Hangman's Bridge
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Moine | Unfavourable Declining | — | 2009-10-07 |
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
HANGMAN’S BRIDGE Hangman’s Bridge Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies close to the A890 about three kilometres north of Auchtertyre in Lochalsh. This small site contains an exposure of one of the most important features of Highland geology, the Moine Thrust. The Thrust marks a major fracture in the Earth’s crust, which runs along Scotland’s north-western seaboard from Loch Eriboll on the north coast of Sutherland to the Sleat peninsula on Skye. The Thrust was formed around 430 million years ago during a mountain-building event known as the ‘Caledonian Orogeny’. Hangman’s Bridge SSSI is one of the rare sites where the Moine Thrust Plane is actually exposed and can be examined in detail. Many features important to an understanding of the Moine Thrust are demonstrated with exceptional clarity. These include, folding of Moine rocks, now above the thrust plane; later mylonitization (crushing and grinding) of both the Moine rocks and also Lewisian rocks, now below the thrust plane; and finally formation of the thrust itself. Evidence at this site is supported by evidence at Ard Hill SSSI, Knockan Cliff SSSI and Avernish SSSI.