Sound of Arisaig (Loch Ailort to Loch Ceann Traigh)

General site character

• Marine areas, Sea inlets (100%)
  

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

• 1110 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time

  The Sound of Arisaig is representative of sublittoral sandbanks on the west coast of Scotland. It is sheltered, with low turbidity, and has an unusually high diversity of sublittoral sediment habitats within a relatively small area. These range from very soft mud and muddy sands in Loch Ailort and the deeper parts of its entrance to coarse, clean shell-sand in the more exposed parts of the site. This site is particularly significant in that it supports some of the most extensive beds of maerl in the UK. These maerl beds have very rich associated communities that include several rare and scarce species, such as the alga Gloiosiphonia capillaris and the hydroid Halecium plumosum. Eelgrass Zostera marina is found on shallow sand in outer Loch Ailort. In the more sheltered conditions in inner Loch Ailort muddy sand occurs, supporting large populations of the echiuran worm Amalosoma eddystonense, a nationally scarce species. The Sound of Arisaig supports species with predominantly southern distributions, such as the sipunculan worm Sipunculus nudus, and those with predominantly northern distributions, such as the starfish Luidia sarsi. The site is an important part of the transition from southern to northern communities that occurs along the coast of the UK.

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