Walking down the steep slope into the woodland flanking the River Affric my route was treacherous. Swift rivulets of water drained from the deep bog pools where I looked in vain for the first – for me – of this year’s frogspawn. I had already had reports of spawn laid on at Ardnamurchan on 4 February but didn’t find any.
By the quick-flowing river with its dark and mysterious eddying pools, the trees began to encompass me. Little wonder, as i used to be in a single of the most important remaining tracts of the traditional Caledonian pine forest. One of the most impressive trees were the Scots pine that appeared twisted, gaunt and dark against the backcloth of the snow-capped hills.
A closer look revealed their true colours , with the red of the higher stems contrasting against dark green foliage. Pack up the lower trunks were a mix of reds, greys and browns of the deeply fissured bark. The Scots pine is usually termed the “king of the forest”, so i don’t understand why there’s now discussion as to which are adopted as a countrywide tree for Scotland. Surely it’s already the Scots pine, by virtue of its name, importance and endurance.
There are, arguably, only two native conifers to the united kingdom and any other – the juniper – was present. Some, at four metres tall or more, dwarfed me and seemed forbidding, perhaps because they’re forever linked to an emblem against witches and devils.
With my mind running riot i wouldn’t has been surprised if a wild boar had suddenly charged from the undergrowth. Fanciful Not any longer, as there at the moment are wild boar living and breeding “within the wild” just south of Glen Affric and at the west side of the good Glen and Loch Ness.
