The Nature of ScotlandNàdar na h-Alba

Scottish Natural HeritageDualchas Nàdair na h-Alba

Spring / Summer 2016Earrach/Samhradh 2016

www.snh.gov.uk

www.snh.gov.uk 1

Contents

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60

Features 10 Norwegian wood South-west Norway’s woodland regeneration

16 Celebrating Hugh Miller A geology trip with a difference

24 Tagged Sharks basking in Scottish waters

28 How can we help nature cope with climate change? Helping nature to adapt

32 Scotland’s outdoors Our natural health service

40 2020 vision Scotland's Biodiversity – a route map to 2020

44 Stoats in Orkney Small predator, big cause for concern

55 Do not disturb The issue of wildlife disturbance

58 Counting mountain hares The hare necessities

60 Drawing inspiration Dramatic landscapes and the island way of life

Regulars2 Where we are SNH contact details

3 Welcome

4 Wild calendar What to see this spring and

summer

20 News

34 Scotland’s Great Trails The West Highland Way

48 Area news Reports from around the country

56 Dualchas coitcheann /Common heritage Linking language and environment

64 Keep in touch

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Scotland’s nature blogOur Scotland’s nature blog covers a wide range of subjects, and recent posts have featured Glasgow’s water voles, climate change, Brandt’s bat and capercaillie counting. Follow the blog using the link near the foot of the homepage on our website.

Welcome

Eileen StuartHead of Policy & AdviceScottish Natural Heritage

Welcome to the Spring/Summer edition of The Nature of Scotland. After one of the wettest winters on record it’s a pleasure to move into spring and summer, and in this issue of our magazine we give you some ideas on how to get the most from our natural heritage.

On a personal note I’m delighted to see some of my favourites appear in this edition. I always feel a particular thrill when I stumble upon the dappled shade of aspen trees in woodland and there is nothing like the sheer delight of spotting an Artic tern hovering over the sea in search of a small sandeel. When I think about these two species it occurs to me that I am attracted to them by their rich sound; the aspens trembling leaves – described aptly as ‘old wives tongue’ and the harsh ‘kee-errr’ of the Artic tern. I hope when you next get out there in our beautiful Scottish countryside you will find time to stop, listen and let the natural noises stir your imagination.

Comparing and contrasting our natural heritage is the theme in a guest article kindly provided by Duncan Halley of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Duncan recently spoke to colleagues in the Edinburgh office we share with Forestry Commission Scotland, and his talk about woodland regeneration was extremely popular and relevant to our work in Scotland.

We also include an article from the James Hutton Institute and The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust which takes a look at our critical work to trial methods of estimating mountain hare numbers to better inform wildlife management.

After 22 issues of our magazine we have replaced our National Nature Reserve regular feature with what we trust will be a popular new series on Scotland’s Great Trails – and first up is an article on the West Highland Way.

Climate change is one of the most urgent problems of our time and in an inspiring article by Anna Brand we look at how conservation managers are helping nature by following climate change adaptation principles. We also take a look at Scotland’s Biodiversity through ‘the lens’ of our Route Map to 2020, an initiative where the focus is very much on collaborative working.

Add to the mix articles on Orkney stoats, basking sharks, a voyage celebrating the role of geologist Hugh Miller and I’m confident that no matter what your taste you will find something in our magazine to interest you.

I hope you enjoy reading the articles in this issue of The Nature of Scotland and that some of them inspire you to get out and enjoy our fabulous natural environment.

Credits

The Nature of ScotlandThe magazine of Scottish Natural HeritageIssue Number 23 — Spring / Summer 2016

Published twice per year© SNH 2016ISSN 1350 309X

Editor: Jim Jeffrey Tel. 01738 458528

Cover photo: Frogs Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Inside cover photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Welcome page photographer: Lorne Gill

Photography – all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other than Niall Benvie/imagesfromtheedge p6; David Whitaker p6 image 1 in strip, p9 image 3 in strip; p51 centre; Danny Green/2020 VISION p6 image 2 in strip, p38; Mark Hamblin p6 image 3 in strip, p20 right; Ted Benton p6 image 4 in strip; Chris Gomersall/2020VISION p7; Graham Saunders/SNH p9 image 1 in strip, Laurie Campbell/SNH p9 image 4 in strip, page 26 and p27 (both upper images); Adam Burton/Alamy Stock Photo p10; Blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo p12; 914Collection/Alamy Stock Photo p13; Vario images GmbH and Co.KG/Alamy Stock Photo p14, Markus Varesuvo/Nature Picture Library p15; Elizabeth Pickett p17; Dr Kevin R. Butt p20 left; Richard Shucksmith/SNH p23; Alex Mustard/2020VISION p24, p26 main image; Becky Duncan/SNH p32, p42; Laurie Campbell p39 top; Cathy Mayne/SNH p39 bottom; Andy Rouse/2020VISION p34; Mark Hamblin/2020VISION p46 bottom; Colin Preston/Nature Picture Library p47 right; Sue White, Shetland Amenity Trust p48 left; Angus Laing p49 left; Kevin McCulloch p49 centre; David Genney p50 left; p52 left; Julie Young p50 centre; Linda Ferguson, p51 left; Adam Murphy p51 right; Clare Brown p52 centre; Peter Sandground/SNH p52 right; Craig Nisbet p53 left; Peter Cairns/2020 VISION p53 centre, John Black, Ecologist, Beith Defence Munitions p54 left; Peter Kelly p54 centre;

Illustrations on pages 16 to 19 courtesy of Elizabeth Pickett (this article first appeared in Earth Heritage magazine), and illustrations on pages 60 to 63 courtesy of Liz Myhill

To share your views about The Nature of Scotland or suggest articles for future issues please contact the editor:

SNH MagazineBattleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EWEmail: editor@snh.gov.uk

The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of SNH.

Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers, Glasgow

JTCP15.5k0416

When you’ve 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 details should enable you to find your nearest main office, but bear in mind that we also have a number of offices smaller than those listed.

A full list of our offices appears on the SNH website: www.snh.gov.uk

Corporate headquarters

Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NWTel. 01463 725 000 Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk

Other offices

Battleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW Tel. 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 2NR Tel. 0141 951 4488

Area offices

Argyll & Outer Hebrides32 Francis Street, Stornoway,Isle of Lewis HS1 2NDTel. 01851 705 258

Argyll & Outer HebridesCameron House, Albany Street,Oban PA34 4AETel. 0300 244 9360

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

ForthStrathallan House, Castle Business Park, Stirling FK9 4TZTel. 01786 450 362

Northern Isles & North HighlandThe Links,Golspie Business Park,Golspie,Sutherland KW10 6UBTel. 01408 634 063

Northern Isles & North HighlandGround Floor, Stewart Building, Alexandra Wharf, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0LLTel. 01595 693 345

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

South HighlandTorlundy,Fort William PH33 6SWTel. 01397 704 716

Southern ScotlandGreystone Park, 55/57 Moffat Road,Dumfries DG1 1NPTel. 0300 067 3200

Strathclyde & Ayrshire Caspian House, Mariner Court, Clydebank Business Park, Clydebank G81 2NR Tel. 0141 951 4488

Tayside & GrampianBattleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW Tel. 01738 444 177

Tayside & GrampianInverdee House,Baxter Street, Torry,Aberdeen AB11 9QATel. 01224 266 500

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Listen as the first blackbird sings, full-fluted from a rooftop. When will the new leaves of birch and sycamore, beech or hazel unfurl enough to catch the wind? Will oak break leaf before ash this year and bluebells blossom before the first osprey eggs are laid? Spring is a great time to notice change and renewal, not only through cuckoo calls, but more in many small shifts revealing the freshness of life; bringing surprises each day, for many weeks to come.

Kenny Taylor gives some seasonal tips for savouring Scottish wildlife and landscapes

Spr

ing

Wild calendar

Tree of many tonguesWhen it comes to brilliance of leaf colours, autumn rightly steals the broadleaved tree show. But there’s one native tree whose splendour in spring is a match for its autumnal glory: aspen.Often late to break into leaf, aspen makes up for this tardiness in sheer boldness of colour. See a splash of buttercup yellow, vibrant as poster paint, among darker tones of pines or the green froth of birch on a hillside, and you’re likely to be ogling aspen.

Known in the past as ‘old wives’ tongue’ because of the way its leaves tremble in the faintest breath of breeze, aspen is now scarce across much of Scotland. That’s because it’s the food tree of choice for many leaf-and-twig-munching grazing animals, explaining why it can be restricted to steep burn gorges in some areas.

Big steps are now being taken by bodies such as Trees for Life and within the Cairngorms National Park to grow thousands of young aspens in tree nurseries. These saplings are beginning to form a new wave of aspen growth in Scotland, adding their distinctive colour and movement to native woods from spring to autumn.

Click this: http://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/species-profiles/aspen/

Sleepers awakenThey might be dusty. They could have ragged wings, frayed from close encounters with predatory birds. They may seem drowsy at first, fluttering briefly before resting in patches of sunlight. Yet they are heralds of the changed seasons – true harbingers of spring.

Most of the small tortoiseshell butterflies that are active in summer and autumn die before winter bites. But some hibernate, taking shelter in rock crevices, tree holes, garden sheds or even in cool, shaded corners within houses. Come March and April, these sleepers awaken, trying to regain access to the outdoors.

As soon as it gains its freedom, a male small tortoiseshell will try to establish and defend a territory where he can woo and mate with females. In turn, females with fertilised eggs go to lay batches of eggs on freshly sprouted nettles – the favourite food for their caterpillars.

Numbers of this attractive butterfly have slumped drastically in recent decades. This gives all the more reason to encourage unkempt patches of nettles in gardens and allotments to give a boost to these delicate symbols of spring.

Click this: http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-754/small-tortoiseshell.html

Fowl play?When is a goose not a goose? When it’s a barnacle? That brace of questions might seem downright odd nowadays. But in the Middle Ages, arguing the case for a bird being both shellfish and fowl could make a difference to your diet.

Confused? No wonder. The key to the conundrum comes through the Roman Catholic Church’s requirement for its members to avoid eating meat on Fridays. This is still given special emphasis during Lent – the six weeks in late winter and early spring leading up to Easter Sunday.

In the past, carnivorous flouting of such church law could be a matter for stern reprimand and penalties. That’s why some people argued that barnacle geese and goose barnacles – the latter a marine crustacean whose shell looks quite similar to a tiny goose head – were different stages in the life cycle of the same creature. So eating a barnacle goose wasn’t really meat eating at all….

Such a cunning ruse was prohibited by a papal ruling 800 years ago. In the here and now, you can still enjoy barnacle geese in a different way as flocks, untroubled by monks taking potshots, head north from Scottish wintering grounds in spring.

Click this: http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/features/story.aspx?id=319

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Spr

ing Summer

Some other things to look for in spring:Skylarks ascending; adders out of hibernation; brown hares boxing and chasing; first bees on early flowers.

On moor and hill, meadow pipits display, while on leaves beyond number in glens below, caterpillars stretch to measure the span of unfolding summer. Unseen, drifts of plankton trail basking sharks and gleaming fish shoals in their wake. Garden broods are noisy now, as parent birds ply them with meaty beakloads. There’s energy in the life that’s all around, but also time, if you make it, to relax and soak it in, feeling the colours, scents and sounds of the season.

Lions of the seas

Orca! Visit the coasts of the Hebrides or Northern Isles in summer, and that word is one of the most exciting a wildlife enthusiast could hear. Also known as ‘killer whales’, orcas are perhaps the most expert top marine predators. Groups, known as ‘pods’, can work together in the water in ways reminiscent of how a pride of lions hunts on land. Woe betide the seals, other whales or fish shoals that become the focus of a coordinated orca attack.

Scottish waters have two quite distinct types of orcas. Those in the Northern Isles and east coast are migratory. They come from Iceland, especially between May and July, to hunt harbour seal pups and shoals of herring and mackerel.

Questing for the voleIt could be the commonest mammal in Britain, with a population estimated at 75 million. But you’re more likely to see signs of where it’s been rather than to observe the animal itself.

Spring is a good time for some field vole sleuthing, especially in hill areas which have had recent snow melt. Field voles live in many different places, from low ground to high, the common feature being a good supply of grass. These little creatures (which measure around 15cm, on average, from twitching nose and whiskers to the tip of the short tail) eat little else.

The very small west coast group stays here year-round, but is more often seen in late summer and early autumn. These orcas target marine mammals, including minke whales and porpoises. They numbered a mere nine animals, until last winter. Then one of them, known as ‘Lulu’ to researchers, washed up dead on Tiree.

Whale watchers will now be anxiously waiting to see how Britain’s only resident orca community will fare this summer and beyond.

Click this: www.wild-scotland.org.uk/species/69/killer-whale-orca-/

Voles can tunnel below snow, snug from chill weather above and with an under-snow supply of grass stems. So when thaw comes, the once-hidden network may be revealed. Look for long, narrow depressions in hill turf, with tell-vole scatterings of nibbled grass.

By now, field voles will be taking their chances in the spring air, trying to avoid the gaze of predators, such as foxes and kestrels, as they squeak to communicate with each other. Many of the calls they make are ‘ultrasonic’ – too high-pitched for human hearing. Elusive, that’s the name of the vole.

