CITATION

DOLPHINTON – WEST LINTON FENS AND GRASSLAND SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Scottish Borders Site code: 523

NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NT 111476, NT118477, NT 129490, NT 130495.

OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series 72 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series 336 & 344

AREA: 64.24 hectares

NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES

Biological : Lowland grassland : Lowland calcareous grassland : Fens : Valley fen : Non-vascular plants : Bryophyte assemblage

DESCRIPTION

Dolphinton - West Linton Fens and Grassland Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies at the foot of the Pentland Hills between the villages of Dolphinton and West Linton, along the A702, in the north-west of the Scottish Borders. This composite site in four parts comprises a series of fens and unimproved grasslands.

During the Pleistocene era this area was covered by ice-sheets which deposited sands and gravels from the igneous andesitic rocks to the south-west of the site as they melted. These deposits formed eskers, kames and terraces on which the extensive calcareous grasslands are to be found.

The diverse grassland sward contains over 100 species of higher plant with thyme Thymus polytrichus, fairy flax Linum catharticum, eyebright Euphrasia, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, heath-grass Danthonia decumbens and bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus all occurring in abundance. The regionally rare plants field gentian Gentianella campestris and moonwort Botrychium lunaria occur in abundance on these grasslands. Other regionally rare plant species, including frog orchid Coeloglossum viride and crested hair-grass Koeleria macrantha, occur occasionally on the Kippit Hill. The grassland at Slipperfield is the most outstanding grassland of its type within the Scottish Borders, both in terms of structure and condition. Part of the site has formerly been afforested, resulting in an acid grassland community.

The fen communities are also of high nature conservation value. These are classified as valley fens supporting rich fen vegetation. These are relatively rare habitats in the Scottish Borders as most Borders mires are basin fens rather than valley fens. They are calcareous in nature due to their spring-fed water supply which originates from the base-rich glacial sand and gravel deposits.

The fen communities contain a range of rare plants ranging from the nationally scarce lesser tussock-sedge Carex diandra occurring at Medwyn Mains Moss to regionally rare species which include bog pondweed Potamogeton polygonifolius. few-flowered spike-rush Eleocharis quinqueflora and local rarities such as dioecious sedge Carex dioica, early marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata, greater tussock sedge Carex paniculata and skullcap Scutellaria galericulata. The early marsh- orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata occurs in great profusion on these fens but does not occur elsewhere in this area.

The site is extremely bryophyte rich, with no less than 8 species being considered as local/regional rarities and two nationally scarce species, Irish ruffwort Moerckia hibernica known at only one other site in Southern Scotland and woolly feather-moss Tomentypnum nitens which grows here in great abundance at possibly its largest surviving colony in Southern Scotland.

The fens are not notified for the bird populations they support but nevertheless they are locally important for breeding waders with redshank, curlew, snipe, lapwing and oystercatcher all recorded as breeding within the composite site. Until 1991, the pool at South Slipperfield supported a regionally important black-headed gull colony.

NOTIFICATION HISTORY First notified under the 1981 Act: 7 September 1993 Notification reviewed under the 2004 Act: 25 January 2011

REMARKS

Measured area of site corrected (from 65.1 ha).