page_title: Coul Links
hierarchical_section_title: Coul Links
caption_attribution_description: English: The long sweep of the sand from Embo to Loch Fleet
context_page_description: Coul Links is an area of sand dunes in Sutherland, on the east coast of Scotland. It is located between Golspie and Dornoch, lying just to the north of the small village of Embo. The links are considered unusual within Scotland in displaying a complete transition from the foredune to dune system and coastal heathland. They also include habitats such as flooded slacks and seasonal lochs. The links lie on the eastern side of Loch Fleet, and form part of the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area, and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar site, but are outwith the Loch Fleet national nature reserve. Between 1985 and 2010 the Scottish Wildlife Trust managed Coul Links under an agreement with the landowner, however the agreement was not renewed when it expired. The SWT continues to be involved in the management of the adjacent Loch Fleet NNR.
  A wide variety of plants are found on the links, including variegated horsetail, purple milk-vetch, rue-leaved saxifrage, moonwort and frog orchid. The heathland parts of the links host areas of juniper scrub.
context_section_description: Coul Links is an area of sand dunes (referred to as "links" in the Scots language) in Sutherland, on the east coast of Scotland. It is located between Golspie and Dornoch, lying just to the north of the small village of Embo. The links are considered unusual within Scotland in displaying a complete transition from the foredune to dune system and coastal heathland. They also include habitats such as flooded slacks (troughs between dunes) and seasonal lochs. The links lie on the eastern side of Loch Fleet, and form part of the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area (SPA), and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Ramsar site, but are outwith the Loch Fleet national nature reserve (NNR). Between 1985 and 2010 the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) managed Coul Links under an agreement with the landowner, however the agreement was not renewed when it expired. The SWT continues to be involved in the management of the adjacent Loch Fleet NNR.
  A wide variety of plants are found on the links, including variegated horsetail, purple milk-vetch, rue-leaved saxifrage, moonwort and frog orchid. The heathland parts of the links host areas of juniper scrub. The site is important for Fonseca's seed fly (Botanophila fonsecai), as it represents over 30 % of the known global range of the species, which is endemic to the sand dunes of the east coast of Scotland. The links also host several other nationally rare species of invertebrate. Dog walkers, horse riding and unauthorised vehicle use at the links have been known to disturb terns, which occasionally attempt to nest on Coul Links.
caption: The beach of Embo Sands lies alongside Coul Links.
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