Solway Coast Heritage Trail

Wildlife and Landscapes

Text Nic Coombey, Solway Heritage Design The Graphics Team, Communications Unit, Dumfries and Galloway Council Photography Mike Bolam, Laurie Campbell, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Keith Kirk, R & B Mearns, Peter Norman, Mark Pollitt, Solway Firth Partnership, Solway Heritage, Scottish Natural Heritage, Griffin/ Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, Taylor Jones/Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. Printed Print 2000 Ltd Cover image - Carrick Shore - Borgue Coast SSSI in the Fleet Valley NSA This booklet has been funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and the European Union through Dumfries and Galloway LEADER+

Aerial view of Rough Island, National Trust for Scotland, in the East Stewartry Coast NSA

WELCOME TO THE SCOTTISH SOLWAY COAST

The Solway Coast Heritage Trail is a way marked driving route between the vast tidal flats of the Solway Firth at Annan and the towering sea cliffs of the Rhins, including Scotlands most southerly point at the Mull of Galloway. The magnificent coastline is richly endowed with estuaries, rocky headlands, sandy bays, stony beaches and cliffs with caves that will inspire your imagination. The coast is a brilliant area for those who want to explore hidden places. It is also rewarding for anyone who visits the many nature reserves and visitor centres where you can discover more about the natural wonders and get privileged views of the wildlife.

SPECIAL PLACES
The Solway Coast is a very special place. It is so special that many places have been given protection by law to conserve the landscapes, habitats and species now and for generations to come. Along the Scottish Solway Coast there are three National Scenic Areas (NSAs) which are recognised for their outstanding natural beauty. The Solway Firth, Luce Bay and Sands and Mull of Galloway are all Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats and species and the Upper Solway Flats and Marshes is a Special Protection Area (SPAs) for birds. Caerlaverock mudflats and merse is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) and the largest Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in Britain is found at Wigtown Bay. In addition to these special places there are 21 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed for their important natural heritage. These designated areas along the coast form a chain of the best examples of species, habitats and landscapes throughout Dumfries and Galloway and support a wider network across Great Britain and the European Union.

Kirkcolm
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Loch Ryan Stranraer

Newton Stewart

Glenluce Wigtown

Creetown

Gatehouse of Fleet

Portpatrick

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13

12

16

Wigtown Bay
11 14

Luce Bay

Borgue Coast

Whithorn Drummore
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Isle of Whithorn

Scare Rocks
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Burrow Head

SOLWAY COAST HERITAGE TRAIL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Annan Shore (mudflats and merse) Powfoot (mudflats and merse)

Mull of Galloway
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Balcary Point (sea cliffs) Borgue Coast (sand and shingle / rocky coast) Ravenshall (sand and shingle / rocky coast) Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre (mudflats and merse) Cruggleton Bay (sand and shingle / rocky coast) Isle of Whithorn / Burrow head (sea cliffs) Luce Bay (sand and shingle / sea cliffs / coastal heath) Torrs Warren (sand dunes) Mull of Galloway RSPB Nature Reserve (sea cliffs / coastal heath) Loch Ryan (sand and shingle)

Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre (mudflats and merse) Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve (mudflats and merse) Carsethorn (mudflats and merse) Southerness / Sandyhills (sand dunes / mudflats and merse) Mersehead RSPB Nature Reserve (sand dunes / mudflats and merse) Colvend Coast (sea cliffs) Rockcliffe National Trust for Scotland (sand and shingle / rocky coast)

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Dumfries

Gretna Castle Douglas Dalbeattie

5 7 9 8

Annan
4 3 2 1

Caerlaverock

Carlisle
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Kirkcudbright
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Upper Solway Flats & Marshes

Silloth

Solway Coast Heritage Trail Designated Coast

S O LW AY

F I R T H

Maryport

Workington

The Solway Coast Heritage Trail is a route between Annan and Stranraer which is sign posted with a blue-on-white symbol representing an early Christian cross. As you explore the south facing coast of Dumfries and Galloway you will find many special places abundant in wildlife. The majority of the coast has been given protection by law through a number of site specific conservation designations which are listed on the back page. Further information about the sites can be accessed on the Scottish Natural Heritage website www.snh.org.uk 5

it is adapted to feed primarily on fish

Osprey nesting at Wigtown Bay LNR / Cree Estuary SSSI and Caerlaverock NNR / Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SPA & SSSI, Solway Firth SAC and Nith Estuary NSA

STRANGE AND SPECTACULAR

Where the land meets the sea is a fascinating and dynamic place. In some places the sea erodes and exposes the land while in others it deposits and shifts sediments. The coast is an ever changing boundary that provides some of the harshest environments for wildlife to survive. Plants and animals have to cope with drought, exposure to wind, rain and salt spray as well as regular inundation by the sea if they are below the high water mark. Despite this hostile environment, the coast is the place to explore the strange and spectacular. The only place in Scotland that the strange primitive tadpole shrimp has ever occurred is in the Upper Solway. It is found at Caerlaverock in seasonally flooded ponds which dry out completely in summer, eliminating predators and competitors. Once wetted it has a rapid development and is able to mature from egg to adult in two to three weeks. The spectacular osprey is unique amongst our birds of prey in the way it is adapted to feed primarily on fish, spotting them with its acute, binocular vision and swooping to catch them with long, curved claws. Closed Circuit TV of local osprey nests can be seen at Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve Visitor Centre and Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Visitor Centre.
Tadpole shrimp from Caerlaverock WWT in the Caerlaverock NNR / Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SPA & SSSI, Solway Firth SAC and Nith Estuary NSA

one cubic metre of estuary mud can support over 200,000 tiny creatures

Mudflats at Caerlaverock NNR / Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SPA & SSSI, Solway Firth SAC and Nith Estuary NSA

MUDFLATS FULL OF ENERGY

In the Upper Solway between Annan shore and Mersehead, vast areas of sand and mud are exposed at low tide and dominate the Firth. The movement from the ever changing water, combined with one of the largest tidal ranges in Europe makes this a very dynamic landscape. The Solway is quite sheltered so the surface of the sea can be deceptively calm but, below the surface strong currents are created by the tidal ebb and flow. The power of the water moves huge quantities of sand and mud over large distances during a single tide cycle and sculpts the soft sediments into mud banks, sand bars and deep channels. This is a difficult habitat to colonise and at first glance the flats may appear to be barren and lifeless. However, the surface is dotted with the coiled casts of lugworms and many shellfish, such as cockles and sand gapers, lurk within the soft sediments. Amazingly, one cubic metre of estuary mud can support over 200,000 tiny creatures and it is one of the most productive habitats on earth. For hungry fish and birds the shimmering mud hides a larder bursting with food. Glasswort is a fleshy plant that covers large areas of lower marsh, helping to stabilise the mud and turning a rich red and yellow when it flowers in August. This tough succulent is an early settler that can germinate and root in the mud in as little as 3 days from the seed being cast up.
Glasswort

before the fast rising tides, wading birds retreat to roost

Oystercatcher at Auchencairn and Orchardton Bays SSSI and East Stewartry Coast NSA

PROBING WADERS
The Upper Solway mudflats fuel the large numbers of resident shore birds and from July onwards thousands of migratory birds begin to arrive. They are either stopping over for the winter or making a brief stay on their migration between breeding grounds in colder northern climates and warmer wintering sites to the south. The Solway is one of the most important places for migrating waterfowl on the eastern Atlantic seaboard. Flocks of small waders frequently rise up, wheel through the air and realight to feed on the retreating tide. Curlews wade belly deep in the water probing the mud while sanderlings dash around on the tides edge. Before the fast rising tides, wading birds retreat to roost, huddled together in tight groups on the tussocky merse. Predatory birds, such as the peregrine falcon, patrol the shore ready to swoop down on an unwary wader. Oystercatchers are frequently seen all along the Solway Coast and appear to learn different feeding techniques from their parents. Some stab their sharp bill between the tightly clasped shells and snip the muscle that holds them shut, while others hammer the shell with their beak until they break. Each oystercatcher tends to specialise in one of these methods, not because an old bird cannot learn new tricks, but because the beaks of the hammerers become blunt and useless for the stabbing and snipping.
Shore birds in flight

