Aultbea
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Torridonian | Favourable | — | 2009-07-03 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
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.
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Shale
Landscape processes: Coastal
Description
AULTBEA Aultbea Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) consists of two parts. One part is located just above Mellon Charles, on the shore of Loch Ewe, and extends eastwards from Creag an Fhithich Mor. The other part is located to the north on the coastal headland between Camas Buidhe Eoghainn and Mellon Udrigle. Together, these two parts represent the best examples in the Aultbea area of the Aultbea Formation of the Torridonian Group and hence were used to describe the characteristics of the formation. The Creag an Fhithich Mor part includes the contact with the underlying Applecross Formation and the grey shale unit usually found at about this horizon. The coastal part south-east of Camas Buidhe Eoghainn shows typical Aultbea sediments, though the base of the formation is unfortunately lost through faulting. This is a key locality for interpreting the sequence of events which took place during the laying down of the late Proterozoic Torridon Group.