Loch Fleet, Highland
Loch Fleet is a sea loch on the east coast of Sutherland, located midway between Golspie and Dornoch. It forms a shallow estuary with extensive sandflats and mudflats backed by salt marsh, sand dunes, coastal heath and pine woods.
In 1997 the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA) was established for wildlife conservation. The SPA covers 19,364 acres of Loch Fleet, the Dornoch Firth, Morrich More, the Mound Alderwoods and Tarbat Ness. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee described it as "one of the best examples in north west Europe of a large complex estuary which has been relatively unaffected by industrial development".
The Loch Fleet area supports many different species of plants and animals because of the varied habitats around its shores. Common seals can often be seen, particularly at low tide when they haul themselves out onto the sandbanks and there are good vantage points all along the southern shore where they can be viewed from the road. There are sandflats and mudflats that support large numbers of waders and wildfowl. The pine woodlands support many rare plants and are also home to mammals such as Roe Deer, Pine Marten and Red Squirrel. These woods also support a wide range of birds. Ospreys can often be seen fishing in Loch Fleet.
Date: 18th June 2014
Location: view from the minor road along the southern shore between the A9 and Skelbo
In 1997 the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA) was established for wildlife conservation. The SPA covers 19,364 acres of Loch Fleet, the Dornoch Firth, Morrich More, the Mound Alderwoods and Tarbat Ness. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee described it as "one of the best examples in north west Europe of a large complex estuary which has been relatively unaffected by industrial development".
The Loch Fleet area supports many different species of plants and animals because of the varied habitats around its shores. Common seals can often be seen, particularly at low tide when they haul themselves out onto the sandbanks and there are good vantage points all along the southern shore where they can be viewed from the road. There are sandflats and mudflats that support large numbers of waders and wildfowl. The pine woodlands support many rare plants and are also home to mammals such as Roe Deer, Pine Marten and Red Squirrel. These woods also support a wide range of birds. Ospreys can often be seen fishing in Loch Fleet.
Date: 18th June 2014
Location: view from the minor road along the southern shore between the A9 and Skelbo
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Also in: Sea and sand
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