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flowers found on the merse have leaf adaptations which help to reduce water loss
Merse at Wigtown Bay LNR / Cree Estuary SSSI

CLOSELY MOWN MERSE

Saltmarsh is found where the sea floods low lying land along the coast and tough salt tolerant grasses, flowering herbs and dwarf shrubs thrive. As silt is trapped within the vegetation the level of the ground slowly rises and becomes drier. The land is drained by channels eroded in the mud and flushed by the tidal waters. At this stage the saltmarsh can be used as pasture and in the Solway it is known as merse. Grazed by cows in summer, the grass is flecked with the bright colours of small flowers. The white stars of scurvy grass are followed by a carpet of thrifts pink pom-poms and in some places by the pale purple of sea aster and sea lavender. In winter, thousands of geese return to the Upper Solway and Wigtown Bay to clip the short nutritious sward between the muddy creeks. Many of the flowers found on the merse have leaf adaptations which help to reduce the loss of fresh water by evaporation. Annual sea-blight, sea-spurry and sea-milkwort all have small fleshy leaves.
Thrift

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barnacle geese darken the evening sky at Caerlaverock

Barnacle geese at Caerlaverock NNR / Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SPA & SSSI, Solway Firth SAC and Nith Estuary NSA

WINTER BREAK
A carpet of grassy merse attracts geese and swans as well other wildfowl in the winter. Between September and May, the Solway supports the entire population of barnacle goose from Svalbard, a group of Norwegian islands in the Arctic Ocean. The geese breed on the islands in summer but fly the long journey to feeding grounds on the Solway to avoid the severe winter weather. The barnacle goose population fell to below 1,000 in the 1950s but today more than 20,000 darken the evening skies in the Upper Solway at Caerlaverock and Mersehead. The birds need to feed well on the merse and adjacent farmland over the winter months to ensure they are refreshed and in peak condition for their long journey north to breed in the spring. Whooper swans, pink-footed geese, scaup and pintail ducks are also far travelled, escaping the hard winters in Iceland and northern Europe.

Swans

Barnacle geese

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hunting for beetles, spiders, snails and worms

Natterjack toad at Caerlaverock NNR / Upper Solway Flats & Marshes SPA & SSSI, Solway Firth SAC and Nith Estuary NSA

CREEPY CRAWLIES
Frogs and toads are commonly found in damp environments but the only place in Scotland you will find natterjack toads is on the Upper Solway coast between Powfoot and Sandyhills. You are unlikely to see this small amphibian with a distinctive yellow line along its back and ungainly walk, however, you can hear their raucous calls on spring and summer evenings. They mainly live on the fringes of the merse or low sand dunes hunting for beetles, spiders, snails and worms. The warm brackish pools on the merse are important breeding sites for natterjack toads. Many insects have a tendency to favour the Solway Coast due to its combination of warmth and abundance of flowering plants. Dancing from flower to flower the grayling, wall brown, small copper and common blue are all butterflies that frequent the coast. The painted lady, a striking large butterfly, has migrated to the Solway Coast from North Africa or Europe.

Painted lady

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largest dune system in southern Scotland

Sand dunes at Torrs Warren Luce Sands SSSI / Luce Bay and Sands SAC

WANDERING SANDS
Dunes form when the prevailing on-shore wind blows sand inland where it then accumulates into giant heaps. As the Solway is largely sheltered from strong winds sand dunes are an uncommon habitat, although small dunes occur at Southerness, Mersehead and Sandyhills. The largest dune system in southern Scotland is found at the head of Luce Bay behind the woods at Torrs Warren where, because of restricted access, the Ministry Of Defence has provided protection for this fragile environment. However, the dunes, ranging from mobile sand to dunes stabilised by marram grass and eventually small hills of flower-rich grassland and heath, can be appreciated from walks within the woodland and on the beach. The delicate flowers include sea sandwort and the brightly coloured bloody cranes bill.

