This geographical region is characterised by flat
to gently undulating terrain almost entirely devoted
to agricultural use. Stretching from the Merse
of
Berwickshire in the south northward through the Lothians
and Fife into North East Scotland fringing the Grampian
Mountains, the region also includes
the Moray Firth lowlands and the Black Isle/Invergordon
area. Also included within the northeast sector is
the Caithness Plain where predominantly gley
soils and extensive areas of peat contrast with the
higher proportion of free draining soils elsewhere.
Till deposits, often with mixed rock types but
associated with glacial deposition are extensive
alongwith fluvioglacial and raised beach deposits,
both of which may have a high gravel component. Loamy
and silty clay deposits of low raised beaches are
locally of agricultural
significance. Areas of windblown sand adjacent to
the coastline are locally extensive, the largest
examples being at Culbin in Morayshire and Tentsmuir
in
Fife. Whereas the greater proportion of the area
lies below about 200m, many areas exceed 300m and
the highest parts rise to 600m. Such instances of
high
ground are determined by differential erosion of
the rock types with the resistant igneous rocks forming
distinctive hill areas, for example the Ochils
and Sidlaws and isolated hills within the Buchan
Platform.
Arable cropping is widespread
with
ideal climatic conditions, relatively flat land and the presence of
deep, free draining soils all combining to provide flexibility of
cropping. Some of the most productive soils in Scotland with the
capacity to grow a wide range of crops are located around Carnoustie,
along the coastal fringes
of Fife and in the Lothians. Elsewhere, cereal cropping and root crops are
grown intensively.
Where droughtiness is a potential problem, it is common practice to
install an irrigation scheme, otherwise the land is used for pasture
rather than crops. The widespread use of fertilisers has created localised problems associated with the release of nitrogen
and phosphorus into watercourses. Soils erosion is not widespread but
can be locally significant, the loss of sandy topsoil within Morayshire
from spring gales
being a particular problem.
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Arable land in River Dee valley, Aberdeenshire
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Good
quality arable land in east coastal plain |
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