Quarry Wood

Also within

Moray County

Condition (NatureScot)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry

Description

Quarry Wood Quarry Wood is located on the western outskirts of Elgin and is one of the best examples of oak woodland in Moray and the lowest altitude example in north-east Scotland. The wood is ancient with a recorded history extending to at least the eighteenth century. The woodland is predominantly composed of sessile oak Quercus petraea with some birch (Betula species) and Scots pine Pinus sylvestris with a locally well-developed shrub layer of holly Ilex aquifolium and juniper Juniperus communis. The field layer of much of the woodland reflects the strongly acidic sandy soils. Ling heather Calluna vulgaris and blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus are dominant with species such as common cow wheat Melampyrum pratense, chickweed wintergreen Trientalis europaea and a variety of bryophytes. Elsewhere, on the less-acidic brown earths, the field layer is dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum and greater woodrush Luzula sylvatica with wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum and bramble Rubus fruticosus. Species such as woodruff Galium odoratum and bugle Ajuga reptans occur on pockets of richer soil.

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.

Plant communities