Mountain habitats
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The biodiversity in Lochaber’s mountain areas is some of the most significant in Britain.
Areas of national importance include the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe ranges, the Isle of Rum and the basalt peaks of Morvern. But there is also much of interest in other upland areas, with an outstanding range of upland habitats - wet and dry heaths, calcareous grassland, tall-herb ledges, montane scrub, rock and scree, snowbed and summit vegetation.
The plant life is very rich, with rare Arctic-Alpines such as drooping saxifrage, diapensia and arctic sandwort, and many scarce lichens and bryophytes. The wildlife in mountain areas includes mountain ringlet and other rare insects, mountain hare, ptarmigan and important bird of prey populations, with exceptional numbers of breeding golden eagles.
