The Dens
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Mass movement | Favourable | — | 2010-02-04 |
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: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial, Glacial
Description
The Dens The Dens is located close to the village of Rosemarkie on the east coast of the Black Isle in East Ross and Cromarty. This site displays spectacular examples of gullying and earth pillar formation in Quaternary deposits that were deposited as the ice retreated from this part of Scotland some 10 – 14,000 years ago. A series of deeply incised gullies have been excavated in gravels and glacial lake deposits which are capped by till (glacial deposits). The intensity of the gullying has created steep sided ridges, parts of which have been further eroded into rudimentary earth pillars where locally more resistant parts of the till have protected the underlying deposits. Much of the Quaternary deposits have now become stabilised but the site is still a very good example of intense, but now largely relict, gullying in Quaternary deposits. This type of formation has a limited occurrence in Britain.