snhmascottish national heritage - the nature of scotland summer 2009gazine summer 2009

7/25/2019 SNHMaScottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Summer 2009gazine Summer 2009

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The Nature of Scotland

Scottish Natural Heritage Summer 2009

Feeling good

How nature cahelp

Here be drag

Discover someaerial jewels

On your door

Wildlife in the


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www.snh.org.uk

Contents

5

8

17

26

39

56

63

Features

8 Unearthing natures wonde

Youngsters dig out garden se

10 Just what the doctor ordere

Nature delivers a natural high

16 Of damsels and dragons

Check out dragonflies near y

22 City sights

Glasgow wildlife for all

30 Join the club!

Follow in their footsteps

46 National treasures

Exploring your national parks

52 Learning from the past

Scotlands past points to the

56 Making a splash

St Abbs plunges into specia

60 Growing up with Wild thing

Natural inspiration for youngpeople

Regulars2 Where we are

SNH contact details

3 Welcome

4 Wild calendar

Where to go and what to see thissummer

20 Common heritage

Linking language and environment

26 News

Natural heritage updates

34 Events diary

Guide to whats on

36 Reserve focus

Discover Inchcailloch inLoch Lomond NNR

42 Area news

Reports from round the country

45 Print out

Our latest publications

58 Kids only!

Activities for younger readers

64 Mailing list

Join our list


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Credits

The Nature of ScotlandThe Magazine of Scottish Natural HeritageIssue Number 4 Summer 2009

Published quarterly SNH 2009ISSN 1350 309X

Editor: John WaltersTel. 01463 725 222

Cover photo: Young girl sitting among bluebellsand ferns in Brechin, Angus.Photographer: Niall Benvie

wild hyacinths in Scotland. Britain is home to halfof the world's total population.Welcome page: Glasgow from the south.Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Andrew Darrington/Alamy 6t; Sea Life Surveys/Specialist Stock 6b; National Museums Scotland8; George Logan/SNH 14; Laurie Campbell 16, 17;Laurie Campbell/SNH 18, 19b; David Whitaker19t; RSPB 22; Peter Sandround/SNH 23, 24, 25;Laura Steel/SNH 26; Marc Marnie 27t; PeterCairns/www.toothandclaw.org.uk 28; Alan Ross

29; Seton Gordon Estate 31; Dennis Coutts 32;Sue Scott 33t; John Love 33b; David Whitaker 38b;Peter Duncan/SNH 42l, c; Aigas Field Centre 42r;John Love 43c; Rod Huckbody/StornowayGazette 43r; Geof f Atkins/SNH 44l; Martin Twiss/SNH 44r; Pat Macdonald/SNH 52; PerthshirePicture Agency 55; Jim Greenfield 56; Mike Clark57; Clive Grewcock/SNH 61, 63.

Illustration jillcalder.com 9; Vicki Gausden 58

Maps Fitzpatrick Woolmer 37

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: Woods of Perth, Scotland

WP37K0609

When you have finished with this magazine,please recycle it. Pass it to another reader or

dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.

Where we are

You can contact SNH by

letter, telephone or email.

The following detailsshould enable you to find

your nearest local office,but bear in mind that there

are also smaller offices

than those listed.

A full list of our offices

appears on the SNHwebsite: www.snh.org.uk

Corporate

headquarters

Great Glen House,

Leachkin Road,Inverness IV3 8NW

Tel. 01463 725 000

Email: [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 Stirling

The Beta Centre,

Innovation Park,University of Stirling,

Stirling FK9 4NFTel. 01786 450 362

Dumfries and GallowayCarmont House,

The Crichton,

Bankend Road,Dumfries DG1 4ZF

Tel. 01387 247 010

Northern Isles

Ground Floor,

Stewart Building,Alexandra Wharf,

Lerwick,Shetland ZE1 0LL

Tel. 01595 693 345

East Highland

Fodderty Way,

Dingwall Business Park,Dingwall IV15 9XB

Tel. 01349 865 333

North Highland

The 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 2NR

Tel. 0141 951 4488

Tayside andClackmannanshireBattleby, Redgorton,

Perth PH1 3EW

Tel. 01738 444 177

Western Isles

32 Francis Street,Stornoway,

Isle of Lewis HS1 2NDTel. 01851 705 258

Forth and BordersLaundry House,

Dalkeith Country Park,

Dalkeith,Midlothian EH22 2NA

Tel. 0131 654 2466

Grampian

16/17 Rubislaw Terrace,Aberdeen AB10 1XE

Tel. 01224 642 863

2 The Nature of Scotland

Inside cover: Native bluebells are also known as


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Welcome

Andrew ThinChairmanScottish Natural Heritage

In a time of severe pressure on public spending its inevitable, and right, thapeople will ask hard questions of public service organisations like SNH. Whyou doing with my money, and what am I getting in return? How important isand cant we wait until the current economic recession is behind us? Shoulreally be spending money on birds and beasties when were struggling to mpublic expenditure demands in areas like health and education?

Theres an inherent assumption in some of this that is fundamentally flawPublic spending on nature is not an end in itself. On the contrary, its purposmust be to secure and increase the wide range of public benefits that we aderive from these assets. Scotland would be a much poorer country, in all s

of the word, without them. They play a central role in our economy, in our heand in our sense of who we are, but the benefits dont come automatically.

Indeed, for too many Scots theyre not all that apparent, and in some casnot even all that real. In particular, the health benefits that we derive from ounatural environment are far from evenly distributed. Its fine for those who livleafy surroundings and can take advantage of the open-air gym on their dooBut it's irrelevant to the many who live in poorly designed urban jungles withneither the ability nor the confidence to access the countryside farther afield

So, in this issue of our magazine we take a look at some of the things thSNH are doing, with others, to make Scotland a healthier and better place fof us. There are articles on nature, health and well-being; on supporting ourmuseums to encourage people to get out more and enjoy nature; on the grebreathing spaces presented by Scotlands two national parks; and on ways provoke young people's interest in the natural heritage. I hope that theyll insyou. Our health, like nature itself, is something that we too often take for grauntil its too late.


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The Nature of Scotland

Kenny Taylor givessome seasonal tips forsavouring Scottish wildlife

and landscapes

Wildcalendar

Long days and bright summer nights canhold wildlife interest 24/7. Wader calls inthe Simmer Dim of the Northern Isles, batson the wing by a lowland wood or sealssinging on a moonlit skerry could tempt youto skip sleep. But at least you could dozelater to the hum of bees or the twitter ofswallows.

The cute and the deadly

Creatures with round heads and large eyes appeal to many

people. Common (or harbour) seals are no exception. Addthe many attractive variations in their mottled coats, andits no surprise that boat trips to watch seals are a popularsummer jaunt.

Youll find places to do this around widely separatedparts of the Scottish coast. But it also pays to look foroffshore seal haul-outs near roads. One excellent commonseal loafing area is near the Cromarty Firth Bridge betweenDingwall and Evanton. Lay-bys along the A9 on the northside and a car park and restaurant at Foulis Ferry give scopefor watching common seals nearby without disturbing them.

Scottish common seal numbers have been declining in

recent years. In the Northern Isles, attacks on pups by killerwhales could be one of the reasons for the decline. So ifyoure in Orkney or Shetland in June or July, you might justsee more sea mammals than youd expected.

Web tips:www.snh.org.uk/publications/online/naturallyscottish/seals/sealsinscotland.aspwww.storehouseoffoulis.co.ukwww.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/04/23115405

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Brown-eyed twirl

Warm summer days, flower-rich grassland and flutteringbutterflies are made for each other. Brightly colouredbutterflies, such as peacocks and red admirals, may seem tosteal the show. But theres both pleasure and challenge inlooking more closely at less flamboyant summer fliers.

Browns are an aptly named butterfly family that includeswidespread species, such as the meadow brown, and somescarcer ones for which Scotland is an important home.The mountain ringlet is a brown, and is Britains only truemountain-dwelling butterfly. Some live in the Lake District,but its stronghold is in the uplands of Perthshire andLochaber.

The Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve famed forits alpine flowers and the glories of the scenery abovebonny Loch Tay is in the heart of Scotlands mountainringlet territory. Like the Scotch argus (another brown), themountain ringlet has eyespots on its wings and flies only ifthe sun is shining. Mountains, sun, butterflies: sounds likeanother heady mix.

Web tip:www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=31

Catch the minke

It can match a double-decker bus in length and weight. Sowhen a minke whale emerges from the deeps, its sure tocause a stir. The minke whale is the commonest whale seenin Scottish inshore waters, but that doesnt make it a push-over to spot.

