Around Dalwhinnie

 During the last sunny spell of weather, I went walking on the tracks near Dalwhinnie. Some of the tracks were put in for access for the new pylons and are not particularly walker friendly as they have locked gates.  Probably because there are still a lot of abandoned concrete structures - which now have tree saplings growing through them. I was surprised to find Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea) on a track edge.

Common Centaury

  I have never found this in Badenoch before.  It is not common up here, in spite of its name. There is some growing at Ardesier in the old fabrication yard, and it is likely that the seeds were brought to the Dalwhinnie track in tyres or imported fill.  It will be interesting to see how long it persists.

Another uncommon find was on the Allt an t-Sluic  track just North of Dalwhinnie. Just one flower. Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris).

Grass-of-Parnassus

It is growing through a small Scots Pine seedling and was near a man-made lochan.  If you see palustris or palustre in a plant name, it indicates that it grows in damp areas as palustris is the Latin for marsh. The rest of the name is from Mount Parnassus in Greece. It was recorded as growing on a mountain in ancient Greece, but isn't a grass.  The last time it was recorded locally was 1981 in Coire Chais in the Drumochter Hills.  If you spot any on your hill walks, I would love to see a photo and a grid reference (6 figures if possible).