Celebrating 10 Years of The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve

Craig Whyte, Project Coordinator for The Great Trossachs Forest (TGTF) partnership, a role which is hosted by the National Park’s official charity Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Countryside Trust (LLTCT), shares highlights from a recent event marking a decade since TGTF was designated a National Nature Reserve—and 20 years since the partnership began.

Held at Glen Finglas and Loch Katrine, the gathering brought together 25 partners to celebrate achievements including:

  • 3,000ha of new woodland

  • 432ha of peatland restored

  • 70% increase in black grouse lekking

  • 100 new sites for the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly

  • 165km of trails including The Great Trossachs Path

The event emphasised the importance of landscape-scale nature restoration, strong partnerships, and connecting people with nature. Heather Reid of the National Park Authority highlighted the role of initiatives like the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund and the Trossachs Explorer bus in building a sustainable future.

Inspiring presentations were also given by TGTF partners Woodland Trust Scotland, RSPB Scotland, and Forestry and Land Scotland while representatives of Scottish Water, Butterfly Conservation, Walking Scotland and other groups also spoke during the day. The event took place at the Woodland Trust’s Glen Finglas estate and on The Lady of the Lake on Loch Katrine. With Craig and LLTCT continuing to coordinate collaborative efforts, the vision for restoration and community engagement remains strong.

Here’s to the next 20 years of nature, partnership, and progress.

To find out more about The Great Trossachs Forest partnership, please drop an email to Craig@trustinthepark.org.