Castle of Old Wick to Craig Hammel
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Maritime cliff | Favourable | — | 2009-10-22 |
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
Description
CASTLE OF OLD WICK TO CRAIG HAMMEL Castle of Old Wick to Craig Hammel Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) covers approximately 3km of coastline south of Wick, Caithness. The site is an area of cliff-dominated coastline and is designated for the nationally important cliff vegetation it supports. Three types of habitat occur on the cliff tops: cliff slopes; maritime grassland and maritime heath. The cliff slopes have both vegetated crevices and ledges, where species such as Scots lovage Ligusticum scoticum, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, roseroot Sedum rosea and scurvy grass Cochlearia officinalis can be found. Good examples of maritime grassland habitat are found on the cliff top. This habitat is dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra. Other typical species include thrift Armeria maritima and sea campion Silene uniflora, grass of parnassus Parnassia palustris and sea plantain Plantago maritima. This site has well-developed areas of species-rich maritime heath with abundant crowberry Empetrum nigrum, cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix, sea plantain Plantago maritima and sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sheep's fescue | Festuca ovina | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| thrift | Armeria maritima | CR | herb | plumbaginaceae |
| scurvy grass | Cochlearia officinalis | LC | herb | brassicaceae |
| Scot's lovage | Ligusticum scoticum | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| grass of Parnassus | Parnassia palustris | VU | herb | celastraceae |
| ribwort plantain | Plantago lanceolata | LC | herb | plantaginaceae |
| sea plantain | Plantago maritima | LC | herb | plantaginaceae |
| golden root | Sedum rosea | Not listed in GB list | herb | crassulaceae |
| sea campion | Silene uniflora | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| crowberry | Empetrum nigrum | LC | shrub dwarf | empetraceae |
| cross leaved heath | Erica tetralix | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |