The woodlands at Dun Coillich are developing well and have a good understory as a result of rhyzomes and bulbs being present in the soil from former woodland eras.
For example there are - hazel, juniper, holly, bog myrtle, bog aspodel, wood anemones, wood sorrel, greater wood rush, yellow pimpernel, dogs mercury, foxglove, wood cranesbill, lesser spearwort, greater stitchwort, herb robert, herb bennet (wood avens) , water avens, yellow mountain saxifrage, round-leaf sundew, butterwort, rock rose, thyme, globeflower, alpine bistort, geulder rise, red campion, primroses, cowslips, cow wheat, blaeberry, cow berry, ling, cross-leaved heath, bell heather, petty whin, broom, gorse, angelica, sneezewort, yarrow.
This is a good selection but it has been increased through translocation efforts coordinated by Heather Hamitlon and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Through their efforts, Wych Elm, Crab (wild) Apple, Small Cow Wheat, Whorled Solomon's Seal and Alpine Blue Sowthistle have been translocated to Dun Coillich.
Willie McGhee has made further suggestions - More Guelder Rose (there is already guelder rose), Ivy and Honeysuckle.
These plants are important for insects and birds.
Ivy (Hedera helix and Hedera hibernica) provides critical, year-round benefits to biodiversity, acting as a "keystone species" by offering essential food and shelter when few other resources are available. Its particular benefit lies in its late-autumn flowering and late-winter fruiting, which sustain insects and birds during the most barren months.
Key biodiversity benefits of ivy include:
Essential Late-Season Nectar (Autumn): Ivy flowers in September and October, providing a vital, often sole, source of nectar and pollen for bees, wasps, and butterflies before they hibernate. It is particularly critical for the ivy bee (Colletes hederae), a specialist species that relies almost exclusively on it.
Vital Winter Food Resource (Winter/Early Spring): The berries ripen in early spring, providing a high-fat, high-energy food source for birds, including blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings, precisely when other resources have been exhausted.
Year-Round Shelter and Nesting: As an evergreen, it offers essential shelter for insects, birds, and small mammals during harsh weather. It is a preferred nesting site for birds like wrens, robins, and dunnocks.
Larval Food Source: Ivy leaves are a food source for caterpillars of specific moths and butterflies, such as the holly blue butterfly.
Honeysuckle provides significant benefits to biodiversity, acting as a critical, multi-functional resource that supports a wide range of pollinators, birds, and small mammals. Its primary ecological value stems from its ability to provide food and shelter throughout different seasons, with particular benefits during times of scarcity.
Key Biodiversity Benefits:
Support for Pollinators: The nectar-rich, trumpet-shaped flowers are a primary food source for bees, butterflies, and moths (especially hawk-moths). Shrubby honeysuckle species are particularly crucial as they provide early nectar for queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation in winter.
Vital Food Source for Birds: The red or black berries produced in autumn and winter are crucial for birds (such as thrushes, warblers, and finches). These berries help sustain birds through harsh winter months.
Nesting and Protection: The dense, climbing tangled vines provide secure nesting sites for birds and protective cover for small mammals.
Habitat Connectivity: Due to its ability to climb and grow densely, it creates "wildlife corridors" and connects fragmented habitats.
Soil Stabilization: The extensive root system of honeysuckle helps stabilize soil and prevent erosion on riverbanks and hillsides.
Support for Nocturnal Biodiversity: The scent of honeysuckle is strongest at night, attracting moths that in turn serve as a food source for bats.
Important Distinctions:
While native honeysuckle species are excellent for local biodiversity, non-native, invasive honeysuckles (such as Japanese or Amur honeysuckle) can dominate habitats, producing low-quality food and reducing overall biodiversity. It is highly recommended to plant native honeysuckle species (e.g., Lonicera sempervirens or Lonicera periclymenum) to maximize these benefits.
The Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) provides a high-value biodiversity benefit by acting as a comprehensive "wildlife beacon" that supports diverse species across different stages of its life cycle, particularly by offering both a vital food source and vital shelter. Its most significant ecological contributions are:
Crucial Winter Food Source for Birds: The translucent red berries, which appear in autumn, are a key food source for birds, particularly bullfinches, mistle thrushes, and visiting waxwings.
Support for Pollinators: The flat-topped clusters of creamy-white flowers, which appear from May to July, are highly attractive to hoverflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
Habitat and Shelter: The dense branching habit of the shrub provides excellent nesting sites and protective cover for birds and small mammals.
Host for Insects: The leaves host a variety of insects, including the caterpillars of moths such as the Privet Hawkmoth and Common Quaker, as well as the beautiful Guelder rose moth.
Ancient Woodland Indicator: The presence of this shrub often indicates the existence of an ancient habitat, making it a valuable species for conservation efforts.
In addition to these biodiversity benefits, the Guelder rose is also a powerful carbon capturer, with a single shrub capable of capturing up to 1.5 kg of carbon per year.
