CITATION INCHTAVANNACH AND INCHCONNACHAN SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Argyll & Bute Site code: 808 PLANNING AUTHORITY: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NS 366912 (Inchtavannach), NS 375916 (Inchconnachan) OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series 56 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series 347 AREA: 105.03 hectares NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES Biological: Woodlands : Upland oak woodland Birds : Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), breeding DESCRIPTION The islands of Inchtavannach and Inchonnachan are situated in Loch Lomond, approximately 1 km south of the village of Luss and together comprise Inchtavannach and Inchonnachan Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The site is of national and international importance for both its upland oak wood habitat and for its populations of breeding capercaillie. The upland oak woodland present on these two islands together represents one of the largest examples of this woodland type in the Stirling district. On Inchtavannach, the larger of the two islands, the woodland is dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea and downy birch Betula pubescens with ground flora consisting of greater woodrush Luzula sylvatica, wavy hair-grass Deschampsia flexuosa, creeping soft-grass Holcus mollis, blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus and typical acid oak woodland mosses such as Polytrichum formosum, Thuidium tamariscinum and liverworts Diplophyllum ablicans and Plagiochila asplenoides. On Inchonnachan, the southern half is dominated by former oak-birch coppice over luxuriant blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus. The northern half is more varied and has been planted in past years with conifers, mainly larch Larix spp. and throughout the island there is Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and some spruce Picea spp. Inchtavannach and Inchconnachan also provide suitable feeding and breeding habitat for capercaillie which are present on both islands throughout the year. These birds breed during the summer months and the site supports over 1% of the UK breeding population for this species. NOTIFICATION HISTORY First notified under the 1949 Act: 1955 Re-notified under the 1981 Act: 22 March 1983 Notification reviewed under the 2004 Act: 28 January 2011 REMARKS Measured area of site corrected (from 104.3 ha) Part of Inchtavannach and Inchconnachan SSSI is part of the Loch Lomond Woods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which is designated for the European habitats and species listed below, and is also part of the Loch Lomond Special Protection Area (SPA), which is designated for the birds listed below. Habitats : Western acidic oak woodland Species : Otter (Lutra lutra) Birds : Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), breeding : Greenland white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons flavirostris), non-breeding .