Eared willow is the most common willow species found at Alladale and has important ecological value for fungi, mosses, and invertebrates.
RESTORING A LIVING LANDSCAPE – NATURE AT ALLADALE
Alladale Wilderness Reserve provides 23,000 acres of sheer, rugged beauty, where the balance of nature is returning. It is your true escape: witness the panoramic views; explore the reforested Highland glens; breathe, and experience a wild landscape in recovery. For when we return to nature, we return to ourselves.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
JOHN MUIR
Scottish Environmentalist, Philosopher and Naturalist
A LIVING LANDSCAPE
In every detail, there are signs of the recovering ecosystem at Alladale. Look to the skies for golden eagles; search for rare orchids and twinflower; keep an eye out for black grouse and ptarmigan; and marvel in the wild spectacle of the Atlantic salmon run. Across the Reserve new saplings of Caledonian pine, rowan and birch are beginning to restore the forests.
To learn more about what you can expect to find, click on the image of each species below to explore the diversity of Highlands wildlife, native to Alladale.
EARED WILLOW
ARCTIC BEARBERRY
Arctic bearberry, as its name would suggest, is typically found in the arctic, but it also thrives in the harsh arctic-like conditions of the Alladale high tops. The name “bearberry” for the plant derives from the edible fruit which is a favourite food of bears.
Coal Tit
A common sight in Alladale’s woodlands and on the feeders by the lodge.
CHERRY
Both wild and bird cherry can be found at Alladale. They are valuable to wildlife, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for bees through its spring flowers, while the cherries are eaten by birds.
FIELD NOTES FROM NATURE
Charlie Ottleys Wild Poems
Charlie Ottley – TV presenter, explorer, adventurer, even a poet – is a dear friend of Alladale’s.
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Suggested Reads, For The Wild
Breath in and the clean air soothes your mind, sharpens it, and attunes you to the rhythms of nature.
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Building Wilderness
Deep in the Scottish Highlands, a process of regeneration is taking place.
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