Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is a

forest park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...

in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...

which extends from the eastern shores of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...

to the mountains of

Strathyre Strathyre (; from gd, Srath Eadhair) is a district and settlement in the Stirling local government district of Scotland. It forms the south-eastern part of the parish of Balquhidder and was, prior to the 1973 reorganisation of local government, ...

. The forest park is one of six such parks in Scotland, and was established in 1953, the year of the

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. It is owned and managed by

Forestry and Land Scotland Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...

Geography

The park is part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and is a sparsely-populated region of

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...

loch ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots language, Scots and Irish language, Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is Cognate, cognate with the Manx language, Manx lough, Cornish language, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh language, Welsh w ...

s and valleys. Most of the upland areas are bare and uncultivated, while much of the lowland is densely forested. Within the park are several mountains including

Ben Lomond Ben Lomond (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Laomainn, 'Beacon Mountain'), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Me ...

, which at is the highest point,

Ben Venue Ben Venue (Scottish Gaelic: A' Bheinn Mheanbh) is a mountain in the Trossachs area of Scotland. The name Ben Venue is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words meaning "the miniature mountain". The summit lies approximately 2 kilometres south- ...

() and

Ben Ledi Ben Ledi (Beinn Leitir in Scottish Gaelic) is a mountain in Stirling (council area), Stirling, Scotland. It is high, and is therefore classified as a Corbett (hill), Corbett. It lies about northwest of Callander, near the village of Kilmahog. I ...

(). Its lakes and reservoirs include

Loch Ard Loch Ard (Scottish Gaelic: Loch na h-Àirde) is a loch, located in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Stirling council area, Scotland. Overview The name of the loch comes from ''àird'', the Scottish Gaelic word for a ''promontory, ...

Loch Chon Loch Chon is a freshwater loch situated west of the village of Aberfoyle, near the small village of Kinlochard, Stirling, Scotland, UK. Loch Chon lies upstream of Loch Ard and to the south of Loch Katrine. In the past, Loch Chon was known as Lo ...

Loch Venachar Loch Venachar (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Bheannchair) is a freshwater loch in Stirling district, Scotland. Geography The loch is situated between Callander and Brig o' Turk. It lies approximately above sea level, and is long with a maximum ...

Loch Arklet Loch Arklet is a freshwater loch and reservoir in the Trossachs area of the Scottish Highlands. It is within the Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Perthshire and the Stirling (council area), district of Stirling. It ...

Loch Katrine Loch Katrine (; or ) is a freshwater loch in the Trossachs area of the Scottish Highlands, east of Loch Lomond, within the historic county and registration county of Perthshire and the contemporary district of Stirling. The loch is about lon ...

Loch Achray Loch Achray is a small freshwater loch west of Callander in Stirling district, Scotland. The loch lies between Loch Katrine and Loch Venachar in the heart of the Trossachs and has an average depth of . History Loch Achray was for a time the ho ...

and

Loch Drunkie Loch Drunkie ( gd, Loch Drongaidh, ) is a small freshwater loch in the Trossachs near Aberfoyle in the Stirling council area, Scotland. Geography This picturesque and irregular Highland loch is shut on all sides by high hills. Fishing Since t ...

. Its forests include Achray Forest, Buchanan Forest, Strathyre Forest and Loch Ard Forest.

Tourism

The main visitor centre for the area is The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre at

Aberfoyle Aberfoyle may refer to: *Aberfoyle, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland * Aberfoyle, Stirling, Scotland * Aberfoyle, Ontario, Canada * Aberfoyle, Texas, United States *Aberfoyle, Warwick Aberfoyle is a heritage-listed detached house at 35 Woo ...

on the edge of the highlands on the eastern hillside of Craigmore (). There are marked hiking trails and a car trail, the Three Lochs Forest Drive.

Gallery

File:Achray Forest - geograph.org.uk - 669038.jpg,

in the Achray Forest, seen from the

Duke's Pass Duke's Pass or Dukes Pass is a pass on the A821 road (Great Britain), A821 road between Aberfoyle, Stirling, Aberfoyle and Brig o' Turk in the glen of the Trossachs in the Scottish Highlands. It climbs to a height of above sea level.Ordnance Sur ...

References

External links

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
- Forestry and Land Scotland {{Authority control Trossachs Forest parks of Scotland