I
The
Western
Naturalist
Volume Four
/
Annual Subscription
7975
£3.00
A Journal of Scottish Natural History
THE WESTERN NATURALIST
A Journal of Scottish Natural History-
Editorial Committee:
Dr. J.A. Gibson
Dr. John Hamilton
Professor J.C. Smyth
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, PAISLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY,
HIGH STREET, PAISLEY
The Western Naturalist is a.n independent journal, published
by the RENFREWSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, devoted to the
study of Scottish natural history, particularly, but not exclus-
ively, to the natural history of the Western area. Although its
main interests probably centre on fauna and flora it is prepared
to publish articles on the many aspects embraced by its title
including Zoology, Botany, History, Environment, Geology, Archae-
ology, Geography etc.
All articles and notes for publication, books for review
etc, should be sent to the Editors at the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY,
PAISLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, HIGH STREET, PAISLEY.
Contributions should be clearly written; whenever possible
they should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of the paper,
with adequate margins, and should try to conform to the general
style and arrangement of articles and notes in the current number
of the journal. Maps, diagrams and graphs should be drawn in
black ink on white unlined paper. Photographs should be on
glossy paper. Proofs of all articles will be sent to authors
and should be returned without delay.
Authors of articles, but not of short notes, will receive
thirty reprints in covers free of charge. Additional copies may
be ordered, at cost, when the proofs are returned.
The Western Naturalist will be published annually, and
more often as required. The annual subscription is three pounds,
which should be sent to the Editors at FOREMOUNT HOUSE, KIL-
BARCHAN, RENFREWSHIRE. Members of the Renfrewshire Natural
History Society receive the journal free of charge. Members of
other recognised natural history organisations may receive the
Western Naturalist at a greatly reduced subscription; for details
apply to the Editors at the subscription address.
THE WESTERN NATURALIST
Volume Four
December 1975
CONTENTS
The Mammals of Kin tyre
Dr. J.A. Gibson and Mr. Duncan Colville 1
The Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum,
Inner Hebrides
Mr. Kenneth Williamson 29
Intertidal Algae of Some Estuaries in Galloway
Dr. Martin Wilkinson 42
The Loch Li bo Nature Reserve
Professor J.C. Smyth 51
History and Topography of Loch Li bo
Mr. Ian W. Grant 53
The Vegetation of Loch Li bo and its Management
Mr. Edward T. Idle 58
Summary Notes on the Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Libo
and Neighbourhood
Dr. J.A. Gibson 65
The Coleoptera of Loch Libo
Dr. R.A. Crowson 71
The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Arran
Dr. J.A. Gibson 75
The Romans and Strathclyde: The First Century A.D.
Occupation
Mr. Frank Newall 79
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
Mrs Ida Rainier 95
Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcai 1 1 och , Loch Lomond
II - Seasonal Activity of Harvestmen
Dr. David J. Curtis 114
THE WESTERN NATURALIST
A Journal of Scottish Natural History
Editorial Committee:
Dr. J.A. Gibson
Dr. John Hamilton
Professor J.C. Smyth
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY, PAISLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY,
HIGH STREET, PAISLEY
The Western Naturalist is a.n independent journal, published
by the RENFREWSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, devoted to the
study of Scottish natural history, particularly, but not exclus-
ively, to the natural history of the Western area. Although its
main interests probably centre on fauna and flora it is prepared
to publish articles on the many aspects embraced by its title
including Zoology, Botany, History, Environment, Geology, Archae-
ology» Geography etc.
All articles and notes for publication, books for review
etc, should be sent to the Editors at the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY,
PAISLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, HIGH STREET, PAISLEY.
Contributions should be clearly written; whenever possible
they should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of the paper,
with adequate margins, and should try to conform to the general
style and arrangement of articles and notes in the current number
of the journal. Maps, diagrams and graphs should be drawn in
black ink on white unlined paper. Photographs should be on
glossy paper. Proofs of all articles will be sent to authors
and should be returned without delay.
Authors of articles, but not of short notes, will receive
thirty reprints in covers free of charge. Additional copies may
be ordered, at cost, when the proofs are returned.
The Western Naturalist will be published annually, and
more often as required. The annual subscription is three pounds,
which should be sent to the Editors at FOREMOUNT HOUSE, KIL-
BARCHAN, RENFREWSHIRE. Members of the Renfrewshire Natural
History Society receive the journal free of charge. Members of
other recognised natural history organisations may receive the
Western iVaturaiist at a greatly reduced subscription; for details
apply to the Editors at the subscription address.
THE WESTERN NATURALIST
Volume Four
December 1975
CONTENTS
The Mammals of Kintyre
Dr. J.A. Gibson and Mr. Duncan Colville 1
The Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum,
Inner Hebrides
Mr. Kenneth Williamson 29
Intertidal Algae of Some Estuaries in Galloway
Dr. Martin Wilkinson 42
The Loch Li bo Nature Reserve
Professor J.C. Smyth 51
History and Topography of Loch Li bo
Mr. Ian W. Grant 53
The Vegetation of Loch Li bo and its Management
Mr. Edward T. Idle 58
Summary Notes on the Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Li bo
and Neighbourhood
Dr. J.A. Gibson 65
The Coleoptera of Loch Libo
Dr. R.A. Crowson 71
The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Arran
Dr. J.A. Gibson 75
The Romans and Strathclyde: The First Century A.D.
Occupation
Mr. Frank Newall 79
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
Mrs Ida Rainier 95
Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcai 1 1 och , Loch Lomond
II - Seasonal Activity of Harvestmen
Dr. David J. Curtis 114
120
Additional Notes on the Birds of the Island of Arran
Dr. J.A. Gibson
EDITORS
Dr. J.A. Gibson
Dr. John Hamilton
Professor J.G. Smyth
All items for publication should be sent to the Editors at
Department of Biology, Paisley College of Technology,
High Street, Paisley
Published by
THE RENFREWSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
(Founded 1847)
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
1
THE MAmALS OF KINTYRE
By J.A. GIBSON and DUNCAN COLVILLE
Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Society
Until quite recently surprisingly little seems to have been
published on the mammals of Kintyre. Unfortunately Harvie-Brown
and Buckley (1892), in their otherwise excellent book, make
virtually no mention of Kintyre at all, and the early Clyde mam-
mal papers by Alston (1880) and Boyd Watt (1902,1905) also give
almost no Kintyre information, although in their defence it
should be said that the authors clearly recognised, and drew
attention to, these gaps in knowledge of their day.
There are some fairly obvious reasons for this apparent
past neglect of Kintyre. Probably the relative isolation of
Kintyre from other parts of Clyde or Argyll meant that it was
rather inaccessible to previous workers on Clyde mammals, most
of whom were based largely in the central belt of Scotland.
Moreover, the fact that Kintyre was divided between two of the
Scottish faunal areas may possibly have made earlier workers
slightly hesitant as to how best to tackle the task. Gibson, how-
ever, in his detailed survey of Clyde mammals (1954), had no
doubts in the matter. He included the whole of Kintyre within
Clyde, as McWilliam (1936) had previously done with the birds,
and made significant progress with information on mammal distri-
bution within Kintyre and all other districts of South Argyll.
To the best of our knowledge, however, no attempt appears to
have been made to put together collected notes on Kintyre mammals
until our own preliminary papers of 1972. Since then we have
been able to add substantially to our information, so we hope
the following notes will fill a significant gap in our knowledge
of Clyde mammals.
The area covered is the Kintyre peninsula, with Davaar and
the Sanda island group, but excluding the islands of Gigha and
Cara. These notes do not include the cetaceans, which are being
dealt with in a separate account of Clyde marine mammals (Gibson,
in press) .
Although there are occasional references to Kintyre natural
history scattered throughout ancient documents, the earliest
mammal notes of any real interest appeared at the end of the 18th
century, in the Old Statistical Account of the 1790s, and Dr.
John Smith’s General View of the Agriculture of the County of
Argyle (1798) . Other useful information of this period can be
2
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
found in the early Kintyre farm rentals and letter books of the
Argyll Estate, kindly made available to us. All these sources
make passing references to mammals, usually in connection with
agricultural interests, as one would expect.
In the iVew Statistical Account of 1845 two Kintyre parishes,
Saddell and Skipness and Killean and Kilchenzie, give natural
history notes which are quite outstandingly good for their time.
The 1850s saw the start of a local newspaper in Kintyre, the
Argyllshire Herald (now ceased), and in 1873 the Campbeltown
Courier commenced publication. Throughout the years the columns
of these, and later the Oban Times, have contained many scattered
notes and letters which make direct or incidental references to
Kintyre mammals. Many of these contributions came from the late
Mr. Dugald Macintyre, the justly renowned Kintyre gamekeeper/
naturalist, who also wrote several books and contributed numer-
ous articles to various journals, almost all based on his ex-
periences of Kintyre wildlife. We both knew Dugald Macintyre very
well until he died in 1957, and derived much additional infor-
mation from conversations with him. The estate registers and
game books of many Kintyre estates have been made freely available
to us, and these have proved to be extremely valuable. Finally,
during the past twenty-five years we ourselves have published
many papers and notes on various aspects of Kintyre mammals, but
much of the information we have gathered over the years is being
published here, or in our 1972 preliminary papers, for the first
time. When collecting information on Kintyre mammals we have
received abundant ready help from a great many people; every-
one we asked for information cooperated most willingly, and we
hope to make full and proper acknowledgement of all this assist-
ance in due course.
The study of mammals in Kintyre is made particularly inter-
esting by the presence of the narrow isthmus at Tarbert; this
gives the Kintyre peninsula many of the features of an island,
and seems to provide an effective barrier to the spread of some
new species, or the re-entry of others formerly present but
later exterminated. Some animals have effectively crossed this
barrier but others, apparently with equal opportunities, have
not.
Some of these possibilities for interesting observation
were originally created by the destructive activities of man,
which accompanied the greatly increased agricultural and spotting
activity in the mid- 19th century. The first gamekeepers were
established on Kintyre estates in 1842, and within a very short
time several species of animals classed as ’vermin' had been
exterminated or greatly reduced. These included the Polecat,
Pine Marten, Badger and Wild Cat; previously Alan Macintyre
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
3
had exterminated the Fox. It is worth noting that all this was
possible only because Kintyre had very little woodland at that
time. Nowadays this could no longer happen, since the steadily
increasing plantations of the Forestry Commission and several
private owners provide abundant natural sanctuary, so that those
animals we now have are likely to remain (e.g; the Fox), despite
all efforts at 'control'.
The past one and a half centuries have therefore shown us
some remarkable changes; some due to the activities of man, by
exterminating some species and introducing others, and some by
natural spread or return.
Species which were formerly exterminated, but which have
now successfully returned by natural spread, include the Fox
and the Badger. The Fox had probably been extinct in Kintyre
since well before 1825 and the Badger since about 1875, but by
1950 both species had regained a foothold, apparently by natural
spread down from Knapdale where both species had remained fairly
common. On the other hand two other species present in Knapdale,
the Wild Cat and the Pine Marten, have not returned. The Wild
Cat is steadily increasing in Knapdale, however, and we feel it
can only be a relatively short time before it returns to Kintyre.
Occasional rumours arise when large specimens of feral cats are
shot in Kintyre, but so far no specimen we have examined has
been a true Wild Cat. The Pine Marten is still rather uncommon
in Knapdale, and mostly confined to the north, so it may be a
very long time before it reaches Kintyre. We can never again
expect to see the Polecat return by natural spread, since it has
been exterminated throughout the entire Clyde area.
Several new species have arrived in Kintyre, apparently by
natural extension of their ranges. These include the Mountain
Hare around the mid- 19th century, the Hedgehog around the end
of the 19th century, and the Mole, celebrated in local legend,
which was in north Kintyre around the early 1800s and had reached
the Mull before 1900. Although not mentioned in the New Statis-
tical Account (1845), the Brown Rat was fairly well known after
the middle of the 19th century, and may well have had its advance
assisted by accidental introductions. The Red Squirrel had made
its way into north Kintyre by the turn of the century, presumably
by direct spread after its introduction at Minard, Loch Fyne,
in 1847.
Man has been directly responsible for the introduction of
some species. The present population of Rabbits stems from their
introduction to Macharioch, south Kintyre, about 1843, and the
Sika Deer from their introduction to Carradale in 1893. Roe
Deer were imported to Skipness in 1897 in an attempt to improve
the stock. The various herds of Wild Goats presumably had their
Table I CHANGES IN SOME KINTYRE MAMMALS, 1800-1975
4
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Present; - Absent; (+) Marginal: i.e. gaining a foothold, or becoming extinct.
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
5
origin in escapes from the importations in the late 18th and
early 19th centuries.
Animals can also arrive in Kintyre by other means. There is
evidence that Otters have crossed from Ireland to Kintyre, and
Red Deer have been seen swimming from Arran to Kintyre across
the Kilbrannan Sound.
Table One shows the approximate changes, in quarter centuries,
of sixteen Kintyre mammals during the 175 years from 1800 to
1975. For some of the smaller mammals, such as the shrews and
small rodents, there is no sufficiently accurate contemporary
evidence available to make comparisons possible. The remaining
Kintyre mammals have not apparently shown any significant changes.
The actual levels of population, however, may vary considerably
over the years; for example, the Mountain Hare is virtually
extinct in some parts of south Kintyre at the present day, but
will presumably increase again.
If we compare the present-day position to that of 1800 we
actually find that there are no really significant gaps, and
some quite substantial gains. The Black Rat is extinct, but
has been replaced by the all too common Brown Rat. The Polecat
has long gone but Ferrets are now breeding feral ly in some areas.
The Wild Cat is still absent, although feral cats abound, and the
true Wild Cat must surely soon follow the path of the Fox and
the Badger and return to Kintyre, since it is steadily increasing
in Knapdale. The Pine Marten also is still extinct in Kintyre,
but since it is very much scarcer in Clyde its return is less
predictable. On the credit side, however, Kintyre has gained
the Hedgehog, Mole, Grey Seal, SikaDeer, Mountain Hare, Rabbit
and Red Squirrel. The present-day Kintyre naturalist is there-
fore much better off for mammals than was his counterpart at
the beginning of last century. There can be few other places
in our country where this is the case.
In the following systematic list arrangement and nomen-
clature follows the Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian Mammals,
by J.R. Ellerman and T.C.S. Morrison-Scott (second edition,
1966) , published by the British Museum (Natural History), London.
Order INSECTIVORA
HEDGEHOG Erinaoeus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758
The Hedgehog is now reasonably common and fairly widely
distributed throughout Kintyre, right down to the Mull, but is
a relatively recent arrival; there is no mention of the Hedgehog
for Kintyre, or for any part of Clyde Argyll, in either the Old
or the New Statistical Accounts. During the early years of this
6
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
century there was considerable discussion in the Scottish Nat-
uralist and the Zoologist about the status of the Hedgehog in
Argyll, and it was suggested that the frequency with which it
was kept as a pet (this surprises us) might have led to frequent
escapes, thereby allowing it to get locally established. At
any rate, the Hedgehog reached Kintyre during the last quarter
of the 19th century, apparently by direct spread from Knapdale
down the peninsula.
In 1882 a Hedgehog captured near Campbeltown was ex-
hibited in the town and attracted considerable attention {Camp-
beltown Courier f 24th June 1882) as a very rare animal. This
is the earliest published record we have been able to trace. By
1904 the Hedgehog was still being described as "somewhat rare"
near Campbeltown {Campbeltown Courier ^ 2nd July 1904), but by
the 1920s Hedgehogs had reached Southend, and are now reasonably
common in most areas.
An albino Hedgehog found near Campbeltown in 1952 was sent
by air to Glasgow Zoo {Campbeltown Courier, 11th August 1952) .
MOLE Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758
The Mole apparently began to spread into the Kintyre pen-
insula towards the end of the 18th century, when the minister
of Campbeltown parish was able to write "The Mole, formerly un-
known, has lately made an inroad to the extent of some miles
within the isthmus" {Old Statistical Account, Vol. 10: 551; 1794).
Later, in the New Statistical Account, the minister of Saddell
and Skipness wrote (1843) that it had "commenced its ravages in
the northern district of the parish" in the early 1820s, and a
footnote to the account of Killean and Kilchenzie parish indi-
cated that the Mole had reached there by 1843. From then on it
spread down the peninsula with surprising rapidity and was well-
known near Campbeltown by 1860.
Most people will be familiar with one of the versions of
the old legend which stated that when the Mole had reached the
Mull there would be no Campbells left in Kintyre. Moles reached
the Mull of Kintyre by about 1900, but the position with regard
to the Campbells appears to be little different!
Piebald specimens of Moles have been reported on several
occasions, and a pure white Mole was caught at Langa, near Camp-
beltown, in 1868 {Argyllshire Herald, 15th February 1868) .
Mole-hills in Kintyre have often been found near the tops of
the higher hills, at well over one thousand feet.
At the present time the Mole is common and widely distributed
throughout the Kintyre peninsula; it is absent from the Sanda
Island group (Gibson, 1970) and we have no records from Davaar.
1975
The Mammals of Kin tyre
1
COMMON SHREW Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758
Shrews are very active little animals, retiring by nature,
often heard rustling and twittering amongst the leaf-litter and
grass in woodlands, but not often seen by the casual observer.
The Common Shrew is very common and widely distributed in
all suitable areas throughout the Kintyre peninsula, although
we have no actual records from Davaar. There are apparently no
shrews on Sheep Island or Glunimore, and in many years of trap-
ping we have found no Common Shrews on Sanda, where Pygmy Shrews
are common (Gibson, 1970) .
In August 1972, however, Mr. John Mitchell and Mr. R.G.
Nisbet were given a Common Shrew which had been caught by one of
the farm cats on Sanda on the 27th. Because of the importance
of this discovery (the first authentic record of the Common
Shrew from any small Clyde island) the specimen was preserved
and full details were published (Gibson, 1973). It seems almost
certain that this Common Shrew was an accidental importation,
probably in bales of straw, in the course of greatly increased
farming activity on Sanda during the previous few years, but as
Dr. Gibson wrote at the time, "it seems very unlikely that a
farm cat could catch the only specimen of Common Shrew on the
island, so it is probable that several were imported and that a
breeding population may well become established". To the best
of our knowledge, however, in subsequent trapping no further
specimens of Common Shrews have so far been reported.
PYGMY SHREW Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766
Now known to be common and widely distributed throughout
Kintyre, right down to the Mull. Throughout the peninsula the
Pygmy Shrew occurs in close association with the Common Shrew,
but on Sanda Island the Pygmy Shrew is extremely common (some-
times a "perfect plague") whereas the Common Shrew is absent
(but see above for recent record of probable accidental intro-
duction). We have several records of Pygmy Shrews from Davaar,
but as yet we have no records of any shrews on Sheep Island or
Glunimore.
WATER SHREW Neomys fodiens (Pennant, 1771)
The Water-Shrew is fairly well distributed throughout Kin-
tyre, but is locally restricted to suitable habitat, as one
would expect. It largely frequents small fresh, swiftly-running,
streams although its territory may extend far away from water,
into neighbouring scrub and woodland. As with most shrews, it
is seldom seen by the casual observer, and many of our own re-
cords have come from examining the catches made by farm cats.
8
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
We have records from all over the peninsula, right down to South-
end, but have no records from any of the Kintyre islands, from
all of which it genuinely appears to be absent.
Order CHIROPTERA
DAUBENTON'S BAT Myot-is dauhentoni (Kuhl, I819)
[We know of no record of a specimen of Daubenton' s Bat having
been obtained from anywhere in the Kintyre peninsula, although
Dr. Gibson has several personal sight records of ’water bats' from
Kintyre, in particular along the river at Carradale. From his
experience of Daubenton' s Bat in other parts of the Clyde area Dr.
Gibson has no personal doubts that these water bats are Dauben-
ton' s, which is now well-known to be fairly widely distributed
throughout south and west Scotland. Nevertheless, until we hear
of a specimen actually being obtained and examined, we do not think
Daubenton' s Bat should be fully admitted to the Kintyre List. We
shall be extremely grateful to receive any additional information] .
PIPISTRELLE Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, ITT^)
The Pipistrelle is very common throughout Kintyre, and is
widely distributed in all areas. Although less common in hilly
regions. Pipistrelles can often be seen on the higher hill-slopes
and have actually been seen right at the summit of Bengullion
(1154 feet), near Campbeltown. Kintyre has a mild climate and
Pipistrelles have occasionally been recorded in winter from sev-
eral localities throughout the peninsula.
'Bats' are often seen on Sanda, and are presumably Pipis-
trelles, although one can not always be certain. Some accurate
records do exist, however, for the late John Bain, formerly head
lightkeeper on Sanda, caught and identified several Pipistrelles
around the Sanda light during the mid-1940s. We have a few
records of bats, again presumably Pipistrelles, seen on Davaar.
While fishing at a Kintyre hill-loch, Mr. Colville once had
the unusual experience of a Pipistrelle taking his fly when he
was casting, and so getting hooked on his line {Scotsman, 5th
June 1937) .
LONG-EARED BAT Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758)
During the past forty years there have been a few isolated
records of Long-eared Bats from Southend, Campbeltown, Carradale,
Ronachan, and near Tarbert. The Long-eared Bat is probably much
commoner in Kintyre than these meagre records suggest, but
further assessment of its status is precluded by the usual diff-
iculty in catching specimens. ' We shall be very glad to receive
any additional information.
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
9
Order CARNIVORA
WOLF Canzs lupus Linnaeus, 1758
Wolves certainly occurred in Kintyre until historical times,
when the peninsula was still well-wooded, and their former pre-
sence is recorded in local place names. One of the best known
is Dalavaddy (= Dail a' mhadaidh) meaning "the field of the
wolf". The date of extermination is not clear, but it is un-
likely that Wolves existed for very long into the 16th century.
FOX YuZpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)
A detailed account of the return of the Fox to Kintyre has
recently been published (Colville and Gibson, 1972) to which
interested readers are referred. We do not propose to repeat
the full details here, but a brief summary of the situation is
given below:
The Fox was formerly very common in Kintyre, but was ulti-
mately completely exterminated, towards the end largely by the
efforts of Alan Macintyre (1745-1840) , the noted Kintyre district
fox-hunter. It is worth noting that this extermination was
almost certainly made possible only because Kintyre at that time
was largely devoid of woodland. The actual date of extermination
must always be obscure, but there is some circumstantial evidence.
There is no mention of the Fox for Kintyre in either the Old or
the Wew Statistical Accounts, and since some Kintyre parishes in
the New Statistical Account of 1845 contain fairly extensive
natural history notes, including unusually careful references to
population changes amongst certain species which were becoming
scarce, it is safe to assume that the Fox had been exterminated
in Kintyre long before, and was no longer the subject of even
recent history. Possibly the Fox was virtually extinct in Kin-
tyre as a resident species by around 1800, although stragglers
would appear from time to time, crossing the narrow isthmus down
from Knapdale, as indeed they did for the next 150 years until
they got re-established.
By the early 1940s, however. Foxes were once more breeding
in north Kintyre, local farmers placing the blame on the new For-
estry Commission plantations for giving sanctuary to stragglers
coming down from Knapdale . Indeed, in 1948 the Carradale branch
of the National Farmers* Union was complaining that it seemed to
be "more plantations, more foxes in Carradale". There would
appear to have been some justice in this complaint, for although
there were a very few areas of woodland in north Kintyre in the
late 18th and early 19th centuries, when the last of the old
breed of Kintyre Foxes was exterminated, their density was very
low. The new Forestry Commission woodland, plus the steadily
10
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
increasing rhododendrons, planted so fashionably on some estates
during the late 19th century, provided a totally different type
of very dense cover. Moreover, the fact that this was readily
available during the war-time lack of gamekeepers and trappers
gave the Fox a chance to get established which it had never had
before. As everyone knows, killing stray individuals appearing
in a new district is fairly simple for an experienced trapper,
but it is a very different matter to have to eradicate an est-
ablished population from dense cover.
At any rate, the Fox steadily increased in numbers and was
recorded from Southend by 1953. In 1955 the Kintyre Foxhunting
Society was formed and bounties were offered for every Fox killed.
On average, during the past ten years bounties have been paid
for some ninety adults and cubs each year. Despite all this
activity, however, the Fox remains reasonably common and well
distributed throughout the Kintyre mainland, and is likely to
remain so. Recently one was seen in the centre of Campbeltown.
There are no Foxes on the Kintyre islands.
PINE MARTEN Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758)
The Pine Marten formerly occurred fairly commonly in Kintyre,
and was recorded from the parishes of Killean and Kilchenzie
and Saddell and Skipness (ie. the northern half of the peninsula)
in the New Statistical Account of 1845.
Although Martens were killed by Alan Macintyre, the old fox-
hunter, it was probably the establishment of game-keepers in
Kintyre in 1842 that brought about the Pine Marten’s extinction.
Dugald Macintyre said that his father, one of the first Kintyre
gamekeepers, actually killed the "last Marten in Kintyre on his
first trapping round of the Mull in 1842" {pban Times, 24th July
1948) . Presumably this meant the last Pine Marten in south Kin-
tyre, where the lack of woodland would mean that Martens were
possibly never very common, but its extinction even in the nor-
thern, and at that time slightly more wooded, part of Kintyre
probably followed shortly afterwards.
We know of no Kintyre record during the past hundred years,
but recently the Pine Marten seems to be getting re-established
in northern Knapdale, so it is not impossible that occasional
Pine Martens may turn up in Kintyre in the distant future. If
so, we hope they will be left in peace.
STOAT Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758
Common and widely distributed throughout the peninsula, right
down to the Mull. The Stoat, has always been fairly common in
Kintyre, and despite the constant war waged upon it by gamekeepers
1975
The Maimals of Kintyre
11
and farmers is likely to remain so. Newly- emancipated family
parties of up to a dozen Stoats are occasionally seen in summer
and early autumn, and give rise to tales about 'packs' of stoats;
these parties do not usually occur in winter.
Stoats on the low ground in Kintyre rarely turn white in
winter, although mottled specimens are not uncommon; amongst
the hill Stoats the change to winter dress is usually complete
by the end of December.
There are no Stoats on the Kintyre islands.
WEASEL Musteta nivalis Linnaeus, 1766
Much the same remarks apply as to the Stoat. The Weasel is
common and widely distributed throughout the Kintyre peninsula
and has always been so. It is commoner near habitation than the
Stoat, and is often seen in gardens in Campbeltown. There are
no Weasels on the Kintyre islands.
An unusual incident was a Weasel and a Rat caught in the
same trap at Southend in January 1949. The Weasel was caught
by the two fore legs and the Rat by the two hind legs; both
were dead (Campbeltown Courier ^ 15th January 1949) .
