Coastal Vegetated Shingle - Inverallochy and Peterhead

Some of the more extensive coastal vegetated shingle (CVS) sites along the east coast are further north, such as at Inverallochy/ Cairnbulg and Peterhead (Fig. 1 & 2). A large component of these sites is bare large shingle on the seaward side. Thin, broken strandline vegetation and smaller areas of Festuca grassland characterises the vegetation at these sites (Murdock et al, 2014). 

Vegetation at these fringing beach sites is varied, with species such as red fescue (Festuca rubra), yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus) and false oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) recorded. Other species recorded in association include ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and thrift (Armeria maritima). There are a few climate change indicator species recorded at one of the Cairnbulg sites: sea kale (Crambe maritima), scots lovage (Ligusticum scoticum) and wild radish (Raphanus raphinistrum) (Murdock et al, 2014). Changes in the abundance and distribution of these plant species can give a idea of how climate change may be affecting the habitat over time.

Factors impacting sites:
These sites are all adjacent to built up areas and experience some littering and fly-tipping such as garden waste, rubble, wood waste and sub-soil (Murdock et al, 2014). This dumping of rubbish could have an impact on the assemblage of plant species present in the soil, with garden waste potentially introducing invasive plant species to the sites.

There is little ability for natural movement and dynamics for these shingle sites. Constraints come from the human settlements and artificial surfacing, and also artificial sea defences such as concrete blocks (Murdock et al, 2014).

Conservation designations:
The sites at Inverallochy/Cairnbulg are located within two conservation designations: Cairnbulg to St Combs Coast SSSI and Cairnbulg and St Combs Coast Geological Conservation Review site (GCR no. 2488). Both of these designations are for the presence of Dalradian rock (fig. 3) (NatureScot, 1989; JNCC, 2024).

The Peterhead site is not covered under any designations.