Sand dune observation at Culbin requires a keen eye, as many dunes are now densely forested, however, part of Maviston dunes has been partially uncovered again by felling.
Take a seat at Maviston - a bench is located between the two ‘arms’ of one of these unusual U-shaped dunes, which shelter it from the wind. Around it, heather and other heathland plant species are flourishing from the increase in sunlight (see more on Culbin’s coastal plants).
How the dunes are formed
Culbin’s sand is the remains of rock and sediments brought down to the coast mainly by the meltwaters of the last ice age rather than the rivers of today, and has been battered over centuries into grains by the waves and tides.
Over time, plants can begin to grow on the edge of the dune while the centre remains mobile. The avalanche face of the dune then erodes away in the middle, creating the u-shape you can see at Maviston in what is called a ‘blow out sequence’.
True parabolic dunes are slightly different, in that wind filtered by vegetation blows the sand dunes into a parabola which curves in the opposite direction. (View an animation of a parabolic dune forming).
These are not the highest dunes in Culbin, but the biggest is still over 15m. You will find larger dunes at Hill 99 and Lady Culbin – but all are created by wind action on sand grains no bigger than the head of a pin.
Find out more about Culbin’s dune landscape.
The Culbin map (PDF 3.5Mb) shows where Maviston Dunes are located.
Back to 12 places to see at Culbin.