AMERICAN MINK Musteta vison Schreber, 1777
American Mink were kept on a fur farm at Torrisdale from
about 1950 until 1962, when commercial fur farming ceased. Some
Mink certainly escaped during this time and bred in the wild
state in the Carradale Forest, but constant efforts by the local
trappers and gamekeepers now seem to have exterminated these
feral Mink, and we learn from Mr. Peter Strang, of Brackley, that
no Mink have been trapped or seen since 1967. It would seem,
therefore, that Mink are now extinct in this area, and we have
no knowledge of Mink having been kept anywhere else in Kintyre.
POLECAT Musteta yutovius Linnaeus, 1758
As far as we can discover, the true Polecat has been extinct
in Kintyre for over a century. Formerly it occurred widely thr-
oughout the peninsula, and was described as "numerous" at Saddell
and Skipness parish (1843) in New Statistical Account, but was
steadily trapped out of existence after the appointment of game-
keepers in Kintyre in 1842. Dugald Macintyre said that his
father trapped the last Polecat at the Mull "some years" after
his appointment as gamekeeper in 1842; it was "a barren female,
and the last of its race" (Oban Times, 24th July 1948) . Possibly
Polecats lingered on for a few more years in the northern part
of the peninsula, where there were still said to be some in 1861.
We have no records from the islands.
12
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Ferrets M. p. furo escape all the time, and although the
albino specimens do not seem to breed in the wild state, the
dark forms do so readily, and at present dark Ferrets, usually
called Polecat/Ferrets, are breeding in the feral state at several
places throughout the peninsula.
BADGER Metes metes (Linnaeus, 1758)
The Badger formerly occurred widely throughout Kintyre and
was recorded in the New Statistical Account (1843) **in consid-
erable numbers". Unfortunately it was constantly persecuted
after the appointment of gamekeepers in Kintyre in 1842, and had
been largely exterminated by the 1870s. In the entrance hall
of Keil House (now demolished) at Southend there was a glass
case with some stuffed Badgers; these had been shot or trapped
near Southend in 1868, and were apparently the last Badgers
killed in the area. The minutes of the Kintyre Scientific Ass-
ociation (the forerunner of the Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural
History Society) for 28th October 1892 record that Mr. Alexander
Colville had presented a specimen of a Badger shot at the Mull
of Kintyre, but it is very unlikely that this was a recently
shot specimen, as has occasionally been assumed.
We are now glad to report, however, that the Badger has
successfully re-colonised Kintyre, apparently by direct spread
down the peninsula from Knapdale. In November 1938 four were
accidentally and most unexpectedly trapped at Cour, an event
which caused considerable local astonishment, and from then on
records of Badgers have turned up with increasing frequency from
various parts of the peninsula. In 1955 Badgers were discovered
at Southend, near the farm of Kilblaan, apparently in the very
same den which local memory recorded as last having been occupied
by Badgers 110 years previously.
Badgers are now fairly well distributed throughout the Kin-
tyre mainland and within recent years we have had several reports
of Badgers killed by motor cars on Kintyre roads. There are a
few records of Badgers having been seen out and about in mid-
winter.
We have no records of Badgers from any of the Kintyre islands.
OTTER Lutra tutra (Linnaeus, 1758)
We are glad to say that the Otter remains very common and
widely distributed throughout the wilder parts of Kintyre, around
many parts of the shore, along the rivers, and at some of the
hill- lochs. In Kintyre many overland routes regularly used by
Otters between rivers and lochs are well-known, and these some-
times extend for several milfes. The late Dugald Macintyre was
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
13
certain that Otters sometimes completely crossed Kintyre over
land. Certainly Otters have sometimes been killed far away from
water. Otters measuring over three and a half feet from nose to
tip of tail have occasionally been killed in Kintyre. Fortunately
Otters are little persecuted now.
Otters breed regularly on Sanda, are occasionally seen on
Sheep Island, and have often been seen on Davaar. An Otter has
been caught when swimming across West Loch Tarbert. Partial
albino Otters have been trapped from time to time, but are not
common.
Dugald Macintyre recorded that an Otter, trapped near the
Mull of Kintyre by his father in the middle of last century,
carried in its body the head of a spear recognised as of Irish
manufacture; "no-one used the spear for the Otters in Kintyre
at that date, and the presumption was that the trapped animal
had made the passage from Ireland" {Scotsmaiif 6th April 1935) .
Surprisingly enough. Otters are not infrequently killed by
motor cars in Kintyre.
WILD CAT Felis silvestr-is Schreber, ITTT
Formerly common and widely distributed throughout Kintyre,
but was "fast decreasing" in Saddell and Skipness parish by the
time of the New Statistical Account (1843) . As with the Pine
Marten and the Polecat, the appointment of gamekeepers in 1842
was the beginning of the end for the Kintyre Wild Cats. They
seemed to survive a little longer, however, for a true Wild Cat
was shot near Loch Garasdale in 1910 (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.,
1910: 245). This is the last record known to us. The specimen
was mounted by Charles Kirk, the well-known taxidermist in Glas-
gow, and was preserved in Largie Castle for many years where we
were able to examine it by the courtesy of Captain J.R.M. Mac-
Donald; when Largie Castle was demolished the specimen was un-
fortunately lost.
Household and farm cats regularly go *wild and breed in the
feral state; these are commonly seen throughout the peninsula,
and sometimes grow to a quite remarkable size. Some of the
larger specimens are occasionally incorrectly reported as 'wild
cats', but so far no specimen we have examined has been a true
Wild Cat. It is worth recording, however, that Wild Cats are
making something of a comeback in Knapdale, so some day they may
try to make their way back down into Kintyre; indeed we feel this
is simply a question of time. The most recent likely report of
a 'wild cat' comes from Cl achan in May 1974 (Campbeltown Courier,
16th May 1974), but we have been unable to examine the specimen.
In June 1955 Dr. Gibson saw a large feral cat on Sheep Is-
14
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
land, but despite intensive local enquiries could find no evi-
dence as to how it got there (^Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc.,
17: 49).
Order PINNIPEDIA
COMMON SEAL Fhoaa vituHna Linnaeus, 1758
The Common Seal has always been well-known in Kintyre; it
occurs commonly around all suitable shores of the peninsula at
all seasons of the year, although it is somewhat commoner on
the west side. This has apparently always been the case, for
the New Statistical Account for Saddell and Skipness parish
(1843) , on the east of the peninsula, says that the Common Seal
"is found upon the coast, but they are not very numerous", where-
as in the Old Statistical Account Ronachan on the west is given
special mention because of the seals; "There are in this dis-
trict seals and otters, the former so numerous as to give name
to a farm in the parish, Ronachan, Seal Field" (Vol . 10: 60; 1794).
There are still well-known breeding sites near Ronachan at
the mouth of West Loch Tarbert, on the Sanda Island group,
and occasionally near the Mull. Common Seals are very regularly
seen close inshore, sometimes quite close to habitation, and
have often been seen well within the inner harbour at Campbel-
town, although this does not seem to be so common within recent
years. In 1951 a Common Seal actually entered the town of Camp-
beltown and created considerable excitement on the promenade
before returning to the sea (Campbeltown Courier, 1st November
1951); a similar incident happened in January 1931.
Two pure white seals were seen near Tarbert harbour at the
end of May 1911 (Campbeltown Courier, 3rd June 1911) .
HARP SEAL Fhoaa groentand'ica Erxleben, ITTT
[The Argyllshire Herald for 26th July 1873 gives a detailed
account of the capture of a seal in a net near Machrihanish;
"The species captured belongs to the class of Harp Seal or Phoca
grienlandica and is often a formidable antagonist to experienced
hunters". A detailed description is given, but in our view it
is not that of a Harp Seal, and indeed is more suitable for a
Grey Seal. We are therefore unable to accept this as a valid
record] .
GREY SEAL Halichoevus grypus Fabricius, 1791
The Grey Seal is now well-known around the shores of Kintyre;
indeed in the wilder places it is the typical Kintyre seal and
is much commoner than the Common Seal. There are fairly large
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
15
gatherings on the rocks near Ronachan, around the Mull, and on
the Sanda Island group, and smaller numbers are fairly well-known
in other isolated spots, although the numbers are much reduced
in winter.
On 21st June 1933 a Grey Seal was seen in Campbeltown inner
harbour at half-past four in the morning, and apparently ate
herrings flung from a fishing boat berthed at the quayside. This
was regarded as a most remarkable occurrence {Campbeltown Courier ^
24th June 1933) .
The Grey Seal, however, has undergone a considerable change
in status in Kintyre, as the following excerpts show. Writing
in 1894 about the discovery of the tooth of a Grey Seal in arch-
aeological excavations near Campbeltown, Mr. Alexander Gray,
later to become Curator of the Millport Marine Biological Station,
said "The grey seal is now extinct in this locality, but still
exists in the wilder parts of the North of Scotland and the west
coast of Ireland. Mr. Ritchie, the tenant of the little island
of Sanda, which lies off the south end of the peninsula of Kin-
tyre, informs me that, when he took possession forty years ago,
a single pair of the grey seal lived on a dangerous reef of
rocks in the Sound of Sanda, known as Paterson’s rocks. They
were also known to the former tenant of the island for many years,
and seldom left the rocks which they had chosen for their home,
unless for the purpose of obtaining food in the surrounding
water. They remained at this place summer and winter, and were
as much a recognised part of the landscape as the rocks them-
selves, from which they disappeared thirty-five years ago. This
is, as far as I know, the last instance of the grey seal being
resident in Kintyre" {Proc. Soc. Antiq. Soc., Volume IV, Third
Series: 271-272).
Alexander Gray was a highly competent observer, resident
for many years in south Kintyre, and his comments can certainly
be relied upon. Writing in 1926 Dugald Macintyre said he had
seen the Grey Seal in Kintyre "on a few occasions" {Chambers
Journal, June 1926, page 359). It seems quite clear, therefore,
that the numbers of Grey Seals in Kintyre and Clyde have very
considerably increased during the past fifty years.
At the end of October 1943 a Grey Seal with a recently
born pup was found on the west coast of Kintyre near Ronachan
by Mr. Alex. Blair and his son. This breeding record was re-
ported in the Field of 8th July 1944, but no further instances
of the breeding of the Grey Seal in Kintyre have come to our
attention.
16
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Order ARTIODACTYLA
WILD BOAR Sus sorofa Linnaeus, 1758
The former presence of the Wild Boar in Kintyre is recorded
in local place names of gaelic origin (eg. Beinn an Tuirc = Hill
of the Boar) and popular legends (eg. Legend of Diarmid and the
Wild Boar) . It would certainly be fairly common while the pen-
insula was well wooded, but is unlikely to have existed much
beyond the 10th century.
At the turn of the century the skull of a Wild Boar was
found during drainage work on Parkfergus farm; the skull was
destroyed but one of the tusks ultimately found its way to the
Royal Scottish Museum. Bones found in the Piper’s Cave on Ben-
gullion, near Campbeltown, and examined by Professor James Rit-
chie, were almost certainly those of a Wild Boar (see Campbel-
town Courier f 6th May 1944) .
FALLOW DEER Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758)
According to the New Statistical Account^ in 1843 the only
species of deer present "in the wild state" in the parish of
Saddell and Skipness was the Roe, but by the turn of the century
there was a substantial herd of Fallow Deer in the Carradale
area. We can trace no record of the introduction of Fallow Deer,
so the origin of this herd is obscure. Possibly the phrase "in
the wild state" implied that some other deer, such as Fallow,
were kept in semi-captivity, and we shall be very glad to receive
any additional information.
The Carradale herd has been vastly reduced, however, since
well before the second world war {Scotsman, 3rd November 1951),
and there are now only a few Fallows present. Stragglers are
very occasionally reported from elsewhere in Kintyre, and as
long ago as 1874 a Fallow Deer shot at Ballywilline, near Camp-
beltown, was locally regarded as a most unusual event {Argyll-
shire Herald, 21st November 1874); subsequent enquiry showed
that this deer had been known in the area for over a year and
had become fairly tame.
Within recent years the numbers of Fallow Deer at Carradale
have increased very slightly (Mr. Peter Strang, personal commu-
nication) , but their position in Kintyre must still be regarded
as precarious.
There are now no Fallow Deer on the Kintyre islands; some
were introduced to Sanda in the early part of the 19th cen-
tury, but were removed, or -shot out, around 1825 (Campbell,
1885) .
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
17
RED DEER Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758
From contemporary evidence it is fairly clear that in ancient
times Red Deer were common in Kintyre . In the well known gaelic
poem Marbhrainn Niall Og Mhachra Shanuis (Elegy to Young Neill
of Machrihanish) , from the Turner manuscripts, probably late
16th century (Cameron, 1894), there occurs the line "and bring
down the stag on the height" . Kintyre place names include Eleric
(Colville, 1927) which is derived from eiieirg, a "defile, natural
or artificial, wider at one end than at the other, into which
the deer were driven, often in hundreds, and slain as they passed
through. The slaughter at the eileirg was the last stage in the
great deer hunts which were once so common in Scotland and which
survived in the north till the eighteenth century" (Watson, 1926) .
When the Kintyre Red Deer died out is not clear, but in the
second volume of Macfariane 's Geographical Collections an account
of Kintyre, probably written about 1630, says of the hills about
the Mull of Kintyre (p.l88) "There was abundance of deir in this
mountaine of ancient tyme but now there is none to be sein nether
in this Mountaine nor in the rest of the mountaines and lands of
Kintyre", and (p.527) "Dear and roes wonted to be heir, but now
ther be none in all Cantyre". Probably the Red Deer had died
out before the end of the 16th century.
There is no resident herd of Red Deer in Kintyre today, but
during the past century stray individuals have fairly often
appeared, probably coming from south Knapdale, where there is a
small herd, and have been recorded from widely separated places
throughout the peninsula, nearly down to the Mull (eg. Campbel-
town Courier, 28th November 1891) . One was shot at Carradale
in 1950 {Scotsman, 3rd November 1951) , possibly the first to be
shot there this century, and others have been shot since then.
At present there are about half-a-dozen beasts in the Carradale
area, but the numbers are extremely variable.
It has long been known that Red Deer stags have occasion-
ally been seen swimming between Kintyre and Arran, presumably in
search of hinds {Argyllshire Herald, 4th December 1897) , and on
at least two occasions such stags have actually been caught and
taken aboard fishing boats (Stuart and Stuart, 1848; Campbel-
town Courier, 30th June 1900) .
There are now no Red Deer on the Kintyre islands; some
were introduced to Sanda in the early part of the 19th century,
but were removed, or shot out, around 1825 (Campbell, 1885).
SIKA SEER Cervus nippon Temminck, I838
Sika Deer were introduced to Kintyre in 1893 when nine hinds
and two stags were liberated at Carradale by Mr. Austin Mackenzie.
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The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
The deer were brought from Fawley Court in Buckinghamshire and
were landed at Carradale pier from the local steamer. Mr. Col-
ville was actually present on the steamer at the time and clearly
remembers his boyish interest in the strange deer. At that
time Carradale Point was enclosed by a deer fence only on the
landward end, and it was not long before the deer broke out from
the Point by swimming round the end of the fence (Whitehead,
1964) . They steadily increased and by 1925 had apparently be-
come such a pest that a considerable number had to be shot.
Since then their numbers have varied considerably, but they
have steadily continued to extend their range, west to Largie
estate in Kintyre, and northwards well into south Knapdale.
Stragglers wander far afield and have been seen as far north as
Poltalloch (across the Crinan Canal) , and south of Campbeltown;
one was shot at Craigs, near Campbeltown, on 11th May 1963.
Whitehead (1964) also mentions that at Torrisdale, before
the last war, some Sika stags became very tame and used to come
to the houses for food not only in winter but in spring and sum-
mer also.
At present the population seems to be very much on the in-
crease and Captain Macdonald tells us that for the past few
years some thirty Sikas a year have been shot on the Largie
estate. The total stock in Kintyre and Knapdale must at times
number several hundred deer, and may well be one of the largest
herds in Britain.
ROE DEER Capreotus oapreolus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Roe Deer are now fairly widely distributed throughout Kin-
tyre, and although their numbers are not large they have clearly
increased during the past thirty years along with the steadily
increasing areas of woodland. Over a century ago Roe were very
much scarcer and were virtually confined to the north of the
peninsula. In 1843 the New Statistical Account said there were
no Roe Deer in the parish of Killean and Kilchenzie, and in
Saddell and Skipness Roe Deer, "formerly numerous" had been re-
duced to "only a few stragglers" by agricultural improvements.
Some Roes were still present in this area in 1861.
Whitehead (1964) reported a comment from Major Macalister
Hall, proprietor of Torrisdale, about the virtual disappearance
of Roe after the introduction of Sika Deer to the area. This is
interesting, and it is worth noting that in 1897, four years
after the introduction of the Sika Deer, three Roe Deer from
Bute were imported to Skipness in an attempt to improve the local
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
19
population (^Campbeltown Courier , 27th February 1897). There are
certainly a good many Roe Deer in this area nowadays, however,
and in 1972 twenty-four Roes were shot on the Forestry Commission
ground at Carradale (Mr. Peter Strang, personal communication) .
Roe Deer in Kintyre are by no means confined to wooded
areas, and in some districts, eg: near the Mull, can be seen
grazing out on the open moors.
Roe are sometimes seen swimming out at sea, and have occas-
ionally been caught this way, but all these instances seem to us
to have arisen from attempts to evade capture, and not from a
natural migrating urge. At any rate, there is no evidence that
Roe Deer ever occurred naturally on any of the Kintyre islands,
although some were introduced to Sanda for a few years during the
first quarter of the 19th century (Campbell, 1885).
CELTIC SHORTHORN Bos long-ifrons Owen, l8L8
In the course of building excavations at Dal aruan, Campbel-
town, in summer 1951, some bones were found at a depth of four
feet. These bones were examined by Father James Webb and Mr.G.
B. Lewis, Veterinary Surgeon, and were finally forwarded to the
Royal Dick Veterinary College, Edinburgh, where the identification
was confirmed that the bones were those of the Celtic Shorthorn,
the prehistoric ancestor of some of our present domestic cattle.
Although remains of the Celtic Shorthorn have often been found
on the east side of the Clyde and on the islands, to the best of
our knowledge they have not previously been found on the west.
A fully documented report of this discovery, with drawings and
photographs, has been placed in the library of the Kintyre Anti-
quarian and Natural History Society (No. 307).
WILD GOAT Capra hirous Linnaeus, 1758
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries Goats were
imported in large numbers from Ireland to Scotland by way of
Kintyre, and even towards the end of last century it was not
uncommon to see Irish goat-herds driving their Goats north
through the peninsula. Goats escape and go wild very easily,
and the several herds of Wild Goats in Kintyre almost certainly
derive some of their origins from these early importations. In
Kintyre herds of Goats are known to have existed at seven sites,
and a detailed survey of all herds in the Clyde area, past and
present, has recently been published (Gibson, 1972) to which
interested readers are referred. We do not propose to repeat the
full details here, but a brief summary is given below.
Mull of Kintyre: Herd known for over a century. The Goats
range widely over some ten miles of coastline from Ballygroggan
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The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
south of Machrihanish to Borgadelmore Point near the Mull. They
habitually inhabit the sloping ground near the cliff tops, are
seldom found more than a mile inland from the edge, and are often
seen in the neighbourhood of the lighthouse. Size of herd very
variable, depending on shooting, but at present just under a
hundred beasts. All multi-coloured; formerly a few pure black
Goats present.
Largiebaan: Goats have apparently inhabited the Largie-
baan caves for centuries. All multi-coloured at present, and
size of herd around twenty beasts.
Sanda: Goats were introduced to Sanda some time during the
first quarter of the 19th century, but were removed or shot out
around 1825 (Gibson, 1973) .
Learside: A small herd of about a dozen Goats existed here
during the 1920s and 1930s, but was shot out during the early
1940s. All Goats were multi-coloured.
Davaar: Goats were introduced to Davaar some time before
the middle of the 19th century. They have been shot out, or
nearly so, from time to time, and fresh stock introduced. Present
size of herd about twenty animals. All multi-coloured, but
some white ones were present during 1920s.
Knock: Around the turn of the century, a small flock of
about half-a-dozen Goats used to frequent the steep hillsides
overlooking Knockruan Loch, north-east of Campbeltown. Herd
apparently ceased to exist just before first world war.
Carradale: On Carradale Point there is a herd of some
thirty pure-white Goats, apparently descended from Saanen stock.
Present for at least a century. Population remains remarkably
stable at around thirty beasts, and the herd has bred true for
at least the past thirty-five years, and presumably for much
longer.
It is interesting to note that in Kintyre farm leases granted
by the Duke of Argyll during the 18th and 19th centuries there
was usually a general prohibition on keeping a Goat, under a
penalty of ten shilling per annum for every Goat kept.
Order PERISSODACTYLA
HORSE Equus oahatlus Linnaeus, 1758
In the course of the 1951 excavations (detailed under Celtic
Shorthorn), the tooth of a primitive horse was found. This was
reported by the Royal Dick Veterinary College as belonging to
probably the earliest breed of horses ever to be found in Britain
(See Library Report No. 307) .
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
21
Order LAGOMORPHA
BROWN HARE Lepus oapensis Linnaeus, 1758
The Brown Hare is apparently indigenous to Kintyre, and
occurs widely throughout the entire peninsula. After myxomatosis
and the fall in the Rabbit population it underwent the usual
increase; in the mid-1950s one could easily count between thirty
and forty Hares in a single field, and this great increase was
reflected in the records of shooting bags, but the numbers soon
became stabilized. There are no Hares on the Sanda island group,
but an occasional Hare has been shot on Davaar, which was pre-
sumably reached by crossing the Dhorlin at low water.
Several hybrids with the Mountain Hare have been recorded
from Kintyre, and at least one of these is in the Natural History
Museum in London (Field, 11th May 1946) .
In January 1907 a specimen of the Brown Hare was shot at
Carradale, in which the head exhibited some areas of winter
whitening (Field, 2nd February 1907, p.l83). This specimen is
also preserved in the British Museum (Natural History) .
MOUNTAIN HARE Lepus timidus Linnaeus, 1758
The Mountain Hare used to be very common in all suitable
localities throughout the Kintyre peninsula. In some places the
population was exceptionally high, and over 200 have been shot
on the Mull by a shooting party in a single day. Until just
over ten years ago Mountain Hares were still fairly common, but
within the past few years there has been a remarkable decrease
in numbers, so that in some areas the Mountain Hare is now vir-
tually extinct; fluctuations in Mountain Hare populations are
not new, however, and presumably they will slowly increase again.
Over a century ago there were no Mountain Hares at all in
Kintyre. They apparently entered the peninsula by the slow
process of colonisation from the north, and presumably the re-
moval of their natural enemies, following the appointment of
gamekeepers in 1842, accelerated this progress.
In Kintyre the territory of the Brown Hare and the Mountain
Hare inter-mingles and hare shoots commonly have both Brown
and Mountain Hares listed in their bags for low-lying areas.
Indeed, on the low ground at the Laggan near Machrihanish, and
further north at Rhunahaorine, Mountain Hares can fairly often
be seen nearly at sea-level. Several Hybrids between Mountain
and Brown Hares have been recorded (see above) .
We have heard it said that some Irish Hares L. t. h-ibemious
were introduced to Kintyre at the beginning of this century, and
22
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
we would be very glad to receive any definite information. The
Irish Hare does not always turn white in winter, so if the story
of introduction is correct, this might explain why specimens of
Kintyre Mountain Hares are sometimes seen without their white
winter coats.
RABBIT Oryctolagus aun'Cautus (Linnaeus, 1758)
A detailed history of the Rabbit in Kintyre has recently
been published (Colville and Gibson, 1974) to which interested
readers are referred. We do not propose to repeat the full
details here, but give below a summary of the main points.
The present population of Rabbits in Kintyre undoubtedly
stems from their introduction to Macharioch in the 1840s. It
seems to be generally agreed that there were no Rabbits on the
Kintyre mainland before that date. Further local introductions
followed, and the Rabbits quickly spread and soon became abundant
throughout the entire peninsula. The Rabbit warren at Machri-
hanish was simply gigantic and must have been one of the largest
in the country.
This was the position up to the time of myxomatosis, which
reached Kintyre in 1954. Large numbers of Rabbits died, and
Mr. Colville reckoned that some 10,000 Rabbits must have died
in the Machrihanish warren during the early stages of the out-
break. Although now vastly reduced in numbers the Rabbit still
occurs widely throughout Kintyre, and periodic small localised
outbreaks of myxomatosis help to keep the population in check.
There used to be some Rabbits on Davaar, but we know of
none since myxomatosis. The Rabbits on Sanda were exterminated
over fifty years ago. There are still some Rabbits on Sheep
Island, but their numbers seem to be markedly decreasing.
There is also an ancient reference to the Rabbit in Kintyre
in 1669 which is difficult to explain. Possibly there was an
attempted introduction which did not succeed. Rabbits have been
well known on Sheep Island, however, since at least the end of
the 16tli century and possibly much earlier {Macfarlane’ s Geo-
graphical Collections^ Vol. 2: 187).
Order RODENTIA
RED SQUIRREL Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758
A hundred years ago there were no Red Squirrels in Kintyre,
and the present population is presumably descended from Squirrels
released at Minard, Loch Fyne, in 1847 and which rapidly spread
throughout the adjacent country (Harvie- Brown, 1881; Ritchie,
1920) . Red Squirrels are now fairly common in the northern
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
23
part of the peninsula, and are steadily increasing in numbers
in the Forestry Commission’s new conifer plantations. They are
occasionally seen further south in Kintyre, but the distribution
of the Red Squirrel is largely confined to the wooded areas, as
one would expect. There are no Grey Squirrels Saiurus aarolin-
ensis in Kintyre.
WOOD MOUSE Apodemus sylvat-icus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The Wood Mouse or Long-tailed Field Mouse is very common
throughout Kintyre. It is found all over the countryside, apart
from the highest hills, and frequently invades houses, particu-
larly in winter, so it should not be assumed that mice found in
houses are House Mice; a very large proportion of the house-
trapped specimens which we have examined have been Wood Mice.
There are no Wood Mice on the Kintyre islands.
BLACK RAT Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Formerly occurred throughout Kintyre , but now long extinct.
Dark specimens of the Brown Rat, and sometimes the black variety
of the Water Vole, are at times mistakenly reported as Black
Rats, but we know of no true record of a Black Rat in Kintyre
during the past hundred years.
BROWN RAT Rattus norvegious (Berkenhout, 17^9)
Although not mentioned in the New Statistical Account
(1845) the Brown Rat was fairly well known in Kintyre after the
middle of the 19th century, and presumably had its advance assis-
ted by accidental introductions at the ports. Nowadays it is
very common and widely distributed throughout the peninsula,
particularly near habitation and around the harbours. Brown
Rats are also commonly found far away from man, however, and
many seem to lead a permanent existence around the shores, on
the moors, and along rivers and at hill-lochs, where, being
excellent swimmers, they are often mistaken for Water Voles.
When fishing at a hill-loch Mr. Colville once hooked a Brown
Rat through the paw with his fishing fly.
