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The Ladder Hills

Scottish Upland Heather Moor

The Ladder Hills are a ridge of rolling uplands with broad summits. Some exceed 760m in height and are the most north easterly hills of their altitude in the British Isles. They are designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area for Hen Harrier.

Golden Plover		Red Grouse

Here you will find typical upland and moorland breeding birds such as Golden Plover and Dunlin together with rarer species such as Dotterel. The Ladder Hills are an important feeding area for raptors such as Peregrine, Merlin and Hen Harrier. Raven are also seen from time to time. Large populations of Grouse and Mountain Hare live here alongside typical Scottish upland mammals including Red Deer and Roe Deer.

Mountain Hare		Chickweed Wintergreen

Red Deer are most active at dawn when they ascend the hills and at dusk when they descend to graze the lower slopes and settle down for the night. They often form large herds of fifty or more individuals. Mud wallows can be seen in boggy areas, particularly around the Kymah Burn. It is not difficult to spot them browsing amongst the heather on higher ground during the day.

Bell Heather		Ling

Mountain Hare are most active during the day in the breeding season between February and August. They are easily seen during the snow melt in March as they still sport their white winter coats. The most heavily populated areas are on Tom Trumper and near the Lecht Mine. During winter Snow Bunting can be observed at the Lecht and Ptarmigan may be seen on the summits.

The lower slopes of dry heather heath are a particularly fine example of a nationally threatened semi-natural vegetation type. Higher up important Blaeberry snowbed communities can be found, which also contain mountain plants such as Chickweed Wintergreen, Dwarf Cornel, Bog Blaeberry and Cloudberry. On the summit plateau, a number of sphagnum moss species grow in the heather, cotton sedge blanket bog. This area is one of the most important in Britain for grey lichens of the reindeer moss group, which are widespread and include the rare Alectoria Sarmentosa.