Airhouse Wood
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Upland oak woodland | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2009-08-12 |
Habitats
Description
AIRHOUSE WOOD Airhouse Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located to the west of the A68 and village of Oxton, north of Lauder. It is one of the few relatively large examples of ancient woodland sites in the Borders, and one of only two known indigenous woodlands in the area. The site comprises relic birch/oak woodland with hazel and juniper and characteristic ground flora of local distribution in the Borders including great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica, herb robert Geranium robertianum, wood sage Teucrium scorodonia, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa and fern species. The majority of this open woodland consists of scattered birch trees with a few hazel interspersed. The steeper slopes down towards the Mountmill Burn, which borders the site, have denser tree cover of hazel, plus some ash and rowan with typical ground flora.
Species mentioned
Show the 4 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| herb Robert | Geranium robertianum | LC | herb | geraniaceae |
| wood sage | Teucrium scorodonia | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| great wood rush | Luzula sylvatica | LC | rush | juncaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Teucrium scorodonia |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.