This appendix lists the sites of international, national and local nature conservation interest within the Plan boundary. The following tables identify the special nature conservation interest for which a site is designated. Further information on the sites of international and national importance can be requested from Scottish Natural Heritage. Further information on the local sites can be requested from the Council's Natural Heritage team.
Conservation sites of National Importance - All are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
| Local Biodiversity Sites (these are former Urban Wildlife Sites) |
Interest |
| Bawsinch |
Extensive area of native woodland and scrub. Features fresh-water ponds and a goose-green. |
| Bonaly Reservoir |
Scarce aquatic plants (flowering plants and mosses) that occur around the reservoir and its outflow. |
| Braid Burn Complex |
Semi-natural woodland & glades of unimproved neutral grassland. |
| Braid Burn Valley Park |
The burn and associated vegetation. |
| Braid Hills and Mortonhall |
Gorse, Elder scrub, and unimproved grassland, mature trees, and Elf loch. |
| Brunstane Burn |
Water quality of the burn and associated habitat. |
| Bruntsfield and Royal Burgess |
Intermittent woodland and Barnton Quarry pond. |
| Calton Hill and Regent Gardens |
Less intensively managed areas valuable to wildlife. |
| Corstorphine Hill and Ravelston Wood |
Mixed and pure woodland and developed shrub. |
| Craiglockhart Hills |
A wide variety of important habitats are supported. |
| Craigmillar Castle Hill & Hawkhill Wood |
Mature woodland and scrub. |
| Dalry Community Park |
Rough grassland and scrub bordered with deciduous trees. A wide diversity of animal habitat |
| The Dells – Colinton, Craiglockhart and Woodhall Mains |
Water of Leith. Substantial areas of mature semi-natural deciduous woodland and dense understorey. |
| Disused Railway Network |
Wildlife corridor with mature woodland. |
| Drum Wood |
Ornamental and native tree species. |
| Duddingston Golf Course |
Mature native trees and dense undergrowth. |
| Edmonstone |
Woodland and mixed shrub. |
| Figgate Burn Park |
Burn and pond are important for breeding birds. |
| Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill |
Established mixed deciduous woodland. Shrub, open grassland and the burn. |
| Lochend Park |
Pond, particularly for wildfowl. |
| Meadowfield Park |
Open grassland and mixed deciduous woodland. |
| Niddrie Burn Complex |
Network of burns, marshy grassland and semi-natural woodland. |
| Redford Brae and Laverlock Dale |
Large areas of mixed semi-natural woodland and diverse ground flora. |
| River Almond |
Variety of shrub and field layers, the river and banks. |
| Royal Botanic Gardens |
Water features and nectar plants. |
| Silverknowes |
Short grassland important to wading birds and wildfowl. Areas of mixed woodland. |
| Union Canal |
Moorhen, Mallard, Coot and a solitary pair of Mute Swan breed on the canal. |
| Water of Leith |
A wide variety of important habitats and species are supported. |
| Warriston Cemetery |
Diverse tree species. Foxes, Badgers, Bats, Tawny Owl and Sparrowhawks all spotted. |
Local Geodiversity Sites (These are former Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGGS)
| Local Geodiversity Sites |
Interest |
| Balm Well |
Well seeping natural oil |
| Calton Hill |
Comprises a sequence of lavas and interbedded tuffs in repeated episodes. Crag-and-tail. |
| Craigleith |
Gullane Formation (Lower Carboniferous Strathclyde Group); sediments including river delta, lacustrine sandstones, siltstones, mudstones (including oil-shales). |
| Craigmillar |
Relationship between the landscape and the underlying stratified rocks, which belong to the Upper Old Red Sandstone or Inverclyde Group of the Lower Carboniferous. |
| Corstorphine Hill |
Illustrates a combination of geomorphological landforms and geological outcrops. |
| Dreghorn Link |
Cutting exposing about 80m of Upper Old Red Sandstone sandstones and shales. |
| Ellen's Glen |
Exposures of strata. |
| Fairmilehead Park |
Location where large glacial erratics formerly exposed in sand pit. |
| Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill |
Crag-and-tail. Lower Devonian lava flows. |
| Joppa Shore |
Carboniferous strata & sedimentary rock. |
| Ravelston Woods |
Good example of sedimentary processes of the Lower Carboniferous. |
| Stones of Scotland |
Examples of the varied geology of Scotland. |
| Torphin Quarry |
A disused quarry showing three thick basalt lava flows, intervening tuff and barite veins. |
Local Nature Reserves
| Local Nature Reserves |
Interest |
| Hermitage of Braid |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |
| Corstorphine Hill |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |
| Meadows Yard |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |
| Ravelston Woods |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |
| Easter Craiglockhart Hill |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |
| Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park |
Biodiversity, recreation and community involvement. |