ONE of the most important areas of natural floodplain wetland in Britain has become Scotland's latest national nature reserve.
Insh marshes, covering about 2000 acres of floodplain between the villages of Kincraig and Kingussie, is home to an impressive range of wildlife including lapwings and hen harriers. A total of 209 species of birds have already been recorded on the marshes.
RSPB Scotland, which owns the land, welcomed the award but called on the Scottish Executive to increase investment in NNRs to preserve them for future generations.
The award by Scottish Natural Heritage is seen as recognition of the area's beauty and environmental significance.
Insh marshes are one of the few natural floodplains in Britain where the river Spey floods the area several times a year. As the marsh holds and releases the water gradually, like a sponge, it protects downstream areas, such as the Aviemore area, from flooding and keeps the surrounding farmland fertile.
It boasts seven ''red list species'' which are birds of high conservation concern. They include, grey partridge, reed bunting and bullfinch. It is a nationally important site for breeding osprey and waterfowl.
Half the entire population of breeding goldeneye in the UK uses the marshes.
There are also many species of invertebrates on the marsh, and the meadow has more than 500 species of plants.
Insh marshes brings the total number of NNRs to 74, including Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross, the island of Rum, Loch Lomond and the Isle of May, although the designation of 18 are currently being reviewed. Scottish Natural Heritage is also now embarking on a major programme to make all the NNR's more accessible to the public.
SNH awarded the Insh NNR in recognition of the area's internationally important natural heritage, the significance of the marshes for recreation and public enjoyment, and the sensitive management of the marshes by the RSPB and the local communities over many years.
The area is already a site of special scientific interest, a special protection area for osprey, a special area of conservation and a Ramsar site for its variety of wetland habitats and rare species of plants and animals.
At the launch ceremony, John Markland, the SNH chairman, said: ''I am delighted to welcome Insh marshes as our newest national nature reserve.
''Set within Scotland's newest national park in the Cairngorms, Insh marshes joins the likes of St Kilda, Glen Affric and Staffa, as an exceptional place where the outstanding natural heritage of Scotland can be managed and promoted for the enjoyment of people and for the conservation of nature.
''The declaration of the NNR is also an accolade for the care that the people of Kincraig and Kingussie have shown to the area through the years and also for the RSPB, who own the area, for their sensitive management.''
Lord Jamie Lindsay, chairman of the RSPB Scotland, said: ''We welcome the declaration of Insh marshes as a national nature reserve. This recognises the importance of the reserve as a special place for nature, and our role in caring for the area over the years in partnership with the local community.
''The timing is also significant for us as RSPB first acquired the reserve in 1973 so this year marks our 30th anniversary of involvement in the reserve.''
Nic Bullivant, local ranger and recent chairman of the Kincraig Community Council, said: ''Insh marshes is a significant part of our local communities. We realise the quality of our area's environment, and it seems only proper for this to be recognised at the highest level.
''The approach of the two large conservation organisations, SNH and RSPB, in involving the local community in this declaration is very much welcomed. I hope they continue to involve local people in enjoying what the reserve has to offer for many years to come.''
Fiona Murray, RSPB Scotland's conservation policy officer, said: ''The executive should back further protection for such sites and encourage more sustainable floodplain management in the rest of Scotland.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article