Ariundle Oakwood National Nature Reserve
| Ariundle Oakwood National Nature Reserve | |
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Ariundle Oakwood | |
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| Location | Strontian, Lochaber, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°42′59″N 5°32′34″W / 56.7164°N 5.5428°WCoordinates: 56°42′59″N 5°32′34″W / 56.7164°N 5.5428°W |
| Governing body | Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) |
| Ariundle Oakwood National Nature Reserve | |
Ariundle Oakwood, Gaelic Airigh Fhionndail, or "the shieling of the white meadow" (OS grid reference NM8464) is a part of the ancient Sunart Oakwood and is situated between the village of Strontian and the former lead mine sites. It was designated a National Nature Reserve in 1977 and is managed primarily by Scottish Natural Heritage, as well as the Forestry Commission for Scotland.
The wood is a remnant of ancient oakwood that once spanned the Atlantic coasts of Europe from Norway to Portugal. It is a temperate rainforest. The trees are mostly sessile oaks, with other native species including holly, hazel, birch, rowan, willow, ash and wych elm.
It contains remains from earlier settlements in the Strontian area, including charcoal platforms, pony tracks, enclosure dykes, potato lazy beds, and old coppice trees. The people there were described as sluagh an torraidh bhain, or the people of the white hillock, with the settlement recorded as "Torban" in Clan Cameron records. Torban was abandoned to sheep farming in the early 19th century.[1]
From 1752, the wood was a source of charcoal for the Bonawe iron furnace on Loch Etive and locally in the lead mining industry. Managing the woodland brought about a thousand workers to the area. Lead mining fell off in the early 19th Century and the Bonawe Furnace closed in 1876. After this the woods were no longer needed to supply fuel, but were used as a sheltered area for livestock.
In 1961, Ariundle Wood was designated a Forest Nature Reserve[2]
The main path through the nature reserve is the start of the most accessible route to Sgùrr Dhòmhnuill, a Corbett and the 17th highest relative peak in Britain.
References
- ↑ "Ariundle Oakwoods". Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- ↑ , before its designation as a National Nature Reserve in 1977. "Scotland's Landscape: Ariundle Oakwood".
External links
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