Typically, a minke doesnt stay near the surface for long.Even if youre with a boatload of whale enthusiasts, thatmeans you have to keep scanning the sea for signs of itsblack, curved back and small dorsal fin.

Mull is one of Scotlands whale-watching hotspots, withtrips sailing from Tobermory to waters off Ardnamurchan and

the west of the island. Regular ferries here and elsewherealso give the chance of whale, dolphin and porpoisesightings. Summer services across the Minch, includingUllapool to Stornoway, are a good bet. So too are thescheduled ferries from Arisaig or Mallaig to Eigg and theother Small Isles.

Web tips:www.whaledolphintrust.co.ukwww.sealifesurveys.com


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1Eighty per cent of theUKs common sealsbreed in Scotland,which is home to atleast 20,000 of thesedappled sea mammals.

2The mountain ringlet isone of Scotlands rarerbrown butterflies.Several of its coloniessurvive in nationalnature reserves.

3Its a rare treat if aminke whale emerges,head first, beside aboat. Pure white frontfins, or flukes, are oneof the minkesdistinctive features.

4Bumblebees help topollinate bothwildflowers and cropsas they move betweenplants to feed.

Born to hum

Times are hard for foggie-toddlers and droners. Numbof bumblebees (as youll most likely know them) have bin tailspin in many places. Thats why the Scottish and governments are funding new research aimed at improlife for bees.

But its not all gloom for the big buzzers. Scotland h17 different species and some excellent places to watcthem. At the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve, youcould couple a visit to enjoy wildfowl and cultural heritwith appreciation of bees that benefit from the worlds bumblebee sanctuary. Created around two years ago whelp from SNH, this flowery meadow at the RSPBs VaFarm is already attracting many different bumblebees.

In the Hebrides and Orkney, you might be lucky enoto see one of Scotlands rarest bumblebees, the great It relishes the clover on traditionally managed grasslanplaces such as the RSPBs Balranald Reserve and theDruidibeg National Nature Reserve.

Web tips:

www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=33www.bumblebeeconservation.org/vane.htmwww.snh.org.uk/pubs/results.asp?Q=bumblebees&rp


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Unearthing natures wondersWhat lurks at the bottom of your garden? A new exhibition at the NationalMuseum of Scotland in Edinburgh encourages younger visitors to becomedetectives and find out

Inspired by the work of CharlesDarwin, and on the 200thanniversary of his birth, a newGarden Detectivesexhibition atthe National Museum of Scotlandtransforms the ordinary into theextraordinary.

Children can delve into hedges, take apeek in the garden shed and unearthwonders from the exhibition flower bedsand pond. They can explore habitats,study food chains, track animals anddiscover what they get up to whilewere asleep all without getting theirhands dirty!

Darwins greatest ability was hisskill as an observer when studying thenatural world around him, says Graham

Rotheray, the museums curator ofinsects. With Garden Detectiveswewant to encourage the same level ofcuriosity in our younger visitors.

Highlighting the importance ofinvolving children in the environmentfrom a young age, Graham points outthat, teaching young people to exploregives them invaluable life skills. Herethey can begin to unravel the vastcomplexities of the natural world.

With more than 30,000 species of

insects and spiders alone living in theUK today, an average Scottish gardenmay contain many hundreds of differentspecies. Add in the huge variety ofmammals, birds, plants and fungi, andyou begin to get an idea of the size ofthe challenge facing the exhibition team.

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1The exhibitionencourages children toinvestigate the worldof a garden.

2Illustration for theexhibition.

A cut-away garden shed houses aselection of specimens, including thecomplete life cycle of a dragonfly. Thecloser visitors look, the more theylldiscover. We present visitors withcontrasts like large and small insects,day and night-time creatures, ladybirdswith different numbers of spots, and soon, Graham explains.

These enable visitors not only tolearn more about the garden as a haven

for wildlife but also to see how they livetogether and how we can observe andstudy them. Just as life varies at differentlevels in a pond, similar structuredhabitats can be found in a hedgerow.

By comparing different creaturesand seeing how theyre grouped,children will be able to spot themesbehind the evolution of life. The mostimportant lesson from the exhibition

Win a family day out at the

National Museum of Scotland

We have five family days out to the Garden Detectivesexhibitiogive away. The first five readers to email [email protected] with thsubject line Garden Detectives competition (including their naand address) by 5pm on 26 June 2009 will win a family day oufree lunch for a maximum of five people in the caf with goody b

for each child). All entries will be added to the National MuseumScotland email newsletter for the latest news on events, exhibitand special offers. If you dont wish to be added to the email lisplease include no newsletter in your entry.

will be to highlight the amazing stlife cycles and lessons to be gainwithout having to leave the gardeadds Graham, reflecting a lesson was not lost on Darwin himself.

Despite his five-year ground-breaking scientific expedition aboHMS Beagle, it was Darwinsobservations in his own garden thfinally persuaded him to completepublish On the Origin of Species

Aimed at families with childrenbetween five and nine, the exhibitwill also be of great interest to prischools. Garden Detectivesis atthe National Museum of ScotlandEdinburgh, from 26 June to 27September, with financial supportSNH. Admission is free and you cvisit www.nms.ac.uk/gardendetecto find out more.


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The Nature of Scotland10

Just what the doctor ordered

Scotland has, in the past, been labelled the sickman of Europe because of its poor health record.So what can the natural heritage do to help?


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1A visit to your localparkcan provide ahealth boost for all thefamily.

2

Growing food incommunity gardens orallotments is a goodway to exercise andmeet people, with theadded bonus that youcan eat the results ofyour hard work!

3For many people, thenatural environmentprovides the perfectplace to exercise andrelax.

Nature is good for you thats official. Medicalresearch has shown that contact with nature hasa positive impact on peoples blood pressure,cholesterol, outlook on life, stress reduction andchild development.

Thats the good news. The bad news is that too few of usare taking advantage of the benefits that being outdoors canbring. As a nation, we should be making more use of thenatural heritage to address some of the important physical

and mental health issues facing Scotland today.Thats why the Scottish Government are looking to

increase the number of adults enjoying the outdoors eachweek. Getting people out and about goes some waytowards meeting the medical advice that we should betaking 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five timesa week. It should also help with other government goals ofcurbing weight increase in children, improving adults mentalwell-being and increasing the life span of people living indisadvantaged areas.


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Healthier Scotland

Recent research suggests that nature can help meet all ofthese targets by providing:

Green exercise Being active outdoors can improvepeoples physical and mental health.

Natural recovery The natural heritage, and being involvedin its care, can help with recovery from physical and mentalstresses.

Illness prevention Just being outdoors can delivervarious health and well-being benefits, as well as helppeople guard against future illness.

Wider benefits Experience of nature and looking after itcan lead to stronger and more inclusive communities.

Direction for the young Healthier lifestyles result frompositive interest in the natural world at a young age andencouraging outdoor activity.

Doctors and health professionals are more and moreaware of the role that contact with nature and beingactive outdoors can play in creating a healthier Scotland,

commented Pete Rawcliffe, SNHs quality of life groupmanager.We can all feel physically and mentally better by getting

out and about more. And you dont have to be super-fit toenjoy the benefits. Just being active outdoors can go a longway towards making you feel good. Its fun too, whetheryoure out on your own, with friends or family, or as part of anorganised group.

Scotland certainly needs to develop new approachesthat can help improve the nations health, given its history oflong-standing and major health issues, including:

Heart disease This is still one of the major causes ofearly death in Scotland and it plays a big part in healthinequalities.

Obesity More than half the population are classified asoverweight, with nearly a quarter defined as obese.Obesity levels are also high and increasing among school-aged children.

Mental health Depression and similar disorders were thefifth most common group of conditions reported indoctors surgeries in 2005/06.

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4Outdoor activity offerseveryone the chance toexplore new placesand learn more aboutthe natural world.

5The chance to meetothers and worktogether can be asimportant forvolunteers as thedirect health benefits.

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Health inequalities

A major concern in Scotland remains the long-standinghealth inequalities that exist between different parts of thecountry, and between different social and economic groups.People in disadvantaged areas already live shorter, lesshealthy lives and tend to confront long-term disease at amuch earlier age than society as a whole. They also sufferpoorer mental health.

Unfortunately, as improvements in public health have

been achieved nationally, the health inequalities have grown.Between 2000 and 2006, the rates of death from heartdisease fell by 33% among the under 75s in Scotlandoverall, but by only 27% in the most deprived areas. Similarfigures for cancer were 9% and 2% respectively.

