Category Archives: Uncategorized

Wild Boars of Gaelic Legend

Roddy Maclean explores the presence of the wild boar in the Gaelic landscape Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tuirc nan Sgeulachdan air Aghaidh na Tìre

Tha Ruairidh MacIlleathain a’ toirt sùil air an fhacal ‘torc’ ann an ainmean-àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

South on the right hand

The Gaelic word for ‘south’ – a common enough term on our maps – also means ‘right’. The reason takes us back to the sun-worshipping practices of our ancestors, as Ruairidh MacIlleathain reveals. Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An àird a deas air an làimh dheis

Leugh ann am Beurla / Read in English Bidh feadhainn a tha ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig gu tric a’ gabhail iongnadh gu bheil an aon fhacal againn airson south agus right. Ach tha e furasta gu leòr a thuigsinn nuair … Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Water on the move

In such a frequently showered and mountainous landscape as Scotland, burns and streams abound, and the Gaelic language has a number of generic words for moving water. Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The story behind the discovery of world’s first flapper skate nursery

On the blog today, one of our marine experts, Jane Dodd, explores the fascinating story of how the first report of an egg nursery for flapper skate was discovered and researched, leading to special protections for this critically endangered species … Continue reading

Posted in biodiversity, coastal, Marine, Marine Protected Areas, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

The ‘Blind’ Streams of the Uplands

Roddy Maclean looks at the fascinating word ‘caochan’ in the Gaelic landscape Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, mapping, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nature’s Bounty in a Brùchd

Piles of seaweed thrown up by winter storms can add new elements to the forager’s basket Continue reading

Posted in autumn, beach, beaches, biodiversity, coastal, Folklore, foraging, Gaelic, History, Marine, NatureScot, sea life, Uncategorized, winter | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mathas na Mara à Brùchdan

Faodaidh brùchdan a’ gheamhraidh air a’ chladach feamainn bhlasta a chur ri daithead an rùrachair Continue reading

Posted in autumn, beach, beaches, biodiversity, coastal, Folklore, foraging, Gaelic, History, Marine, NatureScot, sea life, Uncategorized, winter | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Protecting Orkney’s voles

Today, we have a fascinating guest post from Ann Cockerton, who until recently was the Orkney Native Wildlife Project communications manager. Our annual wildlife monitoring surveys concluded last month with the completion of the Orkney vole surveys. The Orkney vole … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment