Castramont Wood. Scottish Wildlife Reserve
Rating: Moderate
Limited car parking. Around 10-12 cars. Site not accessible to buses. Information Board at start of the walks. The wood is on the side of a hill so there are steep paths in places. During the main tourist season from April to September information and guidance can be obtained from the Gatehouse of Fleet Tourist Information Centre. The Centre is closed during the winter months. Please park sensibly and don’t block access.
| Map Reference: Map Ref: 59/60 |
| Castramont Wood is 2½ miles from Gatehouse of Fleet on an unclassified road just off the road between Gatehouse and Laurieston. Owned and managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust the reserve has an open access policy, but please keep to the paths to avoid disturbance to wildlife.
The wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is probably best known for its bluebells and breeding songbirds, although a walk through this wood on one of its many paths is pleasant at any time of year. As the summer migrants arrive the wood comes alive to bird song. Pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers, chiff-chaffs along with the many residents species like blue tit, great tit, great spotted woodpecker and tree-creeper make it a must on any naturalists list. With an under-story of plants such as hazel, stitchwort, wood anemone, dog violet and dog’s mercury all attracting a variety of insects and butterflies. There is much more to see than I can mention here and repeat visits are essential to make the most of this special place.
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These webs pages have been put together by Keith Kirk. Keith is a semi pro natural history photographer and writer. He is the wildlife feature writer for D&G Life magazine and also writes a monthly Nature Notes column for the Galloway News. His day job is a countryside ranger with Dumfries and Galloway Council, something he has been doing for over 24 years. Keith also has another web site which promotes him as a photographer, whilst this site is more about Dumfries and Galloway, an unknown part of Scotland. www.dumfriesandgallowaywildlife.co.uk
Also check out www.flickr.com/photos/keithkirk8 which he updates on almost a daily basis with his latest images.
Keith is also a photographer who has tested many types of photography kit for manufacturers . At the moment he is testing Bushnell and Spypoint wildlife/trail/stealth cameras. Checkout the link at the top of the page or go to www.scottcountry.co.uk for more info. Also coming soon will be a report on a new outdoor clothing manufacturer (Ridgeline) that is producing good kit for Wildlife Photographers and Birdwatchers.........so watch this space. Here's a quick preview.
A clothing brand in New Zealand has now hit the shores of the UK. Featuring technical fabrics, and membranes that are ideal for photographers and birdwatchers in the changeable UK Climate. Life is about experience and choices, those between you and your environment, you and the gear you wear. Ridgeline's products are affordable, rugged, durable and comfortable, and allow you to get on with the task at hand whenever you need to and wherever you are.
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