Hilltop frogs
Sunday 31st March 2024 was an exceptionally warm day, with temperatures near sea level in excess of 15 degrees C. Gwen and I were watching people sunbathing and swimming some way north of Assynt, at Oldshoremore.
Some folk, however, are made of sterner stuff, and Chris Puddephatt was exploring higher ground at the summit of Beinn Gharbh (539m, 1797 ft) and across the plateau south of it, towards Beinn Reidh.
This area is known to geologists for extensive sills (horizontal intrusions) of the striking igneous rock known as the Canisp Porphyry (photo 1), which also occurs as much thinner bands on Canisp and Suilven. The edge of the plateau also affords great views, across the valley of the River Loanan, of the limestone cliffs of Creag Sron Chrubaidh and Conival behind them (photo 2).
There are two quite large lochs in this area and also a scatter of much smaller pools, which Chris reports were occupied by ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of spawning frogs (photo 3, taken at NC21582186).
I cannot find any previous records of spawning in this area, which is at an altitude of 475m (1583ft). It is interesting that it was over six weeks later than this year’s first record, by David and Avril Haines, at an altitude of about 50m (160ft) near Culkein Drumbeg.
If I remember correctly, there are records of frogs in Lochan Ruadh, between Spidean Coinich and Bealach a’Chornaidh on Quinag, at an altitude of 750m (2500ft). I wonder how high they go locally?
Ian M. Evans
All photos by Chris Puddephatt