Reading Rob Woodall's account of finding alpine rockcress on the Cuillin ridge made me realise just how much pleasure my wife and I have had searching out flowers during our Munro and Corbetts rounds. Most regular hillwalkers will be familiar with flowers commonly found on routes to the summit, e.g. tormentil, milkwort, lousewort, eyebright, purple and star saxifrage, moss campion and many others. Visiting hills the length and breadth of the country enables many not-so-common and even very rare flowers to be observed during the course of peak bagging. Unlike animals and birds the plants do not run away, making identification easier. Below I have listed some plants, many arctic or alpine, that are worth spending a little time to search out. I have listed Marilyns where we have found interesting flowers, roughly from north to south.
During a round of Ben More Assynt and Conival we approached via the dry bed of the River Triligill and found the beautiful dark red heleborine. Walking along the ridge of Cul Mor we found many plants of the rare norwegian mugwort, but only one flower. Near the summit area of Little Wyvis were many mats of creeping azalea.
On Skye the crags behind the Old Man of Storr revealed many plants including alpine cinquefoil, but of special interest on the approach to the summit of The Storr we found icelandic purslane. While on Skye it is worth looking out for pipewort in the lochans round the base of the Cuillin.
On the approach to Bac an Eich we found small white orchid and dwarf cornel with its white bracts. Nearby, en route for Meallan nan Eun, was alpine bearberry, while small cranberry was fairly abundant on Brown Cow Hill.
Further south on the round of Sgurr an Utha can be found the really attractive diapensia, which was first discovered as recently as 1951 by an observant bird watcher who realised that it was 'different'.
By the path up Beinn a'Chuallaich were plants of alpine bistort. The Sow of Atholl is a shortish walk from the road, but by diverting a little from the direct route from Dalnaspidal the rare blue heath can be found, and in the same area sibbaldia.
The summit of Ben Tirran is surrounded by chickweed wintergreen, and on the approach we had also seen fragrant orchid. While in Glen Clova a diversion to two non-Marilyn Munros is a worthwhile excursion - the route to Mayar from Coire Fee takes you through the habitat of yellow oxytropis and alpine pearlwort, while an ascent of Tom Buidhe over Meikle Kilrannoch reveals the breathtaking flowers of alpine catchfly as well as clumps of cyphel.
Ben Vrackie has many plants concentrated round one fairly small crag - purple oxytropis, alpine milk vetch and scottish asphodel.
Breadalbane in general, and Ben Lawers in particular, has been a botanist's paradise for centuries. On the walk from the visitor centre to the summit, via the path traversing round the NW side of Beinn Ghlas, it is possible to see hairy stonecrop and the rare drooping saxifrage. Continuing from the bealach to the summit it is possible to see ledges with an abundance of alpine forget-me-not, with its striking blue colouration. On the southern slopes are alpine gentians, which need a full sun to display their flowers. While climbing Meall nan Tarmachan rock whitlow grass can be found on the shores of Lochan na Lairige. Further south, on Dumyat, is sticky catchfly.
An ascent from Ullswater to Little Mell Fell passes alpine enchanters nightshade. Teesdale is another paradise, and an ascent of Mickle Fell from there via the River Tees passes birds eye primrose and alpine bartsia. Further up the hillside are mountain pansies. A couple of miles down river shrubby cinquefoil can be found on an island. Approaching Kinder Scout by way of Grindsbrook look out for large flowered butterwort.
The limestone peninsula of the Great Orme hosts several rarities including goldilocks aster, spiked speedwell and the rare wild cotoneaster (now reduced to just a few plants). Across the bridge to Anglesey and Holyhead Mountain, spotted rockrose and field fleawort can be discovered. On a circular walk of Moel Hebog can be seen alpine sawwort and the rare non-flowering fern oblong woodsia, Finally, on Snowdon the renowned snowdon lily, alpine meadow rue and arctic mouse-ear can all be found.
For 2002 we hope to find alpine sow thistle on Lochnagar, and Scottish primrose and oyster plant while Marilyn bagging in the Orkney islands. If anyone would like more detailed information on any of these plants I can expand on location and grid references.
Spotted Rockrose (photo: Pete Sellers)
