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Special Areas of Conservation

Slochd

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country Scotland
Unitary Authority Highlands and Islands
Centroid* NH821270
Latitude 57.31666667
Longitude -3.958055556
SAC EU Code UK0030347
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 92.42
* 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 Slochd SAC

General site character

  • Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (0.1%)
  • Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (99.8%)
  • Other land (including Towns, Villages, Roads, Waste places, Mines, Industrial sites) (0.1%)

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

  • 4030 European dry heaths

    European dry heaths habitat is represented in Scotland by eight heathland NVC types. Slochd supports a good example of one of these, the NVC community H16 Calluna vulgaris–Arctostaphylos uva-ursi heath. The H16 community is a characteristic heath of north-east Scotland and is usually developed at moderate altitudes on a variety of freely-drained, acid soils with base-poor parent material. Although not large by the standards of sites selected for other types of dry heath, Slochd is significant in terms of the extent of the H16 heath present, being one of only nine sites known in Scotland with over 50 ha of this heath community. In addition, H16 heath normally occurs in small, scattered fragments, but at Slochd it occurs in a more or less contiguous block. Typical species present at this site include heather Calluna vulgaris, wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa, bell heather Erica cinerea and cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea. Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is most frequent at Slochd where the heather is shortest, particularly on the top of the hill, but it is present on both north- and south-facing slopes throughout the site, which lies between 350 m and 450 m above sea level. As well as A. uva-ursi, the other rather uncommon species recorded on the site are Genista anglica, Juniperus communis, Pyrola media, Trientalis europaea, and the lichen Cladonia rangiferina. These species are not Nationally Scarce, but are regarded as uncommon in Britain.

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.