Tentsmuir
National Nature Reserve (NNR) is located southeast of
Tayport
Tayport, also known as Ferry-Port on Craig, is a town and burgh, and parish, in the county of Fife, Scotland, acting as a commuter town for Dundee. The motto of the Burgh is ''Te oportet alte ferri'' ("It is incumbent on you to carry yourself ...
in
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. The reserve is made up of three parts, encompassing
Morton Lochs, Tentsmuir Point and Tayport Heath, and is managed by
NatureScot
NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...
. The different sections of Tentsmuir NNR were originally designated as separate national nature reserves at different times: the Morton Lochs section was designated in 1952; Tentsmuir Point in 1954; and Tayport Heath in 1988.
[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 22.] While these discrete sections are distant from one another, they form part of the extensive dune system at Tentsmuir, and in 2003 SNH combined the three sites to form Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. The adjoining
Tentsmuir Forest is managed by
Forestry and Land Scotland
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...
and covers most of the land between the three portions of the NNR.
[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 7.]
In October 2020 Tentsmuir was one of the sites used for the filming of the BBC's ''
Autumnwatch
''Springwatch'', ''Autumnwatch'' and ''Winterwatch'', sometimes known collectively as ''The Watches'', are annual BBC television series which chart the fortunes of British wildlife during the changing of the seasons in the United Kingdom. The p ...
'' series, with presenter
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan (born 7 April 1966) is an English television presenter and singer.
Early life
Born in Ewell, Surrey, Strachan grew up in Hinchley Wood and attended Chadsworth Stage School, then Claremont Fan Court School, both in ...
being based at the site for the programme's two week run.
Geomorphology
The dune system at Tentsmuir NNR is highly dynamic, with some areas of the coast experiencing erosion and some areas accumulating sand. Much of the sandbank and mud-flat system, known as the Abertay Sands, which extends eastwards into the North Sea, was formed only in the past 100 years through processes of erosion and deposition.
[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 9.]
Tentsmuir is a key geomorphological site for the study of active beach and coastal processes, in particular those associated with coastal progradation (shoreline building out seawards). The site supports an extensive and relatively undisturbed area of intertidal sand, mudflats and rapidly accreting lime-poor dunes. There are complete sequences of sand dune and slack communities from strandline, saltmarsh, accreting "yellow" dunes, fixed "grey dunes" to lichen rich dune heath, dune slack and dune slack woodland. Associated with these habitats are a large number of plant and invertebrate species including many of national or regional importance.
Flora
The different sections of Tentsmuir NNR support a rich variety of plant species, and 320
vascular plant
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...
species have been recorded at Tentsmuir Point, with over 200 recorded at Morton Lochs. At Morton Lochs,
water plantain
''Alisma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Alismataceae, members of which are commonly known as water-plantains. The genus consists of aquatic plants with leaves either floating or submerged, found in a variety of still water habit ...
,
yellow flag iris,
broad-leaved pondweed and
greater pond sedge are just some of the plants that thrive in the mosaic of habitats in this area.
[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 12.] The wet woodland surrounding Morton Lochs consists mainly of
grey willow Grey willow or gray willow may refer to:
*'' Salix atrocinerea'', a species of willow native to Europe commonly called grey willow
*'' Salix cinerea'', a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia, also occasionally called grey sallow
*''S ...
,
alder
Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
,
hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
and
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
.
[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 11.] Land to the north and east of Morton Lochs displays some of the natural vegetation characteristic of open
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
, despite being planted with forest in 1954.
[
]
Fauna
The sea off the reserve hosts a nationally important colony of common seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, pinniped (walruses ...
s, and Tentsmuir Point provides a haul-out site for grey seal
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
s.[ It is one of the few places where both species can be seen together.][The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 1.] Bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
s are also often seen from the shore at Tentsmuir, and there are less frequent sightings of minke whale
The minke whale (), or lesser rorqual, is a species complex of baleen whale. The two species of minke whale are the common (or northern) minke whale and the Antarctic (or southern) minke whale. The minke whale was first described by the Danish n ...
s and harbour porpoise
The harbour porpoise (''Phocoena phocoena'') is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar ...
s. Otter
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
s have been seen at the Morton Lochs section of the NNR, with the existence of young otters suggesting successful breeding in the area.[
Tentsmuir Point is also renowned as one of the most important sites for migratory ]wader
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
s and wildfowl in Scotland,[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 13.] and the intertidal flats regularly support large concentrations of passing or wintering waterfowl and waders. Three species have been recorded at nationally important numbers (between 2004 and 2009). There were eider
Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilt ...
(11.45% of the UK population), bar-tailed godwit
The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, an ...
(1.93%) and goosander
The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (''Mergus merganser'') is a large seaduck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees.
...
(1.04%).[ The wetland habitat at Morton Lochs also provides a home for birds like the ]water rail
The water rail (''Rallus aquaticus'') is a bird of the Rallidae, rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are bird migration, migratory, but this species is a perma ...
, the little grebe
The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Latin ...
, the tufted duck
The tufted duck or tufted pochard (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird ment ...
and the goldeneye
''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Martin Campbell, it was the first in the ser ...
.[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 16.] Osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
s can also be found at Morton Lochs, as well as the rare marsh harrier
The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. They are medium-sized raptors and the largest and broadest-winged harriers. Most of them are associated with marshland and dense reedbeds. They are found almost worldwide, excluding ...
.[The Story of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve. p. 17.]
Invertebrate fauna in the sand-dune area of Tentsmuir NNR are particularly diverse, with 46 nationally rare or scarce species.[
]
Designations
Tentsmuir national nature reserve is classified as a Category IV protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
. In addition to its NNR status, the reserve forms part of a range of national and international protected areas
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
along the coastline of the Firth of Tay
The Firth of Tay (; gd, Linne Tatha) is a firth on the east coast of Scotland, into which the River Tay (Scotland's largest river in terms of flow) empties. The firth is surrounded by four council areas: Fife, Perth and Kinross, City of Du ...
and the Eden Estuary
The River Eden is a river in Fife in Scotland, and is one of Fife's two principal rivers, along with the Leven. It is nearly long and has a fall of around . It flows from Burnside, near the border with Perth & Kinross, then slowly across the ...
. This wider area is classified as a Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
(SAC), a Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...
(SPA), and a Ramsar Ramsar may refer to:
* Places so named:
** Ramsar, Mazandaran, city in Iran
** Ramsar, Rajasthan, village in India
* Eponyms of the Iranian city:
** Ramsar Convention concerning wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran
** Ramsar site, wetland listed in ...
Wetland of International Importance. The NNR also overlaps with two Sites of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI), with part of the Tentsmuir Coast SSSI and all of Morton Lochs SSSI lying within the reserve.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
{{National Nature Reserves of Scotland
National nature reserves in Scotland
Protected areas of Fife
Ramsar sites in Scotland