Site Code
Country: United Kingdom
Central coordinates: 56.73154740o [56o 43' 53" North], -5.51844583o [5o 31' 6" West]
Administrative region: Scotland Argyll & Stirling, Scotland West Highland
Area: 114280 ha
Altitude: 0 - 1343
Site Description
The very large site includes most of the mainland Highlands which drain to the Atlantic and some high hills in the west but which drain to the east. The characteristic features of the site are the proximity of the sea to mountains of over 1000m which, with the prevailing westerly wind, gives a prodigious total rainfall which locally exceeds 3000mm annually. This high rainfall, which is spread throughout the year, and the proximity of the warm Atlantic gives an oceanic climate characterised by mild wet winters and cool, wet summers. The whole area has a recently glaciated landscape with much exposure of rock, of varying chemistry, at all levels and many deep, rocky ravines; because of their inaccessibility these ravines have retained remnants of woodland despite clearance of woodland elsewhere. The excess of precipitation has led to peat formation over much of the hill ground and there are extensive areas of blanket bog. There are also outcrops of calcareous rocks at altitude which have a good arctic-montane flora.
Botanical Significance
Noted for habitat, lichens, bryophytes,stoneworts and vascular plants interest.
Euphrasia ssp.
hotspot (Stoer Peninsula/Scourie/Inchnadamph)
Herbertus borealis.
In the heath on steep rocky slopes with a N to NE aspect over much of the N part of the site there is a community of large liverworts which have an extraordinary disjunct global distribution. All are rare in Europe and only in the W of the UK and Ireland do they form a distinct community; in one place this includes the endemic Herbertus borealis. Similarly, there are remnants of oceanic broadleaf woodland which are of significance in their own right but this significance is increased by the remarkably diverse bryophyte and lichen flora, again including a number of ‘oceanic’ species which are rare in Europe. This bryophyte and lichen flora is amongst the richest on the planet. There are in addition, stands of Trichomanes speciosum gametophytes and on one site, sporophytes. Some of the mountains have a rich flora on base-rich crags and there are chionophilous communities with arctic-montane species. There are extensive areas of Atlantic wet heat h and blanket bog over much of the site.
Management guidance notes
None
Notes
This is a very large site which seeks to include all the best examples of oceanic woodland and oceanic montane heath on the mainland of Scotland, stretching from Ben Hope in the north down to Knapdale and Loch Lomond in the south. The western boundary is usually the mainland west coast; the eastern boundary is close to the north-south highland watershed.