Key Biodiversity Areas

Loch Ashie (20809)
United Kingdom, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Loch Ashie
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.3833, Longitude: -4.2815
System: terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 1.62327
Protected area coverage (%): 99.48
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: Loch Ashie is a large, open, mesotrophic loch located south-east of the Great Glen in the Scottish Highlands. Much of the shoreline is stony and exposed, with only small patches of emergent vegetation. Where the shore is more sheltered, small beds of Carex rostrata have developed. The loch is the most important site in Britain for Podiceps auritus gathering during the pre- and post-breeding periods.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Delineation rationale: Formerly part of Loch Ruthven and Nearby Lochs, created in 2000; split into separate IBA in 2007, using SPA boundary. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.

Habitats


IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)100