8 enchanting rainforests to explore in the UK

Rainforest… in the UK? That’s right, our very own shores are home to these magical woods. British rainforests are even rarer than their tropical counterparts and, in our opinion, just as special.

Breathtakingly beautiful and brimming with wildlife, stepping into a temperate rainforest is like being whisked into a fairytale. The branches of wizened ancient trees are festooned with lichen, the rocks drip with spongy moss and a dazzling array of plants and animals thrive in the unique ecosystem.

Where is the UK’s rainforest?

Temperate rainforest (also known as Atlantic rainforest) habitat is scattered along the western coasts of the UK, including Scotland, Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria and Northern Ireland. It only occurs where there is a specific set of climatic conditions: high rainfall, high humidity and mild temperatures.

We own and look after some of the most awe-inspiring rainforests in the UK. Read all about them and plan an adventure in a hidden oasis where otherworldly wonder waits around every corner.

1. Ausewell Wood, Devon

With dramatic rocky outcrops, impressive ancient trees and rugged heathland, Ausewell Wood is a lost world that wouldn’t look out of place in Jurassic Park. But though it has a wilderness feel, the wood is easy to access and has a car park right at the main entrance.

Spring and summer are the best times to visit Ausewell Wood. Bring your binoculars to admire redstarts, pied flycatchers and cuckoos, watch green woodpeckers feeding from huge wood ant nests, and keep an eye on the tops of oak trees for purple hairstreak butterflies. The damp conditions are perfect for some of the stranger rainforest wildlife, including the ash-black slug – the world’s largest land slug!

2. Gleann Shìldeag Estate, the Highlands

This rainforest in Scotland is nothing short of epic. Gleann Shìldeag is made up of two sites – Ben Shieldaig Estate and Couldoran Estate – which we’re connecting and restoring for vulnerable wildlife such as red squirrels, otters and golden eagles.

Both woods are ancient survivors dating back to a time when the west coast of Scotland was one huge rainforest, and the landscape still delivers for adventurous visitors. Many of the informal and non-waymarked paths are steep and exposed, and you can even trek to the summit of Ben Shieldaig. If this sounds too strenuous, lose yourself in the ancient birchwood layered with liverworts, lichens and mosses, or the 10,000-year-old Caledonian pinewood.

3. Bovey Valley Woods, Devon

What’s better than a temperate rainforest? A rainforest and wildflower-rich wet meadows with walks for all abilities. Plus, lots of wildlife to boot!

Bovey Valley Woods is a Dartmoor rainforest nestled in the River Bovey valley in Devon. Park up in one of the car parks at Trendlebere Down and then choose your own adventure: a whole day exploring some of the more challenging steep (and sometimes muddy) paths, or a slower-paced circular walk. In fact, there’s so much choice we’d recommend taking an OS map.

Bovey Valley Woods is a real wildlife refuge. In spring, look out for Dartford wablers and pied flycatchers. Year-round, search for nibbled nuts on the woodland floor – a tantalising sign of the rare hazel dormice which live here.

4. Coed Felenrhyd & Llennyrch, Gwynedd

As well as one of the most beautiful Welsh rainforests, Coed Felenrhyd & Llennyrch is also one of our largest woods in Wales. Fringed by dramatic waterfalls, dotted with atmospheric pools and offering breathtaking views of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) to the north and the rugged Rhinog mountains to the south, it’s an unforgettable landscape. Ravens nest on the cliffs, otters hunt along the river and rare lesser horseshoe bats thrive in the oakwoods.

A network of paths and tracks offers myriad ways to discover the magic of this rainforest. Learn more about the wood on a waymarked trail complete with information boards, walk the loop through the valley of Ceunant Llennyrch to a waterfall at the eastern end of the wood, or embark on a whole day of adventure as you pick up the Wales Coast Path.

If you want a taste of what’s to come at Coed Felenrhyd & Llennyrch, embark on a virtual tour in English or Welsh.

5. Crinan Wood, Argyll

Red squirrels, sweeping vistas, heather-strewn heathlands – Crinan Wood has it all. Since bringing the wood into our care in 1988 we’ve been hard at work removing non-native trees – planting native saplings and encouraging natural regeneration in their wake. As a result, wildlife is thriving, including the threatened pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly. It’s well worth searching for the fascinating phoenix trees too – trees which have fallen and then regrown into fantastical shapes.

This wild rainforest is also alive with history. Two Iron Age forts hide within the wood, and there are scenic views across Loch Crinan to the 12th-century Duntrune Castle. The Crinan Canal runs to the east of the wood and makes for a lovely walk as well as a point of access to the wood itself. The towpath is suitable for all abilities – a nice detour if the soft rainforest paths become too steep or there are too many steps.

6. Dunollie Wood, Oban

Home to stunningly colourful scenery in autumn and something exciting to see all year-round, Dunollie Wood is one of the jewels in Scotland’s crown. This thriving rainforest overlooks Oban Bay and sits on the path to Dunollie Castle, the historic seat of Clan MacDougall. The paths are mostly uneven and narrow, but there are also some wide, tarred sections of path near the car park, with two kissing gates and two sets of steps.

Dunollie Wood deserves a whole day of exploration. In spring, a sea of bluebells and wild garlic springs up along the forest floor. In summer, migrant birds including redstart and wood warbler fill the air with song. If you’re lucky you might spot a huge white-tailed eagle soaring overhead; a rare, chequered skipper butterfly along the woodland edges; or a rainforest speciality, hazel gloves fungus, sprouting from old hazel trees.

7. Fingle Woods, Devon

Tucked into the northern fringes of Dartmoor, this spectacular rainforest is a haven of sun-dappled glades, magnificent moorland and thriving grassland spanning 334 hectares (825 acres).

Forty-five kilometres (28 miles) of new trails await – the perfect way to discover the woodland archaeology, thriving wildlife and ever-changing displays of wild flowers, including wild daffodils. Seek out the remains of Wooston Castle, an Iron Age hill fort that could have stood at Fingle Woods for as long as 3,000 years. Search for dingy skipper and pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies feeding on bird’s-foot trefoil and violets. And soak up the atmosphere of a living landscape on the road back to health thanks to the hard graft of our conservation staff and our partners in restoration at the National Trust.

8. Uig Wood, Uig

Could there be a more epic setting for a temperate rainforest than the Isle of Skye? There are three waymarked trails in this small but special wood: the Shore Wood Wander on a flat, well-surfaced path; the short and often muddy Conan Glen Walk up the river to the lower glen; and the Rha Glen Ramble, which takes you along the edge of a steep ravine to an impressive waterfall.

If you can tear your eyes away from the scenery, seek out some of Uig Wood’s unique flora and fauna. Luxuriant lichens grow near the shore and on the sheltered upper slopes of the gorges. Enchanter’s nightshade, yellow pimpernel and barren strawberry can be found within the wood. And if you’re lucky, you may spot a white-tailed eagle soaring above the tree canopy.