Forvie Sands
 
A very big place captured on a small Slate! The Forvie National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve owned and managed by NatureScot. The Reserve is located in Aberdeenshire, and includes the Sands of Forvie, which are the fifth largest sand dune system in Britain, and the least disturbed by human activity. The dune system is an integral part of the Ythan Estuary, which also forms part of the reserve, and separates the sands from Balmedie beach also featured in my Slate Collection.
 
The reserve contained at one point the largest breeding colony of breeding common eider in Britain and while they are still a protected feature of the reserve the eider colony suffered dramatic losses starting in 2006 and the subsequent years. The reserve also hosts an internationally important ternery and a protected seal haul-out containing both common seals and grey seals, predominantly the latter.
 
The sands were the site of the Village of Forvie that was abandoned due to drifting sands.
 
Materials used
 
Acrylic paint on Slate was used to create this piece
Size: 4" x 4"