Five new wildflower trails open across Scotland

25 July 2019

Five new wildflower trails open across Scotland.

Five new wildflower trails – specially designed to benefit Scotland’s vital pollinators – have opened at NatureScot nature reserves this year.

The trails have been created on national nature reserves across Scotland from Forvie National Nature Reserve in Aberdeenshire, St Cyrus in Angus and Creag Meagaidh in the Highlands to Taynish in Argyll and Bute.  The trails are short walks and easily accessible.  There are information signs along the paths for visitors, telling them more about pollinators and wildflowers and giving tips on how to help pollinators.

David Pickett, NatureScot's Forvie reserve manager, said:

"Whenever I stroll along our trail, I'm astonished by the number of wildflowers, such as bluebells, wood anemone, violets, stitchwort and celandine.  It's wonderful to walk among flowers and see all the insects that are benefiting from the trail - and to take time to smell the flowers!  There's lots of fascinating information about the important work pollinators do as well."

Stuart MacQuarrie, NatureScot's National Nature Reserve Manager, added:

"These wildflower trails are not only beautiful for visitors to our national nature reserves, but they're critical for pollinators like bees, butterflies and ladybirds.  There's so much work going on to bolster pollinator populations by so many individuals and organisations in Scotland.  We're thrilled that these trails build on these many efforts to help our pollinators."

Scotland’s pollinators are a vital part of biodiversity. They play a crucial role in food and farming, as well as contributing to people’s enjoyment of the countryside, health and wellbeing. But wild pollinators are under threat: they face pressures from habitat degradation, changes in land use, disease, pesticides and climate change.

The pollinator trails are part of the work of the Pollinator Strategy for Scotland, which draws together the expertise and enthusiasm of a wide range of organisations, government agencies and businesses. For more information, see Helping Scotland's Pollinators.

The five new trails add to an existing trail opened last year on the NatureScot grounds at Battleby, near Perth. The trail has a stunning wildflower meadow, thriving bee hotel and a living wall.