There are some Brown Rats on Davaar, and they used to occur
on Sanda, Sheep Island and Glunimore, from where there were
published records until the early 1900s (Paterson, 1901) . The
Brown Rat, however, now seems to be extinct on Sanda and Gluni-
more; there are still some present on Sheep Island.
HOUSE MOUSE Mus musaulus Linnaeus, 1758
Common and widely distributed throughout the peninsula,
particularly near habitation, but also found widely away from
man. The mouse of the farm-yard and the corn ricks may very
24
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
often be the House Mouse, and certainly in Kintyre the name
'House Mouse' can be something of a misnomer. Some House Mice
were accidentally introduced to Sanda in the mid-1940s and got
well established near the Lighthouse, but have now been trapped
out of existence {Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 17: 50).
BANK VOLE CtetTw'ionomys gtareolus (Schreber, 1780)
Fairly common and widely distributed in all suitable hab-
itats throughout Kintyre; we have trapped many specimens. The
Bank Vole is not always distinguished from the Field Vole, even
by otherwise knowledgeable countrymen, which may lead to occas-
ional reports of its apparent scarcity. It is worth drawing
attention to the work done by Godfrey on Kintyre Bank Voles {Proc.
Roy. Rhys. Soc. Ed., 27: 47-55; 1958).
WATER VOLE Arviaola terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758)
This large dark vole is widely distributed throughout Kintyre,
and although local is certainly not uncommon. It is commonest
along the streams and near the hill -lochs, but is also found at
many places around the shore. It is frequently confused with
the Brown Rat by casual observers, and references to so-called
'water rats' shouldoften be referred to Water Voles. Melanistic
forms are particularly common in Kintyre and these black Water
Voles presumably belong to the highland race A. t. reta^ al-
though we have not been able to examine any comparative material .
FIELD VOLE Miorotus agvestis (Linnaeus, 1761)
The Field Vole or Short-tailed Vole is extremely common and
widely distributed throughout Kintyre, and nowadays apparently
forms a large part of the staple diet of Kintyre Buzzards, Kes-
trels, Short-eared Owls, and Foxes. Field Voles occasionally
occur in 'plague' form, but history shows that Kintyre has been
less affected by vole plagues than neighbouring parts of the
country. We have no records of voles from any of the Kintyre
islands, and a report that a 'field vole' was caught some years
ago on Sanda Island appears to have been an error (see Trans.
Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 17: 50).
References :
A.K. (1897). Red Deer swimming from Arran to Kintyre. Argyll-
shire Herald, 4th December 1897.
ALSTON, E.R. (1880). The Fauna of Scotland: Mammalia. Glasgow.
ANON. (1868). White Mole near Campbeltown. Argyllshire Herald,
15th February 1868.
ANON. . (1873) . Daring capture of a Seal. Argyllshire Herald,
26th July 1873.
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
25
ANON. (1874). A Fallow Deer shot in South Kintyre. Argyllshire
Herald f 21st November 1874.
ANON. (1882) . An unusual visitor; Hedgehog at Campbeltown.
Campbeltown Courier f 24th June 1882.
ANON. (1897) . Three Roe Deer taken from Bute to Skipness,
Kintyre. Campbeltown Courier ^ 27th February 1897.
ANON. (1900). A migrating stag; swimming from Arran to Kintyre.
Argyllshire Herald^ 30th June 1900.
ANON. (1904) . Capture of Hedgehog near Campbeltown. Campbel-
town Courier f 2nd July 1904.
ANON, (1926-27). Wild Cats trapped at Tarbet and Rowardennan,
Loch Lomond. Oban Times, 20th March 1926 and 23rd February
1927.
ANON. (1933) . Grey Seal at Campbeltown quay. Campbeltown
Courier, 24th June 1933.
ANON. (1949). Weasel and Rat in same trap. Campbeltown Courier,
15th January 1949.
ANON. (1951) . A Seal comes to town. Campbeltown Courier, 1st
November 1951.
ANON. (1952). Albino Hedgehog in Kintyre. Campbeltown Courier,
14th August 1952.
ARMSTRONG, J. , YOUNG, J. and ROBERTSON, D. (1876). Catalogue
of the Western Scottish Fossils. British Association:
Glasgow.
A.S. (1951). Kintyre Deer and Goats . Scotsman, 3rd November 1951.
BEDE, C. (1861) . Glencreggan or A Highland Home in Cantire.
London.
BOLAM, G. (1913) . The Hedgehog in the Highlands. Zoologist,
1913: 75, 155.
BORLAND, J.F. and WALLS, F.D.E. (1951). Notes on the birds of
Sanda Island. Scot. Nat., 1951: 178-182.
CAMERON, A. (1894). Reliquiae Celticae. Vol. 2. Inverness.
CAMPBELL, Lord Archibald. (1885). Records of Argyll . Edinburgh.
CAMPBELL, J.W.P. (1896). Pine Marten in Argyleshire . Ann. Scot.
Nat. Hist., 1896: 250.
COLVILLE, D. (1927). A survey of the Place-Names of the Parish
and Burgh of Campbeltown. Kintyre Antiquarian Society:
Campbeltown.
COLVILLE, D. (1944) . Grey Seal breeding in Argyll. Field,
8th July 1944.
COLVILLE, D. (1954). Notes on the Natural History of the Parish
of Campbeltown. Campbeltown.
COLVILLE, D. (1973). Increased Fox bounties in Kintyre . Western
Nat., 2: 108.
COLVILLE, D. and GIBSON, J.A. (1972) . The return of the Fox to
Kintyre. Western Nat., 1: 111-113.
COLVILLE, D. and GIBSON, J.A. (1974). The Rabbit in Kintyre.
Western Nat., 3: 87-91.
26
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
ELLERMAN, J.R. and MORRISON-SCOTT, T.C.S. (1951). Checklist
of Palaearc tic and Indian Mammals. (Second edition, 1966).
British Museum (Nat. Hist.): London.
FLETCHER, J.M. (1956). A white Otter. Scot. Nat., 1956: 59.
GIBSON, J.A. (1950). The Wild Cat in Clyde Argyll. Trans.
Paisley Nat. Soc., 5: 86.
GIBSON, J.A. (1950). The distribution of the Badger in the Clyde
area. Trans. Paisley Nat. Soc., 5: 87-89.
GIBSON, J.A. (1954). The Mammals of the Clyde Faunal Area.
Paisley.
GIBSON, J.A. (1957). Myxomatosis on the Clyde islands. Trans.
Paisley Nat. Soc., 6: 49-50.
GIBSON, J.A. (1969) . Small mammals on the small Clyde islands.
Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 17: 11-78.
GIBSON, J.A. (1970) . The mammals of Sanda, Sheep Island and
Glunimore. Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 18: 48-50.
GIBSON, J.A. (1972). The Wild Goats of the Clyde area. Western
Nat., 1: 6-25.
GIBSON, J.A. (1973). Common Shrew on Island of Sanda, Kintyre.
Western Nat., 2: 107.
GIBSON, J.A. (1973) . Goats on the Island of Sanda, Kintyre.
Western Nat., 2: 109-110.
GIBSON, J.A. (In press). The marine mammals of the Clyde Area.
Western Nat. , in press.
GIBSON, J.A. and COLVILLE, D. (1972) . The Natural History of
Kintyre: Land and Marine Mammals. Preliminary papers.
Kintyre Antiquarian and Natural History Society: Campbeltown.
GODFREY, J. (1958). The origin of sexual isolation between Bank
Voles. Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Ed., 27: 47-55.
GRAY, A. (1894) . Notice of the discovery of a cinerary urn of
the bronze age atDalaruan. Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot.,
IV (3rd series): 263-274. (Grey Seal tooth, p. 211-272) .
HALL, C.A. (1912). Hedgehog in Argyll. Scot. Nat., 1912: 235.
HARDY, J. (1862,1870). History of the Wolf in Scotland. Hist.
Berwickshire Nat. Club., 4: 268-292; 6: 129-130.
HARVIE-BROWN, J.A. (1881). The History of the Squirrel in Great
Britain. Edinburgh. Reprinted from Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc.
Ed., 5: 343-348; 6: 31-36, 115-182.
HARVIE-BROWN, J.A. (1910). Wild Cat in Argyll . Ann. Scot. Nat.
Hist., 1910: 245.
HARVIE-BROWN, J.A. (1912). Hedgehog in Argyll. Scot.- Nat.,
1912: 209.
HARVIE-BROWN, J.A. (1913). The Hedgehog in the West of Scotland.
Zoologist, 1913: 105-107.
HARVIE-BROWN, J.A. and BUCKLEY, T.E. (1892). A Vertebrate Fauna
of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides . Edinburgh.
MACINTYRE, D. (1924). Colour changes in Stoat and Arctic Hare.
Field, 10th April 1924.
1975
The Mammals of Kintyre
27
MACINTYRE, D. (1926) . The Seal in Scottish waters.
Journal, June 1926: 359-362.
Chamber ' s
MACINTYRE, D. (1927)
Gun, June 1927.
MACINTYRE, D. (1928)
2nd June 1928.
MACINTYRE, D. (1936)
MACINTYRE, D. (1945)
Kintyre .
Courier ,
MACINTYRE, D.
The Otter in Scottish waters. Game and
Black Water Voles in Kintyre . Scotsman,
Wildlife in the Highlands. London.
Wandering Otters; overland routes in
Also see Campbeltown
Scotsman, 8th December 1945.
5th January 1946.
(1948). Chronicles of vermin and game in Argyll.
Oban Times, 24th June 1948.
MACINTYRE, D. (1952) . The Marten in Argyll. Oban Times, 12th
July 1952. Also see Scotsman, 22nd September 1951.
MID-ARGYLL FOX HUNTING ASSOCIATION.
Quoted in Oban Times, 27th May 1950.
MID-ARGYLL FOX HUNTING ASSOCIATION. (1952)
Quoted in Oban Times, 17th May 1952.
MITCHELL, Sir Arthur. (1907). Geographical Collections Relating
to Scotland made by Walter Macfarlane. Vol. 2. Scottish
History Society: Edinburgh.
NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. (1845). Volume 7: Renfrew-
(1950). Annual Report, 1949.
Annual Report, 1951.
Argyll. Edinburgh.
N.M. (1931) . Seal in a town. Weekly Scotsman, 17th January
1931.
N.M. (1937). Unusual risers to the fly. Scotsman, 5th June
1937.
(OLD) STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. (1791-97). Vol\jmes 1-21.
Edinburgh.
PATERSON, J. (1901) . Notes on a cruise in Clyde waters in
June 1900. Trans. Proc . Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasg., 6 (NS):
154-158.
PATERSON, J. and RENWICK, J. (1898) . Report of a visit to Sanda
and Glunimore. Trans. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasg., 5(NS):
197-204.
RITCHIE, J. (1920) . The Influence of Man on Animal Life in
Scotland. Cambridge.
RITCHIE, J. (1929). The fauna of Scotland during the Ice Age.
Proc. Roy. Phys . Soc. Ed., 21: 185-194.
R.L. (1907). Winter whitening in a Brown Hare. Field, 2nd
February 1907.
SMITH, W.A. (1888) . The advance of the Mole. Campbeltown
Courier, 28th February 1888.
STUART, J.S. and STUART, C.E. (1848). Lays of the Deer Forest.
Vol. 2. Edinburgh.
WATSON, W.J. (1926) . The History of the Celtic Place-Names of
Scotland. Edinburgh.
WATT, H.B. (1902) . The seals, whales and dolphins of the Clyde
28
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
sea area. Trans. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc . Glasg . , 6(NS):
191-198.
WATT, H.B. (1905). The land mammals of the Clyde faunal area.
Trans. Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasg., 7 (NS): 170-189.
WHITEHEAD, G.K. (1953). Wild Deer in Scotland. Field, 201:
83 (Fallow) , 158 (Roe) , 239 (Sika) , 324 (Red) .
WHITEHEAD, G.K. (1964). The Deer of Great Britain and Ireland.
London .
Dr. J.A. Gibson, Foremount House, KILBARCHAN , Renfrewshire .
Mr. Duncan Colville , Kilgour , MACHRIHANISH , by Campbeltown.
1975
Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum
29
THE BREEDING BIRD COmUNITY OF FARIILAND ON RHUM,
INNER HEBRIDES
By KENNETH WILLIAMSON
British Trust for Ornithology
KINLOCH FARM at the head of Loch Scresort is the only cul-
tivated portion of the 26,400 acres (107 km2) of Rhum, the
largest of the islands comprising the parish of the Small Isles,
Inverness-shire. During the last week of May and first week
of June in 1974 a British Trust for Ornithology team stayed on
the island and repeated a breeding bird census made there in
1968 and 1969. The farm is probably not untypical of many won
from moorland in western Scotland, and a discussion of its
breeding birds may be of some interest.
The area covered by the census, approximately 80 acres
(32 ha.) lies between the Kinloch River and the drystone boundary
wall at the foot of the northside hill of Mulloch Mor. The
eastern section, nearest the head of Loch Scresort, is mainly
’improved’ land with ploughed fields and re-seeded grassland,
and pasture for a small herd of dairy cattle. The western
section is rough moorland grazing, frequented by a herd of Rhum
ponies. (There are no sheep on the island). This section is
dominated by purple moor-grass and bent-grasses, with rushes in
the wetter patches. A small part of it, perhaps two acres of a
raised heathery knoll, has some small conifers planted among
gorse and broom. The two sections of the farm are separated by
a shelterbelt planted in 1960 and now well grown, the trees
being Scots pine and Norway spruce up to 4m. high, with gorse
and broom on the western margin, and a stream running through
the belt from north to south. There is also a young conifer
plantation west of the farm steading. Between this and the
river mouth, continuing along part of the north shore of the
loch, is a belt of mature trees dominated by Scots pines in the
west, and by broadleaved trees in the east. These trees are
mainly ash, sycamore and beech, underplanted with alder, hawthorn
and willow, though birch and alder, with aspen, are dominant
on damp soil towards the eastern end. This belt is very close
to, and is undoubtedly influenced by, the mature woodland of
the Kinloch Castle ’policies’ immediately across the river. The
farm has one beech and hawthorn hedgerow, with bramble, bounding
the ploughed and re-seeded area.
Nine census visits were made in 1968 and 1969, and 12 in
1974, at almost daily intervals. The same species total, 26,
30
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
was found in 1974 as in 1968 (there was one fewer in 1969) . In
1974 the density for all species combined was 120 pairs per 100
acres, or approximately 300 pairs per km^^ which is close to the
average figure for the three census years. Whitethroat Sylvia
aommunis , Goldcrest Regulus regulus and Grey Wagtail Motacilla
cinevea^ present in 1968, were absent in 1969, when Woodpigeon
Columba -palimbus and Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata were
additional species. No fewer than six species were missing in
1974 as compared with 1968-1969; but Oystercatcher Haematopus
ostralegus (nesting on a ploughed field) , Hooded Crow Corvus
corone oornix (nesting in a Scots pine) , Blue Tit Parus caeruleus
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos oaudatus and Reed Bunting Emberiza
schoeniclus were new. (Neither Blue Tit nor Reed Bunting were
found on the island in 1968-69, but the others were present in
habitats other than the farmland). Details of the censuses are
shown in Table 1. In presenting a pie diagram of the breeding-
bird community, the figures for the three years have been com-
bined (Figure 1) .
Table I (a) KINLOCH FARM BIRD COMMUNITY
1968
1969
1974
Total species
26
25
26
Total pairs
103
90
96
Density, pairs 100 a.
129
113
120
Density, pairs km^
320
280
298
The most noteworthy difference in strength between the two
earlier years 1968 and 1969, concerns migratory species: in
addition to the chats, warblers and other summer visitors to
Britain, this category includes both Skylark Alauda arvensis and
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis; note in Evans and Flower (1967),
"winter flock at Kinloch 30-50, in 1960 only", suggests that the
Skylark is scarce outside the breeding season) . Whereas Meadow
Pipits and Skylarks were equal in strength in 1969, the former
was more than twice as common in 1968, and four times as common
in 1974. That fluctuations in the numbers of both species occur
seems clear from the literature. Bourne (1957) made no mention
of the Skylark, which Evans and Flower considered to be "a wide-
spread but rather scarce breeder". The Meadow Pipit shows no
1975 Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum 31
R HUM
Kinloch Farm Bird Community
Based on census results in 1968, 1969 & 1974
Fig. 1
32
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
apparent preference for improved as compared with unimproved
land and its territories are fairly evenly dispersed over the
whole farm.
Corncrakes Oer were fewer in 1969 than in 1968 and had
almost disappeared by 1974 . The farmland was presumably saturated
in the first year since a bird occurred in a young tree-plot
farther to the west in Kinloch Glen and another 'sang' regularly
in the long grass of an overgrown lawn in front of the castle -
as also happened in 1934 when six birds were said to have been
'craking' in the Kinloch area (Bourne 1957). The Corncrakes,
even more noticeably than the Skylarks, were concentrated in the
re-seeded fields and adjoining rushy patches.
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthey Whinchat Saxioola ruhetra and
Whitethroat were less in evidence in 1969 than in the previous
year; all may have suffered from the drought conditions which
occurred in 1968-69 in their wintering area, the Sahel Zone of
West Africa (Winstanley, Spencer and Williamson 1974) . So far
as the chats are concerned, however, the situation may be mis-
leading since they have fairly large territories and the same
boundaries do not necessarily persist from year to year. A
slight shift of ground could result in the focus of territorial
activity lying outside the census plot; thus, although there were
no Wheatears on the farm in 1974, there were pairs on the Mulloch
Mor moorland nearby. Whinchats (two pairs in 1968 and one in
1969) had territories based on the shelterbelt, while a third
pair in the first year occupied the planted corner in the north-
west part of the farm. Doubtless the gorse and broom protecting
the small conifers, which were then less than a metre tall, made
these areas attractive, providing nesting cover, shelter for
the broods, and (together with the walls and wire fences) pro-
minent song-posts. By 1974 the growth of the trees may have
rendered this habitat less suitable.
Between 1969 and 1974 there was considerable growth in the
Robin Ev'ithaous rubeouta population in the Kinloch Castle 'pol-
icies' and this was reflected in an increase on the farm. The
increase in Willow Warblers Fhyltosoopus tvoohiZus and Wrens
Troglodytes troglodytes is mainly attributable to the development
of the young trees in the shelterbelt. More species and pairs
were evident in the belt of mature trees and scrub along the
shore than in 1969, and all are species which were doing well in
the castle woodland.
The relative dominance of 'field' and 'forest' species
changed markedly in the five years separating the 1969 and 1974
censuses {Table 2). In 1969 the 'field' species accounted for
one half, but in 1974 only one third, of the total. 'Forest'
species increased from 27% of the community in 1968-69 to 43%
1975
Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum
33
34
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
1975
Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum
35
36
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
1975 Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum 37
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NOTE: Columhidae^ Hirundinidae and Plooeidae are excluded from this table.
38
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
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1975
Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum
39
in 1974. These changes were doubtless due to the growth of the
shelterbelt and the small plantation supplementing the riverside
belt of trees and shrubs. The number of pairs dependent on
woody cover is broken down into the three available habitats in
Table 3; it will be seen that the mature trees and scrub, and
in particular the shelterbelt, had made substantial gains.
With a total density of approximately 300 pairs per Icm^,
Kinloch Farm compares more than favourably with other Scottish
farms for which the Common Birds Census carried out by the BTO
has produced data: e.g. East Ross 143 pairs km^^ Midlothian 123
and 111 pairs km^; Renfrewshire 238 pairs km^. The most valid
comparison one can make is probably with the Tagan and Anancaun
farmland (embracing rough grazing, rhacomitrium heath, alders
and gorse) which a BTO expedition to Wester Ross examined super-
ficially in 1968. As only three full visits were made, the
census results cannot be used to derive density figures, but a
reasonably good picture of species dominance can be drawn (^Figure
2). Both areas were dominated by the ground-nesting passerines.
Meadow Pipit and Skylark, with Chaffinch FringiZla coelebs and
Willow Warbler fairly common. The common species of ornamental
gardens. Blackbird Turdus merula^ Robin and Song Thrush Tirrdus
phitometos, are much more in evidence on Rhum, due to the pro-
ximity of the Castle 'policies'.
Golden Eagle Aquila ohrysaetoSj, Kestrel Faloo tinnunoulus
and Heron Avdea cinevea were seen occasionally. Woodpigeons
and Mistle Thrushes Turdus visoivorus visited the fields from
the castle grounds, while Herring and Common Gulls Larus argen-
tatus and L. oanus came in from the shore . A flock of non-breeding
Golden Plovers Pluviatis apri-oarda (once ten birds) was present
on most days.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My grateful thanks are due to Peter Wormell , George McNaugh-
ton, Peter Corkhill, Kathie Simpson and others of the NCC staff
on Rhum, and to the following members of the B.T.O. who took
part in the fieldwork: Ben and Anne Bailey, Leo Batten, Jack
Cook, Susan Cowdy, Marion Dadds, Bill Ditch, T.W. Edwards, Ron
and Joan Hickling, Tom Hiscock, P.J. Hoy, Kitty MacDuff-Duncan,
Jill Poloniecka, Hester Rodgers, Dr. Geoffrey Spray, Dr. Ralph
and Frieda Stanford, Richard Tomlin, Maire Tugendhat, Wallace
Wild, Pip and Eve Willson. I am grateful to John McMeeking for
useful criticism of the MS; also to Miss R. Stobie for assist-
ance with the diagrams.
40
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
ANANCAUN/TAGAN FARM
Breeding Bird Community - 1968
Fig. 2
1975
Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum
41
REFERENCES
BOURNE, W.R.P. (1957). The birds of the Island of Rhum. Scot.
Nat., 69: 21-31.
EVANS, P.R. and FLOWER, W.H. (1957). The birds of the Small
Isles. Scot. Birds, 4: 404-445.
WILLIAMSON, K. (1971) . The birds of Rhxom in relation to a re-
afforestation programme. Scot. Birds, 6: 296-313.
WILLIAMSON, K. (1975). Bird colonisation of new plantations on
the moorland of Rhum, Inner Hebrides. Q.J. Forestry , 69:
157-168.
WINSTANLEY, D. , SPENCER, R. and WILLIAMSON, K. (1974). Where
have all the Whitethroats gone? Bird Study, 21: 1-14.
Mr
Kenneth Williamson, B.T.O., Beech Grove, Tring
Hertfordshire, HP23 SNR.
42
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
INTERTIDAL ALGAE OF SOME ESTUARIES IN GALLOWAY
By MARTIN WILKINSON
Department of Biology, Paisley College of Technology
Introduction:
This paper has two purposes. Firstly, although Perkins
(1968,1969, 1971) has given a fulsome account of the distributions
of intertidal organisms, particularly animals, on the Solway
coast, and Burrows (1960) has published a more detailed pre-
liminary account of the intertidal algae of Galloway, there are
relatively few data on the species of algae in the many sub-
estuaries of the Solway system. This work aims to partly fill
that gap by presenting preliminary lists of intertidal algae
for three such estuaries. Secondly, the distribution pattern
of algae along the estuaries is compared with those patterns
reported by the author for the estuaries of the Rivers Clyde
(Wilkinson 1973b), Wear (Wilkinson 1973a) and Add (Wilkinson and
Roberts 1974) as part of a survey of the range of algal dis-
tribution patterns in estuaries.
The Sampling Sites
Samples of intertidal benthic algae were collected from
a number of sites along the tidal lengths of the River Dee and
its tributary the Tarff Water, in March 1974, the Water of
Fleet, also in March 1974, and the Urr Water in August 1974.
The positions of the sites are shown in Fig.l and given as grid
references in Table 1.
The Algae
The distribution of benthic algal species found along the
three estuaries is shown in Table 2. The overall distribution
pattern with increasing distance upstream and lowered average
salinity is that already reported by Wilkinson (1973a) as being
the usual pattern i.e. decreasing species number due to sel-
ective attenuation of the ranges of red algae at first, followed
by brown algae, with green algae penetrating right upstream, and
a brackish water component represented by Vauoheria spp.. , Fuous
cerano-ides and Monostroma oxys'permum.
The more interesting feature of these three Solway est-
uaries is the absence of a two zone shore with the lower half
dominated by Melosira numnuiloides (Dillw.) C.Ag., a filamentous
diatom, as reported by Wilkinson for the polluted estuaries of
the Clyde (1973b) and Wear (1973a). Also the upper reaches were
1975
Intertidal Algae of some Estuaries in Galloway
43
not characterised by conspicuous gelatinous colonies of blue-
green algae as reported by Wilkinson and Roberts (1974) for the
River Add in Argyllshire and the Rivers Ord and Brittle in Skye.
The three Solway estuaries considered here would appear, on the
basis of the present preliminary data, to represent a third
category of estuary in which the upper reaches are characterised
almost wholly by green algae and Vaucheria spp. Such estuaries
have also been found by the author in Northumberland in the
Rivers Twee, Ain, Coquet and Wansbeck for which detailed species
distributions have not yet been published.
This possibility, that within the overall distribution
pattern of algae in estuaries at least three different floristic
types may exist, requires confirmation by more detailed examin-
ation of the estuaries named above and of others. Such work is
in progress.
Table 1:
Site Name
Site No.
Type of Shore
Grid Ref.
River Dee/Tarff
Brighouse Bay
1
R
NX635450
Shoulder Craig
2
RM
NX663490
near Kirkchrist
3
R
NX675513
Kirkcudbright
4
BM
NX686516
-
5
BMW
NX686537
Low Bridge of Tarff
6
MP
NX685541
Glenald
7
V
NX686542
Water of Fleet
Mossy ard Bay
1
RS
NX552518
Skyreburn Bay
2
RBM
NX575545
Cardoness Castle
3
BM
NX592553
Alder Pool
4
R
NX595559
Fleet Bridge
5
V
NX598562
Urr Water
Kippford
1
RMBW
NX837550
Palnackie
2
RBM
NX822569
near The Port
3
M
NX832603
Buittle Bridge
4
V
NX823606
Key to shore types: R - Rocky. M - Muddy. S - Sandy. B -
Boulders or stones. P - Stonework of bridge. W - Wooden
pilings. V - Low vertical muddy bank with little tidal range .
44
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Figure I
Sketch map to show positions of sampling sites
1975
Intertidal Algae of some Estuaries in Galloway
45
Table 2: Full systematic list of algal species found at each
sampling site. (Presence indicated by X)
ESTUARY: DEE/TARFF FLEET URR
SITE NO:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
CHLOROPHYCEA
Blidingia marginata
(J.Ag.) P. Dang.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B. minima (Kutz.) Kyi in
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Chaetomoirpha linum
(O.F. Mull.) Kutz.
X
Cladophora glomerata
(L.) Kutz.
X
C. rupestris (L.) Kutz.
X
X
X
C. serieea (Huds.) Kutz.
X
X
"^Codio lum-phases
X
X
EnteromorpJta intestinatis
(L.) Link
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
E. pro lifera (O.F. Mull.)
J. Ag.
X
Entocladia perforans
(Huber) Levr .
X
X
X
■hEpioladia flustrae
Reinke
X
+Eugomontia saooulata
Kornm.
X
Monostroma oxyspermum
(Kutz.) Doty
X
X
X
X
46
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
ESTUARY:
DEE/TARFF
FLEET
URR
SITE NO:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
Pseudendootonium mar'Cnum
(Reinke) Aleem et Schulz)
X
X
X
X
Oedogonium sp.
X
Rh-izootonium 'impterum
(Dillw.) Kutz.
X
R. viparium (Roth) Harv.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
+Tellamia intrioata
Batters
X
X
Ulothrix flaooa
(Dillw.) Thur.
X
X
X
X
X
U. pseudo flaoea Wille
X
X
X
X
X
X
U. subflaaeida Wille
X
X
X
X
Ulva lactuaa L,
X
X
X
X
Prasiola stipitata Suhr
X
PHAEOPHYCEAE
Ascophyllum nodosum
(L.) Le Jol.
X
X
X
X
X
Ctadostephus spongiosus
(Huds.) C. Ag.
X
X
Dictyota diohotoma
(Huds.) L amour.
X
X
Eotoearpus sp.
X
1975
Intertidal Algae of some Estuaries in Galloway
47
ESTUARY: DEE/TARFF FLEET URR
SITE NO:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
Elachista fuaiaola
(Veil.) Aresch.
X
E. scutulata (Sm.)
Aresch.
X
Fuaus oeranoides L.
X
X
X
X
X
F. serratus L.
X
X
F. spiralis L.
X
X
X
X
X
X
F. vesioulosus L.
X
X
X
X
X
Halidrys siliquosa
(L.) Lyngb.
X
Pelvetia oanalioulata
(L.) Dene, et Thur.
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pilayella littovalis
(L.) Kjellm.
X
X
X
X
Sphaoelaria radicans
(Dillw.) C. kg.
X
Sphaoelaria sp.
X
RHODOPHYCEAE
Ahnfeltia plioata
(Huds.) Fries
X
X
Bangia fusoopurpurea
(Dillw.) Lyngb.
X
Callithamnion aorymbosum
(Sm. Lyngb.
X
48
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
ESTUARY: DEE/TARFF FLEET URR
SITE NO:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
Catenella repens
(Lightf.) Batt.
X
X
X
Ceram-ium shuttleworthtanwn
(Kutz.) Silva
X
C. arboresaens J. Ag.
X
C. de s long champs i i
Chauv .
X
C, rubrvm (Huds.) C. Ag.
X
Chondrus ordspus Stackh.
X
X
X
Corallina offdoinalds L.
X
Dumontda incrassata
(O.F. Mull) Lamour.
X
Furoellarda fastigiata
( L . ) Lamour .
X
Gigart-ina s tel lata
(Stackh.) Batt.
X
X
Hildenbrandda prototypus
Nardo
X
X
X
X
X
Laitrencda hybrdda (DC.)
Duby
X
L. pdnnatdfdda (Huds . )
Lamour .
X
Ldthothamndon sp.
X
X
X
Lomentarda artdculata
(Huds . ) Lyngb .
X
1975
Intertidal Algae of some Estuaries in Galloway
49
ESTUARY:
DEE/TARFF
FLEET
URR
SITE NO:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
Poly ides rotundus
(Huds.) Grev.
X
X
Polysiphonia lanosa
(L.) Tandy
X
X
X
X
P. nigrescens (Huds . )
Grev.
X
X
X
Porphyra leucostiota
Thur.
X
P. ymbiHedlis (L.)
J. Ag.
X
X
Ptilota plumosa (Huds.)
J. Ag.
X
MYXOPHYCEAE
+Entophy satis deusta
(Menegh.) Dr. et D.
X
X
Osoittatoria sp.
X
X
PhormrLdiim sp.
X
X
X
X
X
+Pteotonema terebrans Gom.
X
X
BACILLARIOPHYCEAE
° Sohizonema sp.
X
X
Metosira monitiformis
(Mull.) Ag.
X
XANTHOPHYCEAE
Vauoheria sp .
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
EUGLENOPHYCEAE
Eugtena sp.
X
X
X
X
50
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Notes: * Phases in the life-histories of Monostroma grevillei
(Thur.) Wittr., Eugomontia saooulata Kornm. and Gom-
onti-a ipolyrh-iza Born, et FI ah. which are, as yet,
morphologically indistinguishable and which bore in
mollusc shells.
+ Boring in mollusc shells.
° This name is here taken to mean all naviculoid diatoms
growing in mucilaginous tubes forming macroscopic
filaments .
Acknowledgement:
Mrs Christine E. Wilkinson is thanked for considerable
assistance in this investigation.
References:
BURROWS, E.M. (1960) . A preliminary list of the marine algae
of the Galloway Coast. Br . Phycol. Bull., 2: 23-25.
PERKINS, E.J. (1968). The marine fauna and flora of the Solway
Firth area. Parti. Trans. J. Proc. Dumfries Galloway Nat.
Hist. Antiq. Soc., 45: 15-43.
PERKINS, E.J. (1969). The marine fauna and flora of the Solway
Firth area. Part II. Trans. J. Proc. Dumfries Galloway
Nat. Hist. Antiq. Soc., 46: 1-26.
PERKINS, E.J. (1971). The marine fauna and flora of the Solway
Firth area. Part III. Trans. J. Proc. Dumfries Galloway
Nat. Hist. Antiq. Soc., 48: 12-68.
WILKINSON, M. (1973a) . ' The distribution of attached intertidal
■ algae in estuaries with particular reference to the River
Wear. Vasculum, 58: 22-28.
WILKINSON, M. (1973b) . A preliminary survey of the intertidal
benthic algae of the Clyde estuary. Western Nat ., 2i 59-69.
WILKINSON, M. and ROBERTS, C.E. (1974). Intertidal algae of
the estuary of the River Add, Argyllshire. Western Nat.,
3: 73-82.
Dr Martin Wilkinson, Department of Brewing and Biological
Sciences, Heriot-Watt University , Chambers Street, EDINBURGH.
1975
The Loch Libo Nature Reserve
51
THE LOCH LIBO NATURE RESERVE
By J . C . SMYTH
Department of Biology, Paisley College of Technology
In 1973 the Scottish Wildlife Trust purchased Loch Libo, in
Renfrewshire, as a reserve, along with the surrounding marshland
and some woodland. The purchase was made possible by means of a
most generous grant from the Fraser Trust, to which the Scottish
Wildlife Trust is exceedingly grateful. The Clyde Area Branch,
under whose care it fell, appointed a management committee under
the convenership of a former owner, Mr. Ian Grant of Caldwell
Law, to take what measures might be necessary for the care and
maintenance of this attractive site.
In this country, where most of the landscape is in some
degree the product of human activity over a long period, the
management of a reserve is rarely a matter of leaving things
alone. At an early stage decisions have to be made as to the
objectives of maintaining the reserve, what habitats, plants or
animals it is desired to preserve or encourage and for what
purpose - conservation, research, education or other object. The
measures necessary to achieve these objectives then have to be
devised, taking account of such influences as natural change
(e. g. of vegetation) or the effects of human activity arising for
example from change of use, interference or visitor pressure.
Finally, practical means have to be found of putting the measures
into effect.
Clearly the formulation of such a management plan calls for
as much knowledge as can be gathered about the natural history of
the area. Although Loch Libo has long attracted discerning
naturalists it is surprising how little information has found its
way into records. To help rectify this, and to provide some
sort of base-line for further studies, a short symposium was held
in Paisley College of Technology on 4th December 1974, at which
several papers were presented and some useful discussion took
place. The series of papers which follows in this volume of the
Western Naturalist is based on papers contributed to the sympos-
ium. In spite of the lapse of time between presentation and
publication the material contained has not been substantially
augmented. One paper presented at the meeting by Mr. J.D. Hamilton
on the limnology of the loch is not included, as the author did
not feel our state of knowledge was yet sufficient to merit
publication. It is to be hoped that in this as in other areas
of study the gaps in our knowledge will soon be filled by further
work. Many important decisions regarding the future of this
52
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
reserve have still to be taken, and will need to be supported by
the best understanding we can achieve.
The accompanying hydrographical survey map of the loch was
prepared under the direction of Mr. John Paul of the Department
of Civil Engineering, Paisley College of Technology, and the
photographs were taken by Mr. Julian Stephen of Studio Scotland,
to both of whom we are very grateful .
ProfessorJ.C. Smythf Department of Biology, Paisley College of
Technology .
The Western Naturalist (approx, scale 1:2000)
Vol. 4 1 975
To face page 52
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1975
History and Topography of Loch Libo
53
HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF LOCH LIBO
By IAN W. GRANT
President , Renfrewshire Natural History Society
The earliest written record of Loch Libo is from a Charter
of the Steward, Walter II, son of Alan, dated 1294, to the Monks
of Paisley. It grants them right of passage through his forest
to enable them to go fishing in Loch Libo. They were also en-
joined to unstring their bows whilst in the forest (more than
likely, the forest of Fereneze) .
Then, in 1374, Robert II bestowed on his brother-in-law.
Sir Hugh Eglinton, the lands of Lochlibo-side (otherwise the
Barony of Syde), formerly the property of the deceased prior
owner Michael de Lardner. It is worth noting that all the gentl-
emen mentioned so far are Normans, without whom Scotland would
be a quite different country today, both in patronym and place-
name.
The later ownership is fully documented, vide the Caldwell
Papers (Maitland Club, 1854; New Club, 1883-85) from the late
14th century when Gilchrist Muir (More) married the heiress of
the Caldwell estates, the male line having failed. There is no
doubt that the Caldwells were well established in the district
before the 14th century; they appear to have no Norman connec-
tions but possibly stem from one of the much earlier Anglo-Saxon
immigrants into the Kingdom of Strathclyde. The Caldwell family
itself died out in the 18th century.
Not surprisingly. Loch Libo receives several mentions in
the Eglinton Manuscripts, although strictly speaking it was not
within the Barony, but these references are of interest as they
show the very great diversities of spelling prevalent at that
time, e.g. Lochlebog, Loychle Bokside, Lochlibock.
The first map on which Loch Libo appears is the one of Ren-
frewshire published by Blaeu in Amsterdam in 1654. This is almost
certainly the work of Timothy Pont, the survey dating from about
1590. Although the Levern is shown as rising from the north end
of the loch this is manifestly not so and, even at that time,
could not have been so. Many of the water sources on that map,
however, area little inaccurate, and considering the misfortunes
of the Pont papers over fifty or so years, perhaps this, as well
as some of the wild spelling, is not so surprising.
The Caldwell Papers supply us with frequent references and
interesting historical associations, such as: "In 1652 the
54
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Laird had his friends at the fishing"; "in 1670 General Dalziel,
who took over the Estates after the Mures' involvement with the
Pentland Rising and the subsequent forfeiture, issued permits
for the fishing at Loch Liboth".
The Old Statistical Account speaks of the loch "abounding
with pike and perch". That was in 1792 and it is still true.
In Dr. Pride's History of the Parish of Neilston (1910) there is
an extremely interesting account of a mining tragedy in 1793
which refers to the waters of Loch Libo bursting into the mine
workings and engulfing the miners. Subsequent quotes seem to
stem from this source although differing dates are apparent . The
main fact, however, is quite erroneous in that the water flows
out of the main shaft and from there into the loch, so the flood
water must be from subterranean sources gathered in the numerous
other mine workings in this area, which lies immediately to the
east of the loch. I hope to lay this particular ghost by further
research in the newspapers of that age.
Since early times coal-mining has been active at Uplawmoor
within the crush strata associated with the Barrhead fault, and
is very possibly the principal reason for the village being where
it is, apart from the popular belief that the 19th century Mures
fancied making it into a "garden town". In Charles Taylor's The
Levern Delineated (1830-31), a delightful little book, there is
a lithograph of the loch which shows the donkey engine on the
mine shaft at the east end, approximately where the level-crossing
is today.
In 1847 the New Statistical Account states that the depth
of the loch "is unknown; but it is considerable", but this could
well be an idea born of the pit disaster. Interestingly enough,
local people still refer to deep holes in the loch, perhaps a
story invented by apprehensive mothers. We know, however, that
Loch Libo is a shallow loch, at no place being much over two
metres in depth, apart from one deep hole near the S.E. corner
which is probably a remnant of the mine workings (see Fig. 1).
Dr. Pride, in his History of the Parish of Neilston (1910)
refers to the natural history and topography of Loch Libo, but
does not go into any great detail.
The drainage of the loch is by the Lugton Water, fi-nishing
up in the Firth of Clyde at Irvine. The level at the present
time is much higher than formerly, due to the fact that no drain-
age has been carried out since the estate was broken up in 1919.
The loch outflow to the west is very slow and in consequence
silting has taken place, bringing it to something like 30-40 cm
above its level in the 19th century. This is borne out by an
old cart-road running round the north side, which is some 20-30
1975
History and Topography of Loch Li bo
55
cm below the current level; this road was used by the estate
and neighbouring farmers for carting out reeds for thatching.
Curling was a favoured pastime during the colder winters of
forty and more years ago: the oldest club in the district is
the Curlers', first formed in 1860.
The water source of Loch Libo is multi-spring; the west
side has approximately ten springs feeding into the waterfall
area, four off the hill at about mid-way, two large outfalls
farther north emanating at about 15 metres above loch level and
one heavy spring complex originating in the old Head of Syde
farm complex (thought to be mediaeval) which enters the loch at
the N.E. perimeter . The stream from the north carried the farms'
drainage from the watershed at Shilford, again all spring fed.
There are several feeding points on the east side, all passing
beneath the railway embankment which forms about half the loch's
eastern perimeter, the greatest flow being that from the mine
shaft previously mentioned. It may be of interest to point out
at this stage that the springs on the west side correspond to,
and follow, the contour line of each successive lava sheet which,
close to the fault line, dips towards the loch at 15 to 20
degrees. The non-conformity can actually be seen near to the
waterfall on the west burn, where the carboniferous sandstone
of the downthrow is exposed, the strata lying vertically against
the basaltic lavas of Calciferous Sandstone Age.
The organic and mineral additives contributed to the loch
by all these sources must be responsible in no small measure for
the renowned Pike and Perch population. Furthermore, the mud
and silt accretions, some 3-4 feet (1-1.2 metres) deep in places,
cover several acres to the southwest, showing that the loch must
have been considerably larger centuries ago.
A word about the woodlands: the first estate plantings
which we have on record are of 1730-1740 vintage, doubtless pro-
mpted by the Act of 1731. It is just possible that one or two
isolated aged Beeches of this planting still survive, although
it is more likely that the old ones are from the 1770 {circa)
planting of the renowned Baron Mure of Caldwell, who died in
1796 not long after the existing Caldwell House was built to a
design of Robert Adam. The Old Statistical Account refers to
"extensive thriving plantations" at Loch Libo, and this we can
verify by ring-dating giving dates between 1760 and 1800. There-
after there was little planting done until the middle of the 19th
century; indeed, the New Statistical Account of 1845 exhorts
the local landowners to replant their woodlands. This was cer-
tainly done between 1850 and 1870 by the Mures and the remaining
large deciduous trees (with the exception of a few from 1770)
are all of this age. It is interesting to note that a few large
56
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ones are stool shoots from felled trees of the early 18th cen-
tury plantings. There is also little doubt that the great gales
have had a marked influence on the estate woodlands, but it has
proved impossible to make chronological sense out of the rural
legend.
The mid-19th century plantings were of great importance
throughout Renfrewshire; these were the Victorian Lairds* leg-
acies to posterity and all the old estates have fine trees of
this vintage, while several followed the fashion and planted
arboreta in the vicinity of their grand houses. In point of
fact Renfrewshire would be a sorry sight arboriculturally were
it not for the efforts of these wealthy Victorians.
The species planted at Loch Libo and the surrounding estates
were mainly Oak, Ash, Beech (by far the most plentiful) , Syca-
more and Elm. The very old trees are the Beech beside the
waterfall, now showing visible signs of decay, another Beech
about 200 metres to the east right on the march, and two Elms near
the north-east perimeter. The other remaining trees are all
that is now left of what must have been a fairly considerable
19th century managed woodland. The last organised planting by
the estate was in 1910-1917 when fairly considerable areas were
planted with coniferous trees, including a few isolated stands
at the lochside. These, however, were cut out during the last
war. The estate was sold up in 1919 and since then there have
been (at Loch Libo) two major fellings and several minor ones,
which effectively removed all the valuable and accessible trees.
It is noticeable that the fine trees left would be extremely
difficult to fell and almost impossible to extract. Since the
last felling (c.l948) there has been only natural regeneration.
Roe and Rabbit permitting; consequently sapling Sycamore abound
plus a few Birches. None of these is free of basal bark damage,
so very few fine trees will result. At the east end of the loch
there is a charming stand of Aspen, with Alder, Birch and Willow,
and on the north-west march there are two decayed Sweet Chest-
nuts showing vigorous epicormal growth.
The whole area will benefit from selective planting and a
gradual reduction in the Sycamore population. Low canopy and
rapid cover trees would be useful additions from the naturalist’s
viewpoint, particularly as much of the open ground is infested
with bracken.
The old cart-roads are overgrown and swampy; they all
require drainage and it is suggested that this should be a first
priority because, under traffic in these conditions, these fine
old mediaeval roads, of broken stone on boulder and pebble, just
break down wherever the drainage water cannot get away. All the
1975
History and Topography of Loch Libo
57
old stone drains are remarkably well constructed and most of
them can still be rescued, preferably by hand labour if available.
The loch itself constitutes quite a severe frost pocket,
but the exposure of Lochlibo-side is such that it would be pos-
sible to establish semi-exotic trees as long as they were plant-
ed above the frost line.
The loch is a treasure house for the naturalist and will
require to be monitored for several years before it yields up all
its secrets. Work has already commenced on this project, and
some is reported in the succeeding papers.
Warm’ ng: Access poses a problem. The Trust's only access to
Loch Libo is by the level-crossing, now reinstated by British
Railways at the Trust's request. It is essential to realise,
however, that this single track railway line carries the express
trains from Glasgow to the Midlands and, owing to the configur-
ation of the ground at the crossing, both vision and sound are
severely, and surprisingly, restricted. Visitors are therefore
warned to take the greatest possible care at all times.
Mr. Ian W. Grant, Caldwell Law, UPLAWMOOR, Renfrewshire.
58
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Vol. 4
THE VEGETATION OF LOCH LIBO AND ITS MANAGEMENT
By EDWARD T. IDLE
Nature Conservancy Council
This short paper is divided into three parts; firstly, the
floristics of Loch Libo and its immediate surroundings, dealing
with particular species of interest; secondly, the vegetation
around the loch and the main community types; thirdly, the broad
options for management open to the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
1. FLORISTICS
The Nature Conservancy Council ' s list of vascular plants for
Loch Libo includes 120 species . Taking into account the species
from woodlands in the immediate catchment of the loch, this total
is similar to that for other wetlands in the Glasgow area, e.g.
Ashgrove Loch (NS275443) - 95 species, and Caldarven Loch
(NS425837) - 97 species. A more thorough search of the woodland
on the west side of Loch Libo might raise the total to about 175
species .
Three species from the total list are of particular interest
because of their rarity and distributional patterns . They are the
Crested Buckler Fern Dryopteris oristata (L) A. Gray, the Cowbane
Ciouta virosa L. and the Lesser Pond Sedge Corex acutiformis Ehrh.
(a) dryopteris oristata. Clapham et al. state that this plant is
distributed throughout Europe from south east Norway on wet heath
and marshes. It is very local or rare and decreasing, and in
Britain is now extinct in two former sites in Nottingham and York-
shire, the two nearest to Loch Libo. In the Atlas of the British
Flora (Perring and Walters 1962) the plant is recorded in ten 10
km squares since 1930, but as already stated, several of these are
no longer extant. The main centre for R. oristata in Britain at
present is East Anglia and even there the plant is said to be
decreasing through loss of habitat due to drainage. The Atlas of
the Plants of North Western Europe (Hulten 1971) shows D. oristata
as rare in Norway but well distributed in Sweden and sparsely
distributed in Russia and Denmark. Hyde and Wade (1948) describe
the distribution as 'circumpolar', occurring in northern and
central Europe, western Siberia and Japan, east and north America
from Newfoundland to Saskatchewan, south to Arkansas.
Hooker (1821) in Flora Scotica records the presence of D.
oristata as 'native', while Hennedy (1878) states that the plant
is very rare in boggy heaths 'in a bog beyond Crofthead'. This
site is about one mile north-east of Loch Libo in Cowdenburn Glen
1975
The Vegetation of Loch Liho and its Management
59
(pers. comm. Dr. J.A. Gibson). Lee (1933) repeats Hennedy's
description .
The evidence thus suggests that Dryopteris aristata has
always been rare at Loch Libo and that it is at the extreme
westerly edge of its European distribution. Searches for the
plant on three occasions in the last 5 years have failed to locate
identifiable specimens of Z?. aristata and a thorough investigation
is now required to clarify its present status.
(b) . Ciouta virosa. By contrast with the previous species Ciouta
yfrosa is relatively abundant at Loch Libo. Claphamet al . state
that the plant is 'mainly local' and scattered throughout Britain
in 'shallow water, ditches and marshes ' . The Atlas of the British
Flora (1962), however, shows the plant as being restricted to
something less than twenty 10 km squares. Hulten (1971) shows it
as being well distributed in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Russia
but uncommon or rare in Norway. Matthews (1937) summarises this
by including Ciouta virosa in his Continental Northern Element
of the British Flora, a distribution which seems similar to
opteris aristata.
Hooker states that C. virosa is very abundant around Glasgow,
naming Mugdock, Bardowie and Dougalston Lochs as stations. The
plant occurs in none of these lochs at the present day. Hennedy
and Lee both regard the plant as much less common, indicating a
possible decrease during the 1800s.
(c) Carex aoutiformis. Carex aautiformis is much commoner than
the two previous species. Clapham et al. (1962) state that it is
scattered throughout the British Isles in 'damp woods and on shady
stream banks'. Both the Atlas of the British Flora (1962) and
Hulten (1971) indicate that C. aoutiformis is a more southerly
species than the previous two and probably continental. The plant
is scattered in Scotland where it is frequently associated with
coastal habitats. In Scandinavia it is absent from all of Finland,
Sweden and Norway but for the southern tips of those countries.
Though both Hooker and Hennedy state that C. acwtf/ofwis is common,
this does not appear to be the case at the present day when the
plant is restricted to about five sites within the Clyde area.
2. VEGETATION
The vegetation of the loch and its surrounding wetlands can be
divided for convenience into five zones or areas. One of these,
submerged vegetation, can be dealt with quickly, for there is little
information available about it. The Canadian Pond-weed Etodea
eana<iensfs and pondweeds of the genus Potamogeton\\3.veheen casua-
lly recorded but there is no indication of the extent or produc-
60
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Vol. 4
tivity of the submerged vegetation. The other four zones are as
follows: emergent reedswamp, \^illow/ As-pen/ Car ex paniaulata carr ,
sandy and gravel shores, and Menyanthes/Potentilla palustris
'floating bog' .
(a) Sandy and gravel shores . These make up about 40% of the loch
shore substrate mainly on the eastern side beside the railway line
but also in the central part of the western side of the loch. Both
have a sparse vegetation cover with occasional small stands of
Reed-grass Phalaris arundinaaea.
(b) Willow/Aspen carr. This covers about 20% of the loch shore
at the northern end around the entrance of the inflow burn. A
marked feature of this area is the abundance of large tussocks of
Panicled sedge Carex panicutata some of which show the character-
istic epiphytic growth of Valerian Valeriana officinalis and ferns
Dryopteris spp. Stands of the sedges Carex diandra and C. acuta
and Great reed-mace Typha latifolia occur within this area adjacent
to more extensive areas of Phalaris arundinacea.
(c) Emergent reedswamps. This vegetation occurs mainly in the
south western corner intermixed with 'floating bog', about 20%
of the shore. The main species concerned are the taller species
of sedge: Carex rostrata^ C. acutiformis and C. aquatilus. In
drier situations the reedswamp merges into Carex paniculata
tussocks with Cicuta virosa and Marsh ragwort Senecio aquaticus.
Carex acutiformis is particularly abundant near the mouth of the
outflow stream where Narrow- leaved water parsnip Berula erecta is
also present.
(d) Menyanthes/Potentilla palustris 'floating bog' . This covers
the remaining part of the shore line around the embayments in the
south and south west of the loch. A niomber of these embayments
appear to be almost man-made and further work on the history of
the loch is required to understand the development of vegetation
on them. Floating vegetation, mainly Yellow water-lily Nuphar
lutea, occurs only in this part of the loch. The 'floating bog'
is formed by the development over the surface of the water of
Buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata rhizomes which are colonised by
Marsh cinquefoil Potentilla palustris^ Carex aquatiluSj Common
Sallow Salix atrocinerea^ Yellow flag Iris pseudocorus and other
species. The result is the formation of an insecure crust which
is easily broken.
3. MANAGEMENT
In considering the obj ectives of management a number of pre-
liminary points or constraints should be stated. Loch Libo is a
small loch (8.5 ha) with several rare or uncommon plants and
1975
The Vegetation of Loch Libo and its Management
61
animals within its surrounding vegetation. At least three facies
of that vegetation are themselves of considerable interest and
any management likely to alter them would probably be unacceptable.
The loch has been used for educational purposes for a number of
years and became a Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve in 1975. The
objective of management can therefore be fairly straightforward
in the first instance.
1. To maintain and if possible extend the existing populations
of rare plant and animal species within the loch.
2. To conserve the important stands of vegetation around the
loch, e.g. Willow/ Aspen carr, emergent reedswamp, Menyanthes/
FotentilZa patustris ’floating bog’.
3. To develop educational facilities and use, commensurate with
objectives 1 and 2.
4. To develop limited recreational facilities and use, commen-
surate with objectives 1, 2 and 3.
In order to achieve these objectives a phased programme of
management and monitoring will be required. The first requirement
is for more information about the status at Loch Libo of the rare
species and an application of autecological work to their part-
icular situations . Maintenance of the present water regime should
adequately conserve the important stands of vegetation, but in
developing objectives (3) and (4) care must be taken to avoid
trampling and undue disturbance. This can probably be achieved
by limited rationalisation and improvement of the footpath system
and directing it away from sensitive areas. With the removal
of grazing, willow regeneration may occur more extensively in
the south west of the loch but this is likely to take at least
five years to show itself and a decision can then be taken as to
whether to arrest further development of shrubs on the grounds
of reducing the diversity of the main vegetation types. Alter-
natively, there will then be the option of allowing undisturbed
development of the vegetation though the question of how this
would affect rare species would then have to be faced.
The woodlands of the Reserve have been excluded from this
paper but their management options are much more open. They have
virtually no unique characteristics which might form the basis
of a primary objective of management and the main constraint on
any course of action might be simply its cost.
Botanical nomenclature follows that of Clapham, A.R. , Tutin,
T.G., and Warburg, E.F. Flora of 'the British Isles. 2nd
Edition (1962) .
62
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Vol. 4
Bibliography
CLAPHAM, A.R. , TUTIN, T.G. and WARBURG, E.F. (1962). Flora of
the British Isles (2nd edition) . Cambridge.
KENNEDY, R. (1878). The Clydesdale Flora. Glasgow.
HOOKER, W.J. (1821). Flora Scotica. Edinburgh.
HULTON, E. (1971). Atlas of the Distribution of Vascular Plants
in North Western Europe. Stockholm.
HYDE, H.A. and WADE, A.E. (1948). Welsh Ferns. (2nd edition).
Cardiff.
KING, L.A.L. (1945). Report of excursion to Loch Libo. Glasgow
Nat. , 15 : 29 .
LEE, J.R. (1933). Flora of the Clyde Area. Glasgow.
MATTHEWS, J.R. (1937). Geographical relationships of the British
flora. J. Ecol . 25: 1-90.
MACKECHNIE, R. (1953). Report on excursion to Loch Libo. Glas-
gow Nat. f 17: 288.
PERRING, F.H. and WALTERS, S.H. (1962). Atlas of the British
Flora. Norwich.
Mr. Edward T. Idle, Nature Conservancy Council, The Castle,
Loch Lomond Park, Balloch, Dunbartonshire , G83 8 LX.
1975
The Loch Libo Nature Reserve
63
Loch Libo from the South
64
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Vol. 4
Loch Libo from the North
Loch Libo from the North-East
1975
Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Libo
65
SUMMARY NOTES ON THE VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LOCH LIBO
AND NEIGHBOURHOOD
By J.A. GIBSON
Chairman f Clyde Area Branchy Scottish Wildlife Trust
On 4th December 1974 a symposium was held in Paisley College
o£ Technology on the fauna and flora of Loch Libo, the Scottish
Wildlife Trust’s new Renfrewshire reserve near Uplawmoor. Con-
tributions to the symposium included the following summary notes
on the Loch Libo vertebrates. The notes are confined to Loch
Libo itself and the immediately surrounding area; the detailed
distribution of all Renfrewshire vertebrates, i.e. mammals,
breeding birds, reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fishes,
has recently been given in the Atlas of Renfrewshire Vertebrates
(1970) and in a series of papers, mainly in the Renfrewshire
Society’s various publications, to which interested readers
are referred for further details (Trans. Paisley Nat. Soc., 5:
63-68; 6; 59-66. Glasgow Bird Bull . ^ 4: 28-32. Western Nat.,
1: 69-108; 2: 4-14; 3: 39-72).
MAMMALS
INSECTIVORES
The Hedgehog Erinaceus euroipaeus is fairly common in the
district, including the village gardens, and the Mole Talpa eirr-
opaea is common in the surrounding fields and hills. Both Pygmy
Sorex m-inutus and Common Shrews S. araneus are common in the
woods, and the Water Shrew Neomys fodiens occurs in the inlet
and outlet streams.
These remarks on the shrews largely refer to the results
of trapping which I carried out from the mid-1940s to the late
1950s. In my experience, however, the Water Shrew habitually
favours clear swiftly moving streams, so I think it is possibly
rather unlikely that there will now be many towards the south
near the outlet of the new sewage disposal unit.
BATS
Daubenton’ s Bat dauhentoni certainly occurs over the
Loch and some have been found roosting in decayed trees in the
woodland. This species is possibly more common since bats are
often observed over the water, although it must not be assumed
that all these bats are Daubenton’s since Pipistrelles Pipi-s-
trellus pip-istretlnSj common in the area, also fairly regularly
66
The Western Naturalist
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hunt over the Loch. In addition to several sight records there
is at least one record of a Long-Eared Bat Pteootus auritus
having been found dead in the area; it may well be not un-
common but definite evidence is limited.
CARNIVORES
The Fox Vulpes vulpes is common in the district and there
are several Fox dens used intermittently. Both the Stoat Mustela
ermi-nea and the Weasel M. nivalis are common in the area, and
feral American Mink U. vison^ now certainly present around the
Loch, are likely to be a permanent* feature. The Polecat M.
putoriuSj which used to be common, is long extinct, but escaped
Ferrets M. p. furo are regularly reported although no feral breed-
ingin the area is at present known to me. The Badger Metes
metes was formerly well-known with at least one working set.
For many years only stray individuals were seen, but Badgers
have now returned and one occupied set is again known. The
Otter Lutra tutra used to be seen fairly regularly but to the
best of my knowledge there have been no records of sightings
within recent years. There are no records of true Wild Cats
Fetis sitvestris this century, but feral Cats occur commonly.
DEER
The only deer is the Roe Deer Capreotus oapreotuSj which
is fairly common in the woodlands. I have seen some drinking
at the edge of the Loch.
RABBIT AND HARES
The Rabbit Oryctotagus cunioutus was formerly very common.
It was much reduced by myxomatosis, but has since returned and
increased, and there are now some scattered populations. Periodic
local outbreaks of myxomatosis apparently keep the population
under some control. The Brown Hare Lepus europaeus is fairly
common all over the area, as one would expect. The Mountain
Hare L. timidus isnot really part of the fauna of the district,
but there are some old records of occasional stragglers.
RODENTS
There are still a very few Red Squirrels Soiwous vulgaris
but this is one of the areas of Renfrewshire where the Squirrel
has substantially decreased. Wood Mice Apodemus sytvaticus are
common, and there is apparently a small population of House Mice
Mus musautus; 1 have trapped occasional specimens. The Brown
Rat Rattus norvegious is present around the shores of the Loch
and the streams, but is possibly not so common as one might ex-
pect. The Field Vole Microtus agrestis is common, and I have
1975
Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Li bo
67
also trapped a good many Bank Voles Clethrionomys glareolus.
The Water Vole Arvi-cola teTrestris is reasonably common around
the Loch, and its territory also extends well up into the wood-
lands .
BREEDING BIRDS
GREBES
There have always been a few Little Grebes Taohybaptus ruf-
'CcoltiSj and several pairs of Great Crested Grebes Podiaeps
ordstatus have been known to nest intermittently since the be-
ginning of the century. Although kept secret for many years, it
has now been released that Black-necked Grebes P. ni.gr'taoVl'is
formerly nested at the Barr Meadows, Lochwinnoch, but after the
meadows became flooded about 1957 to form what is now the Barr
Loch, the available reed beds largely disappeared and so did the
grebes. For some years after this, however. Black-necked Grebes
were seen at Loch Libo in summer and a reasonable assumption
might be that the Lochwinnoch birds sought suitable habitat at
Loch Libo. I was never able to prove nesting, however, although
strongly suspected, and none has been seen for a few years.
HERON
Herons Ardea oinerea commonly fish around the Loch, and
there have been occasional solitary nests in the surrounding
woods. The nearest large heronry is at Brownmuir Wood, near Roe-
bank Reservoir.
WILDFOWL
Mallard Anas ptatyrhynohos and Tufted Ducks Aythya fuldgula
nest commonly; Teal Anas oreooa less so. A few Shovelers A.
otypeata have also nested and there have been one or two nesting
records of Pochard Aythya fertna. A pair of Mute Swans Cygnus
oZop nested until the early years of the war, but I have no later
information.
BIRDS OF PREY
Sparrowhawks Aaodpdter nisus and Kestrels FaZoo tvnnunou'lus
are well-known and nest in the surrounding woodland, as also do
Tawny Owls Strix atuoo and a very few Long-eared Owls Asio otus
and Barn Owls Tyto alba. Short-eared Owls Asia flarmeus have
been seen, but do not nest in the immediate vicinity. Recently
the Buzzard Buteo buteo has been seen in summer.
GAME BIRDS
There are a few Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus intermittently.
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Vol. 4
and they have nested in the neighbourhood. There are some very
old records of Black Grouse Lymtrus tetvix, but none within
recent years. Pheasants Fhasianus oolohiaus are common, and
Partridges Perdix "perdtx few.
RAILS etc.
Moorhens Gallinula ohloropus and Coots Fuliaa atra are
fairly common. Corncrakes Crex orex used to nest in the surr-
ounding area and are now returning, and several pairs of Water
Rails Rallus aquations nest. There used to be more Water Rails
in the past, when I suspect there were more reed beds , and the
late T. Thornton McKeith found many nests over the years.
WADERS
There are a few nesting pairs of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus^
Curlews Pumenius arquata, and Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Less
common are Common Sandpipers Tringa hypoteueos near the water,
and Woodcock Sootopax rustioota in the surrounding woods. Dun-
lins Calidris alpina and Golden Plovers Pluvialis aprioai'ia
have nested on higher ground nearby in past years.
GULLS AND TERNS
No gulls or terns nest at Loch Libo nowadays, although they
are common visitors, but a few Black-headed Gulls Lotus ridibun-
dus nested near the south end at the beginning of the war; they
did not last long. A few Common Terns Sterna hirundo have att-
empted to nest in the past, but without success.
DOVES
Wood Pigeons Columba palumbus are extremely common, and one
or two pairs of Stock Doves C. oenas have nested in the sur-
rounding woods. As with most parts of the country. Collared
Doves Strep topelia deoaoa to are increasing.
WARBLERS
One of the most interesting features of Loch Libo was always
the small population of Grasshopper Warblers LocustelZa naevia.
Some still occur, but are now much scarcer. Loch Libo and Castle
Semple, Lochwinnoch, have always been two of the strongholds of
the Grasshopper Warbler in the West of Scotland, and it was at
these two sites that Thornton McKeith carried out some of his
great nest-finding feats. Sedge Warblers Aarooephalus sahoeno-
baenus and Willow Warblers PhyZlosoopus troohilus are common,
and there are a few pairs of Garden Warblers Sylvia borin,
Whitethroats S. communis, Chiff chaffs Phyllosoopus ooltybita
1975
Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Libo
69
and Wood Warblers P. sihitatr-tx . The Blackcap S. atvicapiZIa
has nested.
OTHER GROUPS
The Cuckoo PwcwZ-ws canopws is common . Nightjars Caprimulgus
evropaeus used to nest in the vicinity, and may well still do so,
but I lack recent first-hand information.
Swifts Tlpus apus , Svj al lovi s Hirundo rustioa, and House Martins
Deliohon urbica are commonly seen, but I know of no local Sand
Martin Riparia r-iparia colony. There are one or two pairs of
Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendroaopus major. Skylarks Atauda cor-
vensds^ Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensds^ less commonly Tree
Pipits A. trdvdalds , and Pied Motaodlla alba and Grey Wagtails
M. odnereay all nest in the vicinity. Starlings vulgards,
Jackdaws Corvus monedulay Magpies Pdca pdcoy Rooks Corvus frug-
dleguSy and Crows Corvus oorone are all common.
Dippers Cdnolus odnolus used to be present, but 1 have seen
none within recent years. They may still occur.
The usual small garden birds i. e. Wren Troglodytes troglod-
yteSy Dunnock Prunella modulajedSy Robin Erdthaaus rubeoulay
Spotted Vly catcher Musodoapa strdatay Thrushes , Tits, Finches and
Buntings all occur, as one would expect.
BIRDS - WINTER VISITORS
Some flocks of wildfowl frequent the Loch during the winter.
These are mainly Mallard Anas fuldgulay Wigeon A. penelopey Teal
A. creooa and Tufted Ducks Aythya fuldgula. The area of water
is not large so the numbers of wildfowl are not outstanding.
Fairly large flocks of Fieldfares Turdus pdlards and Red-
wings T. dldaaus occur in the surrounding fields on passage.
What is possibly a little more interesting is the number of
Waxwings Boiribyodlla garrulus yuhlch can usually be seen in winter,
particularly on the bushes along the railway line. In most win-
ters this is the place in Renfrewshire where I can most easily
rely on seeing Waxwings.
REPTILES
A good many Slow Worms Anguds fragdlds have been taken in
the area, indeed one of the best places used to be the edges of
the railway line. This is apparently no longer the case, however,
and the Slow Worm seems to have considerably diminished in numbers
here as in most parts of the county. There are a few Lizards
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Laoerta vivipara on the hillside and the edges of the woods. I
know of only very few Adders Vipera berus having been seen in
the area, and the last one was a long time ago, i.e. about the
end of the second world war.
AMPHIBIANS
The Frog Bana tempovavi-a is common, and there are a few
Toads Bufo bufo. Both the Smooth Triturus vulgaris and Palmate
Newts T. helvetious occur in reasonable numbers. Quite by acc-
ident I caught some Crested Newts T. aristatus in a dredge in
1952, but this is my only record, and indeed is apparently the
last authentic record for Renfrewshire.
FRESHWATER FISHES
Fishing at Loch Libo is purely for coarse fish and there is
not a great deal of much importance, although there is a sub-
stantial, fairly well known, population of Pike Esox luoius. In
1946, however, the late Mr. W.P. Perfect of Bridge of Weir, a
well-known local authority on fishes, showed me some Brook Lampreys
Lampetra planeri which he had dredged from the outlet of Loch
Libo. Percy Perfect wrote the first account of Renfrewshire
freshwater fishes for the Society's 1915 Transactions, and the
Brook Lamprey was an addition to this list. He did not record
this in the Renfrewshire Society's Transactions in the 1940s or
1950s, although he may have published it elsewhere unknown to
me, but I made a note of it at the time since it appeared to be
a new Renfrewshire record, and ultimately included it in the 1970
Renfrewshire Atlas. Although the Brook Lamprey is said to occur
very widely throughout British streams I feel this record is
worth mentioning.
Dr. J.A
Gibson, Foremount House, KILBARCHAN, Renfrewshire.
1975
The Coleoptera of Loch Llbo
71
THE COLEOPTERA OF LOCH LIBO
By R.A. CROWSON
Department of Zoology ^ University of Glasgow
I have been unable to trace any published records of Coleo-
ptera, prior to my own list given below, from Loch Libo, though
the great Paisley naturalist of the 19th century, Morris Young,
must surely have collected there. He recorded at least one of
the Loch Libo specialities, Notar-is aethiops , but like practic-
ally all his insect records it went down simply as "Paisley".
The beetles are a group of very great ecological diversity,
and there are few if any groups of animals for which a species
list for a given locality could tell us so much about it. My
own active collecting visits to the site numbered only six, and
the list compiled from them is very far from exhaustive; it
amounts to some 112 species, listed below.
Most of the species in this list are of course common and
widespread in Strathclyde, but a number of them, marked with an
asterisk *, are more or less local or uncommon, and for two
species** Loch Libo is the only known locality in the region.
Euoonnus h'trt'ioo'LH-s , recorded from only one other Scottish
locality, is known as a fen insect in England; it is probably
a specialist predator on some species of mite (Acarina) . Hae-
monia appendicutata probably feeds on a Potamogeton; it has
aquatic adaptations exceptional in its family Chrysomelidae.
Notaris aethiops feeds on various species of Carex (though not
on C. oaespitosa) .
I have made no specific attempt to collect water beetles
in Loch Libo; there should be numerous species of Dytiscidae
and Hydrophilidae not listed above, probably also further Elmidae
and possibly some aquatic Curculionidae (Bagoini, Eubrychius,
Litodactylus) which would need to be specially sought.
Most of the interesting beetles have been collected from the
south-east end of the loch, in the fenny areas. In the interests
of the Haemonia and probably of species of Donaoia efforts
should be made to maintain adequate growths of Potamogeton in
the loch, and a good amount of submerged vegetation would be
desirable for other water beetles and for aquatic insects generally.
72
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Vol. 4
CARABIDAE:
Elaphrus aupreus Dufts
Lorioera pil'icorn'Cs F.,
Dysahiv'Lus glohosus Hbst.,
Bemb'id'ion atvoooevuZeim Steph.
5. hvuxellense Wesm. ,
5. guttula F. ,
Pterosti-ohus stvenuus Panz.,
P. ditigens Sturm,
P. nigrita Payk.
Europhilus fuHginosus Panz.,
E. mioans Nic.
E. graoitis Sturm
HALIPLIDAE;
Bryohius elevatus Panz.,
Haldptus flavicoltis Sturm
H. ZineatooolZis Marsh.,
H. tineoZatus Mannh. ,
H. wehnoke'Z Gerh.
HYDRAENIDAE:
Hydraena ripar-ia Kugel.,
H. hritteni Joy
HYDROPHILIDAE:
HeZophovus aeqtLaZis L. ,
E. arveniaus Muls.,*
E. af finis Marsh . ,
E. aeneipennis Th . ,
E. granuZavis L.,
Anacaena Zimhata F.,
Megasternnm obsaunun
Cerayon terminatus Mann.
SCYDMAENIDAE:
Euoonnus hirticoZZis 111.,**
Steniohnus ooZZaris Mull.
PSELAPHIDAE:
Bythinus punctiooZZis Denny,
B. burreZZi Denny,
B . mac r op a Zpus Aub e
STAPHYLINIDAE:
Anthobium ophthaZmioim Payk., *
A. torquatum Marsh.-
A . minutum L . ,
Lesteva heevi Fauv.,
OZophrvm pioeim Gyll.,
OxyteZus vugosus Grav., -
0. tetracarinatus Block,
PZatystethus avenavius Fourc.*
Stenus yuno Payk.,
S. vogevi Kr.,
S. oZavioornis Scop.,
S. eanaZicuZatus Gyll.,
S. boops Ljungh.,
1975
The Coleoptera of Loch Libo
73
STAPHYLINIDAE:
(Continued)
S. binotatus Ljungh.,
S. pubescens Steph.,*
S. pdlUtarsis Steph.,
S. n'it'id-iusoutus Steph. ,
S. bifoveolatus Gy 11,,
S. impressus Germ,,
S. bimaoutatus Gyll.,
Lathrobiim punatatum Zett.,*
L. brunnipes F.,
Otht-us myrmecophilus Kiesw.
Phitonthus fimetarius Grav.,
Gabrius tvossuVus Nordm.
Quedius fuHginosus Grav.,
Q. moZoohinus Grav.,
Q. umbvZnus Er.,
Q. pdaipes Mann . ,
Q. ndt-ipennis Steph.
MyoetopoTus bvunneus Marsh
M. spZendens Marsh.,
Taohyporus ckpy someZdnus L,,
Taahdnus rufdpes Deg.,
T. margdneZZus F.,
Gymnusa vavdegata Kiesw.,*
MyZZaena mdnuta Grav.,
M. bTevdaomds Matth.,
Oxypoda eZongatuZa Aub.
C LAMB I DAE:
CZambus armaddZZo Deg.
HELODIDAE:
HeZodes margdnata F.,
Cyphon paykuZZd Guer.
C. vardabdZds Thunb.,
C. oahraoeus Steph.
ELMIDAE:
EZmds mauged Bed . ,
Ldrmdus tubercuZatus Mull,
ELATERIDAE:
Cvyptophypnus rdpardus F.
DentdaoZZds Zdneards L.,
DoZopdus margdnatus L.,
CANTHARIDAE:
Rhagonyaha eZongata Fall.,*
R. Zdmbata Thunb.
NITIDULIDAE:
Epuraea depressa Gyll.
CRYPTOPHAGIDAE:
Atomarda vevsdooZov Er.,
A. anaZds Er.
A. atvdoccpdZZa Steph.
BYTURIDAE:
By turns tomentosus F.,
74
The Western Naturalist
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COCCINELLIDAE:
CoQcidula rufa Hbst.
LATHRIDIIDAE:
Coninomus nod-ifer Westw. ,
C. hifasafatus Reitt.,
Lathvidius lardarfus De G.,
SCRAPTIIDAE:
Anaspis Tufilahris Gyll.
CHRYSOMELIDAE;
Haemonia append^culata Panz.,**
Flatewmr'is sericea L . ,
Gastroidea vdridu'la De G.,
Fhaedon tunridulus Germ.,
P. oochteariae F.,
FrasoGUT'Cs junci Brahm. ,
Hydrothassa marginella L.,
H. auota L. ,*
GaZerucetla nymphaeae L.,
G. fergussoni Fowl.,
G. tenetla L.,
Fsylliodes pioina Marsh.,*
Fs. ouprea Koch,
Fs. chrysooephata L.,
FhytZotreta fZexuosa 111.
CURCULIONIDAE:
Notaris aeth-iops F.*
Hypera rum-ici-s L . ,
Fhytohius oomari Hbst.,
Ceuthorrhynchus contractus Marsh
Dr . R.A. Crowson
Department of Zoology
University of Glasgow.
1975
The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Arran
75
THE FRESHWATER FISHES OF THE ISLAND OF ARRAN
By J.A. GIBSON
Chairman , Clyde Area Branch, Scottish Wildlife Trust
The freshwater fish fauna of Arran is not large, indeed the
only freshwater species which I am able to record as occurring
naturally on the island are the Salmon, Trout, Eel, Stickleback,
Common Goby, and Flounder; Minnows have been introduced in the
past but did not succeed. Other species of fishes usually classed
as ’freshwater' have been taken at sea not far from the Arran
shores. These include the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon mavinus^ Stur-
geon Aaipensev sturPo , Allis Shad Alosa alosa, Twaite Shad Alosa
fal'laXy and Thick-lipped Mullet Cren-irmgii labrosus . Since
Arran is an island, however, situated virtually in the centre
of the Firth of Clyde, it is very difficult to define what records
are 'in Arran waters' and so draw an effective line. These
species are therefore excluded, and this paper is confined to
those species of freshwater fishes found actually in the burns,
rivers and lochs of Arran or around the Arran shores.
As far as I can discover, no other species of freshwater
fish has been introduced to Arran, but if this is shown to be
the case I shall be grateful if any such introductions are drawn
to my attention.
In the following list arrangement and nomenclature follows
Wheeler (1969) .
SALMON Salmo saZav Linnaeus, 1758
Salmon are very common in Arran waters and at one time were
fished commercially at many places round the shore. Nowadays
some commercial fishing does take place, but apparently only
at Blackwaterfoot and Sliddery. The abundance of Salmon was
noted by many of the early writers, as far back as Martin Martin
in 1695 and probably earlier. Pennant (1774) said the rivers
of Machrie and lorsa were "remarkable for the abundance of sal-
mon"; according to Heron (1799) the "streams are richly stored
with salmon"; and Dr. McNaughton (1845) summarised the position
as follows: "When the rivers are swollen in summer, salmon and
sea- trout ascend in considerable numbers, when they are caught
both with the rod and the net; the latter, however, is used at
the mouths of the rivers only".
Salmon occur commonly all round the Arran shores and in the
rivers, particularly the rivers Machrie, lorsa, and Rosa, but
the only Arran loch to which Salmon ascend is Loch lorsa, a fact
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The Western Naturalist
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which was noted by Thomas Pennant as far back as 1772 and the
Rev. John Hamilton in 1793; "Earsay loch, in the west of the
island, which abounds with trouts of different sizes, and fine
salmon". This is still the case.
Some extremely large Salmon have been taken in nets off
the Arran shores in the Kilbrannan Sound - one of 54 lbs around
1903-1904 {Western Nat., 2: 77) and specimens weighing 38 lbs
and 42 lbs inearlyMay 1877 {Argyllshire Herald, 12th May 1877).
To the best of my knowledge no Salmon approaching these weights
have been taken in Arran rivers, but specimens of 15-20 lbs have
been caught from time to time, although most anglers on Arran
would be glad to catch a Salmon of half this weight, which would
be much nearer the average.
TROUT Satmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758
Trout are extremely variable in colour and in body shape,
depending on surroundings and habits, but all forms are varieties
of a single species. The small dark Brown Trout S.t. fario
largely inhabits the burns and hill-lochs and is not migratory;
the large silvery Sea Trout S.t. trutta largely inhabits the
off-shore waters and rivers and is distinctly migratory.
Trout are very common in all Arran waters, and were men-
tioned by most of the early writers as being widely distributed
throughout the burns and rivers and in most of the hill lochs.
In particular. Loch Tanna was "celebrated" for its Trout (Mac-
bride, 1845) and was "one of the best of the trouting lochs"
(Wilson, 1842). In season large numbers of Sea Trout ascend all
the principal rivers but the only loch they reach is Loch lorsa.
To the best of my knowledge the Arran hill-lochs have not been
stocked with Trout, at least within recent years, but the rivers
are occasionally stocked and recently the Arran Angling Associat-
ion put 1,000 young Trout into the River Sliddery.
The weights of Trout obtained on Arran are extremely var-
iable, depending on locality. Native Arran burn and hill Trout
are usually small, but large Sea Trout of up to 5 lbs in weight
are certainly caught from time to time. Sea Trout of up to 10
lbs or even larger have occasionally been reported, but fish of
this size are very rare on Arran. Moreover one often hears re-
ports of these fish at second hand, and so cannot always assume
that they have been carefully identified.
Although Rainbow Trout S’aZwo gairdneri and Brook Trout Sal-
vettnus fonttnaZts have been widely introduced to many waters
in the West of Scotland, to the best of my knowledge these have
never been introduced to Arran.
1975
The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Arran
11
MINNOW Fhoxinus phoxinus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Paterson (1837) said "There were no minnows in Arran until
lately, when they were brought from Ayrshire, it being expected
that they will help to raise the trouts to a greater size". This
introduction was also noted by Wilson (1842) and McNaughton
(1845). Apparently the Minnows did not succeed, and I can trace
no later record. 1 have heard rumours of more recent introductions
but have been unable to obtain any firm details, and to the best
of my knowledge there are no Minnows on Arran nowadays.
EEL Anguitta anguiZZa (Linnaeus, 1758).
The Eel is very common in all Arran waters; off-shore,
along the streams and burns, and in most of the hill-lochs.
THREE-SPINED STICKLEBACK Gasterosteus aouZeatus Linnaeus, 1758
The Three-spined Stickleback is common throughout most of
the Arran rivers and burns, and is often found just off-shore
near river mouths.
COMMON GOBY Pomatosahistus microps (Kroyer, l84o)
Small gobies occur fairly commonly in the brackish intertidal
pools near river mouths all round the Clyde area. Until recently
there was some confusion surrounding the identification of these
small gobies, but within recent years much work has been done
on their taxonomy. 1 have examined several specimens of these
intertidal gobies collected from shore pools at Machrie, Lamlash,
and Sannox. All exhibited the typical external appearance of
mievops , and with the aid of a hand-lens I counted the number of
scales in a line along the side; no specimen had more than fifty
scales, in keeping with Wheeler's identification key for miarops.
The Common Goby has therefore been identified from Machrie,
Lamlash, and Sannox, and I have no real doubt that this little
fish is widely distributed in all suitable areas around Arran,
which will usually mean where the rivers and burns come down to
sandy shores.
FLOUNDER PZatiohthys fZesus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Flounders are common around all suitable parts of the Arran
shores, and are regularly seen or caught far up some of the
rivers .
References:
HAMILTON, J. (1793) . Parish of Kilmory. (Old) Statistical
Account of Scotland, 9: 165-171.
