Montrose Basin
Designations | |
---|---|
Official name | Montrose Basin |
Designated | 3 February 1995 |
Reference no. | 716[1] |
Montrose Basin is a nearly circular tidal basin which makes up part of the estuary of the
Habitat
The enclosed tidal basin has a variety of habitats within it from exposed tidal mudflats to
Wildlife
The extensive mudflats are home to large populations of invertebrates, especially
A visitor centre was opened on the south side of the basin at Rossie Braes[3] by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in 1995.[4]
History
The Montrose Basin Heritage Society was formed in 1999 to bring together information about the basin, including its history and archaeology. The oldest evidence for humans in the area dating back as far as over 3,000 BCE, this being the linear monument, known as the cursus, which runs from Powis to Old Montrose.[6]
The Basin has been exploited for its seafood, especially the Atlantic salmon but commercial fisheries for this species ended in 2018;[7] and mussel cultivation gave it the largest mussel beds in the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[8]
The Montrose Basin was hit by a tsunami in 6,100 BCE, generated by the massive underwater Storegga Slide, in Norway. It was 70 feet (21 m) high when it hit the basin, with the waters travelling inland as far as Forfar.[2]
See also
- House of Dun
- George Wishart of Drymme
- Tsunamis in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ a b "Montrose Basin". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Montrose Basin SSSI". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Montrose Basin". Scottish Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Montrose Basin LNR". Montrose Basin .org. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Montrose Basin SPA". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "Montrose Bay Heritage Society". Montrose Bay Heritage Society. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "Last Scottish wild salmon facility closes - as there are so few fish to catch". The Scotsman. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ David W. McKay & Sarah L. Fowler (1997). "Review of the Exploitation of the Mussel, Mytilus edulis, in Scotland" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage.
External links
- Reserve's website
- Montrose Basin Live Webcam
- Visitor Centre information
- DEFRA report
- Map sources for Montrose Basin