25
The North East Coastline of Scotland
current activity and pattern of evolution makes them of great physiographic interest.
Here the older late- and post-glacial landform elements are largely buried by a blown
sand landscape carrying evidence of sequent occupance. In both Culbin and Forvie, the
story of prehistoric and historic sand-blow cannot be separated from the activities of
man. Historical and neo-historical sand-blow at Culbin resulted in 20th century
afforestation of the dunes, but at Forvie, the dunes continue to evolve naturally.
The very large beach units and their backing forelands described above
contrast in size with the small bayhead units set within a rock-girt coastline. Here the
beaches rest on rock platforms and are generally backed by settlements nestling on the
post-glacial ledges, at the base of a marked sea cliff, generally of bedrock, capped with
till, and overlain by thin and often discontinuous blown sand deposits. The blown sand
landforms are small by comparison with the North Sea coast beaches, and are
generally inactive, partially masked and modified from their original characteristics.
They can be regarded as degraded 'links'. These small beach units have frequently been
modified in the 18th and 19th century through the construction of harbours, as at
Hopeman.
In terms of their current coastal dynamics, the beaches of Northeast Scotland
can be subdivided into three groups.
1. The massive arcuate plains consisting of long sand bays of gentle arc, backed
by extensive foredune ridges, successively built outwards by shoreline
regularisation. These are characteristic of the North Sea coast of the region
north of Aberdeen. The blown sand deposits in this group have distinctive
dune forms largely in their original state. The coastline is a relatively high
energy one, with marked seasonal changes in the beach and coastal edge, but
sand supplies both longshore and offshore appear to be available for coastal
edge replenishment.
2. The beaches west of the Spey are equivalent in scale to those in the preceding
group but differ in the relative proportion of sand and shingle involved in
their construction. Fluvial inputs have been more significant in their
evolution, together with a uni-directional pattern of sediment movement
westwards. The thickness of blown sand resting on the shingle forelands is
variable, with on occasion only vestiges remaining as in the case of Spey Bay
links. Recurrent sand-blow in the immediate past has been countered through
afforestation, with the result that much of the original mobility of the dune
landforms has ended. As the offshore gradient shallows westwards, mud- and
sand-flats appear, and spits and offshore bars have formed. The ample
supplies of sediment available during their construction have apparently
declined in recent times, and the distal portions of the arcs are tending to
build at the expense of the proximal (updrift) portions with the result that
beach material starvation is leading to considerable coastal edge erosion as at
Burghead Bay and the proximal portions of Whiteness Head.
The North East Coastline of Scotland
current activity and pattern of evolution makes them of great physiographic interest.
Here the older late- and post-glacial landform elements are largely buried by a blown
sand landscape carrying evidence of sequent occupance. In both Culbin and Forvie, the
story of prehistoric and historic sand-blow cannot be separated from the activities of
man. Historical and neo-historical sand-blow at Culbin resulted in 20th century
afforestation of the dunes, but at Forvie, the dunes continue to evolve naturally.
The very large beach units and their backing forelands described above
contrast in size with the small bayhead units set within a rock-girt coastline. Here the
beaches rest on rock platforms and are generally backed by settlements nestling on the
post-glacial ledges, at the base of a marked sea cliff, generally of bedrock, capped with
till, and overlain by thin and often discontinuous blown sand deposits. The blown sand
landforms are small by comparison with the North Sea coast beaches, and are
generally inactive, partially masked and modified from their original characteristics.
They can be regarded as degraded 'links'. These small beach units have frequently been
modified in the 18th and 19th century through the construction of harbours, as at
Hopeman.
In terms of their current coastal dynamics, the beaches of Northeast Scotland
can be subdivided into three groups.
1. The massive arcuate plains consisting of long sand bays of gentle arc, backed
by extensive foredune ridges, successively built outwards by shoreline
regularisation. These are characteristic of the North Sea coast of the region
north of Aberdeen. The blown sand deposits in this group have distinctive
dune forms largely in their original state. The coastline is a relatively high
energy one, with marked seasonal changes in the beach and coastal edge, but
sand supplies both longshore and offshore appear to be available for coastal
edge replenishment.
2. The beaches west of the Spey are equivalent in scale to those in the preceding
group but differ in the relative proportion of sand and shingle involved in
their construction. Fluvial inputs have been more significant in their
evolution, together with a uni-directional pattern of sediment movement
westwards. The thickness of blown sand resting on the shingle forelands is
variable, with on occasion only vestiges remaining as in the case of Spey Bay
links. Recurrent sand-blow in the immediate past has been countered through
afforestation, with the result that much of the original mobility of the dune
landforms has ended. As the offshore gradient shallows westwards, mud- and
sand-flats appear, and spits and offshore bars have formed. The ample
supplies of sediment available during their construction have apparently
declined in recent times, and the distal portions of the arcs are tending to
build at the expense of the proximal (updrift) portions with the result that
beach material starvation is leading to considerable coastal edge erosion as at
Burghead Bay and the proximal portions of Whiteness Head.