Newborough Warren on Anglesey — just across the Menai Strait from Eryri — holds the largest population of red squirrels in Wales, a colony sustained by active management and the island geography that keeps grey squirrels from overwhelming it. A morning walk in the Newborough Forest, with autumn mushrooms underfoot and the chance of a red squirrel in the Corsican pines, is Experience #70 of the Snowdonia 100 and the last of the Wildlife category.
Visiting Details
| Location | Newborough, Anglesey — A4080 southwest of the island |
| Parking | Natural Resources Wales car park at Newborough |
| Best time | Autumn — squirrels most active caching food; woodland at its best |
| Habitat | Corsican pine plantation and natural woodland edge |
| Combine with | Newborough beach — one of the finest in Wales |
The Red Squirrel
The red squirrel was Britain's only squirrel species until the grey was introduced from North America in 1876. Greys carry a poxvirus fatal to reds but to which they are immune; within decades of grey introduction, red squirrel populations collapsed across most of Britain. Anglesey was declared grey-squirrel-free in 2015 after a decade of control work, allowing the red population to recover from approximately 40 animals to over 700. Continued vigilance is necessary — grey squirrels are regularly detected crossing the Menai bridges and must be removed before they can establish.
The Forest
Newborough Forest is a Corsican pine plantation of the 1950s–60s, established on sand dunes. The combination of dense pine woodland, dune grassland, and the adjacent beach creates a varied habitat that supports the squirrels along with a wide range of other wildlife. Red squirrels are most often seen at forest edges — feeding in the canopy or crossing a path between tree stands. Move quietly and look up.
Experience #70 of 100 — Wildlife category.
Independently written — Snowdon.com