West Inverness-shire Lochs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 57.0007, -5.2026

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Also within

Inverness CountyRoss and Cromarty County Glen Affric Scenic Area 18. Kinlochhourn - Knoydart - Morar Wild Land Area24. Central Highlands Wild Land Area

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Black-throated diver (Gavia arctica), breeding Favourable — 2011-01-28
F2 Common scoter (Melanitta nigra), breeding Unfavourable Declining — 2018-09-10

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
black-throated diver Breeding

Description

West Inverness-shire Lochs West Inverness-shire Lochs Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) comprises eight freshwater, upland lochs lying within the altitudinal range 90-340 metres above sea level to the west of the great Glen. The constituent lochs are: Loch Affric, Loch Cluanie, Lochan Bad an Losguinn, Loch Loyne, Loch Lundie, Loch Garry, Loch Poulary and Loch Blair. The lochs are characterised by deep, acidic waters with patchy emergent vegetation. The adjacent grass and heathland habitats provide nesting and brood-rearing areas for both black-throated diver Gavia arctica and common scoters Melanitta nigra. The group of lochs that comprise this site support nationally important numbers of breeding black-throated diver and common scoters. The site is particularly important for black-throated diver due to its long history of use and the above average level of chick productivity that several of the component lochs demonstrate consistently. The lochs hold one of the main concentrations of breeding common scoter in Britain. Black-throated diver Gavia arctica Common scoter Melanitta nigra

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
black-throated diver Gavia arctica VU (Breeding) bird-diver gaviidae
common scoter Melanitta nigra LC (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae