The Great Outdoors – July 2019

Wild

WALK THE

with the John Muir Trust

This iconic Munro is in much better shape than it was

a few years ago thanks to the hard work of the John

Muir Trust, and there’s more to come...

EAST

SCHIEHALLION

The Great Outdoors magazine

has teamed up with wild land

charity the John Muir Trust to

look at how the land it owns,

leases and manages is protected

and enhanced for the benefit of

people and wildlife.

OWNED AND MANAGED by the John

Muir Trust, East Schiehallion is an area of

871 hectares, including the eastern part of

Schiehallion itself and the quieter and

wilder Gleann Mor to the south.

An iconic and distinctive mountain

with magnificent views, Schiehallion is a

popular destination for walkers. When the

Trust took ownership in 1999 the main

path to the summit had become an ugly

scar on the hillside, in sections up to 90 feet

wide. Over a five-year period, the Trust

realigned the path onto a more sustainable

and less intrusive line, building a new path

using locally sourced materials. The charity

has since embarked on a programme to

heal the damage caused by the old path.

[above] The distinctive pyramid of

Schiehallion [below] Tree-planting

at East Schiehallion

East Schiehallion lies within the Loch

Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic

Area, and is designated a Site of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology and

montane habitats. The Trust works to

improve its important habitats, which are

rich in wildflowers – including purple

saxifrage, wood anemone and rockrose

• and home to hares, black grouse and the
  rare mountain ringlet butterfly, among
  other wildlife.
  By controlling deer and sheep numbers,
  the John Muir Trust is also helping to
  restore native woodland in East
  Schiehallion. In July 2017 it was one of
  seven organisations that together launched

the Heart of Scotland Forest Partnership, a

collaborative project to link six areas of

land in order to create a linked woodland

corridor across 3,000 hectares between

Schiehallion and Loch Tummel, benefiting

wildlife, visitors and the local community.

The shared vision for the Heart of

Scotland Forest Partnership is a restored,

vibrant landscape that provides

opportunities for wildlife to thrive, for

local employment, and for people to enjoy,

access and learn. Come to East

Schiehallion and see it in practice.

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