St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve

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St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve is a 78 ha large nature reserve ( National Nature Reserve ) at the Scottish North Sea coast . It is located on a rocky peninsula near the village of St Abbs in the Scottish Borders Council Area . The area is administered by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

description

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve is 78 hectares in size and has been classified in IUCN Category IV by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( Biotope and Species Protection Area - Protected Area, for the Management of which targeted interventions are made). In the inland is Mire Loch , an artificial reservoir with a length of 600 m and a maximum width of 50 m. It is a refuge for freshwater birds such as grebes , reed bunting , gray heron , Sedge Warbler and mute swan

On St Abb's Head is Kirk Hill with the ruins of the monastery founded by the holy Æbbe of Coldingham in the 7th century. The monastery was founded around 640, burned down around 680 and was not rebuilt.

lighthouse

The St Abb's Head Lighthouse with foghorn

On the peninsula stands Lighthouse St Abb's Head Lighthouse , whose construction following the sinking of the ship Martello was recommended in the 1857th It was designed by the brothers David and Thomas Stevenson and went into operation on February 24, 1862. The building has a height of 9 m. Because it stands on a nearly 60 m high cliff, the beacon is 68 m above sea level and has a range of 18 nautical miles . Initially, an oil lamp was used, from 1906 incandescent lamps were used. The beacon has been automated since 1993. A fog horn was installed in 1876 and operated until 1987. This foghorn was the first to operate in Scotland. After the shutdown, the horn was not removed and can still be viewed today. The lighthouse was the Historic Environment Scotland in the Scottish monument list in the second highest category B added.

Flora and fauna

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve is an important reserve for sea ​​birds . There are significant stocks of guillemots and razorbills that breed on offshore cliffs. On the cliff nesting kittiwakes and fulmars ; Common shag , herring gulls, and puffins also have significant populations. Bottlenose dolphins and gray seals can be found in the waters off the Head, and chiffchaff , fitis , wheatear and butterflies such as the blue sunflower live in the grassy areas . To protect the marine biotope in front of the Head, a voluntary marine reserve was set up in collaboration with the NTS, the Scottish Wildlife Trust , local diving clubs and local fishermen, which stretches along the coast to the town of Eyemouth . In 2016, for the first time since observations began, northern gannets were spotted laying a nest at St Apps Head. In 2017 there were already around 70 couples. Possible explanations are overfishing of their original habitats and climate change.

  • Marine mammals from St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve (icon images)

  • Bottlenose dolphin (Common bottlenose dolphin)

  • Gray Seal (Gray seal)

On the head of the cliff there is a species-rich meadow landscape , in which, among other things, Danish tragacanth , rock roses , carnations and sand thyme can be found. Especially the overlooked orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) and the winterling are particularly protected.

NTS employees have put impressions of the seasons in St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve online.

geology

Cliffs

The peninsula consists of hard volcanic rock that is around 400 million years old, as well as sedimentary rocks ( turbidite ), Silurian greywacke , Devonian conglomerates and siltstone . The softer sedimentary rocks were partially eroded away.

Facilities for visitors

St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve has a Nature Center where the NTS provides visitors with information about the reserve. There the principles of the NTS for nature protection and the collected data are presented. The NTS believes that people protect what they value, and in order to appreciate something, one must recognize its value. Visitors can stroll through the reserve on the laid-out paths under strict conditions, but guided tours are also offered.

natural reserve

The St Abb's Head area was designated a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1984 . The management of the area is shared between the NTS and NatureScot . The first areas were bought in 1980. In 1984 a company donated additional areas and the Blackpotts grazings (Blackpotts Weiden) were added in 1990.

story

There are indications of human habitation going back to prehistoric times. From an Iron Age fort to a ruined monastery from the 7th century to a church with a burial ground from the 10th century. In the late 19th century, St Abb's Head was part of a larger estate belonging to the Usher family who built Mire Loch for fishing and a golf course.

See also

Web links

Commons : St. Abbs Head  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve on the National Trust for Scotland website, accessed October 21, 2021
  2. ↑ a b c St Abb'S Head. Retrieved October 23, 2021
  3. ↑ St Abb's Kirk, church and monastic remains, St Abb's Head.Retrieved October 24, 2021
  4. ↑ St Abb's Head, Kirk Hill , on canmore.org.uk, accessed October 24, 2021
  5. ↑ St Abbs Head on the Northern Lighthouse Board page , accessed October 23, 2021
  6. ↑ ST ABB'S HEAD, LIGHTHOUSE INCLUDING FOGHORN, FOGHORN ENGINE HOUSE, BOUNDARY WALLS AND STAIR , from Historic Environment Scotland, accessed October 21, 2021
  7. ↑ NTS Wildlife spotter's guide: St Abb's Head , accessed October 24, 2021
  8. ↑ St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve flyer , accessed October 24, 2021
  9. ↑ First gannet chick hatched at St Abb's Head , accessed October 24, 2021
  10. ↑ Blooming gorgeous: northern marsh orchid , accessed October 24, 2021
  11. ↑ Blooming gorgeous: winter aconite , accessed October 24, 2021
  12. ↑ Seasons at St Abbs Head Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter accessed October 24, 2021
  13. ^ St Abb's Head, by Con Gillen of the Geological Society of Glasgow , accessed October 23, 2021
  14. ↑ St. Abb's Head, Fiona McGibbon of the Open University Geological Society , accessed October 23, 2021
  15. ^ The St Abbs Visitor Center accessed November 13, 2021
  16. ↑ Conservation of the St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve , accessed October 24, 2021
  17. ↑ Map of St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve , on the NatureScot page , accessed October 24, 2021
  18. ^ Berwickshire Coast (Intertidal) SSSI , accessed October 24, 2021
  19. ↑ St Abb's Head to Fast Castle SPA , accessed October 24, 2021
  20. ↑ St Abb's Head to Fast Castle SAC , accessed October 24, 2021
  21. ^ Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC , accessed October 24, 2021
  22. ^ Cultural History of St Abbs Head , accessed October 24, 2021

Coordinates: 55 ° 54 '59.3 "  N , 2 ° 8' 28.1"  W.