Stirling Local Authority Deer Management Statement 2018

Published: 2022
Created: 2018 

 

The Head of the Roads and Land department of Stirling Council is responsible for the governance and monitoring of this Deer Management statement.

Introduction

This statement sets out the current situation with regards to deer populations residing within the bounds of Stirling local authority grounds, the current management within these areas and how these practices may be required to progress in the future. It will summarise the known distribution and abundance of current deer populations, areas where deer are impacting on the environment, the occurrence of deer vehicle collisions and areas where there could be conflicts between deer management and human activities in the future.

Legislation

The inclusion of Section 27 of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 resulted in the introduction of section 5a into the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, which states:

“SNH must draw up a code of practice for the purpose of providing practical guidance in respect of deer management|”

This led to the introduction of the Code of Practice for Deer Management (the Deer Code). The Deer Code places a duty on landowners to manage wild deer sustainably. The Deer Code promotes taking an ecosystem approach to deer management in order to safeguard social and economic needs while maximising ecosystem health. This is based around the principles of Sustainable deer management.

The primary aim of sustainable deer management is to integrate the benefits of an adaptable deer management strategy with the economy, environment, people and communities on the land while upholding deer welfare.

To achieve a sustainable approach in managing wild deer within Stirling Council, a strategy should be developed based on the following specific aims:

• To ensure that the welfare of wild deer is preserved;
  • Planning deer management should prepare to deal with welfare issues as they arise for individual deer as well as the local deer population and should always take account of the impacts of any management activities.
• To contribute to a high quality, robust and adaptable environment;
  • Environmental features should be safeguarded in the management plan from excessive grazing, trampling and browsing, particularly within designated sites and within habitats identified in the Scottish Biodiversity List, in addition to the wider ecosystem.
• To contribute to sustainable economic development;
  • Other economic activities in the area should be taken into consideration when creating a management plan and the negative impacts caused by deer to these activities should be minimised.
• To contribute to social well-being;
  • Managing deer appropriately should reduce the negative impacts of deer on public green spaces and gardens, in addition to reducing the road safety risks presented by deer close to roads.

Development of any deer management plan must maintain compliance with all relevant legislation, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Deer (Scotland) Act 1996
• Firearms Legislation
• Food Hygiene Legislation
• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
• Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011
• Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended)
• The Conservation of Natural Habitats &c. Regulations 1994
• Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011

The Deer Code led to the creation of Public Interest Actions which allow deer managers to demonstrate how they will follow the Deer Code and deliver sustainable deer management. These are addressed in this statement.

Strategy

The overall aim of the deer management statement is to outline a consistent and practical approach to sustainable deer management within Stirling Council. This will provide a baseline from which deer management planning decisions can be made in the future.

With land ownership comes the responsibility to follow The Code of Practice on Deer Management. As such Stirling Council agree to follow the principles of the Deer Code and to put in place actions which will allow them to deliver sustainable deer management. The relevant Principles of the Deer Code and Public Interest Actions are addressed in each section below.

Five hundred and sixty hectares of woodland is owned, or part owned by Stirling Council. This is split across 20 woodland sites, many of which provide habitat for deer. These are currently managed within the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

As part of routine planned management Stirling Council may need to modify the current woodland or parkland management. For example, they may need to fell trees or construct new public amenity buildings. In accordance with The Deer Code, the impact of management changes on deer welfare will be taken into account. In particular, the layout of woodland planting schemes with fencing and buildings.

Deer Presence

Roe deer, red deer, sika and fallow deer have all been recorded within the Stirling Local Authority area on the NBN Atlas Scotland site.  Roe deer are abundant and widely distributed across the region. Likewise, red deer are abundant in the upland areas to the north of the region, with only a small number of sightings scattered across the more southerly lowland areas. In addition to this there is a large population around East Loch Lomond, Aberfoyle and Thornhill and around 2000 deer at Flanders Moss SAC.

A small number of fallow deer have been recorded at Gargunnock and along the edge of Loch Lomond. Sika deer have been recorded at the westerly end of Loch Katrine. Further sightings of sika have occurred between Loch Tay and Killin, Lochearnhead and to the west of Crianlarich. There are no records of them occurring on Council owned or managed land.

In accordance with the Deer Code, the Council will ensure there is a rapid response if a new population of non-native species is recorded. They will also to ensure effective control and eradication measures are carried out. All control will be carried out by a competent stalker. This may be a 3^rd party.

