Anderson’s Chambers ST MARY’S LOCH Market Street Galashiels Site of Special Scientific Interest TD1 3AF

SITE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT Tel: 01896 756652 Fax: 01896 750427 Site code: 1473 e-mail: [email protected]

Purpose This is a public statement prepared by SNH for owners and occupiers of the SSSI. It outlines the reasons it is designated as an SSSI and provides guidance on how its special natural features should be conserved or enhanced. This Statement does not affect or form part of the statutory notification and does not remove the need to apply for consent for operations requiring consent. We welcome your views on this statement.

Description of the site St Mary’s Loch Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is situated in the upper Yarrow Valley on the A708 road, midway between Selkirk and in the Southern Uplands. The SSSI has been notified for its standing water habitat (an oligo-mesotrophic loch). St Mary’s Loch is one of the three largest freshwater lochs south of the Midland Valley (the geological region that lies between the Highland Boundary Fault and the Southern Upland Fault) and the largest in the . The water chemistry of the loch, which is situated in a Silurian rock basin with a mean depth of 22.3m (max 47m), is poor (oligotrophic) to moderately rich (mesotrophic), and it is notified accordingly. This chemistry is reflected in the range of aquatic organisms which are more similar to Highland freshwater systems than to any recorded in south-east . In this regard, the geographical locus of the site is quite unusual. Marginal and littoral fringing vegetation is relatively sparse, with narrow marginal stands of sedge swamp dominated by bottle sedge and some small reedbeds (common reed). The Scottish rarity, purple small-reed, has been recorded here. Another locally rare plant is long-stalked pondweed and there is also the uncommon alternate-leaved water-milfoil. Despite the relatively regular shoreline, the site has some local importance for breeding wigeon and great crested grebe. Wintering wildfowl include whooper swan, goldeneye, pochard and occasionally scaup and smew. Both black-headed and common gulls have bred at several locations along the shoreline in the past. The notable northern brown argus butterfly has been recorded here. Arctic charr were recorded in the past. The 2004 site condition monitoring (SCM) assessment found the oligo-mestrophic loch

feature to be in favourable-maintained condition.

Natural features of Condition of feature Other relevant St Mary’s Loch SSSI (and date monitored) designations

Oligo-mesotrophic loch Favourable-maintained River Tweed SSSI (June 2004) River Tweed SAC

The site overlies part of the River Tweed SSSI and River Tweed special area of conservation (SAC), designated for the habitat and species listed below.

Features of overlapping Natura Condition of feature SAC/SSSI sites that are not notified as (date monitored) natural features of St Mary’s Loch SSSI Rivers with floating vegetation Unfavourable – no change River Tweed SAC often dominated by water- (November 2004) crowfoot. River lamprey (Lampetra Unfavourable – no change River Tweed fluviatilis) (November 2004) SAC/SSSI Brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri) Unfavourable – no change River Tweed (November 2004) SAC/SSSI Sea lamprey (Petromyzon Unfavourable – no change River Tweed marinus) (November 2004) SAC/SSSI Otter (Lutra lutra) Favourable – maintained River Tweed SAC (November 2003) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) Unfavourable – recovering River Tweed (August 2004) SAC/SSSI Trophic range river/stream Unfavourable - no change River Tweed SSSI (September 2004) Vascular plant assemblage Unfavourable - declining River Tweed SSSI (September 2005) Beetle assemblage Unfavourable – recovering River Tweed SSSI (August 2006) Fly assemblage Unfavourable – recovering River Tweed SSSI (August 2006)

