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u3a Botany Group - Loch of Bosquoy - 23 June, 2026
by Kate Sutton - 15:56 on 28 June 2026
Seven botanists arrived to take in the delights of the Loch of Bosquoy on a beautiful warm, breezy, no-midgey afternoon
Loch of Bosquoy is a very secluded location in Orkney, with narrow paths in a sea of knee deep Meadowsweet, not yet out, but soon to be froth of scented creaminess. The beauty of this walk is that it encompasses 3 different habitats and their varying plants in a small area.
We started at the stoney edge of the loch, which, in places, was lined with the yellow flowers of Lesser Spearwort and the neat black and green heads of the Common Sedge. (Glaucous Sedge also grew nearby). Being without John Crossley on this outing, we made a poor job of the identification of the reeds/ rushes/ and water plants. However from a previous outing with John, we identified the Common Club Rush, which, in Orkney, only grows at the Loch of Bosquoy. Among the other plants that we found along the shoreline, were Marsh Bedstraw, Marsh Marigold, Water Forget-me-not and patches of Marsh Cinquefoil. There were areas of Reed Canary-grass, Yellow Iris and Spike Rush. Shoreweed was just visible in the silt below the water’s edge. At one point of the lochside in a less sheltered area, we were all fascinated by a noticeable covering everywhere of what appeared to be maybe (?) white seeds. But looking through eye glasses, proved to be the empty cases of hatched out mayflies, of which there must have been millions of hatchings.
Common Club-rush Marsh Bedstraw
Mayfly nymph cases
Noting the yellow flowers of the Silverweed, we walked on to examining the flowers of the heath habitat which rises up from the Meadowsweet covering at the loch edge. Here we found Heath Bedstraw (providing a good comparison with the water variety, which they resemble closely, but appearing in different habitats), Lady’s Bedstraw, Thyme, and 6 varieties of legumes all in flower, Meadow Vetchling, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Bush Vetch, Tufted Vetch, and red and white Clover. Also in flower were Gorse, Heath Speedwell, Slender St John’s-wort and Wild Thyme, and areas of Bell Heather, just appearing. The grasses we managed to identify were False Oat-grass, Crested Dog’s-tail, and Meadow Foxtail.
Bell Heather just coming out Heath Bedstraw
Thyme
Climbing a gate, we then moved on to the field. This has been badly plunged by cattle, and the vegetation eaten, but the cattle are gone, and the flowers are reappearing. Here we found the delicate, tiny Bog Stitchwort (petals shorter than the sepals to distinguish them from the other stitchworts), and the flowers of the Water Forget-me-nots were appearing in pristine condition out of the hoof holes. Among the other flowers found in this habitat were Ragged Robin, Northern Marsh Orchids and Yellow Rattle. We also noted the hollow stem of Water Horsetail, contrasting with the appearance and non hollow stem of the Field Horsetail which we had found in the previous habitats.
Water Forget-me-nots
The sun shone for us, the breeze kept the midges at bay, and we all enjoyed a good day of varied flowers in the different habitats.
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