St Cyrus National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Situated at the mouth of the River North Esk, the natural barriers of inland cliffs and sand dunes protect the grasslands of the St Cyrus NNR from the weather, creating an oasis of warmth on the Aberdeenshire coast. More than 300 different plant species are recorded here with many, such as the delicate pink flowers of night-scented Nottingham catchfly, at their northern limit.Others such as clustered bellflower,meadow saxifrage and hairy violet are more common on chalk and limestone soils in southern and eastern England, but they grow here thanks to the fertile volcanic soils. The abundance of plants encourages insects, including all four of Scotland’s grasshopper species, and in their turn they attract large numbers of insect-eating birds, such as stonechats, yellowhammers and whitethroats. Common lizards can also frequently be seen basking among the sand dunes.

Location

Bush

About the area

Visitors to Aberdeenshire with any kind of interest in history are in for a treat. There are more castles to the acre in Aberdeenshire than anywhere else in Britain.

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St Cyrus National Nature Reserve

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St Cyrus National Nature Reserve

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