The Sunart Oakwoods are part of the Ancient Caledonian Oak Forest and have been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Managed by Scottish Heritage, the Ariundle Nature Reserve is situated on the Strontian to Polloch road and is a surviving fragment of the native forest which once covered the lower glens of the Sunart area.

In the past oak was valued as a source of charcoal for iron smelting and bark for tanning. These woods are a small remnant of an ancient coastal oakwood that once spread along Europe's Atlantic edge from Spain and Portagul to Norway. Many of Britain's western oakwoods are now specially protected because they are so rare.