In fact, at just 54 years, life expectancy for people inparts of Glasgow is now 28 years shorter than elsewhere inScotland, and less than other parts of the developing world.

Disadvantaged areas also tend to be linked with poverty,which means that residents are less able to travel farther toenjoy the outdoors. It therefore makes sense to plan for more

local greenspace, path networks and attractive landscaclose to peoples homes.

People with access to nearby nature are generallyhealthier than those who dont have access, Pete addAnd we know that attractive parks, green spaces andnearby countryside are more likely to be used for physiactivity.

SNH believe the benefits of enjoying the outdoors

shouldbe shared by all of Scotlands people. Weretherefore placing greater emphasis on getting more peoutdoors, and encouraging them to embrace a strongeoutdoor culture through recreation, volunteering and olearning.

Were also working with the health sector to suppoothers in providing high-quality places for contact withnature close to peoples homes. This can dramaticallyimprove the quality of life in run-down areas as well as a route to health for residents.


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One of the natural highlightsof summer is watching

a dragonfly or damselflycruising over a pond likea mini helicopter. Nowyour help is needed withrecording where they live

Of damselsand dragons

Dragonflies and damselflies are some of our oinsects whose ancestors were on the wing ov300 million years ago. They are beautiful aeria

jewels with stunning colours, fascinating behaand incredible powers of flight.

However, having survived the extinction of the dinosauand several ice ages, the question now is: Can dragonsurvive the increasing pressures that people are puttinthem?

These beautiful creatures are threatened by climatechange and destruction of the areas where they live. Twhy the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) have launcheDragonflies in Focus project.

This five-year project, co-funded by SNH, centres onationwide survey to find out exactly where our dragonare living and how well theyre coping with the threats face. This will lead to a new atlas in 2013, which will gsnapshot of where Britains dragonflies are currently fo

Several of the scarce species are found in Scotlanexplained Stephen Prentice, Dragonflies in Focus officwith the BDS, and it appears that many other species

expanding northwards. For example, the southern hawnever used to be seen in Scotland, but over the last 20its quickened its movement into Scotland, with one sprecently as far north as Stornoway.

Dragonflies are increasingly heading to Britain fromEurope, he added. Understanding where and how quour dragonflies are moving will help plan for the future,especially in terms of the way we try and conserve thewill be important to make sure theyre provided with thopportunities to react to change.

1The southern hawkerdragonfly is on themove northwards. Itoften breeds in gardenponds but hunts wellaway from water.

2If you come across adamselfly on or aroundlarge lochs then it'slikely to be thecommon blue.


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Dragonflies are sensitive totemperature, which makes them usefulfor studies on how climate changeis affecting the natural world. Theinformation collected can also be usedto monitor endangered species andhelp them recover. Records of breedingactivity are particularly important foridentifying key dragonfly sites.

Scotland has always been under-

recorded because of its large size andrelatively small population. However,the BDS aims to survey all of it beforethe end of 2012. The country has beendivided up into 10-km squares all1119 of them. 2008 was the first yearof recording for the atlas and, despitethe poor weather, volunteers providedrecords for 172 of the 10-km squares,or about 15% of the total. Morevolunteers are needed to cover all theScottish squares before the end of theproject.

If youre interested in gettinginvolved then you could help byrecording dragonfly activity in yourneighbourhood. There are five keypieces of information that make up agood dragonfly record: the name of thespecies youve seen, where you saw it,the map reference, the date and yourname/contact details. Extra informationthats also really helpful includes the lifestage of the dragonfly whether its anadult, a larva or just the discarded skin

when it becomes an adult.Other information you can collect

includes the type of habitat, theweather, the height of the site andbreeding behaviour. All the datacollected will be used as a startingpoint from which to monitor changes,and work out whether theyre due to thehabitat being altered, pollution, climatechange or competition. You can enterrecords online at the BDS websitewww.dragonflysoc.org.uk

To give the project a boost inScotland the BDS and SNH areco-hosting an event at Loch LevenNational Nature Reserve on 22 July.It will include a hands-on afternoondiscovering the wonderful world ofdragonflies, as well as an evening talk.You can find further details at www.snh.org.uk/scottish/taysclack/events.asp

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3Moorland bogs andpools are where youllfind the northernemerald dragonfly. Its

restricted to northwestScotland, apart from atiny colony insouthwest Ireland.

4Large red damselfliesare among the earliestspecies to appear eachspring.

5The azure hawker iswidespread in theHighlands and is onlyfound in Scotland.

Rough guide to dragonflie

Dragonflies and damselflies belonthe insect group known as Odonameaning toothed jaw, because thmouthparts are jagged.

Theyre often referred to jointly asdragonflies, but damselflies are tmuch smaller and weaker flying re

of dragonflies.

The life cycle is egg (usually laid uwater), larva or nymph (free movinand water dwelling) and adult. Thlarva lives for several weeks (or yedepending on the species) underand undergoes a series of moultsgrows. It emerges from the water its ready to undergo its final moulwhere the skin splits to release twinged adult.

Dragonflies are harmless to peopthey have no sting and will not att

Adult dragonflies are skilful hunteThey eat other flying insects, partflies, midges and mosquitoes. Thealso take butterflies, moths and smdragonflies. The larvae, which livewater, eat almost anything thats land smaller than themselves.

Among the species that catch an

adult dragonflies are birds, spiderfrogs.

Dragonflies such as the emperor reach a length of about 85 mmwith a wingspan of around120 mm. Damselflies are much smdemoiselles being the largest thhave a body length of about 50 ma wingspan of around 60 mm.

The maximum speed of large spec

like the hawkers is around 2530Average cruising speed is probababout 10 mph.

An old name for damselflies was darning needles. This comes fromold myth that if you went to sleep stream on a summers day, damsewould use their long, thin bodies your eyelids shut!

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Dualchas coitcheannCommon heritage

In Scottish Gaelic tradition,the meadowsweet plant

is linked to Cuchullin, oneof the greatest of all ourlegendaryheroes. RuairidhMacIlleathain explains thelink

Lus gaisgich

Chleachd muinntir Shasainn an lusseo (Filipendula ulmaria) anns ant-seann aimsir airson mil-dheoch amhlseachadh agus s e sin as coireachri ainm ann am Beurla. Ach ann anGidhlig canar Crios Ch Chulainn ris no uaireannan Cneas Ch Chulainn agus tha e gu lidir co-cheangailtenar dualchas fhin ris an t-seannghaisgeach sin a tha a nochdadh chofada air ais ann an eachdraidh nanGidheal ri Tin B Cailnge, nuair abha e a sabaid s leth nan Ultach anaghaidh arm Chonnacht.

Ged a bhuineadh C Chulainn dodhUlaidh, a rir beul-aithris ann anAlba, dhionnsaich e na sgilean cogaidhaige aig a Bhnrigh Sgthach annsan Eilean Sgitheanach. Gabhaidh ancaisteal aice (Dn Sgthaich) faicinn

fhathast air taobh an iar Shlite ann anceann a deas an eilein. Bidh fios aig achuid mhir de Ghidheil gur e Setantaan t-ainm-baistidh a bh air, ach gun doghabh e C Chulainn air fhin (agusobair a choin mhairbh) nuair a mharbhe an c-faire aig fear air an robhCulann. Ach is iongantach ma tha fiosair sin aig a mhr-chuid a choimheadasball-coise Albannach air an t-sianal

telebhisein dhen aon ainm!Bhathar a cleachdadh an luis seo le

bhithga chur air an rlar airson deaghfhileadh a sgaoileadh anns an taigh.Bhathar cuideachd ga chleachdadhairson fiabhras a lughdachadh agus s esin a tha ga cheangal do Ch Chulainn.Ged a bha e na ghaisgeach, bha eiomraiteach airson a chuid riastraidh bhiodh e a dol s a rian le fearg. Arir beul-aithris, bha an dearg chuthachair latha a bha seo, agus bha draghair buidheann de bhoireannaich gumfaigheadh e bs. Thug iad air ionnladfhin ann an amar a bha ln dhenlus seo, agus chaidh e am feabhas.Bho sin a-mach, chumadh e baddhen lus na chrios airson a bhith acuimhneachadh mar a shbhail e abheatha.

Chan eil fios d cho sean s a thaan ceangal eadar an gaisgeach agusanlus, ach tha e beagan cheudanbhliadhnaichean aig a char as lugha.Ann an ran an t-Samhraidhle AlasdaiMac Mhaighstir Alasdair, a sgrobhadhtimcheall air 1738, tha am brd a-machair S cbhraidh fileadh do mhuineil, aChrios Cho-chulainn nan crn.