Red deer and roe deer are thought to be the only species present on land managed by Stirling Local Authority and as such no specific measures are currently being considered for sika, fallow or Muntjac.

Roe deer are thought to be found on most of the land managed by Stirling Local Authority. In particular, roe deer are likely to be found in all woodlands and most of the open areas of grassland.

Red deer are thought to occasionally use sites around Callander and it is likely that these deer are moving in from the surrounding upland areas.

Although it is recognised that at high densities, roe deer can limit native woodland regeneration and impact on woodland ground flora, overgrazing has not been identified as a problem for regeneration on sites which are currently monitored. Out with these sites there is currently no monitoring system in place and therefore no current record of deer densities.

Designated Sites

Stirling Council own or co-own 23 designated sites. Of these sites, six Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) contain woodlands that have been recently influenced by deer browsing in a manner which prevents them from attaining favourable condition. These sites are Ben A’an and Brenachoile SSSI, Cambusurich Wood SSSI, Conic Hill SSSI, Glen Falloch Woods SSSI, Mugdock Wood SSSI and Rowardennan Woodlands SSSI. Of these 6 sites only Mugdock Wood SSSI is managed by Stirling Council. The other 5 sites are managed by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Full details of these can be found in Appendix A & B.

The Loch Lomond Woods SAC comprises multiple woodlands within the Loch Lomond catchment area, including ten SSSIs, six of which are covered by Stirling Local Authority. The oak woodland feature of the SAC is currently in unfavourable condition. Practical management is taking place in individual woodlands within the SAC to work towards achieving favourable condition. Movement of red deer, roe deer and feral goats from out-with the SAC highlights the requirement for the SAC to be covered by a Deer Management Plan (DMP) in its entirety; however; as of 2015 there was no DMP in the south-east area of the SAC.

A judgement on how many deer there should be is influenced by the condition of habitats, the deer economy and by the degree of conflict surrounding deer management. Currently there is a lack of deer distribution and abundance data and habitat data.

Stirling Council recognises that although wild deer are an asset which can contribute to social wellbeing, where the density becomes too high there can be a detrimental effect on biodiversity, crops or woodland. At this point it is necessary to reduce deer numbers. In 2013, Stirling Council proposed that deer management was required at the Forthbank loop due to a small number of roe deer being present in an area which where tree planting was planned. Around 9000 trees were initially planted and failed due to poor soil. This resulted in the plan for an additional 21000 trees to be abandoned and therefore no deer culling took place. In addition, it was suggested that deer numbers at Fallin Bing/Wester Moss should not be reduced as the bog would benefit from tree removal.

Council managed land is in close proximity to land managed by members of deer management groups. In particular, around Callander and to the north of the region where ground is managed by members of Glenartney, Balquidder, Inveraray and Tyndrum, Blackmount and South Perthshire deer management groups. To the south of the region deer are managed by members of the Inverclyde and Dumbartonshire and north Lanarkshire lowland deer groups. Stirling Council has previously attended both upland deer management group and Lowland Deer Network meetings. Members of these groups are likely to manage deer populations impacting on SSSI’s. At Cambusurich Woods SSSI Southern Perthshire DMG has implemented a new DMP (2016-2025) which has the potential to influence deer management on this site. In addition to this, the site is currently part of a Deer Management Plan produced by the Cowal and Trossachs District of FES, which aims to reduce grazing to 10% over all of East Loch Lomond through a programme of culling to control deer. Conic Hill and Rowardennan SSSI’s are also currently part of the Cowal and Trossachs District of FES deer plan. Around half of Glen Falloch Woods SSSI lies within the boundary of the Inveraray and Tyndrum Deer Management Group (DMG), with the remainder belonging to Balquhidder DMG. Rangers at Mugdock Country Park have successfully implemented a Deer Management Plan for Mugdock Wood with support from SNH, Forestry Commission Scotland and neighbouring landowners. This includes a culling programme for roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) at Mugdock Wood SSSI. This is implemented by East Dumbartonshire Council.

Although Stirling Council does not currently undertake any deer control measures, it recognises that where deer are present and having a negative impact on the habitat, a deer management plan will be required. This is applies to sites directly management by the Stirling Council Ranger Service and will include an assessment of deer abundance and the impact on the habitat and possible options for control measures.

Conflicts

There are currently few conflicts surrounding deer management across the area however deer numbers are not controlled at most of the sites. Due to the proximity of open spaces to residential areas, it is likely that the public may raise concerns should control measures be required in the future. However, these concerns alone will not dictate the outcome of decisions regarding deer control. Where public safety is likely to be an issue Stirling Council will liaise with SNH to ensure that the most appropriate control measures are selected. If thought appropriate, a night license may be sought from SNH.

Although the presence of deer may be viewed positively by the public, Stirling Council recognises deer populations may need to be controlled where grazing and trampling is shown to be having a negative impact on habitats or specific plant species. The implementation of deer control at Mugdock Park has led to some criticism and future measures across the region would need to consider education, public access and appropriate safety measures. As there has been no record of deer damage to regeneration, there are no plans for deer control at sites managed by Stirling Council.

Deer Vehicle Collisions

Deer collisions with vehicles are an obvious risk to public health. Stirling Council has not historically experienced a significant problem with injuries to road users resulting from collisions and therefore does not consider it to be a major problem. Records suggest that there were 33 incidents reported between 2000 and 2015 where deer were cited as a contributing factor but were not necessarily struck (e.g. swerving to avoid deer). Of these, only 7 were incidents where deer were struck.

Records suggest that the highest incident rate was recorded on the M9 between Dunblane and the county boundary to the south (Stirling DVC Map 1). The A84 also has also recorded a relatively high incidence particularly between Stirling and Doune but moving north towards Callander, this decreased (Stirling DVC Maps 1 & 2, Appendix C). There have been fewer collisions on the route between Callander and Inverarnan (via Lochearnhead and Callander) although there are a few records every year (Stirling DVC Map 3). It is likely that red deer fairly regularly move across this road resulting in an increased likelihood of collision in comparison to other routes. Whereas, the higher incidence of DVCs on the M9 is likely to be due to driver speed and a greater volume of traffic on this road. There are very few incidents on minor roads in the region, but it is worth noting that the frequency increases with proximity to settlements. Out with the M9 corridor and excluding land within settlements, Stirling council does not own land which backs directly onto the higher risk DVC areas.

In the past Stirling Council has acted to reduce the risk of deer vehicle collisions by locating seasonal signs at high risk areas. These are operated by the local communities and are only opened during high risk periods. These are likely to modify driver behaviour through reducing driver speed and increasing driver awareness thus reducing the risk of DVCs.

As part of its current practices, the Stirling Council ranger service currently liaises with the public and helps to educate them with regards countryside management.

Future

This statement acts a bridge from which a sustainable deer management plan can be developed. Stirling Council is committed to working with Scottish Natural Heritage to progress deer management planning, ensuring deer welfare is safe guarded, to enhance and protect the environment and to support sustainable economic development and social well-being.

It will also aim to improve local deer management connections with Upland Deer Management Groups and the Lowland deer network. This will allow the deer population across the region to be managed consistently with respect to Public benefits.

Review

The Land Services Department will hold responsibility for the progress and implementation of the deer Management Statement. The named Officer will be Colin Mackay, Land Services Team Leader. This policy will be reviewed annually.

Appendix A: Designated Sites

Stirling Council own or co-own 23 designated sites. Of these sites, six Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) contain woodlands that have been recently influenced by deer browsing in a manner which prevents them from attaining favourable condition. These sites are:

• Ben A’an and Brenachoile SSSI
• Cambusurich Wood SSSI
• Conic Hill SSSI
• Glen Falloch Woods SSSI
• Mugdock Wood SSSI
• Rowardennan Woodlands SSSI

Additionally, two of these sites lie within Loch Lomond Woods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which is partly owned by Stirling Council. Information about the condition and recent or on-going management for each of these sites is detailed below. A summary of some of the species present in each SSSI can be found in Appendix B.

Table 1: Ben A'an and Brenachoile SSSI

Qualifying Feature	Summary Condition	Latest Assessed Condition	Date Assessed
Upland oak woodland	Recovering	Unfavourable, Declining	2012

The first cycle of site condition monitoring for Ben A’an and Brenachoile SSSI in 2001 failed to meet the desired thresholds. This was due to low levels of deadwood, absence of a shrub layer, and a browsing pressure higher than the target threshold. In 2012 the browsing pressure had decreased but still exceeded the target threshold. It was noted that browsing was extensive throughout the woodland. No scrub layer was present, and although deadwood levels had increased to an appropriate amount, an increase in invasive rhododendron was noted, limiting the opportunity for regeneration. Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) was present in small stands but was not flagged as a cause for concern. Feral goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) were also noted as a major factor affecting regeneration in the area, particularly on Craig Leven.

