A fleeting acquaintance
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Home to some of the country’s rarest plants and flowers, Balblair Wood sits on the edge of the peaceful and enchanting Loch Fleet.
The woodland here was replanted in 1905 after the previous forest was flattened in a storm.
It’s hard to imagine such a tranquil place could suffer such devastation, but this nature reserve is living on the edge even today.
The forest stretches all the way to the coast, with the beaches only exposed at low tide to provide a precious feeding ground for wading birds. Visitors are asked not to disturb these sensitive waterfowl and to stick to the paths near high tide.
Our route follows tracks and paths through the woodland and around the shore with ever-changing views and opportunities to spot wildlife of all kinds.
A small parking area is situated just off the narrow road which leads from Golspie down to Littleferry, where a series of information panels mark the start of the walk.
Follow the track straight down into the woods, going over a small wooden bridge and continuing ahead where you see a red marker post.
Already the sights and smells of this fascinating forest drown out any noise you might expect from the not-too-distant A9. This is a little haven away from the hustle and bustle of that arterial route between north and south.
The forest is spacious enough to allow plenty of light through the canopy of trees and this makes the groundcover flourish. Rare flowers including one-flowered wintergreen and twinflower flourish here.
There are also wonderful heathers and lichens producing a fine cushion all around, and I could get a sense we were getting nearer to the water.
After a mile or so you come to a crossroads, with an interesting set of seats carved out of old tree trunks at the side of the track. The route continues straight on but, as the tide was far enough out, I took a short detour left to get my first proper sight of Loch Fleet.
A little further on down the main track you can access a bird hide – made from locally sourced pine – and whittle away the hours watching the many wading birds coming in to feed after the tide starts to go out.
The track forks ahead, and it’s the left fork we follow to pass a peculiar house with boarded-up windows but with pristine cut grass – certainly cut more recently than my own lawn, at any case!
Thereafter the track seems to disappear but it does, in fact, continue into the long grass beyond, with signs of people having trampled a route through it being fairly evident. Soon there’s another marker to confirm you’re still on course.
The path does improve, though there are still some sections to go through which are overgrown with ferns and gorse. When you’re in the clear, however, the path is a wonderful winding way through trees leading you down to the shore again.
A very hide tide could see you getting wet feet on this section, as the hide tide mark goes right up to the thin line of a path that has been trampled along the edge of the loch.
At one point the route takes you briefly away from the shore to cut across grasslands, leading to a point where a red marker is surrounded by gorse. The route steers right around the headland here to give dramatic views to The Mound and the cliffs of Mound Rock, the railway line sweeping around their base to pass close by the woods.
Soon the route turns back into the forest from the shore, twisting its way up to meet an old track. Turn right here and follow the sometimes overgrown track through an area of younger trees.
Over to your left are great views of Ben Bhraggie above Golspie as you return to the familiar sounds and sights of the forest until you reach the fork in the track.
Follow the track back to the car park, from where you might be tempted to follow the road right down to Littleferry and explore more of this spectacular nature reserve.
