Beinn Eighe forest walk

from NatureScot:
The uniqueness of Beinn Eighe’s ancient Caledonian pine forest has been recognised with the establishment of the National Nature Reserve (NNR) as the UK’s first area designated for genetic conservation.

Beinn Eighe was the UK’s first NNR, and now it is hailed as a genetic first.

The move reinforces the special nature of the pines at the Wester Ross reserve and the importance of protecting them for future generations.

Some of the remarkable specimens at Beinn Eighe are more than 350 years old, and the genetic composition of the pinewood has been shown to be truly distinct.

Research has shown that the Beinn Eighe trees colonised via a different route from pines in other parts of Scotland after the last ice-age, and recent scientific work makes it clear that these pines have a unique genetic diversity.