Tayvallich has exceptional biodiversity value, providing a mosaic of internationally important habitats at the landscape scale, from ancient temperate rainforests and species-rich grasslands to juniper heath and valley fens. Tayvallich Estate is subject to five different Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and three Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). A significant proportion of the site is designated, indicating the diversity of the features and biological communities it contains.

Beginning in earnest in spring 2024, we will be conducting a year of natural capital baselining, as we have carried out at both Bunloit and Beldorney, the results of which we will publish in a Natural Capital Report. Through this we aim to drive the development of high-quality and consistent monitoring of biodiversity and carbon, and quantify the impact of land-management interventions aimed at boosting both carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

Coastal and wetlands

Across the estate, a variety of both freshwater and coastal wetland habitats are supported, alongside several freshwater lochans. Freshwater wetland habitat includes valley and meadow fens, including mudflats. All the habitats within Tayvallich estate are heavily influenced by saltwater and wind exposure due to their coastal nature, and the wetlands include fringe saltmarsh.

These coastal habitats support an extensive list of species, including rich damsel and dragonfly communities, marsh fritillary butterflies Euphydryas aurinia, wintering Curlew Numenius arquata, breeding Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, Redshanks Tringa totanus, Snipe Gallinago gallinago, and 1% of the British winter population of Whooper swans Cygnus cygnus, to name just a few.

Woodlands

Over 80% of the woodlands and trees at Tayvallich are native, with small areas of non-native plantations.

Tayvallich contains fragments of exceptionally rare Temperate Atlantic Rainforest, thanks to the clean air and continual damp along the west coast. More than 500 species of lichens, mosses, liverworts and ferns have been found to thrive in Scotland’s rainforests, and many of these are found nowhere else. These woodlands are in unfavourable condition in areas of the estate. Restoring, connecting and monitoring this rainforest habitat will be some of our main priorities, working with the local community and our partners in ecological consultancies and universities.

Species-rich Grasslands

These habitats are scattered throughout the estate and encompass both wet species rich areas and drier, often calcareous, areas. As a result of the complex geology and hydrology of the estate, these grasslands often occur as a mosaic, interspersed with dry and wet heaths, wetlands and juniper scrub. These habitats support unique communities and have been maintained through low intensity grazing, particularly by cattle.

Calcareous grasslands support plants such as Fairy flax Linum catharticum, Wild thyme Thymus polytrichus, Self-heal Prunella vulgaris, and a wide diversity of orchids.

The species-rich grasslands support a range of butterflies and moths, most notably the Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia, a priority species of the UK BAP and on the Scottish Biodiversity List.

Many farmland birds are also supported by these habitats, including skylarks Alauda arvensis, oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus, curlew Numenius arquata and waders.

Heathlands

Wet heath, dry heath and Juniper heath exist across the estate in patches of more acidic rock types. In particular, the growth form and extent of juniper scrub in these areas is highly unusual in Argyll with both prostrate and upright Juniper found in places. Across the estate, but particularly on the heathy uplands, a range of raptors hunt with Tayvallich providing some prime foraging habitat. The birds seen locally include Osprey Pandion haliaetus, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, and Sea Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla.