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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