CITATION

LOCH MORAR SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Highland (Lochaber) Site code: 1015

NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NM 775903

OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series: 40 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series: 398

AREA: 2853.08 hectares

NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES:

Biological : Freshwater habitats Oligotrophic loch : Woodlands Native pinewood

DESCRIPTION

Loch Morar Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located five miles south east of Mallaig on the Morar peninsula. The site encompasses Loch Morar and its shoreline and several islands. Loch Morar is a large, oligotrophic loch lying in a glacial trough orientated east-west and dammed by a natural rock threshold. It is the deepest fresh- water body in Britain, with a maximum depth of 310m. At the western end of the loch, near its outlet to the sea, several islands support native pine woodland.

Loch Morar is the best example of its type in Britain. Its main characteristics are its very low nutrient levels and exceptional water clarity. The flora and fauna of the loch reflect the water quality; the phytoplankton is rich in desmids while the zooplankton is sparse. In sheltered areas a zone of emergent vegetation includes species such as shoreweed Littorella uniflora, water lobelia Lobelia dortmanna, quillwort Isoetes lacustris and alternate water-milfoil Myriophyllum alterniflorum,

The islands are well wooded with mature stands of native Scots pine trees which is representative of a rare habitat type in Lochaber. Amongst the pines other species present are birch, holly, willow, rowan and oak. These pinewoods contain species characteristic of the habitat including the orchid creeping lady’s tresses Goodyera repens.

NOTIFICATION HISTORY:

First notified under the 1949 Act: 1964 as Loch Morar Islands and 1971 as Loch Morar Notified under the 1981 Act: 18 March 1987 Notification reviewed under the 2004 Act: 15 December 2010

REMARKS: Measured area of site corrected (from 3032 hectares).