Queen Elizabeth Forest Park

{{Short description|Forest park in the Scottish Highlands}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox forest

|map = Scotland Stirling#Scotland

|map_caption = Location of Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Scotland

|relief = yes

|county = Highlands

|country = Scotland

|coordinates = {{Coord|56.17|N|4.45|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

|photo = File:Queen elizabeth forest park zoom.png

|photo_caption = A map showing the location of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park (in red) in central Scotland, alongside the location of other forest parks (in green)

}}

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is a {{convert|19665|ha|acre|adj=on}}{{cite web|url=https://data.gov.uk/dataset/1cfb57ae-72a9-4ab3-95a5-e22d3b2c134f/national-forest-estate-forest-parks-gb|title=National Forest Estate Forest Parks GB|publisher=Scottish Government Spatial Data Infrastructure

|date=2017-09-21|access-date=2018-05-14}} forest park in the Scottish Highlands which extends from the eastern shores of Loch Lomond to the mountains of Strathyre. The forest park is one of six such parks in Scotland, and was established in 1953,{{cite web|title=Cowal and Trossachs District Strategic Plan 2014-2017|publisher=Forest Enterprise Scotland|access-date=2019-02-10|url=https://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/images/corporate/pdf/CowalTrossachsDsp2014-17.pdf|page=13}} the year of the

coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It is owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.

Geography

The park is part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and is a sparsely-populated region of mountains, hills, lochs and valleys. Most of the upland areas are bare and uncultivated, while much of the lowland is densely forested.

Within the park are several mountains including Ben Lomond, which at {{cvt|974|m}} is the highest point, Ben Venue ({{cvt|727|m|disp=semicolon}}) and Ben Ledi ({{cvt|879|m|disp=semicolon}}). Its lakes and reservoirs include Loch Ard, Loch Chon, Loch Venachar, Loch Arklet, Loch Katrine, Loch Achray and Loch Drunkie. Its forests include Achray Forest, Buchanan Forest, Strathyre Forest and Loch Ard Forest.

Tourism

The main visitor centre for the area is The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre at Aberfoyle on the edge of the highlands on the eastern hillside of Craigmore ({{cvt|354|m|disp=semicolon}}). There are marked hiking trails and a car trail, the Three Lochs Forest Drive.

Gallery

File:Achray Forest - geograph.org.uk - 669038.jpg|Loch Drunkie in the Achray Forest, seen from the Duke's Pass

References

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