Bass Rock
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Gannet (Morus bassanus), breeding | Favourable | — | 2018-09-24 |
| F2 | Seabird colony, breeding | Favourable | — | 2019-01-30 |
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
Landscape processes: Coastal, Karst, Volcanic / Igneous
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| fulmar | Breeding |
| gannet | Breeding |
| great black-backed gull | Breeding |
| guillemot | Breeding |
| herring gull | Breeding |
| kittiwake | Breeding |
| lesser black-backed gull | Breeding |
| puffin | Breeding |
| razorbill | Breeding |
Description
BASS ROCK The Bass Rock is the remnant of a volcanic plug lying 2km off the East Lothian coast, approximately 5km north-east of North Berwick. Rising to 107 metres above sea level, this rocky island supports the largest single-rock northern gannet colony in the world. The island supports a number of seabird species but the northern gannet Morus bassanus colony is by far the largest component. Numbering over 48 000 pairs in 2004, it is of international importance containing about 22% of the total UK breeding population and a significant proportion of the world population. Guillemot Uria aalge, razorbill Alca torda, puffin Fratercula arctica, fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis, kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, herring gull Larus argentatus, lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus and greater black-backed gull Larus marinus also breed on the island in small numbers.
Species mentioned
Show the 11 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phalacrocorax aristotelis | Not listed in GB list | bird | phalacrocoracidae | |
| razorbill | Alca torda | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| puffin | Fratercula arctica | CR (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| guillemot | Uria aalge | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| shag | Gulosus aristotelis | VU (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| gannet | Morus bassanus | LC (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |
| herring gull | Larus argentatus | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| lesser black-backed gull | Larus fuscus | DD (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| great black-backed gull | Larus marinus | EN (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |