27 January 2012

Did you know that the coastlines of Scotland – if straightened out and represented by a single line of seashells – would stretch from here to Indonesia? If you replace seashells by gulls’ skulls, stranded flip-flops or deep-fried chocolate eggs they would stretch just the same distance – all the way to Indonesia. What I can’t tell you is where in Scotland the stretch commences and where in Indonesia it finishes, but we can all agree it’s a fair muckle distance. It reminds me of what the American writer and wit Dorothy Parker once said: If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn’t be surprised. If all the staff of Scottish Natural Heritage were … fan mussels they would form the largest known population of fan mussels in UK waters.

The fan mussel is Scotland’s largest seashell. It anchors itself to the seabed with silken threads so golden that it’s thought they were once used to decorate the robes of kings. These marine bivalves are, you’ve guessed it, fan-shaped, grow up to 48cm long (or 18 inches in real pounds and ounces), and are one of Britain’s most endangered molluscs. The largest UK population, well over 100, reside just south of Skye.

Do you know that 10 per cent of the global population of pink-footed geese spend their winter holidays at Loch Leven, 20,000 of the honkers?
Do you know that Rum is the home to almost a third of the world population of Manx shearwater? They make a round trip of 13,000 miles every year, from Rum via the South American coast to the Falkland islands, and then via the African coast back to Rum.
Do you know that a national wildness map of Scotland is being prepared showing the degree of wildness, according to four stated criteria, of the landscape? Wildness maps for the Cairngorms National Park and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are now available.

Do you know that the proper name of the Manx shearwater is Puffinus puffinus? And thereby hangs a tale, but not one which you will find in the latest edition of The Nature of Scotland, the splendid quarterly magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage, from where I have learned all the other information I have cited.

I have puffed up this mag before on Sustainable Scotland, but it’s worth doing so again. The current issue, Winter 2011, contains articles – among others – on Scotlands wildlife and landscapes in winter; marine protection areas (for the fan mussels and other sealife); outdoor activities for youth; fantastic readers’ photographs (it’s the photographs that are fantastic, not necessarily the readers!); high-quality urban design that’s good for people and wildlife; the reintroduced beavers; Loch Leven and its waterfowl. That’s some of the topics covered – it’s all very interesting, informative, readable and wonderfully illustrated. (And I shouldn’t forget Naked appreciation – for that is surely the best way to appreciate Scotland’s woods in winter!)

You can download or browse a copy from the SNH website, or you can subscribe and get the print version sent to you every quarter for free. And why not? Especially since the print version is much better than the digital version (well, in my opinion). If you want more information about wildness mapping and to view the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs map click here. For information about the Cairngorms wildness study and mapping, click here.

Finally, more about the fan mussel. It has strong threads so fine that they can attach to a single grain of sand and so like human hair that superstitious seamen believed the creatures fed upon drowned sailors. So, if you are intending to drown you might consider doing so just south of Skye so that you provide some nice, tasty human flesh, blood and hair for the fan mussels. There is currently no fan mussel fan club or fanzine.

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