Tilliefoure Wood

Also within

Aberdeenshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Tilliefoure Wood Tilliefoure Wood is located on the slopes of Tillybrack (197m), above the banks of the River Don, 13 km downstream of Alford. It is predominately an oak wood, one of the more extensive examples in Aberdeenshire. The wood is ancient with a recorded history dating back to at least the 18th century. The oak woodland grades into birch woodland on the northern and eastern margins of the site and pine woodland on Tillybrack. The oaks, mainly pedunculate oak Quercus robur, are mature and well spaced. The shrub layer is not well developed but holly Ilex aquifolium is widely scattered and hazel Corylus avellana is locally frequent on the lower slopes. The field layer is generally dominated by creeping soft grass Holcus mollis with widespread wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, greater stitchwort Stellaria holostea, pignut Conopodium majus, primrose Primula vulgaris, chickweed wintergreen Trientalis europaea and hard fern Blechnum spicant. Wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, common dog violet Viola riviniana, yellow pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum, bugle Ajuga reptans and sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum are locally frequent on the lower slopes. Bracken Pteridium aquilinum is locally dominant in patches on the middle slopes. On Tillybrack, Scot’s pine Pinus sylvestris is locally abundant and the field layer is dominated by blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus and cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea with ling heather Calluna vulgaris in more open areas.

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