Scotland also agreed to use the grazing toolbox method to monitor the effects of woodland expansion projects on neighbouring land. In addition, control of rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.), bracken, and non-native trees was to be carried out.

Table 3: Cambusurich Wood SSSI

Qualifying feature	Summary Condition	Latest Assessed Condition	Date Assessed
Upland oak woodland	Unfavourable	Unfavourable, declining	2017
Mixed ash woodland	Favourable	Favourable, recovered	2008
Wet woodland	Unfavourable	Unfavourable, no change	2008
Fly assemblage	Unfavourable	Unfavourable, no change	2001

Part of the Cambusurich Wood SSSI lies within the River Tay SAC.

Historically the wood has been coppiced on the lower slopes and has been used for sheep and cattle grazing and supplementary feeding and shelter in winter. In 1999 a 10 year Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and a 15 year Farm Woodland Premium (FWP) scheme began was started, which included

a large portion of the Cambusurich Wood SSSI. Livestock excluding fencing was erected around most of the site apart from the southeast corner. As of 2010 there was no deer management on the site, and it was accessed by both red and roe deer. Bracken was also noted as becoming widespread throughout the wood in 2010. Management objectives at this point were to reduce grazing in the southeast corner by removing stock, to allow natural regeneration, and to work implement some form of deer management. In addition, mechanical eradication of bracken, and eradication of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) where it was present in roadside ditches at the site boundary was proposed.

A site check in 2017 showed an increase in bracken cover of more than 50% over almost all of the site. This is likely to be due to the removal of grazing pressure as stock are no longer grazed in the woodland.

Herbivore Impact Assessments (HIAs) were carried out and found to have a medium-high impact, with browsing by deer expected to be greatest during winter. Both red and roe deer were observed during this site visit. An application is in place (2018) for funding for a deer fence around the site. Southern Perthshire DMG has implemented a new DMP (2016-2025) and which has the potential to influence deer management on this site. The site is currently part of a Deer Management Plan produced by the Cowal and Trossachs District of FES, which aims to reduce grazing to 10% over all of East Loch Lomond through a programme of culling to control deer and feral goats.

Table 4: Conic Hill SSSI

Qualifying feature	Summary condition	Latest assessed condition	Date assessed
Alkaline fern	Favourable	Favourable, recovered	2013
Beetle assemblage	Favourable	Favourable, maintained	2010
Moth assemblage	Favourable	Favourable, maintained	2006
Ordovician Igneous	Favourable	Favourable, maintained	2006
Subalpine calcareous	Recovering	Unfavourable, declining	2006
Upland oak woodland	Favourable	Favourable, declining	2015
Wet woodland	Unfavourable	Unfavourable, declining	2017

 

The open, subalpine calcareous grassland on the site has been heavily grazed by sheep until fairly recently and suffers from bracken encroachment. A three-year management agreement between SNH and the land manager was initiated in 2008 with the aim of addressing the spread of bracken and reducing grazing pressure in the area. Additionally, a five-year Rural Development Programme (RDP) was approved for the wider Conic Hill area in 2009, which addressed bracken management, grazing pressure and muirburn. Alkaline fen and the moth assemblage have both improved since 2006, presumably due to an improvement in grassland management, although the grassland condition itself had not been monitored again as of 2011.

An HIA carried out in upland oak woodland in 2015 found browsing by red and roe deer at a medium level, which exceeds the site condition monitoring target of low to moderate browsing. The wet woodland is also under pressure from grazing by deer, cattle and sheep. Some of the Conic Hill SSSI forms a small part of the Loch Lomond Woods SAC. Although the targets for the oak woodland in Loch Lomond Woods SAC are generally failing in terms of browsing impact, regeneration, structural diversity, presence of non-native species, and standing deadwood, the part of the SAC which lies within the Conic Hill SSSI has met these targets.

The management objectives laid out by SNH in 2011 focus on excluding stock, undertaking bracken control, and control of non-native species in order to encourage natural regeneration in both the upland oak woodland and wet woodland. Deer management was not a priority objective in 2011, however it is apparent that browsing by deer is now inhibiting tree growth and regeneration. The site is currently part of a Deer Management Plan produced by the Cowal and Trossachs District of FES, which aims to reduce grazing to 10% over all of East Loch Lomond through a programme of culling to control deer and feral goats.

Glen Falloch Woods SSSI

Table 5: Glen Falloch Woods SSSI

Qualifying feature	Summary condition	Latest assessed condition	Date assessed
Upland oak woodland	Recovering	Unfavourable recovering (with management)	2015

Glen Falloch Woods SSSI is part of Loch Lomond Woods SAC.

Glen Falloch Woods SSSI forms part of Glen Falloch Estate, and is comprised of three distinct areas:

• Gleann nan Caorann is dominated by downy birch (Betula pubescens) but has some oak present on the lower slopes. It has been used for grazing sheep until recently, and currently receives large populations of red deer, particularly in winter. As such, red deer (Cervus elaphus) browsing is preventing the successful regeneration of the woodland and the condition is currently declining.
• Beinglas comprises oak, birch, ash (Fraxinus Excelsior) and hazel (Corylus avellana). A WGS agreement in place from 1999-2004 as part of the Atlantic Oakwoods LIFE Project saw deer fencing erected around the perimeter, and bracken control carried out.
• Confluence wood is oak woodland, which previously was used for over-wintering cattle and sheep. A Rural Development Contract was implemented in 2010, which changed these farming practices to reduce the grazing pressure from cattle. A site visit by SNH in 2015 noted evidence of unconsented cattle grazing in the lower slopes. Browsing by roe deer is preventing seedlings from maturing, although there is a rich ground flora in parts.

Management objectives laid out by SNH in 2009 include managing browsing pressure from deer and domestic stock in order to allow seedlings and saplings to grow, in addition to reducing canopy shading in some areas, carrying out bracken and invasive species control, leaving deadwood where possible, and monitoring otter presence. Around half of Glen Falloch Woods SSSI lies within the boundary of the Inveraray and Tyndrum Deer Management Group (DMG), with the remainder belonging to Balquhidder DMG.

Mugdock Wood SSSI

Table 5: Mugdock Wood SSSI

Qualifying feature	Summary condition	Latest assessed condition	Date assessed
Beetle assemblage	Favourable	Favourable, maintained	2002
Lowland dry heath	Recovering	Unfavourable, declining	2014

 

HIAs carried out in 2008 found the upland oak woodland at Mugdock Wood SSSI to be in unfavourable declining condition due to deer browsing on over 25% of sample plots, in addition to extensive bracken 

cover and presence of non-native plants. The wet woodland was not monitored in 2008 but deer browsing was noted, along with the presence of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and rhododendron, and the habitat was reported as favourable, maintained in 2011. A culling programme was in place for roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), however in 2017 browsing pressure remained consistently at a medium, with no scrub layer and almost no regeneration.

Both wet and dry heathland have declined in condition, from unfavourable, recovering in 2007 to unfavourable, declining in 2013. This is due to a lack of flowering herbs and other herbaceous plants, and a lack of regenerating heather.

The mesotrophic loch remains unfavourable due to an over-abundance of Canadian waterweed (Elodea Canadensis). The beetle assemblage is classed as favourable due to the appropriate level of deadwood present on the SSSI, but a full invertebrate survey has not been carried out since 1992.

Rowardennan Woodlands SSSI

Table 6: Rowardennan Woodlands SSSI

Qualifying feature	Summary condition	Latest assessed condition	Date assessed
Upland oak woodland	Favourable	Favourable declining	2007

 

Rowardennan woodlands SSSI is made up of five different woodland parcels. In 2010 the site was considered unfavourable, recovering as it did not meet site condition targets. Over 18% of the woodland cover was comprised of non-native species, including non-native conifers, rhododendron, sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Japanese knotweed. Grazing levels were light to moderate in 2010, with good regeneration on the site. Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) manages the site and they include in their management plan the culling of red and roe deer where possible, although the terrain makes this difficult. In addition, much of the site is deer fenced. Sheep graze parts of the SSSI in winter, and the site is home to a population of feral goats. Subsequent site monitoring has shown an increase in browsing pressure by deer. The Sallochy woods area is part of the West Highland Way and contains a popular campsite. The woods in this area are very lightly browsed, potentially due to deer displacement as a result of disturbance from recreational activity. Away from Sallochy woods, browsing levels were very high in 2017.

As of 2010 the management objectives included control of deer, feral goats and sheep to allow natural regeneration. It was noted that nearby sites provide habitats for wintering Capercaillie and removal of deer fences would be beneficial to this species if deer numbers can be controlled through other means. The removal of non-native conifers, bracken monitoring, and a programme to leave deadwood in situ were also included as management objectives, although these were considered less important than herbivore control. The site is currently part of a Deer Management Plan produced by the Cowal and Trossachs District of FES, which aims to reduce grazing to 10% over all of East Loch Lomond through a programme of culling to control deer and feral goats.

Loch Lomond Woods SAC

Table 7: Loch Lomond Woods SAC

Qualifying Feature	Summary Condition	Latest assessed condition	Date assessed
Western acidic oak woodland	Unfavourable	Unfavourable, declining	2002
Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra	Favourable	Favourable, maintained	2012

 

The Loch Lomond Woods SAC comprises multiple woodlands within the Loch Lomond catchment area, including ten SSSIs, six of which are covered by Stirling Local Authority. The two SSSIs considered in this report are Conic Hill SSSI and Glen Falloch Woods SSSI.

The oak woodland feature of the SAC is currently in unfavourable condition. Practical management is taking place in individual woodlands within the SAC to work towards achieving favourable condition. Movement of red deer, roe deer and feral goats from outwith the SAC highlights the requirement for the SAC to be covered by a Deer Management Plan (DMP) in it’s entirety; however; as of 2015 there was no DMP in the south-east area of the SAC.

Appendix B – Site descriptions of Stirling Council-owned SSSIs

Ben A’an and Brechanoile Woods

Semi-natural deciduous woodland dominated by sessile oak with some downy birch on acid soils. Ben A’an Wood has a ground flora which mainly comprises blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and heather (Calluna spp.), while Brenachoile Wood has a ground flora of grasses and bracken. Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees are also present in some areas, with the locally rare wood sedge (Carex sylvatica) on site along with broad buckler fern (Dryopteris dilatata) and dogs mercury (Mercurialis perennis). Areas of ground water flushing have patches of alder-dominated woodland with ash, hazel (Corylus avellana), marsh violet (Viola palustris), yellow pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum), and sharp-flowered rush (Juncus acutiflorus) also available.

A notable feature of this site is the rich lichen flora which contains a mixture of oceanic and continental species, including Cetrelia olivetorum, Menegazzia terebrata, Biatora chrysantha and Pseudevemia furfurcea.

Cambusurich Wood

The largest stand of undisturbed, natural woodland on the southern shore of Loch Tay, with a number of different woodland types. This includes areas of alder and birch wood, ash woodland with hazel, supporting a species-rich ground flora including dog’s mercury, lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), false wood brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) and primrose (Primula vulgaris), and areas or sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and downy birch (Betula pubescens) woodland with bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), soft wood-grass (Holcus mollis), greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), and wood sorrel (Oxalis acetolsella) as well as the locally rare chickweed wintergreen (Trientalis europaea) included in the rich ground flora. The site also supports two rare fly species which are both Red Book Data species (Ectrepesthoneura colyeri and Mycetophila mohilevensis).

Conic Hill

Deciduous ancient oak woodlands with alder and ash woodland on the wetter, flushed soil. The grassland and groundwater flushes include the locally uncommon black bog-rush (Schoeus nigricans) and broad-leaved cottongrass (Eriophorum latifolium), along with common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), yellow saxifrage (Saxifraga aizoides) , dioecious sedge (Carex sterilis) and cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix). The SSSI also supports a range of invertebrates, including scarce beetles of national importance (Hydroporus longicornis, Chaetarthria seminulum, and Paracymus scutellaris), and moths with restricted distributions (Pancalia schwarzella).

Glen Falloch Woods

This site consists of three different areas of ancient deciduous woodland. Gleann nan Caorann is upland birch woods with a high proportion or rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and some oak on the lower slopes. Beinglas Wood contains some oak along with ash and alder (Alnus glutinosa) in flushed, nutrient rich areas, while Confluence Wood is dominated by oak.

Mugdock Wood

This is a large area of ancient oak woodland on acid upland stock. It contains both pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) and sessile oak. There are also areas of ash/elm woodland on more basic soil, with non-native sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) present, and some alder woods on wetter soils which have historically been coppiced. The deadwood-rich site supports a number of rare invertebrates, including Acritus nigricornis and Cerylon histeroides, and it is the only site in Scotland supporting Geostiba armata.

Rowardennan Woodland

This is a long-established ancient semi-natural woodland with sessile oak and pedunculate oak plantations, as well as birch (Betula spp.), alder, ash, hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and goat willow (Salix caprea) closer to the shoreline and in craggy areas. The species-rich bryophyte and flowering plant communities are characteristic of western sessile oak woods. Ground flora closer to the shoreline represents a rare community on Loch Lomond, as the area is seasonally flooded and therefore has a transitional community with alder, willow (Salix spp.) and bog myrtle (Myrica gale).