Welcome to Cormonachan Community Woodlands
The Cormonachan Community Woodlands (Scottish Charity No: SC050840) are 63.9 ha (158 acres) of ancient Atlantic oak & hazel woodlands
and part of Scotland’s Rainforest and have the status of being ‘Ancient Semi Natural Woodlands’ (ASNW)
being preserved for Conservation, Education and Recreation, with oaks of 300 years old or more
and with areas of old coppiced hazel probably from at least 100 years ago.
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The North Car Park is fully open and provides a good entry point to Cormonachan Community Woodlands.
There are 4.5 km of paths to explore, nature to discover and views to contemplate. 18,838 people visited in 2023.
These include the Upper Cormonachan Heritage Paths which were opened in July 2023,
leading to the Medieval Settlement and Cormonachan Falls.
Please note that the South Car Park is temporarily closed due to storm and flooding damage.
Upper Cormonachan Heritage Paths Plaque
Andy Rockall CWA, Richard Hall, Frances Walker & Dee Locke
Opening Day of the Upper Cormonachan Heritage Paths at Cormonachan Falls
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“Highly Commended” in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2022
Jacqui Matthews, Mairi McAllan & Dee Locke
Cormonachan Community Woodlands was awarded “Highly Commended” in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards (www.sfwa.co.uk), Community Woodlands Award (Small community woodland group competition) on 24th June 2022 at the Scottish Government’s Pavilion at the Royal Highland Show. Dee Locke, Secretary and Jacqui Matthews, previous Woodlands Manager, accepted the award and plaque from Màiri McAllan, Minister for Environment and Land Reform, who presented the Awards, said: “Scotland boasts a strong woodland heritage that is admired by many countries and its international reputation for good woodland management is well deserved”.
(Photo: Julie Broadfoot)
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‘LOGGERHEADS’
The Red Squirrel Poles Sculpture is at the north west corner of the woodlands
Cormonachan Community Woodlands was on BBC Television’s ‘LOGGERHEADS’
first shown on Thursday 17th March 2022 on the BBC Scotland Channel and on BBC 1 (Scotland) on Monday 21st March 2022.
We are in Loggerheads, Series 1, Episode 5 of this woodlands series of six 30 minutes programmes.
It has appeared nine times live on BBC 1, BBC 2 & BBC Scotland
See Loggerheads Episode 5 here
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Much of the area of Cormonachan Community Woodlands had been under planted with Sitka Spruce by Forest and Land Scotland in the past. Many of those areas were felled in the late nineties and later in 2006 and are continuing to be now and into the future. New planting of oaks, rowan, hazel, birch and other native trees have been and are taking place with 780 native trees planted over the last 36 months and a further 210 to be planted over the next few years.
Rhododendron ponticum and bracken (invasive species) have increased in quantity especially in the northern felled section of the woodlands.
A programme of clearance funded by the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park has reduced much of this, but clearing is an ongoing task.
Bluebells abound throughout the woodlands along with other woodland plants
including; primroses, wild garlic, wood sorrel, lesser celandine, honeysuckle, ferns and an array of fungi appear in the autumn.
The most important wildlife to reside in these woodlands are red squirrels and pine martens that are high on the agenda for protection.
You can follow us on Facebook.com/cormonachan and Instagram #cormonachan.