Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Summer 2008

www.snh.org.
uk
Scottish Natural Heritage
Summer 2008
The Nature of Scotland
Tiger of
the Highlands
Have you seen
a wildcat?
Isle of May
Discover this
Firth of Forth gem
Wild Calendar
Summer wildlife
highlights
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Contents
Features
8
Facing up to the challenge
Planning ahead for climate change
12 Make a world of difference

Take the pledge sign up to a
greener Scotland
36
14 Community opportunity
Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch looks forward
to big changes on the island of Rum
8
60
14
62
24 Tiger of the Highlands

Find out how you could help conserve
the Scottish wildcat
30 Art and nature
Making the link Environment Minister
Michael Russell mixes nature and culture
32 New campaigns are serious fun
Raising awareness among wild campers
and dog owners
24
45 All the fun of the farm

Farmers open up for the day
Regulars
2
Where we are
SNH contact details
3
Welcome
4
Wild calendar
Wildlife to see and places to visit over
the coming months
20 News
Natural heritage updates
34 Events diary
Guide to whats on
46 Uncertain future for Scotlands

river gem
Its criminal the hazards facing
freshwater pearl mussels
48 Reviving the king of sh
Efforts to boost wild salmon numbers
in our rivers
54 Have an ice day!
Savour the natural avour on a visit to
the Cream o Galloway
60 Myths, legends and giant stanes
On your bike look out for some big
surprises at 7stanes
62 Getting a buzz out of biodiversity
Celebrating the variety of life
36 Reserve focus
Discover Isle of May NNR
42 Area news
Reports from around the country
58 Kids only!
Activities for our younger readers
www.snh.org.uk
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Credits
The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Issue Number 1 Summer 2008
Published quarterly
SNH 2008
ISSN 1350 309X
Editor: John Walters
Tel. 01463-725-222
Cover photo: Wildcat stalking on track in
pine forest, Cairngorms National Park.
Photographer: Peter Cairns
Where we are
Area ofces
You can contact SNH by

letter, telephone or email.
The following details
should enable you to nd
your nearest local ofce,
but bear in mind that there
are also smaller ofces
than those listed.
Argyll and Stirling

The Beta Centre, Innovation
Park, University of Stirling,
Stirling FK9 4NF
Tel. 01786-450-362
A full list of our ofces

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 ofces
Images: Lorne Gill/SNH, unless otherwise stated
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738-444-177
Share your views and opinions about

any of the content in The Nature of Scotland
by writing to the Editor:
Silvan House, 3rd Floor East,

231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131-316-2600
SNH Magazine
Great Glen House, Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
To suggest articles, features or images for
future issues please contact the Editor.
Some changes may be necessary to letters
and articles submitted for publication.
The views expressed in the magazine do not
necessarily reect those of SNH.
You can nd contact details for SNH ofces
throughout Scotland opposite.
Printed by: Woods of Perth, Scotland
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141-951-4488
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
Main Street, Golspie,
Sutherland KW10 6TG
Tel. 01408-633-602
West Highland
The Governors 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
Paper: This magazine is printed on Arctic

Volume High White. This paper contains
materials sourced from responsibly managed
and sustainable forests, certied in accordance
with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
When you have nished with this magazine

please recycle it. Dispose of it at your local
waste-collection point or pass it to another reader.
9/7/08 19:46:26
Welcome
Ian Jardine, Chief Executive
Welcome to the rst edition of The Nature of Scotland, a new quarterly magazine
from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
One of SNHs key roles is to promote the understanding and enjoyment
of Scotlands natural heritage its wildlife, geology and landscapes. Our new
magazine aims to celebrate the range and variety of nature in Scotland, a
national asset which underpins our economy, provides places for our leisure
pursuits and contributes greatly to our quality of life.
In this edition, youll nd a feature on the Scottish wildcat, a prole of the
Isle of May National Nature Reserve and an article on new art installations
around the 7stanes mountain bike centres, as well as a host of other articles
and news. Also included is a Wild Calendar showcasing some of Scotlands
wildlife highlights over the summer and where you can go to enjoy them.
On the subject of wildcats, you may have seen the incredible footage of this
elusive species on the BBCs Springwatch programme. No-one really knows
how many wildcats there are in Scotland and the last survey of their numbers
was back in the 1980s. Earlier this year, we launched a campaign encouraging
anyone who works in or enjoys the outdoors for leisure to report wildcat
sightings. Our article talks about this and how you can help.
You may not know that there are more than 50 National Nature Reserves
around Scotland. These are truly special places, set up to protect Scotlands
amazing range of wildlife and landscapes, and theyre open for everyone to
experience and enjoy. We plan to feature a different National Nature Reserve
in each edition of this magazine and we start with the Isle of May in the
Firth of Forth.
We also feature an article by our Minister for the Environment, Michael
Russell, on how culture and the environment are intertwined through the arts,
a subject close to his heart and an area where SNH are active through our
grants and funding programme.
As a public body, its also important that we take time to explain a bit about
what we do and why we do it. But its equally important that we take the time to
celebrate Scotlands nature and landscapes and encourage everyone to get out
there and enjoy them.
I hope that you enjoy this rst edition and I look forward to hearing your
feedback and ideas for future editions.
9/7/08 19:46:43
Wild
calendar
Kenny Taylor gives

some seasonal tips for
savouring Scottish wildlife
and landscapes.
Abundance of life is the essence of late

summer. Flowers are everywhere. Look
closer at them and you could enjoy some
of Scotlands many kinds of butteries,
bumblebees and hoveries. Along the
coast, seabird colonies still have plenty
of action in July and early August.
Inland, the best colours of our
world-renowned heather moors stretch
for a few weeks from mid-August. Late
September can be one of the best times
for appreciating the beauty of spider
webs, while grey geese and other autumn
migrant birds y overhead.
Shark encounters
The Firth of Clyde and the seas from
the west of Mull north to Skye are
particular hotspots for the basking shark,
second largest sh in the world. Take
a scheduled ferry, such as from Arisaig
or Mallaig to the Small Isles, or Oban to
Tiree, and watch for two ns one large
and oppy, the second smaller and more
erect moving in line through the water.
With luck, a basker swimming nearby
might also reveal the white lining of
its enormous mouth. But dont panic.
Basking sharks are lter feeders and
harmless to people.
Web tip: www.news.bbc.co.uk/
1/hi/uk/4096504.stm
4
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www.snh.org.uk
9/7/08 19:47:49
Come on, jump!

Parents wouldnt usually encourage their offspring to jump from a high-rise
apartment. But thats precisely what common guillemots do in the closing
weeks of July.
Guillemots breed on cliffs, where they jostle with neighbours on ledges
that can be high above the sea. When a pairs single chick is only three
weeks old and still ightless, the parents cajole it to leap into the sea. After
that, it drifts with Dad for the next few weeks, learning to sh and growing its
ight feathers.
Pay a late evening visit to a large seabird colony and you could hear some
of the guillemot action, with anxious adults calling from the waves and chicks
chirruping (even more worried) from the cliffs. St Abbs Head in Berwickshire,
Fowlsheugh in Aberdeen and Marwick Head on Orkney would be some
of the impressive sea-cliff venues accessible without a boat trip. In August,
watch for father-and-chick duos farther out to sea in places such as the Minch.
Web tip: www.welcomescotland.com/
contentuk/content/index_guillemot.jsp
6
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Ospreys up close
The Scottish osprey population is

thriving, so there are now many places
where you could enjoy views of this
elegant sh hawk. Closed circuit nest
cams are in operation at the best-known
eyries (Loch Garten, near Boat of Garten,
and the Loch of the Lowes, near Dunkeld)
and at newer sites such as Kailzie, near
Peebles, and the David Marshall Lodge,
near Aberfoyle. Part of the benet of
going to one of these places in July and
August is that you could have a chance
of seeing an osprey in ight nearby.
The mouth of the River Findhorn is a
favourite osprey shing place. Sit outside
the wildlife centre at Tugnet for a chance
to see some osprey action and enjoy the
many other kinds of waterbirds where the
river meets the sea.
Web tip: www.wdcs.org/connect/
wildlife_centre/index.php
1
Basking shark. Image by
Alan James/Naturepl.
2
Kenny Taylor. Portrait by
Gerry Cambridge.
3
Guillemots breeding on cliffs.
4
Nesting ospreys. Image by
Laurie Campbell.
5
Machair in the Outer Hebrides.
Full-on ora
For blow-your-socks-off summer ower colour, the
machair grasslands that sit just inland from the
sandy Atlantic beaches of the Outer Hebrides are
magnicent. Major stretches run from South Harris
along the rim of the Uists and Benbecula to Barra
and its satellite islands.
Wild carrot, meadow cranesbill and orchids can
all be part of the machairs beauty (as can the calls
of corncrakes). But a large part of the allure comes
from the huge numbers of common plants, such as
daisies or buttercups, and the way that different
islands have their own distinctive blends of owers.
Machair hopping by bike on inter-island ferries could
be a green and pleasant variation on a tourist theme
for anyone with an eye for some good blooms.
www.wildlifehebrides.com/environment/machair
www.snh.org.uk
9/7/08 19:48:04
Its almost impossible to avoid the constant ow of

media reports on climate change, along with pleas
to save energy and improve our carbon footprint.
Facing up to
the challenge
9/7/08 19:48:10
Whatever doubts you may have had in the past, its now clearer
than ever that climate change is the most serious threat facing
us all.
Theres maybe still scope for some debate about the scale
and rate of change that has occurred and will occur in the future.
Whats beyond reasonable doubt though is that the increase seen
in average temperatures over the last 60 years is due to increases
in greenhouse gas levels caused by humans. (1)
This was further borne out by the UN Secretary General,
Ban Ki-moon, when he stated recently: The science is clear.
Climate change is happening. The impact is real. The time to
act is now. (2) Whilst this message may have been mainly
directed at governments around the world, its not one that any
of us can choose to ignore.
SNH have for some time recognized the importance of climate
change and what it might mean for the natural heritage and
people of Scotland, commented John Baxter, SNHs Head of
Terrestrial Ecosystems. Our position on climate change will be
set out later this year in our policy statement Climate Change
and the Natural Heritage.
This will highlight ve key areas where SNH can help tackle
the problem. We will:
The science is clear. Climate

change is happening. The impact
is real. The time to act is now.
help people understand the effects of climate change and

what they will mean for the natural heritage;
advise on how to harness renewable energy with the least
damage to the natural heritage;
improve peoples understanding of managing land to keep
carbon locked up in the ground;
help nature adapt, as far as possible, to a changing climate
and guide people to make the best use of natural processes
in preparing for climate change;
encourage other organisations and individuals by showing
how we have reduced the amount of greenhouse gases
that our operations produce.
Along with the policy statement, SNH are developing a Climate
Change Action Plan, continued John. This will identify what
SNH will be doing over the coming years to deliver on these ve
key areas. These actions will aim to help with adaptation
measures to cope with climate change or they will play a part in
the mitigation of climate change. The main effort will go into the
adaptation measures.
Theres much to build on:
1
Our ski areas had a good
winter this year but winter
snowfall may reduce by
50% or more by the 2080s.
2
Some research has
suggested that capercaillie
may be badly affected
by climate change. Its
therefore important that we
monitor the situation and
manage areas where they
live to provide them with
a better chance of coping
with the harmful effects of
climate change. Image by
Laurie Campbell.
www.snh.org.uk
The MONARCH programme looked at the impacts of likely

climate change on a range of wildlife in Britain and Ireland.
It identied where the climate is likely to become favourable or
unfavourable for different species and how this might affect
their distribution.
The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership(3) recently
highlighted how climate change is already having important
impacts on the sea and the goods and services it provides.
The UK Climate Impacts Programme(4) will report at the end
of 2008 and indicate the scale of changes in climate that may
happen over the next century.
9
9/7/08 19:48:17
Several buttery species are

appearing weeks before
they did 30 years ago, and a
range of spring owering
plants are blooming earlier.
Were already seeing many changes, including:

average annual temperatures rising;
longer growing seasons;
changing rainfall patterns;
sea surface temperatures rising; and
the acidication of the seas because theyre taking in larger
amounts of carbon dioxide.
The effects of these and other changes are many and complex.
For example, some bird species are laying their eggs earlier,
several buttery species are appearing weeks before they
did 30 years ago, and a range of spring owering plants are
blooming earlier.
These changes can lead to mismatches between species
where one depends on the other. For instance, some breeding
seabirds are having trouble nding enough of the sh species
upon which they depend because the sh have moved to
different areas due to warmer seas.
SNH are responding to these clear and early indications
of the changes to the natural heritage that climate change
will bring, added John. Were working hard to support both
adaptation and mitigation measures, as well set out in our
action plan.
Climate change is not going to go away the effects will
denitely get worse before they get better. Change is inevitable.
Our responsibility to future generations is to act now.
1
2
3
4
As reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007

In his address to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali
Website: www.mccip.org.uk
Website: www.ukcip.org.uk
3
Twinower is a plant seriously
threatened by climate change.
Its found in the pinewoods
of eastern Scotland but the
future climate there will not
suit the plant.
4
Pearl-bordered fritillary could
be a climate change winner.
However, this would be the
case only if we also manage
places to help the species.
5
Mountain hare numbers are
thought to have fallen in
Scotland and climate change
could lead to a further decline
in numbers.
6
The future may bring an
increase in areas that have
suitable climate conditions
for corn buntings.
10
9/7/08 19:48:20
Adaptation
6
Adaptation measures aim to reduce the impact of current and

future climate change through various actions. These include
new ways of managing land and water, developing networks of
habitats, conserving soils, removing articial barriers that hinder
species migration, and managing targeted species (including
moving species to other areas if necessary). Ongoing research
will provide the answers on which to base future actions.
Mitigation
Mitigation aims to reduce the severity of further climate change
by reducing the amounts of greenhouse gases we produce. This
will require changes in behaviour across society and greater use
of different and novel ways of generating energy. These changes
will challenge everyone to do their bit.
www.snh.org.uk
11
9/7/08 19:48:34
Make your pledge to go greener and enter

the draw to win a green break in Scotland.
Make a world
of difference
9/7/08 19:48:54
In Scotland were lucky to have lots of high-quality resources

on our doorstep, including huge potential to develop renewable
energy and world-renowned food and produce.
Were blessed with beautiful landscapes and countryside
surrounding our towns, cities and villages, not to mention parks
and urban greenspaces. All of these are home to an amazing
variety of wildlife and plants.
Not only can we take pride in Scotlands natural heritage
which boosts our enjoyment and quality of life but the natural
environment and wildlife provide jobs in sectors from forestry to
shing, farming to tourism, as well as food and drink.
However, if we continue to put too much strain on our
environment, we and our children wont be able to enjoy the
same quality of life in the future.
Every time we get in the car, turn on a light, buy our groceries
or go on holiday, were leaving our mark on the planet.
Our lifestyles have had a clear impact on Scotlands climate
in recent years. Climate change is here now and evidence
shows that Scotland is already feeling the effects: temperatures
are rising and rainfall in winter is increasing dramatically.
The visible effects of climate change have already made many
of us stop and think about reducing our impact on the environment.
We are taking action more of us are recycling, using the car less,
and buying seasonal and unpackaged produce.
Every little thing we do adds up to big change. Its by working

together that we can make a real difference in tackling climate
change and improving the environment of Scotland.
From recycling waste at home to joining a local conservation
group, we can enjoy a good quality of life now while safeguarding
the environment for future generations and do something really
positive for the environment of Scotland.
Below are the 10 greener pledges that the Scottish
Government are encouraging people to sign up to throughout
this year to help reduce Scotlands environmental footprint. Many
of these pledges are easy to adopt as part of your everyday life,
so why not start now and do your bit?
Of course, you dont need to stop here. The pledges are
simple steps that should help any of us on the journey to
adopting a more environmentally responsible lifestyle, but there
are plenty of other things you can do to reduce the mark you
leave on the planet.
To sign up for one or more of the 10 steps to a Greener
Scotland and nd out about a range of other actions you can
take go to: www.infoscotland.com/ourfuture.
And by joining the campaign youll be entered into a draw to
win a green break in Scotland worth up to 500!
1
Image by Bruce Lonngren/
iStockphoto
2
Image by Montreal Photos/
iStockphoto
10 steps to a Greener Scotland 2008

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Recycle household waste using locally provided facilities.

Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth.
Switch to using energy-saving light bulbs.
Leave the car at home at least once a week, and cycle, walk, share a car or
use public transport more often.
Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
Reuse carrier bags when you shop.
Buy more seasonal and unpackaged food.
Hang your washing up to dry rather than using a tumble dryer.
Organise or volunteer for an environmental project in your local community.
Pay back the environmental impact of any ights you take and choose not to y
when theres a suitable alternative.
www.snh.org.uk
13
9/7/08 19:49:21
Community
opportunity
Journalist and broadcaster
Lesley Riddoch is Chair of
the Task Force for the island
of Rum. The group are
charged with developing
a dynamic community
thats not solely dependent
on SNH. She outlines the
background to the Task
Force being set up and the
work theyre undertaking.
1
Looking north from Kilmory
Bay to the island of Skye. Image
by Laurie Campbell/SNH.
2
Visitors picnicking outside the
community shop and hall. Image
by John MacPherson/SNH.
3
Kinloch sits at the head of
Loch Scresort and is the main
settlement on the island.
Image by P&A Macdonald/SNH.
14
9/7/08 19:49:23
Rum has been run as a National Nature Reserve (NNR) for half
a century in the interests of natural rather than human ecology.
No wonder half a century ago when the Bullough family
handed the island to the Nature Conservancy Council, there
werent a lot of humans about.
Rum was completely cleared of people in 1826 and run as
a sporting estate until conservationists took over in 1957.
Today, the islands ecology is still deemed to be of national
importance because of the 30-year study of the islands deer
herd, golden and sea eagles, peatbog habitat and the population
of Manx shearwaters nesting on inland sandstone cliffs.
Kinloch Castle is a considerable draw for tourists, with
6000 visitors a year. The Rum Cuillin ridge is like a mini-version
of its larger cousin on Skye there are no Munros on Rum but
plenty of elegant, conical peaks, framed by the striking outlines
of neighbouring island groups. On a good day, Rum appears
majestic and heroic. On a bad day, it appears to have the
largest, most vicious midge population in the northern
hemisphere. Rums annual rainfall is ve times higher than
Nairn, and the island was described in 1845 by geologist Hugh
Miller as a landscape without gures.
With a population of just 31 when I landed earlier this year,
it seemed that nothing much had changed, except for the political
will to reinvigorate Rums human population and devise a plan to
convert the largest of the Small Isles from a small company
town to a larger and genuinely independent community.
Easier said than done!
Background
In 2004 SNH and the Rum community developed a
blueprint for Kinloch village that would support
community development on the island. Last year the
community established the Rum Community Trust
and the plan to transfer the islands land and housing
assets to the Trust began to take shape.
At the moment SNH are responsible for most of the
infrastructure on the island, including the housing,
pier, roads, water supply and power supply. Passing
on these assets will allow SNH to channel our energy
and resources into the management of the reserve,
while supporting the development of an independent
community and independent economic activity.
Environment Minister Mike Russell set up a Task
Force in December 2007 to support this handover,
headed by journalist, broadcaster and former Eigg
Trust member Lesley Riddoch.
Transfer plan
www.snh.org.uk
The ball started rolling before my involvement in late 2007,

when former Hebridean islander Mike Russell was appointed
Environment Minister in the new SNP Government. Mike, who
once lived on Benbecula, visited Rum and agreed with SNH
that the islands human ecology needed urgent attention.
Continuing to pour money into Rum in the way it was done
in the past has not made things better, he said.
So the Government and SNH management devised a plan
to transfer ownership and management of day-to-day domestic
issues to the island community, relevant quangos and Highland
Council, freeing SNH to concentrate on managing the National
Nature Reserve. And since such plans had been oated before
and had oated away before I was appointed at a meeting
in December to make sure substantial progress was actually
made by the end of 2008.
Why me? Im not sure. Ive been involved with community
groups from Assynt to Africa most of my adult life. As an
Island of Eigg Trustee during those long, hard years before
the successful buyout in 1997, I was closely involved with the
threatened evictions, changes in ownership, setbacks, growing
pains and small successes that culminated in change. And last
year, while Eiggachs were luxuriating in their latest achievement
renewable mains electricity I was launching a book about every
aspect of Hebridean life with islanders from Barra to the Butt.
But every island is different. And every transfer to
community control is different too. Eigg took almost a decade
to gather momentum, a unied sense of purpose, cash and the
15
9/7/08 19:49:36
skills of asset management. The Rum community doesnt have

to nd the cash but, compared with its community controlled
neighbour, it will have to develop and mature almost overnight.
This is where the Rum Task Force comes in. With
representatives of SNH, Lochaber Enterprise, Lochaber Housing,
Highland Council, the Eigg Trust and the Rum Community, weve
tried to crack a few problems as the community gets organised.
And there are a fair few problems to crack!
Over the decades, Rum islanders have become dependent
on the conservation quango for jobs, electricity, water,
housing, transport and heating. With one or two exceptions,
housing has not been available to non-SNH employees. If staff
leave their jobs, they lose their house and their place on the
island too. The result has been the creation of a very unusual
island community, where no-one is old, no-one is second
generation local, few are self employed and few have teenage
children. Growing families face the difculty of sea journeys
to secondary school in Mallaig and have generally opted for a
move back to the mainland instead.
When it became a nature reserve in 1957, the Nature

Conservancy Council (NCC) declared: Visiting and living
will be strictly controlled so as to minimise every kind of
human impact not essential to research and conservation.
That access policy has relaxed. But just as the public were not
encouraged to visit the forbidden island, so SNH staff have not
been encouraged to settle or make Rum their permanent home.
Without the ability to own land or expand a business, facilities
have been limited. Until recently, the local shop was staffed by
the community, and, since most people work nine to ve, that
meant the shop was open in the evening only much to the
disappointment of visitors. Over the years there have been
B&Bs (and several fabulous Rum Music Festivals) but currently
the marvellous and very busy hostel at Kinloch Castle is the
only place to stay, apart from the campsite which is reportedly
very midgey in the summer. Staff with conservation skills spend
time catching ropes from supply boats, xing drains and
mending roofs. The mismatch causes stress, which isnt helped
by winter isolation and limited ferry access.
16
9/7/08 19:49:59
Factle
Lying 25 kilometres off the coast of

Mallaig, on the west coast of Scotland,
Rum became Scotlands second
National Nature Reserve in 1957.
The island has 31 residents.
Nature to see
10,684 hectares of mountain
and moorland fringed by steep cliffs
120,000 pairs of breeding
Manx shearwaters
three pairs of golden eagles
two pairs of white-tailed sea eagles
8 to 15 pairs of red-throated divers
over one million native trees planted
hotspot for otters
1200 red deer
250 to 300 wild goats
28 Highland cattle
20 rare-breed Rum ponies
Steeped in history
19 Scheduled Ancient Monuments
7 listed buildings
historic designed garden
Kinloch Castle
built by industrialist George Bullough at
the end of the 1890s
nest surviving Edwardian interior in
the UK
automatic orchestra (orchestrion)
programmed by punched paper rolls
4
The Rum Cuillin viewed
from the track to Harris.
The mountains provide one
of the nest ridge walks
in Scotland. Image by John
MacPherson/SNH.
5
The impressive Galleried
Hall, which greets
visitors when they enter
Kinloch Castle.
How to get there

Calmac ferry from Mallaig
private yacht moorings at the two
older jetties and slips
wildlife cruises from Arisaig
Where to stay
55-bed hostel in Kinloch Castle
self-catering facilities or bistro
two mountain bothies at Dibidil
and Guirdil
campsite at edge of Loch Scresort
6
Researchers have been
studying the deer on Rum
for over 30 years, making it
one of the longest running
studies of a large mammal
anywhere in the world.
www.snh.org.uk
17
9/7/08 19:50:07
18
9/7/08 19:51:18
7
Golden eagle arriving at
an island eyrie with prey
for its two chicks. Image by
Laurie Campbell/SNH.
8
Visitors step out on the
track to Harris Bay. Image
by John MacPherson/SNH.
9
The weathered entrance
to Dibidil Bothy. Image by
John MacPherson/SNH.
Work in progress
So whats been done?
The Rum Community Trust was set up in April, and has
employed Eigg man and former Community Land Unit staff
member Ian Leaver as Development Worker in a two-year post
jointly funded by SNH, Highland and Islands Enterprise and
Highland Council. Five crofts have been marked out and are
awaiting approval. A new housing allocations policy means that
badly housed Rum residents are being relocated in renovated
empty SNH properties.
SNH have spent almost half a million pounds bringing the
islands water supplies up to European standards. A community
representative now sits on the NNR Board. Options for renewable
energy have been found and environmental reports should be
ready before the end of the summer to end Rums historic
electricity outage problem. The day before Environment Minister
Mike Russells visit on 6 June, a housing seminar with mainland
experts let islanders explore all the housing/funding options
available before deciding their master plan for development.
And nally, the Scottish Government will announce the transfer
of land and housing ownership to the Rum Community Trust
(RCT) when the paperwork, nancing and accounting has all
been agreed. Like its big sister on Eigg, the RCT will then:
Managing communityowned assets is a weighty

responsibility and a timeconsuming affair.
manage and own Rums 12 existing homes;

manage allocations to those homes;
renovate or demolish and rebuild the derelict Tattie House,
perhaps as a self-catering, income-generating eco-home,
with housing association support and local labour;
receive receipts from land sales;
act as a guarantor for shared equity schemes.
Freelance future
The shift in ownership will let the community (with SNH) plan
out a new logic for the whole village and new developments
may be easier to fund out of SNH control. This new freelance
future may not be what every Rum resident desires. Managing
community-owned assets is a weighty responsibility and a
time-consuming affair especially for people who have full-time
jobs and young families. Every asset the community inherits
must be maintained and that means the RCT must generate
income.
Thirty-one people (including kids) is not a big enough
population to sustain Rum. And yet newcomers might appear
to be competing for work and land. Decisions taken remotely
will soon be taken locally and that will demand excellent interpersonal skills, constant communication and high levels of
impartiality. So itll be hard work, and the Task Force must devise
innovative ways to provide support.
But the prize is the future. A future where human and
physical ecology develop apace and Rum emerges from two
silent centuries to become a mainstay of the rejuvenated Small
Isles community.
9
www.snh.org.uk
19
9/7/08 19:51:38
SNH News
Its good to talk
Do you get involved in giving talks to
others about biodiversity? If you do,
theres now an online toolkit to help make
your communications clear, relevant
and consistent.
This new resource aims to help
organisations and individuals with an
interest in biodiversity issues who talk
to the public and other audiences about
Scotlands huge variety of living things.
Inside the communications toolkit
youll nd the key messages about
biodiversity and all the tools you need
to deliver them. Youll also nd practical
advice on how best to put together
the broader biodiversity messages with
your own.
By using the toolkit, youll be
contributing to a shared effort
communicating the importance of
biodiversity to the people of Scotland.
Click on:
www.snh.org.uk/biodiversitycommstoolkit
to access the toolkit.
Bigger boundary bid
between August and October 2008.

You can nd further information at
www.snh.org.uk/nationalparks, by
Later this year well be offering you the
emailing: cairngorms@snh.gov.uk or
chance to have your say on a proposal
by phoning 01479-810-477.
to make the Cairngorms National Park
Meanwhile, in a separate but
(CNP) bigger.
linked
initiative, the Scottish Government
Scottish Government Ministers propose
are
carrying
out a ve-year review of
to extend the Park into Perth & Kinross.
Scotlands
two
National Parks.
The new boundary line would roughly
The
review
is
focused on ensuring
follow the one in the Cairngorms National
that
the
CNP
and
the Loch Lomond & the
Park Boundary Bill put forward last year
Trossachs
National
Park are being run
by John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside.
as
ef
ciently
and
effectively
as possible.
The Government have asked SNH to
But
it
will
also
look
at
whether
theres
consult other people and come up with
any
need
for
further
boundary
changes.
detailed proposals on: exactly where the
new boundary should lie and how many
Image courtesy of CNPA.
people from each local authority should sit
on the CNP Authority Board, taking into
account the new boundary.
Well be seeking the publics views
on these two issues in a consultation
20
9/7/08 19:51:49
SNH News
Fish out of water
A fossil sh new to Scotland has been identied in a layer
of rock dating back 380 million years at a Caithness quarry.
The nd was made at Achanarras Quarry, which is an
abandoned agstone quarry near Halkirk. The former roong
slate quarry is owned by SNH and is a Site of Special
Scientic Interest (SSSI) where fossil sh have been collected
and studied since the 19th century.
Scotland lay south of the equator some 380 million years
ago and had a hot arid climate. The sh lived in a vast
freshwater lake and the rivers that fed it. The discovery of the
new sh (pictured right) suggests that there were links with
Estonia in the Baltic region at that time, as thats the location
for previously known nds of this sh.
An amateur collector found the specimen some years ago,
but its importance was only realised when a picture appeared
on a website. Professor Nigel Trewin of Aberdeen University and
fossil collector Mike Newman have published details of the nd
and describe it as a signicant discovery.
Lots of expert collectors have worked at Achanarras for
many years, commented Prof Trewin, so you can imagine the
surprise when this turned up. Hopefully, a complete specimen
will be found and a full reconstruction made of this rare sh.
The nd coincides with the formal opening of a 40,000
new visitor facility at Achanarras. The increasing popularity of
the site has prompted SNH to upgrade on-site facilities to
include new interpretation at the car park and a visitor shelter
within the quarry itself.
Fossil collecting adds to our record of past life and

environments on planet Earth. The recently published Scottish
Fossil Code encourages fossil collectors to collect responsibly
and manage collections in a way that will be useful to
future generations.
Responsible fossil collecting, following guidelines in the
new Code, is encouraged at Achanarras Quarry.
You can view the Code and download it from
www.snh.org.uk/fossilcode, or you can receive a paper copy
by contacting our Publications Department at Battleby, near
Perth, tel. 01738-458-530.
DCS and SNH

merger goes ahead
The planned merger between SNH and the Deer Commission
for Scotland (DCS) is to go ahead. The Scottish Government
have announced the decision following a consultation earlier
this year.
The bulk of the DCS staff are already located at Great
Glen House in Inverness, alongside the staff of SNH. However,
it may take up to two years before the merger is complete and
becomes law.
Scottish Government Environment Minister, Michael Russell,
said the move made absolute sense. The merger will cause
minimal disruption and I believe it can build on the success of
the partnership working approach to deer management in
Scotland, he added.
Image by Laurie Campbell/SNH.
www.snh.org.uk
21
9/7/08 19:52:54
SNH News
Its public knowledge
profession, property searchers and

conveyancers searching other registers
for property titles, etc.
Following its launch, SNH will
continue
to provide the Registers of
You can now access information about
Scotland
with the necessary information,
Sites of Special Scientic Interest
new
and
reviewed
SSSI documents
(SSSIs) more easily through a new online
to
maintain
the
Register.
Youll be able
SSSI Register, which was launched at the
to
get
further
information
about each
end of June.
SSSI
(such
as
Arthurs
Seat
Volcano
The Registers of Scotland (RoS)
SSSI
in
Edinburgh,
pictured
above)
website www.sssi.ros.gov.uk hosts the
through a link.
new Register and provides all users
If you have any questions, please
with free access to the legal documents
contact
Stewart Pritchard,
for every SSSI notied under the Nature
email:
stewart.pritchard@snh.gov.uk
Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
or tel. 01738-458-649.
(or previously under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981).
Image by Glyn Satterley/SNH.
The Register does not include details
of the few remaining SSSIs notied
under the National Parks and Access
to the Countryside Act 1949.
A particular aim of the new Register
is to help ensure that new owners are
made aware of any SSSIs on land
theyre buying. With the Register being
hosted by RoS, this information will be
only one click away for those in the legal
Online SSSI
register launched
22
Everyone now has the right to see

information thats held by any public body.
This reects the trend partly driven
by new laws for governments across
the UK and Europe to become more
open and transparent.
The principle that information held
by public bodies is public knowledge
is becoming an established one. This
was evident in May when measures were
announced in the Scottish Parliament
to improve the publics right to know.
As a public body, SNH are committed
to making as much of the information
we gather and create as widely available
as possible. Weve been working to
create electronic stores for information
that anyone can access using specially
designed web pages on the SNH website.
This will give access to information
on wildlife and protected areas in
Scotland, as well as information on the
work of SNH. Weve also been working
with other public bodies to give access
to all of the information on the environment
in Scotland.
We hope that by making this
information available, people will gain
an understanding of how SNH works
and what were delivering on your behalf.
We also hope that other organisations
can use this information to help them
conserve our natural heritage.
Visit our new information service at
www.snh.org.uk/snhi and see whats
special about your area!
9/7/08 19:53:01
SNH News
Conference on
managing species
Get in touch now if youd like more
information on a major conference
were organising that will look at the
challenges and solutions involved in
managing species.
The conference will take place in
the Edinburgh Conference Centre at
Heriot-Watt University from 29 to 31
October and will include a number
of case studies from Scotland and
around the world exploring the issues
and solutions relating to species
management.
To receive further information please
get in touch with Gordon Simpson by
emailing: gordon.simpson@snh.gov.uk
Image by David Whitaker.
New rural service

for land managers
their 30,000 or so visits each year across

Scotlands 26,000 farms. These changes
should result in fewer and better coordinated visits, with a lot less hassle for
A new service aimed at providing a
land managers.
simpler, more efcient support service to
Meanwhile, a new dedicated contact
land managers in Scotland was launched centre will deal with enquiries from rural
at this years Royal Highland Show.
land managers. Staff have been trained
SNH are one of several organisations to organize a response across all the
behind the development of the new
public bodies behind SEARS. Likewise,
Scotlands Environmental and Rural
staff within each of the organisations
Services (SEARS).
will also be able to respond to enquiries.
One year in the making, the service
Highlighting the aims of the new
will initially focus on three broad areas:
service, Environment Minister Mike
sharing data, co-ordinating inspections
Russell said: SEARS will be a huge
and providing a dedicated contact centre. step forward for those in rural areas who
come into contact with the Government
Its been a source of frustration for
and its agencies. This all ts in to the
many land managers over the years that
First Ministers agenda for making things
theyve needed to provide the same
information to several organisations.
simpler and more streamlined and helps
to present government in a better, more
Under the new service theyll have to do
understandable way.
this only once. Public bodies are able to
access and share the information, which
But SEARS is only a rst step. Im
very heartened by the tremendous buyshould make them more effective and
in from all the agencies that report to me
reduce the burden on land managers.
and Im constantly encouraging them to
Changes have also been made to
take SEARS further.
the way in which public bodies make
www.snh.org.uk
The organisations behind SEARS are:

Scottish Environment Protection Agency,
Cairngorms National Park Authority,
Crofters Commission, Deer Commission
for Scotland, Forestry Commission
Scotland, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs
National Park Authority, Animal Health,
Scottish Government Rural Payments
and Inspections Directorate, and Scottish
Natural Heritage.
Further information can be found at
www.sears.scotland.gov.uk
23
9/7/08 19:53:06
Tiger of the Highlands

If youre out and about in the Highlands this year then
you may be able to help with a national survey of one
of our rarest mammals, the Scottish wildcat.
Image by Peter Cairns.
A wildcat, furre in a bracken bush,

Twitches his club-tail, rounds his amber eyes
At rockabye rabbits humped on the world. The air
Crackles about him. His world is a rabbits size.
From Mutual life by Norman MacCaig
9/7/08 19:53:15
9/7/08 19:53:33
Whats in a name?
Despite being rarely seen, the wildcat
is one of Britains most iconic species.
People tend to link the name with ery,
no-nonsense behaviour, and its used
widely in everyday life.
The wildcat appears on the crest of at least
two Scottish clans. Perhaps most famously
it features in the centre of the Clan
Macpherson emblem, along with their
motto Touch not the cat but a glove. This
is reckoned to be a reference to treading
warily, as a cats claws when unsheathed
are a erce weapon; when the claws are
drawn in theyre said to be gloved.
When workers withdraw their labour
suddenly and unexpectedly its called
a wildcat strike.
The Wildcat Theatre Company, formed
in 1978, produced feisty and often
controversial work, tackling sensitive
political and social issues.
The tough, physical world of professional
rugby has seized on the wildcat name.
Wakeeld Trinity Wildcats club are the
most well-known users of the name in
rugby league, but there are also notable
Wildcat clubs playing rugby union.
Scottish Natural Heritage have

commissioned the rst survey of wildcats
for over 20 years and are keen to hear from
anyone whos been out walking or working in
the countryside and may have seen one.
Were trying to nd out how many wildcats still live here, and
where, so that conservation efforts can focus on the best
areas, explained Ro Scott, Policy and Advice Ofcer with
SNH. We need up-to-date information on the population if
were to come up with effective ways to protect them.
However, theyre very elusive which makes them difcult
to survey. And one of the big problems is that they can mate
with domestic cats and create hybrid animals that are difcult
to tell apart from true wildcats.
The wildcat was once found throughout Britain but it was
heavily hunted and deprived of suitable areas in which to live,
so it ended up conned to northern Scotland. Sometimes
called the Tiger of the Highlands, its now one of our most
endangered mammals.
Wildcat numbers have been falling across Scotland for
the past century, continued Ro. In the 1990s there were
reckoned to be only about 3500 remaining.
The species has been here since the end of the Ice Age
and its the only native member of the cat family now found in the
wild in Britain. But it could be in serious danger of extinction.
26
the threats to wildcats

remain and their numbers
have continued to fall.
9/7/08 19:53:36
1
The wildcat can be up
to 50% larger than the
average domestic cat
and can occasionally
reach over a metre long
from nose to tip of tail.
Image by Peter Cairns.
2
Wildcats have squarer,
broader heads than
domestic cats. Image by
Terry Whittaker/FLPA.
Cat illustrations by
John Tasker
Hunter hunted
People have often had a blinkered attitude towards predators,
and in Victorian and Edwardian times the wildcat was hunted
ruthlessly. On the sporting estates of these periods pest
control was severe and gamekeepers got rid of any animal that
was seen as a threat to game species.
Alarm bells began to ring, however, when people realised
that the wildcat had disappeared from England, Wales and
southern Scotland by 1880. The decline in Scotland continued
into the 20th century and numbers reached their lowest about
1914. The fact that the wildcat survived at all probably had a lot
to do with its secretive nature.
Threats remain
How to spot a wildcat

Similar to a striped tabby domestic cat, there are
seven main ways to tell a true Scottish wildcat from
a cat thats just living wild. Look out for:
a black stripe along its back but not extending
down its tail
a blunt black tail-tip
distinct black bands around its tail
unbroken stripes on its anks and hindquarters
little or no spots on anks and hindquarters
number and thickness of stripes on nape of neck
number and thickness of stripes on shoulders.
Wildcat
To a certain extent the Scottish wildcat staged a mini-recovery on

the back of the two world wars. The First World War (19141918)
saw many gamekeepers called up and therefore withdrawn from
sporting estates while the war lasted. The gradual decline of the
sporting estates was another factor in the wildcats favour. There
was even some help from the start-up of the Forestry Commission.
Their widespread tree planting created new woodlands where
wildcats could survive.
However, the threats to wildcats remain and their numbers
have continued to fall. There are still cases of accidental
snaring and shooting in parts of Scotland. And cross-breeding
with domestic cats reduces their numbers further and
increases the chance of domestic cat diseases being spread.
The last survey in 19831987 suggested very low numbers
in some parts of the country where youd expect to nd the
animals. Work in Glen Tanar on Deeside suggested that there
were about 30 wildcats per 100km2 whilst Ardnamurchan had
8 wildcats per 100km2.
Looking to the future

If youre a cat owner in the north of Scotland then you can do your
bit to help the wildcat population. Having your pet cat neutered
and vaccinated will prevent it from posing a threat to local
wildcats. Other measures that might help secure their future
include identifying key areas for wildcats and encouraging
land managers to use methods that favour wildcats; and
promoting awareness of the importance of wildcats as part of
our natural and cultural heritage.
Non-wildcat
Species Action Framework

The Species Action Framework is a ve-year programme,
launched in January 2007, to provide a strategic approach to
species management in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage,
along with various partners, has identied 32 species,
including Scottish wildcat, in need of priority action. Inclusion
on the list can be based on several different factors. In the
case of the Scottish wildcat, its because it needs conservation
work to increase the species range or population size.
www.snh.org.uk
www.snh.org.uk/speciesactionframework
27
15/7/08 16:23:18
28
9/7/08 19:53:49
Rough guide to wildcats

The Scottish wildcat is one of the hardest
mammals to see in Britain. Shy and
secretive, the wildcat mostly appears at
night. It comes out at late dusk and goes
to ground in early dawn. When it does
venture out during the day it remains in
thick cover.
The wildcats diet varies across the
country: in the east they eat mainly
rabbits, while voles and mice are the
main prey in the west.
They have good night vision, very
sensitive hearing and a keen sense
of smell its thought they can detect
meat up to 200 metres away.
People have often had a blinkered

attitude towards predators, and in
Victorian and Edwardian times the
wildcat was hunted ruthlessly.
3
Kittens start walking at
1620 days, play at 45
weeks, and may follow
their mother hunting
from 1012 weeks.
Theyre largely grown
by 10 months. Image by
Michael Callan/FLPA.
4
Wildcats may be active
throughout the day and
night in winter if theres
a lack of food. However,
heavy snowfall and rain
can force them to remain
under cover. Image by
Peter Cairns.
Tiger-stripe markings and a bushy,

blunt tail with dark rings are among the
standard ways to tell a true wildcat.
Wildcats avoid high mountain areas,
exposed coasts and heavily farmed
areas. They prefer to live on the forest
edge, around the margins of mountains
and moorlands.
Wildcats live alone for most of the year,
socialising only briey to breed and
raise kittens.
They seldom ght amongst themselves,
avoiding each other for much of the year.
Males can be aggressive to each other
during the mating season over access
to females.
Get in touch
Theyre usually silent but during the

mating season, from January to March,
the female makes loud night-time wailing
cries in search of a mate. Mothers also
purr with their kittens.
Please send details of any wild-living cats you may have

seen (not just those you think are wildcats) through the
website at www.naiadecology.co.uk
Females have only one litter per

year, around May, with usually three
or four kittens.
Alternatively, call Adrian Davis on 01350-727-201 or write to

Naiad Environmental Consultancy, Birnam Guest House,
4 Murthly Terrace, Birnam, Dunkeld PH8 0BG.
The wildcat is said to be the only

completely untameable wild animal,
even when brought up in captivity.
You can also download a copy of the Scottish Wildcat

Survey leaet from the SNH website: www.snh.org.uk
The survey runs until the end of 2008.
www.snh.org.uk
29
9/7/08 19:53:59
Art and nature
9/7/08 19:54:01
Michael Russell MSP, Minister for the

Environment, gives his personal view on the
links between natural and cultural heritage.
One morning in September 1803, the English poet William
Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy alighted at the tiny pier of
Inversnaid on the northeast shore of Loch Lomond, intent on
walking the seven miles to Loch Katrine.
On their return a rather damp return by their own
account they were given shelter and some food in the house
of the ferryman. It was there that Wordsworth saw the lovely
Highland Girl he immortalised in his poem of the same name,
which concludes with these words addressed to her:
For I, methinks, till I grow old
As fair before me shall behold,
As I do now, the cabin small,
The lake, the bay, the waterfall;
And thee, the spirit of them all!
In the same month, 78 years later, another poet visited the same
spot. Gerard Manley Hopkins contemplated mostly the same
sights though the girl must have been long dead yet the last
lines from his poem of place nish in a very different way:
What would the world be, once bereft
of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.
Even allowing for the vagaries of weather, taste, poetic fashion
and individual writing style, these two reactions to the same
landscape are telling. Wordsworth, no stranger to the rugged
and heroic, focused on the person in the picture and made that
person stand as representative and dominant feature of her
setting. Hopkins saw the opposite the need to have places in
which nature can be pre-eminent and which, consequently,
prioritise something other than the human.
I share both those views because Ive lived in the wild north
and the wet west and grown familiar with high hills and deep
lochs. Yet Im from the lowlands and still spend much of my life
amongst the tended elds of Dumfriesshire. But in a sense
that contrast of views is not the issue the real issue is that
we all react to where we are and what we see in different ways
and with different passions. Our individual emotions are stirred
by our environment (positively and negatively) and two
centuries on from Wordsworth that fact can now help us to
meet the present collective environmental challenges we face.
www.snh.org.uk
Thats why Linda Fabiani, the Minister for Culture, and I have
embarked on a joint project to bring together our responsibilities
to energise Scotlands artists in their response to Scotlands
environment. After a successful seminar held in Lanark at which
the poet Jim Carruth launched his emotional and entertaining
new sequence Baxters Old Ram Sang the Blues were now
working on a series of ideas which include contributions to 2009,
the Year of Homecoming.
We hope that in a number of communities in Scotland the
inspiration of the environment will lead to permanent memorials
to the year and to some of the key gures and issues in our
national story. SNH are helping us to deliver such innovations,
along with a range of environmental and cultural bodies, as
well as many other committed and enthusiastic individuals.
At an event on St Andrews Day last year, SNH helped to
host a groundbreaking seminar on just this subject, bringing
together in Inverness climate change experts, artists and
commentators. It was a huge privilege for me to be on the same
platform as many of them, but the most exciting thing was to see
at rst hand in Great Glen House the wonderful installations
by Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion called More than Us.
The scale of these landscapes in which, for example, a single
Scotch burnet moth sits as colour and focus is breathtaking.
And the clean passion (an apt term given their expanses of white)
that these pieces display for the environment is inspirational.
And that, of course, is the point. Art that takes us into our
environment also makes us think about our environment and
helps us to understand our responsibility for that environment.
What governments do best is to create contexts for action.
Many of our best artists and animateurs are already deeply
engaged with the countryside around them. By providing some
assistance and a few new ideas I hope that Linda Fabiani and I
can not only help those things that are happening, but encourage
some new things to happen too. New things that will place
human beings and nature side by side and thus help us all to
survive the present environmental pressures that threaten both
people and place.
1
Reections on water.
2
Detail from More than Us
by Matthew Dalziel and
Louise Scullion.
31
9/7/08 19:54:14
Look out for a couple of new outdoor access

campaigns well be running this summer if
youre a dog owner or like to go camping.
New campaigns
are serious fun
The campaigns are part of our ongoing efforts to raise
awareness and understanding of the Scottish Outdoor
Access Code. The Code explains in detail peoples access
rights and responsibilities in the Scottish countryside.
The people behind the new programmes are Suzanne
Downey and Eleanor MacGregor, who outline below what
the campaigns will be focusing on.
Suzanne
For more information on the dogs campaign,
and copies of leaets, posters and dog tidy bags,
contact Suzanne.
For many of us, a walk in the countryside just wouldnt be the

same without our dog. The company of a dog is a big part of
enjoying the outdoors. But it also brings its own special
responsibilities.
Dog owners have a key role to play in making Scotlands
Access Code a success. The main things to remember are
to make sure your dog doesnt foul, stays away from sensitive
wildlife, and doesnt worry or attack farm animals.
Our new campaign aims to persuade dog owners to think
about their responsibilities when out walking their dogs around
towns or in the countryside. The campaign is supported by
the Scottish Canine Council and promotes the message to
owners: Your dog doesnt know any better. Make sure you do.
The campaign is based around three amusing dog characters
Daftie, Loopy and Dotty whom we trust will appeal to all dog
owners. We hope theyll get the messages across in a fun and
entertaining way.
After all, local communities have a right to expect their
neighbourhood to be clean and to be able to enjoy the outdoors
in a safe environment. Careless litter, and dog mess in
particular, can really ruin other peoples enjoyment of an area.
Spare a thought too for farmers, land managers and visitors.
Poorly controlled dogs can be upsetting and harmful to farm
animals, as well as disturbing wildlife and alarming other
people. They can also spread disease or infection if theyre
not properly cared for.
The campaign will run across national outdoor advertising,
concourse posters in Glasgow underground, and nationwide
leaet distribution to vet surgeries, kennels and various tourist
and public locations. There will also be a series of local family
events where dog owners can speak to SNH staff and receive
free supplies of dog tidy bags, dog merchandise and easy-tofollow advice literature.
Email: suzanne.downey@snh.gov.uk
Tel. 0141-951-0833
Heres what you need to know

when out with your dog:
Cattle
Keep yourself and your dog at a safe
distance as cattle can act aggressively.
Planted elds
Avoid taking your dog into fruit and vegetable
elds unless theres a clear path.
Livestock
Keep your dog on a short lead around
livestock and during the bird breeding season
(usually AprilJuly). Never let it worry or
attack livestock or disturb nesting birds.
Dog waste
Pick up and dispose of carefully.
32
9/7/08 19:54:20
1
The three friendly
characters who feature in
the new dogs campaign.
2
One of the cartoon
characters being used
to carry a hard-edged
message to a specic
group of wild campers.
Eleanor
For more information on the camping
campaign contact Eleanor.
Email: eleanor.macgregor@snh.gov.uk
Tel. 01463-725-213
Youll nd more detailed guidance at
www.outdooraccess-scotland.com
Heres what you need to

know to camp responsibly:
Weve all got our own idea of the perfect camping spot. And
Scotlands access laws mean that everyone can go camping
pretty much anywhere with a few reasonable exceptions
as long as its done responsibly. However, this has created
major issues for some landowners and local communities in
the countryside and around our towns and cities.
Over the last year, there have been a number of headlinegrabbing cases of antisocial and careless behaviour at wild
camping sites. Some locations were affected by vandalism,
out-of-control res, rubbish, dumped equipment and pollution
from unburied human waste. So weve developed a campaign to
try and help campers avoid causing problems with human waste,
out-of-control res and litter.
There are two distinct styles to the new campaign. The rst
is a reminder of good practice for genuine lightweight wild
campers, who generally cause few problems. The key messages
will be distributed on swing tags, which will be carried on
tents and camping equipment in outdoor stores throughout the
summer, as well as via adverts in relevant publications.
The second style uses humour to try and communicate with
a more difcult target audience. Its especially aimed at casual
and occasional campers who pitch up beside popular roads
or lochs with little regard to the good practice guidance in the
Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Theres no doubt that some inexperienced or less thoughtful
campers can present real problems. Access rights depend
on responsible behaviour, and its vital that people think about
how their actions might affect others and the environment.
So weve developed some cartoon characters with a bit of
attitude to try and get across the message. The Dont Mess with
Nature campaign takes a more radical approach than SNH
might normally use. It sets out to attract the attention of people
who go camping mainly to drink and party, as we think that theyre
likely to be the ones causing a lot of the problems. Most of this
target audience seem to come from urban areas, so the Dont
Mess with Nature campaign will appear at music festivals and
on selective advertising in and around our towns and cities.
Lighting res
Never cut down or damage trees. Use a stove
if possible. If you must have an open re, keep it
small and under control, and remove all traces
before leaving.
Human waste
If no public toilets are available, carry a trowel and
bury your own waste and urinate well away from
open water, rivers and burns.
Litter
Take away all your rubbish, particularly bottles,
cans and plastic. And leave your campsite as
tidy as you found it.
Parking
Use a proper car park where possible and never block
a road or lane, an entrance to a eld or a building.
www.snh.org.uk
33
9/7/08 19:54:23
Events diary 2008
July
Tuesday 8th July

