Natural History in the Highlands and Islands

About this book

Complete your New Naturalist collection with Harper Collins's facsimile versions, which are printed on demand. Natural History in the Highlands and Islands was first published in 1947.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are rugged moorland, alpine mountains and jagged coast with remarkable natural history, including relict and specialised animals and plants.

Here are animals in really large numbers: St. Kilda with its sea-birds, North Rona its seals, Islay its wintering geese, rivers and lochs with their spawning salmon and trout, the ubiquitous midges! This is big country with red deer, wildcat, pine marten, badger, otter, fox, ermine, golden eagle, osprey, raven, peregrine, grey lag, divers, phalaropes, capercaillie and ptarmigan. Off-shore are killer whales and basking sharks. Here, too, in large scale interaction is forestry, sheep farming, sport, tourism and wildlife conservation.

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Biography

F. F. Darling: 1903-1979. Animal ecologist, conservation prophet and environmental sage, author of Natural History in the Highlands and Islands (1947). A much-admired but enigmatic man, melancholic, reflective, perhaps more influential as a philosopher than scientist. Lived primitive life on islands, but liked his comforts – books, claret, pets and collections of jade, carpets, bronzes and glassware from around the world.