Seasonal Highlights

Spring

The reserve comes alive with the pale greens of the birch and aspen leaves, the new growth on the pines and the purples and yellows of the primroses, bluebells and violets in the woodland. The chattering songbirds make a welcome return from their winter in Africa.

Summer

Little grebes fish among the waterlilies in summer and dragonflies and damselflies hover and dance above the boggy margins. Follow the Coire Loch trail as it sweeps through the heather and look for insect-eating sundews in the bogs.

Autumn

Glen Affric is golden brown in autumn with the ochres and oranges of the birch and aspen leaves. Fungi like huge penny buns and bright red fly agarics appear like magic overnight in the damp woodlands. Look for brown bracket fungus on trees, golden chanterelles and grey-green old man's beard draped from the branches.

Winter

The reserve is peaceful in winter with the whooper swans holding their icy vigils on the lochs and greylag geese honking as they return to roost in the evenings. Winter is a good time to see the lichens for which this reserve is famous with the grey greens and yellows coating the trunks of the leafless trees.