The Management Plan for Taynish National Nature Reserve - 2015-2026
Foreword
Taynish National Nature Reserve (NNR) is on the west coast of Scotland, 20 km west of Lochgilphead near the village of Tayvallich. Situated on a scenic peninsula in the heart of Knapdale, Taynish is one of the finest examples of ancient Atlantic oak woodland in Europe. With its parallel wooded ridges ("knaps") and waterlogged valley mires ("dales"), Taynish forms a core area of mixed deciduous woodland, a microcosm of the former Knapdale landscape.
Having survived here for over 7000 years, this "temperate rainforest" is home to a wealth of wildlife. Mosses, lichens and ferns thrive in the mild, humid climate of the west coast. A wide range of insect life including butterflies, moths and dragonflies flourish in flower rich grasslands and water-logged mires. The marsh fritillary, one of Europe's most threatened butterflies, is one of Taynish's special attractions. Coastal communities around the Taynish and Loch Sween foreshore add further interest to this special place and it is here that you also have a good chance of seeing one of the reserve's other star attractions - the otter.
As well as being a brilliant site for wildlife Taynish has a rich human history. Man has had a profound influence on these woods, with people having been present at least as far back as the Iron Age. People have used the land for a variety of farming purposes and, in more recent history, the trees have been used to make charcoal and for tanning leather. This has shaped some of the fine habitats found on the reserve today.
Taynish is one of a suite of NNRs in Scotland. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are managed. Every NNR is carefully managed both for nature and for people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage.
‘The Story of Taynish National Nature Reserve’ is a companion publication which has more information about Taynish NNR and its history. The Story provides the foundation for managing the site and is recommended reading for those wishing to understand more about the management of this very special place.
In 2015, we carried out a review of our last Plan for Taynish NNR (2008-2014). This, together with management plan workshops and specialist advice, helped us to develop our future management proposals and informed the preparation of a draft Management Plan for 2015-2025, which we opened for public consultation. Your feedback was collated in a Consultation Report which was used to inform the completion of this Management Plan.
The first section of this Plan gives our vision for Taynish describing how we would like to see the Reserve in 2040. It specifies our objectives for management and outlines projects planned to deliver these objectives.
During the final year of the plan, we will review our progress against this plan to determine the future direction of our management on the reserve.
1 Maps of Taynish NNR
Location map
2. Our Vision for Taynish NNR
Taynish National Nature Reserve is special; the aim is to keep it that way.
The Management Plan 2015-2025 sets out our vision for the reserve describing how we would like the reserve to be in 2040. The management we plan to carry out over the next 10 years has been framed with this vision in mind
Vision
Taynish is renowned as a special place to see and experience a rich environment, produced by thousands of years of interaction between people and nature across the distinctive wooded ridges and valley mires of the Knapdale landscape. The intimate mix of woodland, open and coastal habitats continues to sustain a rich diversity of flora and fauna including butterflies, dragonflies, lichens and mosses. The reserve is a Scottish stronghold for marsh fritillary, with them having spread into the restored fen meadow. All our work contributes to the wider resource of these rare species in mid-Argyll.
The woodland has benefited from periods of natural regeneration and is now more diverse in structure and species composition. Grazing cattle play an important role in getting the balance right between woodland regeneration and maintaining woodland openings for important lichen populations. Our monitoring continues to inform how we adapt our management and we've shared the lessons we've learned with other nature conservationists and land managers, benefiting also from their thoughts and perspectives on the issues involved.
Taynish is a vibrant place for people to come to enjoy and be inspired by nature. The Mill and Piggery are focal points for interpretation, where visitors can learn about the ways man's historic influence throughout Argyll can still be seen in the habitats of Taynish today. They also provide unique and popular venues for various activities, such as art workshops and exhibitions which engage and provoke thoughts about nature and people. Other parts of Taynish offer quiet experiences to explore and discover nature by seeing wildlife, or simply by taking in the views and absorbing the remote, almost island, feel of the reserve.
There is a close relationship between the reserve and the local community, who continue to value Taynish as a special place on their doorstep where they are involved in the way it is managed. Local schools use the reserve as place for learning and for play, while tourism businesses across Argyll see it as a notable ingredient of the region's visitor appeal. Taynish is also a place that has a high profile for volunteers, offering opportunities to learn new skills, study and help look after a place they care about and often develop a long term relationship with the reserve.
