Loch Beinn a Mheadhain Forest Visitor Guide

A lochside picnic spot with gentle woodland paths

This secluded car park is set among Scots pine and birch trees, with a lovely view of the loch. It’s a great place for a picnic or a stop to enjoy the peace and quiet. There are no waymarked trails, but small paths lead through the trees along the loch side. A few hundred yards back down the glen, the steep track by Allt na Imrich (the burn of the flitting) has stunning views.

The loch is as much a part of the National Nature Reserve as the forests, but it’s not quite as natural as it looks. It’s part of an ambitious hydro-electric project, developed in the 1950s. Water is piped from Glen Cannich to the north, into the loch. From there it flows to the power station at Fasnakyle, down the glen towards Cannich.

This elaborate system was developed to protect Glen Affric’s landscape and wildlife. It meant Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain didn’t need to be expanded. The dam at the end of the loch is so small you’re hardly aware of it. But the loch’s level does change, depending on how much water the power station needs. We provide floating platforms for birds to create nests on that adjust with the changing water levels. This helps species such as black-throated divers, which call the loch home.