The Nature of Scotland

2
1
The walk begins at the short salt-clipped scrub which backs
the merse, before heading into Castle Wood. This oak
woodland has recently undergone significant management
to remove the plantation of non-native Norway spruce and
replace it with native oak, rowan, hazel and birch. The path
follows level ground which then slopes gently up onto the
remains of a fixed sand dune that once formed the edge of
the sea.
To the west is the extensive flat merse which has built
up on the estuary but which today is subject to accretion
(growth) and erosion. Storm events and flooding from the
river constantly change the position of the main channels of
the Nith, which leads to deposition or erosion of the merse.
This dynamic process means some areas to the east are
currently building new merse, whilst to the north near the
car park erosion is taking away the merse to be deposited
elsewhere as new mud and sand banks.
2
Castle Wood is now
dominated by oak, but
this is in part due to the
removal of non-native
Norway spruce.
3
The ancient ruins of
Caerlaverock Castle
pull many visitors to
this region.
38 The Nature of Scotland