Glades

The Wood of Cree is the largest ancient wood in southern Scotland and has a history of intensive management. Most of the oak trees show evidence of coppicing which started during the 17th century and continued until the mid 20th century. The wood was virtually clear felled by 1920. The Woodland Management is aiming at returning it to high forest, enhancing the biodiversity and extending the area of deciduous woodland habitat, and developing visitor access. The RSPB has recently purchased land adjacent to Cree Wood and is in the process of planting some 250,000 native seedlings of Oak, Birch, Ash,Alder and Willow. This will create around 670 acres of new woodland and, through sensible management, will significantly extend precious habitat for populations of threatened woodland birds like the black grouse. It will also create a larger continuous complex of native woodland up the Cree Valley.
 

Fairy Glen is an RSPB site situated close to the town of Rosemarkie, north of Inverness. The glen is well wooded with beech, rowan, ash and oak, and carpeted with Blue bells and Primroses in the Spring. The Fairy Glen was once the scene of a well-dressing ceremony, where the children of the village decorated a pool, next to a spring, with flowers. This ensured the fairies kept the water supply clean.

A steep sided sandstone gorge with natural woodland thet the River Ayr flows through. There are a number of paths that go through the woodland and along the river and these can take from one to three hours depending on the route taken.