Click this: www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/wildlife/mammals/vole.aspx

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Sum

mer

Some other things to look for in summer:Rockpools to explore; damselflies over ponds; broods of moorhens on canals and lochs; yellow flag iris in full flower.

Solar-powered seabirdWith its blood-red bill, harsh, high-pitched calls and translucent wings that catch the light as beautifully as stained glass panels when seen against the sun, the Arctic tern is a feisty and distinctive part of Scotland’s seabird populations. It’s commonest in the Western Isles and Northern Isles, although numbers have plummeted over the last 30 years.

An Arctic tern looks rather delicate in flight. So its two major world records are all the more surprising. Its annual migrations – from northern breeding grounds to wintering areas in the Southern Ocean, then back again in spring – are now reckoned to be the longest seasonal movement of any animal. Some cover more than 80,000km each year – enough to go around the world twice at the equator.

Linked to that, its flights to follow summer in the south during our northern winter mean that it sees more daylight than any other creature. Impressive for a bird that weighs-in at a mere 100 grams or so. And a further reason to work on preserving the stocks of small fish that it needs to thrive here during its summer visits.

Click this: www.pnas.org/content/107/5/2078.short

Bud wiserSome gardeners call it the ‘butterfly bush’. See a buddleia (or buddleja) in full summer bloom and you may also be lucky enough to see several butterflies drinking deep from its nectar flow. It’s a boon to many butterfly species, often including red admiral, painted lady, peacock and small tortoiseshell.

The commonest variety now growing in gardens (Buddleja davidii) was brought to Britain from China in the 1890s. It’s quick to colonise loose stones and gravel, such as in old walls (where it also gets a boost from lime-rich mortar) and along railway tracks. So you can often see it in and around Scottish railway stations, such as at Perth. But its invasive tendencies mean that it may need to be kept in check, including to help other butterfly-friendly plant species.

The rather odd-looking name derives from an English vicar and botanist, the Reverend Adam Buddle. He was an expert on mosses who died in 1715, decades before the first buddleias were brought to Britain. The great Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, immortalised his predecessor’s botanical expertise by naming this group of nectar-rich plants in his honour, even though the Rev. Buddle had never seen one.

Click this: www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28196221

Reach the higher groundBuckets and spades, cones and ice cream, beaches and waves splashing: certain summer pairings seem timeless. Except when the beach is a raised one, in which case time will have separated tide from old shore by a long way.

You can see raised beaches along many stretches of Scottish coast, often by noticing where a line of low cliffs is set inland from the current shoreline by many tens or even hundreds of metres. In other places, fairly straight lines of ground rise not far from the sea, often in terraces at different heights. The south shore of the Cromarty Firth (towards its namesake village), southern Arran, the west coast of Jura and the coast of Ayrshire are among the many good areas to look for raised beaches.

Raised beach origins go back to the last Ice Age. As ice melted, the land rose, relieved of a massive tonnage of downward pressure. At the same time, sea levels swelled from meltwater, forming temporary coastlines for different sea levels at different times. As the land rose further, these coastlines became inland features, now high and dry – and far from their salty beginnings.

Click this: www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/geology/skye/beaches.asp

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Norwegian wood Duncan Halley works for the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Here he looks at south-west Norway and its woodland regeneration, drawing comparisons with Highland Scotland.

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Apart from fjords, one of the few things most people in Scotland know about the landscape of Norway is that it’s well wooded and always has been.

But this is one of those cases where the reality is a little different. 100 years ago “it was commonly believed that our (Norwegian) forests would soon no longer exist, and initiatives were implemented to counteract the deforestation”, according to Statistics Norway, an introduction to forestry statistics.

Since that time, the forest resource of Norway has more than tripled by most forms of measurement. From 2004 to 2014 alone the total area of forest increased by 18%. Deciduous and mixed woodland, mainly (but not only) birch, rowan, aspen, juniper, pine, and bird cherry, has more than doubled in volume in the last 20 years alone – all of it through natural regeneration and all of it ‘for free’.

In a time when the Scottish Government and many communities, landowners and conservation groups wish to expand Scotland’s woodlands to benefit forestry, nature restoration, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, flood prevention, stabilising slopes against landslips, and public enjoyment, it’s worth taking a look at how this happened. Particularly so in a place which is so similar to the Highlands of Scotland in its geology, landforms, and climate.

Climatic similarities

We need to look at what has happened in south-west Norway in particular – Norway is a large place, the size of Britain and Ireland, and parts of it are colder and/or drier than the Highlands. But south-west Norway is at the same latitudes as the north mainland of Scotland to Shetland. Like the Highlands, its climate is dominated by the Gulf Stream and weather systems from the south-west. This produces very similar rainfall, wind, and temperature patterns. The geology and landforms are also very like the Highlands. You can investigate the climate of south-west Norway for yourself in very great detail at www.senorge.no (and of the Highlands at www.metoffice.gov.uk/).

People arrived in south-west Norway at about the same time as in the Highlands, at the end of the last Ice Age; they introduced agriculture and domestic animals, and started using metal tools at about the same time. In the very similar climate and landforms, the effects were also very similar: deforestation was mostly complete in coastal areas by the Bronze Age, and continued inland for many centuries.

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Reversing deforestation

By the 19th century, both south-west Norway and the Highlands had been strongly deforested for a long time. As in the Highlands, peat was the main fuel in south-west Norway, and drystane dykes were built for miles across the treeless glens and hillsides. Wood for fuel and fencing was unavailable locally, and too expensive to import. Photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries look strikingly like many parts of the Highlands.

But since then the landscape histories of the two areas have diverged radically. In the Highlands, apart from commercial forests which started to be established after the First World War, no significant expansion of woodland occurred in the 20th century, and in general the state of remaining semi-natural woodlands continued to decline.

In south-west Norway, new woodlands began naturally regenerating from the 1860s on. In recent decades, the landscape has changed from one which, within living memory, was mainly unwooded, to one in which most of the land below the treeline is wooded once again.

This process is continuing at a very rapid rate. In Rogaland, in the far south-west, the most deforested province of all, woodland cover is predicted to increase from 24%, as it was in 2007, to 52% over the next few decades, with most of the remaining area being either arable farmland or high mountains above the natural tree line. In the region as a whole, at present 2.6% of the land area is changing from open ground to woodland every five years.

Reduced grazing pressure

What caused this? Much research has been done, and the answer is clear: reductions in grazing pressure and associated land-use practices such as muirburn. There were two main waves of reduction in the intensity of grazing on the land. The first was from the 1860s to 1914, due to mass voluntary emigration to the United States; the second was from the 1950s on as ways of making a living other than hill farming became widely available, and were considered more attractive.

Much of this regeneration has happened on peat soils, often wet and deep, which formed during the period of deforestation; trees will regenerate strongly (and start to form a new, non-peat, soil layer) so long as the peat is not permanently waterlogged. Birch in particular likes wet peat, and is often the pioneer species. Even on blanket bogs, trees are usual on any slightly raised or slightly drier patch.

Most of this woodland is open in character. Indeed many plants in Scotland often thought to be moorland species, such as heather and bearberry, merely tolerate open ground in Scotland. They are present in south-west Norway’s woods as they are really plants of the understorey of open woodland. Sheep and cows are still grazed, at moderate densities; roe and red deer, black and willow (local form of the red) grouse and blue hares are widely hunted. It is, and always has been, a landscape used by people. Nowadays, wood has completely replaced peat as fuel (wood is around one-third more efficient as a heat source than the same weight of peat).

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Return of the bluethroat?

This landscape contains a diverse wildlife – red and roe deer, capercaillie, black grouse, woodpeckers of several species, and pine martens to name but a few. It is the primary habitat of golden eagles in Norway. Some species that are lost to Scotland might be expected to recolonise if hill woodland re-established. Amongst them could be the bluethroat, a spectacularly beautiful bird with an equally impressive song.

The bluethroat is abundant in birch and willow habitats high on the mountain. Trees at that altitude can only grow in bushy form, usually mixed in patches with heather and grass. This is a habitat all but extinct in Scotland – a few tiny patches on cliffs free from deer and sheep browsing are all that remain. Bluethroats are the characteristic birds of the habitat, and migrate through Scotland each spring, so should colonise fairly soon when enough suitable habitat is available.

Other likely colonists would be Lapland buntings, common in the hill woodland/alpine zone fringe; bramblings, which are abundant in high-level birch, and overwinter in Scotland; and the mealy redpoll, a small nomadic finch of high-level birch and willow. Red grouse could be expected to readapt to this habitat, its natural home in most of the world. The ring ouzel is endangered in Scotland, where its core habitat – high-level deciduous woodland mosaics with open patches and rocks – is unavailable. In south-

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west Norway it is common and not declining. Redwings breed regularly in Scotland in small numbers, and fieldfares sporadically. Both could be expected to increase.

Plants tasty to sheep and deer, like the attractive Alpine blue sow-thistle, are extremely rare in Scotland; the thistle is confined to only four rock ledges safe from browsing. In south-west Norway it is abundant on damp patches in woodlands of this kind, so long as the browsing pressure is not too high.

The experience of south-west Norway clearly shows that woodland could regenerate very widely in the Highlands – the climate and landforms are very similar, as has been the history of the landscape until very recently. Planting, to provide a local seed source, would probably accelerate the process greatly; in Norway regeneration seems to have started slowly and then accelerated, probably for this reason.

South-west Norway is no longer expensive to visit; the recent decline in oil prices has led to a considerable increase in the value of the pound against the krone. Rental cabins are inexpensive and there is a comprehensive network of hiking bothies. Why not go and see for yourself?

Further reading

www.nina.no/english/News/News-article/ArticleId/3941

4 1 Hjelldalen in western Norway. The climate is similar to the west Highlands: mild, oceanic and very wet (over 3m of precipitation each year on average).

2 Kirkehavn on Hidra island in south-west Norway in winter. Hidra is on exactly the same latitude as Stornoway and temperatures are similar to Lewis throughout the year, but it is both wetter and windier than the west coast of Lewis. It was completely deforested from the Bronze Age to the early 20th century.

3 Valle in Setesdal, south-west Norway. The climate and geology locally is similar to the Cairngorms. Today, much of the floor of the glen and all of the sides, except on the blankest cliff faces, are wooded.

4 The Sound of Hidra and Hidra island, south-west Norway, in autumn. Storm force winds are annual; hurricane force winds onshore have been recorded twice in the last 10 years.

5 The beautiful red spotted bluethroat.

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Celebrating Hugh Miller

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20 JuneMagmatic Mull

We meet Leader and our fellow voyagers at the North Pier in Oban. Our first destination, where we anchor for the night, is Loch Spelve, held in the curve of the ring-intrusions of Mull’s ancient volcano, and with the Great Glen Fault passing deep below.

The dark igneous rocks that mass above us and disappear into cloud are transformed into arcs of pink, red and green on the beautiful geological map of Mull. We discuss charts and forecasts with our skipper Lara, and out of this emerges a more detailed plan for our voyage. We are to head south from Mull, bound for islands of far older quartzite and slate. These metamorphic rocks are part of the ‘Dalradian’, a group of rocks 750 to 550 million years old and named after the ancient Scots kingdom of Dalriada.

21 June Rocks of Dalriada

Islands slide past as we head south into the Sound of Luing. The sea is silk-smooth and we glimpse porpoises. At Kinuachdrachd Pier on Jura we learn more about Dalradian rocks and the geological events they record. Originally sediments and lavas in long-vanished seas, they were later metamorphosed during Caledonian mountain-building to become slate, quartzite, marble and schist.

To the sound of a cuckoo we explore a shoreline of Jura slate. The coast is bright with the pinks of thrift, ragged robin and foxgloves, and the yellow of bird’s-foot trefoil and tormentil. The geological map of Jura is mainly yellow too – representing a great thickness of Jura quartzite.

Elizabeth Pickett is a geologist and illustrator. Here she reflects on a geological trip with a difference– by boat around the Argyll islands.

22 June Metalimestone and music

On the west coast of Shuna we look at geological maps spread out on the shingle. Shuna stands out with its stripe of bright blue. This is the Degnish Limestone and we examine a nearby outcrop. Intriguing textures provide clues to its origins in a warm shallow sea and later alteration to become the cleaved metalimestone, or marble, we see today.

Orchids thrive in this lime-rich spot. Islanders used the limestone too – there’s a ruined limekiln nearby. Walking across the island we peer through rhododendrons at the crumbling concrete castle of Shuna House, and admire swirling patterns in sea-worn Craignish Phyllite. In evening sunlight in Arduaine there’s singing and guitar music on deck.

In summer 2015 a group of geologists, artists, ecologists, musicians and storytellers, aged 18 to 70-plus, embarked on a voyage of geological discovery around the Argyll islands on Leader, a Brixham sailing trawler. Our journey followed on from one in which Leader and her crew recreated part of Hugh Miller’s 1844 cruise of the Betsey around the Inner Hebrides. An important part of the voyage was a visit to Luing to celebrate the launch of the new Atlantic Islands Centre.

Our voyage was named ‘Testimony of the Rocks’, in honour of Hugh Miller’s final book. Miller was fascinated by the natural world, writing, “Nature is a vast tablet, inscribed with signs, each of which has its own significance and becomes poetry in the mind when read”. He also wrote of his great interest in the close association of human history with geological science. So, with these themes and Miller’s inquiring spirit in mind, we set out to explore the beautiful Argyll islands and their interwoven stories of geology, landscape, natural history and people.

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23 June Through the Corryvreckan

We take a window of opportunity and motor through the Gulf of Corryvreckan towards Colonsay and Oronsay. The sea is calm but seething patches of water hint at the whirlpool that churns when the tide rips through. On either side are vivid green hillsides of layered rocks. The Paps of Jura, blue-purple and sun-tinged, rise to the south.

Landing on Oronsay we head inland from a white beach to explore the ruins of the 14th-century priory. Corncrakes rasp and medieval priors stare out from carved grave-slabs. We find one of the Mesolithic shell middens for which Oronsay is famous. Packed limpet shells tell of people’s lives 6,000 years ago, as close in time to the end of the last glaciation as to today. The turquoise waters tempt some of us in for a breathtaking swim!

24 JuneRock of the saints

The thin rugged spine of the Garvellachs is our much-anticipated destination today. We arrive at Eileach an Naoimh and step ashore by a sea-washed outcrop of Port Askaig Tillite. We learn of the ancient glaciation, around 650 million years ago, that formed this famous rock, and contemplate ‘Snowball Earth’.

These small islands seem remote now, but were once an important centre of early Christianity. St Brendan founded a monastery here in AD 542 and St Columba reputedly visited the islands. We explore the monastery ruins, the grave of Eithne (St Columba’s mother), and two amazing beehive cells. A stump of lichen-crusted rock is known as ‘Columba’s pulpit’. A spring near our landing place is still called the Holy Stream.

25 June Slate island songs

Luing welcomes us for the final part of our voyage. We walk round Cuan Point, past red cattle and over drifts of grey slate. It has a rippled sheen and is flecked with gold pyrite cubes. To our left, rear cliffs of Easdale Slate, sculpted by past quarrying. We are faced by a great wall of rock, a dyke, which chops through the slate and heads out into the green sea like a dark path.

In the evening we join a ceilidh in the new Atlantic Islands Centre, which celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of the Argyll islands. Our leaders, Joyce Gilbert and Simon Cuthbert, speak about the voyage and we enjoy songs, poems, music and stories from islanders and Leader crew. It is a special end to a memorable journey.

26 JuneJourney’s end

We head back to Oban past the dark cliffs of Seil and Easdale, veiled in rain and mist. Islands merge into a watercolour of slate, sea and sky. Back on the North Pier we say our goodbyes. We have heaved ropes, looked at rocks, sung songs, shared stories, written, sketched and much more – in short, we had an inspiring week. We have read some of the signs inscribed on Hugh Miller’s vast tablet of nature, and on this journey these certainly became ‘poetry in the mind’ for all of us.

But this isn’t the end of the project. Future initiatives are being discussed. Watch this space!

More information

The 2014 voyage was run by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Friends of Hugh Miller and the Scottish Geodiversity Forum. See: https://cruiseofthebetsey.wordpress.com and a film by Fergus Cruickshank at https://vimeo.com/129989765

See also Earth Heritage 43: www.earthheritage.org.uk/ehpdf/eh43F.pdf

The 2015 voyage was run by the Scottish Geodiversity Forum, the Isle of Luing Community Trust and the Friends of Hugh Miller. Young Earth scientists Dyfan Roberts, Andrew Law and Jack Gillespie were sponsored by Glasgow and Edinburgh geological Societies. See Emma MacLachlan’s film: https://vimeo.com/132918394, Hugh’s News 26 in: www.thefriendsofhughmiller.org.uk and www.atlanticislandscentre.com

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Isle of May

The ‘Jewel of the Forth’, the hidden gem that is the Isle of May National Nature Reserve, has opened for another season. With its towering west cliffs and an island history dating back before Christianity, this wildlife sanctuary is well worth a visit.

Large numbers of seabirds return to the island to nest from early April, and they are quickly followed by human admirers as visitors travel from far and wide to board boats from either North Berwick or Anstruther to visit the magical isle.

The island is little more than one mile long by half-a-mile wide, but it is crammed full of wildlife. From April to July the island is an attack on the senses as the hustling bustling seabird city supports over 100,000 seabirds, making it an experience you will never forget. If this is not impressive enough, then the fact that no fewer than 46,200 pairs of puffins nest there, making it the largest puffin colony on the east coast of the UK, may just grab your attention.

However, if it is peace and tranquility that you are looking for, then a visit during August and September should be high on your agenda. The main lighthouse that dominates the island’s skyline was constructed 200 years ago by the famous Stevenson family. As part of the birthday celebrations, the lighthouse will be accessible every weekend and daily from 1 August – 2 October. So why not visit to enjoy the views from above?

If you are still in doubt, then let the critics be your judge: the island has scooped several awards in recent months, including one for its newly-constructed visitor centre, complete with nesting Arctic terns on the roof.

You have to see it to believe it, so visit the Isle of May NNR, the ‘Jewel of the Forth’. Isle of May blog: https://isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com

Worm whopper

Worms don’t often make the news, so we were interested to see that a study by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire is giving earthworms a little limelight.

Earthworms found on Rum National Nature Reserve have been weighing on average three times heavier than their mainland counterparts and the Rum worms can grow to almost 40cm in length.

The study suggests that Rum’s excellent conditions could mean that worms here live for up to 10 years. That’s five times longer than the mainland average.

Kevin Butt, professor at the University of Central Lancashire, who led the study, said: “I first noticed the large worm burrows in 2005, so I had my suspicions that there may be some pretty big worms in the area. We went back out to investigate, and finding worms of this size was very exciting, especially when the Natural History Museum team confirmed that they had no specimens like this.”

www.glasgownaturalhistory.org.uk/gn26_2/earthworms_butt.pdf

Scottish wildcat conservation gathers pace

More than 300 trail cameras went live by the end of January 2016 as part of Scottish Wildcat Action’s first winter survey. This is the biggest-ever wildcat survey in Scotland, and the images have been coming in thick and fast thanks to the extraordinary efforts of staff and volunteers, as well as the generous funding from Heritage Lottery Fund.

Results are still to be collated, but these images will give extensive intelligence on wild-living cat populations for the first time. It will then help us plan Scottish Wildcat Action’s conservation efforts to protect the wildcat from further decline.

The Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TNVR) training is now also under way, with staff being trained to humanely cage-trap feral cats and those with minimal wildcat characteristics known as ‘obvious hybrids’. These hybrids have mixed domestic cat and wildcat ancestry due to interbreeding, a major threat to the wildcat as a distinct species.

TNVR will be carried out across six wildcat priority areas of Strathpeffer, Strathbogie, Strathavon, Morvern, Northern Strathspey, and the Angus Glens in order to reduce interbreeding and the spread of disease.

Meanwhile, the conservation breeding for release programme, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, is also gathering pace. Large private enclosures were built at the Highland Wildlife Park and are ready to receive breeding pairs.

It is hoped that some of the existing captive cats at the park and other zoos may be paired with wild-caught Scottish wildcats. Offspring will eventually form a founder population to release back into the wild.

These are not the only kittens we’ll be keeping an eye on. Project partners, Forestry Commission Scotland, have also been building artificial den sites in the Angus Glens in the hope of attracting pregnant females. This research will help identify wildcat preferences for den sites. Find out more at www.scottishwildcataction.org

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Citizen science

January is long past – lots of people will have given up on well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. Gym memberships might be gathering dust. Wildlife recording, however, is an alternative that will give you exercise, be fun and help others.

There’s still a lot we have to learn about Scotland’s wildlife and you don’t need to trek up mountains and through bogs to help – you can play your part by getting involved in citizen science. Wildlife recording is one of the fastest-growing family hobbies and you can start in your own garden or local greenspace. Last year 43,000 Scots contributed over 630,000 records to the Big Garden Birdwatch – the biggest wildlife survey in the world.

With wildlife recording centres across Scotland, it’s easy to submit records. Apps and cameras on mobile phones are a great help with identification. Many of the local record centres, local biodiversity partnerships and Countryside Ranger Services run fun days to help people improve their identification skills.

All types of citizen science gather valuable information so that better decisions can be made on things that affect all our lives in all sorts of ways. For a fun and healthy outdoor activity for all the family – that you can do anywhere and at minimal cost – there’s nothing to beat it.

Find out more about citizen science in Scotland at http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/get-involved/

St Kilda cave dives

A World Heritage Site, St Kilda lies 41 miles west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides and is the most remote part of the British Isles. The archipelago’s last 36 human residents were evacuated to the mainland in 1930.

However, the islands remain hugely important for their wildlife: they host huge seabird populations, including the world’s second-largest colony of North Atlantic gannets. The waters around St Kilda are designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for their reefs and sea caves, which attract a wealth of spectacular sea life.

Lisa Kamphausen, from our marine team, has recently taken part in a survey to study the sea caves of St Kilda and North Rona. “It’s an experience you are unlikely to forget,” noted Lisa, “but hard work in difficult conditions.

“Between laying a survey line and measuring, defining natural zones, taking video and photographs, recording the details of animals which live inside the caves, and collecting specimens for the Natural History Museum, we had quite a few jobs to do between us. But we could only stay as long as our scuba tanks would give us air, our dry suits would keep us warm, our torches had batteries, and as long as the wind blew from the right direction to avoid the worst of the swell.”

In a mad flurry of dawn to dusk activity and against all odds, the team conducting this Site Condition Monitoring survey of the St Kilda SAC was able to survey five sea caves on St Kilda and three on North Rona.

We’ve uploaded hundreds of photos from past marine surveys to our Flickr page for you to browse and share – please credit Scottish Natural Heritage if you share the photos with others.

You can view the images of our St Kilda cave dives on our Flickr account at www.flickr.com/photos/snh-iyb2010/albums/72157658628218282

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Within a few weeks of the first satellite tags being attached, thousands of visitors to the SNH website were following the sharks as their movements were displayed online in close-to-real-time.

Twenty sharks were tagged in 2012, in a ‘hotspot’ for these gentle giants around the islands of Coll and Tiree off Scotland’s west coast. Each summer large numbers of basking sharks are seen here, cruising around feeding at the surface, making it an exciting place for wildlife watchers.

While sharks are seen in many places around Scotland, displays of social and courtship behaviour, like breaching and following each other nose-to-tail, have only been observed in these areas, suggesting that they are important for key stages in the life cycle of the sharks. It’s thought that, as well as coming to feed on the area’s rich plankton soup, the sharks might also come to find a mate.

Learning some of the secrets of the world’s second-largest fish caught the public imagination, and the tracking website received 42,000 hits in the first three weeks.

Dr Suzanne Henderson from SNH, who is managing the basking shark satellite tagging project, said:

“It was fascinating to see where the sharks were going in those first weeks, and that most stayed around the Inner Hebrides. One shark made its way to Jura and another two headed west beyond the Outer Hebrides, but all three returned to the waters where they were tagged. It was also great to learn that the public shared our enthusiasm and curiosity about these majestic animals.”

Over the next two summers 41 more sharks were tagged in the project, a partnership between SNH and the University of Exeter, and the first known to track the near real-time movements of basking sharks.

A pioneering three-year project to learn some of the secrets of Scotland’s basking sharks by using satellite tag technology has shown an area off the west coast to be very important for these giant fish, as Dominic Shann reveals.

Sharks basking in Scottish waters

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1 The basking shark is the world's second-largest fish.

2 A retrieved tag can contain a mine of information.

3 The tags are attached to the shark at the base of the dorsal fin.

4 Basking sharks can live up to 50 years.

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the length of a double-decker bus (11 metres) and their huge bodies are nourished entirely by plankton. In an hour, a feeding shark can filter 1.5 million litres of water through its gills, extracting these tiny crustaceans.

The sharks can survive as long as 50 years but being slow-moving, slow to mature and long-lived, they are very vulnerable to human activities. For generations they were hunted widely around Scotland for the high oil content of their large livers, but basking sharks have been a protected species here since 1998.

The tags were attached to sharks at the base of the dorsal fin with a titanium metal dart, using an extendable darting pole. Some tags provided information on the shark’s position each time it neared the surface, allowing it to be tracked online. Other tags collected data on depth, temperature and light levels over several months before detaching from the shark. These tags then float to the surface and transmit gathered information to satellites passing overhead. However, if they are physically retrieved much more data can be collected.

Suzanne said: “We are extremely grateful to the public whose remarkable beachcombing abilities saw more than a third of the tags returned to us. But there are still tags out there to be found, with secrets yet to be discovered, and there’s a £100 reward for each one handed back to us. So when you’re out walking on the west coast, keep an eye open and you could help us to learn even more about these truly wonderful fish.”

“We were particularly intrigued to see where the sharks went during the winter”, said Suzanne. “From autumn onwards the tagged sharks dispersed widely, leaving the shallow coastal waters for deep sea. Some went south as far as the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, some headed west of Ireland and others remained relatively close to Scotland throughout the winter.

“One of the highlights of the project for me was seeing the first of the tagged sharks making its way back towards the Sea of the Hebrides, and then to Coll and Tiree where it was tagged the previous year. It was really exciting to learn that the same individual basking sharks return in consecutive years to use Scottish waters. It’s something we thought happened but we now have the first proof that this occurs. It really does emphasise that the Sea of the Hebrides is highly important for this migrating species.”

Protecting highly mobile species, such as sharks and whales, is difficult due to the large areas they cover. So identifying and managing areas where the animals gather to feed, or for important life-cycle events, such as courtship, can play an important role in their conservation.

As part of the Scottish Marine Protected Areas Programme, SNH has recommended that an area of the Sea of the Hebrides from Skye to Mull be designated to protect the basking sharks, and also minke whales. Scottish Ministers are currently considering the proposal.

Basking sharks can grow to about

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How can we help nature cope with climate change?

Climate change is one of the most urgent problems of our time. At every level, from local communities to national governments, we are trying to limit emissions and halt warming. But now more than ever, we are realising that some effects of climate change will be inevitable, as Anna Brand explains.

We’ve all noticed warmer temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, unusual seasons, and changes in nature. To deal with these effects, not only do we need to adapt, but we also need to help nature do the same.

To help Scotland’s nature become more resilient, and adjust to the new threats and challenges that climate change may bring, we and all of our partners in conservation are working to make big changes. For example, we’re reducing other pressures on nature and wildlife, improving the way habitat is managed, and adapting land and conservation management as the climate changes and we learn more.

These principles are guiding work across Scotland’s nature reserves. Our National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and other protected sites have great stories to tell about how nature can adapt to climate change, which we have captured in eight case studies. From restoring blanket bog in Caithness and Sutherland to enhancing the habitat for natterjack toads at Caerlaverock, to reversing water pollution at Loch Leven, the case studies show off the many tools that we have to help nature thrive.

A healthy environment can also help people cope with climate change. When peatlands are healthy, they form new peat thereby storing carbon, which helps us limit climate change. Many other benefits come from peatlands: clean water, lower flood risks, and a home for unique wildlife.

The floods in December and January sparked discussions on natural flood management (NFM) and how working with nature can help us deal with the extreme weather that’s likely to increase with climate change. NFM includes ways of managing the landscape so that water seeps into the ground and flows more slowly downstream to prevent or ease flooding. This includes restoring wetlands and floodplains, allowing rivers to meander through the countryside, and planting trees: all things that also have benefits for nature.

Adaptation work on our NNRs shows that helping nature become more resilient often helps us adapt too. And there are many ways we can help. Here are a few snapshots of how conservation managers have helped nature adapt by following our climate change adaptation principles.

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1 Flooding near Coupar Angus.

2 Protecting Scotland's ancient pinewoods could become more challenging.

3 Natterjack toads benefit from short vegetation.

4 Lichen translocation on Creag Meagaidh.

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Restoring Blawhorn Moss

Blawhorn Moss is a raised bog in West Lothian. The bog was drained in the past by a system of ditches to make the land more suitable for farming, and the bog has also suffered fire damage. Sphagnum mosses and other bog vegetation have been lost to grasses and shrubs as a result. As summers become warmer with climate change, fires may also become more common on the drier vegetation, causing more drying and damage. This in turn affects the bog’s ability to store carbon, adding further to climate change.

Since the 1980s, land managers at Blawhorn Moss have worked on blocking the drainage ditches. Today, most of the ditches are filled with water. There is new sphagnum growth, which is an encouraging sign that the bog is recovering and that peat is starting to form, contributing to carbon storage. Successful restoration is good news for the bog, and good news for us, as it helps to mitigate climate change.

Protecting Scotland’s pinewoods from disease

A warmer climate may mean that Scotland is more vulnerable to new pests and diseases. For instance, Dothistroma needle blight in pine forests is thought to be increasing because of climate change. If Dothistroma becomes so widespread that trees die faster than they can regenerate, Scotland’s ancient pinewoods may be under threat.

Being aware of the changes that are likely to occur allows us to plan better for the future. No single solution will be suitable across all of Scotland, and the long time-scales involved in managing woodlands for climate change means planning for future scenarios. Given the uncertainties, we may need to use many tactics across Scotland to provide resilience to the possible risks. A combination of actions, based on the needs and risks of different forests, should offer some insurance against losing Caledonian pinewoods entirely.

Making better habitats for natterjack toads

Rare natterjack toads thrive in coastal saltmarsh habitats. Coastal marsh is under pressure from coastal developments, and toad numbers are dwindling as a result. Climate change may bring even more threats, causing sea-level rise, coastal erosion and more salt-water inundation.

Work has been underway to help the natterjack toad adapt at Caerlaverock NNR on the Solway Firth. Shallow pools have been created on farmland farther inland, in areas that will not be affected by sea-level rise and other human coastal pressures such as habitat fragmentation. The natterjacks can venture here to breed. Cattle-grazing has been introduced after the toad breeding period to keep the vegetation short, which also helps the toads. Maintaining the pools is hard work, but we’re aiming for a diverse and connected habitat that will help the toads survive.

Helping threatened montane willows spread

Montane willow scrub is an important part of the Scottish uplands. But climate change and other pressures like grazing have shrunk the area where mountain scrub is found. Now montane willows survive only in small, remote areas, where there is snow cover for much of the year. The populations are fragmented, meaning that it is harder than ever for them to survive and reproduce.

To help them become more resilient, we ensure that they have the best possible chance of increasing their numbers. At Corrie Fee and Ben Lawers NNRs, fenced areas provide refuge from sheep and deer grazing for rare upland plants. Volunteers have planted willow seedlings in these exclosures to boost the number of plants and help them survive and thrive, even in the face of climate change.

A new home for lichens on Creag Meagaidh

Climate change shrinks the space that some wildlife can thrive in, and causes lots of changes in their environment. This is particularly true for mountain species. One type of lichen is trying out its new home on Creag Meagaidh NNR. These lichens have been planted under various conditions on the reserve to test their ability to survive in these new locations were they to lose habitat due to climate change.

The research team aims to find out which conditions are best for the lichens to survive in by ‘translocating’ them from their usual home in the high Cairngorms. ‘Translocation’ is the process of physically moving species to new areas in which the climate and habitat may be suitable. This is no simple process; there are many considerations when moving species and researchers followed the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.

Read more about the case studies and other examples at bit.ly/1EcBsEF

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To promote the concept of ‘Our Natural Health Service’, we are working with a wide range of partners from the environment and health sectors to demonstrate the health benefits from physical activity outdoors and regular contact with nature.

Graham Morgan works with HUG (Action for Mental Health) and is one of a number of people who gladly confirms the personal benefits of his experience of our natural health service. He delivers a powerful first-hand account of the benefits of developing a natural health service.

I know how the natural world acted as my own health service. I have a diagnosis of schizophrenia and am detained under a compulsory community treatment order. I know what it is like to be confined to a ward with only a square courtyard to give some sense of freedom with its chill air, away from the gaze of the nurses assigned to escort me to make sure I come to no harm. I know the yearning to walk away from the demands of those that care for

I remember those weeks that I have spent in hospitals, with the stale air and the oh-so-clean surfaces and the telly and that wish to be outside, that craving to feel grass under my feet, to be able to walk without fear of having my way barred; it is the absence of these things that can weigh heavily on me.

It is for this reason that the project we have been involved in with the Scottish Waterways Trust is dear to my heart. Those weekly walks in the woods or along the canal, with flapjacks and tea at the end, make such a difference to people cooped up in hospital, or wondering how to make a day pass more quickly now that they are in the community and the days are bare with boredom.

I am talking about something you all know – you have all walked a street, felt rain on your face, listened to the birds at dawn, felt the wind in your hair, the sun on your cheeks, you know it already. Even when life is dark indeed looking out the window to see what the weather is like says all that needs

There’s well-established evidence linking the environment and health. Both nature and greenspace have been shown to have positive impacts on physical health and mental wellbeing. For example, 9 in 10 people who visit the outdoors report improvements in their mental and physical health and/or an increase in their energy levels.

Scotland’s outdoors –

Our natural health service

me and not being able to fulfil it. Although I am meant to be talking

of health, I am no paragon of fitness: I am on the verge of diabetes, I drink too much, and I sweat and pant when I walk up the slightest hill.

But for me projects like the one we have taken part in with the Scottish Waterways Trust make the world of difference.

There is something so wonderful that happens when I take my occasional walks along the beach. I can be filled with a roar of thoughts and worries that snatch away my peace, and make sleep a hasty task rather than the bliss it can be; and then I can be walking away, listening to the oystercatchers and gulls, watching the crows hop at the water’s edge, gazing at the red ships in the firth and the clouds that I never tire of looking at. I will hear the sea and smell the salt air and, as I walk, the anxieties that we all have become smoother and softer; as my body warms up with motion I find that there is a smile on my face, my cheeks feel vibrant in the cold air, my fingers feel old

pebbles in my pockets. I pause to take the occasional photo with my phone of the cockle shells in the sand or the ripples left by the tide on the beach.

It may be that the medication that I am made to take keeps me alive. But sometimes it is the walk along the beach, the amble beside a river, the seat in the dusty heather or at the mouth of the harbour, where the green of the sea mixes with the brown peat of the river, that makes all the difference.It gives that sense of freedom, of wellbeing, that urge to swing my arms or to do some awkward hop of a dance.

I love these things. I love to walk down the forest track with my partner’s children and collect brambles, I love to wake in the morning and listen to the crows in the trees across the road.

It is a strange thing that I can give the message that the seasons, the sound of birdsong, the air on our faces, rain filming our hands or the wheat looking like an ocean in the wind can make a difference to our health. Surely what needs said is that their absence makes for a sad and dreary world.

said. We need the natural world, we are bound to it.

Some of us, however, have little access to it, and have lost the joy we can feel when we spot a squirrel run up a tree; it would be good to help reintroduce us to that joy and the possibility that we can walk away our worries, that the wind can also be a potent medication, its own tiny antidepressant, its own blood-pressure pill and muscle-toner.

– Watch Graham speaking about our natural health service at www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw_QYMULFpo

– HUG is a community of people from across the Highlands who come together to speak out about mental health issues and to challenge stigma and discrimination. You can visit HUG's facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HUGActionforMentalHealth/

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The West Highland Way

Mention a long-distance path nowadays and you are likely to hear it described as both a multi-day challenge and something that you can enjoy in bite-sized chunks. Yet perhaps the West Highland Way, of all Scotland's Great Trails, is the one that cries out to be completed end-to-end.

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The West Highland Way was our first designated long-distance path, our first official marked route, and is as iconic to Scotland as the Pennine Way is to England. Opened in 1980, it drew together a mix of old drove roads, abandoned railway lines, and former military roads. It had huge appeal as it ran from the edge of our most populous city – Glasgow – to the foot of our highest mountain – the mighty Ben Nevis.

At 96 miles long the West Highland Way is one of our longest trails. It takes the walker and some intrepid cyclists through superb Scottish scenery and offers challenges and opportunities in equal measure. It is fair to say it is a journey of incredible variety.

The trail starts in the centre of Milngavie but very quickly you will move from urban into rural areas through parks and lowlands. The going is pretty easy between Milngavie and Drymen – easing people into the route.

The eastern edge of Loch Lomond is an early thrill, as is the first sight of the Highland Boundary Fault and the ever-popular Conic Hill, whilst a glimpse of the Arrochar Alps from Inversnaid can take the breath away. Some visitors weave in time to visit the National Nature Reserve at Inchcailloch from

Balmaha, others can’t resist tackling Ben Lomond. The vast openness of Rannoch Moor follows soon afterwards before you are drawn into the majestic Glencoe, which resonates with a sense of history.

Moving into the Highlands is truly spectacular, and the route carefully keeps you away from roads as much as possible.

Around 50,000 people travel all of the Way and over 105,000 tackle part of the Way each year. That’s hardly surprising given the easy access and splendid route, even around such rugged scenery as Glencoe. Mention elements like the Devil’s Staircase and Glen Nevis and it is easy to understand the enduring popularity the West Highland Way enjoys.

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1 The view from the Devil's Staircase over to Buachaille Etive Mòr.

2 There is plenty of scope for interesting short walks on the West Highland Way.

3 Loch Lomond’s beautiful islands.

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through the haunts of more elusive and secretive animals, including pine marten, golden eagle and otter.

At any time of year the West Highland Way is a draw for those who like to see birds. Buzzard and kestrel are common sights, as are many members of the crow family including jay and jackdaw. The woodlands are a haven for all sorts of finches, tits and songbirds, whereas the moorland sections give a chance to catch a glimpse of curlew and lapwing, and a range of other waders in spring and summer.

Plenty of plants

If birds and mammals require occasional stealth to see, the same can’t be said for the trees and plants

Further InformationScotland’s Great Trails … These are nationally promoted trails for people-powered journeys. Each is distinctively waymarked, largely off-road and has a range of visitor services. At least 25 miles in length, they are suitable for multi-day outings as well as day trips.

Collectively the 27 different routes provide over 1,700 miles of well-managed paths from the Borders to the Highlands, offering great opportunities to explore the best of Scotland’s nature and landscapes and to experience our amazing history and culture.

The West Highland Way, which often provides a spectacular backdrop for a range of charity events, is managed by the West Highland Way Management Group, which is a partnership between East Dunbartonshire, Stirling, Argyll & Bute, and Highland Councils along with the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. You can find out more at www.west-highland-way.co.uk/home.asp

Passing through

The West Highland Way runs through or is adjacent to some of our most significant protected areas. The list includes Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Loch Lomond National Scenic Area, Ben Nevis & Glen Coe National Scenic Area, The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve, Rannoch Moor Special Area of Conservation to name but a few … and not to mention more than ten Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The devil’s in the detail

The Devil’s Staircase near Glencoe takes the West Highland Way towards Kinlochleven. It isn’t the only devil reference in Scotland’s landscape – the Devil’s Elbow marked a tricky section of road on the old Blairgowrie to Braemar road, and the Devil’s Beeftub near Moffat is the name given to a prominent hollow.

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Getting up close

Not only does the Way offer a chance to enjoy great outdoor exercise, it allows you get closer to Scotland’s wildlife and landscapes. Given that it passes through a range of habitats, including woodland, moor, loch shore, and mountain, the route offers up all sorts of sights, sounds and smells.

There is also a social aspect to doing this long distance route, particularly over the summer months. Many people completing the entire trail mention ‘bumping’ into the same people on different days, swapping stories and sharing camaraderie along the way.

Animals that you could encounter include both roe and red deer, mountain hare, red squirrel and fox. Although not as easy to see, the walk also passes

that are a constant ‘companion’ on the Way. Silver birch, the much-loved rowan and the majestic Scots pine will vie for your attention alongside juniper, alder and elder. Inevitably the different seasons, habitats and heights of the trail at various points will dictate what you can expect to see – but bluebell, primrose, wild garlic, gorse, heather and marsh marigold add a splash of background colour.

Maybe we use phrases such as ‘awe-inspiring’ too readily, but the West Highland Way merits superlatives. The range of scenery, habitats and wildlife make this a stand-out long-distance trail. And, as the marketing gurus would say, ‘50,000 people can’t be wrong’!

4 Chance encounters with deer are possible on several parts of the West Highland Way.

5 Keeping your eyes peeled for golden eagles just might be rewarded with views like this.

6 Many walkers include an outing up Ben Nevis as part of their experience.

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40 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 41

‘Biodiversity’ is one of those words that is becoming more and more common nowadays – but what does it mean? At its simplest, it means a variety of plants and animals. An unhealthy habitat could be one dominated by a non-native plant that is crowding out most other plants, for example, whereas a healthy habitat will have a mix of plants and animals. A healthy biodiversity is key for Scotland’s nature.

That’s why one of our biggest projects is Scotland’s Biodiversity – a Route Map to 2020, which was launched last June by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Dr Aileen McLeod.

Back in 2013, we published the 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity, partly in response to 20 new international targets set at a Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Japan. That document laid out the major steps we need to take to improve the state of nature in Scotland to meet our new international targets, halt the loss of biodiversity and restore the essential services that a healthy environment provides.

Our awareness of the importance, value and fragility of nature is growing year on year. Through an impressive body of evidence, we’re building up a clearer picture of what we need to do to care for and restore biodiversity. This work is complex and challenging.

The route map is not a catalogue of every activity that is under way or planned. It’s more fundamental than that, as it sets out six ‘Big Steps for Nature’ and a number of priority projects. It focusses on collaborative work with the Scottish Government and a wide range of partners.

Six Big Steps for Nature1. Ecosystem restoration2. Investment in natural capital3. Quality greenspace for health and educational benefits4. Conserving wildlife in Scotland5. Sustainable management of land and freshwater6. Sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems.

2020 vision

42 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 43

Improving Scotland’s natural assets

Many of our habitats and wildlife are acknowledged to be internationally important. Scotland’s peatlands, mountain landscapes, coastal cliffs and seas, machair and a diversity of woodland ecosystems are all exceptional by European standards.

These support a fantastic range of species, as well as being important for public health and wellbeing. Forests, meadows, rivers, saltmarshes and bogs in healthy condition provide clean water, food, fuel, storm protection, minerals and flood control.

Getting out and about in nature is healthy for both our minds and bodies, gives our children a fun, healthy way to learn, and helps bring people together. We need to protect and enhance nature to secure these benefits now and into the future.

So how are we doing in terms of protecting Scotland’s beautiful nature?

One way to measure how we’re faring is natural capital. Natural capital is a way to value nature in monetary terms. This means defining the value of nature to our economy by estimating the costs of the natural services it provides, such as filtering water, pollinating crops, and preventing floods.

Between the 1950s and 1990s there was a decline in Scotland’s natural capital, with the greatest rate of decline in the 1960s and 1970s. Since 1990 there has been a slight recovery, with freshwater, woodland, coast and urban greenspace showing the greatest improvement. Moorland, grassland and cropland haven’t fared so well, mainly due to changes in forestry and farming practices.

The benefits we derive from nature are difficult to put an exact price on. What we do know is that without these benefits we would be facing significant problems.

We have analysed the reasons for the decline of natural capital in Scotland, and looked at the actions taken to improve biodiversity since 2010. With this information, we are now targeting the species in greatest need of conservation, helping farmers improve the environment and biodiversity, combating climate change, improving land use and soil biodiversity, and managing river basins.

Working in partnership

There’s so much wonderful work going on throughout Scotland, by so many people and organisations, to safeguard the future of our wildlife. This includes work by Scotland’s national parks, public agencies, local biodiversity action partnerships, local authorities, businesses, land managers, and many others.

This range of work would be virtually impossible without a partnership and collaborative approach and we aim to build on this cooperation as we develop the route map.

Many landscape-scale projects, which involve communities, land managers and other partners, are already working to improve biodiversity and to deliver socio-economic benefits. Projects stretch from Coigach – Assynt in the far north, through the Inner Forth and the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) to the Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere.

The Coigach – Assynt Living Landscape is a partnership that is delivering a huge ecosystem restoration project with an aspirational 50-year plan to bring woodland connectivity, species-rich flora and fauna, and economic growth back to the Scottish uplands.

The CSGN is developing a similarly ambitious vision in urban Scotland, aiming to change the face of Central Scotland by restoring and transforming the landscape from Ayrshire and Inverclyde through to Fife and the Lothians. Among the key ambitions for this project are creating a habitat and wildlife corridor across the CSGN area, while making sure that every settlement in Central Scotland has green space within easy reach.

The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere is a place where cooperation and collaboration are bringing huge ecosystem benefits. Home to 95,000 people, the Biosphere has three main goals:

– Conservation: promoting the preservation of wildlife, habitats and landscape

– Learning: supporting a better understanding of nature and global issues

– Development: fostering a sustainable economy and societyThere are also plenty of research projects, many involving

hundreds of volunteers. The 2020 project provides a wealth of data on almost every part of Scotland, with basking sharks, seabird colonies, birds of prey, amphibians and reptiles, rare plants and fungi; indeed hundreds of species all figuring prominently in reports.

And, of course, all of this work provides places and opportunities for more people to experience, enjoy and learn about biodiversity.

In 2014, over 5 million people visited the two Scottish national parks, and more than 12,000 young people were involved in practical biodiversity conservation in Scotland through the John Muir Award. The RSPB has 1,700 active volunteers helping to look after nature on their reserves and it provides outdoor learning opportunities for 9,000 school children each year. These statistics reflect only a small part of the much wider effort by a range of organisations across Scotland.

The route map will maintain and build on the momentum of all this important work. If you want to help protect Scotland's nature find out how at www.biodiversityscotland.gov.uk

“Improving the quality of life for more people, while better protecting our fragile and finite natural capital, is the defining challenge of our time.”Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

44 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 45

Stoats in Orkney

Stoats were first seen in Orkney in 2010 and this small, feisty predator has since spread across the isles, becoming a major cause of concern for Orkney’s native wildlife. Although stoats are commonly found on the Scottish mainland, they are an unwelcome invader to the isles.

The stoat population is now well established across mainland Orkney and the connecting islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay. Their presence threatens the status of some of the isles’ best loved native species, including the endemic Orkney vole, and therefore the endangered hen harrier and short-eared owl which rely on voles as prey. Stoats also pose a threat to the many other species of ground-nesting birds in Orkney.

A serious threat

This is bad news for Orkney’s wildlife, and the tourism industry that relies upon it. Stoats are accomplished and versatile hunters, and in the absence of their usual predators, such as fox and badger, and with plentiful prey, the stoats’ presence continues at the cost of the island’s fragile biodiversity.

It is currently unknown how stoats first arrived in Orkney. It is possible that they were unintentionally transported as ‘stowaways’ in supplies of hay or straw, or perhaps deliberately as a method of controlling rabbits.

In the first few months after the presence of stoats in Orkney was confirmed, an initial trapping effort got under way with their removal at its heart. This included setting traps and translocating captured individuals back to mainland Scotland for rehabilitation and release, with the help of the Scottish SPCA. This was, for a variety of reasons, unsuccessful, and the stoat population has continued to grow.

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46 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 47

last few remaining animals using similar techniques to those required in Orkney.

Eradication projects such as this are complex in scale and cost, and take time to develop.

In the meantime, before a full eradication project can be implemented, we have begun recruiting volunteer stoat trappers across Orkney, providing them with traps and training in their use. Volunteers are gaining valuable skills in trapping techniques, which will be of great use should we be successful in a bid for a full eradication project. They are also collecting useful data which can be used to analyse the different trapping methods being deployed. There has been a great local response, with plenty of volunteers, lending their time and energy to the cause.

Since the first recorded stoat sighting in 2010 we have been keeping a database of every stoat reported to us, and its location. This has provided valuable insight into the population spread and distribution across Orkney and where the stoat ‘hotspots’ are. Using this information we hope to concentrate trapping in areas where the stoats are seen most regularly.

If you have spotted a stoat in Orkney we would like to hear about it – please

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Tackling the problem

We commissioned a report in 2014, carried out by mammal ecology experts from the University of Aberdeen, into the impact that stoats could have on Orkney's wildlife.

This report, 'Stoat (Mustela ermine) on the Orkney Islands – assessing the risks to native species', concludes that it is highly likely that this invasion of stoats will profoundly change the ecology of Orkney and its value for birds of prey and the protected areas of Eurpoean importance (Special Protection Areas) that have been established for these species.

The report recommends that a full-scale eradication project is the best option to safeguard Orkney's wildlife.

In view of these findings we aim to develop a full-scale eradication project, together with other interested parties, to safeguard Orkney's wildlife. This will prevent the stoat population from spreading to other parts of the island archipelago.

We will draw on the experience of the Hebridean Mink Project which is in its final stages of the eradication of another non-native species. Through trapping, the population of American mink has been dramatically reduced within the Outer Hebrides, and this project is now attempting to remove the

3

4

1 The stoat threatens some of Orkney’s native species.

2 Orkney’s stoats make good use of local linear features such as walls and fences.

3 Hen harriers rely heavily on the Orkney vole.

4 Orkney vole.

contact north@snh.gov.uk or call our Kirkwall office on 01856 886163.

More information and updates on the Orkney stoats project can be found on our website: http://snh.gov.uk/land-and-sea/managing-wildlife/orkney-stoats/

Orkney

Hoy

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say

Burray

Mainland

48 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 49

Out of Africa

Everyone in Shetland is used to seeing peat; around half of Shetland is covered in it and it does tend to get taken for granted. But, the peat on Shetland took thousands of years to build up to an average depth of about 3 metres.

It’s also an extremely valuable resource because, on healthy bogs, sphagnum moss absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and the carbon is eventually locked up in the peat, helping to combat climate change.

If peatlands are damaged and the water table drops, they no longer absorb carbon dioxide. This greenhouse gas is then released back into the atmosphere. Shetland Amenity Trust are therefore pioneering methods of creating dams in order to hold more water in the peat bogs.

One unusual method of protecting the bogs is by using sisal tubing. This can be filled with loose peat and placed in gullies and ditches to block them. Sisal is a very sustainable fibre crop grown in East Africa and it is traditionally used for making ship’s ropes. Because sisal has a low carbon footprint and is biodegradable, it is a much more environmentally-friendly solution than using plastic-based products for this purpose.

Arts bring new audiences

The Flow Country of Caithness andSutherland is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe. Underneath the living surface of The Flows lies around400 million tonnes of carbon. That'smore than twice the amount found in allof Britain’s forests combined.

The vast open landscapes, ever-changing weather, and plants and animals that depend on the bogs have been an inspiration for many artists over the years. There are numerous examples of writers, sculptors, and musicians who have celebrated the area in art.

Now through the £10.5 million Heritage Lottery funded ‘Flows to the Future Project’, The Peatlands Partnership will commission a number of artists to come to The Flow Country and create a body of work celebrating this outstanding and unique area. Some of the materials created will then form the core of an exhibition which will travel around the UK in 2018 and 2019.

By linking the creative arts to the science of The Flow Country and its important role in protecting us against climate change, we hope to attract new audiences who might not initially be interested in blanket bogs. For more information about this project visit www.theflowcountry.org.uk

Caught on camera

‘Sealcam’ and ‘Undersea Cam’ are two great wildlife viewing ideas pioneered by the Community Ranger on the island of Sanday in Orkney.

The Sanday Ranger, part-funded by SNH, set up ‘Sealcam’ in 2012 to help people view the fascinating spectacle of grey seal pupping. The camera overlooks two small pupping beaches, where, in October and November, it records the birth of pups, fighting males, amorous encounters or just seals lazing in the winter sun. Sealcam captured some of the first live footage seen of grey seals mating.

In 2015 SNH helped fund another webcam ‘Undersea Cam’. Or it could be called ‘lobster cam’, in recognition of its most photogenic neighbour! This camera, due to come online again in April, provides an insight into Sanday’s amazing underwater world, letting people see creatures like butterfish, long-spined sea scorpions and various types of crab.

