Glen Barisdale
Also within
Inverness CountyRoss and Cromarty County Knoydart Scenic Area 18. Kinlochhourn - Knoydart - Morar Wild Land Area
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Lichen assemblage | Unfavourable Declining | — | 2013-07-30 |
| F2 | Native pinewood | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2009-09-29 |
| F3 | Upland birch woodland | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2005-03-31 |
Description
GLEN BARISDALE Glen Barisdale Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies at the eastern end of the Knoydart peninsula, in remote ground between Loch Hourn and Loch Quoich. It encompasses the Glen Barisdale pinewood, an example of a Western oceanic native pinewood which supports an epiphytic lichen flora of national importance, and adjacent birchwood Betula spp. Glen Barisdale pinewood is the most extensive remnant of a large wood which in the past spread over both Barisdale and the slopes above Loch Hourn. Most of the site comprises a fairly open Scots pine wood with birch over a sparse understorey of old, tall juniper Juniperus communis with scattered holly and rowan. Much of the pine is 150 -200 years old and heavy grazing has prevented regeneration over many decades, except on protected rock faces. Upslope of the pine lies a zone of acid birch woodland. The pinewood supports the best known example of a pinewood epiphytic lichen flora assemblage of the Western oceanic type. The climate allows the existence of species for which the northern limits had previously been thought to be in South West Ireland. Notable components of the assemblage include the following species: Cavernularia hultenii, Graphina ruiziana and Pyrenula dertmatoides.
Species mentioned
Show the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| powdered honeycomb lichen | Cavernularia hultenii | Not listed in GB list | lichen | no common name |
| no common name | Graphina ruiziana | Not listed in GB list | lichen | no common name |
| juniper | Juniperus communis | CR | shrub | cupressaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Juniper pug Eupithecia pusillata |
Vulnerable | Juniperus communis, Juniperus spp. |
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.