Coarse Grassland

Flying bent (Molinia caerulea) or white bent (Nardus stricta) predominate and plant communities include these plant species with some bog myrtle (Myrica gale) present in western areas. 

A feature of hill terrain, coarse grasslands have not undergone agricultural improvement by way of the application of fertilizers, pesticides, drainage or reseeding so as to alter significantly the sward composition. Molinia caerulea is predominant on peaty soils and hill peat of the wetter western areas of Scotland and Nardus stricta is more evident on the 'drier' soils in the east, often in slightly flushed situations. Coarse grasslands have a low grazing value being utilised primarily for rough grazing - in western situations the grasslands are burnt regularly, the first flush of green growth supplying better quality grazing.

The main intergradational forms are with heather moors and blanket bog and this feature is, due to short-range variation with related communities, often found within mosaic units.

Course grassland as part of a mosiac community with heather moorland	Nardus dominated grassland, semi-natural on left, grazed right of fence