Machair
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Machair is a Gaelic word and describes a very fertile, coastal mixed soil type that can be found in Scotland and Ireland .
Essential components of the soil are a high proportion of mineral-rich mussel sediments and a proportion of organic substrate, often peat . The basic effect of the mussel sand and the acidic effect of the peat neutralize each other, the particularly fertile nutrient mix remains effective. This leads to a particularly lush and species-rich vegetation, which in turn is the basis for a broad spectrum of animal species, especially insects and birds .
A large part of the Scottish Machair is located in the Outer Hebrides , where it was used as arable or pasture land for thousands of years as an essential basis for feeding the population.
