally grazed grasslands and marshes teem with insects during the summer, feeding on the flower-rich floodplain.
The estate has plans to expand the woodland corridor through selective tree planting, helping to restore natural river processes and benefitting species such as Atlantic salmon, otter and freshwater pearl mussel.
The impact of fencing out hungry herbivores is apparent on the slopes of Coire Dearg, as new woodland emerges from the previously bare hillside. On-going deer management across the estate will help enable further expansion of native woodland into other parts of the corrie.
The north-facing crags at the head of the corrie host a diverse assemblage of plants, adapted to survive on these inaccessible calcareous islands.
Montane woodland has become a rare habitat across Scotland. Here, whortle-leaved willow maintains a foothold on cliff ledges out of reach of browsers.
The delicate flowers of moss campion, starry saxifrage and grass of Parnassus blossom here in June.
The high ridges above Coire Dearg at the southern boundary of the estate, support ptarmigan and provide an ideal vantage point to scan for golden eagles.
From these lofty vantage points there are expansive views in all directions, taking in the country’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, that towers over the glen below.
High annual rainfall ensures a constant flow of water from the high tops, which drains through remnant woodland fragments into rainforest ravines, where an array of lichens, mosses and ferns thrive in the humid conditions.
The thriving holiday park managed by the estate owners John Cameron and Michael Cooke, provides the financial stability to fund their ambitious nature recovery work.
Glen Nevis Estate offers a wide range of accommodation and facilities, with visitors able to walk, cycle, and explore a multitude of tracks and trails against the backdrop of a landscape in recovery.
