Acronyms

Acronym

Description

JNCC

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

MCZ

Marine Conservation Zone

MPA

Marine Protected Area

N/A

Not Applicable

RSPB

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

SAC

Special Area of Conservation

SACO

Supplementary Advice on Conservation Objectives

SCM

Site Condition Monitoring

SMP

Seabird Monitoring Programme

SPA

Special Protection Area

SSSI

Site of Special Scientific Interest

UK

United Kingdom

Units

Unit

Description

%

Percentage

ha

Hectares

km

Kilometres (distance)

km2

Square Kilometres

m

Metres (distance)

nm

Nautical mile (distance)

 

1.1. Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA

1.1.1.    Site Overview

  1. The Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex Special Protection Area (SPA) is a large estuarine/marine site off the south-east coast of Scotland. It stretches from Arbroath in the north to St. Abb’s Head in the south and encompasses the Firth of Forth, the outer Firth of Tay and St. Andrews Bay, as well as offshore waters to the east of the Isle of May. It covers an area of c. 2,721 km2, extends offshore beyond 12 nm and complements adjacent SPAs, such as the Firth of Forth SPA, the Forth Islands SPA, the Imperial Lock Dock SPA and the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary SPA.
  2. The firths, inlets and sandy bays are used by seabirds and waterbirds to feed, moult, rest and roost, attracting one of the largest and most diverse marine bird concentrations in Scotland. They lie close to the nesting sites of a large number of birds breeding in the area during the summer season. During this time, the SPA provides feeding grounds for thousands of gannets (Morus bassanus), kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), puffins (Fratercula arctica) and the largest concentration of common terns (Sterna hirundo) in Scotland.
  1. The SPA is also an important refuge for birds which have migrated thousands of miles from their breeding grounds in northern Europe and western Siberia to spend the winter in the area. During this time of the year, the site supports more than 35% of the British wintering populations of eider (Somateria mollissima) and over 23% of the British wintering populations of velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca), along with the largest Scottish concentrations of red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) and little gull (Larus minutus).
  2. Key literature sources include:
  • Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA - NatureScot and JNCC Conservation Advice for Marine Protected Areas (NatureScot and JNCC 2022)
  • Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA - Citation (NatureScot 2020a);
  • Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA – Conservation Objectives (NatureScot 2021a);
  • Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA Natura 2000 - Standard Data Form (JNCC 2020a); and
  • Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA - Site Details (JNCC 2020b).

1.1.2.    Qualifying Features

  1. The site is designated for the following features:
  • Red-throated diver (non-breeding)
  • Slavonian grebe (non-breeding) Podiceps auritus
  • Eider (non-breeding)
  • Long-tailed duck (non-breeding) Clangula hyemalis
  • Common scoter (non-breeding) Melanitta nigra
  • Velvet scoter (non-breeding)
  • Goldeneye (non-breeding) Bucephala clangula
  • Red-breasted merganser (non-breeding) Mergus serrator
  • Arctic tern (breeding) Sterna paradisaea
  • Common tern
  • Shag Gulosus aristotelis
  • Gannet (breeding)
  • Puffin (breeding)
  • Kittiwake (breeding and non-breeding) Rissa tridacyla
  • Manx shearwater (breeding) Puffinus puffinus
  • Guillemot (breeding and non-breeding) Uria aalge
  • Razorbill (non-breeding) Alca torda
  • Herring gull (breeding and non-breeding) Larus argentatus
  • Little gull (non-breeding)
  • Black-headed gull (non-breeding) Chroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Common gull (non-breeding) Larus canus
  • Breeding seabird assemblage
  • Non-breeding seabird assemblage
  • Non-breeding waterfowl assemblage

1.1.3.    The Characteristics of the Site

  1. The Firth of Forth, along with the Firth of Tay, is a major geomorphic feature formed at the end of the last glaciation. The mid Firth of Forth holds a belt of mud-rich sediments whilst along the shores sandy gravels and shell material prevail. As the estuary widens towards the outer firth, there are extensive areas of sandy and gravelly muds and fine sediments. In contrast, St. Andrew’s Bay contains clean sands and gravel with only small areas of muddy sediments. Further offshore the seabed consists of muddy sand carried out of the estuaries, as well as gravelly sand and clean shell sand.
  2. The area supports a wide variety of pelagic and demersal fish, including lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus), and crustaceans, molluscs and marine worms. The large range of prey species available for seabirds and waterbirds in shallow and sheltered waters is reflected in the diversity of bird species using the area throughout the year.

1.1.4.    Conservation Advice

  1. Advice on the management and operations of Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA can be found in the Conservation and Management Advice document for the site (NatureScot and JNCC 2022).
  2. The conservation objectives for the site are:
  • To ensure that the qualifying features of the Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA are in favourable condition and make an appropriate contribution to achieving Favourable Conservation Status.
  • To ensure that the integrity of the Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA is restored in the context of environmental changes by meeting the following objectives for each qualifying feature:
  • The populations of qualifying features are viable components of the site.
  • The distributions of the qualifying features throughout the site are maintained by avoiding significant disturbance of the species.
  • The supporting habitats and processes relevant to the qualifying features and their prey/food resources are maintained, or where appropriate restored, at the Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA.

1.1.5.    Current Condition Status

  1. Table 1.1   Open ▸ is based on information presented in NatureScot and JNCC (2022) and provides a summary of the protected features within the site, their condition within the site (where known) based on the latest NatureScot Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) assessment, and the broader conservation status of the protected features. Current trends for relevant seabird colonies can be found in JNCC (2021) and are based on trends derived from the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) including, where available, Seabird Counts census data.
  1. Feature condition refers to the condition of the protected feature at a site level. Broader conservation status is the overall conservation status of the feature within the UK based on Stanbury et al., (2021).

 

Table 1.1:
Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA Feature Condition Assessment

Table 1.1: Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA Feature Condition Assessment


1.2. St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA

1.2.1.    Site Overview

  1. St Abb's Head to Fast Castle SPA comprises an area of sea cliffs and coastal strip stretching over 10 km along the Berwickshire Coast north of the village of St. Abbs. The boundary of the SPA overlaps with that of St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the seaward extension extends approximately 1 km into the marine environment to include the seabed, water column and surface.
  2. Key literature sources include:
  • St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA - Citation (NatureScot, 2009a);
  • St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA - Conservation Objectives (NatureScot, 2009b);
  • St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA - Features (NatureScot, 2014a); and
  • St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA - Natura 2000 Standard Data Form (JNCC, 2022a).

1.2.2.    Qualifying Features

  1. The site is designated for the following features:
  • Breeding seabird assemblage including the following additional named components:
  • Guillemot
  • Razorbill
  • Herring gull
  • Kittiwake
  • Shag

1.2.3.    The Characteristics of the Site

  1. The St Abb’s Head to Fast Caste SPA covers an area of 1736.75 ha in south-eastern Scotland. Most of the site is characterised by marine areas and sea inlets however there are number of other habitat types which make up the rest of the area. These include grassland, steppes, inland water, other land, inland rocks, sands, woodland, heath, scrub and marsh. The ecological important of the site comes from the fact it supports nationally important bird species populations.

1.2.4.    Conservation Advice

  1. Advice on management and operations for St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA is not available.
  1. The conservation objectives for the site are:
  • To avoid deterioration of the habitats of the qualifying species or significant disturbance to the qualifying species, thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained; and
  • To ensure for the qualifying species that the following are maintained in the long term:
  • Population of the species as a viable component of the site
  • Distribution of the species within site
  • Distribution and extent of habitats supporting the species
  • Structure, function and supporting processes of habitats supporting the species
  • No significant disturbance of the species

1.2.5.    Current Condition Status

  1. Table 1.2   Open ▸ provides a summary of the protected features within the site, their condition within the site (where known) based on the latest NatureScot SCM assessment, and the broader conservation status of the protected features. Current trends for relevant seabird colonies can be found in JNCC (2021) and are based on trends derived from the SMP including, where available, Seabird Counts census data.
  2. Feature condition refers to the condition of the protected feature at a site level. Broader conservation status is the overall conservation status of the feature within the UK based on Stanbury et al., (2021).
Table 1.2:
St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA Feature Condition Assessment

Table 1.2: St. Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA Feature Condition Assessment

*Named components of the assemblage only.


1.3. Forth Islands SPA

1.3.1.    Site Overview

  1. Forth Islands SPA consists of a series of islands supporting the main seabird breeding colonies in the Firth of Forth. The islands of Inchmickery, Isle of May, Fidra, The Lamb, Craigleith and Bass Rock were classified on 25 April 1990. The extension to the site, classified on the 16 February 2004 consists of the island of Long Craig, which, at the time of classification, supported the largest colony of roseate tern in Scotland. The seaward extension extends approximately 2 km into the marine environment to include the seabed, water column and surface.
  2. The boundary of the SPA overlaps with the boundaries of the following SSSIs: Long Craig, Inchmickery, Forth Islands, Bass Rock and the Isle of May. A small overlap also occurs with the Firth of Forth SPA.
  3. Key literature sources include:
  • Forth Islands SPA - Citation (NatureScot 2018a);
  • Forth Islands SPA - Conservation Objectives (NatureScot 2018b);
  • Forth Islands SPA - Natura 2000 Standard Data Form (JNCC 2018a); and
  • Forth Islands SPA - Features (NatureScot 2018c).

1.3.2.    Qualifying Features

  1. The site is designated for the following features:
  • Sandwich tern (breeding) Thalasseus sandvicensis
  • Roseate tern (breeding) Sterna dougallii
  • Arctic tern (breeding)
  • Common tern (breeding)
  • Gannet (breeding)
  • Lesser black-backed (breeding) gull Larus fuscus
  • Puffin (breeding)
  • Shag
  • Breeding seabird assemblage including the following additional named components:
  • Guillemot
  • Razorbill
  • Kittiwake
  • Herring gull
  • Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

1.3.3.    The Characteristics of the Site

  1. The Forth Islands SPA covers an area of 9797.01 ha. It consists of several islands split over four separate areas in the Forth estuary. Most of the site is covered by marine areas and sea inlets, however, other environments such as inland water, shingle sea cliffs, steppes and grassland also are present and make up the remaining area. The ecological importance of the site stems from the fact it supports large populations of bird species of European importance and large populations of migratory species of European importance.

1.3.4.    Conservation Advice

  1. Advice on management and operations for Forth Islands SPA is unavailable.
  1. The conservation objectives for the site are:
  • To avoid deterioration of the habitats of the qualifying species or significant disturbance to the qualifying species, thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained; and
  • To ensure for the qualifying species that the following are maintained in the long term:
  • Population of the species as a viable component of the site
  • Distribution of the species within site
  • Distribution and extent of habitats supporting the species
  • Structure, function and supporting processes of habitats supporting the species
  • No significant disturbance of the species

1.3.5.    Current Condition Status

  1. Table 1.3   Open ▸ provides a summary of the protected features within the site, their condition within the site (where known) based on the latest NatureScot SCM assessment, and the broader conservation status of the protected features. Current trends for relevant seabird colonies can be found in JNCC (2021) and are based on trends derived from the SMP including, where available, Seabird Counts census data.
  2. Feature condition refers to the condition of the protected feature at a site level. Broader conservation status is the overall conservation status of the feature within the UK based on Stanbury et al., (2021).
Table 1.3:
Forth Islands SPA Feature Condition Assessment

Table 1.3: Forth Islands SPA Feature Condition Assessment

*Named components of the assemblage only.


1.4. Fowlsheugh SPA

1.4.1.    Site Overview

  1. Fowlsheugh SPA, located 4 km south of Stonehaven on the east coast of Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland, is a 10.15 ha stretch of sheer cliffs, between 30 m and 60 m high, cut mostly from basalt and conglomerate rocks of Old Red Sandstone age.
  2. The boundary of the SPA overlaps with the boundaries of Fowlsheugh SSSI. The seaward extension extends 2 km into the marine environment and includes the seabed, water column and surface.
  3. Key literature sources include:
  • Fowlsheugh SPA - Citation (NatureScot 2009c);
  • Fowlsheugh SPA - Conservation Objectives (NatureScot 2009c);
  • Fowlsheugh SPA - Natura 2000 Standard Data Form (JNCC 2022b); and
  • Fowlsheugh SPA - Features (NatureScot 2009e).

1.4.2.    Qualifying Features

  1. The site is designated for the following features:
  • Breeding seabird assemblage including the following additional named components:
  • Guillemot
  • Kittiwake
  • Razorbill
  • Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
  • Herring gull

1.4.3.    The Characteristics of the Site

  1. The Fowlsheugh SPA covers an area of 1303.23 ha just south of Stonehaven on the Aberdeenshire coast. The majority of the site is characterised by marine areas and sea inlets however small areas of shingle, sea cliffs and Islets exist. There is also a small amount of humid and mesophile grassland. The ecological importance of the site comes from its large migratory bird populations.

1.4.4.    Conservation Advice

  1. Advice on management and operations of Fowlsheugh SPA is unavailable.
  1. The conservation objectives for the site are:
  • To avoid deterioration of the habitats of the qualifying species or significant disturbance to the qualifying species, thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained; and
  • To ensure for the qualifying species that the following are maintained in the long term:
  • Population of the species as a viable component of the site
  • Distribution of the species within site
  • Distribution and extent of habitats supporting the species
  • Structure, function and supporting processes of habitats supporting the species
  • No significant disturbance of the species

1.4.5.    Current Condition Status

  1. Table 1.4   Open ▸ provides a summary of the protected features within the site, their condition within the site (where known) based on the latest NatureScot SCM assessment, and the broader conservation status of the protected features. Current trends for relevant seabird colonies can be found in JNCC (2021) and are based on trends derived from the SMP including, where available, Seabird Counts census data.
  2. Feature condition refers to the condition of the protected feature at a site level. Broader conservation status is the overall conservation status of the feature within the UK based on Stanbury et al., (2021).
Table 1.4:
Fowlsheugh SPA Feature Condition Assessment

Table 1.4: Fowlsheugh SPA Feature Condition Assessment

*Named components of the assemblage only.


1.5. Farne Islands SPA

1.5.1.    Site Overview

  1. The Farne Islands SPA was first classified in 1985 for nesting Arctic, common, roseate, and Sandwich terns, as well as breeding guillemot.
  2. The SPA designation also includes a breeding seabird assemblage which includes kittiwake, shag, cormorant, puffin and guillemot as named components, plus the terns described above. Eider also nest on Inner Farne although they are not present in significant numbers to constitute as part of the SPA designation. Birds from the islands forage in the surrounding waters, and these are now protected through the Northumberland Marine SPA.
  3. The Farne Islands SPA is managed by the National Trust who have permanent rangers stationed on the main island, they monitor bird activity and help manage visitors as these islands are visited regularly by tourists on boat trips. A voluntary code of conduct is in place for recreational boat users using the area with a management plan in order to manage visitors.
  4. Key literature sources include:
  • Farne Islands SPA - Site Details (Natural England 2017a);
  • Farne Islands - Conservation Objectives (Natural England 2019a);
  • Farne Islands SPA - Citation (Natural England 2017b);
  • Farne Islands SPA - Natura 2000 Standard Data Form (JNCC 2018b);
  • Farne Islands SPA - Supplementary Advice on Conservation Objectives (SACOs; Natural England 2019b); and
  • Farne Islands SPA – Advice on Operations (Natural England 2022).

1.5.2.    Qualifying Features

  1. The site is designated for the following features:
  • Sandwich tern
  • Roseate tern
  • Common tern
  • Arctic tern
  • Guillemot (breeding)
  • Breeding seabird assemblage including the following additional named components:
  • Kittiwake
  • Shag
  • Cormorant
  • Puffin
    1. In addition, a number of additional named components have been identified by Natural England in their scoping representation of 07 December 2021 which are not currently listed in the Farne Islands SPA citation. These are:
  • Fulmar
  • Black-headed gull
  • Great black-backed gull Larus marinus
  • Lesser black-backed gull
  • Herring gull
  • Razorbill.

1.5.3.    The Characteristics of the Site

  1. The Farne Islands are a group of rocky Islands stretching from between 2.4 to 7.6 km offshore. The islands are rocky plateaus formed from Whin Sill rock, the total area of all the islands is 101ha consisting of 15 – 20 islands depending on tide, they are split into the Inner Farnes and the Outer Farnes. The botanical interest is limited but the islands are famous as a breeding ground for grey seal and as a seabird nesting colony.