Philorth Valley
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Quaternary of Scotland | Favourable | — | 2009-03-20 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
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: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Coastal, Peatland / Mire
Description
Philorth Valley The Water of Philorth flows into Fraserburgh Bay, on the north-east coast of Aberdeenshire. The Philorth Valley is important for studies of relative sea-level change in Scotland during the Holocene. It contains a sequence of interbedded estuarine deposits and peat. Because the site is located towards the periphery of glacio-isostatic uplift, it provides a more detailed record of Holocene sea-level changes than coastal areas elsewhere that have undergone greater postglacial uplift. Studies of the lithostratigraphy and pollen stratigraphy, supported by radiocarbon dating, have provided evidence for two marine transgressions during the middle Holocene, as well as a major coastal flood associated with the Storegga Slide tsunami around 7900 years ago.