Wednesday 9th July
Open Day, Isle of May NNR,
Firth of Forth
Family event with
childrens activities, guided
walks and picnic provided.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01334-654-038
lisa.duggan@snh.gov.uk
th
Saturday 12 July
Beautiful Botany
St Cyrus NNR, Grampian
Join botany expert David
Welch and SNH staff on a
guided walk through the
ower-rich grasslands of the
reserve. Booking essential.
Tel. 01674-830-736
Saturday 12th July
Open Day
Noss NNR, Northern Isles
The annual Isle of Noss Open
Day activities including
marine viewing, kids events,
face painting, guided walks.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01595-693-345
noss_nnr@snh.gov.uk
th
Saturday 12 July
Damsels and Dragons
Loch Leven NNR, Tayside
Sunday 13th July
Thursday 17th July
Family Fun Day

Introduction to Inchcailloch
Loch Lomond NNR,
West Highlands
Come and join in the fun. Lots

of games and activities for all
the family at the visitor centre.
Tel. 01674-830-736
Sunday 13th July
Tel. 01389-722-100
Meet the Wardens
Loch Leven NNR
Sunday 20th July
Drop into the boathouse

hide and discover more about
the wildlife of Loch Leven.
Island Explorer
Loch Lomond NNR,
West Highlands
Tel. 01577-864-439
Be an island adventurer
and explore the woodlands
of Inchcailloch, an island
in Loch Lomond. An
afternoon of fun and
discovery for the whole
family. Booking essential.
th
Sunday 13 July
Alpine Treasures
Corrie Fee NNR, Angus
Spend the day in Corrie Fee
and discover the importance
of its animals and plants.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01575-550-233
Wardens Day
Caerlaverock NNR,
Dumfriesshire
Be a Warden for the Day

Find out about the everyday
work of the Reserve Wardens.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01577-864-439
Have you ever wondered

what goes on behind the
scenes at one of the UKs
largest NNRs? Come along
and discover for yourself.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01577-864-439
Thursday 17th July
Saturday 12th July
Family Day
Tentsmuir NNR, Tayside
Tel. 01224-642-863
Saturday 26th July
Wednesday 16 July
Tel. 01387-770-275
Long before supermarkets

and chemists, people had to
feed and doctor themselves
with the plants around them.
Find out which plants they
used. Booking essential.
Tel. 01389-722-100
th
Pond-dipping, net-catching
fun. Booking essential.
Edibles and Medicinals

Muir of Dinnet NNR,
Grampian Highlands
Explore part of Loch Lomond

NNR with a ranger, who will
reveal the history, wildlife and
management of this special
island. Booking essential.
Sunday 27th July

Fun Day, Muir of Dinnet NNR,
Grampian Highlands
Come and join in the fun.
Lots of games and activities
for all the family at the
visitor centre.
Tel. 01224-642-863
Sunday 27th July
Come and join the Reserve

Manager for a day of fun
on the beach at Tentsmuir.
Booking essential.
Management Proposals
Consultation Launch
Muir of Dinnet NNR,
Grampian Highlands
Tel. 01382-553-704
Thursday 17th July
Osprey Walk
Your Nature Reserve needs

you! Have your say in how
we manage Muir of Dinnet
NNR over the next ve years.
Tel. 01224-642-863
Join the search for the elusive

osprey. Booking essential.
Tel. 01577-864-439
34
9/7/08 19:54:37
August
September
Tuesday 5th August
Sunday 17 th August
Wednesday 3rd September
Tuesday 9th September
Loch Lomond NNR,
West Highlands
Dragons and Damsels

Corrie Fee NNR, Angus
Sharing Good Practice:

Flying Flocks, Cupar, Fife

NNR with a ranger who will
Join the ranger for a guided

walk through Glen Doll
to discover the variety of
dragonies and damselies
to be found there.
Booking essential.
Grazing has played a key

role in creating some of
the most valued landscapes
and habitats in Britain.
This event will look at
conservation grazing.

Assessing the Impacts of
Windfarm Developments
on Birds, Battleby, Perth
Tel. 01389-722-100
Tel. 01575-550-233
Tel. 01738-458-556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
th
Wednesday 6 August
st
Thursday 21 August
It Came From the Deep!

Caerlaverock NNR,
Dumfriesshire
Loch Lomond NNR,
West Highlands
Ponds are fascinating places,

full of bugs and beasties
and, at Caerlaverock NNR,
the rare natterjack toad.
Explore the murky depths!
Booking essential.

NNR with a ranger, who will
Saturday 6th September

Sunday 7th September
Good quality, clear

ornithological chapters in
Environmental Statements
greatly assist decision
making. This event will cover
the entire process.
Tel. 01738-458-556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Saturday 13th September
Scottish Nature Photography

Fair, Redgorton, Perth
Annual nature photography
fair. Speakers from home and
abroad. Booking essential.
Beach Clean
Tel. 01389-722-100
Tel. 01738-458-571
snpf@snh.gov.uk
Do your bit to keep

St Cyrus beach beautiful
and take part in the Marine
Conservation Societys
annual Beachwatch event.
Saturday 23 rd August
Saturday 6 th September
Tel. 01674-830-736
The Sands of Time

Funky Fungi
Thursday 18th September
St Cyrus NNR is much more

than just golden sands and
beautiful owers; the area is
steeped in human history too.
Discover its past on a guided
walk. Booking essential.
Join fungi expert Liz Holden

for a guided walk to
explore the fascinating fungi
found at St Cyrus NNR.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01387-770-275
Sunday 10 th August
Treasure Island
Loch Lomond NNR,
West Highlands
Learn about the people and
the woodland and all those
hidden treasures of nature.
Fun and activities for the
whole family on Inchcailloch.
Booking essential.
Tel. 01674-830-736
Tel. 01674-830-736
Sunday 7th September
Tel. 01389-722-100
Monday 25th August
Thursday 14th August
Between the Tides

Osprey Walk
Join the search for the elusive
osprey. Booking essential.
Tel. 01577-864-439
Join local salmon sherman

Jim Ritchie on a walk to
learn how local folk have
harvested salmon from the
St Cyrus beach for hundreds
of years. Booking essential.
Fungi Foray
Muir of Dinnet NNR,
Grampian Highlands
Join fungi expert Marysia
Stamm for a guided walk to
explore the fascinating fungi
found at Muir of Dinnet NNR.
Booking essential.

Managing Inspiring
School Visits on Your Site,
Vane Farm, Loch Leven,
by Kinross
This event is aimed at
managers of National and
Local Nature Reserves
and other natural heritage
sites who wish to work more
effectively with schools.
Tel. 01738-458-556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tuesday 23rd September
Aquaculture and the
Landscape, Battleby, Perth
Tel. 01224-642-863
Tel. 01674-830-736
st
Sunday 31 August
Ice & Fire
Celebrate the start of
Scottish Geology Month and
travel back in time to uncover
the clues to St Cyrus past
hidden in the cliffs and dunes.
Booking essential.
This event will examine

the landscape and visual
issues concerned with the
development of sh farming
on Scotlands coasts.
Tel. 01738-458-556
sgp@snh.gov.uk
Tel. 01674-830-736
Images by Richard Learoyd.
www.snh.org.uk
35
9/7/08 19:55:13
Jewel of the Forth

Anchored on the edge of the Firth of Forth,
the Isle of May is a magical mix of seabirds,
seals and smugglers. In early summer the
cliffs are heaving with nesting seabirds, in
a noisy spectacle you can witness from the
cliff-top path. The island is also home to
the unmistakeable pufn, a comical looking
bird that dazzles visitors with its brightly
coloured bill. Theres a dark past here though,
with monks, Vikings and smugglers on the
list of previous visitors.
36
9/7/08 19:55:17
Isle of May Trail

1
Starting from the visitor centre you
catch a glimpse of the many stories that
the island has to tell. Your senses are
overwhelmed by the sound and smell of
the birds, whilst your feet stand on slabs
from the Mays days as a naval base
during both world wars. Generations of
lighthouse families built and tended the
walled garden around you.
2
Turn south and walk across the grass
to the Priory. This ruin is a scheduled
monument and can tell the islands story
as a centre for early Christian worship,
Viking raids and pilgrimage. Terns breed
in this area, forming shallow scrapes in
the gravel, and will rise into the sky to
noisily defend their territory.
1
One of the must-sees
for most visitors to the
island are the pufns.
The May is home to the
largest colony of pufns
in the North Sea.
2
Two SNH staff live on
the island from spring to
early autumn. They meet
and greet all of the 7000
day visitors to the May.
3
Go down the steps, through the wall, turn
right and take the most level route to the
cliffs along the wide grass path. At Ladys
Bed you can gaze south to the volcanic
mass of Berwick Law or simply watch
birds crammed onto ledges, safeguarding
eggs or feeding chicks. Look out for seals
hauled out on the rocks below and watch
the pufns returning from the sea or simply
sitting on the grassy banks.
4
Walking west on the narrow rocky path,
youll climb around the South Horn, built
to keep mariners off the islands rocks.
The horn is open to explore and tells the
story of the islands two foghorns and
three lighthouses.
Isle of May Trail

Heres a short walk that will take you to
some of the islands highlights. Use the
numbered map to guide you round.
Main Light
South Horn Pilgrims Haven
Start
Palpitation
Brae
Bishops
Cove
Slipped Disk
Greengates
Altarstanes
Th
Green Face
The Chair
eP
oo
Mill
Door
West
Tarbet
Silver Sand
Shag Rock
Pilgrims
Haven
Maiden Rocks
7
6
Norman Rock
Mars Rocks
East Tarbet
Ladys Bed
3
Clett
Willies Hole
Island Rocks
Colms
Hole
The Middens
The Pillow The Spout

Foreigners Point
Ladys Bed
www.snh.org.uk
Priory
Holymans Road
North
37
9/7/08 19:55:42
38
9/7/08 19:55:45
3
Razorbills come ashore
only to breed and they
winter in the northern
Atlantic. About 2700
pairs nest on the island.
4
Looking out across
Green Face seabird cliff
to South Horn.
5
Heading north, follow the path to Pilgrims
Haven. You can still see the air pipe that
carried compressed air to the horns and
you may spot a nesting eider sheltering
beneath it, amidst the thrift and campion.
Looking down onto the beach, imagine it in
winter, densely packed with pupping seals
all jostling for position. You can view this
spectacle via the live camera links at the
Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.
6
On returning to the visitor centre, turn
onto the tarmac track and climb the hill
to Fluke Street. Youll pass lighthouse
keepers cottages, now used by staff
and researchers, and the engine room
that housed the engines which produced
the compressed air for the horns. On
climbing Palpitation Brae, catch a much
needed breath and look across the
man-made loch. If youre lucky you may
see female eiders bringing a group of
chicks to swim in the murky green water.
7
At the top of the hill you arrive at the
Main Light. This grand building, built
by George Stevenson, is owned by the
Northern Lighthouse Board and still
acts as a guide for sailors. Looking east
you can see the remains of the Beacon,
the oldest lighthouse in Scotland.
8
Heading north on the high road, turn
east onto McLeods Path, past the white
navigational markers and head over the
bridge to the Low Light. Many of the
paths were walled or marked to help the
keepers nd their way on dark, foggy
nights. Turning south and passing under
the bridge you can return to the visitor
centre and harbour via Holymans Road,
a narrow, sheltered path, which gives
views over some of the most densely
pufn-burrowed areas of the island.
Route length: approximately 2.3km
(1.4 miles)
www.snh.org.uk
39
9/7/08 19:56:25
40
9/7/08 19:56:30
Essential information
Getting there
Boats
Boats sail from April to September.
Best time to see birds from April to July.
Anstruther
Dunbar
Boat operator
Anstruther Pleasure Trips
Tel. 01333-310-054
www.isleofmayferry.com
Boat operator
Forth Charter Services
Tel. 07974-168-606
www.forthcharterservices.
co.uk
OS Maps
Landranger 59, Explorer 371. If sailing
from the East Lothian side you may also
want Landranger 66/67, Explorer 351.
Boat description
100 seats, 35 covered,
refreshments on board, toilet
on board, partial disabled
access
Trail length
Approx 2.3 km (1.4 miles).
Terrain
Paths vary from 2m wide tarmac to
narrow grass paths. Some steps,
exposed rocks and steep gradients
(maximum 1:6). Can be slippy when
wet. Stout footwear recommended.
Journey time
Up to ve hour round trip, one
hour each way on the boat
Journey time
Up to four hour round trip
Car parking
Long stay, pay and
display, 20m away on eastern
harbour
Car parking
Free parking on the
harbour, 30m away from
the harbour
Bus stop
East shore 10m away
outside Scottish Fisheries
Museum
Bus stop
High Street, 300m away
Train station
N/A
Some paths and viewpoints are

