Special Scientific Interest - Ladder Hills - GR NJ 280 190

Peatland and upland heather moor
The Ladder Hills SSSI comprises a ridge of rolling uplands with broad summits. Some of these exceed 760m in height and the hills are the most north-easterly of their altitude in the British Isles.

Black Grouse

The site is a good example of montane and submontane vegetational types and there is an outstanding altidudinal succession of plant communities from the lower heather (Calluna) moorland, managed for grouse, to the tops - the limit of Calluna dominated heaths and bogs. An important feature of the topographic variation within the site is the series of steep sided stram gullies and the steep central valley which bisects the Ladder Hills within the SSSI. This provides a range of differing aspects and shading to vegetation on the slopes.
The underlying rocks are metamorphic rocks of the Dalradian series, so the site contrasts with other areas in Grampian, which are mostly on igneous rocks. Most of the soils are both acid and peaty, becoming thinner on the high ground.

An important feature of the site is found on the plateau where the blanket bog is rich in grey lichens of the reindeer moss Cladonia group for which the site is one of the most important in Britain.

Plant Communities

The range of upland vegetation types that represent the main biological interest of the site include in particular the extensive tracts of sub-montane and montane dwarf shrub heaths and blanket bogs. On the lower slopes dry heather (Calluna vulgaris) heath. This is a nationally threatened semi-natural vegetation type, of which this site is a particularly fine example as a result of traditional moorland management and muirburn. The steep slopes also demonstrate the transition of plant communities with aspect from dry heather moor to damp heather heath and finally to a range of communities associated with late snowbeds. The site is particularly important for the number and extent of snowbed communities dominated by blaeberry (Vaccinium myrtlillus). There is also a range of acid loving and ground water fed mire and grassland communities associated with the supply of snowmelt water from these snowbeds.

The lichen rich vegetation of the highest part of the SSSI is very rare in Britain and this site has the greatest extent of protected lichen rich heather (Calluna) - cotton sedge (Eriophorum) blanket bog in Britain. Most of it is in a remarkably undisturbed condition. This habitat is associated with the 'continental' type climate of Grampian.

Plant Species

The important blaeberry (Vaccinium) snowbed communities contain certain restricted mountain plants such as chickweed wintergreen (Trientalis europea), dwarf cornel (Cornus suecica), bog blaeberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) and an abundance of cloudberry (Rubus chaemaemorus) A number of sphagnum moss species are found within the Sphagnum rich areas including abundant S. rubellum, S.papillosum, S. magellanicum, and S. fuscum - which indicates the 'continental' nature of the vegetation.

Of the lichen species present the reindeer mosses (Cladonia) are widespread in both blanket bog and summit communities. C. rangiferina is noteworthy as it is a species largely restricted to the north-west of Britain and the Ladder Hills represent the eastern limit of its distribution. Among the most abundant of the other Cladonia species present are C. impexa, C.arbuscular and C. uncialis. Another lichen of interest is the rare Alectoria sarmentosa.

Birds and other Vertebrates

The site holds a typical upland and moorland breeding bird community including species such as golden plover and dunlin together with rarer breeding species such as dotterel. Raptors such as peregrine, merlins and hen harriers use the hills as important feeding areas. Generally large populations of both grouse and mountain hare are supported by the site which also supports typical Scottish upland mammals including red deer and roe deer.

Puffball

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