Bloody cranes bill (top), sea sandwort

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winds can whip the sea spray up to the cliff tops

Cliffs at Mull of Galloway SAC & SSSI

LIFE ON THE EDGE

High rocky cliffs dominate the western coastline with some of the most dramatic at the Colvend Coast, Balcary Point, Burrow Head and the Mull of Galloway. On these impressive cliffs, the prevailing winds can whip the sea spray up to the cliff tops and the maritime lichens extend far up the cliff face. Below the band of orange lichen a belt of smooth black lichen, resembling a thin layer of dried and cracked crude oil, colonises rocks at the high water mark and in the splash zone. The cliffs mostly consist of twisted and folded greywacke, a hard sedimentary stone that provides a mixture of bare narrow ledges and wider vegetated platforms. These natural rock gardens have typical maritime plants such as the surprisingly hardy harebell as well as the tough thrift, sea plantain and English stone crop. On the cliff tops at the Mull of Galloway and Luce Bay rare maritime heath supports a wide range of small birds including scarce twite, linnet and wheatear. This habitat is very vulnerable to overgrazing, but at the Mull of Galloway the RSPB reserve is managed to preserve it.
Harebell

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in early summer the cliffs belong to them

Gannets at Scare rocks SSSI / Luce Bay and Sands SAC

STANDING ROOM ONLY

Most of our sea birds spend the majority of their lives wandering the open seas and oceans in search of food but in early summer the cliffs belong to them. Thousands of seabirds return to lay their eggs and rear their young, although they remain dependent on a healthy marine environment for their food. Different birds have different nesting requirements and at the Mull of Galloway fulmars can be seen nesting near the top of the cliff on vegetated ledges or hollows, while guillemots jostle on narrow cliff ledges in the middle section of the cliff. Razorbills and black guillemots seek out small caves and crevices in the cliff face and shags use exposed ledges and boulders at the base of the cliff. Graceful gannets were first recorded on Scare Rocks, in the middle of Luce Bay, in 1883 and have since steadily increased to over 2,000 pairs. Travelling far and wide from their breeding colonies to feed, they hunt by plunge diving and can be seen from many cliff top vantage points on the Rhins. Looking out to sea from the Rhins in summer, it is often possible to see large numbers of Manx shearwaters, skimming the waves at breathtaking speed in search of food.

Gannets (top), guillemots

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a chance for deep rooted plants to colonise

Boulders on beach at Ravenshall Wood SSSI

FROM BOULDERS TO SAND

Sand and shingle beaches occur at Rockcliffe, Luce Bay and many other places along the Solway Coast and range from beaches of large boulders to soft sands. Water quickly drains away from the gaps between boulders and pebbles but where shingle is no longer moved around by the sea there is a chance for deep rooted plants to colonise. Sea-kale and oysterplant can be found growing on this mobile and inhospitable surface. While the weathering and fragmentation of rocks contributes to the build up of shingle and sand beaches in some places, shells also accumulate as a white gravel. Sea shells on the beach are evidence of the varied habitats below the water. Some creatures such as the burrowing heart urchin or sea potato like to live among coarse sand grains and its fragile cast can often be found amongst a wide variety of seashells washed up on the beach. A small hole through a shell is the gory evidence of the handy work of the carnivorous necklace shell. It bores a neat hole through the shell of its victim to reach the flesh inside. The name refers to the sandy eggcollars which are laid by the necklace shell.
Sea-kale (top), sea shells

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brash arrangement of eye-catching stripes