This summer, a third camera will be set up, focused on cliff-nesting fulmars, and will hopefully feature their fluffy grey chicks.

Live action from the cameras is streamed to the web, with a live link to the Sanday Heritage Centre as well. Visit the Sanday Ranger website www.sandayranger.org to find out more.

SNH Area NewsNorthern Isles and North HighlandCorrespondents: Sue White, Ian Mitchell, Christine Skene

Valuable volunteers

An Invasive Non-Native Species project at Loch Lomond NNR has had fantastic results thanks to a hard-working and dedicated volunteer workforce.

A huge amount of time and effort went into the project, and its success was completely reliant on volunteers. The continuation of the project wouldn't be possible without the hard work and dedication of each and every person involved.

The volunteers contributed a total of 70 days’ work, with the following results:

– Few-flowered leek –13,000 removed and 262,000 burned

– American skunk cabbage –168 mature plants, and 354 young ones, controlled

– Giant hogweed – 255 plants spaded

– Japanese knotweed – 67 plants sprayed

– Himalayan balsam – 40,000 plants pulled and 5,000 brush-cut

– Bamboo – a 478m area slashed – Flowering rush –56 plants

controlled – Rhododendron – four patches

treated.Work continued in March 2016,

the twelfth year of the project. If you would like to volunteer contact kevin.mcculloch@snh.gov.uk or alan.dorman@snh.gov.uk

Sponge surprise

One of the many upsides to carrying out survey work is occasionally coming across something new, strange or entirely unexpected.

Whilst checking the health of the native plants in Loch Mahaick, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Doune, Stephen Longster came across a freshwater sponge, a little-known and unusual animal.

Stephen said, “Peering beneath the loch surface I found what I can only describe as furry-looking coral, growing a metre below the surface. I’d never seen anything remotely like it before, so I picked off a small branch, brought it back to the office and emailed some photos around to see if anyone knew what it was.”

Karen Evans, a researcher at Liverpool University, later confirmed it as a freshwater sponge, Spongilla lacustris.

Stephen continued, “As far as I know there are only three other records for Spongilla lacustris in Scotland – one near Forfar and two in Dumfries and Galloway – so this is a first for Stirlingshire. It is quite exciting to stumble across this strange and wonderful animal living quietly in a Stirlingshire loch.”

Stephen is keen to hear of any other records for freshwater sponges. Please email him with details at stephen.longster@snh.gov.uk

SNH Area NewsForthCorrespondents: Sarah Eaton, Kevin McCulloch, Neville Makan

Nature-based solutions

A member of our Forth area team attended the EU conference on Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change in Germany last November. The conference was attended by 230 delegates from 25 different countries across Europe and farther afield.

We presented a local Forth project at the conference, the Carse of Stirling; an ecosystem demonstration project, as well as bringing back to SNH some key messages on what is happening in Europe to tackle climate change.

The many fascinating presentations and stimulating discussions made it clear that nature can help us tackle climate change in many cost-effective and efficient ways, and in doing so we can help nature too!

Did you know that trees can reduce urban temperature by up to three degrees? Peatlands, for example, can not only lock up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but can help to ‘slow the flow’ of flood waters downstream.

Making nature-based solutions to climate change happen requires new ways of joined-up working. We also need to learn more about how nature works across landscapes to provide these solutions.

There are many challenges ahead, but there are many good reasons to try and tackle them.

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50 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 51

Petalwort discovery

A globally rare liverwort, petalwort (Petalophyllum ralfsii), was discovered this winter on Baleshare island in North Uist – only its second known site in Scotland.

Mention machair and you’re probably picturing the stunning wildflower spectacle that bursts into life during the summer. Yet this special habitat has much more to offer if you’re willing to get up close and personal with the turf!

The moist, calcareous soil supports fascinating coastal bryophytes, as Nick Hodgetts found out when we commissioned him to scour the Uist machair in search of petalwort.

This small liverwort, often likened to a miniature lettuce, grows in seasonally flooded dune slacks with short-cropped vegetation maintained by sheep and rabbit grazing. Occasional burying under windblown sand reduces competition from other species.

First discovered in Scotland at Achnahaird in Wester Ross in the 1970s, this remains its most northerly location, as petalwort primarily occurs around the Mediterranean coast. Habitat loss there threatens the species’ survival and increases the conservation importance of colonies in the UK.

Management carried out by crofters on Baleshare is clearly benefitting this rare species and safeguarding its survival on the Atlantic fringe.

Celtic rainforest

It’s not often that mosses, liverworts and lichens get discussed in the Scottish Parliament. But that’s exactly what happened in January, when Michael Russell MSP brought a debate on the ‘Celtic rainforest’ to Holyrood.

The debate celebrated and encouraged the protection of the Celtic rainforests, which host some of the richest moss, liverwort and lichen communities in the world, including at Knapdale, mid-Argyll, which received a special mention.

It was part of Plantlife Scotland’s ‘Secrets of the Celtic Rainforest’ campaign. Proceedings were kicked off by Mr Russell, Plantlife’s Species Champion for one of the largest lichens, the tree lungwort, an indicator of ancient woodland.

Politicians highlighted the special nature of the habitat and emphasised the need for good management, including invasive rhododendron control and addressing habitat fragmentation.

Aileen McLeod, Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, concluded the debate by saying “The Celtic rainforests are truly special places that deserve special care, conservation and management.”

You can find out more on Plantlife’s SNH-supported ‘Secrets of the Celtic Rainforest’ project at www.plantlife.org.uk

SNH Area News

Correspondent: Flora Donald, Ross Lilley, Stan Phillips

ACT Now

Our Argyll staff joined Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (www.act-now.org.uk) partners to launch ACT Argyll Ltd, a new social enterprise owned by the charity.

ACT Argyll Ltd aims to build teams across Argyll to undertake environmental improvement works. Already two teams have been established in Oban and Helensburgh and each team has an experienced chargehand and three trainees. Typical jobs include improving amenity spaces, path maintenance and construction, small tree work and control of invasive plants.

Trainees are offered a 12-month contract and are given opportunities to develop their skills and experience through on-the-job mentoring and training. In addition to SNH’s funding, the company has had support from Forestry Commission Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund, Skills Development Scotland and Dunbritton and West Highland Housing Associations, on whose properties the teams have been carrying out environmental improvement works.

For further details please contact ACT Argyll Skills and Contracts Manager Douglas Grierson on 01546 602755.

Argyll and Outer Hebrides

Golden eagle project

Soon, there may be more golden eagles soaring throughout the south of Scotland, due to an ambitious project, which arose from a study of the area. The report found that up to 14 to 16 pairs of golden eagles could be supported in the region; currently, there are only 2 to 5 pairs breeding or attempting to breed in south Scotland.

The project aims to increase the number of golden eagles that the Southern uplands supports; which includes the possibility of adding to the existing population. Currently, the project is looking to find funding and identify locations for the birds to nest, taking into account the scientific, community and social benefits.

A project team has been set up with a project manager, Cat Barlow, and a board with representatives from Buccleuch Estate, Scottish Land & Estates, FCS, RSPB and SNH. The team hope to secure funding this year so that a programme could be started in 2017. The project has had very positive discussions with local groups and organisations over the proposal, and will continue these discussions, while it is identifying areas and land management measures which could benefit the eagles.

Caerlaverock changes

Winter saw a few changes at Caerlaverock NNR with the welcome addition of our new Reserve Officer, Adam Murphy, the improvement of 260 metres of boardwalk and the relocation of a bird hide to offer the best views over the merse (saltmarsh). This all happened whilst conditions were unrelentingly wet with constant rainfall and dramatically high tides.

This was not the time to stay inside and keep dry as winter is the busiest season for birds, offering the best opportunity to see the thousands of wintering wildfowl including pintail, pink footed geese and about 40,000 barnacle geese. Gale-force winds and storms swelled the already big tides that flood onto the merse, bringing the birds closer to viewers as they waited for the tide to fall. With sometimes over 5,000 oystercatcher and redshank announcing their presence as people arrived in the main car park there was plenty of spectacle for visitors at Caerlaverock.

It’s not all about large numbers though. A male hen harrier and four little egrets ghosting about the merse were the stars of the show. The egrets, traditionally from the Mediterranean, looked especially exotic and out of place; maybe next time they will bring some sunshine with them.

SNH Area NewsSouthern ScotlandCorrespondents: Linda Ferguson, Karen Rentoul, Adam Murphy

Golden time

Cairnsmore of Fleet is feeling golden this year. The National Nature Reserve in the Galloway Hills earned the Gold Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme, recognising energy-saving practices at the reserve. These include using ground-source heat pumps and solar power, as well as a number of smaller changes like motion- sensor lighting in the visitor centre. As part of SNH’s environmental policy, the local team also try to make sure that the products and services we purchase to run the Reserve meet the highest environmental criteria.

The nature reserve sits at the heart of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, a new UNESCO designation to promote the culture of living and working in a way that benefits people and nature in a sustainable economy.

While Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR celebrates its golden victory, it is also an excellent destination for visitors to create their own ‘golden moments’. Visitors can enjoy walks in the rugged landscape, spot red deer, wild goats or peregrines, or find five unique, hidden sculptures, each with a special link to the Reserve.

52 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 53

Early ospreys

March 18 was a red-letter day at Loch of the Lowes. The female osprey (tagged as LF15) was back at the secluded Perthshire loch late on the Friday afternoon. Remarkably this was 13 days earlier than in 2015.

This was interesting, not just for the early arrival date but as the female had turned up before the male. However, the male duly appeared one week later in another Friday arrival.

The Lowes ospreys aren’t alone in Perthshire. They were followed rapidly by several sightings of ospreys around the confluence of the Rivers Isla and Tay near Meikleour.

Loch of the Lowes is the site of the ever popular Scottish Wildlife Trust visitor centre and has long been associated with ospreys. Open from early April to late August the breeding ospreys nest just 150 metres from well-appointed observation hides.

The site has also gained a reputation as a good place to get close to red squirrels and a range of woodland birds including woodpeckers, jays and a range of finches and tits.

With interactive displays and the capacity to accommodate education activities and school visits the reserve is a real Perthshire gem.

The ospreys it would seem agree.

Shoals in schools

Three lucky school classes near Loch Leven currently have their very own shoals of baby brown trout, preparing for life in the burns that run into the National Nature Reserve.

Our annual Trout in the Classroom project starts in February as part of the long-running ‘Growing up with Loch Leven’ initiative. Retired Fisheries Manager, Willie Wilson, and Craig Nisbet the Reserve Officer, introduce Primary 4 and 5 students to the fascinating and complex lives of trout and the other animals that share their watery environment. Willie’s lifetime experience of a world-famous fishery and his great enthusiasm are key to the project’s success.

In line with Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence, the project is a tremendous opportunity to engage young people and connect them with their environment.

In their classrooms, pupils watch as eggs hatch, monitor the water temperature and maintain a clean and suitable artificial environment for a month before releasing them back into the wild. The electro-fishing with Dr David Summers in June is always eagerly anticipated, when the pupils get to return to see trout at various stages of development.

SNH Area NewsTayside and GrampianCorrespondents: Craig Nisbet, John Burrow, Ewen Cameron

Just champion

Congratulations to Aberdeenshire’s Councillors who have joined forces with the NE Local Biodiversity Partnership and come up with an innovative approach to help the Council deliver its Biodiversity Duty.

A first for any Local Authority in Scotland, several Councillors have signed up to be Biodiversity Champion for a species or habitat as the first step in a longer term process. Wild cat, pine marten, red squirrel, pollinating insects, ponds, and Invasive Non-Native Species (all of which are important to the economy and quality of life of everyone in Aberdeenshire) now have their own Champions.

Champions will help dispel some of the myths that surround species like pine marten and wild cat, help alert people to the risks and costs associated with invasive non-native species like giant hogweed and help secure crop productivity in Aberdeenshire’s farming and horticulture which is entirely dependent on wild bees and other insects.

Champions will also encourage and persuade the Council and council tax payers to do all they reasonably can to support the Council’s legal biodiversity duty and make their own personal contribution to Aberdeenshire’s biodiversity – which we all depend on.

Norwegian speckle belly

A new lichen for Rum was recently discovered – Pseudocyphellaria norvegica or the Norwegian speckle belly, to use the quirky common name! It’s a nationally scarce species.

Finding the Norwegian speckle belly is always exciting because it usually means you’re in a special place. We know for example that a whole range of globally restricted bryophytes and lichens thrive in our magnificent Celtic rainforests. It is very sensitive to air pollution, one reason why it thrives in the pure air of western Scotland. Indeed the British Lichen Society consider it to be a key indicator that woodland has been continually present at a site for a very long time.

However the Norwegian speckle belly will also colonise more recent woodland where conditions are optimal and there is a good source of new material, this is likely the case on Rum.

It has to fight hard to survive. Threats include being shaded out by invasive rhododendron, and loss of habitat, particularly in areas where many years of high grazing pressure has prevented woodland regeneration.

The granular areas on its surface (called ‘soralia’ by lichenologists) are tiny bundles of the lichen’s fungus and algal partner. They are blown away together, or transported by animals, where some will grow into new lichen colonies.

Beside the seaside

An innovative and collaborative 3-year project to celebrate seashores in the Highlands has exceeded expectations.

