Ray Collier Highland Country Diary- Thrift

Thrift - 30th July 2007


Thrift is a plant with woody stems and rosettes of numerous, fleshy leaves which are bluish-green. The blossoms are grouped in dense round heads and are normally pink although the shade varies and white forms can occasionally be found. The height of the plant varies considerably with the honey scented flowers on six inch stalks or on much shorter stalks so that the plant is like a tight pink cushion. It is well adapted to infertile conditions as it has very long roots that reach down to levels where the water supply is constant which means it can tolerate a high proportion of salt in the upper surfaces of the soil. The plants can sometimes be so abundant that it carpets the ground to the exclusion of other plants. The pink flowers give it its other name of sea-pinks whilst a local and northern Scots name is ‘ Heugh daisy’ from ‘heugh’ meaning a cliff or ravine. The plant appeared on the reverse of the pre-decimal, 12 sided, three penny piece and this coin was such an awkward shape that it is said to have been most frequently consigned to money boxes. The occurrence of thrift on a coin did not relate to thrift as in money. The name either comes from the fact that the plant is thriving, i.e. evergreen, or from the leaves being in tight clusters which helps conserve the plants freshwater in salty conditions.
The plants has an unusual distribution as it is commonly found along the coast where it grows on cliffs, walls, dunes, shingle and saltmarshes. In contrast it also grows on ledges on hills, perhaps a relict of the post-glacial era when it could have been much more widespread in rocky, open country. Intriguingly it can also be found on the side of roads that are regularly treated with salt in the winter. For drivers not expecting the thrift it can seem odd to see it flourishing on the margins of the A9 south of Inverness near Tomatin. It can be found throughout the Highlands and Islands although there are gaps in the centre core of the mainland reaching up into the flowe country of Caithness and east Sutherland.
Thrift has been a garden favourite for more than 400 years as it is very suitable for rockeries and borders.. Flower arrangers are particularly drawn to the plant because the flowers are ‘ever lasting’ when picked and displayed. Artists have also been drawn to its beauty and one of thrift by Charles Rennie Mackintosh painted on Holy Island in 1901 is a favourite with many people. Interestingly despite its wide distribution it does not seem to have been used for any culinary purposes. Even the 16th century herbalists who seemed to find a use for most plants conceded that thrift has none apart from being very attractive. It is the plant badge of the Hunter clan and it is registered as such at Lyon Court. These badges predate tartans and coats of arms but it was not until 1822 that they were first registered in Lyon Court. For some reason grazing animals, either domestic or wild, seem to leave the plants alone although they must look succulent. Several different types of butterflies seek them out as a nectar source and watching butterflies on thrift in sand dunes can be a delight on warm sunny summer days. There seems to be no cause for concern over the future conservation of thrift as it more than holds its own along the coast. With more roads being salted perhaps the plant will bright even more roadside verges in the future.

Ray Collier Highland Country Diary- Badgers

Badgers - 22nd July 2007

The distribution of badgers in the Highlands is a mystery as whilst there are large areas with very few of these secretive animals there are areas where they are common and well distributed. For some unknown reason the "hot spots" are around Inverness with one concentration to the east. This has caused problems with building development and large sums have been spent on surveys of badgers and methods of dealing with the issues. This has involved moving badgers, making artificial setts, as their underground holes are called, and even tunnels although this latter, expensive idea, seems to have been ignored in one recent case. As with other parts of the country the biggest threat to badgers are road casualties and the A96 between Inverness and Nairn is notorious for this problem.
Another concentration is to the west of Inverness but road casualties and development has been nowhere near the problem as in the east. There are plenty of badgers in the countryside to the south of Inverness but developments and road casualties are even lower here and there seems to be little conflict with them and ourselves. Most badgers setts in this area are in woodland whether it is birch or conifers and there are a few quite large series of setts. Badgers are attracted to these three areas by the combination of woodland and arable land with the latter yielding large quantities of their main food, earthworms. With this in mind the biggest mystery of them all is the absence of badgers from the Black Isle as there are no current or old confirmed records despite the countryside looking ideal.
Despite all the problems for badgers in the Highlands they appear to be on the increase and the organisation "Scottish Badgers" has just launched a survey to find out where all the badger setts are. Part of their success around Inverness must lie in their adaptability to live in a wide range of situations some of which are well away from their traditional setts in woodland. The photograph is of typical setts in birch woodland just south of the City. There are about twenty holes on a south facing slope, that is warmed by the sun, and as can be seen by the spoil heaps there is plenty of soil for digging. The bare soil indicates there is plenty of activity although it is uncertain as to how many badgers live there because many of the holes are connected underground. In contrast there are setts alongside a ditch next to the main runway at Inverness airport and the noise of the aircraft landing and taking off just yards away must be deafening. Another unusual site is on the banks of Loch Duntelchaig to the south of Inverness and some of the holes are so close to the waters edge the animals could almost reach out for a drink without leaving the sett. There are a few scattered moribund trees so the setts may be ancient ones originally based in woodland. It does seem that badgers in general are thriving despite our adverse effects on them
The persecution of the badgers in the past in the Highlands is difficult to explain but at one time every parish had a man called a Brochan whose job it was to keep the numbers down Parts of the badger were used in various ways such as shaving brushes, sporrans, meat and medicines. Lists of "vermin" killed on estates such as Erchless and Glengarry include many badgers along with the foxes and feral cats. Currently the badgers is protected by more legislation than any other animal but fortunately there have been very few cases brought in the Highlands.

