Category Archives: plants

Aiteann – ceangal eadar Dà Dheoch / Juniper – a link between Gin and Whisky

Posted on August 13, 2020 by

Bidh daoine a’ ceangal aiteann ri sine ach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd tha am preas cuideachd ceangailte ri uisge-beatha / Juniper is intimately linked with gin but, in the Highlands of Scotland, it also has connections to whisky … Aiteann – … Continue reading →

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, plants, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Lockdown Nostalgia

Posted on June 12, 2020 by

Nature has helped many of us through the various challenges of the past few months. We’ve watched nature thrive through our screens and spent time observing life with fresh eyes and ears in our gardens and from windows. We’ve really … Continue reading →

Posted in green health, Natural Health Service, Nature in art, paths, photography, plants, Uncategorized, urban nature, wild flowers, woodlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why we should love dandelions!

Posted on May 11, 2020 by

The dandelion is not much loved. But Therese Alampo, Manager of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, is here to tell us the many reasons we should appreciate these cheery, early spring flowers… The humble dandelion is one of the first … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, Flowers, gardens, National Nature Reserves, photography, plants, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, Uncategorized, wild flowers | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Remarkable achievements at Ben and Glen Nevis

Posted on January 21, 2020 by

Over the last five years, the Nevis Landscape Partnership has achieved what it says on the side of its bus – carried out a programme of 19 projects, with tremendous volunteer support. This £3.4 million scheme has had a tangible … Continue reading →

Posted in Access, citizen science, Community engagement, conservation, Diversity, Ecology, Flowers, Lichens, mosses, paths, plants, Projects, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, survey, Trail, Uncategorized, Visitor centre, Volunteering, wild flowers, wild land | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Mapping our species-rich grasslands

Posted on November 5, 2019 by

According to UK charity Plantlife, Britain has lost 97% of its species-rich grassland in less than a century. Hundreds of plants, fungi and invertebrate species rely on these important habitats – which in turn support healthy populations of birds and … Continue reading →

Posted in battleby, biodiversity, Cairngorms National Park, citizen science, Ecology, Flowers, Fungi, gardens, graduate placement, Habitat Map of Scotland, Land management, mapping, meadow, plants, SNH, Staff profile, Uncategorized, wild flowers, wild land, Young people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bringing butterflies and bees back to Skolie Burn SSSI

Posted on September 26, 2019 by

Since starting a Community Woodland group, Ian Records’ life has changed completely – dropping leaflets, knocking on doors, writing up woodland management plans and doing flower surveys.  Here, he tells how a protected area can galvanise a local community to take action to improve their local area for people and wildlife. Continue reading →

Posted in Access, bees, biodiversity, citizen science, Community engagement, conservation, Ecology, Flowers, Insects, Land management, meadow, Orchids, plants, Projects, Scotland's Protected Places, SNH, SSSI, Uncategorized, Volunteering, wild flowers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Foraging Fortnight – a celebration of Scotland’s wild food

Posted on August 31, 2019 by

Elderberries, brambles, crab apples, hazelnuts and chanterelles are just some of the delicious wild finds of early autumn.  The first Foraging Fortnight, supported mainly by EU LEADER funding, coincides with this season of abundance – it runs from 31st August … Continue reading →

Posted in Festival, foraging, Fungi, mushrooms, Outdoor learning, plants, Rowan, SNH, Uncategorized, wild flowers, woodlands | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Beautiful but deadly – the plant with a dark side

Posted on May 15, 2019 by

Rhododendron may appear beautiful – but one type of this impressive looking plant is posing a deadly threat to Scotland’s rainforest plants and lichens. Rhododendron ponticum, a majestic shrub with its early summer explosions of bright pink blooms, is a … Continue reading →

Posted in invasive non-native species, plants, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , ,

The Graips of Sloth: the List of Winter Gardening Don’ts & Dos

Posted on February 5, 2019 by

This week, our gardener at our Battleby office, Jim Carruthers, shares some great tips on what to do – and NOT to do – to keep our gardens in good shape over winter.  Many are tempted to atone for the excesses … Continue reading →

Posted in battleby, gardens, plants, Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , ,

Connecting people and plants

Posted on November 16, 2018 by

SNH’s Iain Macdonald was just one of around 175 people with a passion for wild plants at an unofficially record-breaking meeting in Edinburgh recently… Not long ago I was sitting in a room surrounded by botanists, probably the single largest … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, conference, Flowers, plants, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, science, SNH, Uncategorized, wild flowers | Tagged , , , , , , ,