1Crios Ch Chulainn lus le ceangal dont-seann ghaisgeachainmeilGhidhealach.

Crios Ch Chulainn(Cuchullins belt) the name and folklorelink this species to oneof the most famouscharacters in Gaelictradition.


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A heros plant

The English name for the meadowderives from Anglo-Saxon times wit was used for sweetening meadGaelic name is completely differeit ties the plant to a legendary figuCeltic tradition Cuchullin.

Although an Ulsterman, Cuchuis intimately linked to Scotland assaid to have learned his fighting sfrom the warrior queen Sgthach the Isle of Skye. The meadowsweGaelic Scotland is crios Ch Chu Cuchullins belt an associatiothats credited to the plants use intreating fevers.

Cuchullin suffered horrendousrages, when he became unbeatabon the field of battle, but observerwere often worried that he would of apoplexy. During one of these bsome women convinced him to bin meadowsweet. He was calmedfrom that point on, he carried a spof the plant tucked in his belt to rehim of how it saved his life.

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City sightsThe most popularvisitor attractionin Scotland now

offers a great rangeof wildlife eventsand activities foreveryone to enjoy


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1Kelvingrove is tvisited museumUK outside of L

2Park and strideBonnie Griffin oRSPB leads a fagroup on a riverwalk in KelvingrPark.

Almost one and a half million visitors passedthrough Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum inGlasgow last year and one of the highlights formany will have been an unexpected insight into thecitys wildlife.

Information officers from RSPB Scotland (Royal Society forthe Protection of Birds) now have a presence at the museumand lead guided tours around its grand halls and galleries.

Operating under the banner of A date with nature, the twoRSPB guides aim to get folk excited about the wonderfulwildlife they can see in the city, as well as providing aninsight on wider conservation issues.

They also hold talks and family activities at regularevents, with a recent highlight being a visit by the hugelypopular childrens author Julia Davidson, famous for theGruffalo books. In addition, they lead guided walks at theweekend out in Kelvingrove Park, with all ages and levelsof understanding welcome. They aim to make sure thattheres something for everyone, with a bit of local historyincluded too, and the chance to use RSPB telescopes andbinoculars.


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3The RSPB recentlyorganised for authorJulia Davidson of'Gruffalo' fame to visitand put on a show atthe museum.

4The Gruffalo eventproved a big hit withyoungsters.

Inspiring children

During the week, a group of field teachers and volunteers arealso present to offer first-hand outdoor learning experiencesfor Glasgow primary school children. This complements themuseums own indoor classroom teaching. Over 60 schoolsand some 2,000 pupils have already taken advantage of theopportunities, which seek to inspire and enthuse the childrenabout the nature around them.

The project is based in the heart of Glasgow and

were aiming to encourage a real sense of pride in the localenvironment, explained Pardeep Chand, RSPB Scotlandssenior information officer at Kelvingrove. The citys parks,open spaces and gardens are home to nearly 4,000 differentkinds of plants and animals, so theres plenty to talk about.

The museum attracts people from all parts of Glasgowand were keen to work with communities and individualswho dont normally know about or get involved with thenatural heritage.

We focus on getting them excited about the peregrines,foxes and other wildlife living on their doorstep. We alsoconnect people to the outdoor environment by leading

the guided walks in the park and directing people to othernature-based tourism activities.The project is being funded by the National Lottery

through the Heritage Lottery Fund (until September thisyear) and SNH. It's run in partnership with Glasgow CityCouncil and Culture and Sport Glasgow.

The citys parks, openspaces and gardensare home to nearly

4,000 different kindsof plants and animals


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SNH were also a major contributor to the recent28 million refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Museum. the organisation provided support through some of thespecialist staff acting as expert reviewers for the naturahistory galleries.

The RSPB information staff at the museum are assby a team of volunteers who lead guided walks and geinvolved in wildlife surveying in the park and along the Kelvin. Through their efforts, the environment along theKelvin is being improved for wildlife and nest boxes pu

up for a range of local bird species. Future plans includinstalling a peregrine nesting platform and CCTV on onthe museums towers, which will allow them to beam blive images to the museum.

Were trying to show people that nature really is ondoorstep of city communities, added Pardeep, and yodont need to take a trip to remote places to see wildlifalso want to enthuse people enough that theyll get invin making a positive difference for their local wildlife.


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Interesting times lie ahead for Scotlands marine environment. Next year will seethe publication of the first State of Scotlands Seasreport and the passing of theScottish Marine Act.

In addition, the Scottish Governments new champion for our marineenvironment, Marine Scotland, will be developing new marine protected areasand a new marine planning system. Both of these will need to be underpinned byhigh-quality marine data.

SNH have been working with partners, communities and the public to improveknowledge of the marine environment. For example, SNHs dive team used arecent training session to look at the previously unsurveyed flameshell beds inLoch Carron and Loch Alsh. Flameshell (pictured above) beds are distinctlyScottish, but not much is known about how they live and where they can befound.

These colourful molluscs are unique in the way they take materials from theseabed floor and form nests, which are then taken over by a range of otherplants and animals. The results from the survey will be used to work out how tosafeguard these creatures in the future.

Another recent example of survey work has been taken forward with

others at Lamlash Bay in Arran. A no take zone was set up in 2008 and SNHcommissioned a map of the bay to show where different species live. MarineScotlands laboratory has begun monitoring the population of scallops, andvolunteer divers will be checking out the important maerl (red seaweed) bedswithin Lamlash Bay. The combined results will allow us to judge what effect theno take zone is having on the maerl beds and scallops.

This kind of monitoring and survey work means we can improve our knowledgeof Scotlands seas, which puts us in a better position to advise on where we needto focus our conservation efforts. You can find published reports on SNHs marinesurvey and monitoring at www.snh.org/publications

Searching beneath the surface

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The web has opened a new door to Scotlandshistory with a site that guides walkers to nearly2000 km of historic paths around the country.The Heritage Paths Project is an online resourcegiving easy access to a wealth of information onhistoric paths across Scotland.

The new website, www.heritagepaths.co.uk,

run by the Scottish Rights of Way and AccessSociety (ScotWays), was funded by theHeritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and SNH.

The Heritage Paths Project brings together carefully researched images, mapsand information on the traditional routes and long-distance paths used down thegenerations for journeys such as trade, pilgrimage, travel and burial customs.

Internet users now have the tools to find out about old paths all over Scotlandand travel along them. The website has a range of paths, from those that are veryaccessible to those that are challenging. All of them give a new insight into thepurpose and methods of travel before the car.

This online database aims to encourage people to get outdoors by puttingthese paths in their historical context and encouraging people to explore themfor themselves. Pictured are pupils from Ceres Primary in Fife, who walkedback in time along the famous local path The Waterless Road and over the oldpackhorse bridge in Ceres.

Travel through timeNEW

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Beavers back

Three beaver families have been released at lochs in the Knapdale area of mid-Argyll as part of a trial release project. The return of the beavers comes after a450-year absence of the species from Scotland after being hunted to extinctionhere.

The beaver families were collected by a specialist team in Telemark, Norway,last year and then shipped to Devon for six months in quarantine. This is the first-ever formal reintroduction of a (previously extinct) native mammal into the wild inBritain.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland havebeen responsible for overseeing the release of the animals. They have radio-tagged the adult beavers and will run the trial over the next fiveyears (2009-2014).

SNH will be independently monitoring the project andare contributing 275,000 to the costs. The monitoring willinclude the relationship between beavers and woodland, waterplants, river habitat, water levels, dragonflies, freshwater fishand otters.

Were pleased the trial is under way, commented

Colin Galbraith, director of policy and advice for SNH, as itprovides the best opportunity to see how beavers fit into theScottish countryside in a carefully planned and managed way.

SNH have a key role in monitoring progress and inreporting the outcome of the trial to Ministers in due course.Importantly, the monitoring programme carried out by SNHand others will be transparent and open. The public will beable to read reports and other outputs on the SNH website(www.snh.org.uk/scottishbeavertrial), so that everyone can seehow the trial has gone and how the beavers have settled in.


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A new project has been launched, aimed at securing the future of the Scottishwildcat in the Cairngorms National Park through working with a range of partnersand interest groups.

The Cairngorms National Park (CNP) is a stronghold for the wildcat, but someestimates suggest that there may be as few as 400 pure wildcats left in Scotland.Wildcats were once widespread throughout the UK, but in previous centuriesthey were hunted ruthlessly so that by the 19th century they had become extinctin England and Wales.

