Site Code
Country: United Kingdom
Central coordinates: 56.65455976o [56o 39' 16" North], -3.15493743o [3o 9' 17" West]
Administrative region: Scotland Tayside & Clackmannanshire (Angus)
Area: 77 ha
Altitude: 87 - 159
Site Description
Den of Airlie is the largest area of ancient woodland in Angus, located along the River Isla approximately 9 km west of Kirriemuir. It is one of a series of wooded gorges on baserich rocks of Old Red Sandstone age in eastern Perth & Kinross and Angus. The upland mixed ash woodland habitat consists of ash on the deeper richer and often steeper soils, oak on the level ground at the top of the gorge, and alder woodland in wet areas along burns, in seepage areas and near the river. The woodland is rich in vascular plants, mosses and liverworts
Botanical Significance
This upland mixed ash woodland is the largest area of ancient woodland in Angus. The site is rich in vascular plant species Woodrush dominates the ground flora over much of the site, giving way in places to dog’s mercury, wood avens, wood false brome and sweet woodruff with species such as shady horsetail (Equisetum pratense), early purple orchid (Orchis mascula) also present. There are a number of uncommon plants in the site including moschatel (Adoxa moschatellina), lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), mountain melick (Melika nutans), wood millet (Milium effusum), meadow saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) and herb paris (Paris quadrifolia). The nationally rare whorled solomon’s-seal (Polygonatum verticillatum) occurs very locally; the site supports the largest population of this species in Britain.
The site is rich in mosses and liverworts with base-rich rock outcrops and boulders near the river being particularly valuable sites. The nationally rare mosses species (Homomallium incurvatum) and (Anomodon longifolius) occur locally in these habitats.
The river jelly lichen (Collema dichotomum) is found on flat sandstone rocks on the east bank of the River Isla above Bridge of Dillavaird. This aquatic lichen grows on submerged rocks in partial shade in cool, clean and fast-flowing intermediate and upland streams. The dry lichen is very brittle but turns into a jelly like texture when wet. It is rare in the UK and has been declining since 1960, and is now known only from eleven 10 km squares in mid-Wales, northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its distribution also extends into northern Europe and Russia. River jelly lichen is regionally threatened, listed as vulnerable on both the IUCN/WCMC and GB Red Lists, and is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Management guidance notes
Site is notified for its woodland, bryophytes, and the Schedule 8 species, whorled solomon’s-seal (Polygonatum verticillatum) and river jelly lichen (Collema dichotomum). The populations of both the whorled solomon’s-seal and the river jelly lichen are thought to be the largest in Great Britain.
Notes
None