Romesdal Flora

The Romesdal area may only be described as fragrant in late June. During our visit there was an all pervading scent of bog myrtle, tinged occasionally with aromatic thyme and pine. In the evenings  a sprawl of honeysuckle scented the air around West House. 

The road leading down to Loch Snizort drops steeply from the main road and is lined with hazels beneath which grow a tangle of species, some of which are pictured below. Campions, buttercups, meadow sweet, ragged robin,  flag iris and  the huge leaves of butterwort flourish in the wetter areas near the burn. On the drier side away from the burn the rocky sections of bank have large patches of thyme and are starred with the  bright flowers and glowing buds of Slender St John's Wort. 

Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox subsp brittanicus)

Dog rose (Rosa canina)

Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)

The strongly carnation scented and variable Fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Grey Granite thinks that this is Small Lady's-mantle ( Alchemilla glaucescens) but it may possibly be Alchemilla glomerulans

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) the sweet smell attracts night flying moths and always reminds Grey Granite of childhood summers spent at Coburty where,  at the junction of the Rosehearty and new Aberdour roads,  her favourite aunt's large and particularly fragrant dykeside honeysuckle was a local landmark. 

Slender St John's Wort (Hypericum pulchrum) The flower buds are bright and flame like, seeming to glow on  dull misty days.

Slender St John's Wort is thought to have been the special plant of St Columba because of its association with his favourite saint, St John the Evangelist, (patron saint of Scotland before St Andrew), thus it has special protective powers, particularly against witchcraft and the evil eye. However, to be truly effective the plant had to be found by accident, rather than actively sought, and a sprig had to be tucked under the left armpit. On Skye, according to Martin Martin,  Slender St John's Wort was mixed with other herbs to form an ointment to aid the setting of bones. It may also be used to cure worms and to flavour whisky and beer.

Melancholy Thistle, (Cirsium dissectum)

Wild Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica)

 Bushes of wild fuchsia occur in several places on Skye, including Uig Woods

The approach to Hugh's Castle, a meadow thick with meadow buttercups, reminded Grey Granite of Wilfred Owen's lines:

' Hour after hour they ponder the warm field -
And the far valley behind, where the buttercup
Had blessed with gold their slow boots coming up.'

(Spring Offensive)

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