Botanising in Scotland. July 2017 Part 1: Ben Lawers and Ben Vrackie

 Ben Lawers

After climbing Ben Lawers and seeing some fantastic plants in 2016 it was great to be back. On our last visit we had failed to find several species, in particular Rock Speedwell and Boreal Fleabane, but also a few others. This time the climb wasn't as bad because we took the 'easier' shepherd's path to the crags below the summit. We spent a bit more time looking at the crags than we did last year as the climb up had been much quicker, and it paid off nicely when we found our two target plants and many more. Here's some photos of all our new plants and also a few we'd seen before but I had the urge to photograph again.

Alpine Mouse-ear - Cerastium alpinum

Alpine Willowherb - Epilobium anagallidifolium

Mountain Speedwell - Verronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa

Mountain Sandwort with one flower (minus three of its petals) actually open!! 

 

Mountain Sandwort - Minuartia rubella

Mountain Sandwort and Alpine Saxifrage growing side by side on a ledge.

Alpine Saxifrage - Saxifraga nivalis

Alpine Cinqufoil - Potentilla crantzii

We eventually spotted a few plants of Boreal Fleabane. They are surprisingly difficult to see, but it didn't help that we'd been looking in the wrong place last year. They were all on very steep area and getting photos was difficult. A lot of reaching was involved. Worth it though. What a little beauty!

The whole plant is incredibly hairy.

Boreal Fleabane - Erigeron borealis

I was really excited to see this flower after being disappointed when we failed to find any last year. I love Speedwells and this is one heck of a Speedwell!

Another one of those flowers that I desperately wanted to see the moment I first saw a picture of it in a book.

A bit of a dream come true!

Rock Speedwell -Veronica fruticans 

 Holly Fern - Polystichum lonchitis

In this photo there are two plants that we'd never seen before, one is Scottish Pearlwort (a hybrid of Procumbent Pearlwort and Alpine Pearlwort) and the other is Sibbaldia. Believe it or not, I was taking the photo of Scottish Pearlwort and didn't notice the Sibbaldia ( it blends in with the Alpine Lady's Mantle so well). I only noticed later, when I looked at the photo after we'd left Ben Lawers!  To make matters worse we'd been looking for it at various locations without any luck. So I've seen it but haven't seen it. Most annoying! At least the flowers had gone over. 

Scottish Pearlwort - Sagina x normaniana 

On the summit we looked for but failed to find Snow Pearlwort, so a good excuse to go back yet again some day. We did see a lovely big clump of Rock Whitlowgrass nestled in a rock crevice which was in flower after having only found some in fruit the previous year.

Rock Whitlowgrass - Draba norvegica 

A couple of shots of the incredible views from the summit.

Ben Vrackie

The following day with the weather still set fair we climbed a second mountain. Ben Vrackie on the edge of Pitlochry is a relatively easy climb with a long gradual ascent until one steeper section as you approach the summit. After my exertions the previous day I found it extremely hard going. I'm definitely not a two mountains in two days kinda gal! I was constantly being passed by people most of whom could see how I was struggling and offered words of encouragement. This encouragement was usually that the view from the top was worth it. I wasn't interested in that though, I was here for the Alpine Milk-vetch. Fortunately the place where it grows isn't right at the summit, but after having seen it and had a bit of a rest we continued on to the summit anyway in a vain attempt to actually knowingly see Sibbaldia.

Brown Bog Rush - Schoenus ferrugineus with a lovely carpet of Yellow Mountain Saxifrage - Saxifraga aizoides in the background.

Brown Bog Rush isn't much to look at (unless you like that sort of thing) but is extremely rare. These plants were transplanted here when the water-levels were raised at its only known site, Loch Tummel, in the 1950s to save it from extinction. It has since been found at a few more locations.

Stag's-horn Clubmoss - Lycopodium clavatum

The start of the steeper climb below the summit of Ben Vrackie, with the site of the Alpine Milk-vetch within sight. I was really hoping it was in flower!

It was!

A rare and beautiful flower in a stunning setting.

 Seeing sights like this make the hard work worth very step!

Alpine Milk-vetch - Astragalus alpinus 

I made it ... just!