Allt Geodh' a' Ghamhna

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 57.1923, -6.3553

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Also within

Ross and Cromarty County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Tertiary Igneous Favourable — 2014-04-08

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Paleogene

Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous

Description

ALLT GEODH’ A’ GHAMHNA Allt Geodh’ a’ Ghamhna Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a small, coastal site located near the foot of the Cuillin mountains on the west coast of the Isle of Skye. It encompasses the finest exposures on Skye of interstratified sediments and basic lavas. The site is one of several key localities which demonstrate that the Palaeogene igneous centre on Skye is younger than the adjacent Rum centre and that there were two periods of substantial lava build-up, one before and one after the emplacement of the Rum centre. Streams and rivers draining a hilly, perhaps mountainous landscape traversed the lava fields deposited by the Skye Volcano. Later, a further episode of plateau lava eruption enabled lava to flow into the river and stream valleys, burying the sediments which are now found sandwiched between the older and younger lava flows. Through a study of the rock types found as clasts and pebbles in the sediments it is possible to establish the sequence of events relating to the formation of the Skye and Rum central complexes and to understand something of the environment in which the sediments were laid down. The evidence provided is relevant not just to Skye, but to the Hebridean area as a whole.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea