Craigdilly

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.4743, -3.2937

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Scrub Favourable 2009-12-18

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

CRAIGDILLY Craigdilly Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is situated on a north-west facing steep slope adjacent to Megget Reservoir near the Yarrow Valley. The site is notified for its well structured sub-montane scrub, one of the few remaining fragments of this habitat type in the entire Scottish Borders. The sub-montane scrub occurs here on an open hillside as opposed to cliff and cleuch woodlands. Its range of community types from dry to flushed and strongly acid to mildly basic upland grass-heath and woodland hold a variety of flowering plants with species diversity well above that of other scrub habitats at similar altitude in the area. In total more than 140 species occur. The relic woodland is dominated by eared willow Salix aurita and by grey willow Salix cinerea scrub with rowan Sorbus aucuparia, birch Betula spp with occasional hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, blackthorn Prunus spinosa and hazel Corylus avellana. Outside the woodland occasional birch, rowan and willow trees are regenerating in the mixed heather and blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus heath.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae
billberry Vaccinium myrtillus LC shrub ericaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
rowan Sorbus aucuparia LC tree rosaceae
eared willow Salix aurita LC tree shrub salicaceae
grey willow Salix cinerea LC tree shrub salicaceae

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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Speckled footman
Coscinia cribraria
Critically Endangered Vaccinium myrtillus
Figure of eight
Diloba caeruleocephala
Endangered Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp.
The lappet
Gastropacha quercifolia
Endangered Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Salix spp.
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Salix spp.
Black hairstreak
Satyrium pruni
Endangered Prunus spinosa
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Crataegus spp.
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Salix spp.
Broom moth
Ceramica pisi
Vulnerable Vaccinium myrtillus
Scarce chocolate-tip
Clostera anachoreta
Vulnerable Salix cinerea, Salix spp.
Mottled umber
Erannis defoliaria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Salix spp., Sorbus aucuparia, Vaccinium myrtillus
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Salix spp.
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Salix spp.
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa
Brown hairstreak
Thecla betulae
Vulnerable Prunus spinosa
Early moth
Theria primaria
Vulnerable Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Vaccinium myrtillus
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Salix spp., Vaccinium myrtillus
Flounced chestnut
Agrochola helvola
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp., Vaccinium myrtillus
Beaded chestnut
Agrochola lychnidis
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp., Vaccinium myrtillus
Grey chi
Antitype chi
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna
Purple emperor
Apatura iris
Near Threatened Salix cinerea
Garden tiger
Arctia caja
Near Threatened Prunus spinosa, Salix aurita, Salix cinerea, Sorbus aucuparia
Minor shoulder-knot
Brachylomia viminalis
Near Threatened Salix aurita, Salix cinerea
The sallow
Cirrhia icteritia
Near Threatened Salix spp.
Rosy marsh moth
Coenophila subrosea
Near Threatened Vaccinium myrtillus
Dingy mocha
Cyclophora pendularia
Near Threatened Salix aurita, Salix cinerea
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Salix spp.
The Silurian
Eriopygodes imbecilla
Near Threatened Vaccinium myrtillus
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Salix spp.
Double dart
Graphiphora augur
Near Threatened Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Salix spp.
Scotch burnet
Zygaena exulans
Near Threatened Vaccinium myrtillus

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.

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 4 species from the description above: Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Salix cinerea

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 2 species from the description above: Salix cinerea, Vaccinium myrtillus

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 2 species from the description above: Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas