APPENDIX 4

DESIGNATED SITES

Contents

Glen Affric to Strathconon proposed SPA

North Inverness Lochs SPA

Balnagrantach SSSI

Dubh Lochs SSSI

West Inverness-shire Lochs SPA

West Inverness-shire Lochs SSSI






  



  







 
 
 

 
 

 





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  EC Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds “- The Wild Birds Directive-”

SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA (SPA) CITATION FOR PUBLIC ISSUE

GREAT GLEN LOCHS (155) 3: NORTH INVERNESS LOCHS , HIGHLAND (155C)

North Inverness Lochs SPA is located north-west of the Great Glen in Highland region. The boundaries of the SPA follow those of Balnagrantach Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Dubh Lochs SSSI. The SPA contains five lochans which support extensive sedge beds, including the nationally rare club sedge Carex buxbaumii . The lochans are surrounded by mire, moorland and semi-natural broad-leaved woodland dominated by birch.

The SPA is of special nature conservation and scientific importance within the EC because it supports a nationally important population of breeding Slavonian grebe Podiceps auritus . Britain is one of only three countries within the EC which support breeding Slavonian grebe and, because of its rarity, this species is listed as requiring special conservation measures under Article 4.1 of The Wild Birds Directive. In Britain, Slavonian grebes only breed in Scotland where breeding was first recorded in 1909, since when the population has risen to its early 1990s level of around 60 pairs.

From 1991 to 1995, an average of 7 pairs of Slavonian grebe bred within the North Inverness lochs SPA, representing 12% of the British breeding population. During this same period the SPA produced the same number of chicks per pair as the average for the British population.

The grebes do not leave the lochans during the breeding season, nesting in the sedge beds and feeding in the open water. Recent research has shown that the breeding success of the grebes may be adversely affected by disturbance and by deterioration in the water quality of a loch. For this reason the North Inverness Lochs SPA includes the entire area of the SSSIs and not just the lochans themselves.

This citation is accompanied by the citation for the entire Great Glen Lochs SPA which explains the overall importance of the Great Glen lochs for breeding birds.

Area: 105.7 ha Grid Ref: NH 495327, 464278 Latitude & Longitude: 57’21’38 -4’30’05, 57’18’56 -4’33’00 OS 1:50,000 sheet - 26

RJ/GPM June 1996 Research and Advisory Services Directorate Scottish Natural Heritage Conservation Objectives for North Inverness Lochs Special Protection Area

To avoid deterioration of the habitats of the qualifying species (listed below) or significant disturbance to the qualifying species, thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained; and

To ensure for the qualifying species that the following are maintained in the long term:

Z!Population of the species as a viable component of the site Z!Distribution of the species within site Z!Distribution and extent of habitats supporting the species Z!Structure, function and supporting processes of habitats supporting the species Z!No significant disturbance of the species

Qualifying Species:

! Slavonian grebe ( Podiceps auritus)

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 •          CITATION

WEST INVERNESS-SHIRE LOCHS SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Highland (Lochaber) Site Code: 9189

NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NH165052

OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series 25, 33 & 34 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series 399, 400, 414, 415

AREA: 2974.61 hectares

NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES

Biological : Birds : Black-throated diver Gavia arctica : Birds : Common scoter Melanitta nigra

DESCRIPTION :

West Inverness-shire Lochs Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) comprises eight freshwater, upland lochs lying within the altitudinal range 90-340 metres above sea level to the west of the Great Glen. The constituent lochs are: Loch Affric, Loch Cluanie, Loch Bad an Losguinn, Loch Loyne, Loch Lundie, Loch Garry, Loch Poulary and Loch Blair. The lochs are characterised by deep, acidic waters with patchy emergent vegetation. The adjacent grass and heathland habitats provide nesting and brood-rearing areas for both black-throated divers Gavia arctica and common scoters Melanitta nigra .

The group of lochs that comprise this site support nationally important numbers of breeding black-throated divers and common scoters. The site is particularly important for black-throated divers due to its long history of use and the above average level of chick productivity that several of the component lochs demonstrate consistently. The lochs hold one of the main concentrations of breeding common scoter in Britain.

REMARKS

West Inverness-shire Lochs SSSI is also proposed for classification as West Inverness-shire Lochs Special Protection Area (SPA) for the birds listed below:

Black-throated diver Gavia arctica Common scoter Melanitta nigra

NOTIFICATION HISTORY

First notified under the 2004 Act: 14 November 2007 200000 210000 220000 230000 240000 250000

Loch Affric

! ! ! ! ! ! 820000 820000

Loch Cluanie

! ! ! ! ! ! 810000 810000

Loch Loyne

Loch Lundie West Inverness- shire Lochan Bad Lochs an Losguinn Loch Poulary Site of Special Loch Garry Scientific Interest (SSSI)

! ! ! ! ! ! 800000 800000 Longitude: 5° 3' 29" W Latitude: 57° 8' 21" N The SSSI boundary is 10 metres back from the Area of SSSI: 2974.61 Ha - winter water level except where roads pass through this Scale:1:150,000 terrestrial component, in which case the site boundary follows the loch-side edge of the road. 01.25 2.5 5 Km Where forestry plantations are within 10 metres of the loch edge, the site boundary follows the forest's boundary fence except where the winter water level creates an inlet Loch Miles into the plantation. In these instances the site boundary is 01.25 2.5 5 Blair 10 metres from the loch edge. Version number: 3 (14/11/2007) Where fenced enclosures exist within 10 metres of the loch Projection: British National Grid edge, the site boundary follows the enclosure boundary. Based upon Ordnance Survey data with the Buildings, bridges and other existing infrastructure are permission of Her Majesty's Stationery office. excluded from the SSSI. © Crown Copyright. Licence no. 100017908

200000 210000 220000 230000 240000 250000