East Caithness Cliffs

General site character

• Shingle, Sea cliffs, Islets (70%)
  
• Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (15%)
  
• Humid grassland, Mesophile grassland (15%)
  

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

• 1230 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts

  This stretch of northern Scottish coast provides a range of habitats, though lacking the extreme exposure of the some of the island sites and Cape Wrath. Roseroot Sedum rosea and Scots lovage Ligusticum scoticum grow without any associates in the north of the site, and there are tall herb gullies in more sheltered positions often dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. There are two very small patches of perched saltmarsh with saltmarsh rush Juncus gerardii, and locally there is also bird-influenced vegetation. Grasslands with many tall herbs are plentiful in ungrazed areas and short herb-rich grasslands and heath occur on the cliff tops. Around Berriedale, the vegetation lacks some of the more maritime components such as thrift Armeria maritima and sea plantain Plantago maritima, and becomes progressively less maritime southwards, with no maritime heath on the cliff top; because of the reduced maritime influence the gullies have developed scrub including willow Salix spp., juniper Juniperus communis, hazel Corylus avellana, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and aspen Populus tremula.

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