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Notes: Nature, Enviroment and Places Scottish Wildcat
It is thought that there are fewer than 400 Scottish wildcats left in the wild and extinction is a real threat.
The wildcat has a well defined brown and black striped coat and looks like a very strong and muscular domestic tabby. It walks more like a big cat and its face and jaw are wider than a domestic cat. | The best identification feature is the tail, thick and ringed with perfect black and brown bands ending in a thick black blunt tail.
The Scottish wildcat is Britains only surviving native cat.
If you think you've seen a wildcat E-mail sightings@scottishwildcat.co.uk
Include as much information as possible, i,e description, photograph if possible and an accurate location preferably a grid reference or name of area. |
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel is native to Britain, but its future is increasingly uncertain as the American grey squirrel expands its range across the country. Red squirrels have russet red fur but coat colour can vary. They are small with ear tuffs anf there is little difference between males and females, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the sexes. | They are very elusive and spend much of their time in the tree canopy. Tell tale signs to look for large dreys (nest) in the trees, scratch marks on bark and chewed pine cones that look like an apple core. Very easily frightened and will disappear very quickly. |
| Sea Eagle
White tailed sea eagles may still be an unusual sight in many parts of the country, but for some 30 years now they've been soaring of the island of Mull.
It is the fourth largest eagle in the world and Scotlands largest bird of prey. They can live to an average age of 21 years and mate for life although if one of the pair dies the other will readily find a new mate.
The bird has a number of names in Gaelic including iolaire suil na greine or eagle of the sunlit eye.
Sea eagles remains have been found in 4000 year old burial mounds alongside human remains, suggesting they where revered by our ancestors. |
GAELIC - ENGLISH
- abhainn river
- allt stream
- ath ford
- ban, bhan white
- bealach pass
- beag, bheag little
- bhogha bow
- breac, bhreac speckled
- biorach pointed
- buidhe yellow
- caillich old woman
- caisteal castle
- camas bay
- caorach rowan berries
- ceum step
- cioch breast
- cir comb
- cnoc knoll
- coire, choire corrie
- coille wood
- creag crag
- dearg red
- donn, duinnh brown
- dubh black, dark
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- eas waterfall
- eilean island
- fada long
- faoileag gull
- fionn white,fair
- garbh rough
- gearr short
- glais stream
- glas, ghlas pale, grey
- iolaire eagle
- lagan hollow
- leathan broad
- meall hummock
- mor,mhor great,large
- mullach top, ridge
- odhar dappled
- oighe maiden
- reamhar fat
- ruadh red,russet
- sgurr peak
- stob point
- stuc pinnacle
- torr hillock
- uaine green
- uisge water
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 Ardnamurchan: Aird nam Murchan: Headland of the great seas. Ardnamurchan is noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being single track road for much of the way. The whole north western corner of Ardnamurchan contains a complex volcanic structure, often described as a "Caldera". (See satellite photograpth above the red arrows indicate the craters rim). Rare species such as wildcat, pine martin. golden eagle and white tailed sea eagles can be seen in the area, however you would be extremely lucky if you saw a wildcat, as they are very elusive. | Adder Walkers often come across adders soaking up the sun by the side of a path or on sun soaked rocks. The adder is the only venomous snake native to the UK. If seen best left alone as they will only bite in self defence, or if accidently trod on.
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And even if you are bitten, no one has died from an adders bite in the UK for more than 20 years, the worst thing that can happen is nausea and drowsiness and a bit of swelling in the area of the bite. Mind you it still is advisable to seek medical attention. The thing is to treat the Adder with respect. As snakes, adders tend to be fairly short and robust with large heads and rounded snout. Their red-brown eyes have vertical elliptical, rather than round pupils-a feature of all venomous snakes. (Note: If you can see this feature in their eyes you are definetly too close). Males are usually a grey or buff colour with vivid black markings although they can vary from silver to yellow or green. Females are brown with dark red-brown markings that are less prominent tha in the males. Both sexes have a zigzag pattern running along their backs. A variety of predators threaten adders, including birds of prey, but the snake is protected by law against being killed or injured through human activity. Note: Last year in May I saw three on the path up Goat Fell in one day.
 Black Grouse Its one of the great sights of nature, the curiosly lekking ritual of the black grouse. Found in upland areas of Wales, the Pennines and most of Scotland. black grouse or black cock, can often been seen on moorland, clearings in woodland or on the edges of forests. The birds have traditional lek sites where the males display. These displays usually occur in the early morning in the spring when the blackcock gather, to display in order to attract a female. So you will have to be up early to see this but first of all you have to locate the lek area.
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