Ray Collier Highland Country Diary- Loch Ruthven

Loch Ruthven - 16th July 2007

One of the most important lochs for breeding birds in the Highlands is Loch Ruthven which lies about 15 km south of Inverness and just west of the village of East Croachy. The loch is 3.5 km x O.5 km and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest plus other designations and part of the area is an RSBP Reserve including about 20% of the shoreline. The site is in stunning surroundings with combinations of woodland, rocky outcrops, hills and moorland. What also makes the loch attractive are the fringing beds of bottle sedge which provide ideal areas for the nesting Slavonian grebes. Many such lochs are difficult to look at in any detail especially when they are surrounded by woodland but this loch is different as in 1988 the RSPB built a hide to seat 15 people. The hide is reached by a track running through woodland on the edge of the water from a car park at the east end. Voluntary wardens are often on hand in the summer to answer any queries.
Slavonian grebes started nesting at the loch at the early part of the 20th century and it has regularly been the most important breeding site in the UK. By the year 2000 the site held , at 14 pairs, 45% of the UK population producing 67% of the young. The nest is a low mound of rotting aquatic vegetation with a shallow nest hollow and built in the sedge beds in shallow water. Predators include crows, gulls, otter and fox but fortunately no mink have been recorded. The loch is also important for gatherings of the grebes prior to feather moult in the autumn when 40 to 50 birds can be seen. There are plenty of other bird interests as can be seen in the log book in the hide in which visitors are encouraged to record their sightings. Breeding birds have included wigeon, teal, woodcock, peregrine, grasshopper warbler and ring ouzel. Black throated divers bred on an island at the western end up until 1972 when the island was apparently washed away in a storm. Ospreys frequently fish the loch for trout and there seems a good chance that they will eventually nest on the edge of the loch. Roe deer are frequently seen especially when they browse on the edge of the woodland.
The loch has been famous for its brown trout since the late 18th century because of the large number of fish and their quality. There are strict rules over the fishing including no bank fishing, fly fishing only and no outboard motors allowed. This is compatible with the Slavonian grebes and there is also a code of conduct for anglers which amongst other things asks them to keep clear of the sedge beds. Apart from brown trout there are also minnows and three spined sticklebacks and there is a rare spineless form of the stickleback. Lizard, palmate newt, frog and toad breed and there are two rare orchids. The coralroot orchid was last recorded in 1998 and a search in 1999 and 2000 failed to find the bog orchid but this is not surprising as the latter is only 2 to 10 cms tall and green so it blends in with other plants. This is about the best time of year to visit the loch as young birds such as the grebes are active. Any time of the day is worth a visit but early morning is best and a telescope is well worth taking. Stout footwear is advised at any time of the year and the quieter you are the more you will see.

Ray Collier Highland Country Diary- Ash Trees

Ash Trees - 9th July 2007

he ash tree is tall and domed with widely spaced branches that grow upwards, dipping down towards their ends then rising once more so that their tips reach upwards. Ash buds are most distinctive being sooty black, covered with hairs and when the sap rises in the spring the buds ooze sticky resin. Leaves are opposite each other and toothed with long tips to the leaflets and the long stalks makes them move in the slightest breeze. The trees are amongst the last to come into leaf and one of the first to lose them in the Autumn. Most of the trees shed their leaves when they are still green with only an occasional tree showing any other colours. The grey bark is smooth when young but it furrows with age until eventually deep ridges run in ripples up the trunks. Single winged seeds, called keys, are long and sometimes occur in large clumps such as in the photograph taken near Inverness. They are shiny deep green to start with and going brown after leaf fall until eaten by birds. Keys do not form until the trees are at least forty years old and even then there are good key years and poor key years. Perhaps the strangest aspect of the trees life cycle is that some trees are all male, some all female, some male with one or more female branches, some vice versa and some branches male one year then female the next.
In the Highlands ash trees are found in woodlands, scrub, hedgerows and will also grow on rock scree, when stabilised, and ledges on cliff faces. It is absent from some western and northern parts although in some of these places it has been planted. It can tolerate periodically waterlogged ground so can be found around springs and in alder and willow woodland. In managed woodland it has been coppiced which involves cutting back the tree to ground level every ten years or so. The natural lifespan is around 200 years but a single coppiced tree can be 1,000 years old or more. The roots grow deeply and spread for some distance round the tree so it can withstand storm force winds but it also seems to attract lightening. Hence the expression ‘Avoid an ash, for it courts a flash’. It was once commonly believed that the depth of the trees roots was equal to its height above ground. This feature had a bearing on the trees role in Norse mythology as the ash was ‘The World Tree’ holding the whole world in its great roots and in its upper branches the mansions of the gods.
This is a tree that supports wildlife all year round with birds eating the keys especially as they often remain on the trees even through a hard winter. The leaf litter is rich in beetles and spiders. Deer eat the buds and bark of fallen branches and will go for the bark on the trunks. We ourselves have also put the tree to good use whether it is eating the keys, once they have been pickled, or drinking the sap. The timber is strong and highly elastic and has the added advantage that it does not split when worked. The tree is found in many woodland and hedgerows around Inverness and the more enlightened woodland policy these days means it is often planted in new woodlands The most northerly natural stand of ash trees is at Rassal Ashwood near Kishorn.