Loch Meodal
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Quaternary of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2014-06-05 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Loch Meodal Loch Meodal Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) lies on the Sleat peninsula on the Isle of Skye. It is one of several key pollen sites on the island which together provide an important contribution to the reconstruction and understanding of the Late Devensian and Holocene vegetation history of western Scotland. Loch Meodal is particularly significant on several accounts. Firstly, it shows that southern Skye is the northernmost known area of tree-birch growth during the late-glacial interstadial. Secondly, it lies near the northern limit of the “predominant oak forest with birch” zone and during the Holocene has thus been at the distributional limits of two major forest trees. Thirdly, the Holocene vegetation history of the site is of considerable significance in understanding the development of the present vegetation of southern Skye which contains several species growing at or near their northernmost known world locations. Together with Loch Ashaig and Loch Cleat, Loch Meodal also illustrates the considerable variation in the Holocene vegetation history and forest composition of Skye. Nowhere else in Scotland or north-west Europe can such a range of variation be found in such a small area.