Falls of Clyde is Countryfile Magazine’s Reserve of the Year 2019

At the start of February, we called on Gaztte readers to vote for the reserve, managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

And, as ever, you rose to the challenge to ensure the local beauty spot clinched the title!

Clare Toner, Clyde Valley Ranger, said: “We’re delighted that Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve has been named reserve of the year 2019.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has voted for us. So many fantastic places for wildlife reserve were shortlisted so it is a true thrill to win this award.

“The reserve is a stunningly beautiful place. The dramatic waterfalls and ancient woodland make it a great place to explore at any time of year and it is home to a wide range of wildlife including dippers, otters, badgers and several species of bat.

“We have lots of events coming up this year both on the reserve and in our visitor centre, including our popular People’s Postcode Lottery Dipper Watch and guided Badger Watches, so there are plenty of reasons for people to pay us a visit in 2019.”

Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve is home to a rich range of wildlife. More than 100 bird species have been recorded including dippers and kingfishers.

Badgers forage among the undergrowth, several species of bats feed above the Clyde at dusk and otters can sometimes be seen splashing in the river.

The reserve also hosts Scotland’s Badger Hub, a base for training events and volunteering opportunities developed in partnership with the charity Scottish Badgers.

The spectacular waterfalls and woodland walks of the Falls of Clyde have been a magnet for visitors since the 19th Century, inspiring poets including William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge.

And now it can rightly claim to be Reserve of the Year – thanks folks!