It has been described as a ‘national treasure’, and is home to an amazing variety of species and habitats. Arguably the finest glen in Scotland, situated 26 miles south-west of Inverness, where the river Affric runs down from the Hills of Kintail to Loch Affric … It was their last training exercise before going to fight in the Second World War in the Middle East. The next day dawned calm and sunny – it was going to be another fine day. James’ parents, David and Jane Matthews, are the Laird and Lady of Glen Affric, respectively. However, there are many old and dying trees, as excessive grazing pressure has prevented the growth of young trees. Mam Sodhail, Carn Eige & Beinn Fhionnlaidh (Glen Affric) After doing the Mullardoch round, Ally and I camped overnight again at the dam carpark at Loch Mullardoch. 8. This blog follows on from Part 1 and Part 2 in this series with the same name, covering some of the species and ecological relationships I observed in Glen Affric during my visits there in 2018. You might find otters basking in the lake, red squirrels leaping between trees and even golden eagles soaring above. At ten o'clock on the night of 13 February 1942, a Vickers Wellington Type 1c bomber crashed into a hillside in Glen Affric. James’ father David Matthews purchased the 10,000-acre Glen Affric estate in 2008. Dense forests and glassy lochs are backed by snow-topped mountains, with 48km (30mi) of native pinewoods. Glen Affric June 16, 2015. The woodland is one of the best examples of the Caledonian pinewood that once covered much of Scotland. The crew of six all survived. The native pinewoods in Glen Affric represent one of the largest and last remaining fragments of Caledonian Forest in the UK, supporting over 1,000 wildlife species including golden eagles, pine martens and red squirrels. Twitter. Glen Affric For me the scenery around this part of the world is as good as it gets. Glen Affric. Twitter. Glen Affric is well-known for its diversity of dragonfly species, with at least 12 species recorded there, and as July is the best month to see many of them, I headed for a small lochan on the south side of Loch Affric where I knew there was a good chance of seeing some. Because James, 41, is the heir to his father’s title, … My day in Glen Affric on the solstice was a memorable one, because I kept finding more and more species of interest, even though I stayed in a relatively small area, not far from Dog Falls itself. Especially when there's early October snowfall to add drama to the autumnal tones. 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