Marshmarigolds in the Kessock Burn

The usually dull and rubbish strewn Kessock Burn  outside Fraserburgh Tesco was this morning suddenly transformed by the  flowering of the glorious Kingcups, variously known across the British Isles as Mayflowers, Marsh marigolds, May-blobs, Mollyblobs, the Publican  or Gollins (Calthera palustris)

Marsh marigolds are one of our most ancient plants, surviving the last glaciations and flourishing  in wet boggy areas after the ice retreated. They are currently in decline as farmland is increasingly drained and extensively cultivated so it was a particular delight to see such a splendid cheering up the muddy banks of the Kessock.