Their numbers continued to decline in Scotland into the 20th century, reachingtheir lowest about 1914, by which time the few remaining cats were restricted toremote parts of the Highlands.

The wildcat is now fully protected by law but its threatened by a range offactors. These include cross-breeding with domestic cats, mistakes by thosetrying to identify animals when carrying out predator control and fatal diseasesspread by unvaccinated domestic cats.

The Cairngorms Wildcat Project aims to tackle the threats facing wildcats bydrawing popular attention to the plight of the animal through an awareness-raisingcampaign called Highland Tiger.

The project will work with vets and cat welfare groups to increase levels ofneutering and vaccination of domestic cats in the CNP. Project staff will also workwith land managers to ensure that predator control activities are wildcat-friendly.

Local land managers and other members of the public are encouraged to helpmonitor the wildcat population and the extent of both cross-breeding and disease.They can do this by reporting sightings and submitting carcases of animals killedon the roads to local drop-off points for scientific research.

You can find further information on the project at www.highlandtiger.com

Wildcat stronghold project

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You can now book your place at The Changing Nature of Scotland conference,which will take place in Perth Concert Hall on 17 and 18 September this year.

The conference is aimed at everyone with an interest in a healthy environmentand will look at our changing environment, why it matters and what were doingabout it.

Keynote speakers will include Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Minister forEnvironment; Dr Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland; Julie Hesketh-

Laird, Scottish Whisky Association; and Professor Laurence Mee, The ScottishAssociation for Marine Science.Its being organised by SNH along with our Scottish Environmental and Rural

Services (SEARS) partners. For further information please visit the conferencewebsite, which is now live and open for registration. You can access it via theSNH website at www.snh.org.uk/conference2009 or directly at www.eventsforce.net/SNHConference2009

NEW

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Water vole comeback

More than 600 water voles have been released in the Trossachs and its hoped

that a further 400 will be released later in the year.In the first attempt to reintroduce water voles from one part of Scotland to

another, the three-year project aims to reinstate the animals at restored wetlandsites in the Aberfoyle area.

The rare animals, once a common sight across the UK, have become extinct inthe area over the last 25 years. Their decline in numbers has been blamed locallyon loss of habitat and predation by mink.

All of the animals being released have been bred from voles that wereoriginally captured on a development site near Glasgow. The water voles will becarefully monitored and, to ensure they dont pose a significant threat to the watervoles, the mink will also be monitored.

The project is focused along a 20-km stretch of water course in the Duchray

and Kelty areas, both of which flow through Loch Ard Forest.The project is being led by Forestry Commission Scotland, and is being

partnered by SNH, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the KilgarthDevelopment Company, along with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National ParkAuthority.

Conference attendance


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1The HighlandNaturalists exhibitionhas something tointerest all ages.

Ewen Cameron and PeteMoore of SNH outline aproject that celebratesthose whove helped ourunderstanding of Scottish

wildlife, and encourage youto follow their lead

Join the club!


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Coffee-table books and TV nature programmes often leave uswith the impression that people who study wildlife have to beprofessional scientists leading expeditions or cameramen withthousands of pounds worth of technical equipment.

Some of them are, but others have nothing more than a pencil and notebook,allied with binoculars and the patience to observe and record what they see.

The Highland Naturalists project celebrates those who, over the last 300years, have contributed much to our understanding of Scotlands wildlife. Someare old, some are young, some are male, some female there are even somehusband and wife or father and daughter teams. What they all have in common isan interest in the world around them and the willingness to record what they see.

People also assume that in a small country like Scotland we must alreadyknow all there is to know about our wildlife, but nothing could be further from thetruth. There are literally thousands of Scottish native plants and animals aboutwhich we know very little.

The Highland Naturalists project has two main elements. Firstly, an exhibition,most recently on display in the Caithness Horizons museum in Thurso and SNHsInverness headquarters. The exhibition features a selection of 15 naturalists andsome of the equipment and other materials associated with their work.

The second element is the website www.highlandnaturalists.com, which formsa longer-term legacy with a global audience. It currently features 35 naturalists

and were awaiting further nominations of people to be added to this roll ofhonour.

Seton Gordon(18861977) devhis life to lecturing and writing abthe landscapes, wildlife, history antraditions of the Highlands and IsHe demonstrated two vital skillsof the naturalist: keen observationand careful recording. But he alsohad time to enthuse and encoura

others, irrespective of their agesor backgrounds. This photo of himwas taken by his wife Audrey as hexamined the prey items at the nea golden eagle. His standard fieldincluded the kilt!


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The featured naturalists include the well known, such as Seton Gordon, apioneering photographer and commentator on Scottish culture and wildlife; RoyDennis of Strathspey osprey fame; and Gavin Maxwell, who brought delight togenerations with his books on west coast otters. It also includes the less wellknown, such as Alan Joyce, a former biology teacher at Golspie High School,who inspired generations of youngsters and supervised a group of pupils thatwon both the Scottish and UK Young Scientist of the Year awards. And theresJames MacGeoch, a founder member of the Inverness Bird Watching Group, whobought his first camera in 1936 for five shillings (25 pence!). By way of contrast,the group also includes Laurie Campbell, whose photographs grace many of

todays wildlife books.If youre lucky enough to see the exhibition or if you have a browse through

the website, we hope youll realise that you dont have to be an expert; indeed,none of these naturalists started out as experts. They began with interest andenthusiasm and it grew from there.

If you like the sound of that, try contacting your local SNH office, countrysideranger, biological record centre, bird club, watch group or whatever is near you.You should find other enthusiasts wholl be glad to help you get started. Whetherits a golden eagle or a moss, whatever you choose to do, the information yougather will help us all enjoy the treasure trove of wildlife that Scotland still offers.Who knows where it might lead to eventually you may even end up featured onour website!

Bobby Tulloch(19291996) had no formal training, but his self-acquiredknowledge led to him being offered the job of representative for the RSPB inShetland. He wrote and illustrated various books and liked nothing better thanshowing visitors his native Shetland Isles and their wildlife. Bobby is shown belowwith a bearded seal, a rare visitor to Britain. The picture was taken by Shetlandphotographer Dennis Coutts, who captioned it: Bobby Tulloch (the one on theleft) with bearded seal, 1977!


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Bob Swannsmother maintains that hisinterest in birds arose from her takinghim to feed the ducks in the parks ofhis native Edinburgh. True or not, hescertainly come a long way since then.For 30 years he worked as a geographyteacher in the Highlands while alsobeing involved in a whole range of long-term bird research projects. He wasable to influence a whole generation ofschoolchildren through his job and atone stage had half the school involvedin the Bird Club! A few years ago, Bobwon an award from the British Trustfor Ornithology for his efforts over theyears. And hes pleased to see thatsome of the young folk he influencedare themselves now trying to encourageyoungsters by giving talks at schoolsand showing others how to ring birdsfor research.

Sue Scottstudied marine biologyBangor University in Wales, but wintroduced to serious diving when

joined the survey teams undertakMarine Nature Conservation RevieShe was soon asked to survey thof Scotland, where she developedfascination for sea lochs. Sues phof marine plants and animals are ihigh demand and she regularly ta

diving groups about becoming invin recording and conservation.


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Events diary 2009

July

August

Saturday 4

Sunday 5

Thursday 9

Sunday 12

Tuesday 14

Wednesday 15

Thursday 16

Sunday 19

Wednesday 22

Sunday 26

Sunday 2

Thursday 6

Monday 10

Open Day

Noss NNR

Shetland

Family day with fun activities and somerefreshments. Free of charge (including theinflatable boat ferry across Noss Sound), nobooking required.

Tel: 01595 693 345

Alpine Amphitheatre

Corrie Fee NNR

Angus

Spend the day in Corrie Fee NNR and discover

the importance of its plants and animals. Meetat 11am at Glen Doll Ranger Base. Bookingessential.

Tel: 01575 550 233

Family Day

Tentsmuir NNR

Tayside

A range of activities to try while exploringTentsmuir Point. Booking essential.

Tel: 01382 552 704

Fun Day

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

Lots of games, crafts and activities for all thefamily from 12 noon to 4pm at Burn o Vat VisitorCentre.

Tel: 01224 642 863

Tel: 01334 654 038Open DaysIsle of May NNR

Firth of Forth

Fun and frolics for all the family! Guided events,kids activities and light refreshments. Bookingessential.

