Morrich Mhor - summary

Morrich Mhor consists of a series of parallel low dune ridges which have been prograding eastwards for the last 7,000 years or so. In common with other dunes systems the oldest sections now form part of a fertile agricultural landscape which lies below an ancient cliff line in the vicinity of Tain. However, a very substantial area (2,863ha) of the system remained relatively intact, protected ironically by the bombing activities of the RAF. Apart from some afforestation, the occasional road, observation tower and the bombing targets, the vegetation sequences, including important transitions between dunes (with dune heath) and dune slacks and dunes and saltmarsh, have survived for centuries. The only other use has been relatively low level grazing by sheep.

Comment: The whole site represents one of the most complete sequences of sand dune vegetation extant in Britain. In 1986 a proposal was put forward to use the site as a location for the fabrication of flow-line bundles for the oil and gas industries. Its remoteness, size (an uninterrupted length of 5km was considerable suitable for the stringing together of prefabricated bundles) and proximity to the east coast made it an ideal location. Permission for the development was granted by the Secretary of State for Scotland (subject to the Company receiving a firm order for a pipe bundle within 3 years). The road associated with the development now runs across one of the most sensitive parts of the site, altering the natural processes which have been occurring for centuries in addition to destroying some of the important dune-saltmarsh transitions. An order was received by the Company within weeks of the 3 year deadline!