Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve (NNR) is one of the wildest areas in Southwest Scotland. The reserve, managed by NatureScot, is one of the core areas of the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere - an international designation based on the region’s outstanding landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage. The reserve is an exceptional area of high conservation value due to its blanket bog and peatland habitat. Rivers and old railway lines provide physical connectivity between the landscape of Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR and the communities of Creetown and Gatehouse-of-Fleet, but there are many more deeper connections between this internationally important landscape and its gateway communities.

In partnership with NatureScot, Gatehouse Development Initiative and Creetown Initiative, the GSA Biosphere has been exploring the connections between this special wild landscape and the local communities through a series of guided walks and discussions with local experts on biodiversity, heritage and even the reserve staff themselves.  We hope to be able to run more of these events during the season and events will be flagged up on this website.