Osprey Walk

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Join reserve staff at Burleigh Sands from 6pmto 8pm in the search for fishing raptors andbreeding wildfowl. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439

Meet the Wardens

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Drop in to the Boathouse Hide from 11am to 3pmand chat with the SNH wardens about the wildlifeof Loch Leven.

Tel: 01577 864 439

VolunteersMeetingLoch Leven NNR

Tayside

Guest speaker at Millbridge Hall, Kinross, from7.30pm to 9pm will be Jonathan Willet of theBritish Dragonfly Society. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439

Local History

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

Meet at New Kinord car park and join a walkfrom 2pm to 4pm through 5,000 years of humanhistory. Booking essential.

Tel: 01224 642 [email protected]

Storytelling

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

Join professional storyteller Pauline Cordiner from2pm to 4pm at Burn o Vat Visitor Centre for ashort, story-powered walk to the spectacular Vat.

Booking essential.

Tel: 01224 642 [email protected]

Osprey Walk

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Join reserve staff at Burleigh Sands from 6pmto 8pm in the search for fishing raptors andbreeding wildfowl. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439

Rocks, Pines & Lines

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

Join an expert team of rangers to follow in thefootsteps of Queen Victoria. The 8-mile/13-kmguided walk will run from Dinnet, through thereserve, and on to Ballater. Booking is essential.

Tel: 01339 755 467

Wednesday 22 Damsels and Dragons

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Meet at Burleigh Sands and discover thewonderful world of our four-winged friends from1pm to 3pm. Pond-dipping, net-catching fun for

all the family. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864 439


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September

Saturday 15

Thursday 3

Tuesday 29

Tuesday 8

Wednesday 9

Wednesday 9

Wednesday 16

Saturday 19

Wednesday 23

Wednesday 23

Wednesday 30

Tuesday 1

Be a Warden

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Meet at the pier, Kinross, at 10am and be a

warden for the day. Help with tasks around the

reserve. Booking essential.

Tel: 01577 864

SGP: Earth science

outdoors

North Berwick/

Stonehaven

Each of these hands-on one-day workshops

will explore the stories of Scotlands rocks and

their links with landscape, history, resources and

climate change.

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

SGP: How to sell the

climate change story

Battleby

Perth

SGP: Wetlands

managing habitats

through grazing

Blawhorn Moss NNR

West Lothian

Creatures of the

Night!

Beinn Eighe NNR

Wester Ross

SGP: Run-of-river

hydro schemes

Battleby

Perth

Fungi Foray

Muir of Dinnet NNR

Grampian Highlands

SGP: Natural heritage

skills for planners

Battleby

Perth

Meet the Wardens

Loch Leven NNR

Tayside

Mushroom Meander

Beinn Eighe NNR

Wester Ross

This event explores the messages, tools and

techniques available to help sell the climate

change adaptation story.

This workshop will look at the different options for

using grazing to manage wetland habitats.

Discover the fascinating nightlife of the reserve,

including moths, bats and anything else we may

find! Booking essential.

Scotland has a long history of exploiting the

power in our rivers as a renewable energy

resource. This event will explore how to avoid or

reduce harmful effects.

Join fungi expert Marysia Stamm from 2pm to

4pm at Burn o Vat Visitor Centre for a guided

walk to explore the fungi found on the reserve.

Booking essential.

This event is aimed at local authority planners

seeking to improve their awareness and

understanding of natural heritage interests, which

they need to take into account in their planning

work.

Drop in to the Kingfisher Hide from 2pm to 5pm

and chat with the SNH wardens about the wildlife

of Loch Leven.

Life as we know it would be a bit different without

fabulous fungi. Come for a walk in the woods and

find out why. Booking essential.

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

Tel: 01854 613

07881 502

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

Tel: 01224 642

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

Tel: 01577 864

Tel: 01854 613

07881 502

Sharing Good

Practice (SGP):

Understanding

coastal

climate change

St Andrews

Tel: 01738 458

[email protected]

www.snh.org.uk

Were at risk from the increasing impacts of

sea level rise, storminess and other critical

factors. Leading experts will introduce current

understanding of these changes and the options

for minimising impacts.


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36 The Nature of ScotlandThe Nature of Scotland

Island of the cowled womenLoch Lomond is famous the world over for the beauty of its woodedshores and islands. Part of the loch is a national nature reserve, includingthe wonderful island of Inchcailloch. The rocky isle is covered with rich oakwoodland and gives stunning views over the loch. It also has an ancientburial ground and a golden beach thats ideal for picnicking. The best timeto visit is from mid-May to June when the bluebells and wild garlic are attheir peak, and the woods are alive with summer migrant birds


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North Jetty

Barn End

West Promontory

Clearance

Port Bawn

Jetty

Port Bawn

North Bay

North

Hi l l

Burial Ground and

Church Ruins

Farm Ruins

Alder

Marsh

Endrick Viewpoint

South Promontory

Summit Viewpoint

Tait

Burn

MacFarlaneBur

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Farm

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Lowpath

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Inchcailloch Trail

Make your way to the boatyard inBalmaha where you can hop onone of the old clinker-built ferriesfor the short trip across to theisland. You could complete thiswoodland walk in an hour and a

half, but youll probably want tospend at least double that andtake time to enjoy all the islandhas to offer. The summit pathacross to Port Bawn is steep inplaces but well worth the effort.Use the numbered map anddirections in the text to guideyou round. If you want to cut thewalk short, then you can take thecentral path, which takes about

15 minutes to walk.

1After being dropped at the North Jetty,wander up the hill until you come to a

junction. Take the left-hand path thatleads to the summit. Oakwoods likethe one youre walking through oncesurrounded the loch. Over thousands ofyears they disappeared as trees werecut for firewood, building and charcoal.

Then, around 200 years ago, there

was a demand for leather belts to drivemachinery in city factories. Leather issoftened and made supple with tannin,a natural material found in oak bark. SoLoch Lomonds landowners plantedmore new trees around the loch, andon islands like Inchcailloch, to meet thedemand.

Look out for the islands fallow deeron your visit. King Robert the Bruceprobably introduced fallow deer toLoch Lomond in the 1300s. The islands

were used as deer parks where onlythe king and his nobles were allowedto hunt. The Inchcailloch deer vary a lotin colour, from pale to dark brown, andmany have attractive white spots.

metres

0 200

Trail

Passenger boat to Balmaha

Boat

Toilet

Picnic area

Viewpoint

Historic structure

Key


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2Walk on for about 10 minutes and youllnotice a small valley heading downto the loch side. This is called CoffinValley. For hundreds of years, the deadwere carried up here on their way to theburial ground.

This was also where they hauledtimber out. Before the North Jetty wasbuilt, boats were beached on the shore

below you. During the oak harvest,peeled bark was piled close by theshore before being taken to Glasgowon boats.

3Carry on climbing up the path until youreach the seat. You can take a breakhere and enjoy the magnificent viewlooking south to the mouth of the RiverEndrick.

The river feeds the lochs shallowwaters. Insects and minibeasts thrivein the water and provide food forabundant fish and birds. Look out forospreys fishing here in summer.

1The HighlandBoundary Fault runsthrough Inchcaillochand other islands inLoch Lomond.

2A white fallow deer doeon the island.

3You may be lucky andspot an osprey huntingfish at the mouth of theRiver Endrick.

2

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4

After taking in the view, walk on foanother five minutes until you reacsummit viewpoint. If youre visitingclear day youll enjoy one of Scotlfinest views of Loch Lomond and surrounding mountains.

Around 450 million years ago,rocks of lowland Scotland collidethose to the north, and the crumpzone formed the Highland BoundFault. The collision forced up themountains you see around you. Th

fault goes straight through Inchcaso you can stand with one foot inHighlands and one in the Lowland

5From the summit, follow the path the other side of the ridge. At the

junction go left and head down toPort Bawn. With reasonable weatthis is a lovely place for a picnic aeven a paddle in the shallow bay.

4Visitors can opt for thelower path or head forthe summit.

5The sheltered, sandybay at Port Bawn is apopular spot forpicknicking.

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6From Port Bawn take the low pathalong the north side of the island untilyou come across a pile of stones andruined walls. These are a reminder ofthe last folk to live here. They werefarmers who grew a few crops andkept some livestock. However, by theend of the 18th century landlords werereplacing small farms with large-scale

sheep farms or woodlands. Around1796, the farmer was asked to plantacorns and more than 2,000 years offarming tradition on Inchcailloch cameto an end.

7Carry on along from the Farm Ruinand youll finally come across the oldburial ground and the kirk ruin. This isan atmospheric place where its worthspending a bit of time.

