Exploring Quinag: east of Allt na Claise
South of the B869, just east of the entrance to Ardvar, there is broken rocky ground leading up to the foot of Sail Ghorm on Quinag (NC1832). It is one of many parts of the parish not explored in detail when we were recording the flora of Assynt in the 1990s. It contains a corner of the Quinag estate, drained by two tributaries of the Allt na Claise (map, photo 1).
The forecast for August 31st 2022 looked settled, at the end of a changeable month, so I thought I might have a look at that area. I parked by the path up to a viewpoint overlooking Eddrachillis Bay (NC180328), walked down the road to the course of a small burn running under the road to the south, and then up it. It drains a broad boggy valley (photo 2) with scattered black bog-rush, indicating some base-flushing from the underlying gneiss. About 400m to the east, I found the boundary between Ardvar ground to the north and Quinag to the south, an old fence-line now just marked by heavy gauge galvanised iron posts, which dates back to the late 1930s.
Ridge with prostrate junipers
Having crossed onto JMT land (NC18353252), I was able to start recording, working my way south towards some small crags, which proved rather dour (photo 3). Soon afterwards, a prominent flattish ridge appeared, slanting off upwards towards Quinag (photo 4). The gneiss here is well plastered with lichens, indicating some mineral enrichment (unlike the crags). It has weathered into bumps and hollows and may have been exposed to the elements ever since the ice retreated.
Shallow stony hollows in the ridge were occupied by a substantial number of low, old, plants of prostrate juniper (photo 5). I noted over 30 before I gave up counting; this must be one the largest populations on Quinag of this iconic woody plant, a speciality of the North-West Highlands. Surrounding vegetation is thin, wind-pruned and short, which may have saved the junipers from the fires which have raged across parts of the hill in the past. There were spectacular views from the ridge (photo 6).
More recent additions to the ridge were three cairns on viewpoints, two comparatively recent and probably built by ‘walkers’, but one, the highest, rather older (photo 7). Other species of interest up the ridge were few, but included the silvery rosettes of mountain everlasting and scattered spikes of heath spotted-orchid.
Bog pool
Below the highest cairn there was a small bog pool (photo 8), just inside my target monad (at NC18853200), which afforded a comfortable site for lunch and more good views, to the east, of the bridge over the Kyle and the sea-lochs and hills beyond it (photo 9).
My lunch break was extended by an attempt to identify at least two species of dragonflies that were patrolling it. One was readily named from its uniform dark colour and small size as a male black darter (photo 10); I later saw a pair egg-laying on the edges of the pool. The other was a hawker, which I was later able to confirm from some rather blurry photos a s a male common hawker; at least two males were present, spiralling upwards in combat at times, and I also saw a pair egg-laying. Other features of the bog pool were green bootlace leaves of floating bur-reed and whirligig beetles gyrating on the surface.
Tributary burn
Tearing myself away from this pleasant spot, I began to drop down west of the ridge, picking up the boggy flushes which feed this tributary of the Allt na Claise. They were marked by clumps of black bog-rush, accompanied by predictable associates, including few-flowered spike-rush, marsh arrowgrass, dioecious and tawny sedges, and a perennial favourite, still in flower, pale butterwort, swelling my still sparse list.
By sticking close to the often-hidden course of the burn, I was able to add further species, albeit only in penny numbers. A tiny patch of slightly more diverse grassland (contrasting with the widespread tussocky purple moor-grass), for example, yielded selfheal, creeping and meadow buttercups and heath speedwell.
Another tiny area beside a small waterfall provided just one plant of primrose, as well as wild thyme. A small crag bore almost the only tree seen all day, a tiny holly, although there were occasional seedling rowans.
Animal life was sparse apart from many late-stage nymphs of the meadow grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus, water crickets on a pool and a number of recently emerged frogs.
Eventually the tributary burn I was following dropped sharply down towards the main valley of the Allt na Claise. I kept up high, made my way round along the line of the old fence posts marking the boundary of the Quinag estate (photos 12-13), and then dropped down to my starting point. Regrettably just outside the boundary, there was a fine stony flush full of yellow saxifrage, which was recorded, since I had seen it nowhere on the JMT property that day.
Results
I reached the car after five hours on the hill, having logged 66 species of higher plants. It had been a very pleasant day in previously unexplored ground, with great views, in wall-to-wall sunshine and, more importantly, a steady breeze. The flourishing population of prostrate juniper was the best find, but I was once again reminded of the significant contribution made to plant diversity in many parts of Quinag of small scraps of vegetation along watercourses.
Ian M. Evans
All photos by the author