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Special Areas of Conservation

Loch Roag Lagoons

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country Scotland
Unitary Authority Extra-Regio, Highlands and Islands
Centroid* NB139375
Latitude 58.23333333
Longitude -6.875
SAC EU Code UK0017074
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 43.14
* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.
Location of Loch Roag Lagoons SAC

General site character

  • Tidal rivers, Estuaries, Mud flats, Sand flats, Lagoons (including saltwork basins) (100%)

Download the Standard Data Form for this site (PDF <100kb)

Note When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • 1150 Coastal lagoons  * Priority feature

    Loch Roag Lagoons is a complex of silled lagoons illustrating the range of variation from freshwater to marine conditions on the Atlantic coast of the Hebrides. Tòb Valasay has a complex salinity regime, determined by the balance between fully marine water introduced over the sill and freshwater from run-off and small inlet streams. Its basins contain a diverse range of habitats, including rocky outcrops, boulders and muddy sand, with softer mud in the eastern basin, and boulders, cobbles and shell-gravel in the narrows. A range of communities are present, including beds of eelgrass Zostera spp. and tasselweed Ruppia spp., turfs of marine algae and stands of large brown algae. Loch Shader is a smaller lagoon that is mainly brackish in character. It has soft, sheltered mud and sand sediments, with some boulders and cobbles on the shore and in shallow water. These substrates support a characteristic range of species. The narrows consists of a bedrock and boulder sill, supporting a more diverse community with a variety of species, including kelp Laminaria spp., anemones and sponges.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

  • Not Applicable

Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.