Taynish is renowned as a special place to see and experience a rich environment, produced by thousands of years of interaction between people and nature across the distinctive wooded ridges and valley mires of the Knapdale landscape. The intimate mix of woodland, open and coastal habitats continues to sustain a rich diversity of flora and fauna including butterflies, dragonflies, lichens and mosses. The reserve is a Scottish stronghold for marsh fritillary, with them having spread into the restored fen meadow. All our work contributes to the wider resource of these rare species in mid-Argyll.
The woodland has benefited from periods of natural regeneration and is now more diverse in structure and species composition. Grazing cattle play an important role in getting the balance right between woodland regeneration and maintaining woodland openings for important lichen populations. Our monitoring continues to inform how we adapt our management and we've shared the lessons we've learned with other nature conservationists and land managers, benefiting also from their thoughts and perspectives on the issues involved.
Taynish is a vibrant place for people to come to enjoy and be inspired by nature. The Mill and Piggery are focal points for interpretation, where visitors can learn about the ways man's historic influence throughout Argyll can still be seen in the habitats of Taynish today. They also provide unique and popular venues for various activities, such as art workshops and exhibitions which engage and provoke thoughts about nature and people. Other parts of Taynish offer quiet experiences to explore and discover nature by seeing wildlife, or simply by taking in the views and absorbing the remote, almost island, feel of the reserve.
There is a close relationship between the reserve and the local community, who continue to value Taynish as a special place on their doorstep where they are involved in the way it is managed. Local schools use the reserve as place for learning and for play, while tourism businesses across Argyll see it as a notable ingredient of the region's visitor appeal. Taynish is also a place that has a high profile for volunteers, offering opportunities to learn new skills, study and help look after a place they care about and often develop a long term relationship with the reserve.
3 Protected areas and features
Taynish became an NNR in 1977. With the addition of Taynish Mill in 2000, the reserve now includes an area of approximately 330 hectares (ha). It is part of the
Taynish Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Taynish and Knapdale Woods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a European site of international significance for the oak woodland community, Lochan Taynish, marsh fritillary and otter populations. The reserve also lies within the Knapdale National Scenic Area (NSA).
Whilst managing Taynish NNR we also have to take account of our legal obligations and Government policy to manage the features that are listed as important in a European or international context. Where a project may effect one or more of the qualifying interests of the SAC, we will carry out an ‘appropriate assessment’. This includes all projects, whether they are direct habitat management or providing a new visitor facility on the reserve. We will only proceed with projects that do not adversely affect the integrity of the SAC. Likewise, we will also ensure we take care of features that are important in a British context, as well as features that are locally important.
- Taynish Woods SSSI Saltmarsh
- Taynish and Knapdale Woods SAC Clear-water lakes or lochs with aquatic vegetation and poor to moderate nutrient levels
- Taynish and Knapdale Woods SAC Taynish Woods SSSI Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia)
- Taynish Woods SSSI Dragonfly assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Beetle assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Fly assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Moth assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Fen meadow
- Taynish and Knapdale Woods SAC Otter (Lutra lutra)
- Taynish Woods SSSI Rocky shore
- Taynish Woods SSSI Bryophyte assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Lichen assemblage
- Taynish Woods SSSI Upland oak woodland
- Taynish and Knapdale Woods SAC Western acidic oak woodland
4 Natural Heritage Management
Objective NH1: Maintain and enhance at least 250ha of woodland in favourable condition, improving the age structure and tree species diversity whilst maintaining suitable habitat conditions for important lichen, bryophyte and invertebrate woodland communities.
Woodlands
The ancient oak woodland at Taynish is undoubtedly one of the most impressive features of the reserve. A rich mosaic of woodland habitats covers about 75% of the reserve (255ha). The woodland is dominated by oak but also comprises birch woodland and alder carr. There are also small areas of ash and wych elm on steep rocky slopes in the North East corner of the reserve. The woodland glades at Taynish are renowned for their rich lichen, bryophyte and invertebrate communities.
In managing the woodland we need to strike a delicate balance between ensuring diverse woodland regeneration and structural development, and keeping the glades open to reduce the risk of shading to sensitive lichen and bryophyte communities.
Although an important part of the woodland deer continue to damage regenerating trees and shrubs of certain species, particularly hazel and holly, and are limiting natural regeneration in some parts of the wood. Therefore we will continue to cull deer throughout the woodland; this will be an ongoing management priority and will be guided by a Deer Management Plan.
Indications are that the reintroduction of cattle has been successful in creating a natural dynamism to both woodland and woodland edge habitats at Taynish. It helps balance woodland regeneration with the habitat requirements of important lichen and bryophyte communities. Grazing cattle helps create more structural diversity; it breaks up dense areas of birch, helps to supress bracken and keeps the glades open allowing light into the woodland floor. We will continue to graze these areas but will review the practice regularly to ensure we are maintaining the right level of grazing. We will do regular Herbivore Impact Assessments and use these alongside deer monitoring results to inform ongoing management.
An important aspect of woodland management is monitoring the condition of the woodland, its associated communities and populations of important species. Given the diversity of interests within the woodlands, our monitoring programme is comprehensive and as well as the woodland itself includes mosses, lichens, invertebrates and orchids.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| NH1.1 | Complete deer management plan in 2016, ensuring all management follows best practice. Review plan in 2020. |
| NH1.2 | Implement annual targeted deer cull, as per Deer Management Plan and |
| Task No. | Task description |
| using herbivore impact assessment to establish cull targets during the lifetime of the plan. Ensure cull targets, animal welfare and stalking activity follow best practice guidance. | |
| NH1.3 | Carry out annual deer dung count monitoring to inform cull targets in discussion with advisors. |
| NH1.4 | Graze up to 15 cattle in the woodland using herbivore impact assessment as a guide for grazing levels, timing and length of grazing periods. Grazing the coastal grasslands is likely to take priority over this in the summer months. |
| NH1.5 | Undertake Herbivore Impact Assessment every year using the 'quicker' sampling strategy and method to understand browsing pressure exerted by cattle and deer grazing. |
| NH1.6 | Review woodland grazing management in 2018. |
| NH1.7 | Continue to control non-native tree and shrub regeneration. |
| NH1.8 | Protect native tree regeneration (mainly oak, ash and hazel) particularly in woodland glades by continuing tree tubing at a small scale until browsing impacts start to reduce. Remove tree tubes as these become defunct. |
| NH1.9 | Continue to maintain positive habitat conditions for priority lichen glades (red data book - RDB) by cutting scrub regrowth. |
| NH1.10 | Monitor key lichen plots identified in the 2010 Coppins Site Condition Monitoring Report to detect changes in lichen population and distribution over time as a result of changes in woodland structure (e.g. through changes in grazing pressure). Repeat monitoring at least every 3 years. |
| NH1.11 | Maintain monitoring of narrow-leaved helleborine on at least a biennial basis |
| NH1.12 | In every third year, undertake a 'full' Herbivore Impact Assessment with a sampling strategy stratified into key NVC communities and including seedling/sapling counts in the method. This is to understand, and as far as possible to distinguish between, the changing impacts of deer and cattle. |
Objective NH2: Maintain and enhance the ecological condition of the coastal grasslands, valley mires and freshwater habitats on the reserve, and their associated communities of flora and fauna, particularly invertebrates.
Coastal grasslands, valley mires and freshwater
Approximately 85 hectares (25%) of the Taynish peninsula consists of open ground, this being comprised of bracken (25 ha), semi-improved grassland (15 ha), rush pasture (15 ha), unimproved coastal grassland (mire and saltmarsh communities 15ha), valley mire (10 ha) and heathland (5 ha). Combined with Taynish’s woodland and scrub, this mosaic of open habitats, presents a tremendous diversity of plant and animal associations, which is one of Taynish’s most significant attributes.
The area of open valley mire is limited in extent and the most important examples occur immediately south of Lochan Taynish. Here the clearance of birch scrub, which is already a high management priority, will continue and it will be extended to adjacent mire habitats with similar vegetation communities. The valley mires have become increasingly rank with tall purple moor grass, heather and bog myrtle. Grazing should assist the diversification of these open areas and allow mosses, vascular plants (possibly devil’s bit scabious – the food plant of the marsh fritillary) and invertebrate communities to flourish.
The open freshwater habitat, which is of outstanding interest for 13 species of dragonfly, will be maintained by clearance and dredging of vegetation along the drain beside the Gatehouse.
We plan to treat those areas of bracken which are accessible with a bracken bruiser (a roller towed behind an ATV or horse). This will reduce the vigour of the bracken and hopefully gradually diversify the ground vegetation and allow some tree regeneration. This will be closely monitored to ensure that we retain a balance in favour of open ground to benefit invertebrates and mosses. Regenerating oak, ash and hazel in these bracken glades will also benefit lichens in the longer term and we will protect these trees if necessary to help them establish. The control of bracken will also greatly assist deer control at Taynish allowing stalkers to better see the deer and, by creating more diverse glades attract deer out of the woodland.
The heathland habitat in the north-western corner of Taynish has also been greatly diminished due to woodland succession and is now largely covered in birch scrub. As this natural process will eventually result in an oak woodland climax community, of international interest, it is felt that clearance of birch scrub at this late stage in the succession process is impractical and would have little value and, hence, natural processes will be allowed to continue. Unlike the mire habitat, the heathland is of limited conservation interest.
Marsh fritillary butterfly
At Taynish, the coastal grassland community, which is the stronghold of the marsh fritillary butterfly, is most extensive at the southern end of the peninsula. The grassland is composed of a diverse range of plant communities with a transition from herb-rich fen meadow through to damp rush pasture, iris beds and saltmarsh. The total extent of this rich habitat mosaic is limited to about 15 ha, only about half of which is suitable for marsh fritillary (the fen meadow component).
The fen meadow is vulnerable to encroachment from scrub woodland, gorse and other species that suppress flowering plants, including the marsh fritillary’s food plant. We will continue to control gorse by rotational cutting (and burning cut material). The rotational cutting allows us to maintain core areas of gorse at various stages which is important for birds (like linnets) and insects.
We will implement a light cattle grazing regime on the coastal grasslands in order to maintain the fen meadow habitat for marsh fritillary. More rank parts of the Piggery fields will be cut to reduce the density of litter and promote biodiversity.
In order to understand the suitability of the habitat for the butterfly it is vital to know the vegetation height and structural diversity as well as the abundance of the food plant, devil’s bit scabious. Continuing with monitoring of the marsh fritillary population and habitat will help inform our stock levels and insure the habitat is kept in farmable condition.
In addition, long-term butterfly monitoring at Taynish indicates that the marsh fritillary population was widely distributed through the valley mires at Taynish back in the 1970s and, although they are still occasionally recorded, there are few records of them breeding. Devil’s bit scabious is still present in these mire areas, so there is the opportunity to make positive changes in the vegetation through appropriate management.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| NH2.1 | Graze up to 15 cattle on the coastal grasslands for 16-24 weeks per year between June and November, depending on weather and ground conditions. Use sward heights monitoring (NH2.3) to adjust grazing levels to ensure optimal conditions for marsh fritillary. |
| NH2.2 | Explore the options for expanding the total area of fen meadow habitat for marsh fritillary butterfly. |
| NH2.3 | Measure vegetation heights in the coastal grasslands annually to assess sward condition for marsh fritillary, using Site Condition Monitoring methodology. |
| NH2.4 | Control approximately 1ha. per year of gorse and birch scrub by rotational cutting in the coastal grasslands. |
| NH2.5 | Carry out annual topping of rushes in coastal grasslands. Review ongoing management in 2018, after a consistent grazing pattern has been re-established. |
| NH2.6 | Monitor marsh fritillary populations annually through adult and larval webs counts. |
| NH2.7 | Carry out rotational clearance of scrub and emergent vegetation in the |
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| - | Gatehouse drain to maintain open water habitat for dragonflies. |
| NH2.8 | Monitor dragonfly populations using the fixed Taynish transect. |
| NH2.9 | Continue to manage bracken to increase the biodiversity of open ground within the woodland and to facilitate deer management. |
| NH2.10 | Continue to control birch scrub regeneration on valley mires to ensure this habitat remains open. |
| NH2.11 | Manage the Lochan Taynish sluice to maintain sufficient summer water levels for aquatic plants. |
| NH2.12 | Discuss marsh fritillary monitoring results for Taynish with Butterfly Conservation in the context of the Tayvallich metapopulation and look for opportunities to share management experiences with landowners nearby. |
5 Management for People
A key purpose for NNRs today is to provide opportunities for people to visit these special places, come to understand them better and enjoy their natural heritage to the full. All NNRs need to fulfil their potential and have high standards for management of both the natural heritage and visitors.
In providing visitor facilities on the reserve we endeavour to meet the requirements of access legislation, encouraging responsible access to ensure that the wildlife and habitats of the reserve remain as special as they are. We would also like as many people as possible to be able to come and enjoy Taynish, so we are constantly thinking of better ways to improve the visitor experience and make the reserve more accessible.
Objective VM1: Continue to develop Taynish NNR as a place for people to experience, learn from and enjoy its natural and cultural heritage, in ways that help people connect with and value nature more.
Visitor experience
At present, Taynish receives approximately 10,000 visitors a year. Most visitors come to the reserve to walk, enjoying the peace and quiet, beautiful scenery and the wildlife.
Taynish already boasts a comprehensive network of trails. The Mill path offers an allability trail directly from the car park to the Loch Sween shore. The woodland trail provides an attractive route through the ancient Atlantic oaks. The coastal trail takes you right to the end of the peninsula giving you a chance see the stunning coastal habitats while the trail up the Barr Mor leads to a secluded viewpoint above the woodlands with stunning 360o panoramicviews. Visitors can walk individual trails or combine them to experience the whole reserve. Maintaining the trail network will continue to be of high importance.
As well as Taynish’s outstanding natural heritage the reserve has a rich human history. Old ruins, walls and charcoal platforms all bear testament to this vibrant past. We plan to further explore this history by producing a report on the cultural heritage of Taynish. A local archaeology group has already started recording archaeological finds on the reserve. We hope this continued work can be used to highlight the link between man's influences on the natural heritage we see at Taynish today. It will also be an important dimension in informing our interpretation throughout the reserve. The strands of human and natural history and how we best use these to interpret the site will be considered in an interpretation plan.
The stabilisation of the ruined mill and the piggery have enabled visitors to access these structures. These beautiful buildings have already been used as a space to display art and photography exhibitions and will continue to do so.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| VM1.1 | Develop an interpretation plan to define the experiences Taynish can provide for visitors and the interpretive messages we will seek to convey through these experiences. This plan will include consideration of how and where both reserve facilities and interpretation will complement each other to provide visitors with options to enjoy and learn about Taynish, nature and the links between people and nature from the past to the present day. Implement recommendations. |
| VM1.2 | Re-instate all ability standards to the car park and trail from the car park and The Mill. |
| VM1.3 | Upgrade the southern entrance of the Barr Mor trail from the track and wooden steps, so that visitors feel secure in venturing out onto a wellmanaged trail. |
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| VM1.4 | Maintain and replace signs, leaflet dispensers, picnic tables and interpretive panels when replacements become necessary. |
| VM1.5 | Consider additional options for visitor facilities, where these are necessary to help deliver the interpretation plan for the reserve. Add recommended options to management plan and implement. Any proposals to add to the structure of the Mill will be discussed in detail with the local community before deciding whether to proceed. |
| VM1.6 | Commission a report on the cultural heritage of Taynish, so that this can be used to make links between man's influence on the natural heritage we see at Taynish today, and inform interpretation throughout the Reserve. |
| VM1.7 | Collate data from people counters and update quarterly reporting. |
Objective VM2: Establish Taynish NNR as part of Argyll's destination appeal to tourists.
Tourism
When visiting Taynish it quickly becomes apparent what a magical place it is. However hidden away in the heart of Knapdale many people are unaware of the reserve. We would like to promote Taynish to a wider audience. We will work in partnership with existing groups as we see greater benefit in collective promotion. Part of our promotional work will be to raise awareness with tourism providers in the Argyll area about this amazing natural asset for them to share with visitors.
We will distribute information about the reserve through local tourism destinations and will ensure the reserve is well-signposted.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| VM2.1 | Work in partnership with the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance to bring Taynish into tourism service providers' thinking on the promotion of Argyll to visitors. |
| VM2.2 | Promote Taynish as a visitor destination through local, national and online media - Scotland's NNRs website, local newspapers and Facebook. |
| VM2.3 | Distribute reserve leaflets annually to local outlets including Tourist Information points at Lochgilphead, Kilmartin House Museum, Tayvallich shop, coffee shop, caravan park and pub, and to other mid-Argyll attractions. |
| VM2.4 | Review location requirements for brown tourist destination road signs on the route to the reserve from Lochgilphead. Install signs at recommended locations. |
Objective VM3: Make Taynish NNR a vibrant place where people contribute to its management and use it sustainably as an asset for their communities, local schools and recreational time.
Community
With our small team of staff we already use volunteers to help us manage the reserve. Our regular volunteers help with crucial jobs such as path maintenance, practical habitat work and monitoring. We aim to continue to recruit individual volunteers and to work with volunteer organisation's to help us manage Taynish to a high standard.