HERON, R. (1799) . Scotland Delineated, or a
Geographical Des-
78
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
cription of Every Shire in Scotland , including the Northern
and Western Isles. Second edition. Edinburgh.
MACBRIDE, A. (1845). Parish of Kilmorie . New Statistical Acc-
ount of Scotland f 5 (Bute) : 40-68.
McNAUGHTON, A. (1845). Parish of Kilbride. New Statistical
Account of Scotland f 5 (Bute) : 1-39.
MARTIN, M. (1703) . A Description of the Western Islands of
Scotland . London .
PATERSON, J. (1837) . Accoimt of the Island of Arran. Prize
Essays and Trans. High. Agric. Soc. Scot., 5 (NS): 125-154.
PENNANT, J. (1774) . A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the He-
brides , 1772. Chester.
WHEELER, A.C. (1969). The Fishes of the British Isles and North-
West Europe. London.
WILSON, J. (1842) . A Voyage round the Coasts of Scotland and
the Isles. Edinburgh.
Dr
J.A
Gibson, Foremount House, KILBARCHAN , Renfrewshire.
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
79
THE ROMANS AND STRATHCLYDE: THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.
OCCUPATION
By FRANK NEWALL
County Archaeological Recorder,
Renfrewshire Natural History Society
Prel 1 mi nary
In 1954 an ancient road accompanied by quarry pits was traced
round the shoulder of Burnhead Moor above Greenock (Note 1) .
From 1954 until 1963 various surveys established that this
was a Roman road, (Note 2), connecting with the Roman fortlet on
Lurg Moor, Greenock (Note 3) ; that the fortlet was Antonine
(Note 4); and that the road continued westward.
In 1963 an attempt to complete the Roman system by following
the road resolutely from the gateway of Lurg Moor fortlet was
initiated (Note 5); and, latterly, a reputed "Roman road" running
east-west along the north face of Barscube Hill was traced and
proved to be of the same system, linking Lurg Moor fortlet with
the Antonine fort on Whitemoss Farm, Bishopton (Note 6) .
The discovery and excavation in 1970 of a fortlet at Outer-
wards, Ayrshire, proved that the entire system was Antonine
(Note 7) . Indeed fieldwork was in the main conditioned by the
permanence of the Antonine frontier and the inevitability of its
western flank having been protected. This was by 1970 to some
extent established, but there was no evidence of first century
activity on the same pattern. The immediate problem was the
location of first century remains in the Renfrewshire - North
Ayrshire area. But there was no certain point of departure, and
already sixteen years, seven almost exclusively albeit season-
ally, had been spent in Roman fieldwork.
The time had come to re-examine the evidence, literary and
archaeological; to become deconditioned, de-programmed.
The Literary Evidence
The near contemporary narration of events is the De vita
Agrricoiae, the story of the first century governor's achievements
as related by his son-in-law, Tacitus (Note 8).
In his second campaign of 79 A.D, Agricola is here, there,
everywhere, his actions lent precision and speed by a series of
historic infinitives. He chose his own fort sites, (loca cas-
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The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
tris ipse capere) , so strategically that as he gained fresh
territory there was no interruption by outsiders, (et praesidiis
castellisque circumdatae, tanta ratione curaque, ut nulla ante
Britanniae nova pars inlacessita transierit) . This implies a
tight frontier cordon, for in the history of Roman Britain tribes
tended to read their fate in that of their neighbours and to
react accordingly. In the third Brigantian war of 69 A. D. it
would appear that tribes from southern Scotland had intervened
(Note 9) .
In view of the implied tactical disposition of forward posts
it may not be without significance that Tacitus reserves comment
on Agricola's ability in this field for his account of the third
campaign of 80 A.D.
In that year new tribes were encountered and the advance
pushed forward to the Tay, with such success that there was time
left to build forts. The enemy were so demoralised, stormed by
the elements and the Romans, that it is extremely doubtful that
the spearhead which reached the Tay relinquished its forward
position.
It is at this point that Tacitus inserts his observations
on Agricola's genius in the deployment of fortifications. "No
fort on a site of his choosing was ever taken by storm, ever
capitulated, or was ever abandoned. On the contrary the garrisons
could frequently venture upon sallies; for they were secured
against protracted siege by having supplies sufficient for a whole
year. The enemy could no longer retrieve the losses of
the summer by successes in the winter, but were equally hard
pressed at both seasons" (Note 10) .
These were obviously strongly defended permanent forts.
Here, then, is the explanation of the success of both the
second and third campaigns. Behind these forts Agricola was to
consolidate in fort and road building for almost two years and
to secure his western flank before advancing further.
Where were these forts?
Here the account of the fourth campaign is instructive.
"Quartus aestas obtinendis quae percuccurerat insumpta; ac si
virtus exercitus et Romani nominis gloria pateretur, inventus
in ipsa Britannia terminus, namque Clota et Bodotria diversi maris
aestibus per immensum revectae, angusto terrarum spatio dirimun-
tur, quod turn praesidiis firmabatur atque omnis propior sinus
tenebatur, summotis velut in aliam insulam hostibus".
The tense of pateretur sufficiently indicates that there
was no intention of establishing a frontier. It was unthinkable.
What follows confirms this. The reasons for this being a suitable
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
81
place for a boundary are the narrowness of the zone between Clyde
and Forth, and the fact that, as a result of the previous year's
campaigning, it was already held in strength by Agricola’ s forces.
Where, then, were the forward positions in this narrow zone?
Such interpretations as "steps were now taken to strengthen
this isthmus by fortified posts" (Note 11), or, "next year, 81,
forts were established on this line" (Note 12) are influenced by
archaeological inference. Until 1970 such influenced our thinking.
Agricola had no intention of establishing a limes. Tacitus
could never have reported such a momentous decision in a subordin-
ated past continuous passive; that would have been to strain
towards the nadir of anticlimax. ’Turn or Nunc castellis firmare '
would be more compatible with his style.
What was established was a halting place behind which for
two years preparations for further advance were made; a halting
place of necessity secured by a forward line of forts so provis-
ioned that no ground could be regained by the enemy.
During those two years the pattern of permanent forts was
superimposed upon the topography of southern Scotland, the western
flank was secured, and a previous marine reconnaissance followed
up by a sea-borne invasion, possibly to test the strength of Kin-
tyre and the West before further advance (Note 13) .
When the advance took place, in 83 A.D., we note that the
Forth, not the Tay, is mentioned. (Amplexus civitates trans Bodo-
triam sitas) . It would seem that only Fife is to be considered,
and the use of "amplexus" might indicate that Agricola was already
in position to engulf the territory. This, in view of his sea
power, would be a precise statement if he had held the Tay from
the third campaign, so that Fife could be invested from all sides.
The Archaeological Evidence
Two main lines of advance by Agricola are known, by lines
of forts extending from Corbridge via Newstead to the Forth, and
from Carlisle via Birrens to Castledykes on the Upper Clyde (Note
14). The latter route thereafter is uncertain.
A cross road linking Newstead to Castledykes continues west
by Loudoun Hill (Note 15) towards the Ayrshire coast; while, in
the south west penetration is evidenced by forts at Dalswinton,
Glenlochar, and a fortlet near Gatehouse of Fleet (Note 16) .
Otherwise no Roman sites have been located west of the Annan-
Clyde route.
On the Forth-Clyde isthmus, although Gadder and Castlecary
82
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have produced some evidence of first century occupation, one fort
only, Camelon, has been shown to have been a permanent first cen-
tury foundation (Note 17) .
Between Forth and Tay lie Ardoch and Strageath (Note 18) ,
while, to the west, forts at Lake of Menteith, Bochastle by
Callander, Dalginross, and Fendoch have been interpreted as
blocking the mountain passes during the sixth and seventh cam-
paigns, (Note 19) , and apparently in isolation, for Richmond could
say of Fendoch, ’’No road of permanent construction had yet
reached the fort before it was systematically dismantled after
a short occupation" (Note 20) .
But if these forts were not linked by a road to allow of close
patrolling they would have been as effective as corks in broken
bottles. While this is apparent from a study of the O.S. maps
it is glaringly obvious to anyone v\?ho has actually walked the
terrain. Enclosed by hills, without intercommunication any one
post could have been attacked in force by hillmen who certainly
would not have used the obvious glens to penetrate a loosely
knit screen. The forts might have proved effective in preventing
Lowlanders unaccustomed to the area from escaping northward, but
for complete efficiency would still require communications. The
essential limes is a road.
Granted a road link, however, the "blocking" forts assume
a different aspect. Their distribution along a road is close
to the normal spacing insofar as topography permits. The Romans
did not erect forts on mountain tops. To such lofty sites were
relegated fortlets or signal posts which might be used seasonally
or as required (Note 21) .
It seemed probable on reflection that these were the forts
built after the Tay had been reached, and along the route of a
column whose purpose was to completely enclose British territory;
i.e. a colum.n advancing from the south. The terminus would then
lie near Inchtuthil, perhaps a cohort fort on the south side of
the river, or at Perth. If so, Inchtuthil or Perth v^^ould be the
common terminal of two columns, one continuing the eastern route
from Newstead, via Camelon, Ardoch, and Strageath to the Tay, the
other skirting the true Highland fringe in an advance from the
Clyde.
Here, then, would be justification for "amplexus". With the
enemy cut off, and unable to recover lost ground, by the Menteith -
Fendoch - Tay line, a cordon could be thrown across the neck of
Fife, and indeed the closely spaced signal stations from Ardoch
to Strageath and along the Cask ridge may commemorate invigill-
ation by the eastern column until the next advance was ordered.
This would require forts at Perth and Stirling', the signal stations
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
83
being occupied for only two or three years (Note 22) .
It was possible that the Carlisle - Castledykes army had
followed the north bank of the Clyde, then thrust forward to
Menteith, but there are objections to such a move. It seems
beyond comprehension that a general of Agricola's stature should
have left his entire western flank unprotected while advancing,
or attempted to cordon it off over the entire distance from Sol-
way to Clyde; or that he should have diverted the Castledykes
column westward when it should have been driving for the isthmus
in close support of the Newstead units.
Agricola's entire field army must have been committed to the
conquest of Scotland. He had four legions, and regimental pride,
virtus exercitus, is always the strong card in the general's
pack. He ought to have used all four, but one would require to
remain in reserve on account of the vast area of freshly conquered
territory to the south. His three column advance through Strath-
more in the final campaign might hint at the presence of three
legions.
The probability would then arise that just as Oakwood and
Easter Happrew (Note 23) were intermediates to what might be
termed the central and eastern commands, so Loudoun Hill was
intermediate to the central and an inferred western command; an
army which advanced via Ayrshire to the Clyde, then encircled the
Lowlands in an advance to the Tay. And from the evidence avail-
able, Agricola himself may have been its commander (Note 24).
But if the advance was from Ayrshire to Menteith then the
Clyde was crossed near the end of the later Antonine Wall, at a
point almost half way between Menteith and the Avondale route.
A fort should lie close to the fording. point, with, from con-
sideration of spacing, an intermediate fort to the north and one
to the south. The same consideration suggested that a fort should
lie near Kilmarnock. Nevertheless there was the possibility of
a cross route from Loudoun Hill.
Pure speculation? At least it was a working hypothesis.
In 1970 an attempt to locate a road running northward from
Loundoun Hill was frustrated by cultivated ground. Instead the
road led south to the junction with a cross-route running from
near Wiston on the Garf and apparently headed on Coulter, to
near Holehouse on the so-called "Ayr-Dalmellington Roman Road"
(Note 25) .
By 1971 it was obvious that some time would be consumed in
tracing this system, and time was beginning to run out. The
hypothetical road had not been established, but by now con-
viction had strengthened that there was an Agricolan fort close
84
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to the suspected Clyde crossing, on Barochan Hill, Houston. If
this could be proved Roman, and Agricolan, a major point in
the theory would have been realised. Excavation was essential.
The Roman Fort on Barochan Hill, Houston
In 1886 a patera from the workshop of Cipius Polybius was
found a short distance to the north-west of Barochan Hill (Note
26). The vessel had seen previous repair and it seemed feasible
that it was a discard from a nearby military site.
In 1954 Mr. Richard Feachem, then an officer of RCAHMS
detected on an aerial photograph the apparent twin ditches of a
Roman fort along the north side and round the north-west corner
of the summit of Barochan Hill. Probing, however, failed to
locate ditches along the steep south face, but from the east end
of the hill was recovered a fragment of first century Roman
glass (Note 27) . The site was referred to the late John Clarke
who, although he doubted the suitability of the steep sided hill
for a Roman fort was, nevertheless, impressed by patent rampart
remains. Unable in 1954 to initiate excavations he passed his
information to the writer and to Mrs Anne Hallifax Crawford.
In 1971 the site was closely inspected. It had every appear-
ance of being a Roman fort. Mr. Feachem was contacted, expressed
interest in proposed excavations, and willingly supplied informat-
ion of the results of the probe conducted by himself and Mr.
Alastair MacLaren in 1954.
When Mrs Crawford and the writer approached the late Mr. D.
Henderson of Barochan House he readily gave permission for trial
trenching and donated any finds to the Hunterian Museum, provided
that initial excavation be confined to a belt of scrubby woodland
which crosses the site (Note 28) .
In 1972 almost four weeks were spent in excavation (Note 29) .
The results fully vindicated Mr. Feachem.
The Excavations
While this is not offered as a full excavation report, cer-
tain features of the site deserve comment.
The steep south face was tested in two sections. The only
defence other than the rampart had been a palisade founded in a
shallow trench. Surface indications are that as it rounds the
south east corner it expands into a ditch to cover the east side
of the fort (Fig. 1) .
The rampart was c. 8. 5 metres wide, of composite construction,
rampart and manning bank having been planned as one. The rampart
proper, c. 4.5 metres wide, was founded in a trench and supplied
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
85
Fig. I. Ground plan of site; 1972 sections indicated.
86
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
with fore boulder kerb and laminated turf rear kerb. Immediately
behind was a 4 metre wide extension, similarly founded, and
similarly kerbed at rear. The area enclosed was c. 3.2 acres
(c. 1.12 hectares) .
Phase 1 (Fig. 2a)
Near the centre of the south side behind the rampart in the
first phase lay a rectangular pit (Pit 1) and a circular pit
(Pit 2) in close association.
The rectangular pit, 2.3 metres by at least 1.5 metres, by
1.2 metres deep, contained at bottom puddled clay.
The circular pit was 2.6 metres deep from the Roman surface
and sloped downwards from diameter 1.25 metres at top to 0.6
metres at bottom. The sides were faced with burnt red clay im-
pregnated with charred twigs , and coated with charcoal, especially
towards the top (Fig. 3) .
Phase 2 (Fig. 2b)
When disused, pit 2 had thrown into the bottom puddled clay
as in pit 1, containing a number of unburnt twigs and flat pieces
of cut wood. One was like a butter pat. Another, notched near
each end, could have held a cord for cutting clay.
The fill was then of occupation earth containing numerous
sherds, then alternating bands of occupation earth and clay.
Near the top it was sealed with hard brown clay topped with
cobbles, burnt daub, and crumbled poorly fired bricks, none com-
pletely baked through. Rammed gravel completed the fill.
The pits are interpreted as a puddling pit for clay brick
manufacture, and a slow firing kiln which was not very efficient.
The lengths of unburnt twigs suggest that wattling and daub was
also processed.
Pit 1 now had stones and broken sherds thrown into the clay
at the bottom, and on this an artificial ridge built within,
parallel to the south and west sides and 0.7 - 0.5 metres from
them, to form a foundation trench of which the outer side was
the hard boulder clay pit faces. In it were located four post
holes, all disturbed. The trench continued eastwards cut through
the intervening ridge between the pits, and the upper fill of
pit 2 .
The rest of pit 1 was packed tightly to the top with rammed
layers of earth, all containing sherds, etc.
Three metres to the west lay the south east corner of a
major building, confirming that the fort faces west, and that
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
87
Fig. 2. a) Builders' level, b) Primary.
c) Secondary
88
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
the gateway as suspected from the initial survey lies a short
distance west of the woodland boundary fence. The foundation
course was of the poorly fired clay bricks, identifiable but
in the main reduced to a pasty clay.
To the south lay a hearth, which produced further sherds.
All finds were of the first century A.D., and included mortaria
by Albinus and Sumacus.
Phase 3 (Fig. 2c)
Post holes and filled pits were later covered with stony
earth and a building of which only a badly disturbed wall sill
survived lay nearer the rampart. The sill had been an alignment
of stones edged with daub. A spread of charcoal ran parallel
to it. One post hole probably marked the southwest corner, and
the west side appears to have lain under a baulk which could not
be removed. To the west between this building and the major
building which was now refounded on stone sills, of which little
survived, was a hard packed layer of gravel, which partly covered
the hearth to the south. The gravel was c 2.4 metres wide, but
spread for some way along the south side of the major building.
From just beneath this gravel came a coin identified by
Professor Anne S. Robertson as possibly an As of 86 A.D. (Note 30).
Two points may be stressed. Firstly the considerable number
of sherds, etc. in and around the primary pits, all attributable
to the fort construction party, coupled with the slow method of
brick manufacture and the time necessary to construct the prin-
cipal buildings might suggest a reduced garrison, perhaps one
century, preparing the fort for later full occupation (cf. '^g-
ilvie, 113 (Tac. 32,4) "nee quicquam. ultra formidinis: vacua
castella".). The barracks, indicated by the post holes and foun-
dation trench was not built until the manufacturing process
including wattling and daub had ceased. Secondly, if the compacted
gravel layer is Roman, and it is difficult in view of the sill to
the immediate east and its relation to the hearth to consider it
otherwise, then the As of 86 A.D. sealed beneath it would point to a
second permanent occupation taking place at or about the tim:C that
Inchtuthil was being evacuated. For how long this occupation last-
ed has not been determined, but it might have been at this time
that the possible occupations in the Cadder and Castlecary vic-
inities were begun. Nevertheless if the central command drove
straight for the isthmus it is always possible that posts inter-
mediate to Barochan and Camelon were occupied from the beginning.
It does not follow that such sites should have lain along the
line of the Antonine Wall. In this respect it may be observed
that the site at Broken Tower, by Torrance not only lies to the
north of the Wall but on the wrong side of the river Kelvin.
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
89
cQ
Fig. 3. Pit sections.
90
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Vol. 4
Sequel
While the proof that Barochan was Agricolan reinforced the
hypothesis of a western route it was now necessary to locate the
assumed north-south road. The over cultivated south was left to
the future and attention focussed on rougher moorland north of
the Clyde.
A preliminary check was undertaken at Menteith, where a
length of road was traced for almost a mile south from the fort
(Note 31). Subsequently the probable Clyde ford was located, in
line with Barochan rather than with the later Antonine fort at
Whitemoss (Note 32) . The road was traced over Cameron Moor almost
to the Endrick (Note 33), and, meanwhile, a length was followed
between Menteith and Bochastle (Note 34).
Attention was then concentrated on the Endrick, where a
possible Roman ford and road were recognised south of Drumtian
Farm, and, overlooking it, on Carbeth Mill, NS 513823, a large
near rectangular enclosure embracing c.7 acres (2.83 hectares).
With strictly linear sides and smoothly rounded corners it
is adapted to the hill crest such that the sides measure, north -
173.8 metres; east - 195.2 metres; south - 173.2 metres; west -
201.3 metres. It exhibits a rampart terrace similar to Barochan.
Like Barochan it occupies a steep-sided hill thrust forward into
lower ground. It covers the Endrick ford. It lies 14 miles from
Barochan, 9 miles from Menteith, 15*5 miles from Bochastle, by
Roman road.
In late 1974 with the interested permission of the pro-
prietor, Mr. Loudon Bishop, the north and east sides were sec-
tioned, over the presumed rampart terrace. It was discovered,
and confirmed by Mr. Bishop as general over the entire area,
that the humus is shallow, only 4-8 inches (10 to 20 cms) deep
over rock (Note 35) .
The east section was inconclusive. That on the north re-
vealed what may be the final vestiges of a rampart of clayey turf
enclosed by cheeks of white clay. This measured 31 ft (9.45
metres) in width.
No ditch was found. There remains the possibility that , in
the appalling conditions when rain water began to flow freely in
the sections and work was abandoned, a rock cut, palisade trench
remains to be investigated. At present, despite the many points
in favour of the site, it has not been established that it is
Roman .
Research continues on both the first century and second
century A.D. systems.
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
91
Footnotes
Note 1. By William 0. Black. Seventh Report of SRG, CBA; DES,
1955, 25.
Note 2. By William 0. Black, Robert C. Scott , Mrs Anne Hallifax
Crawford, George and Ernest Newall , Dr . William Lonie,
and F. Newall. Summarised in DES, 1963, 43-44.
Note 3. Feachem, R.W. in JRS, XLIII, 1953, 105, Fig. 25.
Note 4. By WilliamO. Black, George Newall , Ernest Newall, Frank
Newall, jnr, F. Newall. DES 1959, 29. Robertson, Anne
S. PSAS, XCVII, 1963-64, 198-9.
Note 5. By Dr. William Lonie, F. Newall, latterly assisted by
Alastair S. Newall. DES, 1964, 21, 45; 1966, 15-17;
1968, 40; 1969, 13; 1970, 12-13; 43; 1971, 12.
Note 6. Reported by the late James Fraser of Bellevue, Kilmacolm.
Traced by Mrs Anne Hallifax Crawford, Alastair S.
Newall, David Newall, Duncan MacKinnon, F. Newall,
DES, 1971, 36; 1972, 36; 1973, 46-47.
Note 7. Lonie, W; Newall, F; Newall, A.S. DES, 1970, 13-14.
Note 8. Cornelii Tacit! De Vita Agricolae. Edited by R.M. Og-
ilvie and Sir Ian Richmond, Oxford, 1967, hereafter
referred to as Ogilvie. For the present report we
refer to the edition of 1970 and to the Mattingly -
Handford translation. Penguin Classics, 1970.
Note 9. Frere, S.S. Britannia, 1969, 97; 1974, 116.
Note 10. Mattingly - Handford, 73.
Note 11. Macdonald, G. The Roman Wall in Scotland , 1934, 1 (Tac.
Agricola, 23) .
Note 12. Frere, S.S. Britannia, 1969, 106; 1974, 125.
Note 13. For a recent discussion see Reed, N. The Fifth Year of
Agricola's Campaign, Britannia II, 1971, 143-48.
Note 14. Newstead. Curie, J. A Roman Frontier Post and its
People, 1911.
Richmond, I. A. Excavations at the Roman Fort
at Newstead. PSAS, LXXXIY, 1949-50, 1-38.
Castledykes. Robertson, Anne S. The Roman Fort at
Castledykes . 1965.
Birrens. Robertson, Anne S. Birrens (Blatobulgium)
1975.
Note 15. Loudoun Hill. St. Joseph, J.K. in The Roman Occupation
92
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
of South Western Scotland . 1952: 188-191,
210. JRS, XXIX, 1939, 201; XXXVII, 1947,
165; XXXIX (1949), 98.
Note 16. Dalswinton. Richmond, I.: St. Joseph, J.K. TDGNHAS,
XXXIV, 1955-56, 9ff.
Glenlochar St. Joseph J.K. JRS, XLI, 1951 , 60; XLI I ,
1952, 107.
Gatehouse of Fleet, JRS, LI, 1961, 161; LII, 1962, 164;
XLI, 1951, 61; DES, 1960, 29; 1961, 55.
Note 17. Gadder and Cast lecary. Hartley B.R. The Roman Occupa-
tion of Scotland; The Evidence of the Samiam IVare.
Britannia^ 1972, 12.
Camelon. PSAS, XXXV, 1900-01, 329ff.
Note
18.
Ardoch. PSAS, XXXII, 1897-98, 399-476.
PSAS, 102, 1969-70, 122-28.
Breeze,
D.J. ,
Strageath. Frere, S.S. DES, 1973, 42;
1975, 38-40.
1974,
50-1;
Note
19.
Menteith. St. Joseph, J.K. JRS, LXIII
, 1973,
223.
Bochastle. Anderson, W. A. The Roman Fort at Bochastle
by Callander. TGAS, XIV, 1956, 35-63.
Dalginross. PSAS, LVIII, 1923-4, 326. Cf. PSAS, 103,
1970-71, 131-2.
Fendoch. Richmond, I. A. The Agricolan Fort at Fendoch.
PSAS, LXXIII, 1938-39, 110-154.
Note 20. Ogilvie, 69.
Note 21. To facilitate field work Dr. Lonie listed the heights
of Scottish sites. It may be observed that only
fortlets and signal stations lie above 900 feet, e.g.
Brownhart Law, Ruberslaw, Craik Cross Hill, Beattock,
Eildon, Chew Green, Redshaw Burn, Hillside Hill.
For comfort in winter conditions, and for ease of
movement, and possibly water supply, permanent forts
lie lower, e.g. Highland Bochastle, at only 200
feet.
Note 22. Cask Ridge. Robertson, Anne S. Cask; DES, 1966, 73 -
Flavian sherd. Parkneuk; DES, 1968, 28-9. Roundlaw;
DES, 1972, 33.
Ardoch - Strageath. Shielhill; DES, 1974, 51.
Oakwood. Feachem, R.W; Steer, K.A.. PSAS, LXXXVI,
1951-52, 81ff.
Note 23.
1975
The Romans and Strathclyde
93
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Note
Easter Happrew. Steer, K.A. PSAS, LXXXVII, 1956-57,
93£f .
24. The Ninth, based on York probably used the eastern route.
The emblem of the Second Augusta recorded at Castle-
dykes although Antonine, maybe a happy coincidence.
If a third was deployed it was probably the Twentieth,
Agricola's old command. It is to this legion that Ri-
chmond would attribute the construction of Inchtuthil
(Ogilvie, 73). The Second Adiutrix, in reserve would
command the garrisoning of territories newly won in
the south and in Brigantia, and North Wales, and as
the most expendable, not committed to forward action,
was removed between 86 A.D. and 90 A.D. (Ogilvie, 75;
but cf. Frere, 1974, 139-40) . From the internal
evidence of the second campaign, (Ogilvie, 218; 20,
2 - aestuaria) , and of the fifth. Agricola was operat-
ing in the west . It should be noticed that in relat-
ion to a possible Western Command the Twentieth
replaced the Second Adiutrix at Chester. (Ogilvie-
75).
25. Lonie, W; Newall, A.S; Newall, F. DES, 1971, 12;
1972, 13-14, 24-25; 1973, 17-18, 35-36; 1974, 24.
26. PSAS, LV, 1920-21, 14; LXII, 1927-28, 247; LXVI, 1931-
32, 298-9, 383. Arch. Journ. XLIX, 1892, Part II, 200;
Part III, 288-31. TGAS, 1, 498-513, (1890) . Britannia,
1, 1970, 221.
27. NMA 668. Robertson, Anne S. Britannia, 1, 1970, 224.
28. Mr. Henderson had planned to fence off part of the west
field in 1973 to allow excavation of the gateway and
barracks. In view of his untimely death it would have
been indelicate to proceed.
29. With the assistance of Dr. William Lonie; Harry M.
Sinclair; Neil Holt; George, David and Alastair S.
Newall, and pupils of Port Glasgow High School, Robin
Ward, Anne Williams and Carole Macinnes.
30. For a discussion of these coins see -
Robertson, Anne S. Roman Coins Found in Scotland^
1961-70. PSAS 103, 1970-71, 131-2.
31. Lonie, W; Newall, F. DES, 1973, 43.
32. Holt, N; Newall, F. DES, 1974, 34, 57-58.
33. MacKinnon, D; Newall, F; Sinclair, H.M. Lonie, W;
Newall, D. DES 1974, 34-5.
94
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Note 34. By Dr. W. Lonie. All the above lengths have been re-
traced and extended by Dr. Lonie; H.M. Sinclair; D.
Newall; and the author. The Endrick ford was located
after several early fords downstream had been closely
inspected, including the major 17th-18th century
coach road ford.
Note 35. The excavation team were Harry M. Sinclair, Neil Holt,
George Newall, David Newall, Lawrence J.F. Keppie,
Alastair Henderson, and William Lonie.
Mr . Frank Newall
Craigmont , 84 Bawhirley Road, Greenock.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
95
NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF f^lID-ARGYLL
By IDA RAINIER
Argyll Representative ,
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The area covered by this article is the local government
District of Mid-Argyll; from Tarbert in the south, to Traighua-
ine, south of the Craignish peninsula, in the north; across Loch
Awe (excluding Dalavich) via the headwaters of Glen Aray and Glen
Shira to Loch Fyne near Dundarave.
The main period is from 1st January 1964 to 31st December
1974, but when earlier or later records are considered to be of
unusual interest, these are also given.
The notes are compiled from daily counts of all species seen,
by Mrs I. Rainier, assisted by Mrs E.M. Roberts of Kilmichael-
G1 assary since 1968, and the Rev. and Mrs Duncan-Jones of Loch-
gilphead since 1971. Mr. W.M. Barr M.R.C.V.S. has helped with
his sightings of raptors , and the compilers are greatly indebted
to Miss Marion Campbell of Kilberry for her detailed notes on the
birds of Kilberry and Ormsary areas.
A species is recorded as ’breeding* only when the compilers of
these notes have personal evidence of its doing so. It must be
clear, however, that many other species almost certainly breed,
and indeed several others have been recorded as breeding in the
Kilberry area by Miss Campbell.
The scenery of mid-Argyll is varied.
It is certainly hilly; the hills, boulder-strewn, mostly
covered with coarse grass but occasionally with heather, do not
rise above 1200 feet. They contain many lochs and lochans, and
one or two reservoirs, but owing to acidity and steep rocky
shores, with consequent sparse vegetation for food and reeds for
nesting sites, these waters are inhabited almost solely by a few
Divers and Common Gulls.
There is a large acreage of Forestry Commission plantat-
ions; dark blocks of conifers, wherein few birds but Coal Tits,
Great Tits, Wrens, Robins, Goldcrests and a few Crossbills
live, though some Woodcock are found in the less mature forests.
In North Knapdale there are patches of deciduous woodland,
with old, decaying trees, and lack of new growth because of
sheep grazing; also stretches of feral rhododendrons, swampy
areas of alders and scrub, and a few farms.
96
The Western Naturalist
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South Knapdale has more varied bird habitat, with more
extensive and better cared-for deciduous woodlands , fewer conifer
forests, and more farms , many with arable as well as grazing land.
It is also less disturbed by building development, caravan sites,
and holiday-makers. The only cliffs in the area are at Kilberry.
Adjectives can have different meanings to different users.
The probable rating, for instance, by a Knapdale resident of a
party of ducks or waders as "numerous" would cause bird-watchers
from, say, Solway or the Kent or Essex marshes, to raise cynical
smiles, and on the whole, one can but agree with the statement
by the authors of the summer survey of Knapdale in 1936 and 1937,
that "in general, Knapdale is not ornithologically rich" (Scot.
Nat., 1937; 163-168).
BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arctioa
Commoner than the Red-throat and often seen on freshwater
lochs such as Coillebarr (Achnamara) , which is near sea level,
as well as hill lochs. Breeds.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Ga-oia irmev
Once fairly common, a few always being seen in winter on
the sea lochs and open sea, but now showing considerable decrease.
This could probably be attributed to the shellfish fishing in many
of the lochs, sucli as Lochs Sween and Craignish w'here the sea-beds
are now furrowed like a ploughed field, resulting in the scarcity,
almost to extinct ion, of small Saithe, Lythe, etc., only Mackerel
and Sea-Trout coming up with the tide. Parts of the Sound of
Jura are similarly affected.
RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata
Fairly common on hill and sea lochs , but less so than Black-
throat. Breeds hill lochs.
SLAVONIAN GREBE Podiaeps auritus
Occasional winter visitor.
LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficotlis
Found on suitable habitat, such as reedy lochs on low
ground, but there are now fewer winter visitors on the sea lochs.
Breeds .
FULMAR Fulmarus gtaciatis
Breeds on cliffs at Kilberry, but not recorded elsewhere,
except for one found dead at Loch Gilp in November 1960.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
97
MANX SHEARWATER Puf firms puf firms
Occasionally seen in Sound of Jura. Party of thirty birds
Sound of Jura, 8th August 1971.
GREAT SHEARWATER Puf firms gravis
One, Sound of Jura, 5th September 1936. One, Loch Fyne, 1st
September 1969.
LEACH'S PETREL Ooeanodroma leucorrhoa
Occasional; Sound of Jura.
GAN NET Suta bassana
Common off-shore, especially in spring and summer, but no
records from Loch Sween.
CORMORANT Phalaevooorax oarbo
Common and widespread; sea-lochs, Sound of Jura, and
fishing in freshwater lochs. Breeds regularly on some off-shore
islands .
SHAG PhalaoToeorax aristotelis
Common; nests off-shore islands. There used to be a winter
roost at the head of Loch Sween until about 1970, but this is
now deserted.
HERON Ardea einerea
Widespread throughout area, which contains a number of her-
onries. Fishes ditches , as well as by fresh and salt-water lochs
and rivers.
MALLARD Anas pla-tyrhynahos
Common and widespread. Breeds.
TEAL Anas oveoca
Less common than Mallard or Wigeon in winter. Breeds in
small numbers.
WIGEON Anas peneiope
Common in winter; off-shore and salt water lochs. Breeding
status uncertain, but nested Loch na Laraiche, Achnamara, in
1958 and has possibly nested elsewhere.
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SHOVELER Anas otypeata
Only one record, at Keills, in 1957.
SCAUP Ay thy a mantta
Occasional off-shore winter visitor. A duck spent several
days on upper reaches of River Add, Christmas 1968.
TUFTED DUCK Aythya futiguLa
Fairly common in winter at Kilberry, Ormsary and Ardrishaig
Lochs; elsewhere very local. Some summer sightings from North
Knapdale: two - 24th May 1965; four - 23rd May 1970; two -
3rd May and three - 31st July 1974; two - 23rd April 1975; but
no evidence of breeding.
POCHARD Aythya fevina
Not common. A few seen every winter on the freshwater lochs,
especially in hard weather.
GOLDENEYE Bucephata olangula
Common winter visitor, fresh and salt water. Juvenile seen
with adults at Bellanoch, River Add mouth, 7th April 1974 and
again February 1975, suggests possible breeding, as does a pair
on Loch na Laraiche, Achnamara, in May 1975.
LONG-TAILED DUCK CZanguZa hyemaZis
Party of ten seen. Loch Sween, 7th February 1972. A few
winter records from Kilberry area.
VELVER SCOTER MeZanitta fusca
Rare. Seen only at Kilberry. One 22nd October 1950;
two - 29th August 1951; one - 11th April 1954; one - 29th March
1971; one - January 1974.
COMMON SCOTER MeZan-itta nigra
Fairly common off-shore in winter at Kilberry.
EIDER Somateria moZZissima
Common; sea lochs and open sea. Breeds mostly on islets
in sea-lochs.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator
Common on fresh and salt water lochs, rivers, and occasion-
ally small burns and open sea. Breeds.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
99
GOOSANDER Mergus merganser
Resident summer and winter, but not as widespread as the
Red-breasted Merganser. Usually seen on fresh water rather than
sea lochs, although six birds seen on Loch Scotnish on 15th March
1975. Two separate broods seen on the River Add in September
1956; no breeding records from South Knapdale.
SMEW Mergus alheltus
Rare winter visitor; Kilberry.
SHELDUCK Tadoma tadoma
Common, with considerable increase in winter. Breeds.
GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser
Numerous in winter in all suitable habitat.
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser aZhi-frons
Fairly common in Kilberry area, but not elsewhere.
BEAN GOOSE Anser fahalis
Occasional at Kilberry; not elsewhere.
BARNACLE GOOSE Branta teuaogs'is
Fairly common winter visitor. Most birds apparently come
from Islay, where they winter in large numbers.
MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor
Numerous, and is increasing; on freshwater lochs, sea lochs
and rivers. Breeds.
WHOOPER SWAN Cygnus oygnus
Still fairly common, but a marked decrease over the last fif-
teen years. It used to be unusual to find even a small fresh-
water loch untenanted, and over a hundred birds were counted by
myself at Keills in the late 'fifties. Birds are now found on
only a few of the small lochs, and whereas they used to remain
on a loch for some time, they now seem restless, and stay only
a short time.
GOLDEN EAGLE Aquila chrysaetos
Not uncommon; regular sightings, but owing to the extensive
territory required by one pair, it is difficult to know how often
one sees the same bird. Breeds.
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BUZZARD Buteo buteo
Conurion. Breeds in Forestry Cominission plantations as well
as in deciduous trees.
ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD Buteo lagopus
One seen, 31st October and 1st November 1973, in company
with Common Buzzards at Keills, Loch Sween.
SPARROWHAWK Acoipiter nisus
Fairly comm.on, showing a slight increase during last three
years. Breeds.
GOSHAWK Accipiter genti-lis
A nest with young was found on 7th August 1973 in a Forestry
Commission Plantation within the area ; the nest was watched daily
until 12th August when the young birds were seen in flight.
Although this site has remained undisturbed the birds have not
returned. Since then Goshawks have been seen as follows: One
on 23rd March and 13th April 1974; two on 9th March 1975 and
single birds on 27th March, 12th April, 23rd August and 21st
November 1975. The possibility that the nesting record and
subsequent sightings had their origins in falconers' escapes
must be borne in mind.
HEN HARRIER Circus oyaneus
Fairly com.mon on open ground, and occasionally seen in
Forestry Commission clearings. Breeds.
OSPREY Pandion hatiaetus
Rare; but occasional sightings all seasons, including Loch
Awe, Keills, and on hills above Crinan Canal at Cairnbaan.
PEREGRINE Fatco pevegrinus
Fairly common; often seen in flight over houses on out-
skirts of Lochgilphead, as well as by seashore and on hills.
Numbers seem steady, but as with the Golden Eagle, the Peregrine' s
range is so great, particularly in winter, that it is difficult
to know how often one sees the same birds. Breeds.
MERLIN Fatco cotumbarius
Rare until last few years. Now increasing slightly, which
is somewhat surprising, considering the steady encroachment by
the Forestry Commission on its most favoured habitat, i.e. hea-
ther. Breeds.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
101
KESTREL Faleo tinnunculus
Common. Breeds.
RED GROUSE Lagopus lagopus
Not common and now very local, owing to Forestry Commission's
destruction of heather habitat and food supply. Found chiefly
Lochawe-side, Eredine, Ederline and Ormsary. Now rare in Loch-
gilphead area, Tayvallich and Ardfern. Breeds.
BLACK GROUSE Lyrnrus tetrix
Fairly common and has increased recently. Breeds.
CAPERCAILLIE Tetrao upogallus
A single bird was seen on 18th and 19th October 1956 in a
Forestry Commission plantation near Tayvallich. In October 1957
a single bird was again seen near the same place. During 1972
single birds were several times reported from anotlier plantation,
also near Tayvallich.
PARTRIDGE Perdix perdix
Pair reported farmland, Keills, during 1950s but seen only
two days. This is the only report.
PHEASANT Phasianus oolohicus
Common. Some bred in captivity, and birds which have es-
caped being shot probably account for most of the local stock.
Breeds .
WATER RAIL Rallus aquations
One at Kilberry in November 1952, and one by Achnamara burn,
6th November 1969.
CORNCRAKE Crex or ex
Years ago was fairly common; now decreasing annually.
Breeds .
MOORHEN Gallinula ahloropus
Not very common, owing to lack of sluggish and reedy waters.
Breeds .
COOT Fulioa atra
Very local, but a few now seen all year round on Loch Lea-
tham, Kilmichael-Glassary, to which the birds have recently come.
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Juveniles and adults seen here in 1974 and 1975, which presumes
breeding. No evidence of breeding in South Knapdale.
OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegns
Still very common, although a steady decrease noted during
the past ten years . While flocks of several hundred can still be
seen in certain spots, such as Loch Gilp, during autum.n and
winter, one can now no longer be certain of seeing small flocks
of up to thirty birds all the year round in every possible
natural liaunt, as once was the case. Breeds.
LAPWING Vanellus vanellus
Common throughout year. Breeds.
RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiatieula
Fairly common, but rather less so than expected; on shingle
beaches and gravelly estuary banks. Breeds.
GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatavola
One at Kilberry on 8th January 1970.
GOLDEN PLOVER Pluvial'is apvioaria
Very local. Fairly common Ormsary and Kilberry, where it
breeds, but only occasional in rest of area, despite apparently
suitable habitat.
TURNSTONE Arenavia interpres
Occasional v^inter, and on passage, Kilberry; rare in North
Knapdale, where there were only five sightings known from 1956
to 1963; one in 1966, and one in 1969.
SNIPE Gallinago gallinago
Fairly common, though less so than one would expect, con-
sidering the large amount of apparently suitable wet land.
Breeds .
JACK SNIPE Lynmooryptes minimus
Occasional winter visitor.
WOODCOCK Soolopax rustioola
IVhile still common, with considerable influx of winter
visitors , has decreased slightly, presumably due to the maturing
of Forestry Commission conifers, which reduces its food supply.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
103
Though much felling has also occurred, the felled areas are too
bare and disturbed to harbour the birds. Breeds.
CURLEW Numenius arqiAata
Common. Breeds.
WHIMBREL Niment-us phaeopus
A few every winter.
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT Limosa limosa
Three together , Crinan Moss mud flats , on 4th September 1954;
one a male in summer plumage; closely approached. Flock of 7
birds at Kilberry Head in August 1973.
BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lap>ponioa
Occasional winter visitor.
COMMON SANDPIPER Tvinga hypoleuaos
Common. Breeds shores of fresh and salt water lochs, and
river banks.
REDSHANK Tringa totanus
Common. Breeds.
GREEN SHANK Tringa nehularia
Uncommon in North Knapdale. From January 1964 onwards, there
were only eleven sightings, sometimes of a small group of two or
three. Last sighting was of a single bird in 1968. No record from
the south of the area.
KNOT Calidris aanutus
Seen only at Loch Gilp and in small numbers. Since the
species is common elsewhere, it is strange that it should have
been recorded from only one district of this area.
PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima
Rare winter visitor.
DUNLIN Calidris alpina
Common in winter, but apparently surprisingly rare as a
breeding species. Known to have bred the banks of the River Add,
North Knapdale in early 1960s, and birds seen displaying at Kil-
berry in 1951 and 1957, but no other evidence of breeding.
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RUFF Philomaohus pugnax
An adult male at Keills, near the mouth of Loch Sween, on
7th June 1973, and another in a field near Kilmartin on 21st
August 1975. Both in full breeding plumage.
GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua
Occasionally reported from the Sound of Jura, but too far out
to be included in these records. One was seen in Loch Sween,
however, on 1st June 1972 after a severe S.W. gale.
ARCTIC SKUA SteToorarius paras-itieus
Occasional winter visitor to Kilberry area, but rarely in
North Knapdale. Nowadays occasionally seen in summer at Kilberry.
Until ten years ago a few birds had been seen for several summers
flying over Crinan Bay, where breeding was strongly suspected, but
no longer, apparently owing to disturbance by speed boats and
picnic parties.
GREAT BLACK- BACKED GULL Larus marinus
Fairly comm.on off-shore and mudflats, all seasons. Breeds.
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fusous
Fairly common in summer on shores and following farm trac-
tors. Breeds. On mudflats in winter, with occasional records
of Scandinavian race.
HERRING GULL Larus argejitatus
Numerous and widely distributed. Seashore, inland loch
shores, and flying above Forestry Commission plantations, vill-
ages, etc. Breeds islets at mouths of sea lochs.
COMMON GULL Larus conus
Widespread and increasing. Found inland as well as by
shores, nesting on islets in freshwater and salt water lochs, on
mainland beaches, and open, rough country such as Crinan Moss.
LITTLE GULL Larus mLnutus
One, Kilberry, 10th June 1952. One, Ardrishaig, 22nd August
1968.
BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridihundus
Common, inland and by shores. Breeds islets in fresh and
salt water lochs, and open rough country inland.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
105
K ITT I WAKE Rissa tridactyla
Occasional, Sound of Jura. Parties of immature birds seen
mouth of Loch Sween every September, presumably from breeding
colonies on Inner Hebrides.
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo
Common. Appears regularly Crinan Harbour Island, Tayvallich,
and head of Loch Sween in mid-May, but departure dates are less
regular. Breeds.
ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea
Present in large numbers further down sea lochs than the
Common Tern, but also in Tayvallich harbour, mixed with Commons.
Breeds on islets in sea lochs.
SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvdcensds
Occasional ly seen near Kilberry. One, Carsaig Bay, Tayval-
lich, May 1955, but no breeding evidence.
RAZORBILL Alaa torda
Not uncommon, Sound of Jura.
GUILLEMOT Uria aalge
Fairly common, Sound of Jura, but less so than Razorbill.
BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle
Often seen sea lochs and open sea. Breeds on rocky islets.
PUFFIN Fratercula arot-iaa
Fairly often seen near Kilberry; no records from North
Knapdale.
ROCK DOVE Cotumha livia
While still common at Kilberry, has decreased almost to ex-
tinction in North Knapdale, where birds last seen - five together -
on 19th April 1971 . It was , however , always somewhat local there,
but could regularly be seen at Castle Sween and the old ferry
house at Keills, nesting in both places. At Castle Sween apair
of Barn Owls and a Peregrine, now also gone, could be seen, the
Peregrine hunting the doves ! The abandonment of the Castle Sween
site is undoubtedly due to disturbance by the caravan camp. Pro-
bably now breeds only in Kilberry area.
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WOOD PIGEON Colwv.ba palumbus
Common in suitable habitat, of which there is not a great
deal in North Knapdale, owing to preponderance of Forestry Com-
mission conifers holding only a few pigeons , but there is a large
influx of winter visitors to farmlands. Breeds.
COLLARED DOVE Stveptopelia deoaocto
First North Knapdale appearance was on 31st May 1965 at
Kilmartin, where nested. Brood sickened slowly (after fledging)
and died. New brood August 1966. Then several birds seen on
farmland nearby, in February and March 1967. Thereafter a steady
increase, and birds are now widespread and established over whole
area.
CUCKOO Cucutus oanoTus
Common. Breeds.
BARN OWL Tyto alba
Shows universal decrease. Once regular nesting places now
deserted, though breeding evident in some.
TAWNY OWL Stvix aluao
Common. Breeds.
LONG-EARED OWL Asio ctus
Occasionally seen, and in view of the large extent of conifer
plantations one miglit expect it to be commoner. No proof of
breeding in North Knapdale although almost certainly does so.
Believed to have bred near Kilberry from 1947 to 1950 but no
proof obtained.
SHORT-EARED OWL Asia flajnmeus
Fairly common on open ground. Breeds.
NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus europaeus
Never common or widespread, but could be regularly heard in
various haunts, many being now abandoned. A considerable dec-
rease, but still breeds in south of the area.
SWIFT Apus opus
Recorded only from Inveraray, where birds may be seen cir-
cling above the tovm every summer; has nested in past but no
recent evidence. Further information would be welcomed!
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
107
KINGFISHER Ataedo atthis
Occasional in winter and summer at Kilberry; winter only.
North Knapdale.
GREEN WOODPECKER Pious viridis
Recorded only from North Knapdale. One seen at Tayvallich
on 2nd January 1958 , and one apparently resident (possibly one of
a pair) at Castleton-Shirvan estate, by Lochgilphead, during 1974.
Two or three reports of sightings between 1954 and 1960, but not
conclusive.
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrooopus major
Once fairly common in Forestry Commission plantations and
deciduous trees, but steady decrease noted. Breeds.
SKYLARK Alauda arvensis
Common. Breeds.
SWALLOW Eirundo rustiaa
Common. Breeds.
HOUSE MARTIN Deliohon iirbioa
Common near habitation. Breeds.
SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia
Once common, but decrease noted over whole area during last
three years. Breeds.
RAVEN Corvus oorax
Fairly common open country, but slight decrease noted in North
Knapdale. Breeds.
CROW Corvus oorone
Hooded Crow c.o. ccmix common and widely distributed.
Carrion Crow o.o. oorone fairly common, as are Hybrids. Breeds
ROOK Corvus frugilegus
Common. Breeds.
JACKDAW Corvus monedula
Abundant. Breeds.
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MAGPIE Pica pica
Occasional, but now slowly increasing. Sometimes seen
flying across roads in North Knapdale, but apparently absent from
the Forestry plantations. Recently reported to have nested near
Loch Gair. Apparently no records from Kilberry area for past
twelve years.
JAY Garrulus glandariuo
Since colonising Achnamara in 1955, numbers have remained
steady in Forestry Commission woods, and are not apparently
increasing. Does not appear to have spread outside woods, or
down to Kilberry. Breeds.
GREAT TIT Parus mad or
Common. Breeds.
BLUE TIT Parus oaeruleus
Common. Breeds.
COAL TIT Parus ater
Numerous in Forestry Commission plantations. Winters in
large numbers in gardens, using feeding tables, but leaves for
forests March to July. Breeds.
WILLOW TIT Parus muntanus
One, Forestry Commission woods, near Fairy Isles, Loch
Sween, on 5th April 1971 ,
LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus
Fairly common; numbers swelled by winter visitors. Breeds.
NUTHATCH Sitta europaea
In 1879 the Duke of Argyll released several birds near
Inveraray, although nothing further was apparently heard. In
1955 a very keen and earnest observer, aged eleven, gave an
excellent report of one near Inveraray. Since then Nuthatches have
several times been reported in North Knapdale, including several
records by reliable observers (some of whom had previous
experience of Nuthatches in the south of England) during 1972
and 1973. Unfortunately the compilers of this article have not
personally seen the Nuthatch, but its presence in North Knapdale
and Ormsary m.ust now be regarded as almost certain. No Kilberry
records .
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
109
TREECREEPEF’ Certnia familiaris
Seen regularly on living deciduous trees, and on those kil-
led by Forestry Commission ring-barking. Breeds.
WREN Trcglodytes troglodytes
Common, not only in gardens, farmland, and lower slopes of
hills, etc., but in conifer plantations and clearings. Breeds.
DIPPER Ctnelus o'lnalus
Fairly common, fast flowing rivers and burns ; occasionally
freshwater lochs. Breeds.
MI5TLE THRUSH Turdus viseivorus
Fairly common. Breeds.
FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris
Common on passage an.d in winter . Report of breeding in 1972
unsubstantiated, though probably correct.
SONG THRUSH Turdus philorielos
Common, but not widespread. Breeds.
REDWING Tiwdus i li-acus
Common on juissage and in winter.
RING OUZEL TurchiS torquatus
.Although the compilers of this article have seen none per-
sonally, within recent years a few sightings have been reported
by reputable observers; one on hills above Achnamara, one on Oban
road by Ki Imartin, one on Lochaweside, and one or two at Kilberry.
BLAG KB I RD Tiwdus merula
Numierous and widespread. Breeds.
ilHEATEAR Oenantke oeyianthe
Fairly common until 1973/ 74 , when marked decrease. Judging
by reports in various ornithological journals, this decrease was
universal. Breeds.
STONECHAT Saxieola tor qua ta
Conmion. Breeds.
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The Western Naturalist
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WH INC HAT Saxicola rubetra
Common, and appears to be increasing slightly. Breeds.
REDSTART Phoenicurus phoeniaurus
Once fairly common in suitable habitat, but although these
appear unchanged to the human observer, a steady decrease of
the birds is noted. Breeds in south of area.
ROBIN EritJiacus rubeonta
Common and Vv^idespread . Breeds.
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Looustella naevia
Uncom.mon; local and decreasing, owing to encroachment of
habitat by Forestry Commission planting. Breeds.
SEDGE WARBLER Acvooephalus sohcenohaenus
Found in some reed beds and reedy fringes of v/ide ditches,
but less common than might be expected. Breeds.
BLACKCAP Sylvia atvioapilla
As Garden Warbler, but also several records of wintering
birds on garden feeding tables. Reported as breeding in south of
area.
GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia bovin
Occasional summer records , but no definite breeding records .
None for Knapdale, and Kilberry status very doubtful.
WHITETHROAT Sylvia commnis
Fairly common scrub and roadside etc. until 1970; then
sharp decline, continuing until bird was really rare. By 1972
upward trend noted, and by 1974 numbers had reached 1969 status.
Breeds .
WILLOW WARBLER Phyllosoopus trochilus
Common and widespread - gardens, hedgerows, scrub, road-
sides, and lower slopes of hills, etc. Breeds.
CHIFFCHAFF Phyllosoopus oollybita
In deciduous woods, but nowhere common. Breeds in south of
area.
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
111
WOOD WARBLER Phyltosoopus sibilatrix
For several years until 1967 one or tvv'o Wood Warblers were
seen annually in the same place - a few beech trees bordering the
main road from Achnamara to Lochgilphead - but breeding was not
proved, and no more birds were seen until 1975 when one was seen
at the Point of Knap on 7th June. There are a few records from
the bilberry area.
GOLDCREST Regulus regulus
Common Forestry Commission plantations. Breeds.
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER hhiscicapa striata
Fairly common. Breeds. Late date, 27th September 1974.
DUNNOCK Prunella nodularis
Common; gardens, hedgerows, and edges of Forestry Commission
plantations. Breeds.
MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis
Abundant and very widespread; farmland, seashore (in company
with Rock Pipits), and on hills and open country. Breeds.
TREE PIPIT Anthus trivia lis
Not very common, but seen in open country with occasional
trees and gardens. Presumably breeds, but no firm evidence.
ROCK PIPIT Anthus spiyioletta
Common rocky shores. Breeds.
PIED WAGTAIL Motaoilla alba
Common and widely distributed; breeds. WTiite Wagtails are
also seen in the area, fairly commonly on autumn passage and a
few on spring passage. A few White Wagtails can also be seen
most summers, and a juvenile was seen on 10th August 1972.
GREY WAGTAIL Motaoilla oinerea
Fairly common on swift flowing burns; sometimes on shores
of sea-lochs. Breeds. Much scarcer in winter.
YELLOW WAGTAIL Motaoilla flava
On 6th March 1918 one was seen on the bilberry shore by tlie
late Mrs Campbell of bilberry. Two, bilberry shore, 28th August
1968.
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WAXWING Bornbyoilla garrulus
Some sightings every winter. Very large ’explosion' Novem-
ber/December 1965, when exhausted birds were found even on islets
at entrances to sea- lochs.
GREAT GREY SHRIKE Lanius excuhitor
One or two recorded each winter.
STARLING Sturnus vulgaris
Abundant and widespread. Breeds.
GREENFINCH Carduelis chlovis
Common; gardens, deciduous woods, roadsides etc. Breeds.
GOLDFINCH Cavduelis carduclis
Formerly seen only occasionally, but has increased consid-
erably since 1968. Breeds in south Knapdale.
SISKIN Cavduelis spinus
Fairly common winter and summer; alders, scrub etc. Large
'explosion' January/February /March 1970. Breeds.
LINNET Acanthis oannabina
Fairly conunon throughout year, numbers augmented in winter.
Breeds .
TWITE Aeanthis flavivostvis
Occasional to rare in North Knapdale. No Kilberry records.
REDPOLL Aoantkis flammea
Fairly common; alders and scrub. Breeds.
BULLFINCH Pyvvhula pyvvhula
Fairly common; Forestry Commission plantations, gardens,
etc. Considerable increase last six years. Breeds.
CROSSBILL Loxrla ouvvivostva
Occasional in Forestry Commission forests . Bred north Knap-
dale in 1971.
CHAFFINCH Fvingilla ooelebs
Shares with Herring Gull and Common Gull the distinction of
1975
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
113
being probably the most abundant species. Widespread and almost
ubiquitous, with even larger population in winter. Breeds.
BRABBLING Fringilla nontifvingilla
Fairly common in winter.
CORN BUNTING Emheriza aalandra
Fairly commion on farmland. Breeds in south of area.
YELLOWHAMMER Emheriza citrinella
Common. Large flocks seen in winter, alone and in company
with other finches. Breeds.
REED BUNTING Emheriza sohoeniclus
Fairly common, but local; apparently absent from many reedy
places, where one would normally expect to find it. Breeds.
SNOW BUNTIfiG Plectrophenorc nivalis
Occasional winter visitor.
HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
Abundant, but less so than Chaffinch because of its frequ-
enting only by habitations and occasionally farm premises and
farm lands. Breeds.
TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
A small colony of Tree Sparrows was found in scrub bushes
near Keills in 1956, and another in buslies by a farm yard near
Kilmartin in 1963. Apart from these unusual finds there have
been occasional sightings of single birds most years from 1956
to 1974. No proof of breeding, however.
Mrs Ida Rainier, Strone, LOCHGILPHEAD, Argyll, PA31 8PS .
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The Western Naturalist
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SPIDERS AND PHALANGIDS OF INCHCAILLOCH. LOCH LOf^GND
II - SEASONAL ACTIVITY CF HARVESTNiEN
By DAVID J. CURTIS
Department of Biology, Paisley College of Technology
Harvestmen, of the class Arachnida, order Phalangida, in-
clude common species to be found during late summer and autumn
months. Eleven species of these animals have been recorded on
the island of Inchcailloch in the Loch Lomond National Nature
Reserve (Curtis, 1973). Following completion of sampling and
revision of species determination, the seasonal activity of these
species is considered here, based on pitfall captures at four
woodland sites during the two years August 1971 to August 1973,
as described by Curtis (1973). The number of anim.als falling
into the traps is dependent on both population density and the
activity of individual animals; this number is , therefore, a
useful indicator of their effective significance in the ecosystem
to which they belong.
In considering seasonal activity, the following data are
relevant; the num.bers of animals taken, the time of year when
most active and the degree to which this activity is restricted
to a short time interval, i.e. stenochrone, or dispersed through
the year, i.e. eurychrone. As an indication of this third as-
pect, in this paper an index for each species is calculated as
the reciprocal of the sum of squared proportions (p-z!) of annual
total captured in eacli month (i.e. l/^P-z;^). The value of this
index can range from 1.0 for species totally occurring in only
one month, i.e. completely stenochrone, to 12.0 for species
occurring in equal proportions in all twelve months of the year,
i.e. completely eurychrone. These data are considered below
for a total of 11785 adults and sub-adults of tlie eleven species
caught on Inchcailloch.
Nomenclature adopted here is that used by Sankey and Savory
(1974). KTiere this differs from that used in the earlier paper
(Curtis, 1973) the name previously used is given in brackets.
Infrequent Species
Five species were recorded only sporadically or in small
numbers. Otigolopkus Jiansenii- (Kraepelin) (= 0. hanseni (Krae-
pelin)) is a species which typically inhabits branches of trees
etc. It was captured mainly in June-July, a period slightly in
advance of its typical occurrence as indicated by Sankey and
Savory (1974), possibly indicating som.e ground activity before
1975 Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcailloch , Loch Lomond H5
the animals migrate up into the higher herbage, bushes and trees.
Otigolophus meadii Cambridge (= Odiellus meodei (Cambridge) ) was
taken mainly in November, within its normal seasonal range.
Mitostoma ahrysomelas (Hermann) (= Nemastoma ahrysomelas (Her-
mann)) and the very infrequent Megahunus diad.ema (Fabricius)
occurred at scattered intervals through the year, whilst Platy-
hunus tviangutari-s (Herbst) showed its typical pattern of nymphs
taken in tlie winter and adults in summer months.
Frequent Species
Tlie remaining six species were taken in sufficient numbers
to allow examination of seasonality and comparison of the tvvo
12-month periods August 1971-1972 and August 1972-1973.
The most numerous species was Nemastoma bimaoulatum (Fab-
ricius) with 3270 captured in the first year (seasonality index
= 5.00) and 5456 in the second year (index of 4.15). Peak time
of capture was July-Novem.ber and the seasonality indices for both
years show restriction of activity to this time of year, in con-
trast to the continuous activity through the year indicated by
Sankey and Savory (1974). In spite of the rather lovv seasonality
index values, this species is still somewhat more eurychrone than
the other abundant species. Captures of N. b'Lmaouto.tum. were
noticeably higher in the second year of sampling than in the
first (see Figures 1 and 2) .
The next most abundant species, though far less numerous
than N. bimaoulatum^ was Otigolophus (Odiellus) palpinalis (Her-
bst) (= Odiellus palpinalis (Herbst)), with 617 captured in the
first year and 580 in the second. Although the numbers in each
year are similar, this species was much m.ore stenoclirone in 1972-
73 with an index of 1.85, comparing with 3.17 in 1971-72. In
both years the peak activity in October-Decem.ber is slightly
later than the July-November period indicated by Sankey and
Savory (1974) .
Otigolophus tridens (C.L. Koch) was much more numerous
(771 captures) and stenochrone (index of 2.18) in 1971-72 than
in 1972-73 (288; 4.64), although in both years it occurred dur-
ing its expected period of activity from August to November.
This species, in fact , was taken at all four sites, not restricted
to sites 1 and 2 as erroneously described by Curtis (1973) .
Som.ewhat less frequent was Lacinius ephippiatus (C.L. Koch) with
190 captures in 1971-72 (seasonality index of 2.98) and only 82
in 1972-73 (index of 3.99), a pattern similar to the previous
species and also agreeing with its expected time of occurrence.
Otigolophus agrestis (Meade) showed similar patterns in both
years with two annual totals of 129 and 115 and corresponding
indices of 3.66 and 4.15 respectively for 1971-72 and 1972-73;
116
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
Figure 1
1975 Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcailloch, Loch Lomond 117
Figure 2
118
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
the observed activity was slightly later than the usual period
for this species. The least numerous of these abundant species
was M-itopus rnorio (Fabricius) which showed an increase in both
numbers and eurychronicity from 1971-72 (62; 3.81) to 1972-73
(106; 5.41), occurring at the expected active period from August
to December, but also during April-July in 1973.
Explanation of Figures
These data for the frequent species are summarised in Figures
1 and 2, which also indicate the variation in temperature over
each respective period 1971-72 and 1972-73. The maximum, minimum,
and grass minimum tem.peratures are those recorded at the weather
station at Arrochymore, only about 1 km from the island. The
annual means for the respective 12-month periods are indicated
by dotted lines (max - maximum; min - minimum; gm - grass mimiimum.) .
Similarity between the two years' temperature patterns is app-
arent and there is also similarity in the phalangid occurrences.
The tim^e of peak activity of the various harvestm.en is suggestive
of a pattern of succession by the species, particularly the
oligolophines (L. ephippiatus down to 0, agrestis) , with 7/.
bi-maoulatum being slightly more spread through the year. The
relative abundance of the species is shown for the four sites
in each month. Note the difference in scales between the two
figures, especially for N. bimaoulaturrij 0. tri-dens and 0. pal-
pinalis.
N. bimaoulatuni occurs most frequently when the climate
temperature is steady above the annual mean and its numbers
decline with falling temperature. L. ephippiatus increases in
abundance whilst temperature is rising from annual mean and
declines when temperatures are maximal , whereas />A morio activity
increases with rising temperature and then diminishes with falling
temperatures. The latter two species are thus essentially summer
species. The remaining three species could be regarded as autumn
species; 0. tridens increasing while temperature is near m.aximal
levels and decreasing when temperature drops to near minimal;
or winter species, i.e. 0. pdlpinatis occurring when temperature
falls to annual mean levels and 0. agrestis which was taken
mostly while temperatures were largely below the annual mean.
In comparing the two years, there is a similar pattern of
succession shown by the harvestmen. However, in 1972-73, this
seems to start somewhat later; for example in 0. patpinalis^ M,
rnorio^ notably 0. agrestis and to some extent 0. tridens and N.
bimaculatum. In general, the activity peaks for these species
in 1972-73 are about 1-2 months later than in 1971-72. This may
be related to differences in climatic conditions between the
two years. Tliese climatic conditions are, however, modified
1975 Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcailloch, Loch Lomond II9
by the habitat structure, vegetation etc., in which the harvest-
men live. Thus, for example, in both year's sampling later
peaks are seen at station 3 than at the other sites for all
species (apart from L. ephippiatus which is absent from this
site) . This might be explained by the nature of the ground
vegetation cover which at this site includes many mosses, Calluna
and Vaccimiwv, during the winter months these persistent vege-
tative structures could provide some degree of shelter and in-
sulation, allowing later activity of the phalangids.
The picture presented here is a somewhat simplified con-
sideration of the effect of climate on invertebrate activity.
More thorough analysis should include factors other than tem-
perature, such as humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direct-
ion. Consideration of temperature as a meteorological factor
can also include aspects other tlian gross fluctuations. These
other aspects, e.g. occurrence of warm, sunny days, can have a
direct bearing on the activity of harvestmen and spiders in quite
complex ways as indicated by Pearson and IVhite (1964) . It is
hoped to examine these aspects.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to colleagues in the Department of Biology,
Paisley College of Technology, especially Professor J.C. Smyth,
for advice and encouragement; to the Nature Conservancy Council,
Mr. E.T. Idle in particular, for permission to work on the
Reserve; and to the Clyde River Purification Board for meteor-
ological data from their weather station at Arrochymore.
References
CURTIS, D.J. (1973). Spiders and phalangids of Inchcailloch,
Loch Lomond. I. General considerations. Western Nat. 2:
29-39.
PEARSON, R.G. and WHITE, E. (1964) . Factors contributing to the
annual cycles of surface-activity arthropods in moorland
country. Ent. Mon. Mag., 100: 201-206.
SANKEY, J.H.P. and SAVORY, T.H. (1974). British Harvestmen.
Synopses of the British Fauna. No. 4: Linnean Soc. , London.
Dr. David J. Curtis, Department of Biology, Paisley College of
Technology .
120
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF ARRAN
By J.A. GIBSON
Chairman f Clyde Area Branch, Scottish Wildlife Trust
In 1956 I published a small book on The Birds of the Island
of Arran; since then I have continued to visit the island
regularly, and have noted many interesting changes, particularly
amongst the breeding bird populations. This short paper does
not include all changes, which would be tantamount to rewriting
the book, but it does include those changes in the breeding birds
(plus a few 'possibles’) which are more important or more likely
to be of interest to other observers. In my Arran book I wrote
that "there never seems to have been an ornithologist resident
on the island; certainly not one who has been prepared to write
about the birds", but happily this is no longer the case, and
for much help received I should like to express my thanks to Mrs
Margaret H. Dunn, Mrs Monica Priestley and Mr. Howard Walker,
formerly head gamekeeper and now Field Officer with U.F.A.W.
For continued help my thanks are also due to Lady Jean Fforde and
Arran Estates, and to Major P.F.T. Boscawen and Mr. S.C. Gibbs
of Dougrie Estate.
BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arotiea
One pair now nests fairly regularly at a certain loch in
the north of the island; known since at least early 1950s.
RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata
Known to nest on Arran for over a century and now very well
established, with several pairs nesting regularly at hill-lochs,
both in the north and south of the island. Breeding has been
recorded beside at least eight lochs, although not all of these
are occupied every year. Present breeding population possibly
five pairs.
FULMAR Futmarus glacial'is
First known to nest on Arran in 1948, at Drumadoon, and now
nesting at many places along the west and south cliffs, includ-
ing Catacol, Machrie, Drumadoon, Corriecravie, Kildonan and
Corrygills. Prospecting at several other parts of Arran and
also apparently prospecting Holy Island, although Mr. Howard
Walker tells me that there is as yet no sign of breeding.
1975
Notes on the Birds of the Island of Arran
121
CORMORANT Phalaeroaorax carbo
A pair of Cormorants nested on Holy Island in 1968 {Trans.
Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc . f 17: 92); possibly later, but no
proof. Two pairs of Cormorants were nesting in the new Shag
colony at the Black Cave in 1967. Breeding was apparently
attempted in 1968 and 1969 but the nests were destroyed and I
have no later record.
SHAG PhxxtacvoooTox ca'istotelis
Shags began to nest at the Black Cave, Bennan Head, in
1963. They increased quickly and there were eight pairs in 1964;
I counted seventeen nests in 1967, in which year they were joined
by two pairs of Cormorants. Most of the nests were pulled out
and the eggs smashed in 1967, 1968 and 1969, but whether by
fishermen or casual visitors I do not know. A few young birds
were certainly reared in the early- years, but I have no record
of breeding after 1969 {Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 17:
94). I saw two Shags in this area in 1971, but there was no
sign of a nest.
SHOVELER Anas otypeata
On two occasions in the late 1950s a female with young was
seen at Loch a' Mhuilinn^ behind Lochranza. I have no later
record, and this loch has long since dried up, so any further
nesting in this area would be very unlikely.
EIDER Somateria mollissima
A simply remarkable increase during the past twenty-five
years, and now almost certainly the commonest nesting duck.
Nests at very many places around the Arran shores, and on Holy
Island and Pladda.
GOLDEN EAGLE Aquila olwysaetos
At least two, and possibly three, pairs still nesting, but
breeding success variable.
BUZZARD Buteo huteo
A substantial increase, and now nests commonly all over the
island.
SPARROWHAWK Aocvpitev nisus
A marked decrease, in common with many other parts of the
country, and was virtually extinct on Arran by the early 1960s.
Since then the Sparrowhawk has made some sort of recovery and a
good many pairs now nest. The sanctuary provided by the steadily
122
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
increasing plantations of the Forestry Commission may possibly
be a factor in aiding recovery.
HEN HARRIER Ct-raus oyaneus
A very substantial increase, and has become well established
as a breeding species since the early 1950s. Many pairs now
nest all over the island and in some places Hen Harriers are
nesting right in amongst the new Forestry plantations, where they
are apparently choosing these sites in preference to nearby open
moorland.
PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus
Of the eight traditional sites only three or four now seem
to be fairly regularly occupied. There are occasional nests
elsewhere, but these may be existing birds choosing alternative
sites. Young birds have certainly been successfully reared within
recent years, however, and there appears to be good reason for
being optimistic about the Arran Peregrines. Mrs Dunn reckoned
that at least three pairs nested in 1972 (Scot. Birds, 7: 346).
PTARMIGAN Lagopus mutus
Mr. Howard Walker tells me that since winter 1972, and
possibly earlier, several Ptarmigan have been seen in autum and
winter on the high ridges near the head of Glen Sannox. The
Ptarmigan has thus returned to Arran after an absence of three-
quarters of a century. As far as I am aware there has been no
proof of breeding so far, and we can only hope that this will
come fairly soon.
WATER RAIL Ballus aquaticus
In view of the few positive breeding records of this secret-
ive bird it is worth recording the probable breeding in 1972
(Scot, Birds r 7: 347).
CORNCRAKE Crex arex
Still nesting occasionally and can usually be heard calling
in various parts of the island, although numbers can vary very
markedly from year to year.
GREENSHANK Tvinga nehulav%a
A pair heard calling, and seen displaying, at a certain area
of north Arran many times during the summers of the late 1950s
and early 1960s. Breeding strongly suspected but not proved,
and to the best of my knowledge no record since 1963.
1975
Notes on the Birds of the Island of Arran
123
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus mccPt-nus
A very substantial spread and now nesting at many sites
throughout Arran, and on Holy Island and Pladda . The large colony
at the hill-lochs near the Boguillie had increased to nearly
one hundred pairs by 1969 {Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc.,
18; 26), but now appears to be completely deserted.
BLACK- HEADED GULL Larus ridihundus
For some years a small colony nested at Loch a' Mhuilinn,
behind Lochranza, but abandoned this site around 1960 when the
loch had virtually dried up. To the best of my knowledge the
only Black-headed Gulls nesting on Arran at present are a few
pairs nesting sporadically at a marsh near Machrie. Black-headed
Gulls began to nest on Pladda for the first time in 1964, and had
rocketed to nearly two hundred pairs by 1966; numbers were well
down in 1967 and by 1970 they had apparently completely abandoned
the island {Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist. Soc., 17: 119-120).
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo
In 1956 I said I knew of no Common Terns actually nesting
on Arran itself, but confirmation quickly arrived that for some
years a few pairs had been nesting at isolated places along the
west and south shores {Glas. Bird Bull., 7: 12-13); since then
I have seen many nests myself. There are small groups, or
isolated nests, on the shore near Pirnmill, Dougrie, Machrie,
Drumadoon, Kilpatrick, and Corriecravie. Nesting success is
extremely variable, because of frequent disturbance, and nesting
sites are changed very readily. There is also a small but fairly
stable colony of up to a dozen nests, known for the past ten
years and probably earlier, on the shore at Corrygills.
ARCTIC TERN Sterna yaradisaea
Since 1956 a few isolated pairs of Arctic Terns have been
found nesting at several places along the west and south shores
of Arran, from Pirnmill to Corriecravie. Breeding success is
very erratic, however, depending on disturbance,
ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougaVUi
A few pairs bred on Pladda from 1965 to 1967 and probably
earlier {Trans. Buteshire Nat . Hist. Soc., 17; 120). As far as
I know there have been no breeding records since then.
BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle
In 1956 I said I had been unable to prove any breeding of
the Black Guillemot on Arran itself, and appealed for information.
124
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
This prompted Dr. J.M. Leith to write and tell me that he had
known the Black Guillemot to nest at Dippen Head since at least
the early 1930s, and that he had seen nests many times. Acting
on information supplied by Dr. Leith I too visited this site and
was also able to confirm breeding (Trans. Buteshire Nat. Hist.
Soc.f 17: 83). Only one or two pairs seem to breed, and one
particular nesting crevice has been occupied for many years.
COLLARED DOVE Streptopel-ia deaaooto
Known to nest on Arran since at least 1966 and probably
earlier. Now fairly widespread and steadily increasing, as with
most parts of the country.
BARN OWL Tyto atba
The Barn Owl is certainly holding its own on Arran, and in
fact appears to be quietly increasing as a breeding species. In
the early 1950s I knew of only a few pairs, but Mrs Dunn has
recently recorded a clear increase (Scot . Birds , 7 : 365; 8: 255).
NIGHTJAR Caprimutgus europaeus
Formerly very common but had substantially decreased, almost
to extinction, by the mid-1950s. A steady increase in the number
of records within recent years , however, and now probably breeding
more regularly on Arran than at any time during the past half-
century (also see Scot. Birds , 7: 145,365; 8: 256).
KINGFISHER Alaedo atthis
As is now well kno\>m. Kingfishers are certainly returning
to many parts of the West of Scotland. During the past few years
there have been many reports of birds from several Arran rivers,
with good evidence of nesting from the Sannox, Rosa^ and possibly
Machrie, burns.
I^GPIE Pica pica
An increasing number of stragglers has been reported during
the past twenty-five years, and I would not be unduly surprised
to hear of breeding, or attempted breeding, in the not too dis-
tant future.
CHOUGH Pyr>rhoooTox pywhoQovax
During the past ten years I have received several sight
records of Choughs seen in various parts of Arran. Although the
observers have not been ornithologists in the accepted sense,
there is little doubt that these records are perfectly authentic.
I myself have not yet seen a Chough on Arran, but I hope that it
1975
Notes on the Birds of the Island of Arran
125
may soon return as a breeding species. It is certainly in-
creasing in Kintyre.
WILLOW TIT Par us montanus
Since the late 1950s I have received several apparently
perfectly genuine records of Willow Tits on Arran, and have seen
one myself. A bird has also been seen carrying food, thus
suggesting breeding. Any additional information would be very
welcome.
STONECHAT Saxiaola torquata
Making a very substantial recovery as a breeding species
after some years with a very diminished population.
REDSTART Phoeniaurus phoeniourus
Formerly uncommon, but steady increase and by the early
1960s was nesting in reasonable numbers at most suitable places
on Arran. A marked decrease within recent years, however, and
as far as I know very few pairs now nest.
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Looustella naevia
Formerly fairly common but has undergone a very marked de-
crease in numbers during the past few years; indeed in 1973
Mrs Dunn recorded no Grasshopper Warblers at all "for first time
in 18 years" (Scot. Birds, 8; 266).
WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
A pair of birds of theraceA/. a. alba was reported to have
bred at Machrie in 1972 {Scot. Birds, 7: 378).
RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius oollurio
On 16th June 1968 Mr. J. Ian Waddington, Director of the
Clyde River Purification Board, and Mrs. Waddington saw a male
and female Red-backed Shrike near Lochranza. Mr. and Mrs Wadd-
ington are very experienced observers and were familiar with the
Red-backed Shrike which they had recently been watching in Europe.
Unfortunately they had to leave the island the following day
and so were unable to make a detailed search for any possible
nest. I know of no further records.
SISKIN Carduelis spinus
A definite increase on Arran and has recently been recorded
breeding in several areas. The year 1972 was apparently a very
successful breeding year {Scot. Birds, 7: 380).
126
The Western Naturalist
Vol. 4
CROSSBILL Loxia aurvirostra
Since the mid-1950s {Glas. Bird Bull., 7: 13-14) Crossbills
in summer have been reported many times from one particular
area in the south of Arran, and breeding has been strongly sus-
pected on many occasions. Following irruptions. Crossbills have
also been seen on Arran in summer (e.g. Scot. Birds, 7: 382).
To the best of my knowledge, however, proof of breeding has not
yet been obtained.
TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
Several more records have come to light from the Kilpatrick
area, where there was formerly a small breeding population.
As far as I am aware, however, there is no recent evidence of
breeding, and any additional information will be greatly welcomed.
Dr. J.A. Gibson, Foremount House, KILBARCHAN, Renfrewshire .
THE RENFREWSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Founded 1847
Honorary Presidents
Rt. Hon. Viscount Muirshiel, P.C., C.H., C.M.G.
Lord Lieutenant of the County of Renfrewshire
Robert Wilson, Esq., of Johnstone
President of the Society 1932-1966
President
Vice-President
Past-President
Ian W. Grant
Frank Newall
Dr. J.A. Gibson
Honorary Secretary
Honorary Treasurer
Dr. John Hamilton
8 Bal later Drive, Inchinnan
Tel. Inchinnan 569
James Anderson
25 Glentyan Avenue, Kilbarchan
Tel. Kilbarchan 2147
Council
Gordon M. Bain
Albert Clarkson
Mrs. A. Halifax Crawford
Dr. H.S. McCallum
Alan M. MacLaurin
J. Rigby Mirtle
J. Stanley Simpson
Prof. J.C. Smyth
Thomas Yeudall
The Renfrewshire Natural History Society is the oldest Natural History
and Antiquarian society in the West of Scotland. It was founded by the
late Morris Young F.E.S. on 18th December 1847, and is now one of the
oldest County Learned Societies in Great Britain.
The Society deals with all aspects of the history, natural history,
archaeology and antiquities of the county of Renfrewshire, and its general
interests extend over the whole of the West of Scotland. Either directly
or through members it is affiliated to most major natural history and ar-
chaeological organisations in the British Isles.
The Society meets regularly for lectures and discussions during the
winter months, and during summer field meetings are arranged to places of
natural history or archaeological interest. The Society publishes the
Western Naturalist, Proceedings , and a regular newsletter. All
publications, including the Western Naturalist, are sent to members free
of charge.
The annual subscription for full membership is two pounds. Over 65,
juniors, students, and family members: 25p.
Applications for membership should be made to the Secretary.
THE WESTERN NATURALIST
CONTENTS
The Mammals of Kintyre
Dr. J.A. Gibson and Mr. Duncan Colville 1
The Breeding Bird Community of Farmland on Rhum, Inner Hebrides
Mr. Kenneth Williamson 29
Intertidal Algae of Some Estuaries in Galloway
Dr. Martin Wilkinson 42
The Loch Libo Nature Reserve
Professor J.C. Smyth 51
History and Topography of Loch Libo
Mr. Ian W. Grant 53
The Vegetation of Loch Libo and its Management
Mr. Edward T. Idle 58
Summary Notes on the Vertebrate Fauna of Loch Libo and
Neighbourhood
Dr. J.A. Gibson 65
The Coleoptera of Loch Libo
Dr. R.A. Crowson 71
The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Arran
Dr. J.A. Gibson 75
The Romans and Strathclyde: The First Century A.D. Occupation
Mr. Frank Newall 79
Notes on the Birds of Mid-Argyll
Mrs Ida Rainier 95
Spiders and Phalangids of Inchcail loch , Loch Lomond
II - Seasonal Activity of Harvestmen
Dr. David J. Curtis 114
Additional Notes on the Birds of the Island of Arran
Dr. J.A. Gibson 120
Published by The Renfrewshire Natural History Society
Department of Biology, Paisley College of Technology, Paisley
The
Western
Naturalist
Volume Five 1976
Annual Subscription £3.00
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