There are three native conifers in Scotland, Scots Pine, Juniper and Yew.
Dun Coilich already has Scots Pine and Juniper but no Yew.
The particular benefit of the yew tree (Taxus baccata) to biodiversity lies in its unique combination of extreme longevity, dense evergreen structure, and year-round food supply, which create a vital, stable sanctuary for a wide range of species in otherwise challenging conditions.
Key Biodiversity Benefits:
Year-Round Shelter and Nesting: As a dense, evergreen native conifer, yew provides crucial winter shelter, protection from predators, and secure nesting sites for birds (such as goldcrests and firecrests) and small mammals, particularly during harsh weather when other trees are bare.
Key Food Source: The bright red, fleshy berries (arils) are a vital food source in autumn and winter for birds like thrushes, blackbirds, and waxwings, as well as mammals such as squirrels and badgers.
Support for Specialist Species: Yew supports specific wildlife, including the rare satin beauty moth, whose caterpillars feed on the leaves.
Ancient Habitat Creation: Due to their ability to live for over 1,000 years, ancient yews often become hollow, offering unique habitats for deadwood-dependent invertebrates, cavity-nesting birds, and bats.
Unique Ecological Niche: As a shade-tolerant species, yew can dominate the understory in old-growth woodlands, providing a unique "dark" habitat that complements adjacent light-loving forest species, boosting overall site biodiversity.
Furthermore, yews act as a "walking tree" by rooting from branches that touch the ground, aiding their own regeneration in shaded areas where other trees struggle to grow.
Dun Coillich has one known nest of wood ants (Formica lugubris). There may be a case for introducing more nests of species such as Formica aquilonia and Formica exsecta or Formica lugubris. There is expertise in these sorts of translocations, which have been done by Nick Baker into Mar Lodge Estate. Dun Coillich should investigate the methodology and consult with the experts to determine the potential benefits or pitfalls.
Naturalist Nick Baker is actively involved in conservation efforts to translocate rare wood ants, particularly the narrow-headed ant (Formica exsecta) and hairy wood ant (Formica lugubris), to boost biodiversity in Scotland. Working with partners like the Cairngorms National Park Authority, he rears starter colonies in his own home for release into sites like Mar Lodge Estate, acting as a "nursery" to ensure colony survival.
Key Aspects of the Translocation Projects:
Target Species: The projects focus on the rare narrow-headed ant(Formica exsecta), crucial for ecosystem health, and the hairy wood ant (Formica lugubris), a keystone species for forest health and pest control.
"Ant Nursery" Method: Nick Baker nurtures starter colonies—effectively rearing them to ensure they are robust—before they are transferred from indoor, captive environments back into the wild, such as the Mar Lodge Estate.
Locations: Key activities have taken place in the Cairngorms National Park, including Mar Lodge Estate and on the Ardtornish estate.
Rescue and Rehoming: Nests that are at risk—for instance, from timber harvesting or development—are identified and moved to secure sites, such as the Ardtornish translocation.
The Process: The translocation technique includes using temporary, protective structures like biodegradable coir pots to house the ants, helping them settle into new habitats.
These initiatives, which have also involved experts like Iolo Williams, have seen initial successes in establishing new, expanding nests.
Lily of Valley is found at the Schiehallion Limestone Pavement, growing in a gryke where the sheep cannot get to eat it. There is only one site and that went undetected from 2006 until last year.
Dun Coillich has the same Dalradian Limestone and there may be a case for translocating Lily of the Valley to the limestone area of Dun Coillich. It would need to be the native Lily of the Valley with the right genetics and this might be done in consultation with the scientists at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) supports biodiversity by providing early spring pollen for bees and acting as a food source for some moth larvae, while its berries are consumed by rodents. It is native to Scotland, though very rare and often found in scattered, ancient woodland sites. While it prefers slightly alkaline (chalky) soil, it can tolerate a range of pH levels, including acidic, provided the soil is moist, shaded, and rich in humus.
Contributions to Biodiversity
Pollinator Food: The fragrant bells offer nectar/pollen to bees and early butterflies.
Habitat Structure: It creates thick, ground-covering carpets, offering shelter for small invertebrates in woodland settings.
Food Web: The plant is used by larvae of insects like the grey chi moth and Lilioceris merdigera beetle.
Seed Dispersal: Rodents eat the berries and, in doing so, sometimes act as seed dispersers.
Native Status in Scotland
Yes, it is native, but rare.
It is often described as a native of ancient woodlands, with wild populations found in locations like the Clyde Valley and near Pitlochry.
Its distribution is scattered, with more common occurrences in England and Wales.
Soil Preferences
Alkaline to Neutral: It thrives best on moist, well-draining, calcareous (slightly alkaline) soils, often found on limestone,.
Versatility: It can adapt to mildly acidic soil.
Conditions: Prefers dappled shade (woodland habitats) and is very tolerant of deep shade.