Machair in bloom
Posted: Wednesday, 05 July 2006 |
It's July and the machair blooms again. I blogged about this in the early days of Island Blogging, showing two pictures taken in late July 2005. Went to Ness this morning and found flowers stretching as far as the eye could see on the Eoropie machair.
The machair is a unique habitat found in the Western Isles. It is created by sand, which includes ground-up shells, blown onto peatland. The calciumcarbonate in the shells neutralises the acid in the peaty soil, leaving a very fertile environment. At Eoropie, a small river courses through this environment, and it boosts the flowers.
One other comment I need to make (I cannot leave comments on the Island Blogging blogs, yon error message keeps coming up - Graham, any further news?) is that I'm a bit disappointed at the state in which the Dell Fank has been left following the Dating Extravaganza. Just LOOK at it
The machair is a unique habitat found in the Western Isles. It is created by sand, which includes ground-up shells, blown onto peatland. The calciumcarbonate in the shells neutralises the acid in the peaty soil, leaving a very fertile environment. At Eoropie, a small river courses through this environment, and it boosts the flowers.
One other comment I need to make (I cannot leave comments on the Island Blogging blogs, yon error message keeps coming up - Graham, any further news?) is that I'm a bit disappointed at the state in which the Dell Fank has been left following the Dating Extravaganza. Just LOOK at it
Comments
can you get a close up photo of the mac chair it looks interesting but we can't see what its really like. looks like stuff we have on our beaches, but not sure. The fank - the Arran lasses were to tidy up as they were last to leave. speak to them direct - if you dare.
scallowawife from shetland
That's just a front - everything's in storage in Granny's barn - we can have the place looking like Glastonbury in under two hours whenever we need to.
calumannabel from The Fank Suite Sandy Lane Hotel Skigersta
The Eoropie machar is pretty spectacular alright but it also has a lot to do with the fact that's it's now managed under the Rural Stewardship Scheme and the grazing committee concerned get paid a great deal to look after it. Look after it insofar as as they have to remove stock during a prescribed period. The machair is fertile alright, fertile enough to grow money.
Dave from Western Isles
AL is correct: problems on the IBHQ website and on publication blogging comments. Erratic (the nice euphemism for "awful."). When entries get lost haphazardly, attempted jokes fall flat, and entries are left dangling .... Solve it pronto, Graham, or I may just refuse to pay the 成人快手 license fee next time the mailman brings me the bill up here in the high (Chihuahuan) desert.
mjc from NM,USA
Scallowawife, m'deario, ye need seek no further than Somebugger Airport for machair. HIAL were advised by some morons to poison the whole damn lot several years ago, which they did, but it has since recovered. Fpu picknicked on it in her yoof. I am still in mine! Hah!
Flying Cat from Nose in the Readers Digest Book of Flowers
I have been in Lewis since late 2004 and am observing life on this fascinating island from an outsider's perspective. I look out at the lighthouse every day - as it looks out over the island and the sea. 
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