2024 County Report for West Inverness-shire

Ian Strachan & Ian Bonner

2024 was another productive year with more than 10,500 new records for Westerness. Nearly half of these resulted from a survey of montane scrub undertaken by Ian Strachan and Jim McIntosh in Glen Nevis for the Nevis Landscape Partnership. As well as finding new populations of Salix lapponum (Downy Willow) we found many new sites for other notable species, especially in the Mamores. Some highlights were presented at the SBC in November (https://bsbi.org/scottish-annual-meeting/scottish-botanists-conference-2024-exhibits-handouts) with a full report in preparation for Scottish News.

Ian Bonner and Liz MacDonald added about 2000 new records or updates for Ardnamurchan, especially in the Kentra area. Of particularly interest was: the frequency of Centaurium littorale (Seaside Centaury) in the upper saltmarsh turf around Kentra Bay and Ardtoe; the presence of Ceratocapnos claviculata (Climbing Corydalis) around the margin of Kentra Moss as well as on Eilean Shona (see below); the continued appearance of Eryngium maritimum (Sea Holly) near Portuairk, with three plants this year instead of the usual one, and Ranunculus sceleratus (Celery-leaved Buttercup) at Ormsaigbeg.

At the west end of Ardnamurchan, near Sanna, the known colonies of Asplenium septentrionale (Forked Spleenwort) were surveyed by Jim McIntosh for the Species Recovery Trust. Jonathan Keefe also discovered a new, inland site, 3km to the east, as well as other good finds in Ardnamurchan and Morvern. In Moidart a team led by Nigel Brown collected more than a thousand records for Eilean Shona, filling a significant gap in coverage. Of particular note was the frequency of Polypodium interjectum (Intermediate Polypody) and the 2nd vice-county record for the hybrid P. × mantoniae.

In Morvern, Inverness Botany Group held a recording week at Ardtornish, and Lochaber Natural History Society visited the Black Glen with the SWT Ranger, finding new sites for species such as Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose). Jon Mercer continued his valuable work recording squares in the Great Glen, and Lewis Donaghy added records for rarely visited hills in the north-west. He also made a remarkable discovery on the shore near Arisaig (see below).

We have been helping the Highland Council to compile a list of potential Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS) for Lochaber, and to support this process IS has been surveying various sites including Glen Spean Oakwoods and the Blar Mòr, although much work remains to be done. IS also advised BEAR Scotland regarding management of species-rich verges.

Other activities by IS included monad recording at Creag Meagaidh NNR, with new sites for Carex atrata (Black Alpine-sedge) and Equisetum pratense (Shady Horsetail). Jim McIntosh also added many new records in places such as Glen Righ and Nevis Forest, where he found a new population of Equisetum hyemale (Rough Horsetail).

Carex salina (Saltmarsh Sedge, foreground)

A new population found in Loch nan Uamh by Lewis Donnaghy, in saltmarsh near Druimindarroch. This is a fourth site for Westerness, 10km from the nearest site (Loch Nevis) and only the sixth locality in Britain.

Carex aquatilis (Water Sedge)

Found by Ian Strachan in Loch Laggan, near Aberarder, the first localised record in the east of the county and only the third VC record this century.

Pimpinella saxifraga (Burnet Saxifrage)

Refound by Ian Strachan in dunes near Traigh after a gap of 33 years, a rare species in Westerness with no other recent records.

Senecio minimus (Toothed Fireweed)

An unwelcome find by Ian Strachan growing abundantly beside the A830 north of Arisaig on burnt ground, the first Scottish record for this New Zealand invasive.