Migdale Rock

Also within

Sutherland County Dornoch Firth Scenic Area

Condition (NatureScot)

Description

Migdale Rock Migdale Rock Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located near Spinningdale, north of the Dornoch Firth in the east of Sutherland. The rocky slopes carry an interesting variety of nationally scarce or rare flowering plants. Both the flowering plants and the pinewoods on the lower slopes are of national importance. Woodlands This pinewood is one of the most northerly in Britain. Although some of the mature Scots pine Pinus sylvestris has been planted, some may be natural. Birch Betula pubescens is locally dominant, with aspen Populus tremula, oak Quercus sp and rowan Sorbus aucuparia, while juniper Juniperus communis is frequent below the crags. The characteristic pinewood ground flora comprises mainly heather Calluna vulgaris and blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus, with cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea, lesser twayblade Neottia cordata and creeping lady’s-tresses Goodyera repens. Mosses are locally rich within the ground layer, along with localised patches of primrose Primula vulgaris, bugle Ajuga reptans and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Vascular plants (flowering plants) The nationally scarce pyramidal bugle Ajuga pyramidalis and creeping lady’s-tresses and the nationally rare rock cinquefoil Potentilla rupestris grow on this site. Pyramidal bugle and rock cinquefoil are found on the upper rocky woodland slopes and steep crags. Creeping lady’s tresses is distributed widely throughout the pine woodland ground flora.

Species mentioned

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.

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.