14-05-2025
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Native forest deployed to protect A82 alongside Loch Ness
A mixture of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, birch, cherry and oak will are being used to replace the conifers, which are being felled after becoming susceptible to windblow and erosion.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) teams recently completed the first stage of the restocking scheme, with 5000 trees planted in high density pockets on sections of the cleared slopes near Drumnadrochit.
FLS is undertaking a complex operation to remove and replace conifers from the steep ground along the A82. (Image: FLS) FLS North Region Assistant Operations Manager Luke Wilson said: 'This initial restocking is a key part of the long-term programme to replace the felled and extracted over-mature conifers in a planned manner and see them replaced by native woodlands that will, over time, increase the stability of the hillside and reduce the risk of landslides.
'There is already some natural regeneration happening on the slopes and this work will supplement this with additional species. Planting the entire site would have posed a significant challenge with considerable safety risks due to the steep terrain so the method used is the best solution.
'It will make the landscape – including the A82 and the infrastructure that runs alongside it – more resilient to extreme weather events that we may be seeing more of in the years to come.'
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The restocking project is restoring Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS), with the type of trees being planted returning the woodlands and their associated flora back to native species.
This includes using oak seeds collected from the Great Glen.
Native tree species will replace the 100-year-old conifers that have been harvested and removed along the A82. (Image: FLS) This new forest will have less need for extensive management interventions in future and be left largely alone to develop and expand through natural regeneration and provide the environmental benefits associated with constant tree cover.
