Tarland to Coull River Restoration

Descriptions

The catchment of the Tarland Burn drains through low-lying land between Tarland and Coull, then further to the River Dee at Aboyne. A natural depression in the landscape, forming part of the wider Howe of Cromar, floodwater accumulates here at varying times, though deep drains take much of it away quickly through the central, straightened channel of the main burn. The area downstream of Tarland was originally a loch with islands, as shown on a map from 1832, but it is now an unnaturally deep single channel disconnected from its floodplain. The Tarland Burn is part of the River Dee Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which is designated under the EU Habitats Directive for otter, freshwater pearl mussel and Atlantic salmon. Water voles have recently been re-introduced. However, the ecological status of the Tarland Burn is classified as Bad under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) due to its morphology. This partnership project aims to restore the valley of the Tarland Burn between Tarland and Coull (see Supplementary Documents). The project will transform the Tarland Burn area between the village of Tarland and Coull Bridge by restoring the natural flow in a rural catchment, providing positive benefits for habitats and wildlife, carbon sequestration and reducing flood risk.