Avon Gorge

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.9955, -3.6712

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Also within

Stirling and Falkirk County

Condition (NatureScot)

Part Destroyed (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Upland mixed ash woodland Part Destroyed — 2024-08-16

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

AVON GORGE Avon Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest comprises the steep, wooded banks of the River Avon, approximately 2km south-east of Grangemouth. This site is one of the few remaining ancient, semi-natural woodland sites in the Falkirk area. The wood has been relatively undisturbed and there is a good variety and age structure of native deciduous trees, including elm, oak, alder, hazel, ash, rowan and wild cherry. On the mainly basic soils there have developed a rich and varied ground flora, including plants which are rare in the area, such as alternate leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium alternifolium, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina and hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum. In addition, the site contains pendulous sedge Carex pendula and lily of the valley Convallaria majalis, which are both uncommon in Scotland.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
moschatel Adoxa moschatellina LC herb adoxaceae
alternate leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium alternifolium LC herb saxifragaceae
lilly of the valley Convallaria majalis LC herb liliaceae
hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum LC herb asteraceae
pendulous sedge Carex pendula LC sedge cyperaceae

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