West Coast Islands Blogs
Blogs (web logs) provide an ideal opportunity to explore the traditions, culture and wildlife of Wild Lochaber. We have put together a collection of local blogs and provide the titles and text snippets to give a taste of each entry with direct links to the main blog entry on the host website. We hope you will find time to explore the full articles and further information on the host blog sites.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions for blogs you would like to see here.
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles
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As an inquiring field biologist, it would be difficult not to have an interest in taxonomy and evolution, though for some this may not extend far beyond their immediate speciality – such as plants. Personally, I find the wider picture fascinating – and it gets clearer but more complicated all...
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While I was away for three weeks, Skye Nature Group went to Trumpan and Halistra Loch. It was apparently a very wet day but in Halistra Loch they managed to re-find four species that had not been recorded in the whole of NG26 since last century: Eleogiton fluitans (Floating Club-rush), Potamogeton...
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I am about to head south for three weeks so there may be rather few posts here for a bit. This morning I toured parts of mid- and North Skye to check on Martin’s Acaena anserinifolia (Bronze Pirri-pirri-bur) at Glasphein – absolutely right, of course, and the second vice-county record...
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Paul Green, who last year kindly agreed to referee Agrimonia following my issues with it says “I reckon here in Ireland Agrimonia eupatoria is over-recorded for Agrimonia procera ………. All populations I have seen of both species this year seem to be 120 cm or taller. Usually...
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Look what Ali next door brought home on his car (it hadn’t been off-island): Convolvuus Hawk-moth This is a big beast. There have been several in moth traps on Skye in the past couple of weeks.
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The daughter is performing in Portree on Tuesday:
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Yesterday proved a windy but sunny and warm day for a walk in the Kinloch & Kyleakin Hills. I had hoped to find Epilobium anagallidifolium (Alpine Willowherb) and Gnaphalium supinum (Dwarf Cudweed) from slightly vague records made last century, but it was not to be. There were masses of...
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Skye and Raasay populations of Agrimonia have caused confusion for a very long time with different recorders reporting the same pouplations as Agrimonia eupatoria (Agrimony) or Agrimonia procera (Fragrant Agrimony). Specimens I have shown to experienced botanists have divided them equally, and in...
Marc Calhoun
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I am working on a dram of Lagavulin right now - the perfect drink when writing of Islay...The wind was blowing, but the sun was shining, on Wednesday morning (Sept 11), my second full day on Islay. The forecast for the next day was heavy rain, so I decided to take advantage of the good weather and...
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It was a beautifully clear Tuesday morning (Sept 10), when I stepped out the door of the Port Charlotte Hotel. It had been a five day grind to get there from Seattle, and I was ready to do something I'd been wanting to do for several years. I needed to correct a mistake I'd made nine years earlier...
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After the long trans-Atlantic flight I checked into the Glasgow Airport Holiday Inn. Even after sleeping 12 hours I was still knackered the next day as I stumbled back to the airport. I checked in for the Loganair flight to Islay, and two hours later we were airborne. I had a window seat, my camera...
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Just back from an amazing three weeks in Scotland and Ireland. It started with two journeys to Islay (more on that, later), and ended with a sail down the west coast of Ireland that visited the islands of Tory, Inishbofin, Inishglora, and Iniskea. We also spent some time on the Irish mainland...
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First there were ten, then there were six. Now there's only one...There is one spot left on my 2020 cruise on Hjalmar Bjorge (for a female sharing a cabin). We plan to make a grand loop around the Western Isles, departing Oban April 25, returning May 4. Details can be found on the above 2020...
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Last May I hiked to Beinn a' Bhoth (hill of the beehive cell) in the Morsgail Deer Forest on Lewis. I started by following a boggy quad-bike track to the Beinn na Gile beehives, a must-see for any walks in the area.It's a level, easy walk to the cells. From there an old path, little used from the...
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The latest issue of Scottish Islands Explorer marks the end of an era, and the beginning of another. After 10 years as editor and owner, John Humphries has announced his retirement. John was the third proprietor of the magazine, and has been at its helm since May of 2010. John acquired...
Treshnish Farm
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The old schoolhouse in autumn. We have always made late cut silage in order to allow ground nesting birds to safely fledge their young and to let the wild flowers set seed. This year our silage is going to Sgriob-ruadh Farm where they make the delicious Isle of Mull Cheddar. Farmer moved the...
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All the lambs are sold now bar a few stragglers who will go later in the autumn. The place looks quite empty without them.We managed to have a last picnic down by the Boathouse earlier in the month. It was warm and very still, and the sunset was magical.Still lots of greenery in the...
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This is White Ramping-fumitory. The only records of this wild flower on Mull are here at Treshnish.Prasad has nurtured and protected the tender plants since he first recorded it in May 2014. I think it is perfectly safe now! Seen here growing rampantly where it has self-seeded - safely...
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I could fill a whole book with photographs of Cap who died, aged 14, on Wednesday 28th August. He was such a special dog, and Farmer says, the best working dog he has ever had. Cap came from a farm up at the top of Glen Lyon in Perthshire. He was 2 when he came to us in April 2007....
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It was the most beautiful morning and the gatherers set off at 8am. Farmer texted me when they got to Port Haunn so I could go and fly the drone as they came up from the shore. I missed that bit but I will do it next time! Instead I was able to film them running through the...
