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Trotternish Ridge


The north-eastern peninsula on the Isle of Skye is dominated by a long ridge of hills of which there are 13 named summits; this is known as “Trotternish Ridge”. The highest point is “Storr” standing at 719m above sea level. Trotternish Ridge is an area of unique scenery with outstanding views; the chaotic landscape caused by past landslides is ever popular with hill walkers and hikers.

The steep slopes which make up the ridge support large areas of rare species-rich Nardus grassland with areas of fry heath and alkaline fen; several nationally scarce species can be found here, as well as Iceland purslane which is extremely rare in the UK and Ireland and can only be found at three known locations, all of which are in Scotland.

Trotternish Ridge

CANN Works

Over the lifespan of the project, the CANN team will be working on producing a Conservation Action Plan for the Trotternish Ridge, and generating an up-to-date habitat map for the site. These documents will both be used to inform conservation decisions and management strategies, with an overall aim to guide the site towards a favourable conservation status.

Species

Iceland purslane is one of the smallest terrestrial flowering plants, and is extremely rare within the UK. With small round leaves and a reddish-brown stem, they are one of three important additions to montane flora in the UK which were made in the 1950s. Their flowering period is commonly during July and August, and depending on the annual conditions can last into September. During the autumn the whole plant takes on a red tinge. They are very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular rising temperatures and the drying out of their habitat.
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