1. Topography above H.W.M.O.S.T.
(a) Landward Boundaries: From Aberlady the Reserve boundary follows the northern verge
of
the A198 to a small track about 550 yards east of the footbridge across the Peffer Burn. The
boundary follows this track and the eastern and southern margins of the adjacent mixed
woodlands, past a small refuse tip, to a drain, northwards along the drain, across the Peffer
Burn, and along the eastern margin of North Plantation, a wood of mixed deciduous tree
species. From here the boundary follows westwards along the line of a sunken stone wall to a
track about 40 yards from H.W.M.O.S.T. near the northern end of the footbridge.
From here the boundary follows a path to the south of the Marl Loch, along the eastern
edge of
the Loch, along a path running just east of the fresh- water marshes, to the first of the
remaining concrete defence blocks. The boundary follows the line of defence blocks for about
three quarters of a mile till they veer westwards. The boundary, undemarcated, crosses from
west to east of the metalled track to a short line of defence blocks, and from these it is a
straight line, undemarcated on the ground, running out to the centre of the Hummel Rocks.
(b) Relief: The landward area of the Reserve can be divided into five sections, (i)
The estuary of
the Peffer Burn is flat, with the development of saltings, areas of grassland, just above
H.W.M.O.S.T., intersected with pools and gullies mostly nine to twelve inches deep. Near the
footbridge there are no clearly defined banks to the Peffer Burn. However, an old bank, about
three to four feet high, can be discerned immediately south of the plantation of Scots pine.
About 300 yards above the footbridge, and further upstream, the Peffer Burn flows between
unstable muddy banks, and in places reed beds have developed. About 800 yards above the
footbridge the Peffer Burn is crossed by an iron bridge, but this has fallen into disrepair, and it
is now very dangerous, (ii) The remainder of the Reserve east of the footbridge is probably on
raised beach. It is rather flat, with a height of 10 to 12 feet above Ordnance Datum (Newlyn
Datum). Some sedge swamps and wet meadows occur between the new Scots pine plantation
and North Plantation (Plate 10). (iii) The majority of the Reserve lying between the footbridge in
the south (Plate 9) and the dunes in the north (Plate 11) is flat, and is either on raised beach or
blown sand. Ordnance Survey spot heights on some of the paths show the area to lie between
12 and 16 feet O.D. A slight depression, running approximately north and south, is about 700
yards long and 50 yards broad. To the south of this is the Marl Loch (Plate 12), and the
remainder forms the Yellow Mires, a collection of fresh-water marshes, (iv) The dune system is
quite well developed, and runs approximately north and south for a distance of about half a
mile. There is evidence of the development of parallel dunes, with a small ridge about 20 to 30
feet high, about 250 yards inland from the shore. Some small depressions, which are ponds in
winter and mostly dry in summer, represents the partial development of a system of dune
slacks. One of these slacks has a luxuriant growth of water plants, and is moist in nearly all
summers.
The forward dunes can be divided into three zones. Firstly, just behind the present
beach there
are small hummocks, one to two feet high and eight to ten feet across, which represent the
embryo dunes. Behind these are larger dunes, and the Marram Grass becomes plentiful,
together with some Sea Lyme Grass. These rise to a maximum height of 40 or 50 feet. Inland
of these other plants become plentiful, bare sand surfaces are infrequent, and the dunes are
more or less stable. These dunes have a height of 25 to 30 feet, (v) At the north of the dunes a
small valley separates dunes from teschenite rocks and soils derived from these rocks. The
rocks give rise to a gently undulating topography, with a few rock faces, particularly near the
shore. The height of the outcrops is from about 30 feet near the dunes to 75 feet at the highest
point of the Reserve. This point is just to the south of a large clump of Sea Buckthorn, and from
here the structure of the sand dune system can be seen clearly. A slightly higher ridge of
teschenite runs north- eastwards from the Reserve to the rocks by Maggie's Loup. Near the
Hummel rocks a flat area on the teschenite has been cleared, and is used as a football pitch.
(c) Drainage: The Peffer Burn drains a large area of East Lothian. This area is bounded
by
Gullane and Dirleton in the north, North Berwick in the north-east East Fortune in the east, and
Athelstaneford, Drem and Luffness in the south! This water is sometimes polluted, and is never
clear.
Drainage of water from the Gullane Links would appear to be by seepage through the
ground.
Two open drains flow into the Yellow Mires about 200 yards north of the Marl Loch, but these
only carry water in the winter. Presumably, the ground water from the Links feeds the Marl
Loch and Yellow Mires. Hence, any attempt to drain the grassland to the east of the Marl Loch
would greatly influence the habitats of the fresh-water marshes. During the winter, water flows
out of the Yellow Mires by a drain from the south of the Marl Loch.'
The dune slacks are fed by ground water seeping from the dunes. Only one of the slacks
is
moist all the year round. During the winter, most of the ground between the Marl Loch and the
dune slacks is waterlogged, and very little seepage occurs into Aberlady Bay.
2. The Reserve below H.W.M.O.S.T.
The largest area of the Reserve lies below H.W.M.O.S.T., forming the estuary of the
Peffer
Burn. The Peffer Burn flows westwards for about two miles from the footbridge before
discharging into the Firth of Forth. The area south of the Peffer Burn is mainly mud flats, except
to the north of the Kilspindie Golf Links, where a number of rocks are exposed. Amongst these
rocks, which are submerged at high tide, are The King's Kist and Green Craig, both of which
are slightly above H.W.M.O.S.T. Only Green Craig carries any vegetation.
The mud flats are found near the Peffer Burn, particularly in the area from Aberlady
to Aberlady
Point. Mussel-beds are associated with stretches of the mud flats.
The area north of the Peffer Burn is mostly covered with sand. This is almost flat,
but it rises
very slightly towards the north, thus creating a sand bar at the entrance to Aberlady Bay. As
the tide comes in water follows the course of the Peffer Burn, and then flows northwards and
eastwards over the sands, last covering a long spit of sand projecting south-west from the
dunes. The sand bar has been enlarging and gradually turning more towards the north during
recent years. Part of the sand bar is now a few feet above H.W.M.O.S.T., and this is used by
the Terns for nesting. As this process has taken place the salt- marsh south of the bar has
filled in with blown sand, and the H.W.M.O.S.T. marked on Ordnance maps has advanced
westwards by about 50 yards, and by nearly 120 yards just south of the bar, between 1954 and
1962. Sand is blown off the bar at low tide by south- westerly and westerly winds, and is
deposited at the western end of the dunes. The dunes have advanced towards the north-west
by nearly 200 yards between 1954 and 1962, and the structure of the beach is thus changing.
When the Reserve was declared in 1952, the shore, from Jovie's Neuk to south of where the
sand bar now is, was nearly straight. Now, since the west end of the dunes are being built up
faster than the east, the coastline is becoming a bay, running from Jovie's Neuk to the sand
bar, with a north-westerly aspect.
Drainage in Aberlady Bay is by slight depressions exposed in the sand at low tide.
These are
continually altering their position. A spring issues from the sand about 700 yards west-south-
west of the Marl Loch. This drains south-westwards into the Peffer Burn.
3. Geology.
The geological interest of the Reserve is considerable, but unevenly distributed.
The Reserve
includes the whole of the Aberlady Bay, and the western half of the Gullane Point-Hummel
Rocks, Geological S.S.S.Is., but outside these there is little of significance. The geology of the
western section of the Reserve has been described by Dr. P. McL. D. Duff (Edinburgh Geology:
An Excursion Guide, Edinburgh Geological Society, 1960)
The oldest rocks seen in the reserve are sediments, belonging to the Calciferous Sandstone
Series, which are exposed at the north of the Reserve around ironstone Cove. The sediments
are sandstones, shales and fireclays and are bounded by the intrusions which form the eastern
fringe of the Hummel Rocks and Gullane Point. Their inland extension is obscured by blown
sand, and their relationship with the younger strata to the south totally obscured.
An extensive exposure of sedimentary rocks belonging to the Carboniferous Limestone
Series
occupies the foreshore from Kilspindie to Long Craig. This section, the most complete in the
district, is shown in Table 10.1.
The rocks of this sequence are disposed in two folds with a north- west/southeast
trend. An
anticline occurs in the west, and is followed by a syncline to the east. On a small scale the
structures are complex, there being a number of minor reversals of dip and the beds are cut by
three small faults parallel to the trend of the folds. The dip of the strata is nowhere high, and
marine erosion has etched the rocks into a scarp and dip slope topography. The hard beds,
predominantly of four limestones, form prominent features and tend to build pavements
bounded on the seaward margin by cliffs. The softer intervening beds are not so well exposed
and have frequently been worn into notches. The false bedded sandstone which occurs
between the Skateraw Lower and Long Craig Upper Limestones builds a small stack, known as
The King's Kist; the shales which form the base of this stack are noticeably undercut relative to
the sandstone.
In places, the limestones are traversed by 'veins' of sandstone along their joints.
These have
been formed by the injection of still unconsolidated sandy material into fissures opened in the
more consolidated limestones by earthquake activity.
A teschenite sill is intruded into the sediments of the Calciferous Sandstone Series
at Gullane
Point, and another forms the north- eastern part of the Hummel Rocks, just beyond the eastern
boundary of the Reserve. The latter sill is the more interesting in that it contains sandstone
'veins' which broaden downwards from its upper surface. It has been suggested that these veins
occupy contraction cracks formed during the cooling of the sill. A third group of exposures of
teschenite, probably part of another sill, occurs on the foreshore to the north and north-east of
Kilspindie Castle. A fourth teschenite sill forms the rock outcrops around Green Craig in the
extreme south- west of the Reserve, and has been intruded some feet above the Middle
Skateraw Limestone. Although its lower contact can not be seen, baked sediments can be
found within a foot or two of its expected position. The contact is not planar, for exposures of
teschenite, often in the highly altered form known as white trap, protrude through the sand to
the east of the main outcrop of the sill, from which they are separated by exposures of altered
sediments. The precise form of the lower contact of the sill can not be determined, but it
seems probable that irregular tongues of much-altered teschenite protrude below the lower
contact of the sill proper.
The remainder of the Reserve is occupied by superficial deposits of which the oldest
is the 25 ft
Raised Beach. This is seen from place to place on the landward side of the Reserve from
Green Craig to Luffness, and northwards from that point to just beyond the Marl Loch. The
remainder of the area is occupied either by blown sand, which obscures both the solid rocks
and the Raised Beach, or by the present day beach.
The soils of the County of East Lothian have been surveyed by the Macauley Institute
of Soil
Sciences but the results are, as yet, unpublished. No intensive soil survey has yet been carried
out on the Reserve itself. Most of the soils are 'young', since with sand being blown on to the
area characteristic profiles have not developed. The information already collected about the
soils is included in Section 6 (Vegetation) of this Chapter.
5. Climate
(a) General: The nearest climatological station is approximately six miles away from
the
Reserve to the north-east, near North Berwick. Although North Berwick differs somewhat in
aspect from Aberlady Bay, the climatological observations at North Berwick can be considered
as being reasonably representative of the conditions at the Reserve.
Meteorological Office Stations are situated at Drem and East Fortune, approximately
three and
six miles east-south-east of the Reserve respectively. As both of these are more inland sites
they are probably less representative of conditions at Aberlady Bay than is North Berwick. A
general summary of the climate of East Lothian and Berwickshire has been prepared by the
Meteorological Office about 1966 (The Climate of East Lothian and North Berwick-shire,
Meteorological Office Climatological Services (Met O 3) Climatological Memorandum No. 49).
(b) Temperature: The temperature recorded at North Berwick (118 ft.) is summarised
in Table
10.2. The average annual mean temperature at North Berwick during the period 1931-60 was 8-
8°C (48°F). The warmest month is July, but it is only fractionally warmer than August. January
is the coldest month, although the extreme minimum temperature was recorded in February.
In an average year an extreme minimum of about —8°C (18°F) and an extreme maximum
of
about 25 °C (77°F) can be expected. On average, only one or two days per year have a
maximum temperature of 0°C or less, and about 45 days have a minimum temperature of 0°C
or less. The average period without air frosts extends from about the end of April until about the
beginning of November. During the period 1923—64 the average number of days with air 'frost in
March was 5-0, in April 1-8, in October 0-3 and in November 3-7. More than ten days, on
average, were recorded with air frosts for the months December, January and February, and no
air frosts have been recorded during the period May to September inclusive.
(c) Precipitation: The mean monthly rainfall at North Berwick during the period 1916-50
is
shown in Table 10.3. The average annual is thus 25-7 inches at North Berwick, though it is
possible that it is slightly less than this at Aberlady Bay. Rainfall was relatively evenly
distributed throughout the year, but there is a tendency towards dryness in spring when
easterly winds prevail. The approximate average annual duration of rainfall during the period
1931—40 was slightly less than 600 hours. The average number of days per month with 0-1
inches or more of rain during the period 1923—64 is given in Table 10.3.
During the period 1923-64 snow fell on an average of 13-8 days in the year, but it
only lay for
ten days. Most snow fell during January and February (3 • 9 and 3 • 7 days respectively). Hail
falls on an average of only 3 • 2 days per year, and thunder is heard on an average of 5-0 days
per year, mainly during the months May to September inclusive.
(d) Water Balance: Using average values of potential evaporation, which are probably
underestimates, it would appear that potential evaporation exceeds rainfall from April to July
inclusive. It also appears that a total potential water deficit, by calendar months, of at least 2-
77 inches occurs during that period. Reckoning by shorter wet and dry periods would give a
P.W.D. considerably higher than this.
(e) Wind: The average annual wind speed at 33 feet above ground is about 14 m.p.h.,
and the
number of days with gales during the year averages about seven. The marked preponderance of
winds from between west and south-west and, particularly in the spring, from between east and
north-east, shows the funnelling effect of the Forth- Clyde gap. The westerlies are stronger on
average in the Firth of Forth than elsewhere along the East Coast of Scotland. During severe
westerly gales gust speeds of 70 to 75 m.p.h. are not unduly rare in East Lothian. Aberlady
Bay is fairly well exposed to the west.
(f) Miscellaneous: Fog, i.e., visibility of 1100 yards or less, occurs on an average
of 7.1 days
per year. It commonly takes the form of cold, wet sea fog, or haar. Haars begin in March or
April, are worst from May to July, and are sometimes frequent in September.
The average annual duration of bright sunshine for the period 1923-50 at North Berwick
was
1345 hours, with a mean daily duration of 3-68 hours. This represents slightly more than 30%
of the possible.
6. Vegetation
(a) General: There are six main plant communities occurring within the Reserve. The
distribution of these is shown in Fig. 10.3, and a complete list of all the plants within the
Reserve is given in Appendix III. The communities are:
(1) the mud flats,
(2) the salt marshes,
(3) the fresh-water marshes and the Marl Loch,
(4) the dunes,
(5) the grasslands, and
(6) the woodlands.
Two further sets of plant communities are more localised and are not included in Fig.
10.3.
These are the driftline, and the roadside - the area of often disturbed soil just to the north of the
A198.
(b) Mudflats: Most of the areas of mud are devoid of communities of higher plants.
In one bay
south of the Peffer Burn, the eel-grasses (Zostera marina and Z.angustifolid) are abundant. As
the mud gives way to sand, species of glasswort (Salicornid) become plentiful. Four species of
this genus have so far been found within the Reserve, and it appears that all are abundant. The
glasswort never forms a closed canopy over the sand or mud, and is only very rarely found
above H.W.M.O.S.T.
(c) Salt Marshes: The Reserve demonstrates salt marsh accretion, with a gradual rise
in
ground surface and change in vegetation towards the land. Near the sand and mud flats the salt
marsh contains a few plants of glasswort, but the sea meadow grass (Puccinella maritima) and
sea milkwort (Glaux maritima) are the main colonizers of the sand, though sea sandwort
(Honkenya peploides) is locally dominant. Since sand and mud accumulate wherever plants
are established the ground level rises, and other species enter the community. The creeping
fescue (Festuca rubrd) and thrift (Armeria maritimd) are dominant species, and are associated
with an abundance of herbs, such as sea plantain (Plantago maritima), sea aster (Aster
tripolium), sea spurrey (Spergularia media), sea arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima), and two
species of sedge (Carex extensa and C.distans). Three plants of sea lavender (Limonium
vulgare) have recently (1965) colonized this zone of the salt marsh near the footbridge, and it
has been suggested that the seeds were either washed up by the tide or brought by birds. The
nearest recorded native plants are at Culross, 30 miles up the Firth of Forth, and the Fame
Islands, about 60 miles away.
Further inland of this herb-rich zone the conditions become less saline, and there
is a rapid
transition to grassland communities. However, in some localities, the ground remains brackish,
the thrift becomes less abundant, and the mud rush (Juncus gerardif) and narrow blysmus
(Blysmus rufus) become locally dominant. These two plants are associated with sections of
the salt marsh- grassland transition zone that are moist at all times of the year.
(d) Fresh-water Marshes: Fresh-water vegetation communities have developed in four
sections
of the Reserve.
(i)THE DUNE SLACKS: Only one of these slacks is moist throughout the year, and hence
this
is the only one with a typical marsh vegetation. The other slacks tend to be wet in winter, dry in
summer, and to contain only remnants of fresh-water plant communities. The most abundant
plants in the main slack are amphibious bistort (Polygonum amphibium), water mint (Mentha
aquatica) and the water and marsh horsetails (Equisetum fluviatile and E.palustre). The
buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), which is so abundant near the Marl Loch, is absent from the
dune slacks. There are only six species of sedge (Carex spp.) in the slacks, and these are all
more abundant in the other marsh areas.
