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Faray and Holm of Faray

Site details

Location of Faray and Holm of Faray SAC/SCI/cSAC

Country	Scotland
Unitary Authority	Orkney Islands
Centroid*	HY529378
Latitude	59 13 30 N
Longitude	02 49 30 W
SAC EU code	UK0017096
Status	Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha)	785.68
* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.
General site character Marine areas. Sea inlets (80%) Coastal sand dunes. Sand beaches. Machair (3%) Shingle. Sea cliffs. Islets (6%) Inland water bodies (standing water, running water) (0.5%) Bogs. Marshes. Water fringed vegetation. Fens (0.5%) Improved grassland (10%) Boundary map and associated biodiversity information on the NBN Gateway. Natura 2000 data form for this site as submitted to Europe (PDF format, size 30kb).

Note:

When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

Not applicable

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

Not applicable.

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

1364 Grey seal Halichoerus grypus

These two uninhabited islands in the northern part of Orkney support a well-established grey seal Halichoerus grypus breeding colony. The seals tend to be found in areas where there is easy access from the shore, and freshwater pools on the islands appear to be particularly important. The islands support the second-largest breeding colony in the UK, contributing around 9% of annual UK pup production.

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection