2021-33 | Mull of Galloway | Galloway Forest Park 

Hello Samuel, glad you enjoyed the video, and even better that it brought back some fond memories for you. ATB, Dave and Mo

Yes, a beautiful garden.

Good morning Martin. Galloway is a lovely area with lots to do. The wee roads are generally pretty quiet and there are lots of hills and tracks to hike, where it is unlikely you'll meet a soul. Hah, Mo does indeed know the limited extent of my fishing skills, and my unlimited chocolate eating ability :). Hope all is well with you. ATB, Dave and Mo

Hello Harry, I've worked there on a number of occasions, and climbed all the Galloway hills. However, this trip was a first for (van) camping down at the Mull. It was very peaceful, and, as you say, pretty midge free. The midges were more troublesome in the forest, but we expected as much. ATB, Dave and Mo

Thanks Graham, yes all good here. It was a lovely trip. The visit to the garden was the highlight, especially the opportunity to catch up on news from former colleagues and friends. ATB, Dave

Good morning John, yes, its a lovely area. The sea breeze on the Mull was just about about strong enough to keep the midges at bay and we were untroubled during our walk around the garden. Dusk was pretty buggy in the hills, but no midges in the morning. They seemed more attracted to the camera than me; don't know what to make of that :) ATB, Dave

Hello Karen, yes Logan Botanic Garden is one of the gems. A really unique garden, full of tree ferns, palms and other warm temperate plants. The garden, sometimes referred to as 'the Gulf Stream Garden', enjoys a mild maritime climate, permitting the cultivation of numerous species otherwise regarded as non-hardy in Scotland. I've been lucky enough to have discovered and collected species novae (new, and therefore unnamed species) on several of my expeditions. As a field worker, it wasn't my job (or profession) to name plants, although I have co-authored and published some accounts of new species discovered during my expeditions to the Sino-Himalaya. The days of naming plants after botanists and field workers are largely over, and possibly even frowned upon by some. I named (along with a Chinese friend and co-worker, a particularly bonnie Rhododendron, Rh maxiongense, but we chose to name it after the mountain whence it was discovered, Maxiongshan, or Maxiong Mountain, in NW Yunnan. I think my best new species 'find' was a stunning Himalayan Rowan tree, collected on a miserable wet day at high altitude, when I was suffering badly from expedition fatigue and in much need of a hot shower and decent meal. I remember wondering why I was even bothering to collect specimens when I felt so ill. Anyhow, I half-heartedly gathered up a few fruits, thinking to myself "I don't recognise this species at all", only to discover much later that it was new to science. But my all-time favourite collection is Incarvillea lutea, a yellow flowered Incarvillea, much fabled as extinct when I was a young collector, some even suggesting that it never actually existed at all. I spent a good many years searching for it, to eventually discover it growing at relatively low elevation, above the Yangtze River. During my time as manager of the Field Station in China, I raised many hundreds of plants of this Incarvillea, as part of a conservation programme and was eventually able to establish some wild populations in their natural habitat. Oh my, this reply has turned into a botanical essay, my apologies. Hope you guys are well. ATB, Dave

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 I thank you for this reply and notes were taken. I was lucky to study with Dr. Ernest Chalmers Smith at Acadia University in the 1960s and he in turn was a student with the American botanist Dr. Merritt Fernald at Harvard University. I cherish the time spent in the field with other students in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and at the Kentville Research Station. And I did note the pink Incarvillea in your home garden. I noticed also your mention of the Rowan tree at the stone house and its magical protective qualities for Celtic peoples.

@@karenmacleod6816 Hi Karen, fieldwork is absolutely the best part of botany, especially when supervised by an enthusiastic professor. You are so fortunate to have such memories. Field botany, both professional and amateur, is becoming a thing of the past, the demise of the craft hastened by smart phones with apps. I fear we may one day have a generation who can’t tell a primrose from an oak tree :). At some stage during my plant identification career, it all became intuitive, almost subliminal. No longer did I need to count petals nor look at leaf margins, for the names just jumped out at me. Sadly, the break in my fieldwork, as a result of COVID, has taken the edge off my identification skills. I’m looking forward to getting back to the big hills again one day though, and hoping the names filter back. ATB, Dave

Hello Gary, great to hear from you. I'm sure you'll make it over the pond to Scotland and experience the hills and glens for yourself. The white tree is a Eucalyptus, which contrasts wonderfully with the Black Tree Fern. I thought it was an inspired example of garden design. However, I was told it is purely coincidental that the two plants find themselves growing in such close proximity. I hope the visit with the doc went well. Blue side up Gary and stay positive. All the best, Dave and Mo

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 BTW, I think that lighthouse was up for sale. Not the actual light house but the cottages at the base. I am always searching the property listings. Lol

@@garyb8528 The cottages now seem to be used for holiday accommodation. I'm not sure who bought them, but some of the land is now in community ownership. There are some lovely properties in the area. I also like to keep an eye on the listings.....I'd love a few acres of wild land, to convert into a natural garden. Let us never give up on the dreams Gary. Blue side up. Dave

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 Yes Dave. The cottages were sold as holiday property. I used to paint lighthouses and this one had such a beautiful location on the cliffs. I would gladly be a lighthouse keeper. Blue side up, keep the dreams alive!

Good morning, the fishing seems to be good there, but I didn't have much luck. The lad fishing along the cliffs from me was doing well. We were separated by some difficult terrain, so I couldn't chat to him. He was bait fishing, but I couldn't see what he was using. He landed a good number of mackerel. I was lure fishing, with only limited success. I'd like to go back and try again. It is a really bonnie area, with friendly people. Glad you enjoyed the vid, thanks for viewing and commenting, very much appreciated. ATB, Dave

Good morning John, thanks for tuning in. Can I ask if you encountered any ticks on your visit to Loch Dubh Beag? I'd like to do some paddling in the Coigach area but was putting it off until the autumn because of tick numbers this summer. ATB, Dave

Yes not to bad , few midgies about at late afternoon must be the water + being a bit shelters up there.

@@johnhealy9231 Thanks John

Thanks Dave. It would be good to meet up. I'm pretty busy just now, planning on getting away again soon. Are you on FB? If so, we could communicate by PM and maybe hook up for a wee walk if time allows. If you let me know your FB name, I'll search for you. ATB, Dave

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 hi dave it’s dave barrie 👍🏽

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 what’s your FB name ?

@@DaveDoesOutdoors Can you give me some clue to your profile, as there are too many folk listed under Dave Barrie. Cheers. D

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 what’s your fb name?