Morrich More
Encyclopedia
Morrich More is an extensive area of dune
grassland with wetland communities, on the southern shore of the Dornoch Firth
, Scotland
.
Morrich More lies east of Tain
, on the southern shore of the Dornoch Firth
, Scotland
. Offshore lie extensive areas of intertidal sandflat, including the tidal island
of Innis Mhòr
and the sand spit
Paterson Island which provide shelter. The area includes the most extensive area (260 hectares (1 sq mi)) of salt marsh
in the Highlands.
and forms part a Special Area of Conservation
with Dornoch Firth
.
Morrich More falls within the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet
Special Protection Area
, one of the best examples of a large complex estuary in northwest Europe, relatively unaffected by industrial development. Extensive sand-flats and mud-flats are backed by salt marsh and sand dunes with transitions to dune heath and Alder (Alnus glutinosa) woodland. The tidal flats support internationally important numbers of waterbirds on migration and in winter, and are the most northerly and substantial extent of intertidal habitat for wintering waterbirds in Europe.
The area is described as:
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
grassland with wetland communities, on the southern shore of the Dornoch Firth
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Morrich More lies east of Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, on the southern shore of the Dornoch Firth
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Offshore lie extensive areas of intertidal sandflat, including the tidal island
Tidal island
A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont Saint Michel with its...
of Innis Mhòr
Innis Mhòr
Innis Mhòr is a tidal island in the Dornoch Firth of Easter Ross off the east coast of Scotland. It is about in extent and is largely, if not exclusively made up of moving sand dunes. No point on the island is greater than above sea level. It has almost certainly never been permanently inhabited...
and the sand spit
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
Paterson Island which provide shelter. The area includes the most extensive area (260 hectares (1 sq mi)) of salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
in the Highlands.
Designations
Morrich More is a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and forms part a Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
with Dornoch Firth
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north....
.
Morrich More falls within the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet
Loch Fleet
Loch Fleet is a sea loch on the east coast of Scotland, located between Golspie and Dornoch. It forms the estuary of the River Fleet, a small spate river that rises in the hills east of Lairg.-Geography and geology:...
Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
, one of the best examples of a large complex estuary in northwest Europe, relatively unaffected by industrial development. Extensive sand-flats and mud-flats are backed by salt marsh and sand dunes with transitions to dune heath and Alder (Alnus glutinosa) woodland. The tidal flats support internationally important numbers of waterbirds on migration and in winter, and are the most northerly and substantial extent of intertidal habitat for wintering waterbirds in Europe.
The area is described as: