Discover Cambus o’MayPart of the Cairngorms Important Plant AreaThree varied walks through atmospheric pinewoods in the Cairngorms, internationally important for wild plants and fungi

Pine Tree TrailA walk through the tranquil pine forest. Uneven gravel surface with some rocky and muddy parts. Some steep slopes. Includes three bridges and some ex-posed tree roots. Distance: 2¾ miles/4.3 km. Allow 1½ hours.

Two Lochans TrailWander beneath majestic Douglas firs and pines to reach a pair of lochans. Uneven gravel surface with some slightly grassy and muddy parts. Some steep slopes with one flight of wooden steps. Includes three bridges. Distance: 1½ miles/2.5 km. Allow 1 hour.

Lochside TrailA short walk along an esker and around the west lo-chan, with great views south into the Dee Valley. Firm but uneven gravel surface. Some short steep slopes with single uneven rock steps. Parts may be slightly grassy or muddy. Distance: ½ mile/1km. Allow 15 minutes.

Where to startCambus o’May car park is on the north side of the A93 between Ballater and Dinnet. Grid reference NO 404 981. There is a bus stop at the forest entrance. Nearest lavatories are at the nearby Burn o’Vat Visitor Centre.

Wild flower walks

The wild plants of Cambus o’MayWalks through atmospheric pinewoods in the Cairngorms Important Plant Area

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Discover Cambus o’May Part of the Cairngorms Important Plant Area and the network of pinewoods that make it so special for wild plants.

KeyPine Tree Trail

Two Lochans TrailN

At any time of year, a walk under the statuesque pine trees at Cambus o’May will reward you with a rich world of wild flowers, fungi and lichens. In spring, the forest floor is awash with wood sorrel, dog violet and wood anemone, while in summer, bumblebees are busy visiting bugle, harebells and devil’s-bit scabious. Autumn is equally magical as troops of fungi appear on mossy stumps and in winter, branches festooned with lichens sparkle with frost.

At all times of year, however, the pinewood plants of heather, cowberry and blaeberry – and twisted spires of juniper – pro-vide food for wildlife including red squirrels and the endangered capercaillie. And dog violets and bugle hid-den among bracken in the glades are a vital food source for rare butterflies, such as the pearl-bordered fritillary.

These pinewoods are managed by Forestry and Land Scotland and we would like to thank them for their advice and support in producing this guide. The pinewoods form part of the Deeside Woods and links with the Deeside Way and the Burn o’Vat nature reserve.

Lochside Trail

Important Plant Areas (IPAs)The Cairngorms IPA is one of 47 IPAs in Scotland. IPAs are internationally recognised hotspots for wild plants and lichens. Go to www.plantlife.org.uk/scotland to discover more about IPAs.

Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO © Crown copyright and database rights (2019) Ordnance Survey 0100031673

The changing landscape Cambus o’May – pronounced without the ‘b’ – comes from the Gaelic ‘Camas a’ Mhaighe’ meaning ‘river bend of the plain’. Throughout history, these pinewoods on the banks of the River Dee have changed dramatically, from ancient boreal forest to moorland to forest plantation. The pollen record for this area shows that at the end of the last Ice Age, when the glaciers had melted, low-growing tundra covered the ground. In time, this was colonised by birch, juniper,

pine and alder, and formed part of Scotland’s boreal forest. By 1883, most of this forest had been felled and Cambus o’May was open moorland and managed as a sporting estate until the 1950s. Today’s Cambus o’May forest was planted in 1974 and is managed for conservation and recreation as well as timber.

JuniperAlong the wayleaves, tall and gnarled juniper bushes grow close to the path. One of Scotland’s most culturally significant species, juniper is under threat and has been lost from many sites through changes in land use. It also has a new threat, the plant disease Phytophthora austrocedri which causes it to die back. Help stop the spread of this disease by following any biosecurity signage on the site.

EskersSections of the trails track undulating ridges, created at the end of the last Ice Age when a melting glacier deposited mounds of silt, gravel and boulders in long sinuous ridges

called ‘eskers’. These features are designated as part of the Muir of Dinnet SSSI. These are special

places for birdlife, so look out for spotted wood-peckers and flocks of long-tailed tits – you may

even catch a glimpse of the capercaillie. To help protect these rare birds, please follow any signage in the woods, keep to the paths and your dog on a short lead, especially between April and August

when the birds are breeding.

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Cambus o’May WoodsDiscover a range of wild plants, lichens and fungi along the Cambus o’May trails. Look out for:

Wood sorrel Oxalis acetosellaLook out for this spring flower. Its clover-shaped leaves, which taste like apples, are lime green. The delicate white flowers have lilac veins. Both leaves and petals fold shut as night draws in.

Common dog violet Viola rivinianaThis unscented violet with purple flowers and heart-shaped leaves is an important food plant of the pearl-bordered Fritillary, a rare butterfly which can be found at Cambus o’May.

Bugle Ajuga reptansThis plant is a member of the mint family and has purple-tinged leaves as well as purple flowers. Look for it in damp places, such as the sides of ditches and the margins of lochans. It is a great source of nectar for the pearl-bordered Fritillary.

Razor strop fungi Fomitopsis betulinaThis bracket fungus was once used by barbers to sharpen their cut-throat razors. The fruiting bodies appear on the sides of dead or dying birches. This fungi is too bitter to be edible.

Tormentil Potentilla erectaThis pretty yellow flower with its four petals can be found in pinewoods and grasslands. It has roots that have been used to dye leather red. The dye is called ‘tormentil red’.

Bearded lichens Usnea sp.Hanging down like long, tassled beards from branches of trees, lichens (not strictly ‘plants’ but instead part-algae and part-fungi) are a sign of clean air. Pinewoods in the Cairngorms are an important habitat for many rare and beautiful species of lichens.

Harebell Campanula rotundifoliaSometimes called the ‘bluebell of Scotland’. Look out for this plant in summer on dry grassy banks and woodland glades, where the delicate, papery, bell-shaped flowers nod from slender stalks. With the nicknames, ‘the aul’ man’s bells’ or Devil’s bells, these flowers were thought to be closely linked to fairies, and to pick the flowers would bring bad luck.

Juniper Juniperus communisLook out for juniper, which can sometimes grow as tall as a small tree. Juniper has blue-green needle-like leaves and small cones that look like berries (green at first then dark blue). The berries are used to flavour gin.

Cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaeaThis dwarf evergreen shrub has oval leaves and red berries. While the berries are edible (sometimes called lingonberries), they are very tart and so are best cooked.

Blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillusThis dwarf shrub has serrated edges to its leaves which turn flame-red in autumn before they are shed for winter. The blueberries are delicious raw and are enjoyed by people and wildlife, including the magnificent but elusive capercaillie which live here.

Illustrations by permission of Philip’s Guide to Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe by Bob Gibbons and Peter Brough 2008. Razor strop fungi and bearded lichens illustrations by Andrew Evans

Wood sage Teucrium scorodoniaUnlike culinary sage, the blue-green leaves of the perennial wood sage have little scent so are not used in cooking, although it has been used as a substitute for hops to flavour beer.

Wood anemone Anemone nemorosaThe dancing white flowers of wood anemone can be seen carpeting some areas of the woodland floor in spring. This little flower is slow to spread and an indicator of ancient woodlands.