Kellas Oakwood

Also within

Moray County

Condition (NatureScot)

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Description

KELLAS OAKWOOD Kellas oakwood is located 10 km south-west of Elgin. It is one of the best examples of oak woodlands in Moray. It occupies a predominantly south-east facing slope between 150 and 275m above sea level. The woodland is ancient and semi-natural, the earliest record of its management being from 1798 when it was managed as oak coppice. Much of the woodland is now a dense, single-storied, pure stand of sessile oak with little or no shrub layer. The field layer reflects the acid brown earth soils with abundant wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa as well as hard fern Blechnum spicant, bell heather Erica cinerea, chickweed winter-green Trientalis europaea, blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus, climbing corydalis Corydalis claviculata, cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense and Dicranum mosses. At the foot of the slope local soil enrichment and flushing gives rise to a slightly richer community with primrose Primula vulgaris and bugle Ajuga reptans. On the upper slopes oak is scarce, being replaced by birch over a field layer dominated by the Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and bracken Pteridium aquilinum. Several glades exist, some also dominated by bracken, others containing fragments of dwarf-shrub heath dominated by ling heather Calluna vulgaris.

Species mentioned

Plant communities