Galloway Forest Park

Galloway Forest Park
Corserine and the Rhinns of Kells as seen from Craignaw in winter, showing areas of Forestry Commission Sitka Spruce plantation.
A map showing the location of the Galloway Forest Park (in red) in south west Scotland.
Location Dumfries and Galloway
Area 774 km2 (299 sq mi)[1]
Established 1947
Governing body Forestry Commission Scotland
Website http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest-parks/galloway-forest-park

Coordinates: 55°07′26″N 4°25′26″W / 55.123861°N 4.423901°W / 55.123861; -4.423901 Galloway Forest Park is a forest park operated by Forestry Commission Scotland, principally covering woodland in Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, on the Craigengillan estate in South Ayrshire, at the edge of the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, was partly funded by the Scottish Government and opened in 2012. It is claimed to be the largest forest in the UK.

The park, established in 1947, covers 774 square kilometres (299 sq mi)[1] and receives over 800,000 visitors per year. The three visitor centres at Glen Trool, Kirroughtree, and Clatteringshaws receive around 150,000 each year. Much of the Galloway Hills lie within the boundaries of the park and there is good but rough hillwalking and also some rock climbing and ice-climbing within the park. Within or near the boundaries of the park are several well developed mountain bike tracks, forming part of the 7stanes project.

As well as catering for recreation, the park includes economically valuable woodland, producing 500,000 tons of timber per year.

Galloway Forest Park and the people who visit it and work in it were the subject of a six-part BBC One documentary series aired in early 2018 entitled "The Forest".[2]

Dark sky

In November 2009 the International Dark-Sky Association conferred Dark Sky Park status on the Galloway Forest Park, the first area in the UK to be so designated.[3]

The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, near Dalmellington, is located within the northern edge of the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Forest Estate Forest Parks GB". Scottish Government Spatial Data Infrastructure. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  2. ↑ ""The Forest" BBC TV series". 8 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "Forest park given Dark Sky honour". BBC News. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.


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