[2] The park, established in 1947, covers 774 square kilometres (299 sq mi)[1] and receives over 800,000 visitors per year.

As well as catering for recreation, the park includes economically valuable woodland, producing 500,000 tons of timber per year.

[5] The park is also home to the ruins of the birthplace of Alexander Murray, the son of a shepherd and farm labourer.

[7][8] On 18 March 1944, 22-year-old Canadian pilot Kenneth Mitchell crashed his Hawker Typhoon aircraft in the forest (location here).

Mitchell was in training in preparation for his squadron's role fighting the German V-1 flying bombs in the Second World War.