North West Sutherland National Scenic Area
North West Sutherland National Scenic Area | |
---|---|
Highland, Scotland | |
Coordinates | 58°22′13″N 4°54′17″W / 58.37033°N 4.90485°W |
Area | 266 km2 (103 sq mi)[1] |
Established | 1981 |
Governing body | NatureScot |
North West Sutherland is a
National scenic areas are primarily designated due to the scenic qualities of an area, however NSAs may well have other special qualities, for example related to culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife.[4] Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation. North West Sutherland includes several Natura 2000 sites within the designated area of the NSA.[5]
In Gaelic the area is known as Ceathramh Garb, meaning the "Rough Quarter".[6]
Creation of the national scenic area
Following the
Although the national scenic area designation provides a degree of additional protection via the planning process, there are no bodies equivalent to a
Landscape and scenery
The original 1978 report that led to the area being designated as a national scenic area noted:
Foinaven, Arkle and Ben Stack are mountains of
Lewisian gneiss. Ben Stack (721m) is a shapely remnant cone, Arkle (787m) a whale-back, and Foinaven (909m) a long slab broken into separate summits. The summits and flanks of the latter two form a stark desert of white quartzite scree broken occasionally by lines of tiered crags. The knock and lochan topography of the gneiss landscape extending to the west forms a suitable foil for this varied trio, as hard and uncompromising as the mountains themselves. Loch Laxford is made up of the same bare rocky topography and is clearly related to the mountain core of the area. Its indented coast does not have the wooded inlets and bays that are found further south, but there are some sheltered beaches from which Handa Island with its towering sandstone cliffs and bird colonies can be seen.— SNH (1978)[6]
Much of the area is uninhabited and uncultivated, with only a few small
Conservations designations
There are two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) within or overlapping with the NSA:
- The mountainous area surrounding Foinaven and Arkle is designated as an SPA due to the presence of a breeding population of golden eagles.[14]
- The Foinaven area is also designated as a SAC, with several priority habitats being represented within the area. The designation also refers to the presence of otters.[15]
- Loch Laxford is designated as an SPA due to the presence of reefs and shallow inlets and bays.[16] Water conditions are mostly sheltered because of the reefs and islands but the outer region of the loch is very exposed. It has the most extensive shoreline of sheltered sediment in the far northwest of Scotland.[17]
References
- ^ a b "National Scenic Areas - Maps". SNH. 2010-12-20. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "Map: North West Sutherland National Scenic Area" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. December 2010. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Sitelink - Map Search". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. pp. 217–222. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ "History Leading to the Cairngorms National Park". Cairngorms National Park Authority. Archived from the original on 2018-01-15. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas Review" (PDF). SNH. 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-06. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas: background, guidance and policy". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Development management and National Scenic Areas". SNH. 2017. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas (NSAs)". Dumfries and Galloway council. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Site Details for Handa SPA". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Handa Island Wildlife Reserve" (PDF). Scottish Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "Site Details for Foinaven SPA". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Site Details for Foinaven SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Site Details for Loch Laxford SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Loch Laxford". Special Areas of Conservation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.