Soil conditions in for Taynish and Knapdale Woods (near Dunardry) … 4.1 Other site characteristics-

Soil & geology: Acidic, Basic, Metamorphic, Peat, Sedimentary

(http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/n2kforms/UK0012682.pdf)

The Knapdale-Kintyre land mass projects south-south-westwards from the mainland of Argyll, forming a barrier between the Atlantic, and Loch Fyne - Firth of Clyde. It is about fifty miles long and varies in width from 6 to 14 miles. The land rises from sea level fairly steeply to a spine of hills of no regular pattern; the highest being about 1,500 feet. The bulk of the drainage runs eastward with the burns, occupying valleys of pre-glacial origin. The soil and vegetation are variable. The bulk of the interior is peat covered over quartzose mica schist, though running almost the whole length of the peninsula is a narrow band of metamorphic limestone, and an adjacent narrow band of greenbeds, which gives rise to better quality grazing than the acid schists. In Knapdale, the land tends to be poor as opposed to Kintyre where there are substantial arable areas which increase to the south, particularly on the alluvium, and Old Red Sandstone in the neighbourhood of Campbeltown. The climate along the coast is extremely mild, and the east coast is so sheltered that many exotic plants can be grown.

Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 019 (ROAME No. F00AC101)

Scottish Natural Heritage 2002.

5 ARGYLL WEST AND ISLANDS

5.3 Land use

Given the prevailing climate in an area where hill and upland terrains are widespread, conditions dictate that there is a predominance of stock rearing based on ley pastures or permanent pastures and rough grazing, rather than intensive agriculture. The distribution of the land cover categories derived from the Land Cover of Scotland map (Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, 1993) is shown in Figures 5.3 and 5.4.

The list of land cover types is presented in Table 1.1. The area of arable cropping and improved grassland is only about 518km2 (10% of the area).

The best agricultural land of the zone belongs to Class 3.1 in the Land Capability for Agriculture classification (Bibby et al., 1982) and is confined to a small area near Campbeltown where both local shelter and the presence of brown forest soils on terrace gravels provide conditions where cereals, root crops (including potatoes and some vegetables) can be grown satisfactorily. Class 3.2 land is more difficult to manage under a regular arable regime and characteristically supports grass leys with good yields over long periods or cereals/root crops for animal feed. Islay, Kintyre and parts of Southern Bute with water-modified soils are typical of the Class 3.2 land, which requires successful drainage or careful timing of cultivations.

Class 4 land, with moderately severe limitations restricting the choice of crops to forage or winter feed for stock rearing enterprises, is not extensive. Only scattered areas on a wide diversity of landscape units have been mapped. Most are coastal raised beaches or terrace sites in valleys with free draining sands and gravels and are assigned to both Class 4.1 and 4.2, the latter where climate is the principal limitation.

5.4 Soils resource

Table 1.1 present the percentage of major soil sub-groups in the Argyll West and Islands area and withindesignated sites. The distribution of the major soil sub-groups is shown in Figures 5.5 and 5.6.

A feature of the irregular topography in the area is the appreciable short-range variation in both soil typeand certain soil properties. For example, with peat and peaty alluvial soils occupying hollows, peaty gleysand peaty podzols in close proximity and rankers or lithosols on ridge crests or upper slopes, individual soildelineation is exceedingly difficult. Map units are often characterised by two or even three recognisable soil

types, this feature influencing short-range vegetation differences and hence biodiversity.

5.4.1 Diversity and associated plant communities

Drainage limited soil

Given the high rainfall, conditions are ideal for rapid vegetation growth which exceeds the breakdown process and results in a build-up of organic matter, both as a deposit in itself or either on the soil surface orwithin the profile. Those conditions make soils with organic surface horizons with peaty gleys the dominant soil type.

● Peat deposits are confined to basin sites, particularly if the surrounding soils are free draining on acoarse-textured parent material. In foothill sites, peat occupies almost every hollow and also spreads across the intervening ridges and mounds where a higher proportion of peaty gleys occur. On steeper slopes, where surface runoff is greater, peaty podzols are locally widespread. Besides rainfall and topographic position determining soil type, texture of the parent material is also critical and can impede drainage, resulting in peaty surface horizons. Peaty soils often possess dull (low values and chromas) subsoil colours, the organic staining masking the true subsoil colour.

● Noncalcareous gleys occupy distinct depressions within these areas. Similar soils are also found onthe lower steep slopes between Loch Fyne and Loch Lomond. (pg 53.)

Less developed soil

● Shallow soils are predominant north and west of a line from the southern end of Gigha through West Loch Tarbert and along Loch Fyne. North of this line, the strongly ridged topography, especially around Loch Sween and Knapdale, is characterised by large tracts of outcropping rock with all types of rankers and lithosols being widespread. ( Pg 54.)

(From: Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 019, Soils and nature conservation: An inventory of selected Natural Heritage Futures areas (ROAME No. F00AC101)

The following statement was found at another website. We found it contradicted other findings:

     “Dunardry was self-sufficient with domestic animals and  

    farmlands, the sea and vast tracts of forest produced a 

 generous harvest.”

Dunardry (7 ½ merklands proper) probably did not touch the sea on either side. If the sea was used for sustinance, other clan's lands would likely have been crossed, as it appears Dunardry was a LAND LOCKED property.  When standing atop Cruach Mor, the highest point on Dunardry in North Knapdale, one cannot even see the Atlantic Ocean to the west, nor Loch Gilp (a sea loch) on the east. How would anyone at Dunardry use the sea?

Dunardry itself was bounded on all sides by land occupied or owned by others. It had a few streams (burns), and a few  lochs (lakes).  The Dunardry merklands consisted mostly of scrub growth, where hilly, of rocky aggragate or moss (peat deposites).  One cannot grow much in rocks, nor peat. Peat, as any agriculturalist will tell you, of itself, is poor for growing crops, except perhaps mint or heather. Considering that the soil conditions in Knapdale (as shown in the above) were, and have been, EXTREMELY POOR, the generous harvest mentioned must have taken the work of every single member of the clan.  Only 240 acres of Dunardy land was arable, not sufficient to support an entire clan with edible crops. The largest amount of improved agricultural lands in the year 2002 (see above modern-day report) consists only of 10 percent of the entire District of Argyll and Bute. With Knapdale, in particular Dunardry, having such poor soil, a generous or vast harvest would have been hard to produce, even in years when weather was favorable for crops. There must have been some trading of produce, cattle or other items.

The large area known as the Knapdale Forest (which includes much of old Dunardry) was indeed planted in the 1930s for the timber industry and for tourism, and is managed by the Forestry Commission of the UK. Timber (forest) land in the region, as taken from other accounts, was much more scarce in early times, making the above statement that much harder to believe.

We wonder at who it was that wrote this and from where they found it!