Largs Coast Section

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.8224, -4.8887

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Also within

Ayrshire and Arran County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Non-marine Devonian Favourable — 2009-02-20

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

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.

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Alluvium, Sandstone

Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial

Description

LARGS COAST SECTION The site, comprising a stretch of intertidal rock exposure situated approximately 3km north of Largs, is important for the understanding of the structure of braided-stream deposits. The coast here exposes sandy and pebbly alluvium of the Upper Old Red Sandstone, which was deposited approximately 375 million years ago during the Devonian period. These outcrops have been intensively studied, with the detailed morphology of the bars and channels of braided streams elucidated. The structure of the braided-stream alluvium here is intermediate in type between that of the coarser conglomerates of Crawton Bay, Clousta and Rova Head, and the finer sands of Tarbat Ness and the South Wales Brownstone localities, and helps show the inter-relationship between grain size, stream size and resulting deposit in this kind of environment.

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