Taynish NNR is situated right on the doorstep of Tayvallich; many people from the local community already use the reserve regularly. Tayvallich Primary School and Lochgilphead High School have both been involved in a number of projects on the reserve and use the reserve for a number of activities. We welcome this engagement and will strive to strengthen bonds with the local school and the wider community. The use of art and photography has proved very successful in engaging with schools and attracting people onto the reserve, therefore we will continue to use these mediums as a way of promoting the reserve.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| VM3.1 | Develop a focussed weekly programme for volunteers (one-off projects and for medium to long term volunteers) in 2015 and review annually. |
| VM3.2 | Support volunteers on the reserve to ensure they get the most out of their experience and by providing them with appropriate training, PPE and access to NatureScot systems when required. |
| VM3.3 | Explore the potential of providing better on-site accommodation for volunteers, researchers and contractors. Implement the best value option. |
| VM3.4 | Support one visit from Tayvallich Primary school and one from Lochgilphead High school per year, and offer support to other schools if requested. |
| VM3.5 | Initiate conversations with schools, businesses and other community interests in Tayvallich and Achnamara to explore how Taynish can be an asset for local people. |
| VM3.6 | Continue to develop Snapberry by organising and running arts-based workshops and exhibitions at the Mill and the Piggery to allow artists and visitors to explore the links between people and nature. Seek to deliver this in conjunction with local artists and ArtMap. |
| VM3.7 | Provide at least 6 guided walks per year for targeted groups. |
| VM3.8 | Provide at least 1 demonstration event per year, including skills workshops and sharing conservation management knowledge on grazing management and lessons learnt. |
| Task No. | Task description |
| VM3.9 | Consider potential for supporting a student placement, once appropriate accommodation is available. |
| VM3.10 | Continue to attend and support the Tayvallich Gala Day. |
6 Property Management
Objective PM1: To manage the Reserve property responsibly following best practice.
| Task No. | Task description |
|---|---|
| PM1.2 | Maintain Taynish track in conjunction with Property Services |
| PM1.3 | Maintain trails, internal fences & walls. Includes the strimming and mowing of picnic areas and some paths, as well as maintaining accessibility standards on the trails. |
| PM1.4 | Maintain all vehicles and equipment |
| PM1.5 | Operate Safety Management System and maintain all related records. Carry out and record quarterly visitor facilities inspections. |
| PM1.6 | Maintain reserve buildings in conjunction with Property Services, including sheds, caravans, Piggery and Mill |
| PM1.7 | Manage cattle stock in accordance with animal welfare best practice (health, transport, buying & selling). |
| PM1.8 | Maintain lease with Crown Estate |
| PM1.9 | Public road: The public road down to the reserve car park is owned and maintained by Argyll and Bute council. We will continue to notify them of its poor condition and work with the council to find a more permanent solution. |
7 Summary
The emphasis for management at Taynish NNR during the course of this management plan will be addressing the balance required to maintain a mosaic of woodland and open glades. To keep the woodland in good condition with a diverse age structure and range of species while ensuring the diversity of nationally important lichens and butterflies continues. We will protect and enhance the coastal habitats continuing to manage areas specifically for marsh fritillary butterflies.
We want to share our monitoring results and our management techniques with land managers, visitors and specialist groups by providing on site information, web based information and delivering site based events.
We will continue to manage Taynish for visitors, encouraging people to visit and explore the reserve enjoying the amazing views and rich wildlife.
We would like to achieve all of this with the support and involvement of the local community.
8 Document properties
Photography: Lorne Gill, NatureScot.
Mapping: Produced by Geographical Information Unit, NatureScot
Author: Doug Bartholomew, Reserve Manager
Editor: Susan Luurtsema, Operations Officer – Protected Areas.
Signed off by: David Maclennan, Area Manager Argyll and Outer Hebrides
Date: December 2015
Links
For information about Scotland’s National Nature Reserves and further information about Taynish NNR please visit Scotland’s NNR website
For information on the protected areas associated with Taynish NNR please go to the SiteLink
Other useful links:
For further information about Taynish National Nature Reserve please contact:
Reserve manager: Heather Watkin
NatureScot
Kilmory Industrial Estate
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8RR
Telephone: 0131 316 2690
Email: [email protected]
Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) butterfly feeding on a common-spotted orchid.
