New Aberdour Shore: a (mainly) botanical pilgrimage

Grey Granite and Rufus visited New Aberdour shore in order to look for two favourite but uncommon plants.

Looking west across New Aberdour Bay towards Strahangles Point.
 It was a beautiful sunny morning, (temperatures reached 24c) when we walked down to thew  almost deserted beach, perfect for plant hunting. Grey Granite likes  to make  a point of finding Grass of Parnassus and Oyster Plant each summer.

Two German spies landed here in 1942 but were quickly arrested as they cycled towards Banff on very new looking bicycles.

Oyster Plant
(Mertensia maritima)
The greyish green leaves of oyster plant surrounded by the fleshy leaves and seed heads of the common Sea Sandwort (Honkenya peploides)
This plant is now on the red list of endangered coastal species but there are several populations along the Moray Firth Coast. The plant grows on shingle beaches which shift about in winter storms so that the plants are frequently swept away or buried. We wandered about the west end of the Broad Shore for some time and had almost given up hope of finding the plants which have grown there for several years when we came upon four small plants at least one of which had flowered. It was gratifying to see that our local colony is clinging on, growing further up above the high tide line than I think they were in previous years. 

The memorial to local heroine Jane Whyte who single handedly rescued the crew of the William Hope which ran aground close to her home here at Waulk Mill Croft on 28th October 1884. The memorial is built out of the remains of the gable and footings of the croft house.

There were sand martins swooping round the entrance to The Needle Eye hunting insects

St Drostan's Well:  the granite well head was erected over  a natural spring in 1884 and is said to mark the spot where St Drostan landed.

 Less felicitously two German spies landed here in 1942 but were quickly arrested as they cycled towards Banff on very new looking bicycles.

Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris)

This exquisite flower grows on the damp soils close to the well and on the cliff face near the Needle's Eye. This year the flower stalks seemed shorter than usual, possibly due to the dry hot summer.