| Dornoch Firth National Scenic Area | |
|---|---|
 Shoreline looking across Dornoch Firth | |
  Location in Highland. | |
| Location | Highland, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 57°51′N 4°03′W / 57.850°N 4.050°W |
| Area | 40 km2 (15 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 1981 |
| Governing body | NatureScot |
| Official name | Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet |
| Designated | 24 March 1997 |
| Reference no. | 897[2] |
The Dornoch Firth (Scottish Gaelic: Caolas Dhòrnaich, pronounced [ˈkɯːl̪ˠəs̪ ˈɣɔːrˠn̪ˠɪç]) is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland.[3][4] It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north. The firth is designated as a national scenic area,[5] one of 40 such areas in Scotland.[6] The national scenic area covers 15,782 ha in total, of which 4,240 ha is the marine area of the firth below low tide.[1] A review of the national scenic areas by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2010 commented:
By comparison with other east coast firths the Dornoch Firth is narrow and sinuous, yet it exhibits within its compass a surprising variety of landscapes. It is enclosed by abrupt rounded granitic hills clad in heather moor and scree, their Gaelic names of cnoc, meall and creag giving the clue to their character. Their lower slopes are frequently wooded, oakwoods being a noticeable feature of the area, but with other deciduous and coniferous species represented in plantations which vary from the policy plantings of Skibo Castle to the pines of the Struie Forest.
— SNH[7]
Together with Loch Fleet it is a designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for wildlife conservation purposes. Additionally, together with Morrich More, it has the designation of Special Area of Conservation (SAC).[8]
The total SPA hosts significant populations of the following birds:[9]
- Breeding season: osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
- Overwintering: bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), greylag goose (Anser anser), wigeon (Anas penelope), curlew (Numenius arquata), dunlin (Calidris alpina alpina), oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), and teal (Anas crecca).
The SAC protects a variety of habitats, including salt meadows and coastal dune heathland and grassland. The site is of importance for otters (Lutra lutra) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) [10]
- ^ a b "National Scenic Areas - Maps". SNH. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
- ^ "Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 21 Dornoch & Alness (Invergordon & Tain) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2014. ISBN 9780319231098.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey: 1:50,000 Scale Gazetteer" (csv (download)). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Ordnance Survey. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Dornoch Firth National Scenic Area". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "The special qualities of the National Scenic Areas. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.374'" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ "Sitelink - Map Search". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet SPA". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Dornoch Firth and Morrich More SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 2 October 2020.