Whiting Ness - Ethie Haven

Also within

Angus County

Condition (NatureScot)

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Andesite, Sandstone

Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Whiting Ness - Ethie Haven Whiting Ness to Ethie Haven SSSI is situated on the Angus coastline, stretching about 11 km in length from Victoria Park, on the edge of Arbroath, to almost as far as north as Lunan Bay. The site is geologically important for its exposures of Upper Old Red Sandstone and Ethie Lavas. It is also the longest continuous stretch of sea cliffs and rocky shore in Angus and supports nationally important numbers of nesting seabirds and over-wintering waders, a wide range of coastal grassland and coastal cliff communities and the small blue butterfly Cupido minimus, a Scottish rarity. Geological: Whiting Ness The southern half of this site has exposures of Upper Devonian sandstones and conglomerates (grit, pebbles and cobble sized stones) resting upon and infilling hollows in the older Lower Devonian sandstones which have been tilted. This is termed an unconformity and is demonstrated to good effect at Whiting Ness. The unconformity suggests that following deposition and becoming sandstone, the Lower Devonian sediment layers were tilted as a consequence of upheavals in the Earth’s crust and eroded to form a rugged landscape during the Middle Devonian time period. The landscape was then smothered by sediment deposited from large river systems that became established over the area. The Upper Devonian sediments are in general a brighter red colour than the Lower Devonian sediments upon which they lie. In addition the Upper Devonian sediments are of local derivations, whereas the Lower Devonian sediments originated from weathering of the highlands to the north. Black Rock to East Comb The northern half of this site has exposures of Lower Devonian sandstones resting upon rocks known as the Ethie Lavas, which belong to the Montrose Volcanic Formation. This formation represents a phase of volcanic activity centred upon the Montrose area. The lavas are browny-purple in colour and are of a rock type known as andesite. The lavas are of particular importance as they occur in intimate association with sedimentary rocks – sandstones and mudstones. Therefore it is evident from the rock sequence that the volcanic activity was superimposed upon the extensive river plain environment of the area and that sediment deposition was occurring simultaneously with the volcanic eruptions. The site is therefore important in understanding the volcanic environment of the area during Lower Devonian times. Biological: The long continuous stretch of cliffs holds the largest breeding seabird colony in Angus with nationally important numbers of fulmar, kittiwake, puffin, and shags. During the winter months there is also a great variety of over-wintering seabirds, and nationally important numbers of purple sandpipers and turnstones which come to feed and roost on the flat rocky shoreline. The cliffs also support grassland and rock-ledge plant communities, which are amongst the richest in lowland Angus. Grassland areas, which form a mosaic with the more base-rich cliff communities, support a number of nationally and locally rare species such as Scottish scurvy grass Cochlearia officinalis subsp. scotica, long-bracted sedge Carex extensa, wood vetch Vicia sylvatica, wild liquorice Astragalus glycyphyllos as well as rare and unusual species more generally restricted to base-rich grassland such as maiden pink Dianthus deltoides, clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata and hairy violet Viola hirta. The local rarities sea spleenwort Asplenium marinum and pellitory-of-the-wall Parietaria judaica are found on the cliff ledges and in caves. The coastal grassland along the cliff top also supports kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, the food plant of the caterpillars of the Scottish rarity, the small blue butterfly Cupido minimus.

Species mentioned

Plant communities