The Nature of Scotland - Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Natural Heritage Spring 2010
The Nature of Scotland
IYB 2010
How you can help
Great Scott
Epic poem
recalled
It’s criminal
Protecting our
wildlife

Contents
7
14
17
22
32
38
49
Regulars
2 Where we are
SNH contact details
3 Welcome
4 Wild calendar
Where to go and what to see
this spring
16 Common heritage
Linking language and environment
24 News
Natural heritage updates
27 Print out
Our latest publications
34 Reserve focus
Discover Noss NNR
40 Area news
Reports from round the country
43 Events diary
Guide to what’s on
58 Kids only!
Activities for younger readers
64 Mailing list
Join our mailing list
Features
8 Click on nature
Log on to the green scene
10 The green piece of Europe
Spotlight on Slovenia
18 Biodiversity is life
Support your local wildlife
28 Walk this way
Striding out for health
32 Lure of the moor
Spreading the message
46 Towering adventure
Moss reaches new heights
48 Detect and protect
Wildlife crime in Scotland
52 Thistles up for grabs
Tourism at its best
54 Top priorities
Rural cash boost
60 Celebrating Scott’s land
Festival for landmark poem
www.snh.gov.uk 1

Credits
The Nature of Scotland
The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage
Issue Number 7 — Spring 2010
Published quarterly
© SNH 2010
ISSN 1350 309X
Editor: John Walters
Tel. 01463 725 222
Cover photo: Wood anemone is one of the
earliest spring flowers. It opens wide in the light
of day, but closes up as night approaches.
Inside cover: Ash woodland in spring, Cleghorn
Glen, Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature
Reserve.
Welcome page: The white wagtail is a migrant
that passes through Scotland in spring and
autumn on its way to and from Greenland,
Iceland and the Faeroe islands. Some have been
known to stay and inter-breed with our own pied
wagtails.
Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH
Photography – all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other
than:
Mark Hamblin 7, 41m; Niall Benvie 8, 18; NHPA/
Photoshot 10, 12; Dougie Barnett 13; Dietma Nill/
naturepl.com 14t; Wild Wonders of Europe/
Lesniewski/naturepl.com 14b; Fabio Liverani/
naturepl.com 15; Laurie Campbell 17, 36b, 50;
D McGinn 20; George Logan/SNH 22t, 45; Dougie
Barnett 24; Scottish Association for Marine
Science 26; Paths for All 29; Northern Sole
Mates/North Glasgow Walking Network 30;
Gary Doak 31; Rachel Norris 33; Billy Cullen 40l;
R. Clarkson 40r; David Whitaker 41l, 57; Dave Dick
48; Glen Tyler/SNH 51; Charlie Phillips 52; Paul
Dodds 53; David Robertson 60, 63; Loch Lomond
and The Trossachs National Park Authority 62t;
Scottish National Portrait Gallery 62b.
To share your views about The Nature of
Scotland or suggest articles for future issues
please contact the editor:
SNH Magazine
Great Glen House, Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
The views expressed in this magazine do not
necessarily reflect those of SNH.
Printed by: Montgomery Litho Ltd, Scotland
ML35K0410
Cert no. TT-COC-002217
When you have finished with this magazine,
please recycle it. Pass it to another reader or
dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.
Where we are…
You can contact SNH by
letter, telephone or email.
The following details
should enable you to find
your nearest main office,
but bear in mind that we
also have a number of
smaller offices 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 8NW
Tel. 01463 725 000
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
Other main offices
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Area offices
Argyll and Stirling
The Beta Centre,
Innovation Park,
University of Stirling,
Stirling FK9 4NF
Tel. 01786 450 362
Dumfries and Galloway
Carmont House,
The Crichton,
Bankend Road,
Dumfries DG1 4ZF
Tel. 01387 247 010
Northern Isles
Ground Floor,
Stewart Building,
Alexandra Wharf,
Lerwick,
Shetland ZE1 0LL
Tel. 01595 693 345
East Highland
Fodderty Way,
Dingwall Business Park,
Dingwall IV15 9XB
Tel. 01349 865 333
North Highland
The Links,
Golspie Business Park,
Golspie,
Sutherland KW10 6UB
Tel. 01408 634 063
West Highland
The Governor’s House,
The Parade, Fort William,
Inverness-shire PH33 6BA
Tel. 01397 704 716
Strathclyde and Ayrshire
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Tayside and
Clackmannanshire
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Western Isles
32 Francis Street,
Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis HS1 2ND
Tel. 01851 705 258
Forth and Borders
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Grampian
16/17 Rubislaw Terrace,
Aberdeen AB10 1XE
Tel. 01224 642 863
2 The Nature of Scotland

Welcome
Richard Davison
Strategy & Communications Manager
Scottish Natural Heritage
The variety of life on Earth, or ‘biodiversity’, is our greatest asset. It supports our
economy, provides us with food and fuel, keeps us healthy and gives us fantastic
opportunities for enjoyment. But biodiversity is under threat, and for this reason
the United Nations have declared 2010 as International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).
People are very much part of biodiversity and we can all help to make sure
that the decline is stopped. Doing one thing to support biodiversity in 2010 is the
theme of the Scottish celebration of IYB. Along with the Scottish Government
and other national bodies, we’ve come up with six ways that people can help
biodiversity in 2010 and beyond. Find out more in the IYB feature in this issue of
The Nature of Scotland, which also reports on how successful Scotland has been
at maintaining and improving our biodiversity.
It’s usually committed people who make a big difference to biodiversity, and
celebrating their success is an important way to encourage others. So we’ve got
articles on how the police and others are working to reduce wildlife crime; the
land managers who are taking on schemes to help wildlife through Scotland’s
Rural Development Programme; and a project that’s raising awareness of how
moorland can be managed to benefit biodiversity.
One great way that all of us can get more involved is simply to go out and
enjoy Scotland’s nature and landscapes. The public certainly did that 200 years
ago after reading Sir Walter Scott’s poem Lady of the Lake. Set in the Trossachs,
this remarkable poem created Scotland’s first tourism boom, and in this issue you
can read about plans to celebrate the anniversary of this historic publication. We
also have features on an innovative health walks project and a guide to one of this
country’s great seabird colonies. Farther afield, we look at the work of our sister
agency in Slovenia and the wonderful wildlife and landscapes of that country.
I hope you enjoy this issue of The Nature of Scotland and that it inspires you
to do one thing for Scotland’s biodiversity in 2010.

1
4
The Nature of Scotland

Wild calendar
Kenny Taylor
gives some
seasonal tips
for savouring
Scottish wildlife
and landscapes
Some signs of spring are up front, others more
subtle. Pastel hues of primroses and vibrant
feathers of red grouse can be a part of this time
of year, when each day seems to bring changes to
the local scene. Sap is rising in the birches, while
brown hares are chasing in the fields. So go on
out there and catch the tingle.
Strut out in the uplands
Red grouse and Scotland seem to be made for each other.
The bird is hardy, thrives on heather and can thole the
challenges of snowy upland winters. Come spring, when
breeding begins on territories that males have defended for
months, the cock birds can fairly strut their stuff, while hens
keep their cool.
Cock grouse often choose tussocks as stances from
where they can scan their patch of heath for signs and
sounds of both rival males and their own mate. With bright
red wattles above the eyes and plumage that glows with
tones of deepest russet, gold and black, the red grouse in
sunshine looks magnificent.
Take a slow drive, amble or bike ride along roads in areas
with many grouse moors, such as parts of the Borders,
Dumfries and Galloway and the eastern Highlands, and you
could enjoy some good grouse watching. The roads that run
between Tomintoul and Deeside, including the A939 over
the Lecht to Cockbridge and the B976 to Crathie, are a
good bet.
Web tips:
www.arkive.org/red-grouse/lagopus-lagopus/
description.html
www.discoverroyaldeeside.com
1
The size of the crimson
wattles above the eyes
of cock red grouse
peaks at the time of
early spring mating.
www.snh.gov.uk 5

3
Walk a primrose path
Of all the many spring flowers that add colour to Scotland,
the primrose is one of the bonniest. The paleness of its
milky-yellow petals is both delicate and symbolic, like an
earthly echo of the season’s strengthening sun. Its name is
also appropriate for an early bloomer, deriving from the Latin
prima rosa or ‘first rose’ (though it isn’t, in fact, a rose).
Sunny verges in old woodlands can be good places to
see primroses. But some of the country’s finest displays are
in grasslands near the sea. The Isle of Barra has the best
show in the Hebrides, with primroses by the thousands in
many places around the island’s rim. Look for them near
Eoligarry, and you could combine flower appreciation with a
glimpse of a golden eagle or buzzard overhead.
On the mainland, the waymarked Moray Coastal Trail,
which runs from Forres to Cullen, has some excellent
primrose banks above its many bays, such as in the section
between Hopeman and Lossiemouth.
Web tips:
www.isleofbarra.com/barrachs/walking/eoligarry.html
www.morayways.org.uk/moray-coast-trail.asp
Hear some old stones
One of my earliest memories is of my voice echoing from
fossils. Glasgow-born, I could relish that rather bizarre
experience as a toddler because my family lived within a
short push-chair ride of the city’s Victoria Park.
In 1887 – a year after the park was named in honour of
Queen Victoria’s 50th year on the throne – its landscape
gardeners made an amazing discovery. While digging in a
quarry, they uncovered a grove of fossil tree stumps (some
almost a metre [three feet] high), a fallen trunk and other
plant fragments.
The stems are from giant clubmosses. They grew in a
swampy forest around 330 million years ago, in a period
when plants like these were slowly adding to what would
become Scotland’s coal measures.
The Victorians constructed a protective building around
the grove, which SNH later named a site of special scientific
interest. You can look at this world-famous geological
treasure from the building’s viewing balcony. And if the park
keepers don’t mind, maybe try a quick shout!
Web tips:
www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/
Parks_gardens/victoriapark.htm
6 The Nature of Scotland
2

2
Primroses need plenty
of sunlight to flower
and set seed, whether
in woodland, before
trees are in leaf, or in
coastal grasslands.
3
The 11 fossil trees in
Glasgow’s Victoria
Park would have stood
about 30 metres (98
feet) tall when they
were alive in an ancient
grove.
4
Brown hares rely on
good eyesight and
keen hearing to stay
alert for predators and
can run at up to 70
km/h (43 mph) to avoid
danger.
Box clever
Lengthening days seem to push
a button in a brown hare’s brain.
It changes from a shy creature to
something of an extrovert.
‘Boxing’, during which two animals
rise up and pummel paws and forelegs
in an open field, is the most dramatic
display of a brown hare’s spring fever.
These contests often result from a
female repelling the advances of a male
(or testing his mettle), rather than from
male-to-male battles.
Such vigorous mating-season antics
are doubtless why hares, for much
longer than the proverbial bunny, have
had an association with Easter. The
Angles, who settled in the Lothians
in the late 7th century, had a fertility
goddess called ‘Eostre’, who may have
had hares as attendants.
Whether or not that was true,
fields in places fringing Edinburgh and
beyond – including the skirts of the
Pentland Hills – are still good places
to look for hares. So too is Fife, which,
together with the Lothians, is thought
to be home to more brown hares than
other parts of Scotland.
Web tip:
download.edinburgh.gov.uk/
biodiversity/025_Brown_Hare.pdf
www.mammal.org.uk/ and search for
‘brown hare’
4
www.snh.gov.uk 7

1
Click on nature
8
If you’re searching for
information about Scotland’s
natural world then look no
further. Chances are you’ll find
it on SNHi, says Alan McKirdy,
SNH’s head of information
The Nature of Scotland

1
The virtual world
places a vast collection
of information about
the natural world at
your fingertips.
2
Detailed maps on SNHi
allow you to explore
millions of wildlife
records from across
Scotland.
2
Technology has transformed
the way we hold and manage
information about the natural
world.
The dusty filing cabinets and rainsoaked
notebooks in which we used
to collect data on habitats, species,
landscapes and the other aspects of
our work are, for the most part, gone.
It’s now an electronic world of servers,
databases and applications.
But we haven’t forgotten that the
reason we collect all these facts and
figures is to help us make decisions
and ensure that what we say is based
on the best and most up-to-date
information. We’re also working with
other public bodies and volunteers to
share what we know about the natural
world.
You can now search through SNH’s
wealth of data and information on our
website at www.snh.org.uk/snhi.
Anyone in the world with internet
access can easily find what they require
on a wide range of topics.
The service most widely used
by our web visitors is Sitelink. You’ll
find information there about all of our
protected areas – sites of special
scientific interest (SSSIs), national
nature reserves (NNRs), special
protection areas (SPAs) and the rest.
Getting our SSSI series into good
condition is one of the Government’s
key targets, so it’s vital that we have a
common understanding of why these
special places are so important, and
that we share that knowledge with key
partners.
Facts and Figures provides updates
on what we’re working on, such as
the sites we’ve notified, the grants
given, licences granted and many other
aspects of our work. It provides a better
service to the public than the version
we used to publish every year and
costs less to produce.
Using our interactive mapping tool,
you can explore around six million
plant and animal records from across
Scotland. These sightings come directly
from the National Biodiversity Network,
and the number of records is being
added to every day. This is an amazing
resource collected by many thousands
of volunteer naturalists over many
decades. It helps SNH, public bodies
and land managers across Scotland to
make well-informed judgements about
land management issues.
Natural Spaces allows us to share
our mapping products. We’ve made a
big investment in this type of data over
the years and we see it as an important
resource that other organisations –
such as planning authorities – can
use. For example, they can use it to
help with planning applications or
preparing environmental assessments.
It’s also available at no cost to schools,
universities or developers who want to
know more about the natural features
of the countryside. A new directive from
the European Union will shortly become
law that will mean all public authorities
have to make their mapping available to
the public, so this will help us comply
with the new law.
SNH are constantly looking to
find new and more engaging ways
of communicating our wealth of
information to anyone who wants
to access it. SNHi will continue to
develop and we’ll add more content
as it becomes available. But there
will always be the need to deal with
wider issues under the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act and the
Environmental Information Regulations
(Scotland). We receive many hundreds
of requests for information each year
and we try to deal with them all in an
open and transparent manner.
The Scottish Information
Commissioner, Kevin Dunion,
commented in a recent article that,
“...the SNHi portal is a great example
of how a public agency can give
wider public access to its information
resources.” So log on and give it a try!
www.snh.gov.uk 9

The green piece of Europe
Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe and boasts a huge
range of landscapes and wildlife. SNH have been fortunate
in developing close links with the people involved in
looking after nature and landscapes there
10
The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.gov.uk 11
1

It may be one of the smallest
countries in Europe, but Slovenia
offers more diversity than many
countries that are much larger.
Tucked between the Alps and
the Mediterranean, it’s blessed
with spectacular mountains, thick
forests and a coastline on the
Adriatic Sea.
Its remarkable mix of climates brings
warm Mediterranean breezes up to the
foothills of the Alps, where it can snow
even in summer. And, with more than
half of its total area covered in forest,
Slovenia is truly one of the greenest
countries in the world. Little wonder
then that more than half the country’s
visitors give nature as their reason for
going there.
It also has one of the greatest levels
of biodiversity of any country in the
European Union and has more than
12% of its land protected. There are
45 parks designated, including one
national park, three regional parks
and 41 landscape parks, along with
26 ‘Natura’ sites that form special
protected areas and 260 sites of
community interest.
12 The Nature of Scotland
2

1
River Soca in spring,
Triglav National Park,
Julian Alps.
2
Wildflower meadow
with view over
Polhograjski Dolomiti
and the Ljubljana
Basin, Gorenjska.
3
Darij Krajcic (left),
director of the IRSNC,
and SNH chief
executive Ian Jardine
signing an agreement
of cooperation
between the two
countries.
Many species that are
endangered or can
no longer be found in
other parts of Europe
can still be found
there.
3
The organisation responsible for
protecting nature is the Institute of
the Republic of Slovenia for Nature
Conservation (IRSNC). Founded
in 1999, the organisation brought
together units that previously operated
separately in the seven regions of the
country.
“Our primary role is to protect
Slovene nature,” explained Darij Krajcic,
director of the IRSNC. “We’ve now
developed a uniform approach to
nature conservation across the country,
whereas before each of the regions
tended to operate on their own.
“We’re also working with other
national bodies, such as the Slovenia
Forestry Service, to agree how
protected areas should be managed
in the future. The effects of our work
are therefore being delivered at local,
regional and national levels.”
The organisation has been active
too in making links with other European
countries involved in conservation
issues of mutual interest, which led to
the IRSNC signing an agreement of
cooperation with SNH in 2005.
SNH staff originally visited Slovenia
in 2004 to take part in an event to
welcome the country into the European
Union and to explain how SNH manage
sites in Scotland that are important
for nature conservation. However, it
soon became clear that there was a
lot to be gained from sharing expertise
and exploring the potential for working
together on similar projects.
So both organisations committed
themselves to further joint working
and to spreading the benefits of the
twinning arrangement within the
organisations. Since then, several SNH
staff have visited Slovenia and the visits
are as much about learning from our
colleagues there as providing them with
support and advice.
Slovenia has a huge range of forest,
cave and mountain-dwelling wildlife.
Many species that are endangered or
can no longer be found in other parts of
Europe can still be found there. These
include mammals such as the ibex,
marmot, European brown bear, lynx,
chamois, wild boar and wolf.
The checklist of birds is also diverse
and includes birds of prey (buzzard,
hawk, golden and short-toed eagle),
owls (tawny, Ural, long-eared and eagle
owl), woodpeckers (green, black and
grey woodpecker), as well as the white
stork, all of which are protected species.
www.snh.gov.uk 13

Amongst other wildlife, there’s a
native Slovenian fish called the marble
trout, which has been widely bred so
that it could be put back into lakes and
streams where it once lived. And the
Postojna Caves in southwest Slovenia
are home to a unique species of blind
amphibian called the olm or proteus,
which lives in complete darkness.
And celebrating the environment
is very much part of Slovenian life.
One example of this is the Bohinj
international wildflower festival, which
presents a two-week flurry of events at
the end of May each year. The festival
helps make people more aware of what
the area has to offer, as well as building
a feeling of pride in the alpine farming
heritage and high-quality environment.
If you’d like to find out more about
Slovenia, its wildlife and conservation
efforts, go to the IRSNC’s website at
www.zrsvn.si/en and/or the Slovenian
Tourist Board’s at www.slovenia.info
4
The olm is sometimes
called the ‘human fish’
because of its skin
colour. It eats, sleeps
and breeds under
water in the
underground
limestone caves.
5
Marmots live in
burrows and hibernate
there through the
winter.
6
A European brown bear
in Coceniski Sneznik
forest. Slovenia has a
population of some
450 bears.
14
The Nature of Scotland
4
5

www.snh.gov.uk
6
It’s a small country – about
half the size of Switzerland –
measuring some 20,270 sq km
(7,826 sq miles), which is about
0.2% of Europe’s total land mass.
Just over two million people live
there.
Slovenia was one of the republics
that used to make up Yugoslavia,
lying in the far northwest of
the former nation. It became
independent in 1991 when
Yugoslavia fell apart. It’s bordered
by Italy, Austria, Hungary and
Croatia.
Much of the country is hilly and
mountainous, so many Slovenes
are keen hikers and skiers. The
highest point is Mount Triglav,
at 2,864 metres (9,396 ft). The
national flag shows the threepeaked
Triglav.
About 54% of the country is
covered by forests, making it the
third most forested country in
Europe, after Finland and Sweden.
Typical central European forests
of oak and beech grow on lower
ground, while spruce, fir and
pine are more common in the
mountains.
The term ‘karst’ – meaning a
limestone region of underground
rivers, gorges and caves –
originated in Slovenia’s Karst
plateau. The country has
thousands of karst caves and
gorges, and about one-tenth of
them are open to the public.
The most famous are the caves
at Postojna, with their huge
stalactites and stalagmites. Graffiti
in the caves show that the first
tourists came here in 1213!
15

Dualchas coitcheann
Common heritage
Ar mìosan ainmhidheach
Tha mìosachan na Gàidhlig gu math eadar-dhealaichte bhon fhear Bheurla. Tha
ainmean nam mìosan ann am Beurla stèidhichte air mìosachan nan Ròmanach.
Tha na mìosan ann an Gàidhlig ainmichte, anns an fharsaingeachd, air rudan
co-cheangailte ri àrainneachd na h-Alba no ar dualchas Ceilteach. ’S e an aon
mhìos aig a bheil cumantas eadar an dà chànan Am Màrt/March air a bheil ainm
stèidhichte air Mars, Dia a’ Chogaidh aig na Ròmanaich.
Tha ‘Am Faoilleach’ a’ ciallachadh ‘mìos a’ mhadaidh-allaidh’. ’S e ‘faol’ seann
fhacal a tha a’ ciallachadh ‘madadh-allaidh’ agus bha Faolan cumanta o shean
mar ainm fir. Bha Naomh Faolan (Saint Fillan ann am Beurla) gu math ainmeil
uaireigin agus tha an cinneadh MacIll’Fhaolain (MacLellan) ann am bith fhathast.
Cha robh na Gàidheil leotha fhèin ann a bhith ag aithneachadh gum b’ e toiseach
na bliadhna an t-àm as miosa airson mhadaidhean-allaidh, leis gun robh na
creutairean sin acrach (ged a bha am Faoilleach o shean a’ gabhail a-steach
16
The English calendar is based on
the Roman model, but the Gaelic
names for the months of the year
are closely linked to Scotland’s
environment and our Celtic heritage.
Three of them recall animals, both
wild and domesticated, as Ruairidh
MacIlleathain explains
toiseach a’ Ghearrain cuideachd); ghabh Sasannaich na seann aimsire wolf month
air an dearbh mhìos.
Tha dàrna mìos na bliadhna, ‘An Gearran’, ainmichte airson each a chaidh a
spothadh (no a ghearradh) agus tha am facal – a tha an-diugh a’ ciallachadh
‘each beag dùthchasach’ – air a dhol a-steach don Bheurla mar garron. Eadar
toiseach na bliadhna agus toiseach an t-samhraidh bha sreath de ghaothan a
bhiodh na seann daoine ag aithneachadh; bha iad air an ainmeachadh airson
diofar ainmhidhean. ’S e an Gearran an aon tè dhiubh a chaidh a ghlèidheadh mar
ainm mìosa anns a’ mhìosachan nodha.
’S e ainm an deicheamh mìosa ’s dòcha am fear as motha a tha a’ sanasachd
nan dlùth-cheanglaichean eadar ar cànan is ar n-àrainneachd oir ’s e sin ‘An
Dàmhair’. Tha sin a’ tighinn bho ‘damh-dàir’, an t-àm nuair a bhios na dàimh
ruadha a’ dàireadh leis na h-èildean. Chan eil àm nas tarraingiche na sin ann
an Alba, le dathan is solais an fhoghair a’ cur ri bùirich iongantach nan damh air
beanntan na Gàidhealtachd.
Dh’fhaodamaid a ràdh cuideachd gu bheil na mìosan a leanas a’ riochdachadh
àrainneachd no aimsir na h-Alba gu ìre: ‘An Giblean’ (nuair a tha beathaichean
gibeach às dèidh a’ gheamhraidh), ‘An Cèitean’ (‘toiseach an t-samhraidh’), ‘An
t-Ògmhios’ (nuair a tha na lusan is beathaichean òg agus a’ fàs), ‘An t-Sultain’
(nuair a tha sult air an sprèidh às dèidh an t-samhraidh) agus ‘An Dùbhlachd’
(nuair a tha an saoghal a’ fàs dubh dorch).
The Nature of Scotland

Animal months
1
Gearran Rùmach. Tha
ainmhidhean mar seo
air an comharrachadh
anns an ainm a th’
againn airson dàrna
mìos na bliadhna, An
Gearran.
Highland ponies, like
this one from Rum, are
often known as
garrons, from the
Gaelic gearran. The
Gaelic for February is
An Gearran, recalling a
time when Gaels
named the winds in
late winter and spring
after animals.
The Gaelic calendar is strongly linked to
both the Scottish environment and our
Celtic heritage. Only one month (Am
Màrt/March) has anything in common
with the English names for months, with
both being based on the Roman style
of naming.
Three Gaelic months are named
after animals. January is Am Faoilleach
(sounds like um FOEUIL*-yuch, where
* is similar to the vowel sound in the
French oeuf). This is the ‘wolf month’,
when these wild animals were reputedly
at their most dangerous because of
hunger.
The following month is An Gearran
(un GYAR-un). The word gearran
originally meant ‘gelding’, but has
become applied to Highland ponies
and entered the English language as
‘garron’. The old Gaels recognised
a series of winds in the late winter
and spring that were important for
calculating when to carry out farming
activities. They named these winds after
animals. The ‘horse wind’ has survived
into modern times as the Gaelic for
February.
Finally, October is An Dàmhair (un
DAAV-ur), the time of the ‘deer rut’,
a very apt descriptive name for that
month in the Scottish Highlands.
www.snh.gov.uk 17
1

Biodiversity
is life
18
The Nature of Scotland
1

1
Otters are one of
Scotland’s biodiversity
success stories. Their
range has expanded
greatly in the last 30
years and they’re now
found across most of
the country.
2
Environment minister
Roseanna Cunningham
launched the
International Year of
Biodiversity in
Scotland at the Royal
Botanic Garden in
Edinburgh in January.
2010 is International Year
of Biodiversity. So how
successful has Scotland
been at protecting our
wildlife and natural
resources, and what can
you do to help?
In 2002, the world’s governments committed themselves to making
big cuts in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.
It’s now clear that those targets haven’t been met and the threats to biodiversity
around the world are still growing. The launch of 2010 as International Year of
Biodiversity (IYB) therefore brings a renewed focus on the need for more action.
More than 160 countries now have national biodiversity action plans in place,
including Scotland, which launched its Scottish Biodiversity Strategy back in
2004. So how have we fared in halting biodiversity loss?
A recent report (www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/biodiversityreport2010.pdf)
suggests we’ve made good progress, although there are clearly still challenges
to tackle. The report from SNH looks at the state of Scotland’s wildlife on land,
coasts and seas against the 25-year Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. Among the
key findings are:
– The bird populations of farmland, woodland, water and upland areas have
mainly increased over recent years.
– There’s less pollution of our air, land and water. This has allowed wildlife to
move back into parts of Scotland that had become run down through industrial
use and neglect. Otters are re-established in the central lowlands and the
variety of fish is being restored in the Forth and Clyde rivers and firths.
– We no longer see major losses of our more natural habitats, although the
variety of plants dropped between 1998 and 2007. Woodland has taken on a
more natural appearance, which has improved Scotland’s scenery and provided
opportunities for wildlife to flourish.
– Good progress has been made in stopping the decline of very vulnerable
habitats and species, and in safeguarding protected areas. However, some
species and habitats are causing concern, such as commercial fish stocks at
sea. The number of seabirds around Scotland has also been falling since 1991.
www.snh.gov.uk 19
2

Getting better
“Thanks to the work of many people and organisations
throughout Scotland, we can see changes for the better in
many areas and for many species,” commented Ian Jardine,
chief executive of SNH. “For example, otters are now found
in 92% of Scotland, compared with just 57% in 1979.
“This report confirms that we’ve made major progress in
protecting Scotland’s wildlife and natural resources – but
we have more work to do. Around the world, biodiversity
is being lost at an increasing rate and halting this loss in
Scotland will need constant effort over a longer period.
“International Year of Biodiversity provides a great
opportunity for everyone to build on what we’ve achieved so
far, and to work together to make sure that Scotland remains
at least as diverse and beautiful as it is today.”
You can help
Everyone in Scotland can play some part in helping to
support biodiversity in 2010. Over the next few pages we
highlight some of the small steps you could take that would
go towards making a big difference.
Scottish Biodiversity Week
One of the key ways that Scotland will be marking the
International Year of Biodiversity is by encouraging people to
take part in Scottish Biodiversity Week, which will run from
15 to 23 May.
This is now a national fixture in the Scottish calendar.
It aims to get people involved with nature in fun ways and
encourage more people to get out and about, enjoying
nature on a regular basis.
If you’d like to organise an event, you can promote
it through the online event diary (www.snh.org.uk/
biodiversityweek). You can also order promotional items,
such as postcards and wildflower seed packs, to hand out at
the events. The postcards promote the Scottish Biodiversity
Week photography competition, which last year attracted
some great entries, including the dramatic image, above, of
waxwings.
What is biodiversity?
Put simply, biodiversity is
the variety of life around
us. It’s the whole range
of living things on Earth –
plants, animals and microorganisms,
as well as the
places where they live.
Humans are an integral part
of biodiversity too, and have
the power to protect or
destroy it.
Biodiversity is important
because without it we
wouldn’t be able to survive.
It provides:
> Life support systems –
such as clean air, clean
water, food
> Raw materials –
fossil fuels, wood
> Future benefits –
medicines, advances in
technology
> Quality of life –
enjoyment, beauty,
interest
> Culture and heritage –
such as the thistle, oak
woods, peat bogs
20 The Nature of Scotland

Experience nature
on your doorstep
Nature can be found everywhere – even on your
doorstep. So why not get outdoors more often
and discover Scotland’s nature close to where you
live?
Experiencing nature on your doorstep is local, can be done
by bus, train, foot or cycle, has a low carbon footprint, is
good for your health, and you can see some great wildlife.
There are opportunities for everyone throughout the year to
enjoy the variety of nature in their local area on their own,
with their family, or with organised groups.
It’s easy and fun to do, good for your health and well-being,
and can fit in well with busy lives.
Go to:
www.snh.org.uk/scottish/2010yearofbiodiversity.asp
Buy seasonal
Healthy biodiversity is vital for
growing the food we eat.
Growing healthy food requires healthy
soil, fresh air, clean water and insects
(such as bees to fertilise crops).
We can help by doing things
like buying local, seasonal food
(supporting Scottish farmers, reducing
the carbon footprint, better for
biodiversity); growing some of our
own food (allotments, vegetables in
our own gardens); reducing the use
of pesticides, and encouraging and
supporting wildlife.
For further information, click on:
www.whatsonyourplate.co.uk
www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 21

Garden for life
Our gardens can be great for
birds, insects and other animals.
It’s easy to help wildlife to thrive
in your garden, allotment or
even window box. You can help
by growing your own fruit and
vegetables, planting wildlifefriendly
flowers or by not clearing
leaves and weeds so quickly.
What you do in your garden can help
protect and improve biodiversity for
your children, grandchildren and future
generations.
Plants can be used to create havens
for wildlife, and other actions can help,
such as clearing up leaves and weeds
later in the year, and leaving woodpiles
over the winter. This can help attract a
variety of wildlife all year round for you
to enjoy.
Have a look at:
www.gardenforlife.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces
Help with a wildlife survey
How healthy is biodiversity where you live? You
can help us by getting involved in wildlife surveys
and finding out more about your local area and its
amazing biodiversity.
Wildlife surveys are essential to finding out how well our
biodiversity is doing.
They’re a fun, easy and rewarding way for everyone
(individuals, families, schools, groups) to get involved with
biodiversity in your local area (even in your own garden).
Further information is available at:
www.biodiversityislife.net
www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/wildlife_survey
22 The Nature of Scotland

Get others involved
You’ve made a difference, so why
not get your employer, your local
school or your local council to do
a bit more?
Scotland’s economy depends on our
biodiversity being healthy, so why not
ask your employer, your local school or
your local council to do something to
support local biodiversity?
It’s not just physical work. There are
various levels to get involved, as
local groups require a range of skills
including administration, marketing and
fundraising.
Go on, encourage others to make a
difference!
Check out:
www2.btcv.org.uk
www.ecoschoolsscotland.org
Tell someone about it
Seen an exciting bird, animal or insect? Made a
meal using Scottish seasonal food? Got involved
in a wildlife survey? Tell someone about it and
encourage them to get involved!
People are part of biodiversity. To improve our biodiversity
we all need to get involved in some way.
We can help in lots of ways, but if we don’t tell anyone about
it then our impact is not as great as it could be.
Getting involved in biodiversity is inspirational and fun.
www.snh.gov.uk 23

NEWS
Minister and Maisie go to Blackridge
Children’s author Aileen Paterson, creator of the ‘Maisie’ books, and environment
secretary Richard Lochhead made a visit to Blackridge community centre in West
Lothian recently to meet some young artists.
The community centre is hosting an exhibition featuring paintings and other
artworks produced by children from Blackridge Primary School. The collection has
been inspired by Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve, which lies next door
to the school. Staff from SNH and the National Galleries of Scotland have been
working with the children to develop their interest in environmental art.
Environment secretary Richard Lochhead was given a preview of the exhibition
by children from the school. “Encouraging children to look at the natural world
and interpret it in creative ways is helping to build our future,” commented Mr
Lochhead. “If we grow up understanding and appreciating our natural environment
then we’re more likely to look after it. Blackridge children are very lucky to have this
important reserve on their doorstep.”
Pictured above are author Aileen Paterson with two pupils from Blackridge
Primary and a puppet version of ‘Maisie’. Aileen’s popular creation Maisie is a kitten
who lives with her granny in Morningside, Edinburgh, and gets up to all sorts of
mischief.
Beauty and the beastie
Schools are being asked to use their creative talents to help celebrate the
amazing variety of plants and animals in Scotland.
Eco-Schools Scotland and a range of partner organisations are behind the
eco competition with a difference, which forms part of the 2010 International Year
of Biodiversity celebrations.
Titled ‘Beauty and the Beastie – Scotland from Flow to Forest’, the
competition will have two age categories, primary and secondary. Pupils will have
five options for entering the competition, where they can create a poem, a piece
of creative writing, a painting, a photo or an animation/film about their favourite
Scottish plant or animal.
A winner and a runner-up will be chosen for each of the five options and from
each of the two age groups. The closing date for entries will be 2 July 2010. For
more information, go to www.ecoschoolsscotland.org/documents/Feb2010.pdf
24 The Nature of Scotland

High street training
Staff at Scotland’s best-known outdoor clothing and equipment shops are being
offered free training to help spread awareness of the Scottish Outdoor Access
Code (the Code).
The high street training sessions will allow sales staff to develop their
understanding of the Code. They can then encourage customers to think about
their own behaviour and how best to leave no trace when enjoying Scotland’s
great outdoors.
The training programme has been adapted from the Code and created
specially for retail staff. It covers the key Code messages as well as specific
responsible camping advice. Around 20 sessions have been delivered so far to
over 100 staff.
“SNH have a duty to promote responsible access and maintain Scotland’s
natural beauty,” remarked SNH campaign officer Kirstin Guthrie, “but these are
also important to retailers who rely on the outdoors for their business. We realised
there was a missed opportunity here as they speak to our target market every
day. So we’ve made it easy for retailers to help deliver these key messages to
customers by offering free training, point of sale leaflets and swing tags to attach
to stock.” To find out more, contact Kirstin on 01738 458 633.
UWP goes year-round
A new approach that involves trapping hedgehogs all year round will be trialled
over the next 12 months as part of the Uist Wader Project (UWP) in the Western
Isles.
The UWP is also expected to use dogs for the first time to locate hedgehogs
and their dens on Benbecula and North Uist. A team of up to 12 fieldworkers will
be brought together to start work by mid-May, providing full-time jobs in the area.
The hedgehogs were introduced to the Uists in the 1970s and pose major
problems for native ground-nesting wader birds because they eat their eggs.
Several bird species are in serious decline, with numbers plummeting by 60% in
20 years in some cases.
The Uists support some of the most important populations of nesting dunlin,
ringed plover, redshank, snipe, lapwing and oystercatcher in Europe. Dunlin
(pictured below) and ringed plover nest at the highest densities recorded across
the globe.
The UWP has been removing animals for seven years in total and has been
using both live trapping and lamping to detect and remove animals. Hedgehogs
are cared for by the Uist Hedgehog Rescue coalition (a partnership of welfare
organisations), before being moved to the Scottish mainland, where they’re
released into the wild at suitable locations.
NEWS
www.snh.gov.uk 25

NEWS
26
Squirt alert
A small colony of an invasive species
called carpet sea squirt has been found
at Largs in the Firth of Clyde. This is the
first sighting of the species in Scotland,
although it’s previously been found in
Wales, Ireland and the south coast of
England.
The carpet sea squirt (shown on the
right in the picture alongside) is thought
to have come originally from Japan.
It can reproduce and spread rapidly
and tends to smother other marine life
growing on the seabed. It’s especially
good at growing over underwater
structures such as fish farming
equipment, boat hulls and pontoons.
Experience from other parts of the
world has highlighted it as a potential
nuisance species that causes economic and environmental problems.
The carpet sea squirt is most likely to spread by attaching itself to the hulls of
boats. It’s a distinctive mustard, pale orangey-yellow or beige colour and often
appears as pale flat patches. Larger growths may look like wax dripping from
artificial structures just below water level. Its surface has leaf-like veins with tiny
pores and it has a spongy texture and a leathery feel to it.
SNH, Marine Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
are planning how to deal with the discovery of the carpet sea squirt in Scottish
waters. As with any marine non-native species, removal is difficult and costly.
However, a recent programme to remove it from Holyhead harbour in Wales had
some success, and it’s hoped that a similar response in Scotland could prevent
further spread.
For more information about the carpet sea squirt, visit www.snh.org.uk/
carpetseasquirt. If you think you may have seen this species, please email
carpetseasquirt@snh.gov.uk
Rise in bird of prey poisonings
The number of birds of prey being killed with poison in Scotland has increased,
according to new figures.
Twenty-two poisonings were recorded in 2009, resulting in 27 dead raptors,
including 19 buzzards, four red kites and two golden eagles.
A map pointing to ‘poison hotspots’ in Scotland for 2009 showed the area
with the highest number of incidents was Tayside, where nine were recorded.
The 2009 deaths were up on 2008, but the same as 2007 and lower than
2006. The most common type of poison used to kill the animals was carbofuran.
The 2009 map showed that in the past year there were five birds poisoned
in Lothian and Borders, three in the Highlands and three across Strathclyde. In
Grampian and Dumfries and Galloway, police dealt with one incident of poisoning
each.
Scotland’s environment minister, Roseanna Cunningham, said the figures were
a ‘wake-up call’ to those who thought these poisoning incidents were declining.
“This continued persecution of our precious wildlife is simply
incomprehensible,” she added. “Poisoning is an arbitrary method of killing which
poses serious risks to other animals, and potentially people, in our countryside.”
The Nature of Scotland

Print out
Red squirrels
An updated version of our popular Red Squirrels publication will
shortly be available. It’s crammed with the latest stunning red squirrel
images and explores the life cycle and behaviour of one of Scotland’s
favourite mammals. It also considers the issues facing the species
today.
This publication is part of our long-running Naturally Scottish
series, which also features whales, seals, badgers and bumblebees.
For a full overview of the Naturally Scottish series, visit the
publications area of our website at www.snh.gov.uk/pubs
Argyll and the islands
This book covers one of Scotland’s greatest mountain stories. The
Scottish Highlands were once part of an ancient mountain range
that was comparable in scale with the present day Alps or Himalayas.
Over time, the mountains were worn down by ice, wind and water
to create the familiar landscapes of today. This epic tale of colliding
continents and erupting volcanoes gave rise to the treasured
landscapes of Argyll, including the islands of Lismore, Colonsay, Islay,
Jura and Gigha.
You can order copies of SNH publications via our website. You can also buy them in person from the shop in the reception area of our
Battleby office, near Perth. Most SNH publications are free, but the Naturally Scottish and Landscape Fashioned by Geology series do
carry a cover price. Hard copies of our research and report series are also priced items.
www.snh.gov.uk 27

1
Walk this way
Walking is the ideal way for most people to
become more active. As Drew Smith of Paths
for All explains, you can walk on your own, with
your friends and family, or join a local health
walk group – the choice is yours
28 The Nature of Scotland

1
Take a walk! You’ll
learn more about your
local area, meet other
people and soon start
to feel healthier.
2
Walking as part of a
group can be fun and a
good way to mix
socially.
“We feel like we're
taking back the
streets, paths and
parks”
Health professionals have described walking as the perfect exercise
and the best buy in public health. It’s free, open to most people and
you don’t need any special equipment.
And for folk who do decide to get up and go there are clear rewards – people
who are active are more likely to live longer, enjoy more healthy years of life and
remain independent.
Since 2001, Paths for All have led the way in getting people out of doors to
improve their health. We’ve developed a walking for health initiative, which has
encouraged thousands of inactive people to take regular physical activity in and
around their local neighbourhood.
With funding from the Scottish Government, we’re able to provide grants
to local partnerships made up of community groups and other agencies. These
groups then train volunteers to lead health walks in communities across Scotland.
Volunteer leaders
The 3,700 volunteer walk leaders in Scotland are the backbone of hundreds
of health walk schemes. They’re often drawn from the people who take part in
the regular walks and who are therefore most likely to appreciate the needs of
local people. They understand their feelings about the local environment and the
barriers to getting out and about.
NHS Health Scotland recommend that adults should take at least 30
minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. However, the
Government believe that 60% of adults aren’t meeting even this minimal target.
Lorraine Crawford, a young mum from Barmulloch in Glasgow, was one of them,
until she joined a health walk as a way of meeting people and taking a break from
the stresses of family life. Now she’s a volunteer walk leader, and Lorraine praises
health walks for allowing people to mix socially.
“The fact that you’re able to walk regularly as part of a like-minded local group
is what appeals to inactive people,” Lorraine commented. “Very few of the folk
taking part would be interested in becoming involved with sport or facility-based
exercise.
“We all help each other and enjoy catching up. We feel like we’re taking back
the streets, paths and parks, which might otherwise seem threatening if you were
on your own, particularly to women and older people.”
www.snh.gov.uk 29
1

2
A key part of the Paths for All vision of a happier, healthier, greener and more
active Scotland is that paths which look inviting and appealing for outdoor activity
exist in all parts of the country. These can provide a health walk around an urban
housing estate or a mountain bike ride in a national park.
“We receive statistics from around 150 volunteer-led walks per month,”
explained Ian Findlay, chief officer with Paths for All, “and we’ve come to realise
that what started out as a separate project is now central to what our organisation
is about.
“We believe everyone has the right to enjoy their outdoors and to live a
more active lifestyle, regardless of their age, gender, ability or social or ethnic
background.
“Our walking for health work is aimed at the most inactive in society, who are
often also those suffering the highest levels of inequality and can be the most
difficult to reach. Through the community health walk scheme we’re showing that
the simple act of walking and socialising together is helping to change people’s
quality of life for the better and creating more vibrant communities.”
Joint approaches
And the links between health and our environment are becoming more widely
recognised. When the Scottish public health minister Shona Robison recently
visited Fife, we were able to point to the path network as an example of the
way forward. Paths for All had worked along with the local authority, and part
of the development costs had been paid for by the local health board, who had
recognised the health benefits of walking.
These joint approaches between health and environment agencies and local
authorities are practical and beneficial. They’re likely to be even more so in the
future, given the squeeze on public spending that’s forecast for the next few
years.
Lorraine Crawford is in no doubt about the benefits for individuals. “Walking
has helped change my life, so why wouldn’t I want to help others take the steps to
change theirs?”
2
Walk leader Lorraine
Crawford (in red) and
some of her fellow
walkers from
Barmulloch celebrate
at a Paths for All
awards ceremony.
3
Paths for All’s Ian
Findlay (left) and public
health minister Shona
Robison (right) lead a
health walk in Fife.
30
The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.gov.uk 31
3

32
Cat Barlow has the novel job
of telling people about a unique
conservation project – bringing
back grouse shooting in a hen
harrier protection area. Here,
she explains the background to
her work
Lure of the moor
The Nature of Scotland
1

One of the most unusual land
management and conservation
projects ever attempted in
this country is under way on a
moorland just outside Langholm
in Dumfries-shire.
The Langholm Moor Demonstration
Project involves managing a large red
grouse moor on Buccleuch Estates.
The moor includes around 7,600
hectares (18,780 acres) protected
under European law because of its
importance to hen harriers. These
superb birds of prey are known to hunt
grouse, so it’s unusual to be managing
a moor for grouse shooting and at
the same time helping hen harriers to
flourish.
Funding is coming from SNH,
Buccleuch Estates, the Game &
Wildlife Conservation Trust, Natural
England and the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds. The organisations
are working together to try and find
practical solutions so that hen harriers
and grouse can live together.
Historically, the Langholm
community have had mixed views
about management of the moor. The
estate stopped grouse shooting and
withdrew all their keepers in 1998,
and many bird species declined as
a result. Now the eyes of Europe are
on this high-profile project, which will
have a huge influence on the future of
Britain’s moorlands. However, the local
community remain largely unaware of
how important the project is or the
economic benefits the moor could bring
locally.
The education project that I run
– co-funded by SNH and Dumfries
& Galloway’s LEADER programme –
aims to improve understanding of the
role that people play in managing the
moor. We also want to make sure that
the community are involved in how the
project goes forward.
I work alongside the moorland
management staff to raise awareness
about what’s going on. We’ve
developed a programme of open
days, events and activities involving
local schools and colleges. We’ve
also recruited volunteers to work
on practical conservation tasks on
the moor, such as tree planting and
putting up bird boxes. And local
primary schools have enjoyed days out,
dipping for freshwater minibeasts and
discovering the small mammals that live
hidden beneath the heather and grasses.
In addition, school groups have
explored the community aspect of the
moor. Children have visited head keeper
Simon Lester and local moorland farmer
Ian Cuthbert to learn about managing
and farming the moorland. And a recent
wild food forage event was a great
success, opening eyes to the range of
edible moorland plants and animals.
Cumbrian chef and wild food expert
John Crouch rustled up a tasty feast
from the edible treats found on our
moorland forage, served up with rabbit
that the gamekeepers provided.
Our plans for this season include a
guided walk around the moorland and
a dawn chorus walk with a difference,
focusing on the unique sounds of the
moor. The wild food event held last
autumn will be repeated this spring and
a moorland fungi walk is planned for
later in the season. Our website,
www.langholmmoorland.co.uk, holds
details of all the upcoming events.
One of our big hopes for this
season is that funding will come
through to pay for a hen harrier remote
viewing facility. Nest cameras are quite
commonplace now, but cameras on hen
harrier nests are few and far between.
It would provide a great opportunity
for locals and visitors to Langholm to
see these wonderful birds in the nest.
Longer term, a moorland visitor centre
is a possibility, providing a base for
visitors and education groups to learn
more about the moor.
On a personal note, I’m really
enjoying my role as moorland education
officer. It’s given me the chance to
combine my love of upland wildlife and
enthusing people about the beautiful
moorland landscape. And I’m delighted
at the welcome I’ve received from
the local community. It’s great to be
living and working in the beautiful
surroundings of Langholm, and I think
this project presents a great opportunity
for local folk to become actively and
positively involved.
1
Hen harrier chicks in
the nest on Langholm
Moor.
2
A couple of pupils from
Langholm Academy
give Cat Barlow a
helping hand with bird
box building.
www.snh.gov.uk 33
2

1
Seabird
skyscraper
34
The Nature of Scotland

Up to one million seabirds return to Shetland every spring and almost
one-tenth of them make their home on the east cliffs of Noss National
Nature Reserve. This crowded seabird colony, set in a spectacular
landscape, presents a scene unequalled on the coast of Britain.
The island of Noss stands proudly on the eastern edge of Shetland, with convenient
cliff-side nesting spots close to the rich marine larder of the North Sea. And it’s here
that tens of thousands of seabirds nest in spring and summer, resulting in a noisy
skyscraper of movement from the water’s edge to the cliff top.
Follow the 10 km/6 mile path around the edge of the island during early summer and
your senses will be assaulted by a squawking, heaving mass of birds. Here you can
witness first-hand the sounds and smells of a seabird city.
To Lerwick ferry
(5 km)
Coastal path (10 km)
Viewpoint path (6 km)
DEEP CREVASSE –
STAY ON TRACK
Reserve boundary
Parking
Information centre
Toilets
Road
Passenger ferry
Field boundary
Bressay
Path to
Noss ferry
N o s s S o u n d
Big Ness
0 1
kilometres
© Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2009.
Based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © Crown Copyright and
database right 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey
Licence number SNH 100017908.
!
1
Nesti Voe
Booth’s Voe
Turr Ness
6
Headless Banks
Stinking Geos
Voe o’da Mels
Hellia Cluve
Mansie’s Berg
Papil Geo
Hill of
Papilgeo
2
Hill Dyke
Tarristie of Setter
N o r t h C r o o
Point of
Hovie
Maiden’s Paps
Hill of Setter
Hill of Pundsgeo
Faedda Ness
Rumble Wick
Charlie’s Holm
Cradle Holm
The Cletters
Whiggie Ness
Whiggie Geo
Big Pund
Point of
Heogatoug
Geo of Heogatoug
The Rump
Noup of Noss
www.snh.gov.uk
35
3
Setter
Clingri Geo
!
4
5

3
In the 19th century, a hill dyke was built between Voe o’ da
Mels (meaning ‘inlet of sands’) and the Geo of North Croo.
This wall separates the better land on the west side of the
island from the rough hill ground. During lambing, the flock
of 350 sheep are brought to the west of the dyke, where the
shepherd can keep an eye on them.
You should see small numbers of grey or common seals
hauled out in this area, or you may even spot an otter. We
have recorded grey seal and common seal pups on the
island for the first time in recent years, and there are also
several otter holts.
36
1
Between late April and late August, SNH run a small
inflatable boat that shuttles visitors across Noss Sound every
day (weather permitting), except Mondays and Thursdays.
Once you reach the island, make your way up to the small
information centre – housed in an old island farmhouse –
which has a small display about Noss. Next door is the pony
pund, built by the Marquis of Londonderry, who leased the
island from 1871 to 1900 for use as a Shetland pony stud
farm. He bred the ponies to work down his coal mines in
northern England.
Today, SNH and the Gardie Trust, the island owners,
manage Noss through an agreement. As well as being a
nature reserve, the island is part of a sheep farm and a fine
example of how farming and wildlife can co-exist.
2
2
3
Beyond the hill dyke, the land rises in a broad sweep to
the eastern cliffs. Follow the coastal path south and you
skirt round the boggy moorland heart of Noss, which is the
stronghold of the skuas. Both Arctic and great skuas nest
on the ground, laying up to two eggs in a shallow scrape.
The adult birds defend their nests aggressively, swooping
on anything that comes close. Skuas rarely make a direct
hit, but if you’re targeted then hold your hand or a stick
above your head to deter them. Please don’t try to hit them –
remember, they’re only protecting their young.
The great skua – or ‘bonxie’, as it’s commonly known – is
a globally rare species. It’s gradually edging out the smaller
Arctic skua from the island, with over 350 pairs of bonxies
now nesting on Noss, making this the fifth largest colony in
the world.
The Nature of Scotland

4
A short climb from the southeast corner of the island brings
you to level ground where a chasm opens between you and
a 50 metre (164 ft) high grass-covered stack. This is the
Holm (‘small island’) of Noss, or Cradle Holm.
People once risked life and limb going over to this high
rock stack in search of extra sheep grazing or to collect bird
eggs for food. For over 200 years, they travelled over to
the rock on a ‘cradle’. This was a box that ran on two ropes
between Noss and the holm, and which carried sheep or
people.
5
Just round the corner from Cradle Holm, you come upon the
Noup (‘high headland’) of Noss. These are the highest cliffs
on Shetland’s east coast, rising to some 181 metres
(592 ft). The sandstone cliffs have been worn away to
expose striped layers of red, yellow and grey rock weathered
into a honeycomb of crevices and ledges.
These tiers of ledges are packed with thousands of
bickering and screaming seabirds. The most numerous birds
are the 45,000 guillemots, followed by some 8,000 pairs of
gannets, along with smaller numbers of fulmars, razorbills,
black guillemots, kittiwakes and puffins.
1
The sandstone cliffs of
Noss have weathered
to produce horizontal
ledges and honeycomb
holes that are perfect
for nesting.
2
Hardy Shetland sheep
live on the island all
year round.
3
The great skua is a
pirate of the seas. It
pursues birds as large
as gannets to steal a
free meal.
4
The Noup of Noss is
one of the first, or last,
sights for generations
of Shetland travellers.
www.snh.gov.uk 37
4

6
Continue round onto the north side of the island and you
arrive back at the hill dyke. A short distance after this you
reach Papil Geo (‘small inlet of the priest’, although there’s
no other evidence of religious use here). This is the nearest
spot from the ferry for those visitors who have little time on
Noss but are keen to see puffins.
The puffin is one of the world’s favourite birds. Adults
arrive back at the breeding colony in April and leave again
by the end of July to spend winter in the North Sea or North
Atlantic. They can live for more than 30 years and generally
mate for life, returning to the same cliff-top burrow year after
year. Their young are called ‘pufflings’, which seems oddly
appropriate for the bird that’s known by many as the clown
of seabirds.
Noss is one of over 50 national nature reserves in Scotland.
Find out more at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
5
The British Isles hold
about 10% of the
world’s puffins.
6
Noss is one of the
most popular places to
visit in Shetland.
38 The Nature of Scotland
5

Essential information
Boats
There’s a regular ferry service from Lerwick on mainland
Shetland to the island of Bressay. It’s then 5 km/3 miles
across Bressay by road to the Noss visitors’ car park. The
ferry to Noss is operated by SNH and a small charge is
made for the return journey.
To check that the ferry is running, call the Noss freephone
number 0800 1077818 before setting out, to avoid
disappointment. This is updated daily by 0900 during the
ferry season. A red flag also flies on the island if the weather
is too severe to cross Noss Sound safely.
Alternatively, visitors can join a scheduled round-island
commercial boat trip from Lerwick. You’ll find information
about the trips from the tourist information centre in the town
or from www.visitshetland.com
OS maps
Explorer 466 – Active Map
Shetland – Mainland South
Trail length
The coastal path around the island is 10 km/6 miles.
Alternatively, you can follow the path to the viewpoint at
Charlie’s Holm and then turn back, which makes for a 6
km/4 mile walk. There are also shorter walks near to the ferry
points on Noss and Bressay.
Terrain
The path round the island is rough in places and can be
slippery when wet. Expect a gradual climb from sea level to
181 metres (592 ft) at the Noup.
Please wear sensible footwear so that you can cross
the rocks safely when using the Noss boat – they can be
slippery. You should also take warm waterproof clothing, as
the Noss weather can be very changeable.
Parts of the path and viewpoints are on the edge of
unfenced cliffs, so please take great care.
Dogs
The SNH boat is not suitable for dogs.
Further information
There’s a small information centre on Noss where SNH
staff provide an introductory talk for all ferry passengers
upon landing. A leaflet about Noss is available in alternative
formats, including large print and audio format at
www.snh.org.uk/pubs
Nearby natural attractions
Why not visit the two other Shetland national nature
reserves, which lie on the island of Unst. Hermaness is
home to 24,000 pairs of gannets and more than 50,000
puffins, which nest here every year on the dramatic sea cliffs,
offshore arches and stacks. The huge sea cliffs overlook the
islands and stacks of Muckle Flugga, Britain’s northernmost
point, and inland the moors are home to the third largest
colony of great skuas in the world. There’s a visitor centre at
the old lighthouse shore station. The recommended walking
route (3–4 hours) is over moderate ground. See
www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=1
The Keen of Hamar may look like a moonscape, but the
bare stony scree of this reserve supports a unique collection
of plants. The plantlife here is specially adapted to survive on
the rare serpentine rock found on Unst, the most northerly
island in Britain. Star attraction is Edmondston's chickweed,
which is not found anywhere else in the world. There’s a
small car park and the reserve presents easy walking ground.
See www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=2
www.snh.gov.uk 39
6

SNH Area News
Strathclyde and Ayrshire
Correspondent: Sarah Watts
Up close
You can learn a lot by getting up close
to nature! Every year hundreds of
schoolchildren get the chance to do
just that through the ‘Clyde in the
Classroom’ project. They take care of
tiny trout as they grow from eggs into
25mm/1 inch fish (called ‘fry’), which
are then released into their local river.
During the seven-week project they
learn about the fish, where they live and
what they can do to help look after their
river. “It’s a really special experience
for the children,” commented Willie
Yeomans of the Clyde River Foundation.
“They’re present at the start of a fish’s
life, something that very few people
ever get to see in the wild.”
‘Clyde in the Classroom’ has
worked with 245 primary schools over
the last 10 years. This year it welcomed
the 10,000th child to take part. Health
minister Nicola Sturgeon (shown above
with some of the children) attended a
launch day at the Glasgow Science
Centre to help celebrate.
The Clyde River Foundation run the
project with a grant from SNH and a
mix of public/private funding. To find out
more about the project click on www.
clyderiverfoundation.org and/or email
c.mcgillivray@bio.gla.ac.uk
40
Past and future
In the autumn of 2009, the community
of New Cumnock reminisced and
shared their memories of the town and
countryside. At the ‘Captured through
Time’ exhibition, people discussed how
the landscape around this East Ayrshire
town has changed.
New Cumnock has a wealth of
stories. It has a proud mining history,
with people having dug for coal, granite,
copper and lead in the area. It has
countryside that’s been celebrated by
poets and local artists – for instance,
Robert Burns wrote Sweet Afton about
the local river.
Thinking about the environment
highlighted some of the recent
changes, such as new renewable
energy from wind farms, the changing
climate and the drop in numbers of
lapwings.
“Looking back has helped us to
think about what’s changing today,”
explained Natalie Fleming (pictured
above) from the Coalfield Environment
Initiative. “It highlighted the important
role that the environment plays in
creating a sustainable future for this
area.”
See examples of the exhibition at
www.newcumnock.ea-cei.org.uk
A rosy future?
The apple orchards of the Clyde Valley
once formed the largest fruit-growing
area in Scotland. But what’s the future
for them now? A three-year project has
been working with local people and has
discovered real enthusiasm and interest
for the orchards.
There has certainly been lots going
on. Schools have planted their own
trees. Orchard owners – as part of the
Clyde Valley Orchard Group – have
learnt new skills to help them grow and
care for their trees. And local people
have taken part in events, such as
tasting freshly squeezed juice, looking
at different apple varieties and learning
about the wildlife that lives in orchards.
Is the future rosy? The orchards
are unlikely ever to be big business,
as too many of us buy foreign apples.
But there may be other opportunities,
such as making apple juice and cider,
or managing community and school
orchards. To find out more, click on
www.clydevalleyorchards.co.uk
The Nature of Scotland

SNH Area News
East Highland
Correspondents: Tim Dawson, Pete Moore, Kenny Nelson
Clearwater revival?
The future of Loch Flemington near
Croy looks clearer thanks to some
ground-breaking work. The loch is
an internationally important home to
breeding Slavonian grebes (shown
above), great crested newts and a
rare water plant called slender naiad.
In recent years, however, fertiliser
run-off from surrounding farmland
has created regular summer blooms
of algae. The murky water makes it
difficult for the grebes to find food and
they’ve not bred there since 2001.
The algal blooms have also affected
angling for the local fishermen.
Experts have suggested using
‘PhosLock’, a chalk-like substance
that binds to the excess fertiliser and
locks it into the loch bed. This should
lead to the water quality rapidly
improving, which will be good for the
grebes, the fishing and all the other
wildlife on the loch.
This is the first time PhosLock
has been used in the Highlands,
and the local community and other
public bodies are backing the trial.
The results will be studied closely to
gauge the success of the work and
learn how to tackle this problem in
other places.
www.snh.gov.uk
Solar-powered eagles
We’re taking part in a project that aims
to find out how young golden eagles
in the Cairngorms react to people
disturbing them.
Over the last three years, solarpowered
satellite transmitters have
been fitted to three young eagles to
give us an insight into how they live and
their movements. The transmitters allow
us to track what they do and where they
go.
Since these first ‘taggings’, we’ve
had a transmitter fail after two months
and another being recovered when the
eagle carrying it (named Alma) was
poisoned after two years.
However, tracking results from these
birds all add to the emerging picture.
And the third transmitter, attached
to a bird called Tom, continues to
relay information about his life in the
southwest Cairngorms.
This year the project is aiming to
track up to seven more birds, including
adults, in a partnership between various
organisations and estates. You can find
more information on the eagles and
other tracked birds by visiting
www.roydennis.org
Shot in the dark
We’ve been supporting an innovative
photography project in Wester Ross
to help people recover from mental ill
health. ‘Shot in the dark’ has allowed
people to develop digital photography
skills, such as setting up and taking a
good photograph (like the one above)
and using computers to change and
present pictures.
John McNaught, the project
worker, has helped the 20 folk taking
part learn new skills and meet new
people, and this has built people’s
confidence. “Many have become so
involved with the project that they’ve
bought their own cameras and set up
their own Flickr web page,” remarked
John. “Some people have got to
grips with technology for the first
time, while others have developed a
genuine talent for photography. And
all of them have been able to meet the
goals successfully that they set for
themselves.”
The people taking part also got
out and about into the Wester Ross
countryside, including a trip to Loch
Maree Islands NNR. The project
organisers hope to build on this work
and are seeking funding to develop a
social enterprise using the photography
skills that people have learnt.
41

SNH Area News
Western Isles
Correspondent: Roddy MacMinn
LIFE+ launches
January saw the launch in Uist of a
project to safeguard the machair of
the Hebrides, its traditional crofting
methods and the wealth of wildlife it
supports. The machair LIFE+ project
will continue for four years and aims
to support crofters and farmers in
delivering practical wildlife-friendly land
management.
Machair is the fertile, low-lying
coastal grassland found in the north
and west of Scotland. The funds will
be used to provide machinery, labour
and advice to crofters, as well as
addressing issues such as grazing
by geese and changing ploughing
methods. It will also promote beneficial
techniques such as late harvesting,
arable ‘stooking’ (stacking) and the use
of seaweed as a fertiliser.
The project will extend government
funding that’s available for machair
management through the Scotland
Rural Development Programme
(SRDP), and the results will later feed
into the next version of the SRDP in
2014. It’s hoped the funding will help
to develop a better understanding of
how to conserve this way of life and
a special habitat for wildlife for future
generations.
If you’d like to find out more about
the project, or are interested in taking
part, please contact the project team
on 01870 603 361.
Return to normal
The project to remove mink from the
Western Isles is improving conditions
for ground-nesting birds. Arctic tern
(shown above) colonies on Lewis and
Harris, for example, have reclaimed
previous ‘no-go areas’ for the first time
in more than 20 years.
“In previous years we’ve seen all
the Lewis birds withdraw into ‘super
colonies’, often with hundreds of pairs
at one site,” explained Martin Scott,
local officer with RSPB Scotland.
“They’ve sought safety in numbers
from predators and their range shrank
dramatically, as there were so few
places left that were safe to breed.
“Last year, however, they produced
more chicks and were spread over
a wider area. Smaller colonies have
appeared all around Lewis and Harris
and have generally been successful in
rearing young.”
The manager of the Hebridean Mink
Project, Iain Macleod, said it was likely
that the intensive trapping of mink, a
non-native mammal, had helped the
terns re-establish.
“What‘s been quite surprising is the
speed with which the terns have gone
back to behaving normally. The fact that
they feel comfortable enough to do this
means they’re suffering less predation
by the mink. Other birds, such as redthroated
divers and greenshank, will
also be benefiting.”
New Harris ranger
The North Harris Trust have launched a
new ranger service for the island. The
Trust are a community group set up in
2003 to manage, develop and conserve
the assets of North Harris sustainably
for the benefit of the community and
enjoyment of the wider public. The new
ranger, Robin Reid, will be working
closely with the islanders and the many
visitors who come to Harris each year.
“My aim is to inspire people about
the environment around them,” he
explained, “and to help them find out
more about it. We’re very fortunate in
North Harris to have so many great
landscapes, habitats and wildlife
spectacles right on our doorstep.”
He already has plans to host a
series of walks and other events from
seashore to mountain top this spring.
Robin will also be visiting local schools
to work on some environmental projects
with pupils. He recently visited Scalpay
to explore bird flight with the children
there by building flapping gannet,
goose and eagle mobiles.
For more information on the North
Harris ranger service and the events
and activities on offer, contact Robin on
01859 502 222 or email robin@northharris.org
42 The Nature of Scotland

Events diary 2010
April
Thursday 1
Saturday 3
Saturday 10
Sunday 11
Tuesday 13
Wednesday 14
Thursday 15
Friday 16
Saturday 17
Sunday 18
Tuesday 20
Tuesday 20
Wednesday 21
Tuesday 27
Wednesday 28
Guided Walks
Knockan Crag NNR
Sutherland
Nature Detectives
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Art/Wildlife Workshop
Cairnsmore of
Fleet NNR
Gatehouse of Fleet
Galloway
Bird Box Building
Caerlaverock NNR
Dumfries
Meet the Wardens
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Nature Detectives
Caerlaverock NNR
Dumfries
Reptile Ramble
Kirkconnell Flow NNR
Dumfries
Drystane Dyking
Weekend
Taynish NNR
Tayvallich
Argyll
Season Opening
Noss NNR
Shetland
Sharing Good
Practice (SGP):
Working with rivers
Birnam Institute
SGP: Rhododendron
control
Strontian
Ardnamurchan
A geologist guide for visitors will be at Knockan
during April, May and June at locally advertised
times.
Guided walk from 10am to 12noon at
Levenmouth woods in search of birds, otters, red
squirrels and more. Meet at Findatie car park.
Booking essential.
Half-day workshops with an opportunity to recreate
some of the reserve’s plants and animals
in air-hardening clay. You can then take your
creations home with you! Booking essential as
space is limited.
Come along from 11am to 3pm and make a free
nest box to take home. Booking is essential.
Drop into the Boathouse Hide from 2pm to 5pm
and chat with the SNH wardens about Loch
Leven wildlife.
Explore the Flooders nature trail from 11am to
3pm, starting from Hollands Road car park.
Meet the SNH warden from 10am to 1pm and
look for reptiles and amphibians living on the
reserve.
Come and help restore the old dykes at Taynish
before cattle are reintroduced to parts of the
woodland. Please book in advance for one or two
days.
Ferry crossings to the island of Noss begin and
will run daily, except on Mondays and Thursdays,
until 29 August.
This course will build on the content of previous
similar events by exploring some of the more
technical aspects of managing and restoring
Scotland’s rivers for the natural heritage.
Rhododendron is the invasive non-native plant
species that poses the most serious threat to
biodiversity in Scotland. This event will focus on
planning effective control.
Tel: 01571 844 000
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01557 814 435
Tel: 01557 814 435
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01557 814 435
Tel: 01387 247 010
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01595 693 345
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 43

Events diary 2010
May
June
Sunday 9
Wednesday 12
Saturday 15
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 Butterfly Walk
Kirkconnell Flow NNR
Dumfries
Thursday 20
Sunday 23
Tuesday 25
Saturday 29
Sunday 30
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
Friday 4
Dawn Chorus
Loch Lomond NNR
West Highlands
SGP: Small-scale
wind and
micro-renewable
technology
Battleby, Perth
Moths at Taynish Mill
Taynish NNR
Tayvallich
Argyll
Burleigh Botany
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
SGP: Envisaging
places
Battleby, Perth
Discovery Day
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Findatie Botany
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Chequered Skipper
Weekend
Glasdrum Wood NNR
Near Oban, Argyll
Ramble Through
Rassal NNR
Near Kishorn
Wester Ross
SGP: Rural/urban
myths
Battleby, Perth
Levenmouth Botany
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Come and join us for the dawn chorus down on
the Endrick Mouth part of the Loch Lomond NNR.
We'll help you to identify the birds that we hear
and see. Booking essential.
The impacts of small-scale windfarms and other
micro-renewable technologies will be assessed.
The likely focus will be impacts on birds, bats,
other protected species and landscape issues.
Come and help empty the live traps and be
fascinated by these beautiful creatures of the
night.
Meet at Burleigh Sands car park and join a
guided walk from 6pm to 8pm to discover the
plants of Burleigh. Booking essential.
Join the reserve wardens from 12noon to 2pm
and search for the beautiful green hairstreak and
other butterflies.
This event will focus on themes including
language and the Scottish landscape, and the
influence of landscape on culture and the arts.
Lots of activities and games for all the family at
Kirkgate Park, Kinross. Staff and volunteers will
be on hand to help you find out more about the
reserve and its wildlife.
Meet at Findatie car park and join a guided
walk from 6pm to 8pm to discover the plants of
Findatie. Booking essential.
Come and explore the wonderful Glen Creran
woodlands and search for chequered skipper and
pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies.
Discover the abundant flowers and wonderful
archaeology of the most northerly ashwoods in
Scotland. Look out for orchids and mountain
avens flourishing on the limestone slopes.
This event will look at settlements as parts of
ecosystems and how they connect the built
environment to the wider countryside.
Meet at Findatie car park and join a guided
walk from 3pm to 5pm to discover the plants of
Levenmouth. Booking essential.
Tel: 01786 450 362
stephen.longster@snh.
gov.uk
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01387 247 010
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01854 613 904
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01577 864 439
44 The Nature of Scotland

Sunday 6
Wednesday 16
Thursday 17
Friday 18
Saturday 19
Tuesday 22
Wednesday 23
Thursday 24
Thursday 24
Saturday 26
Saturday 26
Saturday 26
Wednesday 30
Dragonfly Survey
Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
SGP: Essential art
– exploring nature
creatively
Battleby, Perth
Myth and Medicine
Caerlaverock NNR
Dumfries
Coastal Biodiversity
Taynish NNR
Tayvallich
Argyll
Management
Proposals
Moine Mhòr NNR
Near Kilmartin
Argyll
SGP: Outdoor
learning for teachers
Badaguish,
Near Aviemore
SGP: Mainstreaming
green prescription
Central Belt
Bird/Bat Box Building
Kirkconnell Flow NNR
Dumfries
Morning After Moths
Muir of Dinnet NNR
Grampian Highlands
Open Day
Moine Mhòr NNR
Near Kilmartin
Argyll
Calves, Quartzite and
Caley Pines
Beinn Eighe NNR
Kinlochewe
Wester Ross
Join a group from 10am to 4pm and learn how
to carry out surveys for dragonfly larvae with
someone from the British Dragonfly Society.
Booking essential.
Gordon MacLellan (Creeping Toad) will explore
the value of ‘storying’ landscapes, seeing patterns
in nature, and creative ways of using natural
materials.
Find out some of the fascinating mythology linked
with plants on the reserve.
Come and explore the coastal area at Taynish
and see some of Loch Sween’s rich marine life. If
we’re lucky, we may see otters and marsh fritillary
butterflies.
Here’s an opportunity to view our new
management proposals for ‘the Moss’ and have
your say at an informal evening at Kilmartin
House. Displays, short talks and a buffet
provided. Please book in advance.
A unique opportunity to work alongside
colleagues from institutes throughout Scotland,
sharing good practice in outdoor learning.
This event will explore a range of green exercise
schemes and how best to encourage more
schemes and more participation.
Make a bird or bat box for the reserve, or take it
home for your garden.
Meet at Burn o’ Vat visitor centre and discover
more about the moths that have been caught on
the reserve the night before. Booking essential.
Following on from our launch at Kilmartin House,
this will be an open event on the reserve, with
guided walks, activities and demonstrations of our
management in action.
Search for red deer hinds and their calves on
the moors in Wester Ross, and learn about the
history, wildlife and management of Beinn Eighe.
Tel: 01577 864 439
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01557 814 435
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01738 458 556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01738 458 557
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel: 01387 247 010
Tel: 01224 642 863
Tel: 01546 603 611
Tel: 01445 760 254
www.snh.org.uk www.snh.gov.uk 45

46
Towering adventure
1
1
Youngsters from
Thornhill Primary
helped local MSP and
minister for
parliamentary
business, Bruce
Crawford, to officially
open the new Flanders
Moss viewing tower.
2
The 900 metre (half
mile) all-abilities path
and boardwalk allows
visitors to walk around
part of this ancient
bogland.
The Nature of Scotland

If you’re looking for a natural high,
then head for Flanders Moss near
Stirling. This bogland national nature
reserve offers a great new visitor
experience, as reserve manager
David Pickett reports
How do you show people a bogland nature
reserve that’s fragile and hazardous to walk over,
and which local people think is dangerous to visit?
That’s been our challenge at Flanders Moss National Nature
Reserve (NNR), which lies some 16 km (10 miles) west
of Stirling. For the last six years, we‘ve been working to
overcome the ideas that people had about the place and
show them what a wonderful location lies within an hour’s
drive of most of the Scottish population.
This work reached its peak recently with the opening of
a seven metre (23 feet) high viewing tower that provides
spectacular views across the moss to the surrounding hills
and mountains.
Hundreds of years ago, Flanders Moss played a vital part
in local people’s lives, when it was used for stock grazing
or folk were involved in peat clearance and drainage works.
But, in the last 150 years, the site has been pretty much
closed off to all but a few local people who worked around
its edges.
It was, therefore, a big step in 2006 when we put in an
all-abilities path and boardwalk to give people open access
to a small part of the moss. Locals from the surrounding
villages of Kippen, Thornhill, Port of Menteith and Arnprior
quickly adopted it as their local walk in an area where there
are few waymarked routes to follow.
The boardwalk has been excellent at giving folk a closeup
view of the colourful tapestry of the bog surface. It’s
provided a safe, comfortable way to satisfy people’s curiosity
about the moss and to enable arts-based education projects
that weren’t possible before.
But the sheer scale of this large site wasn’t visible to
visitors, and this made it more difficult to explain the full story
of the reserve. Flanders Moss also has a role to play in the
local economy, which tends to miss out on the tourist traffic
that passes through the villages between Loch Lomond &
The Trossachs National Park and the attractions of Stirling.
So we decided to build a viewing tower that would pull in
more visitors and allow us to interpret the spectacular views
across the bog. After a long process, the tower was built by
local companies using local Scottish oak, with the help of
funding from Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER.
The tower and boardwalk have changed the way that
people will connect with Flanders Moss in the future. But we
were also aware that, in the recent past, the few locals that
knew the Moss had looked on it in a very different way.
So, alongside the tower project, we’ve been running an
oral history project to capture memories of the moss that go
back towards the start of the 20th century. People had tales
to tell of collecting gull eggs, harvesting sphagnum moss,
peat cutting, game shooting and grazing stock. These tales
not only make Flanders more interesting to visitors today, but
also carry valuable information about how people worked the
moss in the past, which can influence how we manage the
site in the future.
A second project involved four local schools (both
primary and secondary), a nursery school, a playgroup and
a local poetry group. They used some of these tales and
memories along with their own visits to the moss to record
their impressions in words.
The schools worked with local poets and a rap artist, and
used styles such as ballads, haiku, rap and nursery rhymes.
They captured what they think of Flanders Moss on a DVD
that’s being distributed locally.
In recent times, local people’s views of Flanders Moss
have completely changed. Ask people in Thornhill today what
they think of Flanders and it would be very different to what
they would have said five years ago. We hope the tower
will give more people the chance to appreciate the wild,
peaceful atmosphere of the moss, which lies just a short trip
away for so many people.
To find out for yourself what makes Flanders Moss so
special, go to the www.nnr-scotland.org.uk website for
further information on the reserve and details of how to get
there.
www.snh.gov.uk 47
2

