Caenlochan

Caenlochan Glen lies on the east side of Glas Maol (3504 ft), with its headwaters forming a distinctive cirque. The glen features a series of steep crags, mainly comprising mica- and hornblende-schist, with bands of quartz-porphyry. These crags descend from about 3100 ft at the head of the cirque.

The ecological significance of Caenlochan stems from the remarkably fertile exposures of calcareous mica-schists which support luxuriant species-rich vegetation, contrasting dramatically with the comparatively sparse plant cover on the acidic rocks nearby. This creates a mosaic of distinctive plant communities dependent on the local geological and climatic conditions.

Among the numerous species of vascular plants found in the cirque, many are rare or localised in Britain and typically confined to mountain habitats. Notable calcicole (lime-loving) species include Cerastium alpinum (alpine mouse-ear), Dryas octopetala (mountain avens), Gentiana nivalis (snow gentian), Juncus castaneus (chestnut rush), Potentilla crantzii (alpine cinquefoil), Salix reticulata (net-leaved willow), Saussurea alpina (alpine saw-wort), and Saxifraga oppositifolia (purple saxifrage).

Other species recorded in the area include Alopecurus alpinus (alpine foxtail), Cicerbita alpina (alpine blue-sow-thistle), various sedges including Carex atrata, C. rupestris and C. vaginata, and several willows such as Salix lanata, S. lapponum and S. myrsinites.

The summit area of Glas Maol above Caenlochan features the distinctive Dicranum fuscesens-Carex bigelowii montane heath association, documented by McVean and Ratcliffe in their 1962 monograph on Scottish Highland plant communities.McVean, D. N. and Ratcliffe, D. A. Plant Communities of the Scottish Highlands. Nature Conservancy Monograph, No. 1, H.M.S.O., London, 1962.

Deer densities in the Caenlochan area are among the highest in Scotland and deer herds of over 1000 animals are seen throughout the year.

The area was formerly a national nature reserve, however since 2005 this designation has applied only to Corrie Fee.{{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2018-01/The%20Story%20of%20Corrie%20Fee%20NNR.pdf|title=The Story of Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|accessdate=2019-01-14|pages=17-18}} The boundaries of the original Caenlochan National Nature Reserve included the whole of Caenlochan Glen with its surrounding crags and the summit area of Glas Maol, as shown on the Ordnance Survey's Tourist Map of the Cairngorms.

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{{cite journal |last=Roger |first=J. Grant |title=Report of the Alpine Section | journal=Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh |volume=40 |issue=2 |year=1966 |doi=10.1080/03746606608685147 |pages=236–237}}

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• {{cite web|url=http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=53,854538&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&UNIT_ID=&DESIGNATION_ID=&CONTAINS=Caenlochan|title=SiteLink|author=Scottish Natural Heritage|accessdate=30 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928205746/http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=53,854538&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&UNIT_ID=&DESIGNATION_ID=&CONTAINS=Caenlochan|archive-date=28 September 2007|url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.dcs.gov.uk/manage_prioritysites.htm|title=Priority Sites|author=Deer Commission for Scotland|accessdate=30 August 2006 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060827122042/http://www.dcs.gov.uk/manage_prioritysites.htm |archivedate = 27 August 2006}}

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Category:Glens of Scotland

Category:Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland

Category:Environment of Angus, Scotland

Category:Landforms of Angus, Scotland

Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Angus and Dundee