The Highland Seashore Project launched in 2013, and has doubled its original targets, reaching over 5,000 people. It was funded by the Highland Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Crown Estate, Marine Stewardship Fund, and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Events were held across the Highlands from Poolewe to Plockton and Arisaig to Achiltibuie with seashore field-trips, workshops, roadshows and festivals to enthuse new audiences and develop survey skills. People got up close and personal with a range of wildlife including molluscs, worms and shore crabs!

The project will continue through the work of local community groups, the surveyor network and further training workshops.

The Highland Council Rangers and participating local groups have also inherited the project’s publications, resources and equipment. They will encourage people to continue to work together and share knowledge on how rich diversity can be preserved for future generations.

For more information and to watch the ‘Highland’s Hidden Homes’ short film, visit www.highlandbiodiversity.com/seashore.asp

Golden eagle conservation

An innovative project looking at improving golden eagle conservation across a regional population is being undertaken by windfarm developers in the Monadhliath.

SSE Renewables, who are developing Dunmaglass windfarm, have drawn up a Regional Eagle Conservation Management Plan (RECMP). This includes the provision of money for management assistance and community awareness-raising to enhance the conservation of breeding golden eagles. The golden eagle population in this and the surrounding area is currently smaller than predicted as a result of, amongst other factors, overgrazing by red deer and persecution.

The main aim of this RECMP is to review the current status of the golden eagle population, provide context to the constraints operating in this area and, where possible, undertake practical conservation management actions to improve the golden eagle population by increasing its size and productivity. 

A full-time project officer has been appointed, and, in the first year, surveys to determine where the birds are and what they are doing were undertaken and satellite-tagging of young birds started.  The project will run for the lifetime of the windfarm and will inform future conservation work for this iconic Highland species.

SNH Area NewsSouth HighlandCorrespondents:Mike Ingram, Dave Genney, Tamara Lawton, Liz McLachan

www.snh.gov.uk 5554 The Nature of Scotland

Bankhead Moss defenders

We recently teamed up with the Beith Ministry of Defence (MOD) team and the RSPB to carry out conservation work on Bankhead Moss, an active lowland raised bog that sits within MOD land in North Ayrshire. To keep the habitat in a favourable condition, trees and scrub needed to be removed.

The MOD granted special permission for some Garnock Valley Futurescapes conservation volunteers to access the site. They worked hard on a wet November day to cut down the trees by hand and carry them over the boggy ground to be stored as habitat piles in a nearby woodland.

The task was led by MOD Ecologist John Black. John said, “Enthusiastic volunteers from the local area and our Beith MOD staff braved the weather to help manage Bankhead Moss, which has benefited from the protection of MOD ownership. The team successfully cleared a large area of invasive birch to help conserve the bog. Thanks go to SNH for their support, the local RSPB volunteers for their hard work, and to the MOD staff on site who helped make it happen”.

Further information on lowland raised bogs can be found at: www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A1509883.pdf.

Information on Garnock Valley Futurescapes is available at: http://ow.ly/XYNLH

Young upstarts

The Cadzow oaks which grow at Hamilton High Parks, next to Chatelherault Country Park, are estimated to be between 400 and 1,000 years old and are a prominent local landscape and cultural feature.

About 15 years ago, a planting scheme was put in place using saplings from the site’s ancient trees to provide the next generation of oaks to support the site’s nationally important beetle population which relies on deadwood habitats.

A roughly 90% mortality rate was expected for the saplings but this ended up as closer to 90% success. It recently became apparent that the vigorous growth of the abundant saplings had ironically begun to threaten their ancient ancestors through encroachment and competition. So it was decided that a significant amount of thinning of the young upstarts was urgently required.

Over the last few months, we have worked with the landowner, The Conservation Volunteers, and a contractor to remove several hundred oak saplings. Progress was initially quite slow as we were restricted to using bow saws – a surprisingly difficult job! Thankfully, the contractor soon arrived with chainsaws and a chipper, making short work of the remainder and restoring the site to its former woodland pasture glory.

SNH Area NewsStrathclyde and AyrshireCorrespondents: Fiona Fisher, Peter Kelly and Martin Twiss

It’s plain to sea!

Scotland’s landscapes are renowned for their dramatic beauty. But as we splashed through one of the wettest winters on record, it was a good time to recognise the wider benefits provided by our landscapes, in particular, the role of our floodplains and the significant benefits that these bring to communities downstream.

Since November, the Clyde Valley, between Thankerton and Carstairs, has often been a vast loch, many kilometres long and hundreds of metres wide – a classic floodplain with a flat valley floor, complex meanders and relict oxbow lakes.

The floodplain has been behaving naturally. When the Clyde ‘overtops’, the valley stores huge quantities of water, slowing its release and alleviating downstream impacts.

Floodwaters are rich in suspended nutrients, and as the waters recede, these can be deposited on the fields, improving soil. This inundated valley was an impressive sight throughout the winter and a seasonal wetland reserve for whooper swans and geese.

It is critical that we recognise the role that floodplains play in managing flood risk, that we protect them, and that we allow them to function as they should. They make an essential contribution to protecting us from a wetter climate.

If only avoiding disturbing wildlife were as easy as looking out for a sign saying ‘Do not disturb’. Wildlife disturbance is a serious issue at any time of year, and as we head through spring we can all do our bit to minimise the risk.

One of the main issues to be aware of is disturbance of ground-nesting birds. Disturbance is rarely intentional, but in spring many of our birds are vulnerable as they sit on eggs or rear young at their nests. When you are out enjoying the countryside keep an eye out for birds around you. Importantly, if you have a dog with you please ensure it is under close control in sensitive areas, as a scampering dog can cause huge distress.

The onus is on us all to take care. Some birds, such as snipe and woodcock, blend into their surrounding, as they have cryptic markings and can be very hard to spot, so tread carefully. The issue of well-camouflaged birds might seem like less of a problem at a beach, but nevertheless there are things to be aware of here. Be sensitive to agitated birds – such as terns and plovers – their noisy reaction to your presence is often a tell-tale sign that you are encroaching upon their nesting space. And whilst the adults might be highly visible, their eggs and young are so well camouflaged that walking in an area where they nest could easily result in inadvertently treading on their young and eggs.

It isn’t only birds that we need to give some space to in spring. Sheep disturbance around lambing time can be avoided by keeping your distance. Don’t take your dog into a field where there are lambs, or indeed any young animals. In open country keep your dog on a short lead if there are lambs around, and keep your distance from them. Reckless

damage to any wild bird’s nest and eggs, or sheep worrying by dogs, could lead to criminal prosecution – so it is well worth being careful.

Outside spring there are still things that it is good to be sensitive to, such as birds over-wintering and roosting. Many birds migrate to our shores from the continent, and when they touchdown after an epic migration they are exhausted. It’s with this in mind that we urge you to avoid disturbing flocks of birds on our shores. By all means enjoy the spectacle, but keep a reasonable distance.

All in all, a little seasonal knowledge and being in tune with your surroundings is the first step in avoiding disturbing wildlife at sensitive times, or worrying livestock. When you are out and about enjoying our fabulous natural heritage, think about your surroundings and whether or not a less sensitive site might on occasion be more appropriate.

A mental ‘Do not disturb’ sign won’t go amiss. Further information at www.jessthedog.org.uk

Drones and disturbance

The world of technology is ever-changing and one recent development could have implications for wildlife disturbance. A growing number of drones are being flown and these offer opportunities to capture new and exciting images. But, as with anything, this technology comes with a responsibility to use it sympathetically and considerately. The use of drones is covered by Civil Aviation Authority regulations.

Do not disturb

56 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 57

3Dualchas coitcheannCommon heritage

Slòigh mar ‘Ainmhidhean’

Tha rann traidiseanta à Latharna ann an Earra-Ghàidheal a’ toirt cunntas dhuinn air na frith-ainmean a bhathar a’ cur air na daoine ann an diofar sgìrean:

– Fithich dhubha Chreiginis – Coilich Chill Mhàrtainn – Liath-chearcan taobh Loch Obha – ’S Coin-odhar an Àtha.

Chan eilear cinnteach a bheil buntanas aig an t-siostam ainmeachaidh ri modhan àrsaidh Ceilteach, ach tha e inntinneach gur e ‘eich’ a chante ri muinntir Chinn-Tìre – an dearbh sgìre anns an robh na h-Epidii (‘sluagh nan each’) a’ fuireach o shean. Bha na frith-ainmean rin lorg fad is farsaing agus tha cuid air an aithneachadh fhathast. Uaireannan, tha an t-ainm a’ togail ceangal ri ainmhidh a tha cumanta anns an sgìre no a nochdas ann an ainm-àite. Agus bhiodh e ag obair aig còrr is aon ìre; ged a bha ainmean ionadail ann an Latharna, bhathar cuideachd ag èigheachd ‘losgannan’ air na Latharnaich air fad.

Bha ainmean eun cumanta. ’S e ‘fithich dhubha’ a chante ri muinntir Maol nam Fitheach air an Àird, siar air Inbhir Nis, agus ri muinntir Loch Carrann ann an Ros an Iar. Bhathar a’ gabhail ‘faoileagan’ air na daoine à Port nan Long ann an Uibhist a Tuath agus Abhairnis ann an Loch Aillse, agus ‘coilich-dhubha’ air na daoine às an Dubh Ghearraidh ann an Eilean Arainn. ’S e ‘cearcan-tomain’ a bh’ air muinntir na h-Apann agus bhite ag èigheachd ‘eireagan’ air daoine às grunn àiteachan, leithid Cearara, Eilean Iarmain san Eilean Sgitheanach – agus ‘na h-eireagan dathte’ à Meudarloch. ’S e ‘sùlairean’ a chante ri daoine anns an Rubha (Leòdhas) agus ‘cuthagan’ ri feadhainn anns an Obha (Ìle).

Bha ainmean ainmhidheach eile ann cuideachd. ’S e ‘coinean mòr’ a bh’ air neach à Colbhasa, ‘gamhainn’ a bh’ air Gioghach agus ’s e ‘crodh maol’ a chanadh daoine ri muinntir Chnapadail. Ann am Muile, bhathar a’ gabhail ‘othaisgean’ air luchd-còmhnaidh Bhun Easain agus ‘eich’ air muinntir Ghrìobainn; bha ‘eich’ air muinntir Dhiùra mar ainm cuideachd. Ge-tà, ’s dòcha gur e an sluagh a bu mhiosa dheth – an fheadhainn ann an Acha Rà ann an Arainn oir ’s e am frith-ainm mì-fhortanach a bh’ orrasan ‘na meanbh-chuileagan’!

Ruairidh MacIlleathain explores how people of different parts of the Gàidhealtachd were given animal nicknames

Animal nicknames

There is a traditional Gaelic saying from the district of Lorne in Argyll that alludes to the nicknames traditionally applied to people of different localities:

– Black ravens from Craignish – Cocks from Kilmartin – Greyhens from Loch Awe-side – Otters from Ford.

Whether or not animal appellations are a relic of an ancient totemic practice is not clear, although the notion is supported by the fact that the natives of Kintyre – the ancient home of the Epidii or horse-tribe – were called eich ‘horses’ in Gaelic. The system was certainly widespread, and a few nicknames are still recognized among the Gaels today. In some instances, they appear to link the local population to an animal that is common in the area or which occurs in a local place-name. And the system could operate at more than one level; while the people of Lorne had various names according to locality, they were collectively labelled losgannan ‘frogs’.

Bird names were common. Fithich dhubha ‘black ravens’ was applied to the people of Milifiach in the Aird, west of Inverness, and to the inhabitants of Lochcarron in Wester Ross. Faoileagan ‘seagulls’ referred to the folk of Newtonferry on North Uist and Avernish in Loch Alsh, while the inhabitants of Dougarie in Arran were coilich-dhubha ‘blackcocks’. The folk of Appin in Argyll were known as cearcan-tomain ‘partridges’ and the people of several places boasted the title eireagan ‘pullets’ – for example on Kerrera, Isleornsay on Skye and the eireagan dathte ‘coloured pullets’ of Benderloch. Sùlairean ‘gannets’ was applied to folk in Point, Lewis, whereas the inhabitants of The Oa on Islay were cuthagan ‘cuckoos’.

Non-avian names were also common. A native of Colonsay was a coinean mòr ‘big rabbit’, a fellow Gael from Gigha was a gamhainn ‘stirk’, while inhabitants of Knapdale were called crodh maol ‘hornless cattle’. On Mull, residents of Bunessan were othaisgean ‘sheep’, while the people of Gribun were eich ‘horses’, as were the inhabitants of Jura. Perhaps the most unfortunate people, however, were the inhabitants of Achara on Arran whose unlucky nickname was na meanbh-chuileagan ‘the midges’!

58 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 59

The hare necessities

Understanding how the distribution and abundance of animals change from place to place and over time is a central aim of ecology and necessary to inform wildlife management. Yet it remains one of the most challenging areas of wildlife ecology. Survey methods must be tailored to the survey objectives, habitat, and species. In many cases indices, or proxies, of animal abundance or density (e.g. hunting statistics, transect counts), are sufficient to monitor changes in population size and inform management actions or assess population responses to management. In some cases estimates of absolute abundance or density are required to support detailed management of local populations.

The mountain hare is the UK’s only native lagomorph (rabbits and brown hares are introduced species); it is a species of conservation concern, is listed under UK and EU conservation legislation, and is an important prey

The bare necessities of informed wildlife management are that we can assess how populations respond to environmental change and management. To support the sustainable management of Scottish mountain hares, Scottish Natural Heritage is working with scientists from the James Hutton Institute and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to trial methods of estimating mountain hare numbers.

species for other animals, notably golden eagles. In addition, the mountain hare has been a traditional game species for hundreds of years, and may also be culled to protect woodlands, forestry and crops. In some cases large numbers may be culled as part of attempts to control ticks and tick-borne diseases that can affect red grouse (see link at end of article).

Understanding more

The impact of sport shooting or culling on hare populations is, however, poorly understood. We do, however, know, from long-term hunting records and the few intensive studies that have been carried out, that numbers can fluctuate widely (up to ten-fold over the course of a decade). We also know that mountain hares have limited dispersal – leverets in particular tend not to move far from where they were born. The likelihood of local extinction increases when populations are isolated due to habitat fragmentation because it is difficult for hares to recolonise from elsewhere.

Why should we quantify mountain hare population size? This is essential to meeting our obligations under EU conservation legislation whereby the UK has a duty to report on the status

of the UK mountain hare population. Critically, knowledge of the actual abundance or density of mountain hares, as opposed to indices of population size and population change, can be used to inform detailed local management of mountain hares. For example, estimates of hare density could be used to assess the potential grazing impacts of hares on woodland, set cull levels, or to inform sustainable harvest plans. In short, developing a set of reliable methods for estimating mountain hare numbers, that could be used by non-specialists, and can be applied in all areas with a range of hare densities, in different habitats and at different spatial scales, is a high priority for a wide range of stakeholders. However, no simple and widely applicable method has yet been developed and validated.

Various methods

Our team is trialling different survey methods side-by-side to assess how they compare when they are applied in exactly the same area, vegetation type, and time of year. Methods under investigation include:

– Distance sampling: walking transect

lines, counting the hares seen and measuring their distance from the transect line to obtain density estimates.

– Live trapping (capture-recapture): involving live-trapping, marking, release and recapture of mountain hares which, combined with information on trap and (re-)capture locations, can be used to obtain an estimate of density.

– Night-time counts: transect counts using powerful spotlights and thermal imaging equipment to detect active hares to obtain a simple count of hares seen.

– Dung counts: survey methods involving clearing and counting faecal pellets from circular plots to

give an estimate of the ‘standing crop’ of faecal pellets, and then revisiting and clearing the plots again at a later date to give an estimate of dung accumulation.Distance sampling, and capture-

recapture methods especially, are time-consuming and complicated ways to estimate population density, but generally give good population estimates. We use these methods as our baseline to obtain rigorous density estimates against which we can compare and calibrate other methods.

We are now coming to the end of the second year of the project. During this time, we have applied all of the survey methods to six study sites and aim to survey four more areas this

1 The mountain hare is a species of conservation concern.

coming winter. The data from this project will then be combined with existing data from other projects to assess how well the different methods compare. It is hoped that the final output will be tools to enable a better understanding of mountain hare numbers.

http://snh.presscentre.com/News-Releases/SNH-GWCT-SL-E-position-on-large-scale-culls-of-mountain-hares-to-reduce-louping-ill-15f.aspx

Article courtesy of Scott Newey and Glenn Iason, James Hutton Institute together with Kathy Fletcher and Adam Smith, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

1

60 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 61

2

Liz Myhill is an artist at home in the Scottish landscape. She finds that her inspiration lies in the natural world: wildlife, dramatic landscapes and the island way of life feature heavily in her distinctive art.

“Cool, damp morning, drizzle drifting steadily in from the sea. Walk across the hill to the ruins, past a few sheep, down to the burn where a single slab of granite forms a bridge and cobwebs glisten with beads of water. A fox streaks across the glen making for cover”. Just one of many notes and observations jotted among the drawings in my sketchbook.

A fleeting glimpse of wildlife in its natural habitat and the solitary magnificence of being the only human visitor to some remote or seldom frequented spot is, I find, perhaps the most inspiring and fulfilling part of the creative process.

All of my work is informed by the act of drawing and sketching as a means to explore, discover and understand the world around me. There is a certain urgency to capture the particular atmosphere of a place when a rain shower looms on the horizon. Or the frustrations of a perpetually moving subject, as I found while drawing the gannet colony at Hermaness NNR in Shetland in 2015. Unlike a photograph, which I believe perfectly captures a moment, drawing is the distillation of many moments into a single image.

Drawing inspiration

62 The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk 63

A sense of place

The act of being still in a place for an extended period of observation also leads to unexpected encounters, such as a mole pushing up its hill between my feet one day, or several minutes of mutual contemplation with a short-eared owl across a clump of heather on Skye. I aim to portray some sense of those brief moments within my work and, in a sense, tell a story so that it becomes not just a depiction of place, object or animal, but a mood and suggestion of what may have just occurred or is about to take place.

I work in a variety of media including printmaking and mixed media painting. Linocut printing is a graphic style which takes the image back to its most vital components, and a limited colour palette has to be given careful consideration. I often use this technique when working from little more than a very rapid sketch combined with memory. The process of simplification and stylisation allows for inventiveness and play rather than becoming too concerned by detail.

Intaglio printing and painting go very much together. I construct printing plates on board, often using natural materials gathered on location. The various fibres are dried then bonded onto the board before being inked and printed on an etching press. It’s a very tactile and unpredictable way of working that often throws up ‘happy accidents’. The moment of pulling back the paper and blankets from the first print is always one of holding the breath!

Several test prints often have to be made with reworking at each stage until I'm happy, but they don't go to waste and are reused as collage to build up texture and colour in the initial stages of a painting.

National Nature Reserves on the horizon

Although I have been fortunate to have spent time working abroad, there is a magnetic pull in the beauty of Scotland. My childhood home in the Hebrides in particular never ceases to be a source of inspiration, fascination and tranquillity. Despite the often feverish nature of sketching outdoors, it is coupled with a stillness and meditative quality of being totally absorbed in the moment.

This year I look forward to an exciting new challenge as I take up a residency with artist Lara Scouller at Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland with visits to Noss and Hermaness NNRs to draw the wonderful landscape and bird colonies there.

The residency will take place over six weeks in 2016 and 2017 and following its conclusion some of the works created during the project will be exhibited at Scottish Natural Heritage’s Battleby centre.

Find out more about Liz’s work and inspiration at www.lizmyhill.co.uk and www.lizmyhill.blogspot.com

64 The Nature of Scotland

Keep in touch

We hope you enjoyed this issue of our FREE magazine. We are moving to ways of letting you keep in touch with our work that are kinder to our environment, and with this in mind our subscription list is now closed.

There are a variety of ways to receive news and information from Scottish Natural Heritage:

– Our magazine is available on our website both as a pdf and an audio version at www.snh.gov.uk

– Join the conversation about our natural heritage on Facebook www.facebook.com/ScottishNaturalHeritage

– Keep up with our news on Twitter @SNH_Tweets

– Enjoy our videos on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/ScotNaturalHeritage1

– Follow our Scotland’s Nature blog at https://scotlandsnature.wordpress.com/

– Subscribe to our monthly enewsletter at www.snh.gov.uk/contact-us/online-enquiries-service/

NEWS / FIOS JANUARY 2015

Scottish Natural Heritage is the government’s adviser on all aspects of nature and landscape across Scotland. Our role is to help everyone understand, value and enjoy Scotland’s nature now and in the future. For more information, visit our website at www.snh.gov.uk. SNH media is also now on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SNH_Tweets

Contact us by email at editor@snh.gov.uk

Communications UnitScottish Natural HeritageBattlebyPerthPH1 3EWScotland

Published: January 2015

Image CreditsAll images copyright Lorne Gill/SNH except; urban deer, Keiran Dodds; planting trees, Portlethen Moss Conservation Group; red-throated diver, Bob Furness/SNH; redwing, David Whitaker.

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Enjoy the best of Scotland’s Natural Larder in Year of Food and Drink 2015The Scottish Government’s tasty theme for 2015 is food and drink. The year is an opportunity to celebrate and promote the best of Scotland’s quality produce to our visitors from around the world. It’s also a good time to remind ourselves of the excellent local food and drink that we have available to us here in Scotland and we’ll be supporting the year through our Scotland’s Natural Larder work. Scotland’s Natural Larder aims to reconnect people with local and natural produce, and the seasonal use of our natural foods. Throughout the year we will continue to raise awareness of what is available locally and seasonally, helping others to make the best of this resource.

NEWS IN BRIEF

– SEABIRD CITY FILM: Stephen Parker’s excellent short film tells the story of seabirds that return each year to breed on Noss NNR in Shetland.

– ANCIENT MARINE SPECIES DISCOVERED: A species of marine reptile that lived 170 million years ago has been identified from fossils found on Skye.

– WARM WEATHER RECORD: The Met Office has revealed that 2014 was Scotland’s warmest year since records began. This example of climate change could affect several species, such as the Arctic charr, which may be lost from some locations.

– PROTECTED AREAS CONFERENCE: Edinburgh hosts an international conference on Protected Areas in February. Themes at the one-day event will include management of protected areas, planning for the future and an independent review of protected areas in Scotland.

Follow Scottish Natural Heritage on social media using the links above

Follow Scottish Natural Heritage on social media using these links

Scotland’s outdoor leisure habits revealed If you’ve ever wondered where people in Scotland go for outdoor recreation and what they do when they get there, you’re in luck! A report published in December shows that 82% of us have used the natural environment for leisure in the past 12 months – up from 79% the previous year and the highest annual figure since 2006.

Health, exercise and walking the dog are the main reasons given for spending time outside. A quarter of outdoors visits were taken to relax and unwind or to enjoy fresh air and good weather. Walking is still the most popular activity, followed by family outings. Among other findings, the report shows that 94% of us believe that Scotland’s wild land areas should be protected.

Call for restraint on hare cullsWe’ve teamed up with Scottish Land & Estates and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to call for voluntary restraint on large-scale culls of mountain hares. Along with other measures, it’s hoped the move will help ensure that future management of mountain hares is sustainable.

Scotland has millions of rabbits and two species of hare, but only the mountain hare is native. It’s thought rabbits were introduced to Scotland by the Normans, while the brown hare was first brought to our shores by the Romans.

Scotland’s Nature blog Our Scotland’s Nature blog looks at work to promote and protect our natural heritage. Recent highlights for you to enjoy include:

A Scots language look at the redwing: brush up on your Scots and discover the ‘windthrush’. Trees for Life: charity’s founder reviews first 25 years’ achievements.

Nature’s soothing way: a look at how we can all benefit from urban greenspaces.

‘Gèadh’ an Uisge Tha co-dhiù ochd ainmean Gàidhlig air an Learga Dheirg agus ’s dòcha gur e am fear as inntinniche ‘bior-ghèadh’. Tha bior na sheann fhacal airson uisge agus ’s e as coireach ris an ainm gum biodh daoine a’ creidsinn gum b’ urrainn an aimsir ro-innse le bhith a’ coimhead air fèin-ghiùlain an eòin seo. Nuair a bhios e a’ seinn, thathar ag ràdh gu bheil e ‘ag èigheachd air an uisge’ agus nach fhada gum bi droch shìde ann. Chruinnich Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil rannan anns na h-Eileanan A-muigh anns am bi an learga dhearg ag èigheachd ‘Bior, bior, bior!’ Agus ann an Sealtainn, far am bithear a’ gabhail ‘rain goose’ air, bhiodh na h-iasgairean a’ dèanamh dheth gun tigeadh fìor dhroch shìde nam falbhadh an learga dhearg gu muir.

One of the many Gaelic names for the red-throated diver is ‘bior-ghèadh’, or ‘rain goose’, employing bior, an archaic word for water; it is also known as a ‘rain goose’ dialectally in Scots. When the bird sings, it is said to be ‘calling in the rain’ and that bad weather is on the way. Alexander Carmichael (of Carmina Gadelica fame) is among those who collected folklore about this species. In Shetland, the fishermen would say that the red-throated diver’s departure from its freshwater home to the sea would be a warning not to set sail for a day’s fishing.

Greenspace makers rewarded Quality accessible greenspaces on our doorstep are vital for our physical and mental well-being, and are great places for learning and local biodiversity. So we were delighted to see Portlethen Moss Conservation Group recognised at the recent Nature of Scotland Awards for its design and creation of a community native woodland in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council.

Your walking experiences wanted

Family strollers, Munro-baggers, dog walkers and hardy hikers – if you’ve got something to say about walking, Ramblers Scotland want to hear it.

Complete their online survey by 31 January and you could win some walking prizes!

Snap an urban deer and win a prize! Have you seen a deer visiting your garden recently? Perhaps you see them occasionally from an office window or while out for a stroll in your local park.

The next time you spot a deer in an urban setting, whip out your phone (or even a camera if you’ve got one to hand) and you could win a great prize, such as a day’s photography tuition or a day counting deer from a helicopter!

Nothing dirty about healthy soils Healthy soils are as important for sustaining life as the air we breathe and the water we drink. Without them we would starve, but they also play a number of other crucial roles, such as helping to tackle climate change.

International Year of Soils 2015 aims to make us all aware of the profound importance of soils and what we need to do to maintain them.

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The Nature of ScotlandNàdar na h-Alba

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