Carlingnose

Wildlife

For such a relatively small site, Carlingnose has a high degree of habitat and plant diversity (over 170 species recorded). One notable species to look for is Dropwort, a rarity in Scotland, being more commonly associated with the grasslands of southern England.

Several locally scarce species occur, such as Field Gentian (over 400 individual plants), Bloody Cranesbill, and Lesser Meadow-Rue. Both Heather and Harebell, listed as priority species in Fife’s Biodiversity Action Plan, occur on the site, along with Bell Heather, Burnet Saxifrage and Hairy Rockcress.

On the cliffs left by past quarrying, Fulmars have begun to breed, and can be seen soaring and wheeling about the cliffs during the summer.

The dense scrub of hawthorn and gorse provide cover and nesting sites for many species of warblers and finches.

During the winter, Carlingnose is a good viewpoint to watch the bird life of the Forth Estuary, with divers, grebes and sea ducks present offshore.

Historical Perspective

The name Carlingnose is possibly derived from its appearance to mariners sailing up the Firth of Forth, to whom it looked like an old witch.

Because of its domination of the point where the Forth narrows, it has probably been fortified since early times. For most of the time Carlingnose has been used as farmland, but quarrying started in the early 1800s. The hard dolerite rock was used in the building of the bases for the Forth Bridge. Quarrying ceased during the First World War but was re-started after the war for a short time.

Much of the land was sold to the War Department in 1898 when barracks and a gun site were constructed. Two cannons were put in place for coastal defense but replaced by anti-aircraft guns for the Second World War.

The barracks ceased to be used by 1957 and the War Department sold the land on. From the sixties to the nineties Carlingnose has been developed for house building, planning permission having been given before it was designated a SSSI.

 

Management

Because Carlingnose has only recently been acquired, very little conservation management has so far taken place.

The site’s first management plan has been written for the period 2000-2005 and will concentrate on managing the remaining areas of grassland.

The site has suffered in the past from a lack of management, so the natural process of succession has meant that the grassland areas are being invaded by scrub, thereby shading out the rare plant species and their habitat.

The main aim of the management of the site will be to reverse this process. Although scrub itself is a valuable habitat, plenty will remain on other parts of the site.

Getting there

Driving time from Edinburgh city centre: 39 mins. See map below.