(ii)THE MARL LOCH AND THE YELLOW MIRES: The area of the Marl Loch (Plate 12) and its
associated marshes, the Yellow Mires, is botanically one of the most important plant
communities in the whole Reserve. The Marl Loch had become covered with a continuous mat
of vegetation, mostly sedges, and after the war there was no open water. In late 1963 the
concrete defence blocks were removed (see Chapter III, section 8) and, through the co-
operation of the contractors, Messrs. Carmichael & Son, vegetation and dead organic matter
was removed from the Marl Loch by a drag-line excavator. Since 1963, the natural biological
production of the water plants has caused the depth of clear water to decrease. There has been
a very rapid growth of stoneworts (Chara spp.) and bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris), and
evidence suggests that open water will only be maintained for a period of eight to ten years.
Some sedges (Carex spp.), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) and bur-reed (Sparganium erectum)
are already colonizing the open water.
The Marl Loch is the most northerly habitat in Britain of the marsh stitchwort (Stellaria
palustris). This plant is confined to base rich marshes and fens, and its distribution in Great
Britain is decreasing due to drainage of its habitats.
The Marl Loch and Yellow Mires are particularly rich in species of sedges (14 species
of the
genus Carex, and 6 species in other genera), and of horsetails (3 species of Equisetum). The
buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) is particularly plentiful, and three types of marsh orchids
(Dactylorchis incarnata ssp. incarnata, ssp. coccinea, and D. purpurella) can be recognized by
their flesh, red and purple colours. Grasses are almost absent from these marsh communities.
(Hi) THE CURLING POND AND THE PONDS GREAT ED BY EXTRACTION
OF DEFENCE BLOCKS: This set of ponds and marshes are grouped since there is a tendency
for the water to be slightly brackish, as shown by the occurrence of the water crowfoot,
Ranunculus baudotii, in this group of marshes and not in the marshes previously described.
Floristically, they contain fewer species than the marshes associated with the Marl Loch (11
species of Carex and 4 other sedges), but they are nevertheless interesting. The series of
ponds left by the removal of the defence blocks has each developed differently, and now some
are almost devoid of vegetation, others are covered with floating leaves of bog pondweed
(Potamogeton polygonifolius) or amphibious bistort (Polygonum amphibiuni), whilst others are
crowded with a number of upright spikes of mare's-tail (Hippuris vulgaris). One area of these
marshes contains a large stand of cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium).
The Curling Pond is particularly interesting. This contains many plants of glaucous
bulrush
(Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), as well as an abundance of the lesser water-plantain
(Baldellia ranunculoides) growing in one of its most northern British habitats. The occurrence of
a particularly lush form of shoreweed (Littorella uniflora) is also outstanding. The bladderwort
(Utricularia vulgaris), so common in the Marl Loch, is very rare in the Curling Pond, and the
stoneworts (Chara spp.) are absent. The brookweed (Samolus valerandi), a plant associated
with marshes near the sea, is abundant in this group of marshes.
(iv) THE PEFFER BURN MARSHES: Upstream from the footbridge, a series of water meadows
and marshes are associated with the north bank of the Peffer Burn. The water meadows are
particularly rich in species, and the meadow sweet (Filipendula ulmaria), ragged robin (Lychnis
flos-cuculf) and marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) are abundant.
Beside the Peffer Burn is a narrow belt of reed- beds, with the sea clubrush (Scirpus
maritimus)
just beside the burn, and the reed (Phragmites communis) being the dominant species. This
quickly gives way to a community found nowhere else in the Reserve, an almost pure stand of
the great pond sedge (Carex riparia). This sedge grows to a height of about four feet, and hence
the few plants that are associated with it tend to be tall. Examples of these are hemlock water-
dropwort (Oenanthe crocatd) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis). This marsh community
stretches from the reed-beds to the margin of the woodlands.
(e) Dunes: Varying amounts of seaweed and other drifted material along the tideline
cause
accumulation of sand into embryo dunes, and these are colonized by sand couch-grass
(Agropyron junceiforme). The sand composing these dunes was found to have a pH of 8-85 and
to contain 10-8% of shell material (July 1967). At about 25 yards from the shore two other
grasses occur, the chief being the marram grass (Ammophila arenarid) and the sea lyme grass
(Ely-mus arenarius) being less frequent. These three species of grass, together with scattered
plants of coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) and orache (family
Chenopodiaceae), form the community for the first 80 to 120 yards of the dune system. This
area of dunes is termed the 'fore- dune'.
As one passes further inland Agropyron junceiforme becomes rare, and one passes through
an
area of about 100 to 150 yards which can be termed the 'intermediate-dune' or 'grass/moss-
dune'. This is characterized by an abundance of marram grass, and the occurrence of a large
number of grasses and herbaceous species, such as cock's- foot grass (Dactylis glomerata),
false oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius), sand sedge (Carex arenaria), daisy (Bellis perennis),
dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) and silverweed (Potentilla anserind). Mosses such as
Brachythecium albicans, B. rutabulum and Hypnum cupressiforme are frequent, and the lichen
Peltigera canina is abundant.
As the dunes become older, and, due to sand accretion, further away from the sea,
rain water
washes away the nutrients, which were formerly contained in the shell fragments. The dunes
behind the intermediate-dunes, known as the 'grey-dunes' or 'lichen-dunes', contained only 2-
4% shell material in the surface inch of sand, and 5 • 7% shell material at a depth of six
inches. The pH of the layers was 6- 85 and 7-80 respectively (July, 1967). There is thus a
tendency for the surface of the grey-dune to become slightly acidic, giving rise to plant
communities containing a lesser number of plant species. The grey- dunes are characterized
by the growth of lichens (grey in colour), and the main species in the Reserve are Cladonia
impexa, C.foliacea and Cetraria aculeata. Marram grass is less frequent, and the plants less
robust than in the fore- and intermediate-dunes. Bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and wild
thyme (Thymus drucef) are both abundant.
(f) Grasslands: Two distinct types of grassland occur in the Reserve — those associated
with
soils derived from teschenite rocks, and those associated with calcareous sandy soils. The
sand in the dry grassland east of the Marl Loch contains 4-8% shell material in the surface
inch and 13-2% shell material at a depth of six inches. The pH was 6-85 and 7-85 respectively
(July, 1967). The Department of Botany, University of Edinburgh, have used these grasslands
for teaching purposes, and have collected data on a transect running from teschenite to
calcareous grassland. Table 10.4 summarizes some of their data collected in 1966 and 1967.
The classification of a single 'calcareous grassland' is an over- simplification.
However, it is
locally modified (Plate 13), and contains a diversity of herbaceous species, many of them
uncommon as far north as Scotland. Such species as the viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare),
hound's tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), musk thistle (Carduus nutans), and centaury
(Centaurium erythraed) are all found in the grasslands. With the lack of rabbit grazing pressure
the hawthorn (Crataegus monogynd) is becoming established (Plate 14), and, with scattered
bushes three to five feet high, the calcareous grassland could eventually become a thicket.
Locally, the grass has been disturbed for turfs for the golf courses. Such areas develop
very
interesting and specialized floras. Where the sand is dry colonization by perennial plants is
slow, and communities of spring-flowering annual plants are to be found. These species are
very small, often less than one inch in height, and include the rue- leaved saxifrage (Saxifraga
tridactylites), early forget-me-not (Myosotis ramosissimd), lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta),
whitlow grass (Erophila vernid) and the moss Tortello flavovirens. The first of the perennial
plants to colonize these are bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), purple milk vetch (Astragalus
danicus) and biting stonecrop (Sedum acre). In the moister areas a continuous plant canopy
develops, but it contains many unusual species. These include the lesser clubmoss
(Selaginalla selaginoides), variegated horsetail (Equisetum variegatuni) and a dwarf variety of
the grass of parnassus (Parnassia palustris var. condensata).
(g) Woodlands: There are three blocks of woodland within the Reserve. A block of 3-1
acres, a
young Scots pine plantation, has been planted near the north end of the footbridge. The pine
stand is so dense that there is virtually no development of a ground flora.
There are two blocks of deciduous woodland, of 2- 2 and 1 • 7 acres, situated to the
north and
south of the Peffer Burn in the extreme south- east of the Reserve. These woodlands are
composed mainly of oak, wych elm, birches and sycamore, though there are one or two trees
of each of the following species: yew, Scots pine, lime, Norway maple, horse chestnut,
laburnum, hawthorn, common elm, alder, beech and white poplar. There is a moderately well
developed ground flora containing the herbs and ferns usually associated with deciduous
woodlands on rich soils. The white bryony (Bryonia dioica), a plant which climbs over bushes
and low trees, is abundant, although the species has been introduced into Southern Scotland.
(h) Comparison with Other Areas: Tentsmuir Point National Nature Reserve is an area
similar to
Aberlady Bay in that it contains both sand dunes and an area for wildfowl roosting and feeding.
The list of higher plants for each Reserve contains 349 species, though Aberlady has in
addition 2 sub- species. Aberlady Bay does, however, have a particularly fine collection of
sedges (Carex spp.); 18 species have been found on the Reserve, whilst only 10 are recorded
from Tentsmuir.
One plant that is absent from the dunes in the Reserve is the burnet rose (Rosa spinosissima).
This species is frequently associated with dunes, and occurs at Dalmeny about 20 miles up
the Firth of Forth.
7. Fauna
The reserve has a diversity of animal habitats, and 54 habitats are specified on the
chart
(Appendix 6). Most of these habitats are influenced by the maritime nature of the Reserve,
except possibly the woodlands and water meadows upstream from the footbridge beside the
Peffer Burn. Aberlady Bay compares favourably with the 39 animal habitats specified on the
Tentsmuir Point National Nature Reserve.
(a) Vertebrates: The bird life of the Reserve has been studied for a long while, and
the
preservation of the area where migratory birds feed was initially one of the main features of the
Reserve.
(i) BIRDS: The list of birds recorded from the Reserve contains 199 species, five
further species
of doubtful status, and five additional sub- species (Appendix 7 contains this list). A total of 51
species have nested within the Reserve.
The shore-nesting birds form one of the main conservation interests of the area. A
colony of
terns nests in the vicinity of the sand bar, and during the 1950s about 30 to 40 pairs nested
each year. However, during the 1960s the sand bar has enlarged and become slightly higher,
and the part- time Warden has prevented too much disturbance. The tern colony has
increased, and, in 1966, 110 pairs nested, of which there were six pairs of little terns. There
has always been about 10% arctic terns and the remainder common terns in this colony. From
about mid-July, terns begin to roost in the Bay, and gradually they build up to a very large roost
in August and September. A count on the 2nd September, 1958 revealed that about 14,000
terns came into the Bay from the west, 4,000 from the east, and about 8,000 were already in
the Bay. Normally, however, the flocks number between 3,000 and 7,000 birds, and contain five
or six species (common, arctic, little, roseate, sandwich, and a few black tern).
The saltings were formerly used by a large number of waders for breeding. In the 1950s
the
numbers of each species were higher than in the mid-1960s. The decline is possibly caused by
increased disturbance by the public, but mainly by a change in the habitat. Since
myxomatosis destroyed the majority of the rabbits, the vegetation has grown up, and the
waders are known to prefer nesting in situations where they can see over the top of plants
surrounding the nest. The following figures illustrate the decline over the period from the mid
1950s to the mid-19 60s:
The snipe also decreased, but this is thought to be due to the hard winter of 1962—63,
and
evidence suggests that the number of breeding snipe is now starting to increase. The location
of the nesting birds is also changing. The ringed plover nested in the saltings about 200 yards
south of the sand bar, but now they nest on the bar with the terns.
The eider and shelduck also nest within the Reserve. The eider nest anywhere in the
grasslands, but the number of young reared each year is very few, probably due to dogs and
predation by crows, gulls and long-eared owls. The shelduck nest in burrows, and it is not yet
ascertained whether they are excavating their own burrows now that the rabbits have become
so scarce. They hatch 40 to 60 young per year, but predation by gulls means that only about
20 of them are fledged.
The grasslands also provide breeding grounds for many of the smaller birds. Skylarks
and
meadow pipits are very numerous, and reed bunting, sedge warbler and whitethroat are
frequent. The woodlands provide habitats for many other species of passerines to nest.
The establishment of open water on the Marl Loch has had little effect on the bird
life. A pair of
mute swans have nested and reared young on the Loch. A coot was seen in the 1967 nesting
season, but it apparently did not breed. Garganey have tried to nest on several occasions, but
they have never succeeded.
The Bay provides roosting and feeding grounds for ducks, geese and waders. Many rare
waders are seen during the migratory period (September to March), and the list includes such
birds as the cream- coloured courser, avocet, lesser yellowlegs, Temminck's stint and pectoral
sandpiper. 19 species of duck and 8 species of geese have been recorded from the Reserve.
The habits of the duck and geese differ, for the ducks feed by night on fields and water
meadows, and lie out in the Bay during the day. The geese feed by day on fields often far
inland, and fly out to the sand bar at night.
The wildfowl provide sport for a group of 26 licensed people. Geese are not allowed
to be shot,
and a return on the number of times that a permit has been used and the number and species
of duck shot has to be lodged with the County Council.
Table 10.5 is taken from an appendix to 'Wildfowling at Caerlaverock National Nature
Reserve:
The First Seven Years', the Nature Conservancy, Edinburgh, and also abstracted from the
minutes of the Management Committee. The ducks that are shot are mallard (47%), wigeon
(42%), teal (10%) and others including scaup and goldeneye (1%).
(ii) MAMMALS: The mammals of the Reserve have not been studied in detail,but yet 16
terrestrial species have been recorded. The grey and common seals are to be seen off Gullane
Point and the Hummel Rocks. Many members of the order Cetacea (whales, porpoises, and
dolphins) have occurred in the waters of the Firth of Forth near the Reserve, and the occasional
corpse has been washed ashore.
The rabbit had the greatest effect on the Reserve. The hill to the east of the Reserve
had been a
rabbit warren for hundreds of years but, since the myxoma-tosis outbreak, the rabbit has been
scarce. The Reserve falls within a rabbit clearance area. The brown hare is said to have
become more abundant since the decline of the rabbit but it has not exerted the same grazing
pressure on the vegetation as the rabbits. The result has been the growth of vegetation, the
spoiling of the breeding grounds of some species of birds, possibly the causing of some herbs
to become scarcer due to increased competition with grasses, and the spreading of sea
buckthorn and hawthorn.
The mole is common in the Reserve, and has caused damage to the golf greens within
and
without the Reserve. Trapping is used to eliminate this pest, and no evidence of strychnine has
been seen. Foxes have used the sea buckthorn clumps, but no steps appear to have been
taken by farmers to eliminate this animal.
(iii) AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES: Five species of amphibian are found within the Reserve.
The three species of newt (common, palmated, and great crested) are found, but they are
apparently becoming scarcer. It has been suggested that this is caused by too many children
collecting them in the few ponds in which they occur. The common frog is abundant and breeds
most frequently in the dune slacks. These areas contain water at the time of spawning, and
hence development of the frogs relies upon a wet spring keeping the dune slacks moist. The
toad is scarcer and its main area for breeding is the small ponds, created by the extraction of
the defence blocks, between the Marl Loch and the Curling Pond. Very few tadpoles are ever
observed in the Marl Loch.
No reptiles have been recorded from the Reserve.
(iv) FISH: No survey has been carried out on the fish inhabiting the Peffer Burn,
the sand and
mud flats, or the rocks either north of Kilspindie or off the Gullane Point and Hummel Rocks,
(b) Invertebrates:
(i) MARINE: A survey of the marine invertebrate fauna of Aberlady Bay is included
in a thesis
from the Geology Department, University of Edinburgh (Some Aspects of the Sediments and
Organisms of Aberlady Bay, East Lothian, Norah J. Allman and Frank Simpson, B.Sc. Thesis).
Two species of mollusc, Hydrobia ulvae and Littorina littorea, are particularly abundant
in the
Bay. To the south of the Peffer Burn and on the old midget submarines, where a firm
substratum is available, the barnacle, Balanus balanoides, becomes established. Near the
Peffer Burn, there are colonies of the mussel (Mytilus edulis), and amongst these fronds of the
seaweed (Fucus spp.), barnacles, L. littorea, and valves of Cardium edule and Scrobicularia
plana.
The coiled castings of the lug-worm (Arenicola marina) can be seen at low tide in
areas of the
Bay that are sandy and the occurrence of this species indicates sediments that are rich in
organic matter. Two other polychaetes are found in the Bay -these are Nereis diversicolor and
Pectenaria koreni. The estuarine amphipod Corophium volutator, which makes small U-shaped
burrows about 5 cm. deep, is also abundant. A number of burrowing lamellibranchs are also
found, the most frequent being Macoma baltica in the sands and Scrobicularia plana near the
Peffer Burn.
Two distinct animal communities are recognized, the epifauna and the infauna. The
epifauna
are animals attached to rocks, seaweed or other animals, and occur in exposed places. These
animals tend to be transported after death and this group contains such species as Mytilus
edulis and Littorina littorea, that have probably moved into the Bay from adjacent rocky coasts.
The infauna are animals living in sheltered areas or on the soft sea-floor, and, since these tend
to be deposition sites, the animals remain in situ after death. Arenicola marine, Pectenaria
koreni and Cardium edule belong to the infaunal community. A few species are intermediate in
character between the two communities, and an example of this is Hydrobia ulvae.
(ii) TERRESTRIAL: No full-scale survey has been carried out on any group of terrestrial
invertebrates. A certain amount of collecting of insects and spiders has been undertaken by
Mr. E. Pelham-Clinton (Royal Scottish Museum) and Dr. Crowson (University of Glasgow). Mr.
R. Waterston (Royal Scottish: Museum) has collected fresh-water molluscs.
No list of insects has been prepared but it would undoubtedly be very long. An estimate
of the
number of species of beetles would be about 1500, and there I is also a large number of flies
and moths. The Reserve is particularly noted for j the number of Southern species which are
occurring towards the northern limit! of their distribution, although some of them also occur on
warm coastal areas to I the north such as Tentsmuir, St. Cyrus and Findhorn. Particularly
prominent is the cinnabar moth (Callimorpha jacobaeae) which feeds on the ragwort (Senecio
jacobaea). The red and black moths and the yellow and black striped caterpillars are obvious
features of the Reserve. In some years the larvae are so abundant that all the ragwort is eaten
and skeletal plants can be found on the Reserve.
The flies of the Reserve are also of particular interest. There is a number of rare
species
associated with the dunes. One species of fly, Spilogona compuncta (family Muscidae), is only
known to occur in Great Britain at Aberlady and possibly on Arran (although its locality there is
unknown). As previously mentioned, the beetles are very numerous but one weevil, Cleonus
piger, is very rare in Great Britain, but occurs frequently in the dunes. Its larva burrows into
thistle stems.
Despite the general scarcity of butterflies in recent years, Aberlady still has a
very large
population. The most frequent are the meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), small heath
(Coenonympha pamphilus), common blue (Polyommatus icarus), small tortoiseshell (Aglais
urticae) and green- veined white (Pieris napi). At least two other species always breed in the
Reserve, the dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaia) and small copper (Lycaena phlaeas); and
others, mostly migratory, visit the Reserve and possibly breed during suitable seasons, the red
admiral (Vanessa atalanta), painted lady (Vanessa cardui), small white (Pieris rapae) and large
white (Pieris brassicae). The Microlepidoptera (rather small moths) are peculiar on the East
Lothian coast in that they occur as smaller, darker forms. The most interesting species which
occur within the Reserve are of the genus Crambus.
Thus, the insect life of the Reserve is extremely rich. It has been suggested that
if lists of
insects in selected habitats on the East Coast of Scotland were compiled then the list from
Aberlady would be the longest.
8. History.
(a) General: The history of the area has been studied by Mr. N. Tranter, who has written
much
of it into a series of articles entitled 'Footbridge to Enchantment'. However, the aim of this
section is not to survey the characters concerned but rather to review the land use of the area
prior to its declaration as a Nature Reserve.
The hill to the east of the Reserve always seems to have been associated with rabbits
and the
area just north of the Peffer Bum with sports. The north end of the Reserve contained ironstone
and, in this connection, the name of Jehova Gray has been handed down in the name Jovey's
Neuk, Jovie's Neuk or Jova's Neuk. Jehova Gray lived in a small two- roomed cottage by
Gullane Point, used water from a small fresh-water spring that is still running to- day and
delivered the ironstone that he mined to ships which were beached, presumably in Jovie's
Neuk. The ironstone went up the Forth to the Carron Iron Works and was used for making
carronades.
The area just north of the footbridge was laid out as a golf course in the 1860s after
the laird to
the west of the Bay, the Earl of Wemyss, had used the Aberlady course at Kilspindie for a
shooting-range. The course on the Reserve was used for 20 or 30 years till the inhabitants of
Aberlady once again established a course to the west of the Bay. Then, in 1926, a guide book
to the Aberlady district advertised two grass tennis courts, a curling pond, a pleasure ground
and a golf club-house (stone-built). None of these, with the exception of the curling pond, can
be seen to- day.
The wartime saw considerable change to the Bay. In 1940, about 800 concrete defence
blocks
were erected. These are 4' x 4' square, and are about 4' above ground and 1' below and are
either corrugated or smooth according as iron or wood shuttering was used. Irish labourers
were employed and, during construction, they went on strike for more pay; it was estimated by
Aberlady inhabitants at the time that each block cost £5 to build. A track was built to bring
trucks on to the area with aggregate and stone chips and sand which was taken from Gullane.
The blocks were covered with turfs which were dug from around the bases of the blocks. Most
of the blocks, which were known locally as 'Hitler's Stepping Stones', were removed in 1963, by
the County Council, for the sea-wall round a power station being built at Cockenzie.
Poles, sections of tree trunks, were set in concrete and erected all over the Bay
to prevent
enemy aircraft landing. These poles are about three to four feet long and are still visible in many
parts of the Bay. Out on the sand bar, one defence block was built and two Japanese midget
submarines were beached. These were used for practice bombing attacks from the air.
Grazing of the Reserve grasslands has been continuous until recent times. It is probable
that
the Heritors of Gullane have common rights to graze cattle over the area now owned by the
Gullane Golf Links. Not long before the war one lady in Gullane grazed a cow on the golf
course. During the war and until just before the Reserve was declared in 1952, the butcher in
Gullane grazed sheep over the whole area. Since declaration, no grazing by domestic animals
has taken place.
(b) Bye-Laws and Court Cases: The initial factors in the declaration of a Nature Reserve
on 14
July, 1952, have been detailed in Chapter II of this Plan.
The Bye-Laws were confirmed by the Secretary of State on 8 August, 1953, without a
Public
Enquiry, and the first meeting of a Local Management Committee took place on 10 January,
1953. They met to consider, inter alia, the issue of licences to shoot wildfowl, and on 6 March
of that year they recommended to the County Council that the shooting of all birds at all times
within the Reserve should be prohibited. This was rejected by the County Council on 12 May,
1953. On 12 and 13 August, two wildfowlers were charged with shooting without a permit but
these charges were subsequently dropped.
A change in the Bye-Laws was proposed and a Public Enquiry was held at Haddington
from 9
to 11 November, 1953. The new Bye- Laws were confirmed by the Secretary of State on 12
February, 1954. Late in the summer of 1954, Mr. Barclay was again charged with shooting and
the dispute centred around whether foreshore shooting rights are inter regalia majora, and
thereby held inalienably by the Crown on behalf of the Public. Sheriff Middleton, in court at
Haddington, held '. . . that the Public had in law a general right to use the foreshore in any part
of the kingdom for the purpose of recreation and that this right was under the protection of the
Crown and was superior to the right of any private proprietor in the foreshore.'.
However, the County Council appealed and the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Thomson, together
with
Lord Patrick and Lord Birnam, said 'The Crown has power to consent to the public right of
resorting to the foreshore for recreation or wildfowling being prohibited or restricted in
appropriate places or circumstances, so that nature reserves which include foreshore may
effect their statutory purpose of preserving the wild life of the country.'.
Since 1955, there have been no further Bye-Laws, no further legal disputes, and wildfowling
has
been controlled by issuing permits to about 26 people.
9. Public Use
(a) General: There are two aspects of public use that have to be established. Firstly,
the people
who are using the Reserve at the moment have reasons for coming into the area and these
should be determined. Any trends in the pattern of usage over the last few years help to make
management prescriptions simpler to formulate. Secondly, the future development of the whole
of the coastal zone of East Lothian should be considered and it should be an aim of this Plan
to demonstrate how the Reserve can become an integral part of the attractions of this coastline.
(b) Present Use: Surveys of people using the Reserve, entering and leaving by the
footbridge,
were carried out over the weekend 29 and 30 July, 1967. The weather on the Saturday was
changeable, mostly cloudy with some sunny periods and two short showers. On Sunday, the
weather was sunny and this was reflected in the greater number of people using the Reserve.
The times when people and cars entered the Reserve, and the times of people leaving
the
Reserve, are illustrated in the histograms in Fig. 10.4. These show the pattern on Saturday but
the Sunday pattern was very similar except that more people came during the lunch period.
Due to the warmer weather on Sunday activity on the Reserve continued later into the evening
than on Saturday.
The people using the Reserve can be divided into four groups. Firstly, there are those
who
come because of the natural history aspects of the Reserve. These include both the really
interested people - counting the birds, Natural History Society members, etc. - and people who
are casually interested, often describing themselves as taking a 'nature walk'. Secondfy, there
are people who use the whole stretch of the Reserve, walking out to the dunes or Gullane
Point. These people tend to be either making for the beach or taking a dog for a walk. Thirdly,
there are those people who just want to stroll, they cross the footbridge, and either sit down or
walk no further than the Marl Loch. Lastly, there is a group of people who just use the car park.
Many of these people picnic in or by their cars and they tend to be families with more than two
children. After about 1800 hours a number of young couples use the car park but never leave
their cars. The results of an analysis of people using the Reserve on the two days of the survey
are given in Table 10.6.
Pooling the data collected on the two days, the following facts emerged. About 60%
of visitors
to the Reserve come from Edinburgh and about 20% from the County of East Lothian. Of the
remaining 20% about 16% are from other parts of Scotland and 4% from England and Wales.
About 15% of the people interviewed were on holiday in the Lothians. The frequency with which
people visit the Reserve was also determined.
There is, therefore, a substantial number of people who regularly visit the Reserve
and their
opinions are more important than those of the casual visitors. Nearly all of the regular visitors
walk further into the Reserve than the Marl Loch and many of them (c. 70%) welcomed the idea
of having a small informative booklet or leaflet on sale. No one disagreed with the idea. Also,
most of the regular users of the car park said that they would not object to paying a small
charge for the use of the park. Many comments on the area such as 'quietness', 'quiet
scenery', and 'solitariness' were expressed and many people came back because of this quiet
nature of the Bay. A similar sentiment was expressed by Robert Louis Stevenson when, in
Catriona, he referred to the area as: 'Few parts of the coast are lonelier ... such a shining of
sun and sea, such a stir of wind in the bent-grass and such a bustle of down-popping rabbits
and up-flying gulls, that the desert seemed to me like a place alive' (quotation taken from Nigel
Tranter's 'Footbridge to Enchantment').
(c) The East Lothian Coast: The Nature Reserve should be considered in relation to
the
Development Plan for the East Lothian. This section of the Management Plan is based on the
'County of East Lothian Development Plan: Tourist Development Proposals', which was
approved by the County Council on 12th April, 1965, and by the Secretary of State on 6th April,
1966.
Paragraphs 78 and 79 of the "Coastal Survey 1961', which is included as an appendix
to the
above mentioned Plan, sets the scene for action affecting Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve. The
paragraphs state:
'78. First, that the coastline has great variety and wealth of features. It is the
current planning
policy to preserve and maintain this variety, keeping some areas "remote", protected and
undeveloped, while providing positive facilities in others and this policy should be re- affirmed.
'79. Second, that the dune and beaches along the A198 Longniddry, Gullane and North
Berwick are suffering from severe erosion and have reached the limit of their capacity. Any vast
increase can but result in the complete breakdown of the coastal dunes as is occurring at
Gullane and so access rights to alternative beaches must be obtained.'
Paragraphs 27 and 28 of the Coastal Survey 1961 are, in some ways, a first approximation
to a
Management Plan. The only difference between the outline in the Survey and the prescriptions
of the Plan is that this Plan does not envisage the provision of a second car park for the
Reserve. This Plan underlines the threat to the Reserve mentioned in the last sentence of
Paragraph 28: 'There is also the need for some measures to control the incursion into the
Nature Reserve of a large number of the holiday crowds that arrive at Gullane Bents.'
In accordance with Paragraph 78, quoted above, Aberlady Bay must be one of the areas
to be
kept 'remote', whilst the adjacent beaches and dunes of Longniddry and Gullane are developed
as recreational areas.
(d) The Future: The previous sections of this chapter have highlighted two features
of the public
usage of Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve. Firstly, there is the natural history of the area and
survey shows that about a quarter of the people visiting the Reserve are interested in natural
history. Public usage does and will exploit the natural history aspects of the Reserve and
hence conservation projects will be required to ensure that none of the habitats are destroyed
by over use. On the other hand many of the visitors to the Reserve come here because of its
loneliness and quietness. This character of the Reserve must also be conserved and its very
nature implies that it will be destroyed if too many people endeavour to use it.