Woodland of the Black Isle

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Ferintosh

Balcladaich Wood - CI Grade 2
Small birchwood with some damp alder-dominated areas.

Size: 2 hectares.
Geology: Middle Old Red Sandstone.
Soil: Neutral sandy soil. Varies from freely drained to waterlogged.
Habitats Present: a. Open areas with many weedy species. b. Tiny burn at north end of wood. c. Sandstone outcrops where wood meets shore. d. Wet boggy areas. e. Occasional dead wood.
Woodland Types Present: Birchwood, type 12A, with some damper areas where alders are dominant.

Description: The wood is divided into two parts by the road. On the seaward side the wood is heavily grazed with abundant nettles and chickweed. The birches are even-aged and mature, probably being secondary in origin. Alders are dominant where the ground is damp. Teucrium scorodonia is frequent at the seaward side of the wood where there is a sharp boundary between the wood and the shore. Similar grazed birchwood is found on the landward side of the road. This grades into a wet area with Salix aurita, alder saplings and birch seedlings. This area is diverse in species including Carex remota, Lycopus europaeus, Hypericum tetrapterum, Nasturtium officinale. Milium effusum was also tentatively identified from here. Circaea lutetiana is abundant in a small area at the edge of the birchwood.

Species of Note: Carex remota Circaea lutetiana Lycopus europaeus cf. Milium effusum
Faunal Interest: Buzzards.
Land Use Pressures: Rabbit and livestock grazing.
Adjacent Land: Seashore, arable fields, scrub.

Grade 2 - Wet area at south east end of wood. 4 - Rest of birchwood.

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Balgoil Belt
Balvail Wood
Balvaird Wood
Blairtua Wood
Bogbuie Wood
Braefindon Strip
Brae of Easter Kinkell
Broomtown Wood - CI Grade 3
Woodland Types Present: Birchwood, type 12A, with small area of upland birch - pedunculate oakwood, type 6Bb.

Description
The wood is species-poor and has probably been heavily grazed in the past. The birches are scattered and large areas have a ground flora dominated by bracken. Other areas are grassy, while small areas of blaeberry with Melampyrum pratense occur. Birch and rowan saplings are present in open areas. A stand of aspen occurs at the lower end of the wood. At the southern end is a stand of dense young birch with a ground flora dominated by Deschampsia flexuosa. Oak is dominant in the southeast corner and scattered trees occur elsewhere. Two juniper bushes were recorded from the wood.

CI Grade 3

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Conan Wood
Culbokie Wood
Drummondreach Oak Wood SSSI

GRID REFERENCE: NH 582575
AREA: 13.81 hectares.

NATURAL FEATURES
Biological: Woodland: Upland oak woodland

DESCRIPTION
Drummondreach Wood is a small oakwood on the Black Isle 4kms to the north east of Conon Bridge and a short distance from the shore of the Cromarty Firth.

The woodland is very diverse for such a small area and is dominated by pedunculate oak quercus robur and downy birch betula pubescens. Other species include rowan, aspen, bird cherry, wych elm, ash and hazel. A small ravine in the centre of the wood has been undisturbed for a long time and supports much ash and hazel, while bird cherry thickets are a feature in wetter areas. Beech was planted at the south-west corner of the site but these are now overmature and decaying quickly. Regeneration of all the tree species (including beech) is occurring in places.

The ground flora contains an extensive range of species reflecting the rich soils and the diversity of habitats within the woodland. The wood is crossed by numerous small runnels and there is a ravine with steep rock faces which adds to the diversity of the woodland. Noteworthy species include alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage, Chrysosplenium alternifolium, bird’s-nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, remote sedge Carex remota and wood millet Milium effusum.

For further information and imagery on this SSSI visit the relevant page of my article on SSSIs on the Black Isle here. Link

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Easter Oak Wood - CI Grade 2
Oakwood on gently sloping ground above Cromarty Firth.

Size: 6 hectares.

Geology: Middle Old Red Sandstone.

Soil: Acid to neutral brown soil. Varies from freely drained to water- logged in places.

Habitats Present: a. Clearing with bracken. b. Small muddy burn at east of wood in small den. c. Occasional moss covered boulders.
Sandstone "steps" exposed in den with burn running over them. d. Damp central area of wood. e. Dead wood occasional. Old stumps frequent.

Woodland Types Present: Upland hazel-pedunculate oakwood, type 6Bc.

