Meall a' Mhaoil
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Tertiary Igneous | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
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
Geological Period: Paleogene, Precambrian
Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Meall a' Mhaoil Meall a’ Mhaoil Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located on the headland between Loch Ainort and Loch Sligachan on the east coast of the Isle of Skye. Within the site both early and late intrusions (five in total) of Palaeogene granites, felsites and mafic-felsic hybrid rocks of the Western Red Hills centre are exposed, along with contacts between granitic intrusions and the Precambrian country rock. The particular petrological significance of the site lies in its exposures of hybrid rocks of the Marscoite Suite, that formed as a result of the mixing of magmas of basic (ferrodioritic) and acid (granitic) composition. The hybrid rocks at Maol na Gainmhich show a wider petrological range than within the type site at Marsco, and the variety known as glamaigite, not found on Marsco, occurs here. This site provides classic evidence for the process of magma mixing and is one of the first sites from which it was identified.