The Pass of Killiecrankie is a magnificent wooded gorge supporting an abundance of wildlife. The River Garry flows along its base down to the Linn of Tummel.

Spring generates a floral extravaganza.White wood anemones carpet the woods on the way down to Soldier's Leap, interspersed with primroses and violets. The air resonates with bird song as the season progresses with the males showing off and establishing breeding territories.Most notable are the residents the tits, finches, blackbirds, wrens and robins.

In the summer evenings pipistrelle and Daubenton's bats dart through the air,each bat munching its way through 3000 midges a night! Migrant birds such as pied (inset) and spotted flycatchers and wood and willow warblers have arrived to join the residents.Dashes of colour are still to be found on the woodland floor including the purple devils-bit scabious and ling heather. On warm sunny days clouds of Scotch Argus butterflies are on the wing.

Autumn

The Pass is renowned for its autumn colours, each tree species making its own particular contribution to a mesmerising blend of gold, burgundy, saffron, amber, russet, umber and many other colours.Look out for a fascinating array of fungi - almost 400 species have been identified.During periods of rain you can see the spectacular sight of leaping salmon at the falls beneath the famous Soldier's Leap and the Falls of Tummel.

Winter

Often the overwhelming sensation of winter is that of silence and solitude.Trees stand tall, no longer burdened by their life-giving foliage, bare spars of branches supporting an ever-interlocking network of naked twigs.Snow may be deep in a hard winter and tracks from deer or squirrels (red) and the runs of small mammals are common, but perhaps the most exciting discovery is the five-toed webbed print of the secretive otter.

We highly recommend the publications below to compliment your visit to this Region.

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