Description:
Oak is the dominant tree with frequent birches and occasional hazel and rowan. Multistemmed oaks are frequent and there are many old stumps suggesting that the wood has been coppiced in the past. The hazels are all muntistemmed.
The wood is cattle grazed with the southwest corner being particularly disturbed. Where the wood is less disturbed grasses are abundant. "Islands" of woodland plants such as Vaccinium myrtillus, Trientalis europaea, Melampyrum pratense occur round the bases of the oak and birch trunks, particularly if they are multistemmed. The central part of the wood is very wet and again woodland species are restricted to the bases of tree trunks. Milium effusum is locally frequent and Circaea lutetiana abundant by the burn. There is little regeneration in the wood; seedlings are rare.
The Old Statistical Account of 1791-1799 mentions an oakwood on the Ferintosh estate as being of "considerable extent" but that the oaks in the parish "are much retarded in their growth from not being inclosed." This probably also refers to the nearby Drummondreach Oak Wood.

Species of Note: Carex remota. Circaea lutetiana. Milium effusum.

Faunal Interest: Buzzard.

Land Use Pressures: Cattle grazing. Southwest corner very disturbed with many weedy species.

Adjacent Land: Arable fields.

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Findon Wood - SCI Grade 1

Oakwood on gently sloping ground above Cromarty Firth.

Size: 8 hectares.

Geology: Middle Old Red Sandstone.

Soil : Freely drained neutral to acid brown soil.

Habitats Present: a. Open areas with heather and blaeberry, other areas dominated by bracken. b. Small burn with waterfall and gorge at upper end of wood. c. Sandstone outcrops by the burn. d. Moribund and dead oaks frequent, some uprooted windblown trees.

Woodland Types Present: Upland birch-pedunculate oakwood, type 6Bb with small areas of rowan- birch wood, type 12A.

Description:

Oak is the dominant tree with small birches frequent. Hazel occurs on the banks of the burn and sycamore is frequent near Findon Mill. Other trees include rowan, elder, Salix caprea and aspen. The ground flora is variable; in some areas Luzula sylvatica is dominant under oaks while others have a carpet of Oxalis acetosella. Other areas show a lot of bare litter with scattered plants of Trientalis europaea, Oxalis acetosella, Viola riviniana and Pteridium aquilinum. In the southwestern part of the wood where trees have been felled Rumex acetosella is abundant. Other areas with stands of young birch suggest that the ground has been cleared in the past. In the central and northern parts of the wood there are areas where birch is the main tree although oaks still occur along with rowan and willow. Open areas amongst the birch carry a ground flora dominated by acid heathland plants. Rhododendrons are locally abundant by the burn forming dense undergrowth. Circaea spp, Galium odoratum and Milium effusum all occur near the waterfall.
The wood is described as "beautiful" in the Old Statistical Account of 1791-1799. The New Statistical Account of 1840 describes the wood as being of "natural oak" and comments that the oak "is not allowed to attain great size".

Species of Note: See above. Circaea spp Milium effusum
SCI Grade 1

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Glascairn Wood
Knocknafarnaig Wood
Newlands of Ferintosh
Ryefield Wood - CI Grade 2
Birchwood on gently sloping ground above Cromarty Firth.
Size: 30 hectares (includes some heavily grazed and open areas).
Geology: Middle Old Red Sandstone.
Soil: Acid to neutral. Varies from freely drained to waterlogged in places.
Habitats Present: a. Open areas by track. Occasional bracken-dominated areas. b. Small lochan with wetland species. Small burn with diverse flora at upper end. c. Occasional moss covered boulders. d. Swampy areas with abundant bogbean. e. Occasional dead tree.
Woodland Types Present: Rowan-birchwood, type 12A.

Description: The wood is diverse with areas of mature scattered birch and areas of dense young birch. The ground flora under the dense birch is dominated by grasses with an abundance of pleurocarpous mosses. The more open areas, with mature Betula pendula the dominant tree, have abundant blaeberry with heather frequent. The upper end of the Ryefield Burn, where it flows in a small gully, has a less acid flora. Circaea lutetiana is locally frequent and Galium odoratum occurs in one area. Other species here include Ajuga reptans, Glechoma hederacea and Myrrhis odorata. The lochan and other wet areas support a variety of wetland species. Salix cinerea shrubs are frequent at the edges. One small colony of Pyrola minor was noted under birch near a wet area.

Species of Note: Circaea lutetinana Pyrola minor
Faunal Interest: Buzzard, Speckled Wood butterfly, Lestes sponsa (damselfly).
Land Use Pressures: The wood is cattle grazed and there are some heavily trampled and disturbed areas.
Adjacent Land: Arable fields.
CI Grade 2

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Schoolhouse Belt
Upper Braefindon Wood
West Knockbain Wood

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