Ruined township on Isle of Skye discovered under 1977 tree plantation

The ruins of a township dating from the 17th or 18th centuries have been revealed on the Isle of Skye. Remains of houses, byres, barns and corn-drying kilns were discovered during forestry operations in Glen Brittle. Archaeologists from AOC Archaeology had been surveying the site before the trees were harvested on behalf of Forestry and…

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Search for Scotland’s lost ice age pinewoods begins

They are home to wild Scots pines with an ancestry that can be traced back to the end of the last ice age.  But now a project to find Scotland’s ‘lost’ native pinewood has been launched so they can be saved and restored before it’s too late. Caledonian pinewoods are globally unique and support rare…

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Scotland’s chough population could be lost forever experts warn

The red-billed chough is clinging on in its last Scottish stronghold on the islands of Islay and Colonsay, with barely 50 pairs remaining. And now experts have warned Scotland’s critically endangered population of chough could become extinct within decades. Chough are doing relatively well in the UK and Ireland, although it noted some concerns about…

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Rum welcomes two rare Highland pony foals

Rum National Nature Reserve has welcomed some new residents with the arrival of two rare Highland pony foals. The foals, named Fhuarain and Shellesder, are settling in well to their island home where NatureScot maintains a herd of around 20 ponies. The translation of the Gaelic Fhuarain means spring or burn, while Shellesder means Iris.…

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Extremely rare moss rediscovered near Edinburgh

An extremely rare moss has been rediscovered near Edinburgh, having not been found anywhere else in the UK since 1987. Round-leaved bryum has been found at Threipmuir Reservoir near Balerno, Edinburgh, thanks to a collaboration between NatureScot and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Scientists have been rewarded after a 13-year wait to see one of Scotland’s…

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Extremely rare moss rediscovered near Edinburgh

An extremely rare moss has been rediscovered near Edinburgh, having not been found anywhere else in the UK since 1987. Round-leaved bryum has been found at Threipmuir Reservoir near Balerno, Edinburgh, thanks to a collaboration between NatureScot and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Scientists have been rewarded after a 13-year wait to see one of Scotland’s…

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