Carneddau and Glyderau

A 21,000-acre mountainous place, acquired in 1951 from the Penrhyn estate, includes the Cwm Idwal Nature Reserve renowned for its arctic alpine plants. There are eight tenant upland farms on this land, nine peaks above 3,000 feet and the famous mountain Tryfan where Edmund Hilary trained for his ascent of Everest. The area is home to a variety of wildlife such as otters, water voles, feral ponies and rare birds such as dottrel and peregrine and the very rare Snowdon lily. The 100km of footpaths are popular with 500,000 walkers each year, and the bleak, photogenic, landscapes have proven popular with artists and painters. You'll find over 1,000 archaeological sites here including seven scheduled ancient monuments.