1
Detect and protect
48
The Nature of Scotland
1

Alan Stewart works with Tayside Police
and is one of this country’s leading wildlife
detectives. His new book, The Thin Green
Line, surveys the scale of wildlife crime across
the UK today, and here he reflects on the
situation in Scotland
“Hello, is that the police?”
“That’s correct, can I help you?”
“Hopefully you can. I’d like to report that I think a
man is taking freshwater pearl mussels from our
river.”
Alternatively, the caller might say, “I’d like to report that I’ve
seen a man circling bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth
and disturbing them.” The location could just as easily be
Oban Bay, or the river estuary off Montrose or a host of other
places around Scotland’s coastline.
Equally, the caller might report that, “...a building with a
brown long-eared bat roost is about to be demolished,” or,
“...a pet shop is selling Hermann’s tortoises and the shop
worker said that the owner didn’t have Article 10 certificates
for them.”
Two decades ago, there’s little doubt that the caller would
have come off the phone annoyed, frustrated and wondering
who on earth does have the responsibility to deal with these
offences.
The answer, of course, is that it’s always been the
responsibility of the police. Having said that, it’s only recently
– in the last decade or so – that a small group of officers
from the eight Scottish police forces has gained the level
of knowledge and expertise to make sure that they can deal
competently with this highly specialised area of policing. At
the same time, the level of experience in prosecuting wildlife
crime has similarly grown. The Crown Office and Procurator
Fiscal Service now have 15 specialist wildlife prosecutors,
who train alongside wildlife crime police officers to the
benefit of all.
There are now around 90 wildlife crime police officers
in Scotland, with the vast majority of forces now having at
least one full-time post. Importantly, they have a wide range
of experts on whom they can call for specialist advice,
depending on the species involved. The police, working
with partners, have also realised that certain species at high
conservation risk from criminals need some extra policing
effort. This realisation in 2005 gave rise to a group called the
Wildlife Law Enforcement Working Group (WLEWG).
1
Birds of prey continue
to be persecuted in
Scotland. This female
golden eagle was shot
near Peebles in 2007. It
was one of the only
breeding pair in the
region .
2
It’s illegal to catch
freshwater mussels to
look for any pearls they
may contain.
www.snh.gov.uk 49
2

Priority species
The WLEWG is made up of the
police – including the National Wildlife
Crime Unit – and a number of relevant
organisations. Every year the group
looks again at the conservation
priorities for policing. The current ones
are crimes against bats, freshwater
pearl mussels and rarer birds of prey
(golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, hen
harrier, goshawk, red kite), as well as
the illegal international trade in certain
species.
So, in a practical sense, how does
all this actually help prevent wildlife
crime and enforce the law? If we look at
prevention first, then awareness raising
is critically important. We have to give
advice to people to make sure they
remain within the law. It’s also important
that others who may see an offence
taking place can recognise it as being
illegal and know how to report it. Much
of this is put across in presentations
by wildlife crime police officers, with
around 150 talks and roadshows every
year throughout Scotland. There are
also a number of targeted training
courses. Recent examples include an
awareness training day, organised by
the police and hosted by SNH, and a
similar training day in Strathclyde for
countryside rangers.
In addition, SNH and the Scottish
Government have produced a number
of leaflets, including a detailed leaflet
on freshwater pearl mussels and crimes
linked with them. Scotland has probably
half of the world’s population of
freshwater pearl mussels. As examples
of the risk to these stocks, in 2008
hundreds of opened shells were found
on the bank of an Angus river. This
meant that a third of the population of
that stretch of water had been killed,
and in Glencoe in the same year
an identical situation was reported.
Thankfully, some of the crime prevention
effort is paying off: 2009 saw fewer
offences committed against mussels
and also bats.
50 The Nature of Scotland
3
‘It’s not yet perfect,
but the work of wildlife
crime police officers is
beginning to make a
difference.’

4
3
The worst threat faced
by badgers is badger
baiting, where people
send dogs down
badger setts and
gamble on which
animal will survive the
fight that follows.
4
In Shetland a
fisherman clubbed
grey seal pups to death
in 2008 with a wooden
fence post. He was
jailed for 80 days.
Convictions
There are now many successes to show for the investigations into reports
of wildlife crime and the prosecutions that follow. For instance, in 2005
Strathclyde Police became aware that a badger sett had been filled with slurry.
Working with partners Scottish Badgers and North Lanarkshire Council, the
sett was slowly excavated. As the slurry ran out during the dig, so did a badger
which would otherwise have been condemned to death through starvation or
suffocation. The police traced the person responsible and he was eventually
fined £800.
In a case the following year in Lothian and Borders, staff from the Scottish
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and the Royal Society
for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) helped police to trace a man with a mist
net who was trapping finches. More birds that had been taken from the wild
were found in the man’s aviary, which resulted in him being charged and fined
£1,000. The man also had an address in England and, after investigations there,
a case was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service. On this occasion, the
man received a conditional discharge from the court but had to pay costs of
£11,750.
In 2006, in the first conviction of its kind in the UK, a man was fined £500
after recklessly disturbing dolphins in the Moray Firth. He was seen speeding on
a jet-ski right through a school of bottlenose dolphins, then executing a number
of rapid turns back through the school again. Much of this evidence was caught
on digital camera. More recently – and again a first UK conviction of its kind – a
man was jailed for 80 days in 2008 after clubbing to death 21 grey seal pups
on the island of East Linga in Shetland. There are also a number of ongoing
cases relating to the poisoning of birds of prey.
It’s not yet perfect, but the work of police wildlife crime officers – mostly
carried out with help and advice from our partner agencies – and the increased
awareness of all operational officers of wildlife crime issues, is beginning to
make a difference.
www.snh.org.uk www.snh.gov.uk 51 517

1
If you’re part of a business that’s trying hard to reduce its
impact on the environment, then maybe you should think
about entering for this year’s Thistle Awards
Thistles up for grabs
Visitors to Scotland say time and
again that they come here to see
and experience our wonderful
landscapes and wildlife. The
mountains, lochs and islands
certainly provide memorable
images of our country, while – at
a more intimate level – dolphin
watching has been voted one of
the best things to do in Scotland
to create a perfect day.
Tourism generates some £4 billion
each year for the Scottish economy
and supports over 200,000 jobs in
20,000 businesses, so it’s vital that we
look after the bedrock of the industry
– the environment. It’s fragile, just like
the livelihoods of the individuals and
communities that live and work in it.
The annual Thistle Awards allow
Scottish tourism to celebrate those
businesses that perform at the highest
level and pioneer new approaches.
‘Thistles’ are among the most soughtafter
prizes in the industry. They
recognise the success of the finalists,
who have been chosen because of their
hard work and innovation.
There are 10 different Thistle
Awards, and SNH are proud to
sponsor the award for sustainable
tourism. Finalists have to show they’re
committed to running their tourism
business in a sustainable way and
provide an example to others of
Scotland’s ambition to become the
most sustainable place to visit in
Europe. Sustainable tourism is a longterm
vision that looks at all the impacts
made by tourism businesses. If these
impacts can be controlled, then social
and economic benefits will follow and
help to develop thriving communities,
while caring for the environment.
Judges look for evidence that
entrants are committed to Scotland’s
environment and that people guide
their operations, growth and ambitions.
Businesses are also judged on
how they promote this approach to
customers, staff and the general public.
Winners of the 2009 award were
Maximillion, an event management
company that delivers events for the
52 The Nature of Scotland

usiness tourism sector. The company
is a good example of why taking
environmental issues into account
makes good business sense, as they
highlight in the piece alongside.
If you have a business that’s
passionate about tourism, the search
for the 2010 finalists starts in April.
Visit www.scottishthistleawards.co.uk
to see all the categories and download
an application form. Entries close at the
end of July and the awards ceremony
will take place at the end of October in
Edinburgh.
The tourism industry will be
considering sustainable approaches in
some detail in 2010, and VisitScotland
have organised a series of workshops
for tourism businesses. The workshops
are being held across Scotland, with
sessions led by experts and like-minded
businesses. For more information,
contact Kate Mair of VisitScotland at
sustainable-tourism@visitscotland.com
VisitScotland and partners have
also produced the Sustainable
Tourism Business for Dummies
Guide, a booklet packed full of useful
tips and information to encourage
tourism businesses to become more
sustainable. The booklet will be
available at the VisitScotland workshop
events or you can download it at
www.tourism-intelligence.co.uk/
guides.aspx
1
The makings of a
perfect day – Moray
Firth dolphin watching
at Chanonry Point on
the Black Isle.
2
Team-building events
are a popular part of
the Maximillion range
of services.
www.snh.gov.uk
The Maximillion story
We first set out to become a ‘green’ business four years ago. A big part of our
success was down to splitting the business into three key areas: the offices, the
products and the events. The offices were awarded the Green Tourism Business
Scheme Gold in 2008 and we now offer a range of products that have an
environmental or social theme.
For the events, we’re able to deliver to the British Standard, which certifies
that an event is sustainable. This means we’re able to identify and understand the
effects we’re having on the environment and put in place measures to minimise
the negative impacts. Every choice – from the venue and travel arrangements,
through to the content of the delegate packs – has to be designed with as much
concern for the environment as possible.
We’ve benefited in many ways from taking a sustainable approach. We have
lower energy bills, attract more publicity, can retain staff better and – most
importantly – we’re winning new customers. Some customers still have little
interest in whether an event is delivered sustainably. But more and more people
are keen on making sure that products have minimal impact on the environment,
and want to hire a company that can genuinely deliver a sustainable event.
53
2

A development programme designed
to support rural Scotland is providing a
welcome boost for nature conservation
schemes
Top priorities
Over 1,000 farms and estates across Scotland
have won five-year government contracts over
the last couple of years aimed at helping them
conserve their wildlife. The awards have typically
been worth about £50,000 each, with the money
coming from the ‘rural priorities’ strand of the
Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).
The programme still has three years to run, so there’s time
yet for farmers and land managers to put together a bid. The
decisions on funding are made by regional panels that meet
several times a year, with applications judged against agreed
priorities. One of the top priorities for nature conservation is
to see sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and Natura
sites thriving, so high scores usually go to applicants aiming
to maintain or restore sites to good condition. Conservation
work outwith SSSIs can receive funding too, but the scheme
is competitive and success depends on scoring highly for
other wildlife management priorities.
Specialist advice is usually needed to get SSSI
management right, so the scheme will pay part of the costs
if you want to hire someone to produce a plan. SNH can
also advise on suitable management and may be able to
visit and talk about what’s required. If you’re considering
an application on your SSSI, then it would certainly be
worth your while contacting your local SNH office to talk it
through. The next rounds for SSSI management proposals
are in August and October 2010, with applications normally
having to be in several months before. For more information
on the scheme, go to the rural priorities page on the Scottish
Government website www.scotland.gov.uk
Over the page are some examples of the sorts of projects
that have been successful so far in attracting funding.
1
Saltmarsh and croft
land at Northton on the
Isle of Harris, Western
Isles. 1
54
The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.gov.uk 55

3
2
Sphagnum mosses
make up the living
surface of Scotland’s
peatlands. These
ancient landscapes are
home to rare plants
and birds.
3
Corn buntings have
declined by a
staggering 83% over
the past 20 years. Their
numbers have
plummeted since the
1970s as a result of
intensive farming.
4
Britain is now one of
the major European
strongholds for the
marsh fritillary
butterfly. But even here
its range has reduced
by over 62%.
2
No trees please
Cobbinshaw Moss is a wild area of peatland in West Lothian
that needs to stay wet in order to maintain its interest. Many
of the plants and animals for which it’s special – along
with the patterned surface of mosses and pools – would
disappear if it dried out. It’s therefore vital that trees don’t
get a chance to grow on the moss, as they suck water out of
the ground. The SRDP has provided funding to install stock
bridges so that sheep can graze the whole area and eat any
tree seedlings that appear.
The only source of water for the moss is rain, so it’s
important to block the places where the water can run off.
Moss owner Matthew Hamilton has also been given funding
to block the channels created where people used to work
the peat.
Living traditions
Traditional ways of working the land are often the best for
wildlife, and this is particularly true on the machair of the
Western Isles. SRDP can be used to help boost the crofting
economy, so that people can stay and maintain traditional
crofting methods, which then deliver huge benefits for
wildlife and the landscape of the islands.
Northton Common Grazings, on the island of Harris, are
getting £100,000 over the next five years. In return, they will
grow an oats and barley mix on six hectares (15 acres) of
the machair to use as cattle feed in the winter. The crop will
be fertilised with seaweed, harvested using a reaper-binder
and then stooked.
This form of traditional crofting should benefit rare birds,
such as the corn bunting, and retain a long-established look
to the landscape. In addition, cattle and sheep grazing will
be managed, which will benefit the grassland’s rich variety
of wild flowers, and marram grass will be planted to help
stabilise the sand dunes. All this work should also have
knock-on benefits for the island’s tourism industry.
The Nature of Scotland

Butterfly havens
The marsh fritillary butterfly is disappearing across Europe.
It relies on wetland that’s traditionally grazed with cattle, and
for many farmers that just isn’t profitable. The necessary
positive management isn’t likely to happen unless the farmer
gets cash from the SRDP to cover the extra costs for
grazing suitable wetland and bog sites.
David Colthart farms some eight hectares (20 acres) of
grassland that’s rich in species at Appin in Argyll, and he
was one of the first to benefit from rural priorities funding. He
doesn’t have an SSSI, but he found that if he made sure bits
of his farm were right for this scarce species then he would
get priority points. David and other farmers with land that’s
suitable for marsh fritillaries have been advised by SNHfunded
Butterfly Conservation expert Tom Prescott. Tom has
found that initial grumbles about how complex SRDP seems
have largely given way to growing enthusiasm for what
can be done. The payments help, of course – managing
grassland for wildlife attracts £111 per hectare a year.
Beef relief
Many of the sites across Scotland that are valuable for
wildlife need to have a certain level of livestock grazing on
them. Cattle and sheep numbers can be fine-tuned to get
it right for conservation, but the farmer may not have the
facilities required to support the levels of livestock.
Blackpark is a small beef unit near Castle Douglas in
Galloway. Thick vegetation is crowding out some of the
native animals and plants found there (such as water rail
and spignel) because the level of summer grazing isn’t high
enough. The owner, Lynda McQueen, needed somewhere to
put the livestock in winter as so much of the land is flooded.
SRDP covered the cost of a new shed and agreed an annual
sum in return for grazing the site.
4
‘...initial grumbles
about how complex
SRDP seems have
largely given way to
growing enthusiasm
for what can be done.’
www.snh.gov.uk 57

Kids only!
Spring is one of the most beautiful and welcoming
seasons of the year, so grab your coat, put your
wellies on and get outside!
kad
You can make your den as simple or
as fancy as you want. For younger
children, an old blanket draped across
the washing line or a great big
cardboard box will do the job. If an
adult will help, you could nail together
some old bits of wood (or pallets).
Leave space for a door, use a saw to
cut out a window, and then throw a
tarpaulin over the top for the roof.
Look for some fairly big logs, place
one inside for a seat and then use a
slightly bigger one for a table.
Now enjoy it, sit quietly and see what
animals or birds you are able to spot.
Listen to them, draw them, or even
take your own photos of them!
GROW YOUR OWN... CRESS HEAD
You will need: egg shell, egg cup, coloured pens/paint, googly
eyes, glue, cotton wool and a packet of cress seeds.
1. Wash out your egg shell.
2. Place the egg shell in the egg cup, then draw, paint or glue
on your facial features. (You may want to practise your face
on paper first before drawing it onto the egg.)
3. Dampen a little cotton wool and place it inside the egg.
4. Sprinkle a layer of cress seeds on top of the cotton wool.
5. Cover the egg with a piece of paper until the seeds begin to
sprout, then remove the paper and move it to a windowsill.
6. Sprinkle with a little water every day.
7. After your egg has sprouted fully, give it a haircut and then
ENJOY – you could eat it in a nice egg or cheese
salad sandwich!
58 The Nature of Scotland

Sunflowers
– plant them now,
ready for summer...
Sunflowers are attractive
and their seeds are good to
eat. So why not grow your
own sunflower. Follow the
easy steps below and see
how tall your sunflower
can grow...
oot f
...you will need: bubble mixture pot, straw, washin
Create your own
frogspawn picture
1 In the bubble mixture pot, add washing
up liquid, water and some coloured paint. Pop
the lid back on and give it a good shake.
2 Lay your piece of card on the table. Put your straw
into the bubble pot, and now hold the pot over the card.
Blow hard into the straw. Your bubbles will start to overflow
and land on the card. Keep going until you have
lots of bubbles on your card. Now leave the bubbles
to pop, and when they have all gone you will have
a cool bubbly effect left on the piece of card.
When the card is completely dry, finish
your frogspawn by using a paintbrush
to add small dots inside the
bubbles!
forever blowing bubbles
Frogspawn is the name given to the clump of eggs
laid by frogs. Frogs will usually mate in the spring,
depending on the weather, with the female laying
eggs that the male will then fertilise. A female frog
can lay up to 4,000 eggs at a time, although many
of them will not survive to turn into frogs!
The jelly around the eggs will swell up in the water
over time. It acts like a sort of cushion and it brings
the developing frogs on top of the water as it starts
to float. The eggs then catch all the available sunlight
to keep warm.
After a period of a few weeks, the tadpoles (baby
frogs) will come out of the frogspawn and then
change into frogs. This process involves the tadpole
gradually losing its tail, growing its distinctive long
rear legs and developing lungs to replace its gills.
Their physical make-up means it’s easy for them to
jump around on land, and their legs are perfectly
designed for swimming and moving in the water.
g up liquid, water, paint & white card
59

Celebrating Scott’s land
The 200th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s poem Lady of the Lake is
being celebrated in a series of cultural and outdoor events this year in the
Trossachs, including a new walking trail around Loch Katrine
60 The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.gov.uk 61
1

2010 marks the 200th
anniversary of Sir Walter Scott's
poem Lady of the Lake. To a
modern audience, the poem
may seem of limited interest. But
Lady of the Lake was probably
responsible for completely
changing how the public viewed
the landscapes of the Highlands
and created our first tourism
boom.
At the beginning of the 19th century,
the Romantic movement was
sweeping across Europe and the
search was on for places of dramatic,
unspoiled beauty. Scott passionately
promoted Scotland as a country of
wild, untouched landscapes rich in
history and myth. Wild landscapes
had previously been seen as terrifying
and barbaric places to be avoided.
But Scott persuaded people to view
them instead as awe-inspiring areas
to explore. And the success of Lady
of the Lake was so far-reaching that it
triggered the first surge of tourists to
the Trossachs and Scotland.
To celebrate the anniversary of this
hugely influential poem, a programme
of events is set to take place around
the Trossachs from May to September.
The events for local communities and
visitors will celebrate the poem and
promote awareness of the wonderful
natural and cultural landscapes of the
area.
Background
Lady of the Lake marked the peak
of Scott’s popularity as a poet. With
25,000 copies sold in eight months, it
broke all records and made Scott and
his publisher a fortune. Scott’s fame
even spread beyond Britain to the
United States. By way of comparison,
the leading Romantic poet Wordsworth
sold only 3,000 copies of his bestselling
book of poems in his lifetime.
Scott set the 80-page epic poem
Lady of the Lake in 1530, at the time
of King James V. The poem was written
in six parts, with each part representing
a day, and was about the struggle
between James and the powerful clan
Douglas. It opens with James disguised
as a wandering knight and hunting a
stag in the hills of the Trossachs. He’s
given shelter for the night on an island
in Loch Katrine by Roderick Dhu, a
wild highland chieftain. The king falls in
love with Ellen, the beautiful daughter
of Black Douglas. The poem ends with
the king making peace and releasing
Black Douglas after Ellen arrives with
a ring given to her by James when she
provided him with shelter.
Influence
The poem is filled with dramatic,
descriptive passages that bring alive
the history and landscape of the
Trossachs:
The summer dawn’s reflected hue
To purple changed Loch Katrine blue;
Mildly and soft the western breeze
Just kissed the lake, just stirred the trees
Lines like these caught the imagination
of readers and broke all previous
records for the sale of poetry. The
poem brought a flood of tourists to view
the landscapes that Scott described
so vividly. Following publication, the
number of carriages passing Loch
Katrine shot up from 48 in one year to
279 the next! There were literally coach
traffic jams!
The poem also helped to establish
the notion of the romantic Highlands,
with Scott going on to stage manage
George IV’s visit to Edinburgh in
1822. He dressed the king in tartan
and revived interest in the wearing of
highland dress, which had previously
been banned following the Jacobite
rebellion in 1745.
The poem went on to inspire
musicians and artists across the globe.
– The three ‘Ellen songs’ from Scott’s
poem were set to music by Franz
Schubert. His music to the third song
was later to become far more
fa mously known as Ave Maria.
– Verses from the poem, including Hail
to the Chief who in triumph
advances!, were set to music. The
Hail to the Chief march became a
62 The Nature of Scotland
2
3

1
Loch Katrine is roughly
13 km (8 miles) long
and 1 km (0.6 miles)
wide. It’s the main
water reservoir for
much of Glasgow and
its surrounding areas.
2
The poem Lady of the
Lake created
Scotland’s first tourism
boom.
3
Sir Henry Raeburn’s
portrait of Sir Walter
Scott (1822).
4
The historic steamship
Sir Walter Scott has
been cruising the
waters of Loch Katrine
for over a century.
Scott passionately
promoted Scotland
as a country of
wild, untouched
landscapes, rich in
history and myth.
popular music hall song in the UK
and USA. It was so loved by the
President’s first lady that she insisted
it was played whenever he entered
the room to announce his arrival. It’s
still used to this day and was played
at President Obama’s inauguration.
– Artists were drawn to the Scottish
landscape by Scott’s atmospheric
descriptions of the countryside,
particularly of the Highlands. Look at
John Knox’s painting Landscape with
Tourists at Loch Katrine in the
National Gallery of Scotland and
you’ll see a prime example of Scott’s
influence.
Programme
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National
Park Authority plan to celebrate the
anniversary with a programme of
cultural and literary events that will
give a particular focus to the natural
and cultural heritage of the Trossachs.
Support for the celebrations is coming
from SNH, Forestry Commission
Scotland, Event Scotland, LEADER,
Stirling Council and local businesses
and communities.
A key event planned for autumn
2010 is ‘The Chase’, named after the
first part of the poem where James V
hunts a stag through the Trossachs.
This will be a family-friendly sports
event, combining running and cycling
the route of the chase from the poem
and finishing with a ceilidh in the
evening.
Other events will include:
– a permanent art and literary trail
around Loch Katrine;
– promotional cruises on Loch Katrine;
– a Trossachs film week;
– a superbly produced reprint of Lady
of the Lake; and
– a range of exhibitions and guided
walks.
“The events provide a great opportunity
for people to gain an appreciation
of the relationship between people
and place,” explained Paul Roberts,
the SNH area officer in Stirling who’s
responsible for liaising with the national
park. “They also provide people with a
chance to understand how landscapes
change through time and to link this
with how climate change will shape the
landscapes of the future.”
For more information on all the
activities in the Scott’sLand programme
visit www.scottsland.co.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 63
4

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