Just a few minutes away from Bearnock is the very special National Nature Reserve of Glen Affric, reputed to be the most beautiful glen in Scotland, some even say the world! It has one of the largest ancient Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland, as well as lochs, moorland and mountains. This type of woodland once covered vast areas of Scotland, now only 1% remains.

It is a haven for a huge variety of wildlife and you are sure to come across some of the many inhabitants, red, roe and sika deer, foxes, stoats, weasels, badgers, and pine martens. If you’re very lucky you may even see otters in the lochs and rivers.

Scottish crossbills, crested tits, eagles, red and black throated divers, some rare, but present, black grouse, golden eagles, merlin and osprey are recorded amongst the one hundred different types of birds living here.

There is a multitude of insects and reptiles present including butterflies, dragonflies, dung beetles and even adders, slow worms and lizards. Some varieties of the dragon and damsel-flies have survived here since the last Ice Age; the northern emerald survives in only one other area of Scotland.

Glen Affric has great facilities for hill walking; mountain biking on forest tracks, and open water canoeing. There are several car parks with picnic tables.