page_title: Creag Meagaidh
section_title: Flora and fauna
hierarchical_section_title: Creag Meagaidh / Nature and conservation / Flora and fauna
caption_attribution_description: Creag Meagaidh NNR Information Board
context_page_description: Creag Meagaidh is a mountain on the northern side of Glen Spean in the Highlands of Scotland. It is a complex mountain, taking the form of a flat summit plateau from which five ridges radiate, and is most famed for the cliffs surrounding the corrie of Coire Ardair on the north-eastern face. These crags are a renowned venue for winter and ice climbing, although being somewhat vegetated they are less suited to summer climbing.
  The name Creag Meagaidh is also applied to refer to the neighbouring peaks of Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Càrn Liath which together may be termed the Creag Meagaidh range. All three peaks in the range may be climbed from Aberarder on the A86 road by initially following the path leading up Coire Ardair, before striking north to the summit of Càrn Liath. A circuit of the glen may be made by returning to Aberarder by way of Creag Meagaidh's east ridge. The most direct route to the summit of Creag Meagaidh ascends from the head of the corrie to reach a narrow gap between the crags known as The Window. The Window forms the bealach between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Coire Ardair. Creag Meagaidh may also be climbed from Moy to the southeast.
context_section_description: A number of nationally important plant species can be found at Creag Meagaidh, including woolly willow, wavy meadow grass, highland saxifrage, bog orchid and Scots pine. Over 120 species of lichen have also been recorded. The summit of the massif is carpeted in moss heath and stiff sedge, being one of the largest areas of woolly fringemoss heath in the UK. The cliffs above Coire Ardair have mostly avoided grazing and support a number of rare species such as alpine foxtail, alpine lady-fern, Norwegian cudweed , downy willow and sibbaldia.
  Over 150 species of invertebrates have been recorded on the summit plateau. This number include rarities such as the large wolf spider, which within Scotland is found only on one or two of the highest summits. One species of fly that has been identified at Creag Meagaidh, Spilogona trigonata, is not found anywhere else in Britain, being generally restricted to Scandinavia and North America.
  According to SNH, 137 different bird species have been recorded within the Reserve. Of these, one particular species of note is the dotterel, which is one of Britain's rarest birds: the upper part of the mountain (above 750 m) is consequently designated as a Special Protection Area for this species. Snow bunting and golden plover also breed on the higher heaths and summit plateau, while red grouse and greenshank are often seen on the lower slopes. The denser woodland on the lower part of the reserve also provides a home for chaffinch, willow warbler, tree pipit and wren.
  There are three species of deer found at Creag Meagaidh NNR: red, roe and sika. Deer management to reduce numbers takes place at Creag Meagaidh in order to facilitate woodland regeneration. Mountain hares are common on the higher parts of the reserve, whilst pine marten and otter can occasionally be found at lower altitudes. There has been only one sighting of the Scottish wildcat in recent years.
caption: An information board at Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve
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