Tradition has it that around 1,300years ago Saint Kentigerna, daughter ofan Irish king and mother of Saint Fillan,settled here and set up a nunnery. She

died here in AD734 and is rememberedin the name of the island Inchcailloch,meaning island of the old or cowledwomen.

Five hundred years later, a churchwas built here and dedicated to hermemory. It was in constant use until1770. Long after the church fell intoruin, local people continued to use theburial ground. The last burial took placein 1947.

6Stone carving of a cowon a gravestone in theislands burial ground.

7School group on a visitto the island.


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Inchcailloch is one of 58 nationalnature reserves in Scotland. Find outmore at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk

Essential information

Boat

The ferry from Balmaha (Macfarlane & Son, tel: 01360 870214) runs on demand but youre best to book your trip inadvance, especially if its outwith the main visitor season.The ferry operator can drop you at either North Jetty or PortBawn. If steps are too much for you, ask to be dropped off

at Port Bawn. Its a relaxing spot with a picnic site, a lovelybeach and toilets.

Bus and rail

The nearest railway station is at Balloch and from there youcan take a bus to Balmaha. A few minutes walk will take youto the boatyard.

OS maps

Landranger 56 (Loch Lomond & Inveraray), Explorer 347(Loch Lomond South).

Trail length

About 3 km/2 miles.

Terrain

The paths at Inchcailloch are well surfaced, narrow in placesand with a few flights of steps. They can be a bit muddy inplaces after rain. The summit path gradually climbs to 75

metres (246 feet) and is rugged in places.

Dogs

If you have a dog with you, please make sure its kept on ashort lead or under close control, especially during the birdbreeding season (1 April to 1 July). Please also make sureyou pick up after your dog and dispose of waste carefully.

A fuller walking guide can be downloaded from the NNRwebsite (www.nnr-scotland.org.uk) or you can pick up aguide at the National Park Centre in Balmaha. You can also

get further information from the National Park Centre (tel:01389 722 100 or email: [email protected]).

Nearby natural attractions

Why not combine your trip to Inchcailloch with a visit toanother site close at hand? You could try:

the Aber path to Loch Lomond NNR, which gives a tof the Endrick Mouth areaand starts next to theGartocharn Millennium Hall. Theres a car park and b

stop nearby. See www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/downloadpublications/AbertoLochLomond.pdf

the walk from Gartocharn up Duncryne Hill (an extincvolcano known locally as The Dumpling), which take30 minutes to walk up and back but gives great view

the walk up Conic Hill from Balmaha, which takes a cof hours. Its very steep in places but provides wondeviews of the loch and islands.


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East HighlandCorrespondents: Peter Duncan, David Carstairs, Anne Murray

Take the high road

Major repairs to the path on BenWyvis National Nature Reserve havebeen completed after months of oftengruelling work over the last winter.

A helicopter was used to fly in thematerials and some 200 lifts wereneeded to complete the work. Thehelicopter carried stone from a localquarry for use on the boulder pitchedsections. The stone is similar to thescree found on Ben Wyvis. This allowedthe existing scree slope to remain asnatural as possible and without toomuch disturbance.

The reserve is famous for its uplandplants but large areas of the originalpath had been eroded away throughheavy use. The contractors (picturedabove with bags of stone) upgradedalmost 1000 metres of the path andused a hut while working high up onthe hill. The work included building ahigh-quality stone staircase through thecentre of a steep, boulder slope.

The benefits of the path workwill be long-lasting, both to nature

conservation and the thousandsof visitors who come to the SNHmanaged reserve each year.

Trails facelift

Visitors to Craigellachie National NatureReserve by Aviemore will be welcomedthis year with newly upgraded, easy-to-follow waymarked trails. Each differsin length and gradient, but they allcelebrate the natural heritage of one ofStrathspeys largest birchwoods. Thetrails are open throughout the year andprovide you with a chance to view theflowers, butterflies and moths for whichCraigellachie is famous.

The reserve is set on a hillside, soits been a challenge to design a rangeof trails that would appeal to everyone.

The Lochan and Woodland Trails giveeasy ambling for all users of the lowground. A longer route, the BuzzardTrail, winds its way through the thickerparts of the wood. You may even seethe bird its named after or hear itsmewing overhead.

Finally, the Viewpoint Trail canbe reached with a bit of a stretch.On a clear day, Rothiemurchus andGlenmore Scots pine forests unfoldbefore you, with the Cairngorm

mountains on the horizon. Pictured aresome of the team working on the trails,with Aviemore in the background.

Hands-on at Aigas

Aigas Field Centre lies close toInverness and has its own nativewoodland, moorland and a loch, allof which provide great resources forhands-on outdoor learning. Added tothis, theyve just opened a new all-abilities woodland classroom, whichis purpose-built and eco-friendly. Thisprovides the ideal base for escapingreally bad weather or for indoor worklike peering at bugs and beasties undermicroscopes!

Every year, thousands of childrenand young adults visit Aigas for their

tailor-made lessons on everything fromminibeasts to Higher geography andbiology. This gives pupils and teachershands-on experience of the naturalworld, bringing textbook learning to lifeand complementing classroom lessons.

SNH have been grant-aiding Aigasfor many years and have recentlyfunded their environmental educationprogramme for local schools andnurseries. We also fund an outreachprogramme that allows Aigas staff to

visit local schools. One of the popularthemes for these trips is to work withschools to make their grounds morewildlife-friendly.

The aim is to share the wondersof the natural world in a fun andinspiring way, where pupils absorb lotsof information without even realisingtheyre learning.

SNH Area News


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www.snh.org.uk

Great yellow stronghold

A group of enthusiastic localvolunteers has been mobilised acrossthe Western Isles to monitor thebumblebee population this summer.

Offers of support have beenparticularly strong from Uist andBarra, where a total of 10 committedvolunteers will take part in aprogramme of training and monitoring.

The great yellow bumblebee hassuffered huge declines over the past50 years, largely due to changesin how we farm nowadays. Its nowBritains rarest bumblebee. Some of

the strongest remaining populationsare found on the machair of theWestern Isles.

Bumblebee training days will beheld outdoors, beginning in June,supported by SNH staff and funding.Each volunteer will then monitor afixed patch in key machair areas,providing coverage across theislands. The aim will be to collectlong-term information from the samesites annually. This will provide data

that will improve our knowledge ofgreat yellow bumblebee distributionand their population trends across theWestern Isles. For more information,contact Tracey Begg on 01870 620238.

Future of Monachs

The five low-lying Monach Isles, knownlocally as Heisgeir, lie just off the westcoast of North Uist. They were madea national nature reserve in 1966 andare home to Europes most importantgrey seal colony. They also hold notableseabird populations, as well as machairand dune habitats.

SNH are currently reviewingthe reserve management and wereplanning to consult the public thissummer about how the reserve shouldlook in the future. Well be presentingour vision for the next 25 years and

asking the local community (and otherinterested groups) for their own ideasand comments.

Were particularly keen to hear frompeople with knowledge and experienceof the islands, as well as those whodlike to become involved in the runningof the reserve. We hope to retain thespecial character of the islands, whileimproving the opportunities for localsand visitors to experience and learnabout the Monachs themselves.

Well shortly be publishing ourproposals and the story of the reserve.These will be sent out to communityrepresentatives and other interestgroups. If youd like to find out more,please contact Roddy MacMinn on01851 705 258.

Greener transport

An environmental project in Stornis aiming to use cleaner technologtransport to support communityservices.

Staran are a community interecompany who offer a garden caresupport service. They provide worplacement and volunteer opportufor older men. Those taken on areeither long-term unemployed or hsignificant barriers in the way of thfinding work.

Staran undertake work for theelderly and disabled, community

groups, public benefit activitiesand environmental amenity worksin community areas. SNH recentlygave them a grant to help buy twonew vehicles for the project. Onewas a small electric mega-van forenvironmental handyman work. Thother was a tipper pick-up, so thalarger teams could carry and remolarger volumes of material.

SNH also recently provided fufor Third Sector Hebrides (TSH) t

develop an old bakery in StornowThe SNH grant will help create agreenspace garden area, which awith additional needs on placemwith TSH can help to look afterThis area will help to create a moowell-being and positive mental heRepresentatives of Staran, TSH aSNH are shown above with the nvehicles.

SNH Area NewsWestern IslesCorrespondents: Tracey Begg, Roddy MacMinn, Mark MacDonald


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Estate in better state

Ten years ago the beautiful woodlandsand ancient buildings of Dalzell Estate,near Motherwell in Lanarkshire, werein a sorry state. A recent restorationproject has turned their fortunesaround.

