Rahoy Hills Nature Reserve

Rahoy Hills Nature Reserve extends onto Ardtornish and is run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which claims it as their most biodiverse reserve in Scotland.

This is due to the reserves variety of habitats, including high mountain, uplands moors and lochans, atlantic oak woods and rich river gorges, and these rich habitats support a great variety of wildlife.

The mountains are often referred to as being upside down hills, as their soils are richer high up than lower down, this is due to the hills nutrient rich basalt rocks. These soils support important communities of rare arctic alpine plants.

The reserves mixed habitats provides homes for a matching variety of flora and fauna, including woodland bird species such as redstart and wood warbler, 20 species of butterfly including chequered skipper, pearl-bordered fritillary and large heath, and 13 species of dragonfly and damselfly, including Northern emerald, keeled skimmers and beautiful demoiselle.