Trossachs Trail Beaver Blockade

Visitors following the popular Trossachs Trail scenic drive in the heart of the Trossachs are being advised to take care. Beavers are busy chewing their way through tree trunks, felling trees along the roadside and creating temporary and unexpected blockades. They tend to be busy chomping through tree trunks through the night, resulting in road blockages in the early mornings. 

This follows on from beavers felling clusters of trees beside Loch Achray car parks and laybys over the last couple of years, opening up scenic views of the loch.

James Fraser, CEO of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust at Loch Katrine said: 'The growing number of beavers in the Trossachs are becoming more adventurous and are regularly crossing the main road hugging the lochside to increase their tree felling activities. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, their handiwork has led to trees falling over the road at blind corners and causing road hazards. So, I urge early morning visitors to take great care as they drive through the Trossachs admiring the stunning Autumn colours.'

The Trossachs is known as 'The Bristly Country' due to the large number of trees beside winding roads in narrow passes beside lochshores and it is credited with being where Scottish tourism began. A new scenic tower has recently been built above Trossachs pier to mark the birthplace of Scottish tourism.

Beavers are well known as nature's finest engineers as they change their habitats, such as coppicing trees, damming smaller water courses, and digging 'beaver canal' systems. These activities create diverse and dynamic wetlands that can bring enormous benefits to other species, such as otters, water shrews, water voles, birds, invertebrates (especially dragonflies) and breeding fish, as well as sequestering carbon. 

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is native to these shores and was once widespread. Beavers played a crucial role in our wetland landscapes from prehistoric times until they were hunted to extinction in the 16th century for their fur, meat and scent glands.