Glen Affric

Glen Affric is a National Nature Reserve in the Scottish Highlands featuring native pine forests, mountain ridges, and several lochs connected by streams. The landscape includes open moorland and rocky slopes alongside the woodland areas, creating varied terrain to explore.

The valley was home to two rival Scottish clans whose conflicts led to an armed clash in 1721. The landscape was shaped over centuries by people who grazed livestock and hunted across these lands.

The tartan pattern found here in the 1980s dates back 500 years and shows how textiles connected different families and regions across the Highlands.

The reserve is reached through several car parks with picnic areas and marked trails of varying difficulty. Visitors should bring waterproof clothing as conditions change quickly, and pack water and food for the walk.

The forest's oldest trees are locally called 'granny pines' and have survived centuries of woodland clearing. These ancient specimens support rare lichen species found nowhere else in the region.

Location: Highland

Address: Cannich, Beauly IV4 7LY, UK

Website: http://forestryandland.gov.scot

GPS coordinates: 57.28333,-4.93333

Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:03