Ringed plover at Rockcliffe National Trust for Scotland in the East Stewarty NSA

CAMOUFLAGED
While many waders migrate inland to breed, some birds choose to nest on the shoreline. The ringed plover, oystercatcher and sandwich tern all make their nests in the sand and shingle near the high water line. Laid directly onto the ground in the barest of shallow scrapes, the eggs are covered with irregular streaks and blotches that break up the tell-tale outline of the egg and allow it to merge with the sand, shingle and shells. When they hatch, the chicks are also coloured to fit in with the background and leave the nest site immediately. At a call from a parent they lie down and freeze to resemble a rock or stone. However, these birds are sensitive to disturbance and care should be taken to avoid places like Rough Island at Rockcliffe and the shingle spit at the Wig at Loch Ryan in the breeding season of May, June and July. The ringed plovers plumage is boldly patterned and seems to be an unmistakable brash arrangement of eye-catching stripes, bars and areas of solid colour. Throughout most of the year they are easy to spot feeding on the mudflats but during the breeding season it is a different story. The birds nest on the ground on stony, broken terrain. Trying to pick out an incubating adult among a kaleidoscope of pebbles, or against a rock-strewn sandy beach the same colour as the birds upperparts, can be nearly impossible.

Sandwich tern nest

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bursting with life

Rockpools are found at Borgue Coast SSSI

STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Rocky shores are to be found in many places between the Colvend Coast and the Rhins. Rock pools develop wherever sea water remains trapped in crevices or depressions after the tide recedes and its size and location on the beach dictate the variety of inhabitants that can be found within. Despite being exposed to extremes of weather and wide fluctuations in salinity and temperature, rock pools are often bursting with life. The turmoil caused by the waves of the incoming tide provides a fresh supply of water borne plankton for acorn barnacles and bright red sea anemones and also sustains the intertidal algae on which limpets and periwinkles graze. Extensive reefs of honeycomb worm occur on rocky outcrops low down on sandy beaches. The worms emerge from their tubes of sand to feed when the sea submerges the reef.

Orroland, near Kirkcudbright (top), honeycomb worm

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the male crab claims his prize

Shore crabs at Abbey Burnfoot to Balcary Point SSSI

TRICKY MANOEUVRES
Shore crabs are a common find in a rock pool or running along the shoreline and most places along the Solway Coast. The shell it wears is both protection and an external skeleton for the animal living within. Eventually, the crab outgrows its suit of armour and forms a new shell under the old one. The crab forces the old shell off and after the moult it is soft and vulnerable to predators but over the next few days it hardens enough for it to start moving around with renewed confidence. Mating can only occur when the female crab is in the soft stage of the moult cycle. When the time is right she makes sure all the potential fathers in the neighbourhood know she is ready, by pumping out her very own love potion into the water so they can search her out. In most cases she will not be quite ready to moult and so the male crab claims his prize and carries the female, right way up, under his body, protecting her from danger and warding off other potential fathers. When the female shore crab moults, the male carefully turns her over to mate. He then continues to carry her in this position guarding her until the new shell hardens sufficiently for the female crab to be able look after herself.
Crab shell

Solway Firth Special Area of Conservation

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Designated Sites on the North Solway Coast

Luce Bay and Sands Special Area of Conservation Mull of Galloway Special Area of Conservation Upper Solway Flats & Marshes Special Protection Area Nith Estuary National Scenic Area East Stewartry Coast National Scenic Area Fleet Valley National Scenic Area Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve Upper Solway Flats & Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest Royal Ordnance Powfoot Site of Special Scientific Interest Port OWarren Site of Special Scientific Interest Auchencairn & Orchardton Bays Site of Special Scientific Interest Abbey Burn Foot to Balcary Point Site of Special Scientific Interest Torrs Warren to Masons Walk Site of Special Scientific Interest Shoulder OCraig Site of Special Scientific Interest Borgue Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest Ravenshall Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest Cree Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest Cruggleton Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest Isle of Whithorn Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest Back Bay to Cairghidown Site of Special Scientific Interest Torrs Warren Luce Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest Scare Rocks Site of Special Scientific Interest Mull of Galloway Site of Special Scientific Interest Pot Logan Site of Special Scientific Interest Grennan Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest Morroch Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest Salt Pans Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest Corsewall Point to Milleur Point Site of Special Scientific Interest