Sauchie Craig Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 56.0916, -3.9902

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Stirling and Falkirk County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Carboniferous - Permian Igneous Favourable — 2011-11-17
F2 Lower Carboniferous [Dinantian - Namurian (part)] Favourable — 2017-06-15
F3 Upland mixed ash woodland Unfavourable No Change — 2005-03-31

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Sauchie Craig Wood Sauchie Craig Wood SSSI lies along the Bannock Burn around five kilometres south-west of Stirling. The southern edge of this scarp woodland is bounded by steep limestone crags, whilst the northern edge of the site forms the banks of the burn. The Dinantian geological interest of the site represents the Touchadam Geological Conservation Review site. This site shows Carboniferous sedimentary rocks included in the Kirkwood Formation and Lawmuir Formation of the Strathclyde Group and the lower part of the Lower Limestone Formation, overlapping onto the Clyde Plateau Lavas. These Dinantian marine strata exhibit sedimentologically and palaeontologically interesting facies variations. Deeper-water goniatite and Lingula-bearing strata here contrast with time-equivalent shallow-water sediments at Todholes GCR site nearby. One particular coral-bearing unit that is well developed at Touchadam can be seen to thin, and then lens out completely in the Todholes section. This is an outstanding locality for fine studies of local facies relations in Lower Carboniferous rocks. The Permo-Carboniferous Igneous interest of the site constitutes part of another, separate, Geological Conservation Review site that extends to encompass exposures to the east and north-east of the SSSI. The top part of the sedimentary sequence is defined by an intrusive contact at the base of the thick Midland Valley Sill. The exposures of the sill within the site are of national significance for aiding understanding of the transgressive nature of the intrusion. The woodland present on the site is dominated by mixed ash woodland and represents one of largest examples of this relatively scarce woodland type in the Stirling area. The site is mostly north facing and the canopy is diverse, consisting largely of ash, alder and willow on the valley floor; grading into ash, wych elm and birch on the steeper slopes. There are also extensive areas of hazel and some elm, as well as areas of dense blackthorn and hawthorn scrub. The ground flora is rich in species characteristic of this type of base-rich woodland, including a rich calcicolous bryophyte flora. Dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis is dominant on the lower slopes, being replaced by great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica, wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa and wood sage Teucrium scorodonia on the steeper crags. The woodland flora includes several locally uncommon plant species, including early-purple orchid Orchis mascula and twayblade Neottia ovata.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
early purple orchid Orchis mascula LC herb orchidaceae
wood sage Teucrium scorodonia LC herb lamiaceae
great wood rush Luzula sylvatica LC rush juncaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas