The Round Loch of Glenhead supports the qualifying habitat ‘Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Isoëto- Nanojunceteai’ in the Merrick Kells Special Area of Conservation. It is also a flagship site in the UK’s Acid Waters Monitoring Network. It is now recovering from acidification, although the degree of recovery is as yet limited. Continued recovery is threatened by the prospect of climate change, especially from an increase in winter precipitation and sea-salt laden Atlantic storms. In this report we summarise the long-term data currently available for the Round Loch of Glenhead, describe the installation of equipment funded by SNH, assess the current status of the loch and describe concerns for the future.

SNH Commissioned Report 469 (2012): The Round Loch of Glenhead: Recovery from acidification, climate change monitoring and future threats