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Darleith

Distribution of Darleith Soil Association DERIVATION:

Basaltic lavas and various igneous rocks e.g. dolerites, agglomerates.

TYPES OF PARENT MATERIALS MAPPED:

  • Glacial till
  • Glacial drift
  • Shallow drift onto shattered rock
  • Shattered rock in situ

COLOUR:

Dark brown to brown or reddish brown in subsoil.

TEXTURE:

Sandy silt loam to sandy loam with loamy sand more common on drifts derived from dolerites and basic agglomerates. Till deposits are finer textured with clay loam textures throughout the soils profile. Moderately stony with subsoil, increasing stone content if shattered rock is present.

DOMINANT LAND USE:

Arable, grassland, rough grazing.

LANDFORMS:

Undulating lowlands with gentle slopes to steep hill and valley sides, non-to moderate rocky.

SOIL CHEMISTRY:

Percentage base saturation and cation exchange capacity are low to high in the topsoil, increasing with depth. Total phosphorus is medium to high.
Low cobalt levels but risk of high molybdenum in herbage of poor draining soils.

SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

Potential rooting depth up to 90cm restricted onlyby underlying rock or weak induration. Moderate structural development within subsoil.

SERIES NAME SOIL TYPE DRAINAGE PARENT MATERIAL
Airigh Peaty gley Poor and very poor Colluvium, moraines and residual
Amlaird Noncalcareous gley Poor Drift and till
Arle Humus iron podzol Free Colluvium, moraines and residual
Baidland Peaty podzol Free below iron pan Drift, till, colluvium and moraine
Caorach Peaty ranker Poor Residual and organic
Chinn Subalpine podzol Free Drift
Cringate Humus iron podzol Free Drift and till
Darleith Brown forest soil Free Drift, till, colluvium and moraine
Darlskel Skeletal soil Variable Very shallow drift and residual
Drinnan Noncalcareous gley Poor and Very Poor Colluvium, moraines and residual
Drumain Brown forest soil Free Drift
Dunlop Brown forest soil with gleying and Noncalcareous gley Imperfect Drift and till
Dunwan Humic gley Poor and Very Poor Till
Glenaros Brown ranker Free Shallow drift
Myres Peaty gley (SW) Poor and Very Poor Drift and till
Pokelly Noncalcareous gley Poor and Very Poor Till
Tomtain Humus iron podzol Free Drift and till
Treshnish Brown forest soil with gleying Imperfect Colluvium, moraines and residual
  • * Occurs only as component in soil complexes
  • ** Survey completed but map not published

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Printed from /learning/exploringscotland/soils/series/darleith on 29/03/24 12:10:50 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.