With the help of Heritage Lotteryfunding, it has been possible toreconstruct and replant the Japanesegarden, create new paths and improvethe ponds for wildlife. In addition, thefunding allowed the historic buildingsto be restored, including the Hamiltonfamily mausoleum, bridges and follies.

The estate lies on the edge ofMotherwell, sitting on the banks of theRiver Clyde, and includes the BaronsHaugh Nature Reserve. The Haughwould have provided summer grazingfor the estate in the past, but is nowmanaged for wetland birds.

The project team, led by NorthLanarkshire Council staff, includedthe specialist expertise of RSPB andsupport from SNH. Local people havealso been involved from the start.

It was a big project that workedwell because of all the people involved,commented Geoff Atkins, SNHs localarea access officer. Dalzell Estate andthe neighbouring RSPB Barons HaughReserve have finally become the visitorattraction that they deserve to be.

You can find out more from thewebsite:www.dalzellandbaronshaugh.co.uk

Saltcoats solution

The Clyde coast holiday town ofSaltcoats recently sought to reducethe impact of climate change byimproving the towns flood defences.Engineers came up with the idea ofbuilding sea defence structures, suchas breakwaters.

However, the Saltcoats beachcontains fossilised trees dating fromaround 300 million years ago (picturedabove) and these were in danger ofbeing destroyed by the building ofbreakwaters.

The trees are within the Ardossan

to Saltcoats Coast Site of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSI). The rocks ofthis site formed when a volcano wasactive in the area and at a time whenthe land and climate were very differentfrom today.

Fortunately, the engineers andSNH staff were able to come up witha solution to protect the trees, byreducing the size of the breakwatersand positioning them away from the keyrocks. The option also helped to avoid

spoiling the views from the town.As for the trees, the design of theflood defences has meant that itsbeen possible to leave a gap in thebreakwaters around the fossilisedstumps. Theyll now be left undisturbedin their 300-million-year-old location toremind us that nothing stays the same,not even the climate.

Gorge trail opens

You can now access an improved trailthrough two of the gorge woods inthe Clyde Valley Woodlands NationalNature Reserve (NNR). The trail followsthe course of the gorge for about fourmiles through Cleghorn Glen andCartland Craigs, and theres a newleaflet to guide you.

A local sculptor, Alan Kain, hasdesigned eight posts to physicallymark the line of the trail through thegorge. The designs he used on thewaymarker posts were based on wildlifedrawings that children from the local

Robert Owen Memorial Primary Schoolprovided.

The posts were installed in Mayand the children have now visited thewoods to see for themselves howtheir drawings are helping to raiseawareness of these outstanding anddramatic woodlands.

The Clyde Valley Woodlands NNRis unusual in that its a mosaic of richwildlife habitats among living, workinglandscapes. Peoples homes and

workplaces are interwoven with thewoodlands.This project is part of our ongoing

effort, along with our NNR partners(South Lanarkshire Council and theScottish Wildlife Trust), to re-engagelocal communities with these specialwoodlands.

SNH Area NewsStrathclyde and AyrshireCorrespondents: Geoff Atkins, Dorothy Simpson, Mar tin Twiss


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Print outSNH have set out a vision of what Scotland could be like based on

sustainable use of the natural heritage. Natural Heritage Futures guides themanagement of Scotland's nature and landscapes towards 2025. Its madeup of six national prospectuses covering farmland, coasts and seas, hills anmoors, settlements, fresh waters, and forests and woodlands. There are alslocal prospectuses for 21 different parts of Scotland that each have a distin

character.The vision is not a blueprint or some sort of impossible ideal but gives an

impression of what Scotland could be like with the natural heritage contribufully as possible to the social and economic well-being of Scotland into the

First published in 2002, the prospectuses have just been updated inconsultation with stakeholders to reflect changes in issues that influence thnatural heritage, such as farming policy, conservation law and climate changThese updates act as supplements and should be read along with the origindocuments. The documents and updates are available from the SNH websiwww.snh.gov.uk/publications

The North American signal crayfisposes a real risk to our wildlife, rivand lochs. Its a powerful predatodamages riverbanks and spawninbeds, as well as presenting a big to several freshwater species. Weproduced a poster-leaflet that exp

the nature of the problem. The leatells you what to do if you come athis pest, and there are contact dand a set of handy hints for canoeboaters and anglers.

Weve published a joint statementcalled Action on Climate Changewith our partner agencies ForestryCommission Scotland, ScottishEnvironmental Protection Agencyand Historic Scotland. The bookletoutlines the role that each of these fourgovernment organisations expects toplay in taking early action to reducegreenhouse gas emissions, and inhelping Scotland adapt to a changingclimate. It reflects the individual actionplans already published or being

prepared by each of the organisations.

Thanks to all those who entered the Can you name it competition in the last issue. The correct answer was minke whale. The four lucky winners of the WhalDolphins and Porpoisesbooklet are: Angus Smith, Boness; Ranald Coyne, Arisaig; Karen Munro, Scrabster; and Cornelia Oekekoven, St Andrews.


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National treasuresScotland has two national parks thateveryones welcome to explore and enjoy,free of charge, 365 days a year


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Youll come across national parkspretty much all over the world.Some 6,500 national parks andsimilarly protected areas coverabout 12% of the Earths surface thats about a million squarekilometres!

However, Scotland joined the national

parks club quite late in the day, despitethe fact we boast some of the planetsfinest natural environments. The worldsearliest national park was establishedin 1872 (Yellowstone in America), whileScotlands first came along only someseven years ago.

Its a little ironic that we joined solate, given that it was a Scot, John Muir,who became known as the Fatherof the American National Parks. Heinfluenced the American government

to create their first five national parks including Yosemite and the GrandCanyon.

But, whatever the reasons for ourtardy approach, the parks are now verymuch part of the nations natural andcultural heritage. Loch Lomond & TheTrossachs became our initial nationalpark in 2002 and the Cairngormsfollowed a year later. The parks are abig part of Scotlands national identityas they represent some of this countrysmost iconic landscapes and show how

people and places can thrive together.Indeed, Scottish national parks

differ from many others around theworld as they have social and economicdevelopment aims alongside thoseof conservation, understanding andenjoyment of the countryside. This isan explicit recognition of those who liveand work in the national parks.

2

The parks are a bigpart of Scotlandsnational identity


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1View north over LochLomond from ConicHill.

2Heather moorlandabove Strath Fillan,Crianlarich.

3Tourist reading aninterpretive leaflet atUath Lochans,Glenfeshie.

Loch Lomond & The TrossachsNational Park lies in the west ofthe country, only some 40 minutesfrom Glasgow and 90 minutes fromEdinburgh. It covers 720 sq miles(1,865 sq km) and includes some of thecountrys most spectacular and variedscenery.

Centred on Loch Lomond, thelargest stretch of fresh water inmainland Britain, the park climbs fromthe grassy lowlands of the south to the

towering mountains of Breadalbane andthe sea lochs of the Cowal peninsula.

To the northeast lies CairngormsNational Park, the largest in Britain. Infact, at 3,800 sq km, its 40% largerthan the Lake District and twice the sizeof Loch Lomond & The Trossachs.

Cairngorms boasts the largestarea of mountain landscape in Britain,including an arctic wilderness and four

of Scotlands largest peaks, as weheather-clad moorland, woodlandrivers and lochs. The lowlands areformed by the beautiful straths of Dee and Don.

National parks are an asset fowhole of Scotland, commented DGreen, convener of the CairngormNational Park Authority (CNPA), their management relies on the wa wide range of partners, includinmanagers, voluntary organisations

agencies such as SNH. The natiopark authorities are here to lead aco-ordinate this work.

There are real opportunities tonational parks to help address soof the big land use challenges facrural Scotland, such as climate chcarbon and water management anfuture options for upland farming.


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For instance, Loch Lomond & TheTrossachs run a natural heritage grantscheme. Now in its third year, thisjoint scheme with SNH has fundedmore than 50 projects on the ground.These include barn owl boxes, fisherysurvey equipment, workshops for landmanagers, drain blocking to restorewetlands and work to control non-native invasive species.

Work has also begun with RSPBon a project to restore and enhancethe wading bird populations in GlenDochart. Surveys of the floodplainswill identify the main areas being usedby farmland wading birds, such asredshank, lapwing,

snhmascottish national heritage - the nature of scotland summer 2009gazine summer 2009

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