on the edges of unfenced cliffs.
Boat description
12 covered seats,
refreshments on board,
toilet on board, partial
disabled access
Train station
Dunbar mile
North Berwick
Boat operator
Island Hopper
Tel. 07967-872-676
www.northberwickis
landhopperboattours.com
Dogs
The boat operators are allowed to
carry only registered assistance dogs,
so check with the operator in advance
on suitability.
Boat description
12 seats, fast open boat
Journey time
Up to three hour round trip
Bus
Contact Traveline Scotland:
Tel. 0871-200-2233
www.travelinescotland.com
Car parking
Free parking on
Melbourne Road, 300m
away from the harbour
Bus stop
Church Road, 500m away
Train station
North Berwick mile
5
Tour boats take visitors
in close to the island cliffs so
that they can get good views
of the breeding seabirds.
6
Guillemots are among the
most numerous birds in
the great seabird cities
around Scotlands coasts.
About 15,500 pairs breed
on the Isle of May each year.
7
Grey seals hauled out on
rocks at low tide. About
1800 pups are born on the
island each autumn.
Isle of May is one of 51 National

Nature Reserves in Scotland. Find out
more at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
www.snh.org.uk
41
9/7/08 19:57:20
SNH Area News

Correspondent: David Carstairs
East Highland
We never close
Stranger in our midst
Merkinch gets green gong
Were currently consulting over our

proposals for the future management of
Creag Meagaidh NNR and wed like to
hear your views.
Creag Meagaidh lies between
Laggan and Spean Bridge in the Central
Highlands, stretching from the shores
of Loch Laggan to the summit plateau at
1130m. It presents a mosaic of sunless
coires, wind-clipped heath, grassland
and bog, creating an atmosphere of truly
wild land.
A remote and, at times, inhospitable
landscape, its the true home of some of
Scotlands most striking animals: golden
eagle, ptarmigan, dotterel and snow
bunting. Red deer, which are controlled
to allow the return of the once healthy
natural forest, roam the high glens.
This wonderful place is not just
about conserving wildlife, said the
Reserve Manager, Rory Richardson.
Our visitors are very important to us
and we want them to come and enjoy
themselves throughout the year. Weve
recently opened two trails suitable for
everyone and we hope they give a avour
of whats on offer.
If youd like to know more about
the story of the reserve and our
management proposals, please get in
touch: tel. 01528-544-265,
email east_highland@snh.gov.uk
Reports of a grey squirrel at Milton of

Leys, South Inverness, have sent teeth
chattering among our own popular red
squirrel of the old Scots pine forests.
First introduced to England during the
late 19th century, the varied diet of grey
squirrels has allowed them to spread
northwards from open woodland to urban
parks. But, despite their efforts, the door
to the wild pine forests of Scotland has so
far remained rmly locked.
So, whats one grey squirrel among
friends? In a word: squirrelpox. A virus
carried by greys but fatal to reds, the
arrival of even this one squirrel could be
serious, especially if its infected.
But how did it get here? Experts say
it could be like many visitors: up the A9.
Board a lorry load of straw bales, enjoy
the view and hop off in Inverness!
Red squirrels are among the most
threatened land mammals in Britain, as
theyre also at risk from development and
loss of areas in which to live. The
appearance of a stranger on the block is
not to be welcomed.
If youd like to help with red squirrel
conservation in the Highlands, why not
contact Juliet Robinson of the See Red
Highland project on 01349-860-916
or go to www.highlandredsquirrel.co.uk
on the web.
The expansive waters of the Moray Firth

provide a wealth of opportunities to
enjoy the coast. Whether youre a sailor,
canoeist or simply like being by the
seaside, there are loads of places to visit.
Now theres another one and a very
special one at that.
Recently, Merkinch a sea-salt slice
at the edge of Inverness has been
recognized as a Local Nature Reserve,
the 50th in Scotland, for its outstanding
wildlife, easy access and benets to the
local community.
Merkinch Greenspace are an
energetic group who have promoted their
local environment for everyone to enjoy,
remarked SNH Area Ofcer Tim Dawson,
who has been key to our involvement.
Everyone agrees there are lots of health
benets from visiting places like this.
Merkinch is rich in plants and birds.
Dolphins are regularly seen, as are otters
and roe deer. For those who just want to
enjoy the scenery, there are walks along
the sea wall, boardwalks and a myriad of
other routes, some of which have been
identied as part of the core path network.
For more information visit:
www.merkinchgreenspace.org.uk
42
Image by Peter Jolly.
9/7/08 19:57:31
SNH Area News

Western Isles
Correspondents: Iain Macleod, Mary Harman, Gwen Evans
Shrinking the mink menace Stranded Mexican visitor
Answers on a postcard
The Western Isles are having great

Earlier this year a turtle normally found
success with one of the most ambitious
in the Gulf of Mexico turned up on
schemes in the world for removing a
Benbecula. This was the rst Kemps
non-native species.
Ridley turtle ever to be seen in the
American mink have been causing
Outer Hebrides.
major damage to the populations of
Unfortunately, the turtle was dead when
ground-nesting birds in the Western
local crofter Davie Shepherd discovered
Isles, as well as taking large numbers
it at Poll na Crann. Only 35 Kemps
of wild salmon and other sh. The only
Ridleys have ever been found on British
long-term solution is to remove them
shores, with just two of them appearing
permanently from the whole of the
in Scotland one near Kinlochbervie and
Western Isles.
the other near Ayr, both in 1949.
Phase 1 of the Hebridean Mink
Kemps Ridley turtles have been in
Project cleared them out of the Uists and serious decline in their home area. In
reduced numbers in South Harris. Phase 1963 it was reckoned that at least 40,000
2 is looking to remove them from the
turtles came ashore to lay eggs along
whole of the Western Isles.
one mile of shore in one day at their
The 12 trappers access the traps in
main colony. However, predation and
various ways but most trapping involves
accidental catching by shing boats have
walking anything up to 24 km a day, ve
brought the number of breeding females
days a week. When possible they use
down to no more than 900. With
boats to access remote and coastal
protection there are signs that the
areas, as well as canoes for the complex number of nesting females is increasing.
loch systems of Lewis.
The Benbecula turtle was identied
We have a dedicated team of
by Bob Reid and Jason Barley of the
trappers who love their work, even when Scottish Agricultural College in
the sun doesnt shine, remarked Iain
Inverness and has been passed on to
Macleod, SNHs Project Manager.
the National Museums of Scotland.
Were determined to rid the Western Image by Anne MacLellan.
Isles of mink and show that its possible
and cost-effective to remove them from
large areas and thereby protect our
native wildlife.
Picture postcards with interesting facts

and gures about the wonderful wader
birds of the Uists and Benbecula could
be yours at the click of a mouse.
Send your address to:
uwp@snh.gov.uk and well send you a
set of the six new postcards, which
feature stunning images of the birds on
the front with information about them in
Gaelic and English on the reverse.
The postcards feature dunlin, lapwing,
redshank, ringed plover, oystercatcher and
snipe. The Uists support some of
the largest populations of these birds in
Europe, but most species have dramatically
declined over large parts of the islands.
Research has shown that theyre under
threat from non-native hedgehogs
introduced to the islands in the 1970s.
The birds lay their eggs on the ground
where the hedgehogs are able to eat
them, causing major damage to the
breeding success of the birds. SNH and
partners are working through the Uist
Wader Project to remove the hedgehogs
and protect the island birds.
The postcards are bright and
attractive, with interesting information
about each species, remarked Gwen
Evans, Uist Wader Project Ofcer. We
hope theyll raise awareness of what
special birds these are and why we need
to take urgent action to make sure they
still have a future in the Uists.
Image by Andrew Stevenson/SNH.
www.snh.org.uk
43
9/7/08 19:57:38
SNH Area News

Correspondents: Kat Jones, Martin Twiss, Gail Foster
Strathclyde and Ayrshire
Natures treasure island
Take the branch line
Dammed ditch training
Under stunning blue skies, and without

a midge to be seen, the third Arran Wildlife
Festival took place in May. The week-long
celebration attracted thousands of
people to the island to view some of
Scotlands most spectacular wildlife.
In the biggest festival yet, 64 events
including sea-life cruises, eagle watching
and a wildlife safari took visitors and
residents to all corners of the island in
search of natural treasures.
Visitors had the chance to combine
sampling some of Arrans famous ale
with learning about bats and to mix
tasting Arrans malt whisky with seeking
out a tree found nowhere else in the
world, the Arran whitebeam.
Arrans a fantastic place to experience
exciting wildlife, commented Kat Jones,
one of the SNH staff involved in organising
the festival. I hope people whove heard
about or experienced the festival will
come to Arran at other times of year too.
Jim Cassels, Arran resident and
member of the organising committee,
said: The festival not only attracted
visitors to the island but I was heartened
by the number of local people who took
part. The input to the local primary
schools was also a fun way of getting the
young people of the island involved with
their wildlife heritage. You can nd
more information about the festival at:
www.arranwildlife.co.uk
Hop on a train at Glasgow Central and

20 minutes later you could be stepping
out among the oak, ash and elm trees of
an awesome ancient woodland in the
Clyde Valley.
The Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR
consists of six separate gorge woodlands,
which dominate the Clyde Valley between
Hamilton and New Lanark. These
woodlands have survived because theyre
on steep gorges unsuitable for commercial
forestry, farming or development.
This is one of the few NNRs in central
Scotland, and its less than an hours
travelling time from the two million people
who live in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the
towns of the Clyde Valley. Unusually
amongst NNRs, one of the woodland sites,
at Chatelherault, actually has a railway
station on its doorstep.
The reserve provides a wonderful
opportunity for the people of Lanarkshire,
and visitors from farther aeld, to get out
and enjoy these ancient woodlands. SNH
manages the NNR in partnership with the
Scottish Wildlife Trust and South
Lanarkshire Council.
Over the last year SNH has carried
out lots of improvements to the path
network in the woodlands at Cleghorn
Glen and Cartland Craigs. So why not
come along and see for yourself these
wonderful woodlands. You can nd further
information at: www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
or call 01555-665-928.
How to dam a ditch was the subject of

a recent training event in Lanarkshire
aimed at land managers and contractors
interested in restoring peatbogs.
Ditch damming is one of the main ways
to restore the natural plantlife on peatbogs
that have been drained in the past. Land
managers with a peatbog SSSI in the
scheme area can register to become part
of the South of Scotland Bog Scheme and
receive payments for restoring their site.
The training day took place at Carnwath
Moss in South Lanarkshire, thanks to local
landowner David Baillie. Carnwath Moss
is a raised bog that was heavily drained in
the distant past for farming and forestry.
The dams aim to slow down water loss
from the peatbog, which helps to restore
the naturally high water levels. The high
water levels encourage the growth of
sphagnum mosses, the building block
plants in a bog.
SNHs wetland adviser and dam guru,
Andrew McBride, showed the 25 folk at
the training day how it was done. Then
they were let loose with plastic piling and
mallets to have a go for themselves.
Fortunately, the hard hats remained just a
precautionary measure!
Image by Tom Marshall/RSPB.
44
Image by Gail Foster/SNH.
9/7/08 19:57:43
Farmers from Moray to Galloway opened their

gates to the public last month in a celebration
of Scottish agriculture.
Thirteen Scottish farms of all types and sizes welcomed folk
in to discover the sights, sounds and smells of a working farm.
Activities on offer at Open Farm Sunday ranged from farm
walks and tractor rides through to food tasting, pond dipping
and farmers markets.
The event in Scotland was part of a much bigger initiative
set up and organised across Britain since 2006 by LEAF
(Linking Environment and Farming). LEAF reckon that this
years Open Farm Sunday reached out to a total audience even
larger than the 150,000 who attended in 2007.
Sponsorship for the day came from many bodies, including
SNH. Our support through funding and farmers workshops
promoted the importance of sustainable farming and encouraged
farmers to highlight the key principles of the Scottish Outdoor
Access Code take responsibility for your own actions; respect
the interests of other people; and care for the environment.
1
Tractor and trailer ride at
Tarrylaw Farm, near
Balbeggie, Perthshire.
All the fun

of the farm
9/7/08 19:57:56
1
1
Freshwater pearl mussels
live buried or partly buried
in coarse sand and ne gravel
in clean, fast-owing and
unpolluted rivers and streams.
Image by Sue Scott/SNH.
2
Shell shock abandoned
mussel shells left by poachers
after theyve opened and
thereby killed them in their
search for pearls. Image by
Peter Cosgrove.
3
Many of our rivers, like this
one in the Cairngorms, have
been targeted by poachers
in the past.
Freshwater pearl mussels were once common

in Scotland. But pollution of their rivers and criminal
activity have put their future in doubt.
Uncertain future for

Scotlands river gem
Theyre said to have been the reason that Julius Caesar and the
Romans invaded Britain in 54 BC. And you can nd one of their
nest among Scotlands crown jewels.
But while the freshwater pearl mussels place in history may
be secure, its future appears to be less certain.
Despite the fact its fully protected under the law anyone
taking, disturbing or harming it faces prosecution and possibly
prison the freshwater pearl mussel continues to be taken illegally.
The species faces a major criminal threat which threatens its
future survival, so its been identied as one of the UK wildlife
crime priorities for 2008. SNH, Scottish police forces, the
National Wildlife Crime Unit and other frontline agencies are
working together to raise awareness and reduce wildlife crime.
46
9/7/08 19:58:13
The action is necessary as Scotland is a stronghold for

the pearl mussel. We have around 60% of the worlds known
breeding populations in our waters. By contrast, theres just
one river with a viable breeding population in England and
none in Wales. In fact, the situation with several rivers in
England and Wales recently became so serious that several
populations were taken out of their rivers and into captive
breeding projects to stop them becoming extinct.
However, the current Scottish population also seems to
be in trouble. Pollution from various sources such as sewerage
systems, industry, intensive farming and forestry, as well as
engineering on river beds, have all played a part in its decline.
Those carrying out engineering works on river beds may in some
cases be breaking the law if the works disturb pearl mussels.
Added to these factors are the criminals who go pearl shing in
search of the pearls that the mussels sometimes contain.
This continued environmental pressure, and the slow rates
at which they mature, make the pearl mussel one of the most
endangered species in Scotland.
Criminal activity is more likely at river locations during
MaySeptember when water can be shallower. So if youre
out on the river bank this summer and happen to see anything
suspicious, or if you suspect that an offence may be committed,
please contact your local police station immediately to inform
them. If possible, try to speak to the Police Wildlife and
Environmental Crime Ofcer, or telephone Crimestoppers
on 0800-555-111.
Scotland is the global stronghold for this species with

more than half the worlds known viable populations, explained
Iain Sime, Freshwater Policy & Advice Manager with SNH.
Freshwater pearl mussels can live for 80100 years but
only mature after around 1015 years, so young mussels cant
form a sustainable population.
We urge people not to disturb this precious asset in our
rivers with all the benets that it brings to our natural heritage.
Taking this species is illegal and could result in criminal
prosecution and jail.
The freshwater pearl mussel thrives in clean, fast-running
water thats low in nutrients and calcium, with stones and sand
on the river bottom. Larvae attach themselves to salmon and
trout gills in the summer, and remain, without harming the sh,
until they drop off the following spring and burrow into the river
bottom to grow into adults. The mussels act as biolters,
which means they lter out particles and help to maintain the
water quality.
Mussels were once common in Scotland. The Kellie pearl,
found in a tributary of the River Ythan in 1621, was one of the
largest ever found in Scotland. It was presented by the Lord
Provost of Aberdeen to King James VI and now forms part of
the Scottish crown jewels.
Pearl mussels used to support a major industry in Scotland
worth hundreds of jobs, but too many were taken and stocks
were almost wiped out. In 1998 they were given full protection
as numbers plummeted to critical levels.
9/7/08 19:58:18
9/7/08 19:58:21
Reviving the king of sh

Your chances of seeing a wild salmon leap up one of
our rivers have improved greatly thanks to a 3million
project thats now drawing to a close.
9/7/08 19:58:36
The Conservation of Atlantic Salmon in

Scotland (CASS) project started in 2004 with
the aim of restoring waterways and tackling
threats to the sh in some of Scotlands top
salmon rivers.
Four years on, it has overseen a huge range of work aimed at
raising sh numbers in eight of Scotlands main salmon rivers
the Dee, Spey, Tweed, Tay, South Esk, Bladnoch, Oykel
and Moriston.
Scotlands rivers are a stronghold for Atlantic salmon and
include 80% of the UK population, explained Project Ofcer
Ruth McWilliam. But the numbers of wild salmon returning
to our rivers have fallen dramatically in the last 30 years.
Were not alone however numbers have fallen across
most of the salmons range. The CASS project has been about
trying to meet some of the challenges that the species faces
and improving its chances for survival.
The European Union have supplied half the funding for the
project, which was led by SNH and included the Scottish
Government, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Association
of Salmon Fishery Boards, District Salmon Fishery Boards,
Fisheries Trusts and private industry.
River
Oykel
River
Spey
River
Moriston
River
Dee
River
South
Esk
River
Tay
Amongst the tasks the project funded were:

bypassing or removing man-made obstacles to help access;
developing areas for spawning by improving the river bed;
fencing and tree planting on riverbanks to stop sides
being worn away;
restocking improved areas with hatchery-reared local salmon;
buying up netting rights to stop commercial netting.
River
Tweed
River
Bladnoch
A lot of the work thats been done is for the long term and
doesnt produce immediate results, so it will be a few years
before we see numbers of salmon increasing, Ruth continued.
But where weve removed obstacles in rivers, sh are
already being noticed in places where theyve not been seen
for many years, which gives us a lot of hope for the future.
0
0
2008 Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd
50
20 miles
20 kms
1
Atlantic salmon return to
fresh water to breed. Image
by Gilbert van Ryckevorsel.
2
Before and after the CASS
project has removed
obstacles like this old bridge
and replaced with improved
designs to allow salmon to
move up river. Images from
CASS project.
3
Children from Madderty
Primary School, near Crieff,
have a close encounter with
young salmon at a day out
on the River Almond.
9/7/08 19:58:41
Rough guide to salmon

Salmon begin their life in fresh water and then move out to sea
to feed. They come back to fresh water to breed. They battle
their way up river to their spawning grounds, often having to
leap up large walls of water.
Female salmon dig out hollows or redds in the gravel of the river
bed where they lay their eggs. An accompanying male fertilises
the eggs before the female covers them over with gravel.
Hatching usually happens in early spring and the young sh
remain in the redd for a few weeks. When they emerge from the
gravel in April or May, theyre about 2.5cm (1 in) in length.
After 14 years the salmon migrate downstream to the sea.
The young sh leave the rivers during the late spring. Most will
be gone by June.
The young sh move in schools while heading off to deep-sea
feeding areas. Known feeding locations are the Norwegian Sea
and the waters off southwest Greenland.
Salmon have a homing instinct that draws them back to spawn

in the river of their birth after 13 years in the sea. This homing
behaviour means that each river has a stock of salmon thats
genetically different from any other river.
Salmon in the classroom

Linked to the CASS project is a scheme
that aims to help schoolchildren
discover for themselves the lifecycle of
the Atlantic salmon.
The Salmon in the Classroom project
has been a big success, with many
schools across Scotland taking part.
Children grow salmon from eggs to small
sh in tanks in their classroom and then
return the sh to their home river.
Salmon in the Classroom gives children
a really personal experience of the wild
salmon lifecycle, Ruth explained. And
they also get to nd out about their own
local burns and rivers, along with the sh
that live in them.
www.snh.org.uk
For teachers the project ts well with

the school curriculum focus on
environmental studies. The children are
responsible for looking after the young
salmon and they begin to appreciate how
important wild salmon are to both nature
and our economy.
51
9/7/08 19:58:55
Wealth and work

As well as being a vital part of our natural heritage, the salmon is
important to Scotlands economy. A 2004 study reckoned that
salmon and sea trout angling in Scotland provided the equal of
2200 full-time jobs and that anglers spent a total of 73 million a
year in Scotland on items linked to salmon and sea trout shing.
Wild salmon are highly important to rural parts of Scotland,
added Ruth, as they support a lot of jobs in areas where theres
not a lot of other work. Its therefore a big concern for many
people that wild salmon numbers have been falling.
However, many of the problems faced by salmon are at sea,
where reduced food levels and climate change may be having an
impact. A lot of research is now under way to look at these issues.
In the meantime, projects like CASS aim to make conditions
as good as we can in the freshwater part of the salmons life, so
that they have their best chance of survival when theyre out at sea.
4
Scotland is renowned
worldwide for the quality
of its salmon shing, and its
a big earner and employer
for the rural economy.
Image by Glyn Satterley.
5
The Craw Stane, a Pictish
standing stone with a
salmon carved on it, near
Rhynie, Grampian.
52
9/7/08 19:59:11
Is that a fact?
Theres only one species of Atlantic
salmon, but there are six kinds of
Pacic salmon.
The Atlantic salmon is found in many
countries around the North Atlantic,
including populations in Canada to the
west, Norway in the north and Portugal
to the south.
It was named the King of Fish more than
three centuries ago by the English writer
Izaak Walton and has long been the most
sought after of sporting sh.
Atlantic salmon can grow very large.
The UK record rests with Miss Georgina
Ballantine, who landed a 29kg (64lbs) giant
on rod and line in 1922 on the River Tay.
The way that salmon return to their home
river is one of the marvels of nature.
In the ocean they probably swim close
to the surface and use the sun, moon
and stars, as well as the Earths magnetic
eld and sea currents to guide them back.
Near the coast and in the rivers, salmon
are thought to smell or taste their way.
Each river has its own particular chemical
make-up that salmon remember.
The highest leap recorded for a salmon
in Scotland was 3.7m (12ft) at the
Orrin Falls in Ross-shire.
The rings on the scales of a salmon can
tell you the age of a sh.
The early peoples of Scotland revered
salmon. The rock art of 7th century
Pictish standing stones points to their
high regard for the species.
Scotlands rivers are a

stronghold for Atlantic
salmon and include 80%
of the UK population.
To the Celt, the salmon was the oldest

animal in the world and the source
of wisdom.
www.snh.org.uk
53
9/7/08 19:59:15
What have 150 cattle, 500 sheep, an adventure

playground, nature trails, cycle tracks and a dog walk in
rural Galloway got in common? The answer is ice cream!
Have an ice day!
1
Cream o Galloway offers
an appealing mix of farm
tours, ice cream parlour,
outdoor adventure and
wildlife watching.
2
CoGs 15m (50ft) viewing
tower offers superb views
over the Galloway hills
and its the only place in
Scotland where you can look
onto a rookery at eye level.
3
A rm favourite with visitors
is the Ice Cream Experience,
a daily event where you
get to sample a selection
of the 30+ avours that
Cream o Galloway produce.
54
9/7/08 19:59:26
Natural partners
Cream o Galloway ice cream factory produces a range of

delicious organic ice creams but its also one of the most
visited tourist attractions in Dumfries and Galloway.
Located just outside Gatehouse of Fleet, you can enjoy a
day out at their visitor centre on the family run organic farm and
join a farm tour, go wildlife watching or let off steam in a natural
adventure playground built for adults and children as well as
choose from over 30 avours of ice cream!
Cream o Galloway (CoG) is based within the organic
Rainton farm and has developed from humble beginnings as a
small-scale ice cream producer and farm shop. Eight years ago
the company was looking to expand and diversify its existing
business and at that time SNH became involved.
Initially we simply gave some advice that the company used
to develop an interpretive and marketing strategy, explained
SNHs local Area Ofcer Alastair Clark. The strategy advised
CoG to look at including countryside conservation within the
business and they were happy to do this as it tted well with their
principles and beliefs.
SNH recognised early on that the core business of CoG
centred round the farm, ice cream and activity trails. This meant
that from a business point of view the bulk of resources had to
go into these aspects of the business.
However, the owner, Wilma Findlay, was keen to use CoG
to reach visitors and locals alike (more than 2500 schoolchildren
now explore the ponds and wildlife at the farm each year) and
help them better understand and appreciate their countryside.
www.snh.org.uk
So she lled out a grant application and sent it in to SNH and in

2003 the organisation helped with the salary of an environmental
interpreter. SNH and CoG still work in partnership so that this
important part of the work can carry on.
Financial support from SNH has been fundamental to our
environmental work here at Cream o Galloway, Wilma remarked.
Initially it gave us the condence to hire the top-class staff
needed to communicate the importance of working with the
environment.
Environmental issues are important to us personally,
and we have to be very careful that we dont let our passions
undermine the viability of the business. SNH recognise that
were in an almost unique position to communicate with a broad
audience and that we have staff with the enthusiasm to trigger
an interest in visitors who rarely take environmental issues into
account. Without SNHs continued support we wouldnt be
able to provide this service.
For many years, Rainton Farm offered farm tours for school
groups. Some years ago they expanded the programme to
include pond dipping, mini-beast hunting and ice cream-based
activities to t in with the school curriculum.
When they decided to offer the same activities to their
general public visitors the uptake was incredibly positive and
demand soon began to overwhelm the two people trying to
deliver all the programmes.
55
9/7/08 19:59:36
Enthusiastic staff
The enthusiasm of our visitor centre staff and their willingness
to be involved in all aspects of the visitor experience now mean
that almost all of the permanent team are trained to deliver the
various activities for visitors, explained Helen Fenby, the Visitor
Centre Manager.
So the staff that are mainly here to scoop ice cream and sell
playground tickets also lead farm tours and lead activities for
school groups. Working this way gives all the staff more variety
in their work, greater contact with the visitors and a better overall
awareness of the way the farm, ice cream business and visitor
attraction all t together.
Our visitors generally come because theyve heard they
can get a delicious ice cream here. They come back for a
second and third visit because they know theyll get a friendly
welcome and can spend a day enjoying all the extra things
there are to do here.
Most people are fascinated to learn how an organic farm
works and to see the whole process of food production from start
to nish: meeting the dairy cows, seeing where theyre milked and
tasting the ice cream that was made on site.
Having qualied staff to lead tours and explain how organic
farming benets the land and wildlife, as well as the farm animals,
provokes people to think about where their food comes from.
We hope that knowledge will inuence the choices they make
in their everyday lives.
SNHs Alastair Clark says the company deserves its success.
SNH were approached to help realise this dream way back in
2003 when we gave CoG grant aid to employ a project manager.
Its great that the successful candidate is still employed
here, now as Visitor Centre Manager, and has a small but welltrained and highly motivated team of environmental interpreters,
or rangers, working for her.
Through further grant aid SNH has supported the
development of other staffs skills to allow them to become
involved in the interpretation service that CoG provides.
It makes sense that caf staff arent necessarily limited to counter
and table duties and, after appropriate training, can get involved
in leading walks around the farm, Alastair added.
We fully support this approach. I think its wonderful that
you can order a coffee and get expert advice on the mating
habits of painted lady butteries at the same time!
More than 2500

schoolchildren now explore
the ponds and wildlife at the
farm each year.
For more information visit www.creamogalloway.co.uk

SNH is a partner in the current Scottish Rural Development Programme.
SRDP is now a primary funding service for rural land management and rural business
diversication projects like this one.
56
9/7/08 19:59:42
4
Pond dipping and bug
hunting sessions are held
throughout the summer.
Children can search for minibeasts in and around the
purpose-built wildlife pond.
5
CoG owner, Wilma Findlay
(centre), with Visitor Centre
Manager, Helen Fenby, and
SNHs local Area Ofcer,
Alastair Clark.
6
A major draw for visitors
is the woodland adventure
playground, which was
designed and built by the
farm staff.
All images courtesy of
Cream o Galloway.
www.snh.org.uk
57
9/7/08 19:59:53
Kids only!
What
ha
at does
s a Scottish wildcat
wildc
cat look
lo like?
like
It looks a bit like a large tabby cat but more muscular. The wildcat has a
black stripe along its back, with stripes on its neck and shoulders.
Where do they live?

Wildcats live in Scotland, north of Glasgow and Edinburgh. They prefer to
live in areas on the edge of moorland. During the day wildcats lie up in dens
among boulders and rocky cairns.
What do they sound like?

Wildcats are silent most of the time, but, like your cat at home (if you have
one), they purr, mew, hiss and growl.
Wildcat lifecycle
They normally live alone in their own home territory. The males and females
only come together to breed and have one litter of three to four kittens a
year. Wildcat kittens are blind at birth but covered in fur.
Where can I see a wildcat?

Wildcats mainly come out at night, so theyre difcult to spot in the wild.
But you can see them at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, just
outside Kingussie.
Did you know?

Wildcats are good climbers but they come down trees backwards.
They can also swim well when they have to.
d
n
a
l
t
o
c
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t
a
c
p
on
to
to g o
e
u hav ool wild
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ec
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here
If you o see som k again! T als
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it
safar ls, then thi ng wild ani me!
i
o
t
anima nty of exci closer to h
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are pl ound living
f
to b e
For in
Wildcat images by Peter Cairns.

Maze illustration by Louise Cunningham.
stan
the Sco ce, theres S
co
tti
which is sh wildcat (ca tlands little tig
t-adha
er
Britains
ic
cat fam
ily living only remainin h in Gaelic)
gm
in
carnivo
re (mea the wild. Its a ember of the
t-eating
ls
animal) o the rarest
in the U
K.
58
Q What do you call a

wildcat thats swallowed
a duck?
A duck lled
fatty puss.
9/7/08 19:59:58
Can you lead the wildcat back

to its kittens?
What do wildcats
like to eat for breakfast?
Q
Illustration by Louise Cunningham.
I
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wordsearch
Wildcat
Stripes
Fur
Woodland
Den
Kitten
Claws
Feral
Rare
Territory
Mice Krispies.
Find more wildcat games at:

www.snh.org.uk/games/wildcats
59
9/7/08 20:00:22
Some of Scotlands nest mountain biking

venues have become even more spellbinding
places to visit with the arrival of seven giant
mysterious sculptures.
Myths, legends
and giant stanes
1
You can search out the huge eye-catching works of art on bike,
foot or horse at the 7stanes network of mountain biking centres
across the south of Scotland from the heart of the Scottish
Borders to Galloway in the west.
The stone sculptures reect southern Scotlands myths
and legends. Up to three metres (10ft) high and six tons in
weight, the sculpted stanes (the Scots word for stone) stand
in prominent locations on the trails and each carries its own
coded message.
To encourage people to visit all seven sites, Forestry
Commission Scotland (FCS) are launching a competition for
budding photographers and amateur detectives. So if youre
a photographer, you can send in your arty interpretation of the
sculptures, while sleuths have the chance to decipher the
inscribed symbols on the stones into well-known sayings.
For competition details visit www.7stanes.gov.uk.
The sculptures form part of a drive by FCS to persuade more
people to get out and enjoy Scotlands forests. The 7stanes
centres cater for all abilities from family rides to extreme thrills.
There are also opportunities for walkers and horse riders, as well
as those who just want a quiet picnic.
SNH has been a partner in the 7stanes project for a number
of years. The 7stanes centres offer some of the best mountain
biking venues in the world, remarked Mike Scott, SNH Access
Ofcer in Dumfries.
But this project is not just about hard-core mountain
biking. Its really about opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and
about creating a long-lasting tourism product to support the
local economy.
This has drawn in a wide range of partners, and more and
more local businesses are becoming involved as they recognise
the potential of 7stanes. SNHs nancial backing for the project
has been helpful in attracting funding from other sources, and
weve provided advice and support to make sure that the
project works for the long-term benet of the environment and
local economy.
60
1
The Heart Cleft Stane can
be found at Dalbeattie,
which was once the heart
of the granite industry
in the south of Scotland.
2
The Border Stane at
Newcastleton lies right
on the border between
Scotland and England.
People can stand on
either side and shake
hands through the stane.
3
The Giant Axe Head Stane
at Glentrool harks back to
the areas stone age past
and looks like a Neolithic
stone axe.
4
The Talking Head Stane
at Ae looks south
towards the Solway and
carries a translation of
a Norwegian poem.
All images courtesy
of Forestry Commission
Scotland.
9/7/08 20:00:34
9/7/08 20:01:27
1&3
Perth Youth Theatre
entertained the shoppers
in their town centre with
stories about the birds and
the bees in their play Zoom.
2
Scottish Biodiversity Week
kicked off with Environment
Minister Mike Russell (left)
and Colin Galbraith, SNHs
Director of Policy & Advice,
encouraging folk to grow
bee-friendly plants. Image
by Dougie Barnett/SNH.
4
Raring to go this young
enthusiast joined in the
wildower planting at
Carmunnock Cemetery
in Glasgow.
The theme of the 2008 Scottish Biodiversity Week was beekind in your garden, making the point that bumblebees need the
help of Scotlands gardeners. Bumblebees eat only nectar and
pollen, so theyre entirely dependent on the right kinds of owers.
Many of the native wildowers that bumblebees rely on
have become scarcer in the countryside and in our gardens.
So Environment Minister Michael Russell took the opportunity
at the launch of Biodiversity Week in May to highlight that we
can all help bumblebees and other wildlife by planting native
species in our gardens.
Scottish Biodiversity Week lets us see and enjoy the big,
important things but also the small, just as vital, aspects like
bumblebees and wildowers, he remarked. We can all make a
difference by planting owers that bees feed on, whether youve
got a garden or just a window box on the windowsill of your at.
To help people make a start, SNH provided 20,000 packets
of wildower seeds for Biodiversity Week event organisers and
Eco schools around the country to hand out. The packs have
a mixture of foxglove, poppy, cornower and knapweed seeds,
providing a colourful and positive way to help our native wildlife.
Over 100 events took place across the country in this years
Scottish Biodiversity Week. Top events included street theatre
in Perth, trips to see a pufn colony in Caithness, wildower
planting to create a wildlife haven in Glasgow, badger watching
on Loch Ness-side, an expert-led coastal walk in Fife to discover
fossilised giant millipede tracks, hen harrier watching at Clyde
Muirshiel Country Park and a Homes for Wildlife drop-in session
at the Royal Botanic Garden.
Our photographer, Lorne Gill, caught up with a couple of the
events and snapped some photos for us.
Getting a buzz
out of biodiversity
Our annual week-long programme of
events to celebrate Scotlands wildlife had
a real buzz about it this year.
62
9/7/08 20:01:30
Did you take a cracking photo during

Scottish Biodiversity Week? If so, then
why not send it in to our online photo
competition.
First prize is an all expenses paid day
with top professional nature photographer
Neil McIntyre. Second prize is a fabulous
whale and dolphin watching trip from
the Isle of Mull, kindly donated by Sea
Life Surveys, and the third prize is a years
subscription to BBC Wildlife magazine.
Email your photo(s) by 31st July as a
JPEG attachment to bit@snh.gov.uk
with photo contest in the subject line.
For details of competition rules go to:
www.snh.org.uk/biodiversityweek.
www.snh.org.uk
63
9/7/08 20:02:04
Summer 2008

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then please spend a moment lling in this form. You just need
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Scottish Natural Heritage

The Nature of Scotland

12 Make a world of difference

24 Tiger of the Highlands

45 All the fun of the farm

46 Uncertain future for Scotlands

You can contact SNH by

Argyll and Stirling

A full list of our ofces

Other main ofces

Images: Lorne Gill/SNH, unless otherwise stated

Share your views and opinions about

Silvan House, 3rd Floor East,

Dumfries and Galloway

Paper: This magazine is printed on Arctic

When you have nished with this magazine

Kenny Taylor gives

Abundance of life is the essence of late

The Nature of Scotland

Come on, jump!

The Nature of Scotland

The Scottish osprey population is

Its almost impossible to avoid the constant ow of

The Nature of Scotland

The science is clear. Climate

help people understand the effects of climate change and

The MONARCH programme looked at the impacts of likely

Several buttery species are

Were already seeing many changes, including:

As reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007

The Nature of Scotland

Adaptation measures aim to reduce the impact of current and

Make your pledge to go greener and enter

In Scotland were lucky to have lots of high-quality resources

Every little thing we do adds up to big change. Its by working

10 steps to a Greener Scotland 2008

Recycle household waste using locally provided facilities.

The Nature of Scotland

The ball started rolling before my involvement in late 2007,

skills of asset management. The Rum community doesnt have

When it became a nature reserve in 1957, the Nature

The Nature of Scotland

Lying 25 kilometres off the coast of

How to get there

The Nature of Scotland

Managing communityowned assets is a weighty

manage and own Rums 12 existing homes;

Bigger boundary bid

between August and October 2008.

The Nature of Scotland

Fossil collecting adds to our record of past life and

DCS and SNH

Its public knowledge

profession, property searchers and

Everyone now has the right to see

New rural service

their 30,000 or so visits each year across

The organisations behind SEARS are:

Tiger of the Highlands

A wildcat, furre in a bracken bush,

Scottish Natural Heritage have

the threats to wildcats

The Nature of Scotland