Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Natural Heritage Summer 2009 

The Nature of Scotland 

Feeling good 

How nature can 

help 

Here be dragons 

Discover some 

aerial jewels 

On your doorstep 

Wildlife in the city

Contents 

Features 

5 

8 

17 

39 

56 

63 

8 Unearthing nature’s wonders 

Youngsters dig out garden secrets 

10 Just what the doctor ordered 

Nature delivers a natural high 

16 Of damsels and dragons 

Check out dragonfl ies near you 

22 City sights 

Glasgow wildlife for all 

30 Join the club! 

Follow in their footsteps 

46 National treasures 

Exploring your national parks 

26 

Regulars 

2 Where we are 

SNH contact details 

3 Welcome 

4 Wild calendar 

Where to go and what to see this 

summer 

20 Common heritage 

Linking language and environment 

26 News 

Natural heritage updates 

34 Events diary 

Guide to what’s on 

36 Reserve focus 

Discover Inchcailloch in 

Loch Lomond NNR 

42 Area news 

Reports from round the country 

45 Print out 

Our latest publications 

58 Kids only! 

Activities for younger readers 

52 Learning from the past 

Scotland’s past points to the future 

56 Making a splash 

St Abbs plunges into special year 

60 Growing up with Wild things! 

Natural inspiration for young 

people 

64 Mailing list 

Join our list 

www.snh.org.uk 1

Credits 


The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage 

Issue Number 4 — Summer 2009 

Published quarterly 

© SNH 2009 

ISSN 1350 309X 

Editor: John Walters 

Tel. 01463 725 222 

Cover photo: Young girl sitting among bluebells 

and ferns in Brechin, Angus. 

Photographer: Niall Benvie 

Inside cover: Native bluebells are also known as 

wild hyacinths in Scotland. Britain is home to half 

of the world's total population. 

Welcome page: Glasgow from the south. 

Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH 

Andrew Darrington/Alamy 6t; © Sea Life Surveys/ 

Specialist Stock 6b; National Museums Scotland 

8; George Logan/SNH 14; Laurie Campbell 16, 17; 

Laurie Campbell/SNH 18, 19b; David Whitaker 

19t; RSPB 22; Peter Sandround/SNH 23, 24, 25; 

Laura Steel/SNH 26; Marc Marnie 27t; Peter 

Cairns/www.toothandclaw.org.uk 28; Alan Ross 

29; Seton Gordon Estate 31; Dennis Coutts 32; 

Sue Scott 33t; John Love 33b; David Whitaker 38b; 

Peter Duncan/SNH 42l, c; Aigas Field Centre 42r; 

John Love 43c; Rod Huckbody/Stornoway 

Gazette 43r; Geoff Atkins/SNH 44l; Martin Twiss/ 

SNH 44r; Pat Macdonald/SNH 52; Perthshire 

Picture Agency 55; Jim Greenfield 56; Mike Clark 

57; Clive Grewcock/SNH 61, 63. 

Illustration – jillcalder.com 9; Vicki Gausden 58 

Maps – Fitzpatrick Woolmer 37 

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: Woods of Perth, Scotland 

WP37K0609 

When you have finished with this magazine, 

please recycle it. Pass it to another reader or 

dispose of it at your local waste-collection point. 

Where we are… 

You can contact SNH by 

letter, telephone or email. 

The following details 

should enable you to fi nd 

your nearest local offi ce, 

but bear in mind that there 

are also smaller offi ces 

than those listed. 

A full list of our offi ces 

appears on the SNH 

website: www.snh.org.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, 

3 rd 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 

Laundry House, 

Dalkeith Country Park, 

Dalkeith, 

Midlothian EH22 2NA 

Tel. 0131 654 2466 

Grampian 

16/17 Rubislaw Terrace, 

Aberdeen AB10 1XE 

Tel. 01224 642 863 

2 The Nature of Scotland

Welcome 

Andrew Thin 

Chairman 

Scottish Natural Heritage 

In a time of severe pressure on public spending it’s inevitable, and right, that 

people will ask hard questions of public service organisations like SNH. What are 

you doing with my money, and what am I getting in return? How important is this, 

and can’t we wait until the current economic recession is behind us? Should we 

really be spending money on birds and beasties when we’re struggling to meet 

public expenditure demands in areas like health and education? 

There’s an inherent assumption in some of this that is fundamentally fl awed. 

Public spending on nature is not an end in itself. On the contrary, its purpose 

must be to secure and increase the wide range of public benefi ts that we all 

derive from these assets. Scotland would be a much poorer country, in all senses 

of the word, without them. They play a central role in our economy, in our health, 

and in our sense of who we are, but the benefi ts don’t come automatically. 

Indeed, for too many Scots they’re not all that apparent, and in some cases 

not even all that real. In particular, the health benefi ts that we derive from our 

natural environment are far from evenly distributed. It’s fi ne for those who live in 

leafy surroundings and can take advantage of the open-air gym on their doorstep. 

But it's irrelevant to the many who live in poorly designed urban jungles with 

neither the ability nor the confi dence to access the countryside farther afi eld. 

So, in this issue of our magazine we take a look at some of the things that 

SNH are doing, with others, to make Scotland a healthier and better place for all 

of us. There are articles on nature, health and well-being; on supporting our city 

museums to encourage people to get out more and enjoy nature; on the great 

breathing spaces presented by Scotland’s two national parks; and on ways to 

provoke young people's interest in the natural heritage. I hope that they’ll inspire 

you. Our health, like nature itself, is something that we too often take for granted... 

until it’s too late.

Wild 

calendar 

Long days and bright summer nights can 

hold wildlife interest 24/7. Wader calls in 

the ‘Simmer Dim’ of the Northern Isles, bats 

on the wing by a lowland wood or seals 

singing on a moonlit skerry could tempt you 

to skip sleep. But at least you could doze 

later to the hum of bees or the twitter of 

swallows. 

Kenny Taylor gives 

some seasonal tips for 

savouring Scottish wildlife 

and landscapes 

The cute and the deadly 

Creatures with round heads and large eyes appeal to many 

people. Common (or harbour) seals are no exception. Add 

the many attractive variations in their mottled coats, and 

it’s no surprise that boat trips to watch seals are a popular 

summer jaunt. 

You’ll fi nd places to do this around widely separated 

parts of the Scottish coast. But it also pays to look for 

offshore seal haul-outs near roads. One excellent common 

seal loafi ng area is near the Cromarty Firth Bridge between 

Dingwall and Evanton. Lay-bys along the A9 on the north 

side and a car park and restaurant at Foulis Ferry give scope 

for watching common seals nearby without disturbing them. 

Scottish common seal numbers have been declining in 

recent years. In the Northern Isles, attacks on pups by killer 

whales could be one of the reasons for the decline. So if 

you’re in Orkney or Shetland in June or July, you might just 

see more sea mammals than you’d expected. 

Web tips: 

www.snh.org.uk/publications/online/naturallyscottish/seals/ 

sealsinscotland.asp 

www.storehouseoffoulis.co.uk 

www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/04/23115405 

4 

1 

The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.org.uk 5 

1

Brown-eyed twirl 

Warm summer days, fl ower-rich grassland and fl uttering 

butterfl ies are made for each other. Brightly coloured 

butterfl ies, such as peacocks and red admirals, may seem to 

steal the show. But there’s both pleasure and challenge in 

looking more closely at less fl amboyant summer fl iers. 

‘Browns’ are an aptly named butterfl y family that includes 

widespread species, such as the meadow brown, and some 

scarcer ones for which Scotland is an important home. 

The mountain ringlet is a brown, and is Britain’s only true 

mountain-dwelling butterfl y. Some live in the Lake District, 

but its stronghold is in the uplands of Perthshire and 

Lochaber. 

The Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve – famed for 

its alpine fl owers and the glories of the scenery above 

bonny Loch Tay – is in the heart of Scotland’s mountain 

ringlet territory. Like the Scotch argus (another brown), the 

mountain ringlet has ‘eyespots’ on its wings and fl ies only if 

the sun is shining. Mountains, sun, butterfl ies: sounds like 

another heady mix. 

2 

Web tip: 

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

Catch the minke 

3 

It can match a double-decker bus in length and weight. So 

when a minke whale emerges from the deeps, it’s sure to 

cause a stir. The minke whale is the commonest whale seen 

in Scottish inshore waters, but that doesn’t make it a pushover 

to spot. 

Typically, a minke doesn’t stay near the surface for long. 

Even if you’re with a boatload of whale enthusiasts, that 

means you have to keep scanning the sea for signs of its 

black, curved back and small dorsal fi n. 

Mull is one of Scotland’s whale-watching hotspots, with 

trips sailing from Tobermory to waters off Ardnamurchan and 

the west of the island. Regular ferries here and elsewhere 

also give the chance of whale, dolphin and porpoise 

sightings. Summer services across the Minch, including 

Ullapool to Stornoway, are a good bet. So too are the 

scheduled ferries from Arisaig or Mallaig to Eigg and the 

other Small Isles. 

Web tips: 

www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk 

www.sealifesurveys.com 


1 

Eighty per cent of the 

UK’s common seals 

breed in Scotland, 

which is home to at 

least 20,000 of these 

dappled sea mammals. 

2 

The mountain ringlet is 

one of Scotland’s rarer 

brown butterflies. 

Several of its colonies 

survive in national 

nature reserves. 

3 

It’s a rare treat if a 

minke whale emerges, 

head first, beside a 

boat. Pure white front 

fins, or ‘flukes’, are one 

of the minke’s 

distinctive features. 

4 

Bumblebees help to 

pollinate both 

wildflowers and crops 

as they move between 

plants to feed. 

Born to hum 

Times are hard for foggie-toddlers and droners. Numbers 

of bumblebees (as you’ll most likely know them) have been 

in tailspin in many places. That’s why the Scottish and UK 

governments are funding new research aimed at improving 

life for bees. 

But it’s not all gloom for the big buzzers. Scotland has 

17 different species and some excellent places to watch 

them. At the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve, you 

could couple a visit to enjoy wildfowl and cultural heritage 

with appreciation of bees that benefi t from the world’s fi rst 

bumblebee sanctuary. Created around two years ago with 

help from SNH, this fl owery meadow at the RSPB’s Vane 

Farm is already attracting many different bumblebees. 

In the Hebrides and Orkney, you might be lucky enough 

to see one of Scotland’s rarest bumblebees, the great yellow. 

It relishes the clover on traditionally managed grasslands in 

places such as the RSPB’s Balranald Reserve and the Loch 

Druidibeg National Nature Reserve. 

Web tips: 

www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=33 

www.bumblebeeconservation.org/vane.htm 

www.snh.org.uk/pubs/results.asp?Q=bumblebees&rpp=10 

4 

www.snh.org.uk 7

Unearthing nature’s wonders 

What lurks at the bottom of your garden? A new exhibition at the National 

Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh encourages younger visitors to become 

detectives and fi nd out 

Inspired by the work of Charles 

Darwin, and on the 200th 

anniversary of his birth, a new 

Garden Detectives exhibition at 

the National Museum of Scotland 

transforms the ordinary into the 

extraordinary. 

Children can delve into hedges, take a 

peek in the garden shed and unearth 

wonders from the exhibition fl ower beds 

and pond. They can explore habitats, 

study food chains, track animals and 

discover what they get up to while 

we’re asleep – all without getting their 

hands dirty! 

“Darwin’s greatest ability was his 

skill as an observer when studying the 

natural world around him,” says Graham 

Rotheray, the museum’s curator of 

insects. “With Garden Detectives we 

want to encourage the same level of 

curiosity in our younger visitors.” 

Highlighting the importance of 

involving children in the environment 

from a young age, Graham points out 

that, “teaching young people to explore 

gives them invaluable life skills. Here 

they can begin to unravel the vast 

complexities of the natural world.” 

With more than 30,000 species of 

insects and spiders alone living in the 

UK today, an average Scottish garden 

may contain many hundreds of different 

species. Add in the huge variety of 

mammals, birds, plants and fungi, and 

you begin to get an idea of the size of 

the challenge facing the exhibition team. 

8 The Nature of Scotland 

1

Win a family day out at the 

National Museum of Scotland 

We have fi ve family days out to the Garden Detectives exhibition to 

give away. The fi rst fi ve readers to email info@nms.ac.uk with the 

subject line ‘Garden Detectives competition’ (including their name 

and address) by 5pm on 26 June 2009 will win a family day out (a 

free lunch for a maximum of fi ve people in the café with goody bags 

for each child). All entries will be added to the National Museums 

Scotland email newsletter for the latest news on events, exhibitions 

and special offers. If you don’t wish to be added to the email list, 

please include ‘no newsletter’ in your entry. 

2 

1 

The exhibition 

encourages children to 

investigate the world 

of a garden. 

2 

Illustration for the 

exhibition. 

A cut-away garden shed houses a 

selection of specimens, including the 

complete life cycle of a dragonfl y. The 

closer visitors look, the more they’ll 

discover. “We present visitors with 

contrasts like large and small insects, 

day and night-time creatures, ladybirds 

with different numbers of spots, and so 

on,” Graham explains. 

These enable visitors not only to 

learn more about the garden as a haven 

for wildlife but also to see how they live 

together and how we can observe and 

study them. Just as life varies at different 

levels in a pond, similar structured 

habitats can be found in a hedgerow. 

By comparing different creatures 

and seeing how they’re grouped, 

children will be able to spot themes 

behind the evolution of life. “The most 

important lesson from the exhibition 

will be to highlight the amazing stories, 

life cycles and lessons to be gained 

without having to leave the garden,” 

adds Graham, refl ecting a lesson that 

was not lost on Darwin himself. 

Despite his fi ve-year groundbreaking 

scientifi c expedition aboard 

HMS Beagle, it was Darwin’s 

observations in his own garden that 

fi nally persuaded him to complete and 

publish On the Origin of Species. 

Aimed at families with children aged 

between fi ve and nine, the exhibition 

will also be of great interest to primary 

schools. Garden Detectives is at 

the National Museum of Scotland, 

Edinburgh, from 26 June to 27 

September, with fi nancial support from 

SNH. Admission is free and you can 

visit www.nms.ac.uk/gardendetectives 

to fi nd out more. 

www.snh.org.uk 9

Just what the doctor ordered 

Scotland has, in the past, been labelled the ‘sick 

man of Europe’ because of its poor health record. 

So what can the natural heritage do to help? 

10 



1

2 

Nature is good for you – that’s offi cial. Medical 

research has shown that contact with nature has 

a positive impact on people’s blood pressure, 

cholesterol, outlook on life, stress reduction and 

child development. 

That’s the good news. The bad news is that too few of us 

are taking advantage of the benefi ts that being outdoors can 

bring. As a nation, we should be making more use of the 

natural heritage to address some of the important physical 

and mental health issues facing Scotland today. 

That’s why the Scottish Government are looking to 

increase the number of adults enjoying the outdoors each 

week. Getting people out and about goes some way 

towards meeting the medical advice that we should be 

taking 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least fi ve times 

a week. It should also help with other government goals of 

curbing weight increase in children, improving adults’ mental 

well-being and increasing the life span of people living in 

disadvantaged areas. 

1 

A visit to your local 

park can provide a 

health boost for all the 

family. 

2 

Growing food in 

community gardens or 

allotments is a good 

way to exercise and 

meet people, with the 

added bonus that you 

can eat the results of 

your hard work! 

3 

For many people, the 

natural environment 

provides the perfect 

place to exercise and 

relax. 


Healthier Scotland 

Recent research suggests that nature can help meet all of 

these targets by providing: 

– Green exercise Being active outdoors can improve 

people’s physical and mental health. 

– Natural recovery The natural heritage, and being involved 

in its care, can help with recovery from physical and mental 

stresses. 

– Illness prevention Just being outdoors can deliver 

various health and well-being benefi ts, as well as help 

people guard against future illness. 

– Wider benefi ts Experience of nature and looking after it 

can lead to stronger and more inclusive communities. 

– Direction for the young Healthier lifestyles result from 

positive interest in the natural world at a young age and 

encouraging outdoor activity. 

“Doctors and health professionals are more and more 

aware of the role that contact with nature and being 

active outdoors can play in creating a healthier Scotland,” 

commented Pete Rawcliffe, SNH’s quality of life group 

manager. 

“We can all feel physically and mentally better by getting 

out and about more. And you don’t have to be super-fi t to 

enjoy the benefi ts. Just being active outdoors can go a long 

way towards making you feel good. It’s fun too, whether 

you’re out on your own, with friends or family, or as part of an 

organised group.” 

Scotland certainly needs to develop new approaches 

that can help improve the nation’s health, given its history of 

long-standing and major health issues, including: 

– Heart disease This is still one of the major causes of 

early death in Scotland and it plays a big part in health 

inequalities. 

– Obesity More than half the population are classifi ed as 

overweight, with nearly a quarter defi ned as obese. 

Obesity levels are also high and increasing among schoolaged 

children. 

– Mental health Depression and similar disorders were the 

fi fth most common group of conditions reported in 

doctors’ surgeries in 2005/06. 

3 

www.snh.org.uk 13

4 

Outdoor activity offers 

everyone the chance to 

explore new places 

and learn more about 

the natural world. 

5 

The chance to meet 

others and work 

together can be as 

important for 

volunteers as the 

direct health benefits. 

14 

4 


Health inequalities 

A major concern in Scotland remains the long-standing 

health inequalities that exist between different parts of the 

country, and between different social and economic groups. 

People in disadvantaged areas already live shorter, less 

healthy lives and tend to confront long-term disease at a 

much earlier age than society as a whole. They also suffer 

poorer mental health. 

Unfortunately, as improvements in public health have 

been achieved nationally, the health inequalities have grown. 

Between 2000 and 2006, the rates of death from heart 

disease fell by 33% among the under 75s in Scotland 

overall, but by only 27% in the most deprived areas. Similar 

fi gures for cancer were 9% and 2% respectively. 

In fact, at just 54 years, life expectancy for people in 

parts of Glasgow is now 28 years shorter than elsewhere in 

Scotland, and less than other parts of the developing world. 

Disadvantaged areas also tend to be linked with poverty, 

which means that residents are less able to travel farther to 

enjoy the outdoors. It therefore makes sense to plan for more 

local greenspace, path networks and attractive landscapes 

close to people’s homes. 

“People with access to nearby nature are generally 

healthier than those who don’t have access,” Pete added. 

“And we know that attractive parks, green spaces and 

nearby countryside are more likely to be used for physical 

activity. 

“SNH believe the benefi ts of enjoying the outdoors 

should be shared by all of Scotland’s people. We’re 

therefore placing greater emphasis on getting more people 

outdoors, and encouraging them to embrace a stronger 

outdoor culture through recreation, volunteering and outdoor 

learning. 

“We’re also working with the health sector to support 

others in providing high-quality places for contact with 

nature close to people’s homes. This can dramatically 

improve the quality of life in run-down areas as well as offer 

a route to health for residents.” 

5 

www.snh.org.uk 15

1 

16 


Of damsels 

and dragons 

2 

One of the natural highlights 

of summer is watching 

a dragonfl y or damselfl y 

cruising over a pond like 

a mini helicopter. Now 

your help is needed with 

recording where they live 

Dragonfl ies and damselfl ies are some of our oldest 

insects whose ancestors were on the wing over 

300 million years ago. They are beautiful aerial 

jewels with stunning colours, fascinating behaviour 

and incredible powers of fl ight. 

1 

The southern hawker 

dragonfly is on the 

move northwards. It 

often breeds in garden 

ponds but hunts well 

away from water. 

2 

If you come across a 

damselfly on or around 

large lochs then it's 

likely to be the 

common blue. 

However, having survived the extinction of the dinosaurs 

and several ice ages, the question now is: ‘Can dragonfl ies 

survive the increasing pressures that people are putting on 

them?’ 

These beautiful creatures are threatened by climate 

change and destruction of the areas where they live. That’s 

why the British Dragonfl y Society (BDS) have launched the 

Dragonfl ies in Focus project. 

This fi ve-year project, co-funded by SNH, centres on a 

nationwide survey to fi nd out exactly where our dragonfl ies 

are living and how well they’re coping with the threats they 

face. This will lead to a new atlas in 2013, which will give a 

snapshot of where Britain’s dragonfl ies are currently found. 

“Several of the scarce species are found in Scotland,” 

explained Stephen Prentice, Dragonfl ies in Focus offi cer 

with the BDS, “and it appears that many other species are 

expanding northwards. For example, the southern hawker 

never used to be seen in Scotland, but over the last 20 years 

it’s quickened its movement into Scotland, with one spotted 

recently as far north as Stornoway. 

“Dragonfl ies are increasingly heading to Britain from 

Europe,” he added. “Understanding where and how quickly 

our dragonfl ies are moving will help plan for the future, 

especially in terms of the way we try and conserve them. It 

will be important to make sure they’re provided with the best 

opportunities to react to change.” 

www.snh.org.uk 17

Dragonfl ies are sensitive to 

temperature, which makes them useful 

for studies on how climate change 

is affecting the natural world. The 

information collected can also be used 

to monitor endangered species and 

help them recover. Records of breeding 

activity are particularly important for 

identifying key dragonfl y sites. 

Scotland has always been underrecorded 

because of its large size and 

relatively small population. However, 

the BDS aims to survey all of it before 

the end of 2012. The country has been 

divided up into 10-km squares – all 

1119 of them. 2008 was the fi rst year 

of recording for the atlas and, despite 

the poor weather, volunteers provided 

records for 172 of the 10-km squares, 

or about 15% of the total. More 

volunteers are needed to cover all the 

Scottish squares before the end of the 

project. 

If you’re interested in getting 

involved then you could help by 

recording dragonfl y activity in your 

neighbourhood. There are fi ve key 

pieces of information that make up a 

good dragonfl y record: the name of the 

species you’ve seen, where you saw it, 

the map reference, the date and your 

name/contact details. Extra information 

that’s also really helpful includes the life 

stage of the dragonfl y – whether it’s an 

adult, a larva or just the discarded ‘skin’ 

when it becomes an adult. 

Other information you can collect 

includes the type of habitat, the 

weather, the height of the site and 

breeding behaviour. All the data 

collected will be used as a starting 

point from which to monitor changes, 

and work out whether they’re due to the 

habitat being altered, pollution, climate 

change or competition. You can enter 

records online at the BDS website 

www.dragonfl ysoc.org.uk 

To give the project a boost in 

Scotland the BDS and SNH are 

co-hosting an event at Loch Leven 

National Nature Reserve on 22 July. 

It will include a hands-on afternoon 

discovering the wonderful world of 

dragonfl ies, as well as an evening talk. 

You can fi nd further details at www.snh. 

org.uk/scottish/taysclack/events.asp 

3 

18 


4 

Rough guide to dragonflies 

Dragonfl ies and damselfl ies belong to 

the insect group known as Odonata, 

meaning ‘toothed jaw’, because their 

mouthparts are jagged. 

They’re often referred to jointly as 

‘dragonfl ies’, but damselfl ies are the 

much smaller and weaker fl ying relatives 

of dragonfl ies. 

The life cycle is egg (usually laid under 

water), larva or nymph (free moving 

and water dwelling) and adult. The 

larva lives for several weeks (or years 

depending on the species) under water 

and undergoes a series of moults as it 

grows. It emerges from the water when 

it’s ready to undergo its fi nal moult, 

where the ‘skin’ splits to release the 

winged adult. 

Dragonfl ies are harmless to people as 

they have no sting and will not attack. 

5 

Adult dragonfl ies are skilful hunters. 

They eat other fl ying insects, particularly 

fl ies, midges and mosquitoes. They 

also take butterfl ies, moths and smaller 

dragonfl ies. The larvae, which live in 

water, eat almost anything that’s living 

and smaller than themselves. 

Among the species that catch and eat 

adult dragonfl ies are birds, spiders and 

frogs. 

3 

Moorland bogs and 

pools are where you’ll 

find the northern 

emerald dragonfly. It’s 

restricted to northwest 

Scotland, apart from a 

tiny colony in 

southwest Ireland. 

