scottish national heritage - the nature of scotland spring 2010

7/25/2019 Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Spring 2010

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The Nature of Scotland

Scottish Natural Heritage Spring 2010

IYB 2010

How you can help

Great ScottEpic poemrecalled

Its criminal

Protecting ourwildlife


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Contents

7

14

17

22

32

38

49

Features

8 Click on nature

Log on to the green scene

10 The green piece of Europe

Spotlight on Slovenia

18 Biodiversity is life

Support your local wildlife

28 Walk this way

Striding out for health

32 Lure of the moor

Spreading the message

46 Towering adventure

Moss reaches new heights

48 Detect and protect

Wildlife crime in Scotland

52 Thistles up for grabs Tourism at its best

54 Top priorities

Rural cash boost

60 Celebrating Scotts land

Festival for landmark poem

Regulars

2 Where we are SNH contact details

3 Welcome

4 Wild calendar

Where to go and what to seethis spring

16 Common heritageLinking language and environment

24 News

Natural heritage updates

27 Print out

Our latest publications

34 Reserve focus Discover Noss NNR

40 Area news

Reports from round the country

43 Events diary

Guide to whats on

58 Kids only!

Activities for younger readers

64 Mailing list

Join our mailing list


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Credits

The Nature of ScotlandThe Magazine of Scottish Natural HeritageIssue Number 7 Spring 2010

Published quarterly

SNH 2010ISSN 1350 309X

Editor: John WaltersTel. 01463 725 222

Cover photo: Wood anemone is one of theearliest spring flowers. It opens wide in the lightof day, but closes up as night approaches.Inside cover: Ash woodland in spring, CleghornGlen, Clyde Valley Woodlands National NatureReserve.

Welcome page: The white wagtail is a migrantthat passes through Scotland in spring andautumn on its way to and from Greenland,Iceland and the Faeroe islands. Some have beenknown to stay and inter-breed with our own piedwagtails.Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Photography all images by Lorne Gill/SNH otherthan:Mark Hambl in 7, 41m; Niall Benvie 8 , 18; NHPA/Photoshot 10, 12; Dougie Barnett 13; Dietma Nill/

naturepl.com 14t; Wild Wonders of Europe/Lesniewski/naturepl.com 14b; Fabio Liverani/naturepl.com 15; Laurie Campbell 17, 36b, 50;D McGinn 20; George Logan/SNH 22t, 45; DougieBarnett 24; Scottish Association for MarineScience 26; Paths for All 29; Northern SoleMates/North Glasgow Walking Network 30;Gary Doak 31; Rachel Norris 33; Billy Cullen 40l;R. Clarkson 40r; David Whitaker 41l, 57; Dave Dick48; Glen Tyler/SNH 51; Charlie Phillips 52; PaulDodds 53; David Robertson 60 , 63; Loch Lomondand The Trossachs National Park Authority 62t ;Scottish National Portrait Gallery 62b.

To share your views about The Nature ofScotlandor suggest articles for future issuesplease contact the editor:

SNH MagazineGreat Glen House, Leachkin Road,Inverness IV3 8NWEmail: [email protected]

The views expressed in this magazine do notnecessarily reflect those of SNH.

Printed by: Montgomery Litho Ltd, Scotland

ML35K0410

When you have finished with this magazine,please recycle it. Pass it to another reader ordispose of it at your local waste-collection point .

Where we are

You can contact SNH byletter, telephone or email.The following detailsshould enable you to findyour nearest main office,but bear in mind that wealso have a number of

smaller offices than thoselisted.

A full list of our officesappears on the SNHwebsite: www.snh.gov.uk

Corporate

headquarters

Great Glen House,Leachkin Road,

Inverness IV3 8NWTel. 01463 725 000Email: [email protected]

Other main offices

Battleby, Redgorton,Perth PH1 3EWTel. 01738 444 177

Silvan House,3rd Floor East,

231 Corstorphine Road,Edinburgh EH12 7ATTel. 0131 316 2600

Caspian House,Mariner Court,Clydebank Business Park,Clydebank G81 2NRTel. 0141 951 4488

Area offices

Argyll and StirlingThe Beta Centre,Innovation Park,University of Stirling,Stirling FK9 4NFTel. 01786 450 362

Dumfries and GallowayCarmont House,The Crichton,Bankend Road,Dumfries DG1 4ZFTel. 01387 247 010

Northern IslesGround Floor,Stewart Building,Alexandra Wharf,Lerwick,Shetland ZE1 0LLTel. 01595 693 345

East HighlandFodderty Way,Dingwall Business Park,Dingwall IV15 9XBTel. 01349 865 333

North HighlandThe Links,Golspie Business Park,Golspie,

Sutherland KW10 6UBTel. 01408 634 063

West HighlandThe Governors House,The Parade, Fort William,Inverness-shire PH33 6BATel. 01397 704 716

Strathclyde and AyrshireCaspian House,Mariner Court,Clydebank Business Park,Clydebank G81 2NRTel. 0141 951 4488

Tayside andClackmannanshireBattleby, Redgorton,Perth PH1 3EWTel. 01738 444 177

Western Isles32 Francis Street,Stornoway,

Isle of Lewis HS1 2NDTel. 01851 705 258

Forth and BordersSilvan House,3rd Floor East,231 Corstorphine Road,Edinburgh EH12 7ATTel. 0131 316 2600

Grampian16/17 Rubislaw Terrace,Aberdeen AB10 1XETel. 01224 642 863

Cert no. TT-COC-002217


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Welcome

Richard DavisonStrategy & Communications ManagerScottish Natural Heritage

The variety of life on Earth, or biodiversity, is our greatest asset. It supports oureconomy, provides us with food and fuel, keeps us healthy and gives us fantasticopportunities for enjoyment. But biodiversity is under threat, and for this reasonthe United Nations have declared 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).

People are very much part of biodiversity and we can all help to make surethat the decline is stopped. Doing one thing to support biodiversity in 2010 is the

theme of the Scottish celebration of IYB. Along with the Scottish Governmentand other national bodies, weve come up with six ways that people can helpbiodiversity in 2010 and beyond. Find out more in the IYB feature in this issue ofThe Nature of Scotland, which also reports on how successful Scotland has beenat maintaining and improving our biodiversity.

Its usually committed people who make a big difference to biodiversity, andcelebrating their success is an important way to encourage others. So weve gotarticles on how the police and others are working to reduce wildlife crime; theland managers who are taking on schemes to help wildlife through Scotlands

Rural Development Programme; and a project thats raising awareness of howmoorland can be managed to benefit biodiversity.One great way that all of us can get more involved is simply to go out and

enjoy Scotlands nature and landscapes. The public certainly did that 200 yearsago after reading Sir Walter Scotts poem Lady of the Lake. Set in the Trossachs,this remarkable poem created Scotlands first tourism boom, and in this issue youcan read about plans to celebrate the anniversary of this historic publication. Wealso have features on an innovative health walks project and a guide to one of thiscountrys great seabird colonies. Farther afield, we look at the work of our sister

agency in Slovenia and the wonderful wildlife and landscapes of that country.I hope you enjoy this issue of The Nature of Scotlandand that it inspires you

to do one thing for Scotlands biodiversity in 2010.


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Wild calendarKenny Taylorgives some

seasonal tipsfor savouringScottish wildlifeand landscapes

1The size of the crimsonwattles above the eyesof cock red grousepeaks at the time of

l i ti

Some signs of spring are up front, others moresubtle. Pastel hues of primroses and vibrantfeathers of red grouse can be a part of this timeof year, when each day seems to bring changes tothe local scene. Sap is rising in the birches, whilebrown hares are chasing in the fields. So go onout there and catch the tingle.

Strut out in the uplands

Red grouse and Scotland seem to be made for each other.The bird is hardy, thrives on heather and can thole thechallenges of snowy upland winters. Come spring, whenbreeding begins on territories that males have defended formonths, the cock birds can fairly strut their stuff, while henskeep their cool.

Cock grouse often choose tussocks as stances fromwhere they can scan their patch of heath for signs andsounds of both rival males and their own mate. With brightred wattles above the eyes and plumage that glows withtones of deepest russet, gold and black, the red grouse insunshine looks magnificent.

Take a slow drive, amble or bike ride along roads in areaswith many grouse moors, such as parts of the Borders,Dumfries and Galloway and the eastern Highlands, and youcould enjoy some good grouse watching. The roads that run

between Tomintoul and Deeside, including the A939 overthe Lecht to Cockbridge and the B976 to Crathie, are agood bet.

Web tips:

www.arkive.org/red-grouse/lagopus-lagopus/

description.html

www.discoverroyaldeeside.com


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2Walk a primrose path

Of all the many spring flowers that add colour to Scotland,the primrose is one of the bonniest. The paleness of itsmilky-yellow petals is both delicate and symbolic, like anearthly echo of the seasons strengthening sun. Its name is

also appropriate for an early bloomer, deriving from the Latinprima rosa or first rose (though it isnt, in fact, a rose).

Sunny verges in old woodlands can be good places tosee primroses. But some of the countrys finest displays arein grasslands near the sea. The Isle of Barra has the bestshow in the Hebrides, with primroses by the thousands inmany places around the islands rim. Look for them nearEoligarry, and you could combine flower appreciation with aglimpse of a golden eagle or buzzard overhead.

On the mainland, the waymarked Moray Coastal Trail,which runs from Forres to Cullen, has some excellentprimrose banks above its many bays, such as in the sectionbetween Hopeman and Lossiemouth.

Web tips:

www.isleofbarra.com/barrachs/walking/eoligarry.html

www.morayways.org.uk/moray-coast-trail.asp

Hear some old stonesOne of my earliest memories is of my voice echoing fromfossils. Glasgow-born, I could relish that rather bizarreexperience as a toddler because my family lived within ashort push-chair ride of the citys Victoria Park.

In 1887 a year after the park was named in honour ofQueen Victorias 50th year on the throne its landscapegardeners made an amazing discovery. While digging in a

quarry, they uncovered a grove of fossil tree stumps (somealmost a metre [three feet] high), a fallen trunk and otherplant fragments.

The stems are from giant clubmosses. They grew in aswampy forest around 330 million years ago, in a periodwhen plants like these were slowly adding to what wouldbecome Scotlands coal measures.

The Victorians constructed a protective building aroundthe grove, which SNH later named a site of special scientific

interest. You can look at this world-famous geologicaltreasure from the buildings viewing balcony. And if the parkkeepers dont mind, maybe try a quick shout!

Web tips:

www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/

Parks gardens/victoriapark htm

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2Primroses need plentyof sunlight to flowerand set seed, whetherin woodland, beforetrees are in leaf, or incoastal grasslands.

3The 11 fossil trees in

Glasgows VictoriaPark would have stoodabout 30 metres (98feet) tall when theywere alive in an ancientgrove.

4Brown hares rely ongood eyesight andkeen hearing to stayalert for predators andcan run at up to 70km/h (43 mph) to avoiddanger.

Box clever

Lengthening days seem to push

a button in a brown hares brain.It changes from a shy creature tosomething of an extrovert.

Boxing, during which two animalsrise up and pummel paws and forelegsin an open field, is the most dramaticdisplay of a brown hares spring fever.These contests often result from afemale repelling the advances of a male(or testing his mettle), rather than frommale-to-male battles.

Such vigorous mating-season anticsare doubtless why hares, for muchlonger than the proverbial bunny, havehad an association with Easter. TheAngles, who settled in the Lothiansin the late 7th century, had a fertility

goddess called Eostre, who may havehad hares as attendants.Whether or not that was true,

fields in places fringing Edinburgh andbeyond including the skirts of thePentland Hills are still good placesto look for hares. So too is Fife, which,together with the Lothians, is thoughtto be home to more brown hares than

other parts of Scotland.

Web tip:download.edinburgh.gov.uk/biodiversity/025_Brown_Hare.pdfwww.mammal.org.uk/ and search forbrown hare

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Click on nature

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If youre searching forinformation about Scotlandsnatural world then look nofurther. Chances are youll findit on SNHi, says Alan McKirdy,SNHs head of information


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1The virtual worldplaces a vast collectionof information aboutthe natural world atyour fingertips.

2Detailed maps on SNHiallow you to explore

millions of wildliferecords from acrossScotland.

Technology has transformedthe way we hold and manageinformation about the naturalworld.

The dusty filing cabinets and rain-soaked notebooks in which we usedto collect data on habitats, species,landscapes and the other aspects ofour work are, for the most part, gone.Its now an electronic world of servers,databases and applications.

But we havent forgotten that thereason we collect all these facts and

figures is to help us make decisionsand ensure that what we say is basedon the best and most up-to-dateinformation. Were also working withother public bodies and volunteers toshare what we know about the naturalworld.

You can now search through SNHswealth of data and information on our

website at www.snh.org.uk/snhi.Anyone in the world with internetaccess can easily find what they requireon a wide range of topics.

The service most widely usedby our web visitors is Sitelink. Youllfind information there about all of ourprotected areas sites of specialscientific interest (SSSIs), national

nature reserves (NNRs), specialprotection areas (SPAs) and the rest.Getting our SSSI series into goodcondition is one of the Governmentskey targets, so its vital that we have acommon understanding of why thesespecial places are so important, andthat we share that knowledge with keypartners.

Facts and Figuresprovides updateson what were working on, such asthe sites weve notified, the grantsgiven, licences granted and many other

aspects of our work. It provides a betterservice to the public than the versionwe used to publish every year andcosts less to produce.

Using our interactive mapping tool,you can explore around six millionplant and animal records from acrossScotland. These sightings come directlyfrom the National Biodiversity Network,and the number of records is beingadded to every day. This is an amazingresource collected by many thousandsof volunteer naturalists over manydecades. It helps SNH, public bodiesand land managers across Scotland to

make well-informed judgements aboutland management issues.Natural Spacesallows us to share

our mapping products. Weve made abig investment in this type of data overthe years and we see it as an importantresource that other organisations such as planning authorities canuse. For example, they can use it to

help with planning applications orpreparing environmental assessments.Its also available at no cost to schools,universities or developers who want toknow more about the natural featuresof the countryside. A new directive fromthe European Union will shortly becomelaw that will mean all public authoritieshave to make their mapping available to

the public, so this will help us complywith the new law.

SNH are constantly looking tofind new and more engaging waysof communicating our wealth ofinformation to anyone who wantsto access it. SNHi will continue todevelop and well add more contentas it becomes available. But therewill always be the need to deal withwider issues under the Freedom ofInformation (Scotland) Act and theEnvironmental Information Regulations(Scotland). We receive many hundredsof requests for information each yearand we try to deal with them all in anopen and transparent manner.

The Scottish InformationCommissioner, Kevin Dunion,commented in a recent article that,...the SNHi portal is a great exampleof how a public agency can givewider public access to its informationresources. So log on and give it a try!

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Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe and boasts a hugerange of landscapes and wildlife. SNH have been fortunatein developing close links with the people involved inlooking after nature and landscapes there

The green piece of Europe


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It may be one of the smallestcountries in Europe, but Sloveniaoffers more diversity than manycountries that are much larger.Tucked between the Alps andthe Mediterranean, its blessed

with spectacular mountains, thickforests and a coastline on theAdriatic Sea.

Its remarkable mix of climates bringswarm Mediterranean breezes up to thefoothills of the Alps, where it can snoweven in summer. And, with more than

half of its total area covered in forest,Slovenia is truly one of the greenestcountries in the world. Little wonderthen that more than half the countrysvisitors give nature as their reason forgoing there.

It also has one of the greatest levelsof biodiversity of any country in theEuropean Union and has more than

12% of its land protected. There are45 parks designated, including onenational park, three regional parksand 41 landscape parks, along with26 Natura sites that form specialprotected areas and 260 sites ofcommunity interest

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The organisation responsible forprotecting nature is the Institute ofthe Republic of Slovenia for NatureConservation (IRSNC). Foundedin 1999, the organisation broughttogether units that previously operatedseparately in the seven regions of thecountry.

Our primary role is to protectSlovene nature, explained Darij Krajcic,director of the IRSNC. Weve nowdeveloped a uniform approach tonature conservation across the country,whereas before each of the regionstended to operate on their own.

Were also working with othernational bodies, such as the SloveniaForestry Service, to agree howprotected areas should be managedin the future. The effects of our workare therefore being delivered at local,regional and national levels.

The organisation has been activetoo in making links with other European

countries involved in conservationissues of mutual interest, which led tothe IRSNC signing an agreement ofcooperation with SNH in 2005.

SNH staff originally visited Sloveniain 2004 to take part in an event towelcome the country into the European

1River Soca in spring,Triglav National Park,Julian Alps.

2Wildflower meadowwith view overPolhograjski Dolomitiand the Ljubljana

Basin, Gorenjska. 3Darij Krajcic (left),director of the IRSNC,and SNH chiefexecutive Ian Jardinesigning an agreementof cooperationbetween the twocountries.

3

Union and to explain how SNH managesites in Scotland that are importantfor nature conservation. However, itsoon became clear that there was alot to be gained from sharing expertiseand exploring the potential for workingtogether on similar projects.

So both organisations committedthemselves to further joint workingand to spreading the benefits of thetwinning arrangement within theorganisations. Since then, several SNHstaff have visited Slovenia and the visitsare as much about learning from ourcolleagues there as providing them with

support and advice.Slovenia has a huge range of forest,cave and mountain-dwelling wildlife.Many species that are endangered orcan no longer be found in other parts ofEurope can still be found there. Theseinclude mammals such as the ibex,marmot, European brown bear, lynx,chamois, wild boar and wolf.

The checklist of birds is also diverseand includes birds of prey (buzzard,hawk, golden and short-toed eagle),owls (tawny, Ural, long-eared and eagleowl), woodpeckers (green, black andgrey woodpecker), as well as the whitestork all of which are protected species

Many species that areendangered or canno longer be found inother parts of Europecan still be foundhere.t

A h ildlif h


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4Amongst other wildlife, theres anative Slovenian fish called the marbletrout, which has been widely bred sothat it could be put back into lakes andstreams where it once lived. And thePostojna Caves in southwest Sloveniaare home to a unique species of blind

amphibian called the olm or proteus,which lives in complete darkness.

And celebrating the environmentis very much part of Slovenian life.One example of this is the Bohinjinternational wildflower festival, whichpresents a two-week flurry of events atthe end of May each year. The festival

helps make people more aware of whatthe area has to offer, as well as buildinga feeling of pride in the alpine farmingheritage and high-quality environment.

If youd like to find out more aboutSlovenia, its wildlife and conservationefforts, go to the IRSNCs website atwww.zrsvn.si/enand/or the SlovenianTourist Boards at www.slovenia.info

4The olm is sometimescalled the human fishbecause of its skincolour. It eats, sleepsand breeds underwater in theundergroundlimestone caves.

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Marmots live inburrows and hibernatethere through thewinter.

6A European brown bearin Coceniski Sneznikforest. Slovenia has apopulation of some450 b

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Its a small country about

half the size of Switzerland measuring some 20,270 sq km(7,826 sq miles), which is about0.2% of Europes total land mass.Just over two million people livethere.

Slovenia was one of the republics

that used to make up Yugoslavia,lying in the far northwest ofthe former nation. It becameindependent in 1991 whenYugoslavia fell apart. Its borderedby Italy, Austria, Hungary andCroatia.

Much of the country is hilly andmountainous, so many Slovenesare keen hikers and skiers. Thehighest point is Mount Triglav,at 2,864 metres (9,396 ft). Thenational flag shows the three-peaked Triglav.

About 54% of the country is

covered by forests, making it thethird most forested country inEurope, after Finland and Sweden.Typical central European forestsof oak and beech grow on lowerground, while spruce, fir andpine are more common in themountains.

The term karst meaning alimestone region of undergroundrivers, gorges and caves originated in Slovenias Karstplateau. The country hasthousands of karst caves andgorges, and about one-tenth ofthem are open to the public.

The most famous are the cavesat Postojna, with their hugestalactites and stalagmites. Graffitiin the caves show that the firsttourists came here in 1213!

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D l h it h


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Dualchas coitcheann

Common heritage

Ar mosan ainmhidheach

Tha mosachan na Gidhlig gu math eadar-dhealaichte bhon fhear Bheurla. Tha

ainmean nam mosan ann am Beurla stidhichte air mosachan nan Rmanach.Tha na mosan ann an Gidhlig ainmichte, anns an fharsaingeachd, air rudanco-cheangailte ri rainneachd na h-Alba no ar dualchas Ceilteach. S e an aonmhos aig a bheil cumantas eadar an d chnan Am Mrt/Marchair a bheil ainmstidhichte air Mars, Dia a Chogaidh aig na Rmanaich.

Tha Am Faoilleach a ciallachadh mos a mhadaidh-allaidh. S e faol seannfhacal a tha a ciallachadh madadh-allaidh agus bha Faolan cumanta o sheanmar ainm fir. Bha Naomh Faolan (Saint Fillanann am Beurla) gu math ainmeiluaireigin agus tha an cinneadh MacIllFhaolain (MacLellan) ann am bith fhathast.Cha robh na Gidheil leotha fhin ann a bhith ag aithneachadh gum b e toiseachna bliadhna an t-m as miosa airson mhadaidhean-allaidh, leis gun robh nacreutairean sin acrach (ged a bha am Faoilleach o shean a gabhail a-steach

air an dearbh mhos.Tha drna mos na bliadhna, An Gearran, ainmichte airson each a chaidh a

spothadh (no a ghearradh) agus tha am facal a tha an-diugh a ciallachadheach beag dthchasach air a dhol a-steach don Bheurla mar garron. Eadar

toiseach na bliadhna agus toiseach an t-samhraidh bha sreath de ghaothan abhiodh na seann daoine ag aithneachadh; bha iad air an ainmeachadh airsondiofar ainmhidhean. S e an Gearran an aon t dhiubh a chaidh a ghlidheadh marainm mosa anns a mhosachan nodha.

S e ainm an deicheamh mosa s dcha am fear as motha a tha a sanasachdnan dlth-cheanglaichean eadar ar cnan is ar n-rainneachd oir s e sin AnDmhair. Tha sin a tighinn bho damh-dir, an t-m nuair a bhios na dimhruadha a direadh leis na h-ildean. Chan eil m nas tarraingiche na sin annan Alba, le dathan is solais an fhoghair a cur ri birich iongantach nan damh air

beanntan na Gidhealtachd.Dhfhaodamaid a rdh cuideachd gu bheil na mosan a leanas a riochdachadh

rainneachd no aimsir na h-Alba gu re: An Giblean (nuair a tha beathaicheangibeach s didh a gheamhraidh), An Citean (toiseach an t-samhraidh), Ant-gmhios (nuair a tha na lusan is beathaichean g agus a fs), An t-Sultain(nuair a tha sult air an spridh s didh an t-samhraidh) agus An Dbhlachd( i th h l f d bh d h)

The English calendar is based onthe Roman model, but the Gaelicnames for the months of the yearare closely linked to Scotlandsenvironment and our Celtic heritage.Three of them recall animals, bothwild and domesticated, as RuairidhMacIlleathain explains

toiseach a Ghearrain cuideachd); ghabh Sasannaich na seann aimsire wolf month

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1Gearran Rmach. Thaainmhidhean mar seoair an comharrachadhanns an ainm a thagainn airson drnamos na bliadhna, AnGearran.

Highland ponies, like

this one from Rum, areoften known asgarrons, from theGaelicgearran . TheGaelic for February is

An Gearran, recalling atime when Gaelsnamed the winds inlate winter and springafter animals.

Animal months

The Gaelic calendar is strongly linked toboth the Scottish environment and ourCeltic heritage. Only one month (AmMrt/March) has anything in commonwith the English names for months, withboth being based on the Roman styleof naming.

Three Gaelic months are namedafter animals. January is Am Faoilleach(sounds like um FOEUIL*-yuch, where* is similar to the vowel sound in theFrench oeuf). This is the wolf month,when these wild animals were reputedlyat their most dangerous because ofhunger.

The following month is An Gearran

(un GYAR-un). The word gearranoriginally meant gelding, but hasbecome applied to Highland poniesand entered the English language asgarron. The old Gaels recogniseda series of winds in the late winterand spring that were important forcalculating when to carry out farmingactivities. They named these winds after

animals. The horse wind has survivedinto modern times as the Gaelic forFebruary.

Finally, October is An Dmhair(unDAAV-ur), the time of the deer rut,a very apt descriptive name for that

th i th S tti h Hi hl d

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Bi di it1


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Biodiversity

is life

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22010 is International Year


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1Otters are one ofScotlands biodiversitysuccess stories. Theirrange has expandedgreatly in the last 30years and theyre nowfound across most ofthe country.

2Environment ministerRoseanna Cunninghamlaunched theInternational Year ofBiodiversity inScotland at the RoyalBotanic Garden inEdi b h i J

2010 is International Yearof Biodiversity. So howsuccessful has Scotlandbeen at protecting ourwildlife and natural

resources, and what canyou do to help?

In 2002, the worlds governments committed themselves to makingbig cuts in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Its now clear that those targets havent been met and the threats to biodiversityaround the world are still growing. The launch of 2010 as International Year of

Biodiversity (IYB) therefore brings a renewed focus on the need for more action.More than 160 countries now have national biodiversity action plans in place,

including Scotland, which launched its Scottish Biodiversity Strategy back in2004. So how have we fared in halting biodiversity loss?

A recent report (www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/biodiversityreport2010.pdf)suggests weve made good progress, although there are clearly still challengesto tackle. The report from SNH looks at the state of Scotlands wildlife on land,coasts and seas against the 25-year Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Among thekey findings are:

The bird populations of farmland, woodland, water and upland areas havemainly increased over recent years.

Theres less pollution of our air, land and water. This has allowed wildlife tomove back into parts of Scotland that had become run down through industrialuse and neglect. Otters are re-established in the central lowlands and thevariety of fish is being restored in the Forth and Clyde rivers and firths.

We no longer see major losses of our more natural habitats, although the

variety of plants dropped between 1998 and 2007. Woodland has taken on amore natural appearance, which has improved Scotlands scenery and providedopportunities for wildlife to flourish.

Good progress has been made in stopping the decline of very vulnerablehabitats and species, and in safeguarding protected areas. However, somespecies and habitats are causing concern, such as commercial fish stocks atsea The number of seabirds around Scotland has also been falling since 1991

Getting better What is biodiversity?


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g

Thanks to the work of many people and organisationsthroughout Scotland, we can see changes for the better inmany areas and for many species, commented Ian Jardine,chief executive of SNH. For example, otters are now foundin 92% of Scotland, compared with just 57% in 1979.

This report confirms that weve made major progress inprotecting Scotlands wildlife and natural resources butwe have more work to do. Around the world, biodiversityis being lost at an increasing rate and halting this loss inScotland will need constant effort over a longer period.

International Year of Biodiversity provides a greatopportunity for everyone to build on what weve achieved sofar, and to work together to make sure that Scotland remains

at least as diverse and beautiful as it is today.

You can help

Everyone in Scotland can play some part in helping tosupport biodiversity in 2010. Over the next few pages wehighlight some of the small steps you could take that wouldgo towards making a big difference.

What is biodiversity?

Put simply, biodiversity isthe variety of life aroundus. Its the whole range

of living things on Earth plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as theplaces where they live.

Humans are an integral part

of biodiversity too, and havethe power to protect ordestroy it.

Biodiversity is importantbecause without it wewouldnt be able to survive.

It provides:

> Life support systems such as clean air, cleanwater, food

> Raw materials fossil fuels, wood

> Future benefits medicines, advances intechnology

> Quality of life enjoyment, beauty,interest

> Culture and heritage such as the thistle, oakwoods, peat bogs

Scottish Biodiversity Week

One of the key ways that Scotland will be marking theInternational Year of Biodiversity is by encouraging people totake part in Scottish Biodiversity Week, which will run from15 to 23 May.

This is now a national fixture in the Scottish calendar.It aims to get people involved with nature in fun ways andencourage more people to get out and about, enjoyingnature on a regular basis.

If youd like to organise an event, you can promote

it through the online event diary (www.snh.org.uk/biodiversityweek). You can also order promotional items,such as postcards and wildflower seed packs, to hand out atthe events. The postcards promote the Scottish BiodiversityWeek photography competition, which last year attractedsome great entries, including the dramatic image, above, ofwaxwings

Buy seasonal


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Buy seasonalHealthy biodiversity is vital forgrowing the food we eat.

Growing healthy food requires healthysoil, fresh air, clean water and insects(such as bees to fertilise crops).

We can help by doing thingslike buying local, seasonal food(supporting Scottish farmers, reducingthe carbon footprint, better forbiodiversity); growing some of ourown food (allotments, vegetables in

our own gardens); reducing the useof pesticides, and encouraging andsupporting wildlife.

For further information, click on:

www.whatsonyourplate.co.uk

www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk

Experience nature

on your doorstepNature can be found everywhere even on yourdoorstep. So why not get outdoors more oftenand discover Scotlands nature close to where you

live?Experiencing nature on your doorstep is local, can be doneby bus, train, foot or cycle, has a low carbon footprint, isgood for your health, and you can see some great wildlife.

There are opportunities for everyone throughout the year toenjoy the variety of nature in their local area on their own,with their family, or with organised groups.

Its easy and fun to do, good for your health and well-being,and can fit in well with busy lives.

Go to:

www.snh.org.uk/scottish/2010yearofbiodiversity.asp

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Our gardens can be great forbirds, insects and other animals.Its easy to help wildlife to thrivein your garden, allotment or

even window box. You can helpby growing your own fruit andvegetables, planting wildlife-friendly flowers or by not clearingleaves and weeds so quickly.

What you do in your garden can helpprotect and improve biodiversity for

your children, grandchildren and futuregenerations.

Plants can be used to create havensfor wildlife, and other actions can help,such as clearing up leaves and weedslater in the year, and leaving woodpilesover the winter. This can help attract avariety of wildlife all year round for you

to enjoy.

Have a look at:

www.gardenforlife.org.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces

Help with a wildlife surveyHow healthy is biodiversity where you live? Youcan help us by getting involved in wildlife surveys

and finding out more about your local area and itsamazing biodiversity.

Wildlife surveys are essential to finding out how well ourbiodiversity is doing.

Theyre a fun, easy and rewarding way for everyone(individuals, families, schools, groups) to get involved with

biodiversity in your local area (even in your own garden).

Further information is available at:

www.biodiversityislife.net

www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/wildlife_survey

Tell someone about it


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Seen an exciting bird, animal or insect? Made ameal using Scottish seasonal food? Got involvedin a wildlife survey? Tell someone about it andencourage them to get involved!

People are part of biodiversity. To improve our biodiversitywe all need to get involved in some way.

We can help in lots of ways, but if we dont tell anyone aboutit then our impact is not as great as it could be.

Getting involved in biodiversity is inspirational and fun.

Get others involvedYouve made a difference, so why

not get your employer, your localschool or your local council to doa bit more?

Scotlands economy depends on ourbiodiversity being healthy, so why notask your employer, your local school oryour local council to do something tosupport local biodiversity?

Its not just physical work. There arevarious levels to get involved, aslocal groups require a range of skillsincluding administration, marketing andfundraising.

Go on, encourage others to make a

difference!

Check out:

www2.btcv.org.uk

www.ecoschoolsscotland.org

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Beauty and the beastieSchools are being asked to use their creative talents to help celebrate theamazing variety of plants and animals in Scotland.

Eco-Schools Scotland and a range of partner organisations are behind theeco competition with a difference, which forms part of the 2010 International Yearof Biodiversity celebrations.

Titled Beauty and the Beastie Scotland from Flow to Forest, the

competition will have two age categories, primary and secondary. Pupils will havefive options for entering the competition, where they can create a poem, a pieceof creative writing, a painting, a photo or an animation/film about their favouriteScottish plant or animal.

A winner and a runner-up will be chosen for each of the five options and fromeach of the two age groups. The closing date for entries will be 2 July 2010. Formore information go to www ecoschoolsscotland org/documents/Feb2010 pdf

Minister and Maisie go to Blackridge

Childrens author Aileen Paterson, creator of the Maisie books, and environmentsecretary Richard Lochhead made a visit to Blackridge community centre in West

Lothian recently to meet some young artists.The community centre is hosting an exhibition featuring paintings and other

artworks produced by children from Blackridge Primary School. The collection hasbeen inspired by Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve, which lies next doorto the school. Staff from SNH and the National Galleries of Scotland have beenworking with the children to develop their interest in environmental art.

Environment secretary Richard Lochhead was given a preview of the exhibitionby children from the school. Encouraging children to look at the natural worldand interpret it in creative ways is helping to build our future, commented Mr

Lochhead. If we grow up understanding and appreciating our natural environmentthen were more likely to look after it. Blackridge children are very lucky to have thisimportant reserve on their doorstep.

Pictured above are author Aileen Paterson with two pupils from BlackridgePrimary and a puppet version of Maisie. Aileens popular creation Maisie is a kittenwho lives with her granny in Morningside, Edinburgh, and gets up to all sorts ofmischief.

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Staff at Scotlands best-known outdoor clothing and equipment shops are beingoffered free training to help spread awareness of the Scottish Outdoor AccessCode (the Code).

The high street training sessions will allow sales staff to develop their

understanding of the Code. They can then encourage customers to think abouttheir own behaviour and how best to leave no trace when enjoying Scotlandsgreat outdoors.

The training programme has been adapted from the Code and createdspecially for retail staff. It covers the key Code messages as well as specificresponsible camping advice. Around 20 sessions have been delivered so far toover 100 staff.

SNH have a duty to promote responsible access and maintain Scotlandsnatural beauty, remarked SNH campaign officer Kirstin Guthrie, but these are

also important to retailers who rely on the outdoors for their business. We realisedthere was a missed opportunity here as they speak to our target market everyday. So weve made it easy for retailers to help deliver these key messages tocustomers by offering free training, point of sale leaflets and swing tags to attachto stock. To find out more, contact Kirstin on 01738 458 633.

UWP goes year-round

A new approach that involves trapping hedgehogs all year round will be trialledover the next 12 months as part of the Uist Wader Project (UWP) in the WesternIsles.

The UWP is also expected to use dogs for the first time to locate hedgehogsand their dens on Benbecula and North Uist. A team of up to 12 fieldworkers willbe brought together to start work by mid-May, providing full-time jobs in the area.

The hedgehogs were introduced to the Uists in the 1970s and pose majorproblems for native ground-nesting wader birds because they eat their eggs.Several bird species are in serious decline, with numbers plummeting by 60% in

20 years in some cases.The Uists support some of the most important populations of nesting dunlin,

ringed plover, redshank, snipe, lapwing and oystercatcher in Europe. Dunlin(pictured below) and ringed plover nest at the highest densities recorded acrossthe globe.

The UWP has been removing animals for seven years in total and has beenusing both live trapping and lamping to detect and remove animals. Hedgehogsare cared for by the Uist Hedgehog Rescue coalition (a partnership of welfareorganisations), before being moved to the Scottish mainland, where theyrereleased into the wild at suitable locations.

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A small colony of an invasive speciescalled carpet sea squirt has been foundat Largs in the Firth of Clyde. This is thefirst sighting of the species in Scotland,

although its previously been found inWales, Ireland and the south coast ofEngland.

The carpet sea squirt (shown on theright in the picture alongside) is thoughtto have come originally from Japan.It can reproduce and spread rapidlyand tends to smother other marine lifegrowing on the seabed. Its especially

good at growing over underwaterstructures such as fish farmingequipment, boat hulls and pontoons.Experience from other parts of theworld has highlighted it as a potentialnuisance species that causes economic and environmental problems.

The carpet sea squirt is most likely to spread by attaching itself to the hulls ofboats. Its a distinctive mustard, pale orangey-yellow or beige colour and oftenappears as pale flat patches. Larger growths may look like wax dripping from

artificial structures just below water level. Its surface has leaf-like veins with tinypores and it has a spongy texture and a leathery feel to it.

SNH, Marine Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agencyare planning how to deal with the discovery of the carpet sea squirt in Scottishwaters. As with any marine non-native species, removal is difficult and costly.However, a recent programme to remove it from Holyhead harbour in Wales hadsome success, and its hoped that a similar response in Scotland could preventfurther spread.

For more information about the carpet sea squirt, visit www.snh.org.uk/carpetseasquirt. If you think you may have seen this species, please [email protected]

Rise in bird of prey poisonings

The number of birds of prey being killed with poison in Scotland has increased,according to new figures.

Twenty-two poisonings were recorded in 2009, resulting in 27 dead raptors,including 19 buzzards, four red kites and two golden eagles.A map pointing to poison hotspots in Scotland for 2009 showed the area

with the highest number of incidents was Tayside, where nine were recorded.The 2009 deaths were up on 2008, but the same as 2007 and lower than

2006. The most common type of poison used to kill the animals was carbofuran.The 2009 map showed that in the past year there were five birds poisoned

in Lothian and Borders, three in the Highlands and three across Strathclyde. InGrampian and Dumfries and Galloway, police dealt with one incident of poisoning

each.Scotlands environment minister, Roseanna Cunningham, said the figures were

a wake-up call to those who thought these poisoning incidents were declining.This continued persecution of our precious wildlife is simply

incomprehensible, she added. Poisoning is an arbitrary method of killing whichposes serious risks to other animals, and potentially people, in our countryside.

Print out


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Print out

You can order copies of SNH publications via our website. You can also buy them in person from the shop in the reception area of ourBattleby office, near Perth. Most SNH publications are free, but the Naturally Scottishand Landscape Fashioned by Geologyseries docarry a cover price Hard copies of our research and report series are also priced items

Red squirrelsAn updated version of our popular Red Squirrelspublication will

shortly be available. Its crammed with the latest stunning red squirrelimages and explores the life cycle and behaviour of one of Scotlandsfavourite mammals. It also considers the issues facing the speciestoday.

This publication is part of our long-running Naturally Scottishseries, which also features whales, seals, badgers and bumblebees.For a full overview of the Naturally Scottishseries, visit thepublications area of our website at www.snh.gov.uk/pubs

This book covers one of Scotlands greatest mountain stories. TheScottish Highlands were once part of an ancient mountain range

that was comparable in scale with the present day Alps or Himalayas.Over time, the mountains were worn down by ice, wind and waterto create the familiar landscapes of today. This epic tale of colliding

landscapes of Argyll, including the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Islay,Jura and Gigha.

Argyll and the islands

continents and erupting volcanoes gave rise to the treasured

1


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Walk this wayWalking is the ideal way for most people to

become more active. As Drew Smith of Pathsfor All explains, you can walk on your own, withyour friends and family, or join a local healthwalk group the choice is yours

1Take a walk! Youlllearn more about yourl l t th

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Health professionals have described walking as the perfect exerciseand the best buy in public health. Its free, open to most people andyou dont need any special equipment.

And for folk who do decide to get up and go there are clear rewards peoplewho are active are more likely to live longer, enjoy more healthy years of life andremain independent.

Since 2001, Paths for All have led the way in getting people out of doors toimprove their health. Weve developed a walking for health initiative, which hasencouraged thousands of inactive people to take regular physical activity in andaround their local neighbourhood.

With funding from the Scottish Government, were able to provide grants

to local partnerships made up of community groups and other agencies. Thesegroups then train volunteers to lead health walks in communities across Scotland.

Volunteer leaders

The 3,700 volunteer walk leaders in Scotland are the backbone of hundredsof health walk schemes. Theyre often drawn from the people who take part inthe regular walks and who are therefore most likely to appreciate the needs oflocal people. They understand their feelings about the local environment and thebarriers to getting out and about.

NHS Health Scotland recommend that adults should take at least 30minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. However, theGovernment believe that 60% of adults arent meeting even this minimal target.Lorraine Crawford, a young mum from Barmulloch in Glasgow, was one of them,until she joined a health walk as a way of meeting people and taking a break fromthe stresses of family life. Now shes a volunteer walk leader, and Lorraine praiseshealth walks for allowing people to mix socially.

The fact that youre able to walk regularly as part of a like-minded local groupis what appeals to inactive people, Lorraine commented. Very few of the folktaking part would be interested in becoming involved with sport or facility-basedexercise.

We all help each other and enjoy catching up. We feel like were taking backthe streets, paths and parks, which might otherwise seem threatening if you wereon your own particularly to women and older people

local area, meet otherpeople and soon startto feel healthier.

2Walking as part of agroup can be fun and agood way to mix

socially.

We feel like we'retaking back the

streets, paths andparks

A key part of the Paths for All vision of a happier, healthier, greener and moreactive Scotland is that paths which look inviting and appealing for outdoor activityexist in all parts of the country These can provide a health walk around an urban

2Walk leader LorraineCrawford (in red) andsome of her fellow


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exist in all parts of the country. These can provide a health walk around an urbanhousing estate or a mountain bike ride in a national park.

We receive statistics from around 150 volunteer-led walks per month,explained Ian Findlay, chief officer with Paths for All, and weve come to realisethat what started out as a separate project is now central to what our organisation

is about.We believe everyone has the right to enjoy their outdoors and to live a

more active lifestyle, regardless of their age, gender, ability or social or ethnicbackground.

Our walking for health work is aimed at the most inactive in society, who areoften also those suffering the highest levels of inequality and can be the mostdifficult to reach. Through the community health walk scheme were showing thatthe simple act of walking and socialising together is helping to change peoplesquality of life for the better and creating more vibrant communities.

Joint approaches

And the links between health and our environment are becoming more widelyrecognised. When the Scottish public health minister Shona Robison recentlyvisited Fife, we were able to point to the path network as an example of theway forward. Paths for All had worked along with the local authority, and partof the development costs had been paid for by the local health board, who hadrecognised the health benefits of walking.

These joint approaches between health and environment agencies and localauthorities are practical and beneficial. Theyre likely to be even more so in thefuture, given the squeeze on public spending thats forecast for the next few

years.Lorraine Crawford is in no doubt about the benefits for individuals. Walking

has helped change my life, so why wouldnt I want to help others take the steps tochange theirs?

some of her fellowwalkers fromBarmulloch celebrateat a Paths for Allawards ceremony.

3Paths for Alls Ian

Findlay (left) and publichealth minister ShonaRobison (right) lead ahealth walk in Fife.

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Cat Barlow has the novel jobof telling people about a unique

i j b i i


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Lure of the moor

conservation project bringingback grouse shooting in a henharrier protection area. Here,

she explains the background toher work

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One of the most unusual landmanagement and conservationprojects ever attempted in

on practical conservation tasks onthe moor, such as tree planting andputting up bird boxes. And local

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projects ever attempted inthis country is under way on amoorland just outside Langholmin Dumfries-shire.

The Langholm Moor DemonstrationProject involves managing a large redgrouse moor on Buccleuch Estates.The moor includes around 7,600hectares (18,780 acres) protectedunder European law because of itsimportance to hen harriers. Thesesuperb birds of prey are known to hunt

grouse, so its unusual to be managinga moor for grouse shooting and atthe same time helping hen harriers toflourish.

Funding is coming from SNH,Buccleuch Estates, the Game &Wildlife Conservation Trust, NaturalEngland and the Royal Society for theProtection of Birds. The organisationsare working together to try and findpractical solutions so that hen harriersand grouse can live together.

Historically, the Langholmcommunity have had mixed viewsabout management of the moor. Theestate stopped grouse shooting andwithdrew all their keepers in 1998,

and many bird species declined asa result. Now the eyes of Europe areon this high-profile project, which willhave a huge influence on the future ofBritains moorlands. However, the localcommunity remain largely unaware ofhow important the project is or theeconomic benefits the moor could bringlocally.

The education project that I run co-funded by SNH and Dumfries& Galloways LEADER programme aims to improve understanding of therole that people play in managing themoor. We also want to make sure thatthe community are involved in how theproject goes forward.

I work alongside the moorland

management staff to raise awarenessabout whats going on. Wevedeveloped a programme of opendays, events and activities involvinglocal schools and colleges. Wevealso recruited volunteers to work

primary schools have enjoyed days out,dipping for freshwater minibeasts anddiscovering the small mammals that livehidden beneath the heather and grasses.

In addition, school groups haveexplored the community aspect of themoor. Children have visited head keeperSimon Lester and local moorland farmerIan Cuthbert to learn about managingand farming the moorland. And a recentwild food forage event was a greatsuccess, opening eyes to the range ofedible moorland plants and animals.

Cumbrian chef and wild food expertJohn Crouch rustled up a tasty feastfrom the edible treats found on ourmoorland forage, served up with rabbitthat the gamekeepers provided.

Our plans for this season include aguided walk around the moorland anda dawn chorus walk with a difference,focusing on the unique sounds of themoor. The wild food event held lastautumn will be repeated this spring anda moorland fungi walk is planned forlater in the season. Our website,www.langholmmoorland.co.uk, holdsdetails of all the upcoming events.

One of our big hopes for thisseason is that funding will come

through to pay for a hen harrier remoteviewing facility. Nest cameras are quitecommonplace now, but cameras on henharrier nests are few and far between.It would provide a great opportunityfor locals and visitors to Langholm tosee these wonderful birds in the nest.Longer term, a moorland visitor centreis a possibility, providing a base for

visitors and education groups to learnmore about the moor.

On a personal note, Im reallyenjoying my role as moorland educationofficer. Its given me the chance tocombine my love of upland wildlife andenthusing people about the beautifulmoorland landscape. And Im delightedat the welcome Ive received from

the local community. Its great to beliving and working in the beautifulsurroundings of Langholm, and I thinkthis project presents a great opportunityfor local folk to become actively andpositively involved.

1Hen harrier chicks inthe nest on LangholmMoor.

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A couple of pupils fromLangholm Academygive Cat Barlow ahelping hand with birdbox building.

Seabird1


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Seab d

skyscraper

Up to one million seabirds return to Shetland every spring and almostone-tenth of them make their home on the east cliffs of Noss NationalNature Reserve This crowded seabird colony set in a spectacular


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kilometres

Coastal path (10 km)

Viewpoint path (6 km)

DEEP CREVASSE STAY ON TRACK

Reserve boundary

Parking

Information centre

Toilets

Road

Passenger ferry

Field boundary

!

To Lerwick ferry(5 km)

Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2009.Based on Ordnance Survey mapping. Crown Copyright anddatabase right 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance SurveyLicence number SNH 100017908.

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Nature Reserve. This crowded seabird colony, set in a spectacularlandscape, presents a scene unequalled on the coast of Britain.

The island of Noss stands proudly on the eastern edge of Shetland, with convenientcliff-side nesting spots close to the rich marine larder of the North Sea. And its herethat tens of thousands of seabirds nest in spring and summer, resulting in a noisyskyscraper of movement from the waters edge to the cliff top.

Follow the 10 km/6 mile path around the edge of the island during early summer andyour senses will be assaulted by a squawking, heaving mass of birds. Here you canwitness first-hand the sounds and smells of a seabird city.

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Between late April and late August, SNH run a smallinflatable boat that shuttles visitors across Noss Sound every

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Beyond the hill dyke, the land rises in a broad sweep tothe eastern cliffs Follow the coastal path south and you


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In the 19th century, a hill dyke was built between Voe o daMels (meaning inlet of sands) and the Geo of North Croo.This wall separates the better land on the west side of theisland from the rough hill ground. During lambing, the flockof 350 sheep are brought to the west of the dyke, where theshepherd can keep an eye on them.

You should see small numbers of grey or common sealshauled out in this area, or you may even spot an otter. Wehave recorded grey seal and common seal pups on theisland for the first time in recent years, and there are alsoseveral otter holts.

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inflatable boat that shuttles visitors across Noss Sound everyday (weather permitting), except Mondays and Thursdays.

Once you reach the island, make your way up to the smallinformation centre housed in an old island farmhouse

which has a small display about Noss. Next door is the ponypund, built by the Marquis of Londonderry, who leased theisland from 1871 to 1900 for use as a Shetland pony studfarm. He bred the ponies to work down his coal mines innorthern England.

Today, SNH and the Gardie Trust, the island owners,manage Noss through an agreement. As well as being anature reserve, the island is part of a sheep farm and a fineexample of how farming and wildlife can co-exist.

the eastern cliffs. Follow the coastal path south and youskirt round the boggy moorland heart of Noss, which is thestronghold of the skuas. Both Arctic and great skuas neston the ground, laying up to two eggs in a shallow scrape.

The adult birds defend their nests aggressively, swoopingon anything that comes close. Skuas rarely make a directhit, but if youre targeted then hold your hand or a stickabove your head to deter them. Please dont try to hit them remember, theyre only protecting their young.

The great skua or bonxie, as its commonly known isa globally rare species. Its gradually edging out the smallerArctic skua from the island, with over 350 pairs of bonxiesnow nesting on Noss, making this the fifth largest colony in

the world.

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The sandstone cliffs ofNoss have weatheredto produce horizontalledges and honeycombholes that are perfectfor nesting.

2Hardy Shetland sheeplive on the island allyear round.

3The great skua is a

pirate of the seas. Itpursues birds as largeas gannets to steal afree meal.

4The Noup of Noss isone of the first, or last,sights for generations

f Sh tl d t ll

A short climb from the southeast corner of the island bringsyou to level ground where a chasm opens between you anda 50 metre (164 ft) high grass-covered stack. This is theHolm (small island) of Noss, or Cradle Holm.

People once risked life and limb going over to this highrock stack in search of extra sheep grazing or to collect birdeggs for food. For over 200 years, they travelled over tothe rock on a cradle. This was a box that ran on two ropesbetween Noss and the holm, and which carried sheep or

people.

Just round the corner from Cradle Holm, you come upon theNoup (high headland) of Noss. These are the highest cliffson Shetlands east coast, rising to some 181 metres(592 ft). The sandstone cliffs have been worn away toexpose striped layers of red, yellow and grey rock weatheredinto a honeycomb of crevices and ledges.

These tiers of ledges are packed with thousands ofbickering and screaming seabirds. The most numerous birdsare the 45,000 guillemots, followed by some 8,000 pairs ofgannets, along with smaller numbers of fulmars, razorbills,black guillemots kittiwakes and puffins

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Continue round onto the north side of the island and youarrive back at the hill dyke. A short distance after this you

5The British Isles holdabout 10% of theworlds puffins.

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Noss is one of over 50 national nature reserves in Scotland.Find out more at www nnr-scotland org uk

y yreach Papil Geo (small inlet of the priest, although theresno other evidence of religious use here). This is the nearestspot from the ferry for those visitors who have little time on

Noss but are keen to see puffins.The puffin is one of the worlds favourite birds. Adultsarrive back at the breeding colony in April and leave againby the end of July to spend winter in the North Sea or NorthAtlantic. They can live for more than 30 years and generallymate for life, returning to the same cliff-top burrow year afteryear. Their young are called pufflings, which seems oddlyappropriate for the bird thats known by many as the clownof seabirds.

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Noss is one of themost popular places tovisit in Shetland.

Essential information

Boats Nearby natural attractions


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Theres a regular ferry service from Lerwick on mainlandShetland to the island of Bressay. Its then 5 km/3 milesacross Bressay by road to the Noss visitors car park. The

ferry to Noss is operated by SNH and a small charge ismade for the return journey.

To check that the ferry is running, call the Noss freephonenumber 0800 1077818 before setting out, to avoiddisappointment. This is updated daily by 0900 during theferry season. A red flag also flies on the island if the weatheris too severe to cross Noss Sound safely.

Alternatively, visitors can join a scheduled round-island

commercial boat trip from Lerwick. Youll find informationabout the trips from the tourist information centre in the townor from www.visitshetland.com

OS maps

Explorer 466 Active MapShetland Mainland South

Trail lengthThe coastal path around the island is 10 km/6 miles.Alternatively, you can follow the path to the viewpoint atCharlies Holm and then turn back, which makes for a 6km/4 mile walk. There are also shorter walks near to the ferrypoints on Noss and Bressay.

Terrain

The path round the island is rough in places and can beslippery when wet. Expect a gradual climb from sea level to181 metres (592 ft) at the Noup.

Please wear sensible footwear so that you can crossthe rocks safely when using the Noss boat they can beslippery. You should also take warm waterproof clothing, asthe Noss weather can be very changeable.

Parts of the path and viewpoints are on the edge of

unfenced cliffs, so please take great care.

Dogs

The SNH boat is not suitable for dogs.

Further information

Theres a small information centre on Noss where SNH

staff provide an introductory talk for all ferry passengersupon landing. A leaflet about Noss is available in alternativeformats, including large print and audio format atwww.snh.org.uk/pubs

y

Why not visit the two other Shetland national naturereserves, which lie on the island of Unst. Hermaness ishome to 24,000 pairs of gannets and more than 50,000puffins, which nest here every year on the dramatic sea cliffs,offshore arches and stacks. The huge sea cliffs overlook theislands and stacks of Muckle Flugga, Britains northernmostpoint, and inland the moors are home to the third largestcolony of great skuas in the world. Theres a visitor centre atthe old lighthouse shore station. The recommended walkingroute (34 hours) is over moderate ground. Seewww.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=1

The Keen of Hamar may look like a moonscape, but thebare stony scree of this reserve supports a unique collectionof plants. The plantlife here is specially adapted to survive onthe rare serpentine rock found on Unst, the most northerlyisland in Britain. Star attraction is Edmondston's chickweed,which is not found anywhere else in the world. Theres asmall car park and the reserve presents easy walking ground.See www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=2

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SNH Area NewsStrathclyde and Ayrshire


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Up close

You can learn a lot by getting up closeto nature! Every year hundreds ofschoolchildren get the chance to do

just that through the Clyde in the

Classroom project. They take care oftiny trout as they grow from eggs into25mm/1 inch fish (called fry), whichare then released into their local river.

During the seven-week project theylearn about the fish, where they live andwhat they can do to help look after theirriver. Its a really special experiencefor the children, commented WillieYeomans of the Clyde River Foundation.Theyre present at the start of a fishslife, something that very few peopleever get to see in the wild.

Clyde in the Classroom hasworked with 245 primary schools overthe last 10 years. This year it welcomedthe 10,000th child to take part. Health

minister Nicola Sturgeon (shown abovewith some of the children) attended alaunch day at the Glasgow ScienceCentre to help celebrate.

The Clyde River Foundation run theproject with a grant from SNH and amix of public/private funding. To find outmore about the project click on www.clyderiverfoundation.organd/or email

[email protected]

Past and future

In the autumn of 2009, the communityof New Cumnock reminisced andshared their memories of the town andcountryside. At the Captured through

Time exhibition, people discussed howthe landscape around this East Ayrshiretown has changed.

New Cumnock has a wealth ofstories. It has a proud mining history,with people having dug for coal, granite,copper and lead in the area. It hascountryside thats been celebrated bypoets and local artists for instance,Robert Burns wrote Sweet Aftonaboutthe local river.

Thinking about the environmenthighlighted some of the recentchanges, such as new renewableenergy from wind farms, the changingclimate and the drop in numbers oflapwings.

Looking back has helped us tothink about whats changing today,explained Natalie Fleming (picturedabove) from the Coalfield EnvironmentInitiative. It highlighted the importantrole that the environment plays increating a sustainable future for thisarea.

See examples of the exhibition at

www.newcumnock.ea-cei.org.uk

A rosy future?

The apple orchards of the Clyde Valleyonce formed the largest fruit-growingarea in Scotland. But whats the futurefor them now? A three-year project has

been working with local people and hasdiscovered real enthusiasm and interestfor the orchards.

There has certainly been lots goingon. Schools have planted their owntrees. Orchard owners as part of theClyde Valley Orchard Group havelearnt new skills to help them grow andcare for their trees. And local peoplehave taken part in events, such astasting freshly squeezed juice, lookingat different apple varieties and learningabout the wildlife that lives in orchards.

Is the future rosy? The orchardsare unlikely ever to be big business,as too many of us buy foreign apples.But there may be other opportunities,

such as making apple juice and cider,or managing community and schoolorchards. To find out more, click onwww.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk

y yCorrespondent: Sarah Watts

SNH Area NewsEast Highland


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Clearwater revival?

The future of Loch Flemington nearCroy looks clearer thanks to someground-breaking work. The loch isan internationally important home to

breeding Slavonian grebes (shownabove), great crested newts and arare water plant called slender naiad.

In recent years, however, fertiliserrun-off from surrounding farmlandhas created regular summer bloomsof algae. The murky water makes itdifficult for the grebes to find food andtheyve not bred there since 2001.The algal blooms have also affectedangling for the local fishermen.

Experts have suggested usingPhosLock, a chalk-like substancethat binds to the excess fertiliser andlocks it into the loch bed. This shouldlead to the water quality rapidlyimproving, which will be good for the

grebes, the fishing and all the otherwildlife on the loch.This is the first time PhosLock

has been used in the Highlands,and the local community and otherpublic bodies are backing the trial.The results will be studied closely togauge the success of the work andlearn how to tackle this problem in

other places.

Solar-powered eagles

Were taking part in a project that aimsto find out how young golden eaglesin the Cairngorms react to peopledisturbing them.

Over the last three years, solar-powered satellite transmitters havebeen fitted to three young eagles togive us an insight into how they live andtheir movements. The transmitters allowus to track what they do and where theygo.

Since these first taggings, wevehad a transmitter fail after two monthsand another being recovered when theeagle carrying it (named Alma) waspoisoned after two years.

However, tracking results from thesebirds all add to the emerging picture.And the third transmitter, attachedto a bird called Tom, continues torelay information about his life in the

southwest Cairngorms.This year the project is aiming totrack up to seven more birds, includingadults, in a partnership between variousorganisations and estates. You can findmore information on the eagles andother tracked birds by visitingwww.roydennis.org

Shot in the dark

Weve been supporting an innovativephotography project in Wester Rossto help people recover from mental illhealth. Shot in the dark has allowed

people to develop digital photographyskills, such as setting up and taking agood photograph (like the one above)and using computers to change andpresent pictures.

John McNaught, the projectworker, has helped the 20 folk takingpart learn new skills and meet newpeople, and this has built peoplesconfidence. Many have become soinvolved with the project that theyvebought their own cameras and set uptheir own Flickr web page, remarkedJohn. Some people have got togrips with technology for the firsttime, while others have developed agenuine talent for photography. And

all of them have been able to meet thegoals successfully that they set forthemselves.

The people taking part also gotout and about into the Wester Rosscountryside, including a trip to LochMaree Islands NNR. The projectorganisers hope to build on this workand are seeking funding to develop a

social enterprise using the photographyskills that people have learnt.

gCorrespondents: Tim Dawson, Pete Moore, Kenny Nelson

SNH Area NewsWestern Isles


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LIFE+ launches

January saw the launch in Uist of aproject to safeguard the machair ofthe Hebrides, its traditional croftingmethods and the wealth of wildlife it

supports. The machair LIFE+ projectwill continue for four years and aimsto support crofters and farmers indelivering practical wildlife-friendly landmanagement.

Machair is the fertile, low-lyingcoastal grassland found in the northand west of Scotland. The funds willbe used to provide machinery, labourand advice to crofters, as well asaddressing issues such as grazingby geese and changing ploughingmethods. It will also promote beneficialtechniques such as late harvesting,arable stooking (stacking) and the useof seaweed as a fertiliser.

The project will extend government

funding thats available for machairmanagement through the ScotlandRural Development Programme(SRDP), and the results will later feedinto the next version of the SRDP in2014. Its hoped the funding will helpto develop a better understanding ofhow to conserve this way of life anda special habitat for wildlife for future

generations.If youd like to find out more about

the project, or are interested in takingpart, please contact the project teamon 01870 603 361.

Return to normal

The project to remove mink from theWestern Isles is improving conditionsfor ground-nesting birds. Arctic tern(shown above) colonies on Lewis and

Harris, for example, have reclaimedprevious no-go areas for the first timein more than 20 years.

In previous years weve seen allthe Lewis birds withdraw into supercolonies, often with hundreds of pairsat one site, explained Martin Scott,local officer with RSPB Scotland.Theyve sought safety in numbersfrom predators and their range shrankdramatically, as there were so fewplaces left that were safe to breed.

Last year, however, they producedmore chicks and were spread overa wider area. Smaller colonies haveappeared all around Lewis and Harrisand have generally been successful in

rearing young.The manager of the Hebridean MinkProject, Iain Macleod, said it was likelythat the intensive trapping of mink, anon-native mammal, had helped theterns re-establish.

Whats been quite surprising is thespeed with which the terns have goneback to behaving normally. The fact that

they feel comfortable enough to do thismeans theyre suffering less predationby the mink. Other birds, such as red-throated divers and greenshank, willalso be benefiting.

New Harris ranger

The North Harris Trust have launched anew ranger service for the island. TheTrust are a community group set up in2003 to manage, develop and conserve

the assets of North Harris sustainablyfor the benefit of the community andenjoyment of the wider public. The newranger, Robin Reid, will be workingclosely with the islanders and the manyvisitors who come to Harris each year.

My aim is to inspire people aboutthe environment around them, heexplained, and to help them find outmore about it. Were very fortunate inNorth Harris to have so many greatlandscapes, habitats and wildlifespectacles right on our doorstep.

He already has plans to host aseries of walks and other events fromseashore to mountain top this spring.Robin will also be visiting local schools

to work on some environmental projectswith pupils. He recently visited Scalpayto explore bird flight with the childrenthere by building flapping gannet,goose and eagle mobiles.

For more information on the NorthHarris ranger service and the eventsand activities on offer, contact Robin on01859 502 222 or email robin@north-

harris.org

Correspondent: Roddy MacMinn

Events diary 2010


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April Thursday 1

Saturday 3

Tuesday 13

Wednesday 14

Thursday 15

Friday 16

Tuesday 20

Tuesday 20

Wednesday 21

Tuesday 27

Wednesday 28

Saturday 17

Sunday 18

Guided Walks

Knockan Crag NNR

Sutherland

Nature Detectives

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Bird Box Building

Caerlaverock NNR

Dumfries

Meet the Wardens

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Nature Detectives

Caerlaverock NNR

Dumfries

Reptile Ramble

Kirkconnell Flow NNR

Dumfries

Season Opening

Noss NNR

Shetland

Sharing Good

Practice (SGP):

Working with rivers

Birnam Institute

SGP: Rhododendron

control

Strontian

Ardnamurchan

Drystane Dyking

Weekend

Taynish NNR

Tayvallich

Argyll

A geologist guide for visitors will be at Knockan

during April, May and June at locally advertised

times.

Guided walk from 10am to 12noon at

Levenmouth woods in search of birds, otters, red

squirrels and more. Meet at Findatie car park.

Booking essential.

Come along from 11am to 3pm and make a free

nest box to take home. Booking is essential.

Drop into the Boathouse Hide from 2pm to 5pm

and chat with the SNH wardens about Loch

Leven wildlife.

Explore the Flooders nature trail from 11am to

3pm, starting from Hollands Road car park.

Meet the SNH warden from 10am to 1pm and

look for reptiles and amphibians living on the

reserve.

Ferry crossings to the island of Noss begin and

will run daily, except on Mondays and Thursdays,

until 29 August.

This course will build on the content of previous

similar events by exploring some of the more

technical aspects of managing and restoring

Scotlands rivers for the natural heritage.

Rhododendron is the invasive non-native plant

species that poses the most serious threat to

biodiversity in Scotland. This event will focus on

planning effective control.

Come and help restore the old dykes at Taynish

before cattle are reintroduced to parts of the

woodland. Please book in advance for one or two

days.

Tel: 01571 844 000

Tel: 01577 864 439

Tel: 01557 814 435

Tel: 01577 864 439

Tel: 01557 814 435

Tel: 01387 247 010

Tel: 01595 693 345

Tel: 01738 458 556

[email protected]

Tel: 01738 458 556

[email protected]

Tel: 01546 603 611

Saturday 10

Sunday 11

Art/Wildlife Workshop

Cairnsmore of

Fleet NNR

Gatehouse of FleetGalloway

Half-day workshops with an opportunity to re-

create some of the reserves plants and animals

in air-hardening clay. You can then take your

creations home with you! Booking essential asspace is limited.

Tel: 01557 814 435

Events diary 2010


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June

Thursday 3

Wednesday 2

Thursday 20

Sunday 23

Tuesday 25

Saturday 29

Sunday 30

SGP: Rural/urban

myths

Battleby, Perth

Ramble Through

Rassal NNR

Near Kishorn

Wester Ross

SGP: Envisaging

places

Battleby, Perth

Discovery Day

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Findatie Botany

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Chequered Skipper

Weekend

Glasdrum Wood NNRNear Oban, Argyll

This event will look at settlements as parts of

ecosystems and how they connect the built

environment to the wider countryside.

Discover the abundant flowers and wonderful

archaeology of the most northerly ashwoods in

Scotland. Look out for orchids and mountain

avens flourishing on the limestone slopes.

This event will focus on themes including

language and the Scottish landscape, and the

influence of landscape on culture and the arts.

Lots of activities and games for all the family at

Kirkgate Park, Kinross. Staff and volunteers will

be on hand to help you find out more about thereserve and its wildlife.

Meet at Findatie car park and join a guided

walk from 6pm to 8pm to discover the plants of

Findatie. Booking essential.

Come and explore the wonderful Glen Creran

woodlands and search for chequered skipper and

pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies.

Tel: 01738 458 556

[email protected]

Tel: 01854 613 904

Tel: 01738 458 556

[email protected]

Tel: 01577 864 439

Tel: 01577 864 439

Tel: 01546 603 611

Wednesday 19 Butterfly Walk

Kirkconnell Flow NNRDumfries

Join the reserve wardens from 12noon to 2pm

and search for the beautiful green hairstreak andother butterflies.

Tel: 01387 247 010

Tuesday 18

Burleigh Botany

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Meet at Burleigh Sands car park and join a

guided walk from 6pm to 8pm to discover the

plants of Burleigh. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439

May

Wednesday 12

Sunday 9

Saturday 15

SGP: Small-scale

wind and

micro-renewable

technology

Battleby, Perth

Dawn Chorus

Loch Lomond NNR

West Highlands

Moths at Taynish Mill

Taynish NNR

Tayvallich

Argyll

The impacts of small-scale windfarms and other

micro-renewable technologies will be assessed.

The likely focus will be impacts on birds, bats,

other protected species and landscape issues.

Come and join us for the dawn chorus down on

the Endrick Mouth part of the Loch Lomond NNR.

We'll help you to identify the birds that we hear

and see. Booking essential.

Come and help empty the live traps and be

fascinated by these beautiful creatures of thenight.

Tel: 01738 458 556

[email protected]

Tel: 01786 450 362

stephen.longster@snh.

gov.uk

Tel: 01546 603 611

Friday 4

Levenmouth Botany

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Meet at Findatie car park and join a guided

walk from 3pm to 5pm to discover the plants of

Levenmouth Booking essential

Tel: 01577 864 439


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Wednesday 16

Thursday 17

Friday 18

Saturday 19

Wednesday 23

Thursday 24

Tuesday 22

Thursday 24

Saturday 26

Saturday 26

Saturday 26

Wednesday 30

SGP: Essential art

exploring nature

creatively

Battleby, Perth

Myth and Medicine

Caerlaverock NNR

Dumfries

Coastal Biodiversity

Taynish NNR

Tayvallich

Argyll

SGP: Outdoor

learning for teachers

Badaguish,

Near Aviemore

Management

Proposals

Moine Mhr NNRNear Kilmartin

Argyll

SGP: Mainstreaminggreen prescription

Central Belt

Bird/Bat Box Building

Kirkconnell Flow NNR

Dumfries

Morning After Moths

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

Open Day

Moine Mhr NNR

Near Kilmartin

Argyll

Calves, Quartzite and

Caley Pines

Beinn Eighe NNR

Kinlochewe

Wester Ross

Gordon MacLellan (Creeping Toad) will explorethe value of storying landscapes, seeing patternsin nature, and creative ways of using naturalmaterials.

Find out some of the fascinating mythology linkedwith plants on the reserve.

Come and explore the coastal area at Taynishand see some of Loch Sweens rich marine life. Ifwere lucky, we may see otters and marsh fritillarybutterflies.

A unique opportunity to work alongsidecolleagues from institutes throughout Scotland,sharing good practice in outdoor learning.

Heres an opportunity to view our newmanagement proposals for the Moss and have

your say at an informal evening at KilmartinHouse. Displays, short talks and a buffetprovided. Please book in advance.

This event will explore a range of green exerciseschemes and how best to encourage moreschemes and more participation.

Make a bird or bat box for the reserve, or take ithome for your garden.

Meet at Burn o Vat visitor centre and discovermore about the moths that have been caught onthe reserve the night before. Booking essential.

Following on from our launch at Kilmartin House,this will be an open event on the reserve, withguided walks, activities and demonstrations of ourmanagement in action.

Search for red deer hinds and their calves onthe moors in Wester Ross, and learn about the

history, wildlife and management of Beinn Eighe.

Tel: 01738 458 [email protected]

Tel: 01557 814 435

Tel: 01546 603 611


Tel: 01546 603 611


Tel: 01387 247 010

Tel: 01224 642 863

Tel: 01546 603 611

Tel: 01445 760 254

Sunday 6

Dragonfly Survey

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Join a group from 10am to 4pm and learn howto carry out surveys for dragonfly larvae withsomeone from the British Dragonfly Society.

Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439

Towering adventure1

scottish national heritage - the nature of scotland spring 2010

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