machair

Machair is a coastal grassland found on the north and west coasts of Scotland and Ireland. The term, from Scottish Gaelic, describes a flat or gently rolling plain formed on wind-blown, shell-rich calcareous sands. It supports unusually fertile, species-rich vegetation compared with surrounding dunes.

Formation and soils: Calcareous sands blown inland accumulate on sheltered dune fields, creating shallow, alkaline soils that sustain diverse plant communities. The habitat depends on a balance of grazing and disturbance to keep the sward open and prevent scrub encroachment.

Ecology and biodiversity: Machair hosts a mosaic of flowering plants, often including numerous wildflowers and grasses, and supports many invertebrates, including bees and butterflies. It is especially important for ground-nesting birds such as corncrake, lapwing, and snipe, and for migratory waders.

Management and conservation: Traditional low-intensity farming, including grazing and seasonal cereal cropping, helps maintain the habitat. Many machair sites are protected as Special Areas of Conservation or Special Protection Areas and are managed under agri-environment schemes to preserve seed banks, limit nutrient enrichment, and control scrub. Threats include intensive agriculture, coastal development, overgrazing, weed invasion, and sea-level rise.

Distribution: The habitat is most common on Scotland’s western seaboard and on parts of Ireland, with concentrations on certain Hebridean islands and select Atlantic coasts.