Fishing boats near Rodono, St Mary’s Loch , St Mary’s Loch

Past and present management The SSSI has a number of owner/occupiers and forms part of the Philiphaugh, Wemyss & March and Tillhill estates. The loch itself is used largely for recreational purposes including angling and sailing, with the surrounding land used for agriculture, forestry and limited game and wildfowl shooting. The loch is a natural feature but the outflow into the Yarrow Water has been altered by man over time and is now an artificial dam with slipway. Control of flow from the loch would have started to be managed when the woollen mills were established in Selkirk. The loch’s water levels have been recorded since 1969 by Scottish Water and its predecessors. Scottish Water manage compensation flows through the loch from upstream (built in 1976) under a Controlled Activities Regulations (CARs) licence (SEPA) via the spillway into the Yarrow. The dam here in its current form was built in the mid-1980s, when some trees were planted to screen the works and restore habitat for nesting birds. The land surrounding the loch would once have been part of the Ettrick Forest, with the tree cover lost to grazing from the 16th century. Grazing of sheep continues as a key land use around the loch. Efforts to re-establish the Ettrick Forest can be seen on adjacent land through native tree planting by Borders Forest Trust. The forestry adjacent to the south-eastern edge of the loch at Bowerhope was planted between 1970-77 and, later on, Bowerhope Law in the mid 1980s. Felling has recently commenced under an approved 20 year Felling Plan (2003) and is anticipated to go on until 2024, with revised felling plans being produced for later plantings. This takes into account landscape considerations regarding replanting and design improvements and follows the industry’s forestry and water guidelines. There is an active sailing club at the southern end of the loch, with sailing events and racing held from April to October. The sailing club uses a small number of motor powered rescue boats and, apart from a few small fishing boats, these are the only motorised craft allowed on the SSSI. There are a number of jetties around the loch, including those at the sailing club, on the south side, and the angling club, on the west side, by the Rodono Hotel. Fishing on the loch has taken place for a long time. In the 18th century, there are records of local shepherds fishing for “red waims” (Arctic charr) at the western end of the loch. There are plans afoot to survey the loch for Arctic charr using hydroacoustic scanning and deep-set nets. Charr from the Loch Doon population were reintroduced into the Talla and Megget Reservoirs and there is a chance that some fry may have escaped and survive in St Mary’s Loch today, if not members of the original population. St Mary’s Loch Angling Club fishes the loch for brown trout and, increasingly, pike. The club used to stock the loch with brown trout but this has ceased. The A708 road runs close to the loch’s northwest edge and there are a number of informal parking/picnic areas adjacent to the SSSI. It is popular with motorists and motorcyclists, given the loch’s scenic beauty. The Southern Upland Way long distance route runs along the southeast edge of the loch and is popular with walkers. A sculpture was installed along this route in 2006 as part of the Tweed Interpretation Project run by the Tweed Forum. There is further interpretation around the site. A St Mary’s Loch/ Management Plan was prepared by Borders Regional

Council in 1980 which reviewed the land use of the area and the need for conservation and recreation. This has been superseded by the ongoing Tweed Catchment Management Plan produced by the Tweed Forum and the River Basin Management Plan for the Solway Tweed River Basin District 2009-2015 by SEPA.

Objectives for Management (and key factors influencing the condition of natural features) We wish to work with the owners and occupiers to protect the site and to maintain and, where necessary, enhance its features of special interest. SNH aims to carry out site survey, monitoring and research as appropriate to increase our knowledge and understanding of the site and its natural features and monitor the effectiveness of management. The EU Habitats and Birds Directives oblige Government to avoid, in SACs and SPAs, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species, as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of these Directives. The objectives below have been assessed against these requirements. All authorities proposing to carry out or permit to be carried out operations likely to have a significant effect on the European interests of this SSSI must assess those operations against the relevant Natura conservation objectives (which are listed on our website through the SNHi - SiteLink facility). No major management operations are currently required as the site is in favourable condition and largely used in a responsible manner.

1. To maintain the biological interest for which the SSSI has been notified – notably, the loch conditions and associated species, and the wildfowl populations that use the area.

2. To maintain the low nutrient water quality through appropriate management of forestry/farm land adjacent to the loch.

Other factors affecting the natural features of the site The loch is currently of low nutrient status but any increase in diffuse pollution, sewage outfalls etc., into the loch may eventually affect water quality. The catchment of the loch extends well beyond the SSSI boundary. Nutrients brought into the catchment as fertilisers, supplementary feeding of stock or silt derived from arable cultivation or poaching on the boundaries may reach the loch through run-off and lead to eutrophication (nutrient enrichment). The Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 should be explored for potential support measures (e.g. buffer strips) to protect the SSSI if required due to intensification of agriculture or for forestry proposals. Given the area’s high landscape value, forestry interests should take suitable opportunities when planning, felling and replanting to reduce the landscape impact of coniferous planting around the loch’s southern shore (which currently forms a conifer ‘tide line’). This should include native planting which would also enhance the wider natural heritage value of the area. This also applies to any new planting proposals. Although the SSSI is not notified for this interest, management should strive to maintain the numbers of breeding and wintering wildfowl and other birds and ensure disturbance to the breeding and wintering bird interest does not increase. This can be achieved

through careful management of access in accordance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Although there is currently nothing to suggest that disturbance caused by human activities has an adverse impact on the site, increases in the intensity of activities such as boating, shooting or fishing may cause disturbance of nesting or roosting birds.

Date last reviewed: 8 February 2011