The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014-2024

For further information on Muir of Dinnet NNR please contact:

The Reserve Manager Scottish Natural Heritage Burn O’Vat Visitor Centre Dinnet Aboyne Aberdeenshire AB34 5NB

Tel: 01339 881667 Email: [email protected]

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Foreword

Muir of Dinnet NNR is close to the village of Dinnet, slightly north of the River Dee between the towns of Aboyne and Ballater in Aberdeenshire. Lying on the western edge of the Howe of Cromar, the Reserve extends from the River Dee to the high slopes of Culblean Hill and covers approximately 1166 hectares (ha).

The reserve is set amidst a mix of low lying agricultural land, forestry at Cambus o' May and grouse moor towards the top of Culblean Hill. The A93, a popular tourist route known as "The North Deeside Road" and the A97 and B9119 all transect the Reserve, offering many views and points of access for visitors. The Reserve itself is defined by a landscape of ridges, hummocks and depressions left behind after the last glaciation, when this part of Scotland was covered by ice up to 1,000 metres deep. These features are nationally important examples of glacial landforms and they provide the foundations for the variety of habitats and species found at Muir of Dinnet today.

Lochs Davan and Kinord lie in the central low-lying area of the Reserve. Loch Davan is fed by the Red Burn and the larger Logie Burn, which collect water from the fields and moorland north of the loch. The water catchment area for Loch Kinord is smaller than Davan, the loch being fed solely by the Vat Burn, which drains a woodland and heathland area. The lochs are home to internationally important numbers of otter and wintering wildfowl and geese.

To the north and west of the lochs, the ground rises to Cnoc Hill and Culblean Hill (604 m). Culblean is the highest point of the Reserve and is where the Vat Burn rises and flows down to the 'Vat', a huge pothole carved by the forces of glacial meltwaters and the debris they carried. The higher, drier slopes of Culblean Hill, along with some of the low-lying drier areas south of Loch Kinord are dominated by heather and bearberry heath whilst self-seeded pine and birch have spread over much of the western side of the Reserve. To the north-east corner of the Reserve, fen and raised bog habitat are found at Ordie and Black Moss.

The Muir of Dinnet area also has a rich cultural heritage, with archaeological remains telling an interesting story of times gone by.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Muir of Dinnet is one of more than 45 NNRs in Scotland. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are managed. Every NNR is carefully managed both for nature and for people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage.

‘The Story of Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve’ is a companion publication which has more information about Muir of Dinnet NNR and its history. The Story provides the foundation for managing the site and is recommended reading for those wishing to understand more about the management of this very special place.

In 2013, we carried out a review of our last Plan for Muir of Dinnet NNR (2008-2014). This, together with management plan workshops and specialist advice, was used to develop our future management proposals and inform the preparation of a draft Management Plan for 2014-2024, which we opened for public consultation. Your feedback was collated in a Consultation Report which is available from the Burn O’Vat Visitor Centre office and was used to inform the completion of this Management Plan.

The first section of this Plan gives our vision for Muir of Dinnet, describing how we would like to see the Reserve in 2024. It specifies our objectives for management and outlines projects planned to deliver these objectives.

During the final year of the plan, we will review our progress against this plan to determine the future direction of our management on the reserve.

Loch Davan

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Contents

1 Maps of Muir of Dinnet NNR 4 2 Our Vision for Muir of Dinnet NNR 7 3 Protected Areas and features 8 4 Natural Heritage Management 10 5 Management for People 17 6 Property Management 20 7 Summary 21 8 Document properties 22

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

1 Maps of Muir of Dinnet NNR

Location map

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

NNR map - heritage

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

NNR map – management for people

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

2 Our Vision for Muir of Dinnet NNR

Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve is special; the aim is to keep it that way. The Management Plan 2014 -2024 sets out our vision for the Reserve describing how we would like the Reserve to be in 2029. The management we plan to carry out over the next 10 years has been framed with this vision in mind.

Vision

Muir of Dinnet is a special place with a rich natural and cultural heritage. It is an excellent example of a mosaic of habitats, reflecting the underlying geodiversity, and supporting heath, open water, bog and mixed woodland.

The glacial landforms, dating from the end of the Ice Age, are in excellent condition and provide an exemplary example of Earth heritage interpretation.

The internationally important bearberry heath has doubled in size and is in excellent condition as a result of our carefully planned and executed burning and tree removal programme. Sensitive management has also maintained a pine and birch woodland which has spread by natural regeneration, and now covers most of Culblean Hill. The rare aspen woodland has also expanded.

The water quality of Loch Davan is continuing to improve and the loch's plant communities are beginning to resemble those of Loch Kinord. Likewise, the Reserve's bogs and fen are also is good condition now that more natural water tables have been restored.

Characteristic plants and animals of the woodland, heath, open water and bog habitats thrive. A healthy population of otter continues to breed on the Reserve large numbers of wintering wildfowl arrive each Autumn and the number of bird species recorded has grown. Rare species of insects such as, Kentish glory moth and the aspen hoverfly are also flourishing in their respective habitats.

Our management on the Reserve follows best practice. Demonstration events are helping to communicate our knowledge gained through specialised management to other land managers.

Good visitor management ensures there is little impact on the geodiversity, wildlife and habitats. All visitors appreciate and respect the Reserve, its wildlife and other visitors.

Many groups visit the Reserve for educational purposes and all visitors make good use of the excellent facilities and materials available to them. The landowner and local people are proud of the Reserve, and are actively involved in its management.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

3 Protected Areas and features

Muir of Dinnet first became a NNR in 1977, through an agreement between the landowners, Dinnet and Kinord Estate and the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) (one of SNH’s predecessors). A new agreement was concluded in 2006, with a revised Reserve boundary. The area now under agreement covers approximately 1166 hectares (ha.).

The natural heritage interests at Muir of Dinnet are of UK, European and global importance. The Reserve forms part of the Muir of Dinnet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The lochs are designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site for supporting internationally important numbers of wintering wildfowl and geese. Two Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) also overlap the Reserve. The Muir of Dinnet SAC is of European importance for its dry heaths, raised bogs, mires, lochs, and otter population of the Reserve. The Monandavan Burn, which flows from Loch Davan is part of the River Dee SAC, which is of European importance for its Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussel and otter.

The reserve also includes one Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site and three Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs).

Muir of Dinnet NNR is one of 9 National Natures Reserves within the Cairngorms National Park.

Whilst managing Muir of Dinnet NNR we have to take account of our legal obligations and Government policy to manage the features that are listed as important in a European or international context. This management plan has been appraised accordingly, and where a project listed in the plan is likely to have a significant effect on one or more of the qualifying features of the SACs and/or SPA, we will carry out an ‘appropriate assessment’. This includes all projects, whether they are direct habitat management or providing a new visitor facility on the Reserve. We will only proceed if they do not adversely affect the integrity of the SAC and/or SPA. Likewise, we will also take account of obligations to manage features that are valued as important in a British context, as well as features that are locally important.

Table 1: Protected areas and features overlapping Muir of Dinnet NNR

Protected Area Feature

Muir of Dinnet RAMSAR Greylag goose, non-breeding Muir of Dinnet SPA

Muir of Dinnet SSSI

Muir of Dinnet SPA Waterfowl assemblage, non-breeding Muir of Dinnet SSSI Breeding bird assemblage Muir of Dinnet SSSI Invertebrate assemblage Muir of Dinnet SSSI Dragonfly assemblage

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Protected Area Feature River Dee SAC Atlantic salmon Muir of Dinnet SAC Otter River Dee SAC Clear-water lakes or lochs with aquatic Muir of Dinnet SAC vegetation and poor to moderate nutrient levels Muir of Dinnet SSSI Oligo-mesotrophic loch Muir of Dinnet SSSI Lowland dry heath Muir of Dinnet SAC Dry heaths Very wet mires often identified by an Muir of Dinnet SAC unstable 'quaking' surface Muir of Dinnet SSSI Hydromorphological mire range Muir of Dinnet SAC Degraded raised bog Muir of Dinnet SSSI Quaternary of Scotland

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

4 Natural Heritage Management

Objective NH1: To progress towards restoring 78ha of bearberry heath into favourable condition ensuring suitable habitats for important heath communities are retained.

Heath habitats

Muir of Dinnet has one of the finest examples of low-lying bearberry heath in Scotland. Rarely found at this altitude, it is unusually rich in plant species and supports several rare moth species. This habitat requires regular burning to prevent tree encroachment and to burn off tall, leggy heather which would otherwise shade out the other plants. We need to re-initiate an annual muirburn and tree removal programme that will gradually enable us to restore the full extent of bearberry heath and continue to improve the condition of the existing heath. We will need to adopt a phased approach to facilitate a rotational cycle in future years.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH1:

Task No. Task description Restore habitat connectivity between the north and south of road by NH1.1 removing all scrub regeneration from approximately 4ha. of heath by 2016. Establish the management requirements for restoration of the NH1.2 remaining area of bearberry heath to favourable condition and draw up a phased management plan. Implement phased habitat improvement of the bearberry heath at NH1.3 approximately 3ha per year. Share expertise on the management of bearberry heath for application at NH1.4 the wider landscape scale management in the Cairngorms National Park. Remove gorse from the bearberry heath by 2015 and control future NH1.5 spread through rotational burning, ensuring Maintain 32ha of existing bearberry heath and all restored heath NH1.6 habitat by rotational burning and swiping, ensuring Co-ordinate annual muirburn with colleagues from other NNRs to NH1.7 ensure additional staff resources are available to successfully bring mature areas back into appropriate rotation. NH1.8 Update burning equipment to allow greater capacity for burning. Map heath extent baselines and establish a monitoring programme to NH1.9 record management and habitat condition, including an assessment of bearberry re-establishment. Repeat monitoring every 3 years. Undertake Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) for lowland wet heath in NH1.10 2015 and a Sitecheck for all heath features in 2019.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH2: To maintain the water quality of the lochs in favourable condition whilst ensuring suitable habitat for wetland species are also maintained.

Lochs and wetland species

The Dinnet lochs, Loch Kinord and Loch Davan, are shallow lochs that support a variety of breeding waterfowl. As they are shallow, light can penetrate to the bottom of the loch, allowing plant growth, which, in turn, supports a healthy invertebrate population. These plant, invertebrate and bird communities thrive in the poor to moderate nutrient levels offered by the lochs but, are susceptible to changes in their water quality. Loch Kinord has a small, hilly catchment and generally has a better water quality than Loch Davan, which has a lowland, agricultural catchment. In 2011 we reinstated some meanders on the Logie Burn to reduce sediment run-off into Loch Davan, early signs are encouraging with the bed of burn becoming more varied and supporting gravel beds once again.

Monitoring the water quality of the lochs (done in conjunction with Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Hutton Institute) allows us to review our management should any deterioration be detected.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH2:

Task No. Task description Collate water quality data from SEPA to identify change and NH2.1 requirements for adaptive management. Collate Logie Burn management improvement monitoring results NH2.2 from Hutton Institute to identify change and requirements for adaptive management. Carry out annual geese and waterfowl monitoring, including collating NH2.3 WeBs counts and Sitecheck in 2019. Remove all non-native invasive plants including Himalayan balsam NH2.4 annually. NH2.5 Undertake SCM of otter in 2017 and record signs of presence. NH2.6 Undertake Sitecheck for loch features in 2018.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH3: To maintain 48ha of mire and bog habitats by improving the condition of mire habitats on the reserve and maintaining Parkin's Moss in favourable condition.

Mires and bogs

Black Moss and Ordie Moss lie to the east of the Reserve and are a mixture of very wet fen and raised bog habitats. Parkin’s Moss is a small cut-over raised bog that we dammed in the late 1990’s and has been improving (re-wetting) ever since. Ordie Moss remains extremely wet and requires little active management. However, the relict peat dome and surrounding fen habitat of Black Moss are being encroached by trees which cause the peat to dry out.

The main thrust of our management here will be to remove trees from Black Moss, concentrating on the areas which are having the most detrimental impact on the moss. At least some of this work will be achieved through the Green Stimulus Peatland Restoration Fund and will make a direct contribution to peatland restoration throughout Scotland.

Projects planned to inform and achieve Objective NH3:

Task Task description No. Establish the management requirements for improving the condition of NH3.1 Black and Ordie Mosses and draw up a phased management plan. Implement phased habitat improvement at Black Moss, largely NH3.2 consisting of tree felling and ditch damming on priority areas of the moss. Establish current scrub cover at Black Moss using stereo imagery and use this to develop a phased approach to scrub removal so that scrub NH3.3 cover is scattered across the moss and less than 10% cover. Repeat stereo imagery every 5 years to monitor progress. NH3.4 Maintain the existing dams at Parkin's Moss. Maintain 6ha of Parkin's Moss free from scrub encroachment & NH3.5 remove a further 1ha trees from potential bog habitat. NH3.6 Undertake Sitecheck for mires and bog features in 2019.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH4: Maintain at least 400ha of woodland, improving the structure classes and tree species diversity, especially conditions for aspen, whilst maintaining suitable habitat for important woodland communities.

Woodland habitats

There is a variety of woodland habitats on the Reserve, with the broad-leaved mixe woodland on the lower ground naturally succeeding into pine woods on the higher ground. Much of this woodland is fairly even-aged and its biodiversity interest would benefit from active management, particularly some continuous cover thinning. This would concentrate on the removal of non-native tree species and providing a greater structural diversity in the woodland.

Over the long term, we also want to expand the aspen woodland. Aspen woods are a restricted habitat in Scotland. The Reserve has the largest area of aspen in North East Scotland and shows plenty of signs of suckering. Unfortunately however, at present, the suckers are kept in check by grazing animals and are failing to establish themselves. By enclosing areas of suckering aspen with fencing, we hope to exclude grazing animals and expand the woodland.

Projects planned to inform and achieve Objective NH4:

Task No. Task description Establish woodland structure and species diversity baseline using NH4.1 Native Woodland Survey Scotland methodology. Repeat monitoring in 2026. Prepare woodland management plan in conjunction with Dinnet NH4.2 Estate Forest Plan. Expand aspen woodland by protecting (tubing) existing suckers and NH4.3 fencing exclosures within neighbouring fields. Remove all non-native invasive plants. Watching brief on NH4.4 rhoddodendron beside Cambus o May hotel. NH4.5 Implement woodland structure improvement management.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH5: Maintain the diversity and distribution of heath, lochs, mires, bogs and woodland habitats for important invertebrate species across the reserve.

Invertebrates

Much of the management for invertebrates will be achieved by managing the wetland, heath and woodland habitats. However, some management will be targeted at ephemeral species like Kentish glory, which need a constant supply of young birch.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH5:

Task No. Task description NH5.1 Map important Kentish glory moth areas. Maintain Kentish glory moth habitat by leaving patches of birch scrub NH5.2 to develop to approximately 3-4m in height before felling on rotation. Continue to cut bracken patches near New Kinord for pearl-bordered NH5.3 fritillary. Undertake Sitecheck for 6 species of dragonfly on the reserve and NH5.4 invertebrate assemblage features every 5 years.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH6: Maintain the diversity and distribution of heath, lochs, mires, bogs and woodland habitats for important breeding bird species across the reserve.

Breeding birds

Again, much of the management for breeding birds will be achieved by our habitat management. There are some small scale management proposals we also want to trial and hopefully, demonstrate potential habitat improvement for birds.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH6:

Task No. Task description Investigate management options for providing additional scrapes for NH6.1 breeding waders in 2018. Create additional scrapes for breeding waders if options for NH6.2 management are available. Retain standing large moribund (dead) trees on Parkin's Moss for NH6.3 roosting waders. Maintain a variety of bird boxes throughout the reserve and record NH6.4 usage. Undertake Sitecheck for breeding bird assemblage feature in 2018 & NH6.5 2023, noting species presence on an annual basis. Create breeding bird habitat on Loch Kinord/Davan by provision of NH6.6 artificial island/s. Investigate the possibility of enhancing the wet grassland/ field areas NH6.7 at Bogingore & near Logie Burn.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective NH7: Maintain kettle holes, eskers and kames in favourable condition.

Geomorphology

Much of our management for geomorphology is ‘hands off’ and is mostly about ensuring that any important features do not become obscured by vegetation or damaged by other management practices.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH7:

Task No. Task description Ensure the management of reserve does not damage or obscure NH7.1 important geomorphological features. NH7.2 Undertake Sitecheck for geomorphological features in 2019.

Objective NH8: Maintain important archaeological features clear of vegetation.

Archaeology

The reserve contains a lot of archaeology, which interests many of our visitors. We will therefore keep some of the more accessible archaeological sites free from bracken so they are visible to the public.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective NH8:

Task No. Task description NH8.1 Clear bracken and trees from the hut circles and lime kiln annually.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

5 Management for People

Objective VM1: Provide a high quality visitor experience for at least 40,000 visitors ensuring that >85% of visitors asked rate their experience as good or above.

Visitor experience

Over the period of our last management plan, visitor numbers to the Reserve steadily increased. We want to maintain the current level of people visiting the Reserve and provide them with a high-quality visitor experience. To that end, our last plan focused on providing new and upgraded facilities. We will continue to maintain these, and where required, upgrade our paths, signs and interpretation, including a new interpretive trail at Parkin’s Moss. We will also promote the Reserve through a variety of media including an annual events programme, social media and Open Day.

Tasks planned to inform and achieve Objective VM1:

Task No. Task description Prepare new Visitor Management Plan by 2020, with a clear VM1.1 connection to complementing visitor experiences in the wider Cairngorms National Park. VM1.2 Replace bridges on Burn O'Vat trail by 2018. VM1.3 Implement interpretation and seating along the Little Ord trail. VM1.4 Provide an orientation map in Dinnet village. Explore options for improving accessibility along part of the VM1.5 Bogingore trail. VM1.6 Explore options for developing a family friendly cycle route. VM1.7 Replace Parkin's Moss boardwalk by 2023. Use a variety of media, including Facebook, Blog & reserve leaflet to VM1.8 inform people about the reserve and maintain weekly updated information in the Visitor Centre. Distribute Reserve leaflets to local outlets including Tourist Information Centres at Ballater and Banchory, Loch Kinord Hotel, VM1.9 Victoria TearoomS, Craigendarroch Hilton, caravan parks at Tarland, Aboyne and Ballater, and to other centres within the National Park. Review and update information about the reserve on the Scotland's NNRs website every 6 months. Provide downloadable material, VM1.10 including information sheets on certain topics/species and its place within the National Park. VM1.11 Consider developing an "itour" (or similar) of reserve with QR codes

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Task No. Task description at points of interest. VM1.12 Provide at least 5 guided walks per year for targeted groups. VM1.13 Organise and run an annual Muir of Dinnet NNR Open Day. Provide or support at least 5 demonstration events during the VM1.14 lifetime of the plan showing best practice management for heath, wetlands, mires and/or aspen woodland. VM1.15 Collate data from people counters. Carry out Visitor survey to provide qualitative information on visitor VM1.16 experiences.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

Objective VM2: To engage the local communities and support volunteering.

Engaging with the community

We will continue to promote links between the Reserve and the local community by providing school visits and volunteering opportunities.

Projects planned to inform and achieve Objective VM2:

Task No. Task description Establish and maintain a 'Friends of Muir of Dinnet NNR' through VM2.1 social media. Develop a list of volunteer tasks and provide volunteer opportunities VM2.2 for at least one work party per year. Engage 4 local volunteers annually for regular tasks on the reserve VM2.3 and provide training and financial support. VM2.4 Engage with and utilise local contractors. Support at least 10 school visits (including cluster primary schools) per VM2.5 year. Provide one familiarisation to Muir of Dinnet in April for local accommodation providers. Establish a dialogue that will help us VM2.6 understand what the NNR can offer to local tourism service providers and the Cairngorms National Park. VM2.7 Continue to hold Muir of Dinnet liaison meeting once every 6 months.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

6 Property Management

Objective PM1: To manage the reserve property responsibly following best practice.

Projects planned to inform and achieve Objective PM1:

Task No. Task description Maintain the Visitor Centre and all visitor infrastructure (trails, car PM1.1 park, toilets, viewpoint etc) in good condition for visitors. Carry out quarterly safety and condition assessments of all visitor PM1.2 infrastructure and keep accurate records. Ensure the management of the property conforms with Health & PM1.3 Safety Regulations including risk assessment and fire plan reviews. PM1.4 Ensure retention of GTBS award. Ensure payments made for Nature Reserve Agreement and other PM1.5 annual payments to estate.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

7 Summary

Muir of Dinnet NNR is an extremely diverse Reserve, with a huge variety of habitats crammed into a relatively small area. It also has ‘the Vat’, the giant glacial pothole, which is one of the main draws for visitors, and has established it as one of the “must see” locations on the Deeside tourist route

Much of our habitat management emphasis will be on restoring the bearberry heath to prime condition and tree removal (plus follow-up works) on the bogs. Our goal, however, is to improve all of the habitats on the Reserve, through large or small- scale projects.

We also wish to continue spread the word about this special place and build on our reputation as a great nature day out for visitors. We want to promote the Reserve through events, online and social media, volunteering and contact with other local attractions within the Cairngorm National Park.

The Management Plan for Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve 2014 - 2024

8 Document properties

Photography: Catriona Reid, Lorne Gill (SNH) and Helen Rowe.

Mapping: Produced by Geographical Information Unit, SNH.

Author: Catriona Reid, Reserve Manager

Editor: Emma Philip, Operations Officer – Protected Areas

Signed off by: David Bale, Area Manager – Tayside & Grampian

Date: April 2014

Links

For information about Scotland’s National Nature Reserves and further information about Muir of Dinnet NNR please visit Scotland’s NNR website.

For information on the protected areas associated with Muir of Dinnet NNR please go to the SNHi website.