Gatehouse Bank at Talla & Gameshope

Talla & Gameshope is special because it offers a rare opportunity to restore a large area of upland habitat to a more natural state. At its southern end the property borders both the Trust’s Carrifran Wildwood and the National Trust for Scotland’s extensive Grey Mare’s Tail Estate.

For centuries, Talla & Gameshope was an upland sheep farm. The impact of this land management style on fragile upland habitats is plain to be seen. Native woodlands once thrived along the valley bottoms but over time these woods were cleared, and steady livestock grazing then ensured the trees could not regenerate naturally. Likewise, the higher slopes would have been rich in montane scrub, with heathlands of heather and blaeberry.