Old Wood of Drum

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 57.0993, -2.3448

Also within

Aberdeenshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Upland oak woodland Favourable 2013-06-03

Description

Old Wood of Drum The Old Wood of Drum is located 15km west of Aberdeen, between Drum Castle and the Mony Burn. It is an ancient wood, with a documented history dating back to the 13th century, and one of the largest of oak woods in Aberdeenshire. The wood lies on the well-drained morainic soils of the lower Dee valley, and is dominated by oaks, mainly pedunculate oak Quercus robur, and downy birch Betula pubescens, with some Scots pine Pinus sylvestris. A variety of other trees and shrubs are found, including rowan Sorbus aucuparia, wych elm Ulmus glabra, gean Prunus avium, holly Ilex aquifolium and hazel Corylus avellana. The field layer is generally dominated by creeping soft-grass Holcus mollis and bracken Pteridium aquilinum, with wood anemone Anemone nemorosa and wood sorrel. The locally rare wood millet Milium effusum is also found. The soils are wetter by the Mony Burn where alder Alnus glutinosa is locally abundant and soft rush Juncus effusus, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and water avens Geum rivale are found.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
creeping soft grass Holcus mollis LC grass poaceae
wood millet Milium effusum LC grass poaceae
wood anemone Anemone nemorosa LC herb ranunculaceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
water avens Geum rivale LC herb rosaceae
soft rush Juncus effusus LC rush juncaceae
alder Alnus glutinosa LC tree salicaceae
downy birch Betula pubescens LC tree betulaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
holly Ilex aquifolium LC tree aquifoliaceae
Scot's pine Pinus sylvestris LC tree pinaceae
wild cherry Prunus avium LC tree rosaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
rowan Sorbus aucuparia LC tree rosaceae
wych elm Ulmus glabra LC tree ulmaceae

Plant communities

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas