Wildflowers of Achnaha

We went for a walk to the north of Achnaha this morning, into an area we had never explored before, with the general idea that we would reach the north coast and find the gate in the Estate fence which leads from Achnaha land onto Estate land. As so happens with walks which have intentions, this one became something quite different - a study of the local wildflowers.

For over a month we've had hardly a spit of rain, and the ground underfoot crunches like well-done toast, yet plants like the Bog Asphodel, despite its name, are thriving.

The wild orchids, too, seem to be doing well.  This is one of the prettiest of the local species, the Fragrant Orchid, which has, for its size, a remarkably strong and pleasant scent - well worth getting your nose down to, even if it does look as if you're praying.  We've found them before, but not in the numbers we did today, and in a variety of shades of pink and purple.

The highlight of the walk was this, a Lesser Butterfly Orchid, with a wonderfully delicate flower.  It's a species we haven't found before.  This specimen was one of only three growing on the western slope of Meall Clach an Daraich.

The heather family are coming into flower, with plenty of Bell Heather (above) and Cross-leaved Heath, but little sign yet of Ling.  One thinks of heather as a plant that enjoys dampness, yet it seems to be doing well in the present climate.

There was so much more, but this tiny flower interested us because it was one of the few which did seem to be wilting from lack of water.  It's one of those unassertive plants, living almost buried in the undergrowth, and both difficult to photograph and to find in the wildflower books.  We think it's Heath Milkwort, which does have the characteristic of being bi-coloured.

A map of the area is here.