4 

Large red damselflies 

are among the earliest 

species to appear each 

spring. 

5 

The azure hawker is 

widespread in the 

Highlands and is only 

found in Scotland. 

Dragonfl ies such as the emperor can 

reach a length of about 85 mm 

with a wingspan of around 

120 mm. Damselfl ies are much smaller, 

demoiselles being the largest – they 

have a body length of about 50 mm and 

a wingspan of around 60 mm. 

The maximum speed of large species 

like the hawkers is around 25–30 mph. 

Average cruising speed is probably 

about 10 mph. 

An old name for damselfl ies was ‘devil’s 

darning needles’. This comes from an 

old myth that if you went to sleep by a 

stream on a summer’s day, damselfl ies 

would use their long, thin bodies to sew 

your eyelids shut! 

www.snh.org.uk 19

Dualchas coitcheann 

Common heritage 

In Scottish Gaelic tradition, 

the meadowsweet plant 

is linked to Cuchullin, one 

of the greatest of all our 

legendary heroes. Ruairidh 

MacIlleathain explains the 

link 

1 

Crios Chù Chulainn – 

lus le ceangal don 

t-seann ghaisgeach 

ainmeil 

Ghàidhealach. 

Crios Chù Chulainn 

(‘Cuchullin’s belt’) – 

the name and folklore 

link this species to one 

of the most famous 

characters in Gaelic 

tradition. 

Lus gaisgich 

Chleachd muinntir Shasainn an lus 

seo (Filipendula ulmaria) anns an 

t-seann aimsir airson mil-dheoch a 

mhìlseachadh agus ’s e sin as coireach 

ri ainm ann am Beurla. Ach ann an 

Gàidhlig canar ‘Crios Chù Chulainn’ ris 

– no uaireannan ‘Cneas Chù Chulainn’ 

– agus tha e gu làidir co-cheangailte 

nar dualchas fhèin ris an t-seann 

ghaisgeach sin a tha a’ nochdadh cho 

fada air ais ann an eachdraidh nan 

Gàidheal ri Táin Bó Cúailnge, nuair a 

bha e a’ sabaid às leth nan Ultach an 

aghaidh arm Chonnacht. 

Ged a bhuineadh Cù Chulainn do 

dh’Ulaidh, a rèir beul-aithris ann an 

Alba, dh’ionnsaich e na sgilean cogaidh 

aige aig a’ Bhànrigh Sgàthach anns 

an Eilean Sgitheanach. Gabhaidh an 

caisteal aice (Dùn Sgàthaich) faicinn 

fhathast air taobh an iar Shlèite ann an 

ceann a deas an eilein. Bidh fi os aig a’ 

chuid mhòir de Ghàidheil gur e Setanta 

an t-ainm-baistidh a bh’ air, ach gun do 

ghabh e Cù Chulainn air fhèin (agus 

obair a’ choin mhairbh) nuair a mharbh 

e an cù-faire aig fear air an robh 

Culann. Ach is iongantach ma tha fi os 

air sin aig a’ mhòr-chuid a choimheadas 

ball-coise Albannach air an t-sianal 

telebhisein dhen aon ainm! 

Bhathar a’ cleachdadh an luis seo le 

bhith ga chur air an ùrlar airson deagh 

fhàileadh a sgaoileadh anns an taigh. 

Bhathar cuideachd ga chleachdadh 

airson fi abhras a lughdachadh agus ’s e 

sin a tha ga cheangal do Chù Chulainn. 

Ged a bha e na ghaisgeach, bha e 

iomraiteach airson a chuid riastraidh 

– bhiodh e a’ dol às a rian le fearg. A 

rèir beul-aithris, bha an dearg chuthach 

air latha a bha seo, agus bha dragh 

air buidheann de bhoireannaich gum 

faigheadh e bàs. Thug iad air ionnlad 

fhèin ann an amar a bha làn dhen 

lus seo, agus chaidh e am feabhas. 

Bho sin a-mach, chumadh e bad 

dhen lus na chrios – airson a bhith a’ 

cuimhneachadh mar a shàbhail e a 

bheatha. 

Chan eil fi os dè cho sean ’s a tha 

an ceangal eadar an gaisgeach agus 

an lus, ach tha e beagan cheudan 

bhliadhnaichean aig a’ char as lugha. 

Ann an Òran an t-Samhraidh le Alasdair 

Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, a sgrìobhadh 

timcheall air 1738, tha am bàrd a-mach 

air ’S cùbhraidh fàileadh do mhuineil, a 

Chrios Cho-chulainn nan càrn. 


1 

A hero’s plant 

The English name for the meadowsweet 

derives from Anglo-Saxon times when 

it was used for sweetening mead. The 

Gaelic name is completely different, as 

it ties the plant to a legendary fi gure in 

Celtic tradition – Cuchullin. 

Although an Ulsterman, Cuchullin 

is intimately linked to Scotland as he’s 

said to have learned his fi ghting skills 

from the warrior queen Sgàthach on 

the Isle of Skye. The meadowsweet in 

Gaelic Scotland is crios Chù Chulainn 

– ‘Cuchullin’s belt’ – an association 

that’s credited to the plant’s use in 

treating fevers. 

Cuchullin suffered horrendous 

rages, when he became unbeatable 

on the fi eld of battle, but observers 

were often worried that he would die 

of apoplexy. During one of these bouts, 

some women convinced him to bathe 

in meadowsweet. He was calmed and, 

from that point on, he carried a sprig 

of the plant tucked in his belt to remind 

him of how it saved his life. 

www.snh.org.uk 21

City sights 

The most popular 

visitor attraction 

in Scotland now 

offers a great range 

of wildlife events 

and activities for 

everyone to enjoy 

1 


Almost one and a half million visitors passed 

through Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 

Glasgow last year and one of the highlights for 

many will have been an unexpected insight into the 

city’s wildlife. 

Information offi cers from RSPB Scotland (Royal Society for 

the Protection of Birds) now have a presence at the museum 

and lead guided tours around its grand halls and galleries. 

Operating under the banner of ‘A date with nature’, the two 

RSPB guides aim to get folk excited about the wonderful 

wildlife they can see in the city, as well as providing an 

insight on wider conservation issues. 

They also hold talks and family activities at regular 

events, with a recent highlight being a visit by the hugely 

popular children’s author Julia Davidson, famous for the 

‘Gruffalo’ books. In addition, they lead guided walks at the 

weekend out in Kelvingrove Park, with all ages and levels 

of understanding welcome. They aim to make sure that 

there’s something for everyone, with a bit of local history 

included too, and the chance to use RSPB telescopes and 

binoculars. 

1 

Kelvingrove is the most 

visited museum in the 

UK outside of London. 

2 

Park and stride – 

Bonnie Griffin of the 

RSPB leads a family 

group on a riverside 

walk in Kelvingrove 

Park. 

2 

www.snh.org.uk 23

Inspiring children 

During the week, a group of fi eld teachers and volunteers are 

also present to offer fi rst-hand outdoor learning experiences 

for Glasgow primary school children. This complements the 

museum’s own indoor classroom teaching. Over 60 schools 

and some 2,000 pupils have already taken advantage of the 

opportunities, which seek to inspire and enthuse the children 

about the nature around them. 

“The project is based in the heart of Glasgow and 

we’re aiming to encourage a real sense of pride in the local 

environment,” explained Pardeep Chand, RSPB Scotland’s 

senior information offi cer at Kelvingrove. “The city’s parks, 

open spaces and gardens are home to nearly 4,000 different 

kinds of plants and animals, so there’s plenty to talk about. 

“The museum attracts people from all parts of Glasgow 

and we’re keen to work with communities and individuals 

who don’t normally know about or get involved with the 

natural heritage. 

“We focus on getting them excited about the peregrines, 

foxes and other wildlife living on their doorstep. We also 

connect people to the outdoor environment by leading 

the guided walks in the park and directing people to other 

nature-based tourism activities.” 

The project is being funded by the National Lottery 

through the Heritage Lottery Fund (until September this 

year) and SNH. It's run in partnership with Glasgow City 

Council and Culture and Sport Glasgow. 

3 

The RSPB recently 

organised for author 

Julia Davidson of 

'Gruffalo' fame to visit 

and put on a show at 

the museum. 

4 

The Gruffalo event 

proved a big hit with 

youngsters. 

3 

“The city’s parks, open 

spaces and gardens 

are home to nearly 

4,000 different kinds 

of plants and animals” 


SNH were also a major contributor to the recent 

£28 million refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Museum. And 

the organisation provided support through some of their 

specialist staff acting as expert reviewers for the natural 

history galleries. 

The RSPB information staff at the museum are assisted 

by a team of volunteers who lead guided walks and get 

involved in wildlife surveying in the park and along the River 

Kelvin. Through their efforts, the environment along the River 

Kelvin is being improved for wildlife and nest boxes put 

up for a range of local bird species. Future plans include 

installing a peregrine nesting platform and CCTV on one of 

the museum’s towers, which will allow them to beam back 

live images to the museum. 

“We’re trying to show people that nature really is on the 

doorstep of city communities,” added Pardeep, “and you 

don’t need to take a trip to remote places to see wildlife. We 

also want to enthuse people enough that they’ll get involved 

in making a positive difference for their local wildlife.” 

4 

www.snh.org.uk 25

NEWS 

Searching beneath the surface 

Interesting times lie ahead for Scotland’s marine environment. Next year will see 

the publication of the fi rst State of Scotland’s Seas report and the passing of the 

Scottish Marine Act. 

In addition, the Scottish Government’s new champion for our marine 

environment, Marine Scotland, will be developing new marine protected areas 

and a new marine planning system. Both of these will need to be underpinned by 

high-quality marine data. 

SNH have been working with partners, communities and the public to improve 

knowledge of the marine environment. For example, SNH’s dive team used a 

recent training session to look at the previously unsurveyed fl ameshell beds in 

Loch Carron and Loch Alsh. Flameshell (pictured above) beds are distinctly 

Scottish, but not much is known about how they live and where they can be 

found. 

These colourful molluscs are unique in the way they take materials from the 

seabed fl oor and form ‘nests’, which are then taken over by a range of other 

plants and animals. The results from the survey will be used to work out how to 

safeguard these creatures in the future. 

Another recent example of survey work has been taken forward with 

others at Lamlash Bay in Arran. A ‘no take zone’ was set up in 2008 and SNH 

commissioned a map of the bay to show where different species live. Marine 

Scotland’s laboratory has begun monitoring the population of scallops, and 

volunteer divers will be checking out the important maerl (red seaweed) beds 

within Lamlash Bay. The combined results will allow us to judge what effect the 

‘no take zone’ is having on the maerl beds and scallops. 

This kind of monitoring and survey work means we can improve our knowledge 

of Scotland’s seas, which puts us in a better position to advise on where we need 

to focus our conservation efforts. You can fi nd published reports on SNH’s marine 

survey and monitoring at www.snh.org/publications 

26 


Travel through time 

The web has opened a new door to Scotland’s 

history with a site that guides walkers to nearly 

2000 km of historic paths around the country. 

The Heritage Paths Project is an online resource 

giving easy access to a wealth of information on 

historic paths across Scotland. 

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

run by the Scottish Rights of Way and Access 

Society (ScotWays), was funded by the 

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and SNH. 

The Heritage Paths Project brings together carefully researched images, maps 

and information on the traditional routes and long-distance paths used down the 

generations for journeys such as trade, pilgrimage, travel and burial customs. 

Internet users now have the tools to fi nd out about old paths all over Scotland 

and travel along them. The website has a range of paths, from those that are very 

accessible to those that are challenging. All of them give a new insight into the 

purpose and methods of travel before the car. 

This online database aims to encourage people to get outdoors by putting 

these paths in their historical context and encouraging people to explore them 

for themselves. Pictured are pupils from Ceres Primary in Fife, who walked 

back in time along the famous local path ‘The Waterless Road’ and over the old 

packhorse bridge in Ceres. 

NEWS 

Beavers back 

Three beaver families have been released at lochs in the Knapdale area of mid- 

Argyll as part of a trial release project. The return of the beavers comes after a 

450-year absence of the species from Scotland after being hunted to extinction 

here. 

The beaver families were collected by a specialist team in Telemark, Norway, 

last year and then shipped to Devon for six months in quarantine. This is the fi rstever 

formal reintroduction of a (previously extinct) native mammal into the wild in 

Britain. 

The Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland have 

been responsible for overseeing the release of the animals. They have radiotagged 

the adult beavers and will run the trial over the next fi ve 

years (2009-2014). 

SNH will be independently monitoring the project and 

are contributing £275,000 to the costs. The monitoring will 

include the relationship between beavers and woodland, water 

plants, river habitat, water levels, dragonfl ies, freshwater fi sh 

and otters. 

“We’re pleased the trial is under way,” commented 

Colin Galbraith, director of policy and advice for SNH, “as it 

provides the best opportunity to see how beavers fi t into the 

Scottish countryside in a carefully planned and managed way. 

“SNH have a key role in monitoring progress and in 

reporting the outcome of the trial to Ministers in due course. 

Importantly, the monitoring programme carried out by SNH 

and others will be transparent and open. The public will be 

able to read reports and other outputs on the SNH website 

(www.snh.org.uk/scottishbeavertrial), so that everyone can see 

how the trial has gone and how the beavers have settled in.” 

www.snh.org.uk 27

NEWS 

Wildcat stronghold project 

A new project has been launched, aimed at securing the future of the Scottish 

wildcat in the Cairngorms National Park through working with a range of partners 

and interest groups. 

The Cairngorms National Park (CNP) is a stronghold for the wildcat, but some 

estimates suggest that there may be as few as 400 pure wildcats left in Scotland. 

Wildcats were once widespread throughout the UK, but in previous centuries 

they were hunted ruthlessly so that by the 19th century they had become extinct 

in England and Wales. 

Their numbers continued to decline in Scotland into the 20th century, reaching 

their lowest about 1914, by which time the few remaining cats were restricted to 

remote parts of the Highlands. 

The wildcat is now fully protected by law but it’s threatened by a range of 

factors. These include cross-breeding with domestic cats, mistakes by those 

trying to identify animals when carrying out predator control and fatal diseases 

spread by unvaccinated domestic cats. 

The Cairngorms Wildcat Project aims to tackle the threats facing wildcats by 

drawing popular attention to the plight of the animal through an awareness-raising 

campaign called ‘Highland Tiger’. 

The project will work with vets and cat welfare groups to increase levels of 

neutering and vaccination of domestic cats in the CNP. Project staff will also work 

with land managers to ensure that predator control activities are ‘wildcat-friendly’. 

Local land managers and other members of the public are encouraged to help 

monitor the wildcat population and the extent of both cross-breeding and disease. 

They can do this by reporting sightings and submitting carcases of animals killed 

on the roads to local drop-off points for scientifi c research. 

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

28 


Conference attendance 

You can now book your place at ‘The Changing Nature of Scotland’ conference, 

which will take place in Perth Concert Hall on 17 and 18 September this year. 

The conference is aimed at everyone with an interest in a healthy environment 

and will look at our changing environment, why it matters and what we’re doing 

about it. 

Keynote speakers will include Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Minister for 

Environment; Dr Harry Burns, Chief Medical Offi cer for Scotland; Julie Hesketh- 

Laird, Scottish Whisky Association; and Professor Laurence Mee, The Scottish 

Association for Marine Science. 

It’s being organised by SNH along with our Scottish Environmental and Rural 

Services (SEARS) partners. For further information please visit the conference 

website, which is now live and open for registration. You can access it via the 

SNH website at www.snh.org.uk/conference2009 or directly at www.eventsforce. 

net/SNHConference2009 

NEWS 

Water vole comeback 

More than 600 water voles have been released in the Trossachs and it’s hoped 

that a further 400 will be released later in the year. 

In the fi rst attempt to reintroduce water voles from one part of Scotland to 

another, the three-year project aims to reinstate the animals at restored wetland 

sites in the Aberfoyle area. 

The rare animals, once a common sight across the UK, have become extinct in 

the area over the last 25 years. Their decline in numbers has been blamed locally 

on loss of habitat and predation by mink. 

All of the animals being released have been bred from voles that were 

originally captured on a development site near Glasgow. The water voles will be 

carefully monitored and, to ensure they don’t pose a signifi cant threat to the water 

voles, the mink will also be monitored. 

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

and Kelty areas, both of which fl ow through Loch Ard Forest. 

The project is being led by Forestry Commission Scotland, and is being 

partnered by SNH, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the Kilgarth 

Development Company, along with Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park 

Authority. 

www.snh.org.uk 29

Join the club! 

Ewen Cameron and Pete 

Moore of SNH outline a 

project that celebrates 

those who’ve helped our 

understanding of Scottish 

wildlife, and encourage you 

to follow their lead 

1 

1 

The Highland 

Naturalists exhibition 

has something to 

interest all ages. 


Coffee-table books and TV nature programmes often leave us 

with the impression that people who study wildlife have to be 

professional scientists leading expeditions or cameramen with 

thousands of pounds worth of technical equipment. 

Some of them are, but others have nothing more than a pencil and notebook, 

allied with binoculars and the patience to observe and record what they see. 

The Highland Naturalists project celebrates those who, over the last 300 

years, have contributed much to our understanding of Scotland’s wildlife. Some 

are old, some are young, some are male, some female – there are even some 

husband and wife or father and daughter ‘teams’. What they all have in common is 

an interest in the world around them and the willingness to record what they see. 

People also assume that in a small country like Scotland we must already 

know all there is to know about our wildlife, but nothing could be further from the 

truth. There are literally thousands of Scottish native plants and animals about 

which we know very little. 

The Highland Naturalists project has two main elements. Firstly, an exhibition, 

most recently on display in the Caithness Horizons museum in Thurso and SNH’s 

Inverness headquarters. The exhibition features a selection of 15 naturalists and 

some of the equipment and other materials associated with their work. 

The second element is the website www.highlandnaturalists.com, which forms 

a longer-term legacy with a global audience. It currently features 35 naturalists 

and we’re awaiting further nominations of people to be added to this ‘roll of 

honour’. 

Seton Gordon (1886–1977) devoted 

his life to lecturing and writing about 

the landscapes, wildlife, history and 

traditions of the Highlands and Islands. 

He demonstrated two vital skills 

of the naturalist: keen observation 

and careful recording. But he also 

had time to enthuse and encourage 

others, irrespective of their ages 

or backgrounds. This photo of him 

was taken by his wife Audrey as he 

examined the prey items at the nest of 

a golden eagle. His standard fi eld kit 

included the kilt! 

www.snh.org.uk 31

The featured naturalists include the well known, such as Seton Gordon, a 

pioneering photographer and commentator on Scottish culture and wildlife; Roy 

Dennis of Strathspey osprey fame; and Gavin Maxwell, who brought delight to 

generations with his books on west coast otters. It also includes the less well 

known, such as Alan Joyce, a former biology teacher at Golspie High School, 

who inspired generations of youngsters and supervised a group of pupils that 

won both the Scottish and UK Young Scientist of the Year awards. And there’s 

James MacGeoch, a founder member of the Inverness Bird Watching Group, who 

bought his fi rst camera in 1936 for fi ve shillings (25 pence!). By way of contrast, 

the group also includes Laurie Campbell, whose photographs grace many of 

today’s wildlife books. 

If you’re lucky enough to see the exhibition or if you have a browse through 

the website, we hope you’ll realise that you don’t have to be an expert; indeed, 

none of these naturalists started out as experts. They began with interest and 

enthusiasm and it grew from there. 

If you like the sound of that, try contacting your local SNH offi ce, countryside 

ranger, biological record centre, bird club, watch group or whatever is near you. 

You should fi nd other enthusiasts who’ll be glad to help you get started. Whether 

it’s a golden eagle or a moss, whatever you choose to do, the information you 

gather will help us all enjoy the treasure trove of wildlife that Scotland still offers. 

Who knows where it might lead to eventually – you may even end up featured on 

our website! 

Bobby Tulloch (1929–1996) had no formal training, but his self-acquired 

knowledge led to him being offered the job of representative for the RSPB in 

Shetland. He wrote and illustrated various books and liked nothing better than 

showing visitors his native Shetland Isles and their wildlife. Bobby is shown below 

with a bearded seal, a rare visitor to Britain. The picture was taken by Shetland 

photographer Dennis Coutts, who captioned it: ‘Bobby Tulloch (the one on the 

left) with bearded seal, 1977!’ 

1 

32 


Sue Scott studied marine biology at 

Bangor University in Wales, but was 

introduced to serious diving when she 

joined the survey teams undertaking the 

Marine Nature Conservation Review. 

She was soon asked to survey the west 

of Scotland, where she developed a 

fascination for sea lochs. Sue’s photos 

of marine plants and animals are in 

high demand and she regularly talks to 

diving groups about becoming involved 

in recording and conservation. 

Bob Swann’s mother maintains that his 

interest in birds arose from her taking 

him to feed the ducks in the parks of 

his native Edinburgh. True or not, he’s 

certainly come a long way since then. 

For 30 years he worked as a geography 

teacher in the Highlands while also 

being involved in a whole range of longterm 

bird research projects. He was 

able to infl uence a whole generation of 

schoolchildren through his job and at 

one stage had half the school involved 

in the Bird Club! A few years ago, Bob 

won an award from the British Trust 

for Ornithology for his efforts over the 

years. And he’s pleased to see that 

some of the young folk he infl uenced 

are themselves now trying to encourage 

youngsters by giving talks at schools 

and showing others how to ring birds 

for research. 

www.snh.org.uk 33

Events diary 2009 

July 

Saturday 4 

Open Day 

Noss NNR 

Shetland 

Family day with fun activities and some 

refreshments. Free of charge (including the 

infl atable boat ferry across Noss Sound), no 

booking required. 

Tel: 01595 693 345 

Sunday 5 

Alpine Amphitheatre 

Corrie Fee NNR 

Angus 

Spend the day in Corrie Fee NNR and discover 

the importance of its plants and animals. Meet 

at 11am at Glen Doll Ranger Base. Booking 

essential. 

Tel: 01575 550 233 

Thursday 9 

Family Day 

Tentsmuir NNR 

Tayside 

A range of activities to try while exploring 

Tentsmuir Point. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01382 552 704 

Sunday 12 

Fun Day 

Muir of Dinnet NNR 

Grampian Highlands 

Lots of games, crafts and activities for all the 

family from 12 noon to 4pm at Burn o’ Vat Visitor 

Centre. 

Tel: 01224 642 863 

Tuesday 14 

Wednesday 15 

Open Days 

Isle of May NNR 

Firth of Forth 

Fun and frolics for all the family! Guided events, 

kids’ activities and light refreshments. Booking 

essential. 

Tel: 01334 654 038 

Thursday 16 

Osprey Walk 

Loch Leven NNR 

Tayside 

Join reserve staff at Burleigh Sands from 6pm 

to 8pm in the search for fi shing raptors and 

breeding wildfowl. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Sunday 19 

Meet the Wardens 


Tayside 

Drop in to the Boathouse Hide from 11am to 3pm 

and chat with the SNH wardens about the wildlife 

of Loch Leven. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Wednesday 22 Damsels and Dragons 


Tayside 

Meet at Burleigh Sands and discover the 

wonderful world of our four-winged friends from 

1pm to 3pm. Pond-dipping, net-catching fun for 

all the family. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Wednesday 22 

Volunteers’ Meeting 


Tayside 

Guest speaker at Millbridge Hall, Kinross, from 

7.30pm to 9pm will be Jonathan Willet of the 

British Dragonfl y Society. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Sunday 26 

Local History 



Meet at New Kinord car park and join a walk 

from 2pm to 4pm through 5,000 years of human 

history. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01224 642 863 

catriona.reid@snh. 

gov.uk 

August 

Sunday 2 

Storytelling 



Join professional storyteller Pauline Cordiner from 

2pm to 4pm at Burn o’ Vat Visitor Centre for a 

short, story-powered walk to the spectacular ‘Vat’. 

Booking essential. 

Tel: 01224 642 863 

catriona.reid@snh. 

gov.uk 

Thursday 6 

Osprey Walk 


Tayside 

Join reserve staff at Burleigh Sands from 6pm 

to 8pm in the search for fi shing raptors and 

breeding wildfowl. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Monday 10 

Rocks, Pines & Lines 



Join an expert team of rangers to follow in the 

footsteps of Queen Victoria. The 8-mile/13-km 

guided walk will run from Dinnet, through the 

reserve, and on to Ballater. Booking is essential. 

Tel: 01339 755 467 

34 


Saturday 15 

Be a Warden 


Tayside 

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

warden for the day. Help with tasks around the 

reserve. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

September 

Tuesday 1 

Sharing Good 

Practice (SGP): 

Understanding 

coastal 

climate change 

St Andrews 

We’re at risk from the increasing impacts of 

sea level rise, storminess and other critical 

factors. Leading experts will introduce current 

understanding of these changes and the options 

for minimising impacts. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 

sgp@snh.gov.uk 

Thursday 3 

Tuesday 29 

SGP: Earth science 

outdoors 

North Berwick/ 

Stonehaven 

Each of these hands-on one-day workshops 

will explore the stories of Scotland’s rocks and 

their links with landscape, history, resources and 

climate change. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 


Tuesday 8 

SGP: How to sell the 

climate change story 

Battleby 

Perth 

This event explores the messages, tools and 

techniques available to help sell the climate 

change adaptation story. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 


Wednesday 9 

SGP: Wetlands – 

managing habitats 

through grazing 

Blawhorn Moss NNR 

West Lothian 

This workshop will look at the different options for 

using grazing to manage wetland habitats. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 


Wednesday 9 

Creatures of the 

Night! 

Beinn Eighe NNR 

Wester Ross 

Discover the fascinating nightlife of the reserve, 

including moths, bats and anything else we may 

fi nd! Booking essential. 

Tel: 01854 613 904 

07881 502 230 

Wednesday 16 

SGP: Run-of-river 

hydro schemes 

Battleby 

Perth 

Scotland has a long history of exploiting the 

power in our rivers as a renewable energy 

resource. This event will explore how to avoid or 

reduce harmful effects. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 


Saturday 19 

Fungi Foray 



Join fungi expert Marysia Stamm from 2pm to 

4pm at Burn o’ Vat Visitor Centre for a guided 

walk to explore the fungi found on the reserve. 

Booking essential. 

Tel: 01224 642 863 

Wednesday 23 

SGP: Natural heritage 

skills for planners 

Battleby 

Perth 

This event is aimed at local authority planners 

seeking to improve their awareness and 

understanding of natural heritage interests, which 

they need to take into account in their planning 

work. 

Tel: 01738 458 556 


Wednesday 23 

Meet the Wardens 


Tayside 

Drop in to the Kingfi sher Hide from 2pm to 5pm 

and chat with the SNH wardens about the wildlife 

of Loch Leven. 

Tel: 01577 864 439 

Wednesday 30 

Mushroom Meander 

Beinn Eighe NNR 

Wester Ross 

Life as we know it would be a bit different without 

fabulous fungi. Come for a walk in the woods and 

fi nd out why. Booking essential. 

Tel: 01854 613 904 

07881 502 230 

www.snh.org.uk 35

Island of the cowled women 

Loch Lomond is famous the world over for the beauty of its wooded 

shores and islands. Part of the loch is a national nature reserve, including 

the wonderful island of Inchcailloch. The rocky isle is covered with rich oak 

woodland and gives stunning views over the loch. It also has an ancient 

burial ground and a golden beach that’s ideal for picnicking. The best time 

to visit is from mid-May to June when the bluebells and wild garlic are at 

their peak, and the woods are alive with summer migrant birds 

36 The Nature of Scotland 

1

Inchcailloch Trail 

Make your way to the boatyard in 

Balmaha where you can hop on 

one of the old clinker-built ferries 

for the short trip across to the 

island. You could complete this 

woodland walk in an hour and a 

half, but you’ll probably want to 

spend at least double that and 

take time to enjoy all the island 

has to offer. The summit path 

across to Port Bawn is steep in 

places but well worth the effort. 

Use the numbered map and 

directions in the text to guide 

you round. If you want to cut the 

walk short, then you can take the 

central path, which takes about 

15 minutes to walk. 

1 

After being dropped at the North Jetty, 

wander up the hill until you come to a 

junction. Take the left-hand path that 

leads to the summit. Oakwoods like 

the one you’re walking through once 

surrounded the loch. Over thousands of 

years they disappeared as trees were 

cut for fi rewood, building and charcoal. 

Then, around 200 years ago, there 

was a demand for leather belts to drive 

machinery in city factories. Leather is 

softened and made supple with tannin, 

a natural material found in oak bark. So 

Loch Lomond’s landowners planted 

more new trees around the loch, and 

on islands like Inchcailloch, to meet the 

demand. 

Look out for the island’s fallow deer 

on your visit. King Robert the Bruce 

probably introduced fallow deer to 

Loch Lomond in the 1300s. The islands 

were used as deer parks where only 

the king and his nobles were allowed 

to hunt. The Inchcailloch deer vary a lot 

in colour, from pale to dark brown, and 

many have attractive white spots. 

Key 

Barn End 

Burial Ground and 

Church Ruins 7 

6 

Farm Ruins 

MacFarlane Burn 

Low path 

Passenger boat to Balmaha 

Trail 

Boat 

Toilet 

Picnic area 

Viewpoint 

Historic structure 

Farm Burn 

Tait Burn 

West Promontory 

North Bay 

North Jetty 

Alder 

Marsh 

Summit Viewpoint 

C h u r c h R i 

d g e 

Central path 

1 

Alder Burn 

Central Valley 

Port Bawn 

Jetty 

Port Bawn 

Summit path 

North 

Hill 

Endrick Viewpoint 

3 

5 

4 

2 

M a i n R i d g e 

Coffin 

Valley 

S o u t 

h R i 

d g e 

South Promontory 

Clearance Beach 

0 200 

metres 

www.snh.org.uk 

37

2 

Walk on for about 10 minutes and you’ll 

notice a small valley heading down 

to the loch side. This is called Coffi n 

Valley. For hundreds of years, the dead 

were carried up here on their way to the 

burial ground. 

This was also where they hauled 

timber out. Before the North Jetty was 

built, boats were beached on the shore 

below you. During the oak harvest, 

peeled bark was piled close by the 

shore before being taken to Glasgow 

on boats. 

3 

Carry on climbing up the path until you 

reach the seat. You can take a break 

here and enjoy the magnifi cent view 

looking south to the mouth of the River 

Endrick. 

The river feeds the loch’s shallow 

waters. Insects and minibeasts thrive 

in the water and provide food for 

abundant fi sh and birds. Look out for 

ospreys fi shing here in summer. 

2 

3 

1 

The Highland 

Boundary Fault runs 

through Inchcailloch 

and other islands in 

Loch Lomond. 

2 

A white fallow deer doe 

on the island. 

3 

You may be lucky and 

spot an osprey hunting 

fish at the mouth of the 

River Endrick. 

38 


4 

5 

4 

Visitors can opt for the 

lower path or head for 

the summit. 

5 

The sheltered, sandy 

bay at Port Bawn is a 

popular spot for 

picknicking. 

4 

After taking in the view, walk on for 

another fi ve minutes until you reach the 

summit viewpoint. If you’re visiting on a 

clear day you’ll enjoy one of Scotland’s 

fi nest views of Loch Lomond and the 

surrounding mountains. 

Around 450 million years ago, the 

rocks of lowland Scotland collided with 

those to the north, and the ‘crumple 

zone’ formed the Highland Boundary 

Fault. The collision forced up the 

mountains you see around you. The 

fault goes straight through Inchcailloch, 

so you can stand with one foot in the 

Highlands and one in the Lowlands! 

5 

From the summit, follow the path down 

the other side of the ridge. At the next 

junction go left and head down towards 

Port Bawn. With reasonable weather, 

this is a lovely place for a picnic and 

even a paddle in the shallow bay. 

www.snh.org.uk 39

6 

From Port Bawn take the low path 

along the north side of the island until 

you come across a pile of stones and 

ruined walls. These are a reminder of 

the last folk to live here. They were 

farmers who grew a few crops and 

kept some livestock. However, by the 

end of the 18th century landlords were 

replacing small farms with large-scale 

sheep farms or woodlands. Around 

1796, the farmer was asked to plant 

acorns and more than 2,000 years of 

farming tradition on Inchcailloch came 

to an end. 

7 

Carry on along from the Farm Ruin 

and you’ll fi nally come across the old 

burial ground and the kirk ruin. This is 

an atmospheric place where it’s worth 

spending a bit of time. 

Tradition has it that around 1,300 

years ago Saint Kentigerna, daughter of 

an Irish king and mother of Saint Fillan, 

settled here and set up a nunnery. She 

died here in AD 734 and is remembered 

in the name of the island Inchcailloch, 

meaning ‘island of the old or cowled 

women’. 

Five hundred years later, a church 

was built here and dedicated to her 

memory. It was in constant use until 

1770. Long after the church fell into 

ruin, local people continued to use the 

burial ground. The last burial took place 

in 1947. 

6 

Stone carving of a cow 

on a gravestone in the 

island’s burial ground. 

7 

School group on a visit 

to the island. 

6 


Essential information 

Boat 

The ferry from Balmaha (Macfarlane & Son, tel: 01360 870 

214) runs on demand but you’re best to book your trip in 

advance, especially if it’s outwith the main visitor season. 

The ferry operator can drop you at either North Jetty or Port 

Bawn. If steps are too much for you, ask to be dropped off 

at Port Bawn. It’s a relaxing spot with a picnic site, a lovely 

beach and toilets. 

Bus and rail 

The nearest railway station is at Balloch and from there you 

can take a bus to Balmaha. A few minutes’ walk will take you 

to the boatyard. 

OS maps 

Landranger 56 (Loch Lomond & Inveraray), Explorer 347 

(Loch Lomond South). 

Trail length 

About 3 km/2 miles. 

Terrain 

The paths at Inchcailloch are well surfaced, narrow in places 

and with a few fl ights of steps. They can be a bit muddy in 

places after rain. The summit path gradually climbs to 75 

metres (246 feet) and is rugged in places. 

Dogs 

If you have a dog with you, please make sure it’s kept on a 

short lead or under close control, especially during the bird 

breeding season (1 April to 1 July). Please also make sure 

you pick up after your dog and dispose of waste carefully. 

A fuller walking guide can be downloaded from the NNR 

website (www.nnr-scotland.org.uk) or you can pick up a 

guide at the National Park Centre in Balmaha. You can also 

get further information from the National Park Centre (tel: 

01389 722 100 or email: info@lochlomond-trossachs.org). 

Inchcailloch is one of 58 national 

nature reserves in Scotland. Find out 

more at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk 

Nearby natural attractions 

Why not combine your trip to Inchcailloch with a visit to 

another site close at hand? You could try: 

– the Aber path to Loch Lomond NNR, which gives a taste 

of the Endrick Mouth area and starts next to the 

Gartocharn Millennium Hall. There’s a car park and bus 

stop nearby. See www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/downloads/ 

publications/AbertoLochLomond.pdf 

– the walk from Gartocharn up Duncryne Hill (an extinct 

volcano known locally as ‘The Dumpling’), which takes only 

30 minutes to walk up and back but gives great views. 

– the walk up Conic Hill from Balmaha, which takes a couple 

of hours. It’s very steep in places but provides wonderful 

views of the loch and islands. 

7 

www.snh.org.uk 41

SNH Area News 

East Highland 

Correspondents: Peter Duncan, David Carstairs, Anne Murray 

Take the high road 

Trails facelift 

Hands-on at Aigas 

Major repairs to the path on Ben 

Wyvis National Nature Reserve have 

been completed after months of often 

gruelling work over the last winter. 

A helicopter was used to fl y in the 

materials and some 200 lifts were 

needed to complete the work. The 

helicopter carried stone from a local 

quarry for use on the boulder pitched 

sections. The stone is similar to the 

scree found on Ben Wyvis. This allowed 

the existing scree slope to remain as 

natural as possible and without too 

much disturbance. 

The reserve is famous for its upland 

plants but large areas of the original 

path had been eroded away through 

heavy use. The contractors (pictured 

above with bags of stone) upgraded 

almost 1000 metres of the path and 

used a hut while working high up on 

the hill. The work included building a 

high-quality stone staircase through the 

centre of a steep, boulder slope. 

The benefi ts of the path work 

will be long-lasting, both to nature 

conservation and the thousands 

of visitors who come to the SNH 

managed reserve each year. 

Visitors to Craigellachie National Nature 

Reserve by Aviemore will be welcomed 

this year with newly upgraded, easyto-follow 

waymarked trails. Each differs 

in length and gradient, but they all 

celebrate the natural heritage of one of 

Strathspey’s largest birchwoods. The 

trails are open throughout the year and 

provide you with a chance to view the 

fl owers, butterfl ies and moths for which 

Craigellachie is famous. 

The reserve is set on a hillside, so 

it’s been a challenge to design a range 

of trails that would appeal to everyone. 

The Lochan and Woodland Trails give 

easy ambling for all users of the low 

ground. A longer route, the Buzzard 

Trail, winds its way through the thicker 

parts of the wood. You may even see 

the bird it’s named after or hear its 

mewing overhead. 

Finally, the Viewpoint Trail can 

be reached with a bit of a stretch. 

On a clear day, Rothiemurchus and 

Glenmore Scots pine forests unfold 

before you, with the Cairngorm 

mountains on the horizon. Pictured are 

some of the team working on the trails, 

with Aviemore in the background. 

Aigas Field Centre lies close to 

Inverness and has its own native 

woodland, moorland and a loch, all 

of which provide great resources for 

hands-on outdoor learning. Added to 

this, they’ve just opened a new allabilities 

woodland classroom, which 

is purpose-built and eco-friendly. This 

provides the ideal base for escaping 

really bad weather or for indoor work 

like peering at bugs and beasties under 

microscopes! 

Every year, thousands of children 

and young adults visit Aigas for their 

tailor-made lessons on everything from 

minibeasts to Higher geography and 

biology. This gives pupils and teachers 

hands-on experience of the natural 

world, bringing textbook learning to life 

and complementing classroom lessons. 

SNH have been grant-aiding Aigas 

for many years and have recently 

funded their environmental education 

programme for local schools and 

nurseries. We also fund an outreach 

programme that allows Aigas staff to 

visit local schools. One of the popular 

themes for these trips is to work with 

schools to make their grounds more 

wildlife-friendly. 

The aim is to share the wonders 

of the natural world in a fun and 

inspiring way, where pupils absorb lots 

of information without even realising 

they’re learning. 


SNH Area News 

Western Isles 

Correspondents: Tracey Begg, Roddy MacMinn, Mark MacDonald 

Great yellow stronghold 

A group of enthusiastic local 

volunteers has been mobilised across 

the Western Isles to monitor the 

bumblebee population this summer. 

Offers of support have been 

particularly strong from Uist and 

Barra, where a total of 10 committed 

volunteers will take part in a 

programme of training and monitoring. 

The great yellow bumblebee has 

suffered huge declines over the past 

50 years, largely due to changes 

in how we farm nowadays. It’s now 

Britain’s rarest bumblebee. Some of 

the strongest remaining populations 

are found on the machair of the 

Western Isles. 

Bumblebee training days will be 

held outdoors, beginning in June, 

supported by SNH staff and funding. 

Each volunteer will then monitor a 

fi xed patch in key machair areas, 

providing coverage across the 

islands. The aim will be to collect 

long-term information from the same 

sites annually. This will provide data 

that will improve our knowledge of 

great yellow bumblebee distribution 

and their population trends across the 

Western Isles. For more information, 

contact Tracey Begg on 01870 620 

238. 

Future of Monachs 

The fi ve low-lying Monach Isles, known 

locally as ‘Heisgeir’, lie just off the west 

coast of North Uist. They were made 

a national nature reserve in 1966 and 

are home to Europe’s most important 

grey seal colony. They also hold notable 

seabird populations, as well as machair 

and dune habitats. 

SNH are currently reviewing 

the reserve management and we’re 

planning to consult the public this 

summer about how the reserve should 

look in the future. We’ll be presenting 

our vision for the next 25 years and 

asking the local community (and other 

interested groups) for their own ideas 

and comments. 

We’re particularly keen to hear from 

people with knowledge and experience 

of the islands, as well as those who’d 

like to become involved in the running 

of the reserve. We hope to retain the 

special character of the islands, while 

improving the opportunities for locals 

and visitors to experience and learn 

about the Monachs themselves. 

We’ll shortly be publishing our 

proposals and the story of the reserve. 

These will be sent out to community 

representatives and other interest 

groups. If you’d like to fi nd out more, 

please contact Roddy MacMinn on 

01851 705 258. 

Greener transport 

An environmental project in Stornoway 

is aiming to use cleaner technology 

transport to support community 

services. 

Staran are a community interest 

company who offer a garden care and 

support service. They provide work 

placement and volunteer opportunities 

for older men. Those taken on are 

either long-term unemployed or have 

signifi cant barriers in the way of them 

fi nding work. 

Staran undertake work for the 

elderly and disabled, community 

groups, public benefi t activities 

and environmental amenity works 

in community areas. SNH recently 

gave them a grant to help buy two 

new vehicles for the project. One 

was a small electric mega-van for 

environmental handyman work. The 

other was a tipper pick-up, so that 

larger teams could carry and remove 

larger volumes of material. 

SNH also recently provided funding 

for Third Sector Hebrides (TSH) to 

develop an old bakery in Stornoway. 

The SNH grant will help create a 

greenspace garden area, which adults 

with additional needs – on placement 

with TSH – can help to look after. 

This area will help to create a mood of 

well-being and positive mental health. 

Representatives of Staran, TSH and 

SNH are shown above with the new 

vehicles. 

www.snh.org.uk 43

SNH Area News 

Strathclyde and Ayrshire 

Correspondents: Geoff Atkins, Dorothy Simpson, Martin Twiss 

Estate in better state 

Ten years ago the beautiful woodlands 

and ancient buildings of Dalzell Estate, 

near Motherwell in Lanarkshire, were 

in a sorry state. A recent restoration 

project has turned their fortunes 

around. 

With the help of Heritage Lottery 

funding, it has been possible to 

reconstruct and replant the Japanese 

garden, create new paths and improve 

the ponds for wildlife. In addition, the 

funding allowed the historic buildings 

to be restored, including the Hamilton 

family mausoleum, bridges and follies. 

The estate lies on the edge of 

Motherwell, sitting on the banks of the 

River Clyde, and includes the Baron’s 

Haugh Nature Reserve. The Haugh 

would have provided summer grazing 

for the estate in the past, but is now 

managed for wetland birds. 

The project team, led by North 

Lanarkshire Council staff, included 

the specialist expertise of RSPB and 

support from SNH. Local people have 

also been involved from the start. 

“It was a big project that worked 

well because of all the people involved,” 

commented Geoff Atkins, SNH’s local 

area access offi cer. “Dalzell Estate and 

the neighbouring RSPB Baron’s Haugh 

Reserve have fi nally become the visitor 

attraction that they deserve to be.” 

You can fi nd out more from the 

website: 

www.dalzellandbaronshaugh.co.uk 

Saltcoats solution 

The Clyde coast holiday town of 

Saltcoats recently sought to reduce 

the impact of climate change by 

improving the town’s fl ood defences. 

Engineers came up with the idea of 

building sea defence structures, such 

as breakwaters. 

However, the Saltcoats beach 

contains fossilised trees dating from 

around 300 million years ago (pictured 

above) and these were in danger of 

being destroyed by the building of 

breakwaters. 

The ‘trees’ are within the Ardossan 

to Saltcoats Coast Site of Special 

Scientifi c Interest (SSSI). The rocks of 

this site formed when a volcano was 

active in the area and at a time when 

the land and climate were very different 

from today. 

Fortunately, the engineers and 

SNH staff were able to come up with 

a solution to protect the trees, by 

reducing the size of the breakwaters 

and positioning them away from the key 

rocks. The option also helped to avoid 

spoiling the views from the town. 

As for the trees, the design of the 

fl ood defences has meant that it’s 

been possible to leave a gap in the 

breakwaters around the fossilised 

stumps. They’ll now be left undisturbed 

in their 300-million-year-old location to 

remind us that nothing stays the same, 

not even the climate. 

Gorge trail opens 

You can now access an improved trail 

through two of the gorge woods in 

the Clyde Valley Woodlands National 

Nature Reserve (NNR). The trail follows 

the course of the gorge for about four 

miles through Cleghorn Glen and 

Cartland Craigs, and there’s a new 

leafl et to guide you. 

A local sculptor, Alan Kain, has 

designed eight posts to physically 

mark the line of the trail through the 

gorge. The designs he used on the 

waymarker posts were based on wildlife 

drawings that children from the local 

Robert Owen Memorial Primary School 

provided. 

The posts were installed in May 

and the children have now visited the 

woods to see for themselves how 

their drawings are helping to raise 

awareness of these outstanding and 

dramatic woodlands. 

The Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR 

is unusual in that it’s a mosaic of rich 

wildlife habitats among living, working 

landscapes. People’s homes and 

workplaces are interwoven with the 

woodlands. 

This project is part of our ongoing 

effort, along with our NNR partners 

(South Lanarkshire Council and the 

Scottish Wildlife Trust), to re-engage 

local communities with these special 

woodlands. 


Print out 

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

sustainable use of the natural heritage. Natural Heritage Futures guides the 

management of Scotland's nature and landscapes towards 2025. It’s made 

up of six national prospectuses covering farmland, coasts and seas, hills and 

moors, settlements, fresh waters, and forests and woodlands. There are also 

local prospectuses for 21 different parts of Scotland that each have a distinctive 

character. 

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

impression of what Scotland could be like with the natural heritage contributing as 

fully as possible to the social and economic well-being of Scotland into the future. 

First published in 2002, the prospectuses have just been updated in 

consultation with stakeholders to refl ect changes in issues that infl uence the 

natural heritage, such as farming policy, conservation law and climate change. 

These updates act as supplements and should be read along with the original 

documents. The documents and updates are available from the SNH website at 

www.snh.gov.uk/publications 

We’ve published a joint statement 

called ‘Action on Climate Change’ 

with our partner agencies Forestry 

Commission Scotland, Scottish 

Environmental Protection Agency 

and Historic Scotland. The booklet 

outlines the role that each of these four 

government organisations expects to 

play in taking early action to reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions, and in 

helping Scotland adapt to a changing 

climate. It refl ects the individual action 

plans already published or being 

prepared by each of the organisations. 

The North American signal crayfi sh 

poses a real risk to our wildlife, rivers 

and lochs. It’s a powerful predator that 

damages riverbanks and spawning 

beds, as well as presenting a big threat 

to several freshwater species. We’ve 

produced a poster-leafl et that explains 

the nature of the problem. The leafl et 

tells you what to do if you come across 

this pest, and there are contact details 

and a set of handy hints for canoeists, 

boaters and anglers. 

Thanks to all those who entered the ‘Can you name it’ competition in the last issue. The correct answer was minke whale. The four lucky winners of the Whales, 

Dolphins and Porpoises booklet are: Angus Smith, Bo’ness; Ranald Coyne, Arisaig; Karen Munro, Scrabster; and Cornelia Oekekoven, St Andrews. 

www.snh.org.uk 45


1 

National treasures 

Scotland has two national parks that 

everyone’s welcome to explore and enjoy, 

free of charge, 365 days a year 

www.snh.org.uk 47

You’ll come across national parks 

pretty much all over the world. 

Some 6,500 national parks and 

similarly protected areas cover 

about 12% of the Earth’s surface 

– that’s about a million square 

kilometres! 

However, Scotland joined the national 

parks club quite late in the day, despite 

the fact we boast some of the planet’s 

fi nest natural environments. The world’s 

earliest national park was established 

in 1872 (Yellowstone in America), while 

Scotland’s fi rst came along only some 

seven years ago. 

It’s a little ironic that we joined so 

late, given that it was a Scot, John Muir, 

who became known as the ‘Father 

of the American National Parks’. He 

infl uenced the American government 

to create their fi rst fi ve national parks 

– including Yosemite and the Grand 

Canyon. 

But, whatever the reasons for our 

tardy approach, the parks are now very 

much part of the nation’s natural and 

cultural heritage. Loch Lomond & The 

Trossachs became our initial national 

park in 2002 and the Cairngorms 

followed a year later. The parks are a 

big part of Scotland’s national identity 

as they represent some of this country’s 

most iconic landscapes and show how 

people and places can thrive together. 

Indeed, Scottish national parks 

differ from many others around the 

world as they have social and economic 

development aims alongside those 

of conservation, understanding and 

enjoyment of the countryside. This is 

an explicit recognition of those who live 

and work in the national parks. 

The parks are a big 

part of Scotland’s 

national identity 

48 

2 


3 

1 

View north over Loch 

Lomond from Conic 

Hill. 

2 

Heather moorland 

above Strath Fillan, 

Crianlarich. 

3 

Tourist reading an 

interpretive leaflet at 

Uath Lochans, 

Glenfeshie. 

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs 

National Park lies in the west of 

the country, only some 40 minutes 

from Glasgow and 90 minutes from 

Edinburgh. It covers 720 sq miles 

(1,865 sq km) and includes some of the 

country’s most spectacular and varied 

scenery. 

Centred on Loch Lomond, the 

largest stretch of fresh water in 

mainland Britain, the park climbs from 

the grassy lowlands of the south to the 

towering mountains of Breadalbane and 

the sea lochs of the Cowal peninsula. 

To the northeast lies Cairngorms 

National Park, the largest in Britain. In 

fact, at 3,800 sq km, it’s 40% larger 

than the Lake District and twice the size 

of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs. 

Cairngorms boasts the largest 

area of mountain landscape in Britain, 

including an arctic wilderness and four 

of Scotland’s largest peaks, as well as 

heather-clad moorland, woodlands, 

rivers and lochs. The lowlands are 

formed by the beautiful straths of Spey, 

Dee and Don. 

“National parks are an asset for the 

whole of Scotland,” commented David 

Green, convener of the Cairngorms 

National Park Authority (CNPA), “and 

their management relies on the work of 

a wide range of partners, including land 

managers, voluntary organisations and 

agencies such as SNH. The national 

park authorities are here to lead and 

co-ordinate this work. 

“There are real opportunities to use 

national parks to help address some 

of the big land use challenges facing 

rural Scotland, such as climate change, 

carbon and water management and the 

future options for upland farming.” 

www.snh.org.uk 49

For instance, Loch Lomond & The 

Trossachs run a natural heritage grant 

scheme. Now in its third year, this 

joint scheme with SNH has funded 

more than 50 projects on the ground. 

These include barn owl boxes, fi shery 

survey equipment, workshops for land 

managers, drain blocking to restore 

wetlands and work to control nonnative 

invasive species. 

Work has also begun with RSPB 

on a project to restore and enhance 

the wading bird populations in Glen 

Dochart. Surveys of the fl oodplains 

will identify the main areas being used 

by farmland wading birds, such as 

redshank, lapwing, curlew and snipe. 

This will be used to advise local farmers 

and land managers where these birds 

would benefi t from positive habitat 

management. 

Among recent projects in the 

Cairngorms National Park, SNH and 

the CNPA have worked together on 

a study of what ‘wildness’ means to 

people. The study will help the CNPA 

identify, conserve and enhance the 

sense of wildness in the park and, by 

working with land managers and other 

partners, safeguard these wonderful 

places for the future. 

Another area of close co-operation 

between agencies and land managers 

is the Cairngorms Wildcat Project (see 

page 28), set up in response to the 

decline of the wildcat’s population over 

the past few years. The national park 

is one of the remaining strongholds for 

this iconic species. 

And the CNPA have also been 

working with partners like SNH, 

RSPB and local estates to compile 

descriptions of the nine national nature 

reserves in or next to the park. These 

have been brought together in The 

Cairngorms Explorer, a booklet giving 

visitors and residents all the information 

they need to get around the park at low 

cost. 

“Much has been achieved in the 

early years of the parks,” Mr Green 

concluded. “But this is a long-term 

approach that will continue to need 

close co-operation. Scotland’s national 

parks have an exciting part to play in 

our future approach to managing rural 

Scotland.” 

4 

River Dee on Mar 

Lodge estate near 

Braemar, Deeside. 

5 

Water lilies growing in 

a lochan at Inshriach, 

Strathspey. 

4 



5

Learning from the past 

Scotland has a remarkable geological history which 

reveals important pointers to our future 


1 

Scotland’s geological history stretches back 

over three billion years of the Earth’s existence. 

It includes the rocks, fossils, minerals, soils, 

landforms and natural processes that make up 

Scotland’s varied landscapes and structure. 

Collectively, these features represent Scotland’s 

‘geodiversity’. And the way in which they’ve responded and 

adapted to climate change in the past can provide a useful 

early warning for the future. 

Looking at what’s happened to the Earth in former times 

is similar to the research we do on other planets in our solar 

system. For example, the information we now have about the 

past and present environment of Mars has been worked out 

largely by studying its geodiversity. So, if we can discover 

what’s been going on in other parts of the universe then it 

should be a lot easier to understand what’s been happening 

closer to home! 

In fact, Scotland’s geodiversity reveals that climate 

change is nothing new – our landscapes and natural 

heritage have always been dynamic. Even within the 

geologically recent past (the last three million years), 

Scotland’s climate has changed radically, switching 

repeatedly from glacial to warm conditions. Even since the 

last dramatic global warming 11,500 years ago, our climate 

has rarely stood still. 

The last cooling, during the so-called ‘Little Ice Age’, 

reached its peak in Scotland in the late 18th and early 

19th centuries. Since then, our climate has been warming, 

coinciding with the increased release of greenhouse gases 

from the Industrial Revolution onwards. Climate change 

and sea-level rise have been happening for some time. 

Signifi cantly, they will extend well beyond the AD 2100 

timescale of current climate projections. 

That sort of timescale is outwith the normal timeframe 

of most policy makers, planners and lay people. But 

understanding geodiversity – and particularly how to 

work with natural processes – can play an important part 

in planning how to adapt our management of the natural 

heritage. In fact, geodiversity is a bit like using a barometer – 

it gives us an insight into what could happen next. 

1 

Coastal change is 

nothing new. The 

Culbin Sands bar on 

the Moray coast is 

extending west at over 

20 metres a year. This 

coastline has been 

moving for over 6,500 

years. 

www.snh.org.uk 53

Living with change 

Over the last hundred years, the average air temperature has 

risen by about 0.7°C. But by the end of the present century, 

the world could be as much as 4°C warmer than it is today. 

This could start irreversible melting of the Greenland and 

West Antarctic ice sheets over a period of a few thousand 

years. 

The geological record reveals how past environments 

responded to broadly similar climate changes. The early to 

middle Pliocene period (between three and fi ve million years 

ago) gives perhaps the best idea of what a future, warmer 

world might be like. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere 

then were around the same as they’ve reached today, and 

global temperatures were about 3°C higher, with sea levels 

up to 25 metres higher. 

Some of the more far-reaching effects of climate change 

are likely to be at the coast. The latest projections from the 

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) 

show a sea-level rise of 7 mm each year in Scotland in the 

next few decades, outstripping rates seen in the last few 

thousand years. The effects will probably be made worse 

because natural coastal defences, such as beaches and 

saltmarshes, won’t be topped up with new material, and 

there are likely to be more frequent storms and fl ooding. 

If we look at what’s happened to our weather over the 

last 40 years, the future might hold the following: 

– More frequent storms, especially in the west, leading to: 

- more dynamic coasts and rivers that are challenging to 

live near, especially in low-lying areas; 

- fl ooding more often along rivers and at the coast; and 

- greater disruption of transport routes, through landslides 

and fl ooding. 

– Carbon-rich soils become destabilised, leading to the 

release of more greenhouse gases. 

– Soil being eroded quicker, especially during windy or very 

wet conditions. 

– Changes in the depth and length of time that snow lies, as 

well as more periods of high wind speed. 

These changes will affect not only Scotland’s geodiversity 

but also its plants and animals. For example, more fl ooding 

and erosion will affect the quality of freshwater habitats 

that are important for endangered species, such as the 

freshwater pearl mussel and lamprey. Overall, species and 

habitats may have less time to recover from extreme events, 

such as fl ood damage to fi sh-spawning areas in rivers. Some 

landform changes may simply be too fast for the species and 

habitats they support to adapt or relocate. 

2 


3 

Natural processes 

Understanding the links between geological and biological 

diversity will help our efforts to manage how the natural 

heritage adapts to climate change. For rivers, coasts and 

steep hillsides, this involves giving them suffi cient space 

for natural processes to work, rather than seeking to 

control them. It may mean creating room for natural fl ood 

management, restoring fl oodplains and providing space 

at the coast to allow movement of landforms and habitats. 

Natural fl ood management, which means interfering as little 

as possible, will support nature conservation at the same 

time as reducing fl ooding risk. 

We need to draw together existing knowledge of natural 

processes to understand how the landscape may respond 

to climate change. Just because we’re unsure about the 

outcome shouldn’t stop us from acting now. Climate change 

is with us, and the effects it will have on the natural heritage 

mean that we have to start now to develop policies and plan 

the way ahead, based on what geodiversity tells us about 

natural processes and changes. 

2 

Climate change will 

bring more flooding, 

such as this example 

on the River Tay at 

Stanley. 

3 

We're already seeing 

regular disruption to 

transport routes 

through landslides. 

Rescue helicopters 

had to winch stranded 

people from their 

vehicles after a 

landslide engulfed the 

A85 in 2004 at Glen 

Ogle near 

Lochearnhead. 

www.snh.org.uk 

55

National Trust for Scotland 

ranger Liza Cole explains 

why this is a special year 

for Scotland’s fi rst marine 

reserve 

1 

Making a splash 

56 


1 

One of the main 

reasons that divers 

come to St Abbs is the 

wolf fish. The reserve 

is regarded as the best 

place in the UK to see 

them. 

2 

Thousands of people 

dive in the reserve 

every year, where the 

clear waters provide 

perfect conditions to 

view the rich and 

varied marine wildlife. 

2 

Twenty-fi ve years ago, Sir David Bellamy fl ung 

himself into the water at St Abbs harbour, so 

declaring Scotland’s fi rst marine reserve open. It 

was the climax to a lot of effort by a whole host of 

people to get things to this stage. 

But I’m sure the founding members never thought even 

in their wildest dreams that the voluntary marine reserve 

(VMR) would still be a leading light in marine conservation in 

Scotland a quarter of a century later. So, how did it all come 

about? 

People have been diving at St Abbs ever since they could 

get their hands on the right bits and pieces to construct their 

own dive kit. Some came just to enjoy the easy access to 

clear waters and spectacular underwater scenery. Others 

also appreciated the fantastic abundance and variety of 

marine life, with the unusual combination of Arctic species, 

such as the wolf fi sh, alongside Mediterranean-Atlantic 

species, such as the Devonshire cup coral. 

In the early days, there were just a handful of divers, 

who were seen by the locals as being strange but harmless 

eccentrics. However, as more and more people started 

coming to the area to dive, there were concerns that they 

might start to harm the wildlife, with many folk being in the 

habit of taking a lobster or crab home ‘for the pot’. 

So, dive clubs who visited St Abbs regularly set up a 

self-imposed ‘look and don’t touch’ area at St Abbs, and 

encouraged others to sign up to this too. And, about the 

same time, a conservation-minded landowner at Eyemouth, 

who could control shore access to great dive sites like 

Weasel Loch, established the Barefoots Marine Reserve off 

the coast there. 

The introduction of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 

1981 offered the potential to form statutory marine nature 

reserves (MNRs) and brought hope that the wildlife of the 

coastal waters would receive legal protection. However, the 

legislation proved a bit cumbersome. It soon became clear 

that it was going to take a lot of work to designate these 

reserves. In the end, it took 14 years for just three MNRs to 

be set up in the whole of the UK. 

Not to be deterred, a committee of fi shermen, 

conservationists, divers and others got together. They 

decided to combine the ‘look and don’t touch’ area at 

St Abbs with the Barefoots reserve, and so St Abbs & 

Eyemouth VMR came into being. Its aims have not changed 

to this day: conserving marine wildlife, raising awareness 

of the marine environment and promoting responsible 

recreation. All of this is achieved alongside a sustainable 

creel fi shery. And it works pretty well on the whole, so much 

so that the VMR is respected countrywide for its work. 

There are all sorts of events planned throughout the year 

as a way of celebrating the reserve’s silver jubilee, not least 

a ceremonial ‘jump in’ at St Abbs Harbour on 18 August, 

the anniversary of the launch. We’re hoping to get David 

Bellamy to come back and do it again, joined by 24 others, 

one person for each year of the VMR’s existence. Then, in 

the autumn, we hope to host the Scottish Diving Conference 

here. 

In addition, because the area holds a special place in 

many people’s hearts, we’ve decided that the most fi tting 

tribute would be to give everyone the chance to play a 

part in the management of the VMR. So, we’re launching a 

‘Friends’ group for the reserve. It means that for just £1 a 

month you can do your bit for St Abbs and have your name 

put on a virtual noticeboard on the website, our modern-day 

equivalent of the original idea. 

If you’d like more details on the VMR and how to become 

a Friend go to www.marine-reserve.co.uk 

www.snh.org.uk 57

Kids only! 

You will need: 

4 pipe cleaners – 

different colours if 

possible – sparkly 

ones look really good 

4 large beads – all 

the same colour, or 

two pairs of different 

colours 

1 lollipop stick – if you 

want, you can colour it 

with a felt pen 

Plastic carton – like 

the ones you get 

strawberries in 

Sewing thread 

PVA glue 

1. Thread one bead onto a pipe cleaner about 

2 cm from the end. This is the fi rst eye. 

2. Bring the short end of the pipe cleaner over 

the top of the bead and twist it round the long 

end. Repeat with a second bead and pipe 

cleaner. 

3. Hold the two eyes together and 

twist the two pipe cleaners together to make 

the body. 

4. Cut the body to about 12 cm long. 

5. Draw your wings onto a plastic carton with 

a permanent marker pen. Cut them out and 

draw on the patterns of the wing. 

6. Do all this again to make your second 

dragonfl y. 

7. Using PVA glue, stick the wings onto the 

bodies. 

8. Tie two pieces of thread to your dragonfl y, 

one in front of the wings and one behind. Find 

the balancing point and tie the two threads 

together at the top. Then tie it to one end 

of the lollipop stick. Do the same with your 

second dragonfl y but make the length different, 

so they don't bump into each other! 

9. Tie another piece of thread to the middle of 

the lollipop stick. 

Now you can hang it up and watch the 

dragonfl ies fl y around! 

Dragonflies are 

the fastest flying 

insects in the UK 

– they can travel 

at speeds of up to 

30 mph! 

Dragonflies are 

amongst the 

most ancient 

living creatures 

on the Earth. 

They've been 

around for 300 

million years – 

even before 

dinosaurs! 

Dragonflies’ huge 

round eyes mean 

that they have 

almost 360° 

vision. They can 

see colour, 

ultraviolet and 

polarised light, 

which helps them 

to spot prey 

against a bright 

sky and to find 

water. 

The Gaelic 

language has 

many different 

names for 

dragonflies, 

including Head of 

snake, Blazing fly 

and Spider 

snake. 

Some dragonflies 

live for six to 

seven years, but 

only for a couple 

of months as a 

flying adult. 


The adult fl ies off to 

look for midges and 

fl ies to eat. 

The adult waits for the sun 

to come up and its wings 

to harden. 

Nymphs have 

special extendable 

jaws that shoot out 

to catch food, even 

small fi sh 

and tadpoles. 

The nymph 

climbs up a 

reed during 

the night. 

The fi nal skin splits and 

the adult emerges. 

Nymphs 

grow and 

shed skin 

several 

times. 

Dragonfl y lays eggs 

on the surface of 

the water. 

Nymph hatches and 

lives in water. 

Play ‘Dicing with dragons’ and learn about the ups and downs of a dragonfly’s life! 

Cut out the counters and take turns to throw a dice to see who can be the first to fly. 

www.snh.org.uk 59

1 

“It was the bestest day in 

school!” That kind of reaction has 

become fairly commonplace for 

the folk behind an organisation 

that aims to open up the 

wonders of the natural world for 

schoolchildren. 

Wild things! are a charity that seek 

to inspire young people in Highland 

and Grampian regions to develop 

a greater interest in their natural 

heritage. The children are encouraged 

to get their hands dirty and develop 

a lasting enthusiasm for their natural 

surroundings. 

“The various courses we run try to 

increase the self-esteem, team building 

skills and self-confi dence of everyone 

who takes part,” explained Jennie 

Martin, founder of Wild things!. “Many 

of the teenagers we work with are 

considered ‘at risk’ or are struggling in 

mainstream education. 

“Getting away from the classroom 

has given many children with learning 

and behavioural problems the chance 

to shine and be good at something. 

This has done wonders for their selfconfi 

dence and self-worth, as well as 

building their respect for the natural 

environment.” 

Prior to setting up Wild things!, 

Jennie worked with Trees for Life, 

Growing up with 

Wild things! 

Getting children interested in nature gets harder when we 

have to compete with video games and TV culture. But an 

organisation in the north of Scotland seems to have found 

a way 


an award-winning project aimed at 

restoring the Caledonian forest. She 

became aware of the practical benefi ts 

that direct contact with wild places 

has on people’s sense of well-being, 

as well as the commitment to nature 

conservation that it nurtures. So, she 

set up Wild things! some fi ve years ago, 

and SNH have been grant-aiding the 

organisation ever since. 

The charity have given over 5,000 

children and teenagers across the north 

of Scotland the chance to learn about 

the natural environment and its wildlife. 

The Wild things! programmes weave 

important messages about climate 

change and leaving no trace into their 

content in a clever and fun way, so that 

both children and adults absorb them 

without realising they’re doing so. 

“Research has shown that repeat 

visits to wild places have a much 

bigger impact on a person than one-off 

experiences,” Jennie continued. “We 

also take into account that one size 

doesn’t fi t all. So we run a series of 

three different multi-day programmes 

aimed at different ages, from 5 to 55! 

“These allow people to become 

familiar and comfortable with the 

outdoors, which is important because 

many of the children who take part 

aren’t used to being outside. The aim 

is to encourage them to build a lasting 

relationship with the outdoors.” 

1 

Making a bowl on a 

bushcraft course. 

2 

Jennie Martin checks 

out a woodpecker nest 

with a Forest School 

group. 2 

www.snh.org.uk 61

3 

Experience the wild 

The fi rst programme created by Wild 

things! involved day trips to Glen Affric, 

and it’s still going strong. Primary 

school children are introduced to their 

local ancient Caledonian pine forest in 

Glen Affric National Nature Reserve. 

For many of the participants, this is their 

fi rst visit to an ancient woodland. 

All the activities on these day trips 

are based on a physical or imaginary 

experience of the forest. Storytelling 

is used a lot and each programme 

is based on characters from within 

these stories. The children play games 

that awaken their senses to their 

environment. The activities include 

collecting objects that are soft, hard or 

squidgy for their forest box; imagining 

they’re owls and listening out for prey; 

working together to build a human 

tree; or ‘disappearing’ to their very own 

magic spot for 10 minutes. 

The second programme is known 

as Forest School and is a type of 

schooling that originated in Denmark. 

It’s now becoming a popular part of the 

school curriculum and is successfully 

used with children at a time in their lives 

when they’re particularly open to new 

experiences. It’s also used with young 

people who have special needs or are 

at risk of exclusion from school. 

Children walk, cycle or occasionally 

take the bus to their local woodland for 

two hours each week. Over a six-week 

period they learn to develop a hands-on 

appreciation of their local environment. 

The children build campfi res and 

make pine needle tea, learn about the 

importance of wood ants or spiders, the 

beauty of dragonfl ies, the clever way a 

tree grows or how a fl ower is pollinated. 

3 

Charcoal making in 

Glen Moriston. 


Part of the Forest School ethos is 

that it happens in almost all different 

types of weather, which can make it an 

invigorating time! They’ve been known 

to make snow spiders, beetles and 

snails on one of the Forest Schools in 

February! 

Wilderness skills and bushcraft 

residential courses make up the 

third programme. These offer an 

exciting opportunity for teenagers to 

be introduced to their local natural 

environment. The courses work 

well with vulnerable young people 

by building their self-esteem and 

confi dence. Taking this a step further, 

Wild things! expanded their work in 

2008 and introduced a wilderness and 

bushcraft skills programme for adults 

recovering from substance abuse. 

The Wild things! courses range from 

a two-day introductory training to a 

fi ve-day more advanced course, leading 

up to a ‘bushcraft’ expedition of four or 

fi ve days ‘on the trail’. The skills taught 

include activities such as woodland 

shelter building, fi re craft skills, tool 

making, stalking, reading animal tracks 

and signs, and identifying wild foods 

and medicinal plants. 

The teacher response to the pupil 

away-days has been overwhelmingly 

positive, as illustrated by a fairly typical 

response from a Lossiemouth teacher. 

“From a school point of view, the Wild 

things! experience has been brilliant 

for a group of boys in S2 who have 

learning and behavioural diffi culties. 

They now have personal experiences 

that they can talk about with adults and 

peers. They’ve grown in confi dence 

from their experiences and the project 

is developing their independence.” 

4 

5 

4 

Drawing a map of the 

camp in the Forest 

School Magic Book. 

5 

Counting the legs on 

mini-beasts! 

www.snh.org.uk 63

Join our mailing list 


✂ 

We hope you enjoyed this issue of our FREE quarterly 

magazine. If you’re not on our mailing list or your address has 

changed, then please spend a moment fi lling in this form. 

You just need to pop the form in an envelope and post — no 

stamp required. 

Please send the completed form to: 

Customer Relations Team 

Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House 

FREEPOST RRBY-UACB-EGAY 

Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW 

Organisation 

Name 

Previous address 

Please tick one of the following and 

then fi ll in your contact details: 

Please add me to the 

mailing list 

Organisation 

Name 

New address 

I’d like the magazine to 

go to someone else — 

here are their contact 

details 

I’m on the mailing list but 

my contact details have 

changed 

Please remove me from 

all mailing lists 

Town 

Postcode 

Town 

Postcode 

Email 

Email 

If you’d prefer to email any changes 

to your contact details, please send them to: 

customerdetails@snh.gov.uk 

We are assessing how many of our customers would like to receive future 

publications in electronic format. If you haven’t told us before, please tick the 

box if you would like to receive it in electronic format. 

✂ 

SNH and your information 

SNH hold contact details on our Customer Contact 

Database so that we can provide customers with the best 

possible service. We hold information about customers 

to whom we send publications, provide funding, invite to 

events, consult with or who help us manage designated 

sites. 

We do not sell, rent or lease our customer lists to third 

parties. We occasionally hire other companies to handle 

customer services on our behalf, such as the processing and 

delivery of mailings. These companies are only provided with 

the information they need to deliver the service and are not 

allowed to use it for any other purpose. 

SNH will not generally disclose your personal information 

to other organisations. We will, however, share your 

information with other public bodies in Scotland that are 

involved in delivering services to you, such as the Scottish 

Rural Development Programme. 

If you don’t wish SNH to hold your contact details on our 

Customer Contact Database, or the details we hold for you 

are not correct, or you don’t wish to receive a copy of SNH’s 

magazine, please tick the appropriate section on the slip 

above and return using the Freepost address. 

Please note, if you receive a grant or agri-environment 

funding we cannot remove your details from our database, 

as we need to hold them to deliver this service to you. 

For more information about SNH’s privacy policies and 

measures, please contact our information offi cer at 

foi@snh.gov.uk 


www.snh.org.uk

Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?