Abbey Meadows

Abbey Meadows

Monday 13 June 2011

Aultgowrie

Been offline for a couple of weeks, last week we were getting some building work done so the computer was taken upstairs out of the way of the dust and the week before this we had a pleasant stay in Aultgowrie, Easter Ross just off the Inverness to Ullapool road on the banks of the river Orrin.


Falls of Orrin...Aultgowrie


Ben Wyvis from Clash Wood


Hoof Fungus...Aultgowrie


Dwarf Cornel...An Cabar




Slow Worm in Clash Wood


Breezy and cold on top of Ben Wyvis

The weather was breezy but dry to begin with then but by the back end of the week it became uncomfortably warm and humid with temps reaching a high of 27. I tend to watch the ground more often than looking up to the sky these days so I was able to add a significant number of plants to my list as well as some fungi usually only found North of the border.
I saw plenty of the usual wildlife expected from this area but the highlight for me was coming across some clumps of Dwarf Cornel (Cornus suecica) on the steep slopes of An cabar on the way up Ben Wyvis. A plant that only occasionally flowers, the flowers are clustered in the centre and surrounded by four creamy bracts (not petals).

2 comments:

Nellie from Beyond My Garden said...

I like the squirrel photo better than the worm though I will admit it is a good photo. Squirrels, though are more fun (to me) to watch. My blog entry today is all about squirrels having too much fun at a party.
nellie

Steve Kingsdowner said...

Are you complaining that it was too hot and sunny in Scotland? Shame!

That cornel looks an interesting plant.... like herb Paris, which seems to have a range that is almost completely mutually exclusive.

Hope you had a good hol.