Machair is a unique flower-rich grassland bursting with red clover, bird’s-foot-trefoil, oxeye daisies and marsh orchids that provides a haven for other wildlife. Found only on exposed west-facing shores in the north and west of Scotland and western Ireland , it occurs nowhere else on the planet and Europe’s rarest habitat. Its existence depends on a particular mix of features – low-lying coastline, sand partly made from shell fragments, exposure to strong winds, just the right level of rainfall and the impact of people and their grazing animals.
But it’s a sensitive landscape, under threat from the impacts of climate change and land management methods, and needs careful handling. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) , the country’s biggest conservation charity, is on a mission to help. The organisation has just unveiled its latest Plan for Nature , which sets out its aims for protecting wildlife and boosting biodiversity across its sites.
The NTS cares for more than 76,000 hectares of Scotland’s countryside, including islands, coastlines, mountains and forests. Machair is just one of six key habitats and 26 species which have been prioritised for special care and attention at its properties over the coming decades. Jeff Waddell, head of nature conservation for the NTS, said: “We’ve focused on these habitats and species because they represent the best of Scotland’s nature and offer the most important opportunities in our collective actions against biodiversity-loss and climate change.
“Nature needs to be protected now more than ever, not just because it is in alarming decline, but because of the positive impacts we all know that nature has upon our well-being and changing climate. “Saving nature brings many benefits. That is why we’ve created this comprehensive plan that explains how the National Trust for Scotland will help nature to thrive in the years ahead.
“What we’ve set out to do is highlight the habitats where we can make the biggest impact and the species which we see as most important, based on the many special places in our care. We’re aiming to care for the best of Scotland’s nature for everyone to enjoy.” The other five habitats on the priority list are mountain willow scrub, seabird cliffs and islands, wood pasture and parkland, native pinewoods and upland heath.
A wide range of rare and important birds, insects, plants and trees and a fish have been named in its list of 26 focus species for conservation work. Among them are: hen harriers, the most persecuted bird of prey; slender Scotch burnet moths, found only in Scotland; vendace, the UK’s rarest freshwater fish; and Arran whitebeams, trees which grow only on the island. “From the incredible seabird colonies of St Kilda to several of the highest mountains in Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland cares for much more nature than many people realise,” Mr Waddell said.
“For decades our charity has been leading the way in key areas of Scottish nature conservation, carrying out pioneering work to regenerate and restore habitats long before the climate or nature crises were on the agenda. “Our work on mountain willows at Ben Lawers, Caledonian pinewoods at Mar Lodge Estate or peatbog restoration on Ben Lomond are just some examples of that. “Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage is held, rightly, in high regard.
We want to ensure that all the work that our nature conservation experts do all over the country plays its part in protecting the very qualities that make Scotland so special.” 1 . St Kilda The National Trust for Scotland has identified six important habitats to get special conservation attention on the 76,000 hectares of Scotland’s countryside it manages – sites include islands such as St Kilda as well as coastlines, mountains and forests Photo: Brian W Matthews 2 .
Puffin Puffins are one of the most distinctive and best-loved of Scotland’s seabirds, but numbers are declining. The species will benefit from a focus on boosting habitats under the NTS's work on cliffs and islands in its care which support important seabird colonies – locations include Staffa, which holds a significant colony Photo: NTS 3 . Drooping saxifrage Drooping saxifrage, found on Ben Lawers, is one of the mountain plants struggling to survive warming temperatures brought in by climate change and at risk of vanishing completely as it retreats upwards in searrch of cooler climes.
It is the first vascular plant – a grouping that includes flowering plants and ferns – to become endangered due to climate change Photo: NTS 4 . Great skua Great skuas, which breed on St Kilda, are one of the Scottish seabirds species hardest hit by the avian flu pandemic. Scotland hosts a large share of the global population so ensuring their survival is crucial -- the NTS is increasing its monitoring of the birds to understand how they are faring and discover whether immunity to the disease is developing Photo: PA.
