Page 147 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Scotland

THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS  145

Loch Garten
Osprey Centre VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Ospreys now thrive in
this reserve, which was Practical Information
The Highlands. n Grampian Rd,
established in 1959 to Aviemore (01479) 810930.
pro tect the first pair seen Cairngorm Reindeer Centre: Loch
in Britain for 50 years.
Nairn Morlich. Tel (01479) 861228.
Grantown-On-Spey Open daily. & 8 ∑ cairn
gormreindeer.co.uk; Highland
Broomhill Wildlife Park: Tel (01540) 651270.
Open daily (weather permitting).
∑ highlandwildlifepark.org
Rothie murchus Visitor Centre:
Nethy Bridge near Aviemore. Tel (01479) 812345.
Open daily. ∑ rothiemurchus.net
Boat of Loch Garten Osprey Centre:
Garten Tel (01479) 831476. Open daily.
0 kilometres 5
Loch & ∑ rspb.org.uk
Garten 0 miles 5 Skiing & Funicular Railway:
Tel (01479) 861261.
∑ cairngormmountain.org
Strathspey Steam Railway:
Tel (01479) 810725. &
∑ strathspeyrailway.co.uk
Transport
3 @ Aviemore.
Coylumbridge
Skiing & Funicular Railway
Loch Nethy During the winter, chair lifts and
Morlich tows provide access to more than
28 ski runs on Cairn Gorm’s
northern flanks. Scotland’s only
funicular railway also operates here.
CAIRN GORM
Flora of the Cairngorms
1,245 m
(4,084 ft) With mixed woodland at their base and the summits form ing a sub-
polar plateau, the Cairngorms present a huge variety of flora. Ancient
Caledonian pines (once common in the area) survive in Abernethy
Forest, while arctic flowers flourish in the heights.
1,200 m
BEN MACDHUI
(3,950 ft)
1,309 m The Cairngorm plateau holds little life
(4,296 ft)
except lichen (Britain’s oldest plant), wood rush
and cushions of moss campion, which is often 1,000 m
completely covered with pink flowers. (3,300 ft)
Cairngorm Shady corries are important areas for
Mountains alpine plants such as arctic mouse-ear, 800 m
hare’s foot sedge, mountain rock-cress and (2,650 ft)
alpine speedwell.
Pinewoods occupy the higher 600 m
slopes, revealing purple heather (2,000 ft)
as they become sparser.
Mixed woodland
covers the lower 400 m
ground which is (1,300 ft)
carpeted with heather
and deegrass.
200 m
(650 ft)
0 m
An idealized section of the Cairngorm plateau (0 ft)
The Cairngorms by Aviemore
For additional map symbols see back flap

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