West Coast Lichen Found in Caithness

An event organised by Highland Council’s Caithness Ranger with the Planning and Development Service has resulted in lichen that usually habitats the West coast of Scotland being found in the North East at Caithness.

Last weekend, a group of local enthusiasts armed with hand lenses entered the fascinating and beautiful world of lichens.

The group was lead by Sandy and Brian Coppins lichenologists from Edinburghs Botanic Gardens. Along with Highland Council’s Ranger they explored a variety of habitats from Dunnet grave yard, to Achvarasdal woodland and Dunbeath seashore and Strath discovering which lichens favoured those sites, how they were structured and how they reproduced.

Senior Countryside Ranger, Mary Legg said: "Lichens at one time played an important role in the dye industry and the collection of the crottel and cudbear was a major employer in the Highlands to feed the dye industry in Glasgow. Nowadays lichen dying is reduced to small scale craft industry.

"As with much of the natural world, lichens have long names that test the memory cells but fortunately the more common ones have English names such as "white wash lichen"; "pepper pot lichen" and one is even blessed with the name of "nicker elastic lichen."

"The lichenologists were delighted to find a new record for Caithness. This was one of the lungworts (pulmonarias) whose common name is green satin lichen. This is usually a west coast species."

The event was organised as an action from the Caithness biodiversity action plan which is part of the Highland Biodiversity Action Plan implementation programme. This programme combines funds and support from the European Union under the North and West Highland Leader+ 2000-2006 programmes, Scottish Natural Heritage and The Highland Council.