Dundreggan - an ideal site for forest restoration

In a very exciting development, Trees for Life is currently negotiating to secure the purchase of the 4,000 hectare (10,000 acre) Dundreggan Estate in Glen Moriston. Situated in the south of our Target Area for forest restoration, Dundreggan contains about 100 hectares (250 hectares) of ancient woodland, and forms an ideal site for the return of the Caledonian Forest. Notable for its outstanding areas of juniper and extensive distribution of dwarf birch, it offers an exceptional opportunity for us to work with all the main elements of our restoration work - native pine woodland, montane scrub, riparian forest, aspen etc - as an integrated, cohesive whole on one site. Much of the estate is suitable for forest recovery, grading into montane scrub on the higher ground, and it will add on to our existing Allt na Muic Forest Corridor project, to create a native woodland link between Glen Affric and Glen Moriston.

We already have about half of the funds required for the purchase in place, and are currently seeking to raise the balance from large trust and foundations, the Heritage Lottery Fund etc, and through an appeal to the general public. Please support us in what is our most significant and important project ever by making a donation via our Dundreggan Appeal page. Thank you!

You can also download our special Dundreggan Appeal Brochure (PDF, 452 kB) and the Dundreggan Appeal Letter (PDF, 273 kB), if you would prefer to make a donation by post.

Alan Watson Featherstone

Map of Dundreggan

Key to Coloured areas on Map Pink - 5 Hectare Dwarf Birch Regeneration Area Purple - New Native Woodland Planted in 2002 Green - Ancient Woodland Yellow - Commercial Plantation

Location of Dundreggan in the Trees for Life Target Area Location of the Trees for Life Target Area in Scotland

The numbers on the map link to the photographs of Dundreggan below.

1. This dwarf birch bush, growing beside a stream in the north of Dundreggan, is one of the largest and healthiest we've seen anywhere in Scotland.	2. This lone Scots pine is at least 2 kilometres from the next nearest surviving pine.
3. Remnant patches of native trees, mainly birch as here, extend for over 2 kilometres up the Red Burn stream, and provide a nucleus from which forest regeneration could extend outwards.	4. There are at least 7 aspen stands on Dundreggan, and one of the trees here has the rare aspen bracket fungus (Phellinus tremulae) growing on it.
5. A number of stands of beautiful old Scots pines are interspersed through the birch-dominated ancient woodland.	6. Some of the junipers on Dundreggan, such as this one here growing amongst pines and birch, are over 5 metres tall.
7. A number of oak trees are scattered through the ancient woodland on the lower part of Dundreggan.	8. Juniper is common and widespread on Dundreggan, especially in the birch-dominated ancient woodland.
9. Growing out of reach of deer on a rocky outcrop, this solitary rowan is one of the few trees still existing in the centre of the estate.	10. This pine seedling, regenerating naturally inside the 5 hectare dwarf birch exclosure which we funded on Dundreggan in 2002, shows the potential for forest recovery.

Pages about Dundreggan on this site

• Dundreggan home page
• Become a Friend of Dundreggan
• The Dundreggan Estate - the perfect site for forest restoration. Management plan in brief.
• £1.65 million Dundreggan deal a milestone for Scotland's Caledonian Forest
• Our purchase of Dundreggan is complete, at last - August 2008
• Dundreggan News: articles from 2006 to the present
• First impressions of Dundreggan's potential for forest restoration
• Biodiversity on Dundreggan - First impressions, August 2006
• Biodiversity on Dundreggan
• The History of the Dundreggan Estate

Published: 10 January 2006
Last updated: 26 January 2010