Alpine plants in Scotland.

[ian mcdonald]

I wonder if members would like to share their experiences in searching for "alpine" plants in Scotland. There is no need to give sites of any rare plants.

[Maggi Young]

 There may be quite a lot of interest on this subject  from back issues of The Rock Garden  -

 From the Index  - http://files.srgc.net/journals/SRGCJournalIndex.pdf -  I find the following references :

In Search of Native Alpines, Robertson, Winifred, : 17/292

Scottish Mountains and their flora, Aitken, J. R. : 21/342

Scotland's native treasures, McBeath, R., : 72/234

Lost and Found in the Scottish Hills, Paton, Bill : 105/292

New Scottish Wild Flowers, Cooke, R. B. : 20/234

The Habitats of Scottish Mountain Plants, Spence, Dr D. H. N. : 25/382; 26/41

A Day on Ben Lui, Morrison, W. T. : 35/116

The Scottish Mountain Flora, Roger, J. Grant, : 20/194

The Torridon Mountains, Aitken, James, : 14/7

Inclines, Alpines and Deadlines, Fraser, Andrew : 123/6

A Swedish Member Visits Scotland - SCHEELE, K. von, 16/215

The Golspie Expedition 2012 - lan Christie : 131/26    http://files.srgc.net/journals/131.pdf

All  are freely available on the website :
http://www.srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/journal and  the Golspie Expedition has also been the subject of an article in the International Rock Gardener -  issue #38  http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2013Mar011362129867IRG38Feb2013.pdf    ( main page  for IRG = http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/index.php?log=international ) ( the Index for the IRG is updated monthly and can be found via  this link http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=9567.msg255520#msg255520 )

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Maggi, there must be many people who have searched for plants in the Scottish mountains but have not published their observations. These are the people whose accounts as "amateur" botanists would be interesting to me. Anecdotes, rather than detailed lists, would I think be very readable? Beware falling sheep for example, when stood under sheer cliffs. Twice I have been nearly hit by sheep falling from cliffs while looking at plants growing on the same rocks.

[Maggi Young]

Crikey - falling sheep?  I must confess that is not a hazard which had occurred to me ! 
If such experiences are not asking  to be recounted either here or for the IRG then I'm the proverbial Dustchman! We want to hear this, Ian! 

[johnralphcarpenter]

Saw this growing on the higher slopes of Carn a'Coire Bhoidheach on the Mounth plateau in September 2006; Bog Asphodel, Narthecium ossifragum.

[jomowi]

Hello Maggi, there must be many people who have searched for plants in the Scottish mountains but have not published their observations. These are the people whose accounts as "amateur" botanists would be interesting to me. Anecdotes, rather than detailed lists, would I think be very readable? Beware falling sheep for example, when stood under sheer cliffs. Twice I have been nearly hit by sheep falling from cliffs while looking at plants growing on the same rocks.

I can confirm that falling sheep are indeed a hazard while botanising although we were actually eating our packed lunch at the time with our backs to the cliffs near The Quiraing on Skye.  A tremendous thud had us turning round to see that a sheep had hit the scree from on high.  The rest is too gory to describe.  From the plaintive cry of its lamb left on a high ledge, we suspected that the youngster had been the cause of its mother's demise by attempting to suckle.  The butting action would have pushed her over the edge. 

[ian mcdonald]

Twice I have been close to the landing area beneath a famous botanical cliff next to Lochan na lairige. The sheep eat their way along narrow ledges then cannot turn to retrace their steps. Perhaps in desperation? they try to get back and fall off the high cliff. Perhaps the nettle beds under the cliff should have been a clue.  I have also been lost in thick cloud on Ben Lawers and asked sheep for directions to be greeted with a look that said serves you right for coming up in cloud.