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 SOIL ASSOICATIONS -
 COUNTESSWELLS
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DERIVATION:

Granite or granitic gneiss rock

TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:

glacial drift, often shallow
glacial till
shattered rock in situ
deeply weathered rock
morainic deposits
cryogenic deposits

COLOUR:

Light reddish brown or light yellowish brown

TEXTURE:

Sandy loam to sandy clay loam, often gritty. Soils developed on shallow stony drift, shattered rock or morainic deposits have coarser textures than those developed on till. Moderately or very stony subsoils, often boulders present.

Click on map or here for larger version

LANDFORMS:

Highly variable, from high summits with cryogenic deposits to lowland sites with glacial drift.
Glacial till deposits are generally confined to valley bottom sites and shattered rock in situ or
shallow drifts to hill crests and isolated hill tops.

SOIL CHEMISTRY:

Inherently acid with low amounts of basic cations. Generally low levels of available cobalt and copper.

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Potential rooting depth 20-40cm, locally to 70cm, depending upon depth to induration or rock
(shattered or bedrock). Weak structure at depth.

 SERIES NAME  SOIL TYPE   DRAINAGE  PARENT MATERIAL
 Balfour  Brown forest soil
 with gleying		  Imperfect  Drift and till
 Bhreac  Peaty podzol  Free below iron pan  Shallow drift
 Charr  Peaty podzol  Free below iron pan  Drift and till
 Countesswells  Humus-iron podzol and
 iron podzol		  Free  Till and drift
 Countskel  Skeletal soil  Variable  Shallow drift
 and residual
 Dalriach  Peaty podzol  Imperfect  Drift and till
 Dess  Humus-iron podzol and
 iron podzol		  Imperfect  Drift and till
 Drumlasie  Peaty gley (SW)  Poor and Very Poor  Drift, till and colluvium
 Meallmore  Peaty podzol  Imperfect  Drift and till
 Moy  Peaty gley (SW)  Poor and Very Poor  Shallow drift
 Raemoir  Brown forest soil  Free  Drift and till
 Rinnes  Alpine podzol  Free  Cryogenic
 Saighdeir  Subalpine podzol  Free  Cryogenic
 Spinneag  Peaty ranker  Poor  Shallow drift, colluvium
 and organic
 Strathgyle  Peaty gley (SW)  Poor  Drift and till
 Terryvale  Noncalcareous gley  Poor  Drift and till


* Occurs only as component in soil complexes
ARKAIG | BALROWNIE | CORBY | COUNTESSWELLS | DARLEITH | DURNHILL | ETTRICK | FOUDLAND | LOCHINVER | ROWANHILL | SOURHOPE | STRICHEN | TARVES | THURSO | TORRIDON

Introduction Page | Soils Introduction | Back to soil parent material
Updated: 30 October 2009
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