Significant damage has been caused to a beach on Arran by the large-scale unauthorised extraction of shingle from the foreshore.
The discovery has been made by Scottish Natural Heritage during a monitoring survey on the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Torrylinnwater Foot on the south coast.
Peter Kelly of SNH said: ‘The disturbance caused by this extraction has removed some sensitive areas of habitat, including the only known site on Arran for oysterplant, a nationally scarce plant. The shingle beach also provides highly effective natural flood defence and its removal greatly increases the risk of coastal flooding and erosion to farmland along the coast.’