a) The sites
The following map and tables show the overall distribution of stronghold sites:
Map 4. Distribution of stronghold sites
View the full scale map of distribution of stronghold sites (PDF 795k)
Table 1. List of stronghold sites
This table shows a list of the 18 proposed sites, totalling approximately 100,000 hectares, plus two ‘reserve sites’ as a contingency in case of objections to any of the proposed sites. While the two reserve sites scored the same as some of the proposed sites when the initial scoring exercise (described in the methodology for site selection) was completed, new records of squirrelpox reveal that the disease is now close to the reserve sites, hence their demotion to reserve status.
Note 1: 'percentage in NFE' refers to the percentage of the woodland area concerned that is part of the National Forest Estate (NFE).
Note 2: These maps are PDFs optimised for printing at A3 size.
Note 3: If on opening the maps you receive an error message, please refresh the page - the map should then display correctly.
| Site name | PDF Map of area | Total area (ha) | Woodland area (ha) | % in NFE | SRDP region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morangie Forest | Map of Morangie Forest (1.8Mb) | 6,684 | 5,467 | 84 | Highland |
| Glen Glass | Map of Glen Glass (3.9Mb) | 4,238 | 3,649 | 0 | Highland |
| Culbin | Map of Culbin (1.1Mb) | 3,072 | 2,977 | 90 | Grampian and Moray / Highland |
| Black Isle | Map of Black Isle (2.7Mb) | 3,652 | 3,470 | 89 | Highland |
Ordiequish, Whiteash, Ben Aigan | Map of Ordiequish, Whiteash, Ben Aigan (5.2Mb) | 6,210 | 5,696 | 85 | Grampian and Moray |
| Daviot Loch Moy | Map of Daviot Loch Moy (3.8Mb) | 4,322 | 3,751 | 57 | Highland |
| Abernethy, Nethy Bridge | Map of Abernethy, Nethy Bridge (4.5Mb) | 4,836 | 3,476 | 0 | Highland |
| Inshriach and Glenfeshie | Map of Inschriach and Glenfeshie (4.7Mb) | 4,329 | 3,736 | 79 | Highland |
| Glentochty | Map of Glentochty (1.8 Mb) | 2,404 | 2,224 | 68 | Grampian and Moray |
| Balmoral to Inver | Map of Balmoral to Inver (3.6Mb) | 4,624 | 3,998 | 4 | Grampian and Moray |
| Leanachan | Map of Leanachan (3.8Mb) | 4,013 | 3,643 | 71 | Highland |
| South Rannoch | Map of South Rannoch (3.3Mb) | 3,506 | 3,378 | 94 | Tayside |
| Inverliever | Map of Inverliever (4.6Mb) | 9,426 | 8,549 | 98 | Argyll |
| Eredine | Map of Eredine (4.2Mb) | 14,401 | 11,610 | 69 | Argyll |
| Kilmichael | Map of Kilmichael (3.6Mb) | 9,103 | 8,200 | 92 | Argyll |
| Eskdalemuir | Map of Eskdalemuir (4.6Mb) | 12,563 | 12,055 | 31 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Fleet Basin | Map of Fleet Basin (3.3Mb) | 9,282 | 8,548 | 99 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Glenbranter | Map of Glenbranter (2.6Mb) | 8,603 | 6,079 | 99 | Argyll |
| Total main list | 115,528 | 100,506 | 68 |
| Site name | PDF Map of area | Total area (ha) | Woodland area (ha) | % in NFE | SRDP region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carsphairn Forest | Map of Carsphairn Forest (3.1Mb) | 14,083 | 12,962 | 48 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Galloway Forest North | Map of Galloway Forest North (4.1Mb) | 7,477 | 6,903 | 81 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Total including reserves | 136,828 | 12,371 | 69 |
Note: no stronghold has been specifically identified on Arran. This island is the only Scottish island with a resident red squirrel population and vigilance against grey squirrels on the island will be the primary means to safeguard red squirrels.
As a precautionary measure, the principles of stronghold management will be incorporated into the management of some of the national forest estate on the island so that red squirrels on Arran will have a refuge should grey squirrels ever establish themselves.
b) Changes to boundaries already made
Consultation has been carried out with relevant land managers that we were able to identify, to see whether they would be prepared to manage their land in accordance with the principles outlined in section 6, What will strongholds mean for land management?. The boundaries have been modified in the light of feedback received.
We are aware, however, that we have not been able to consult with all land managers within or adjacent to strongholds, nor have we received feedback from some who were consulted. In addition, differing advice was received from different respondents on the boundaries or suitability of certain strongholds.
In some cases, boundaries have been further modified to remove anomalous boundaries created by the original GIS processes. The modified list of sites and the modified boundaries of sites presented during this consultation phase are those on which we are now seeking comment.
- Maps showing the boundaries of each individual stronghold can be viewed from the links in Table 1, above.
Consultation questions relevant to this section
3. Do you have comments on the suitability of any particular site or sites to act as a stronghold? Please state which site(s).
4. Do you think that the boundary of any particular site or sites should be changed? Please state which site(s), how the boundary should be changed, and why.
