Ardersier Glacial Deposits

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 57.5802, -4.0417

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Also within

Inverness County

Condition (NatureScot)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Quaternary of Scotland Unfavourable Declining — 2023-04-26

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 Feature: Raised Beach · Geological Period: Quaternary

Landscape processes: Coastal, Glacial

Description

ARDERSIER GLACIAL DEPOSITS The site is located close to Fort George, 15 km east of Inverness. It encompasses a suite of glacial and marine landforms and deposits which make up the Ardersier peninsula and provide important evidence for the history of the Late Devensian (last) ice sheet and Devensian late-glacial and Holocene shorelines in the Moray Firth area. The key interest at this site comprises a sequence of contorted silts, sands and clays. These contain marine shells and are believed to have been deposited by a re-advance of the last ice sheet which transported the material onshore. The deposits were washed over and trimmed by the sea in late-glacial times, producing fine examples of raised beach terraces, while at a lower level extensive Holocene (post-glacial) beach deposits flank the ice-transported material. Ardersier therefore provides a suite of deposits and landforms of considerable relevance to studies of ice sheet history, the behaviour of the Moray Firth ice stream, relative sea-level change and glacier deposition. The site has considerable potential for further research on these issues.

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