Wolf's Hole Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 56.1599, -3.9504

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Also within

Stirling and Falkirk County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Non-marine Devonian Favourable — 2016-10-17
F2 Silurian - Devonian Chordata Favourable — 2013-02-01

Climate exposure

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

Coastal

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.

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Devonian, Silurian · Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial

Description

Wolf's Hole Quarry Wolf’s Hole Quarry is a small geological site which was previously a quarry, located at the north-west edge of Bridge of Allan. Non-marine Devonian The quarry occurs in the Sheriffmuir Sandstone Member of the Lower Devonian age (around 390 million years old) Scone Sandstone Formation. The sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates of the rock sequence were laid down in an environment of highly sinuous river channels evolving over time into a braided river system. The exposures complement the upper part of the rock sequence seen in the Whiting Ness – Ethie Haven Coast SSSI, but the Wolf’s Hole Quarry exposures are rare in the Scottish Devonian context being river deposits containing fossil fish. Furthermore the fossil fish fauna is very unusual, making the rock sequence of the site unique. Silurian - Devonian Chordata Wolf’s Hole has yielded the type specimen of Pteraspis mitchelli, plus the type specimens of three Cephalaspids: Cephalaspis scotica, Securiaspis waterstoni and Securiaspis caledonica, all unique to the site. This is the only locality in Scotland where any Securiaspis species has been found, the other global occurrences being in the Welsh Borders and Spitsbergen. Pteraspis mitchelli is the only Pteraspid species known in Scotland occurring only at one other Scottish locality. This is an extremely unusual assemblage of fossil fish, with both Pteraspids and Cephalaspids coexisting in the same strata. While Pteraspids are often found in fluvial (river) deposits such as those at Wolf’s Hole, Cephalaspids are usually found in quiet lagoon or lake waters.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea