BSBI Annual Summer Meeting

***SORRY CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19***

2020 BSBI Annual Summer Meeting

This year’s annual summer meeting will be held in the small Scottish Borders town of Melrose, a small, attractive town with numerous cafes, boutiques and popular tourist spots including Melrose Abbey and The Eildon Hills National Scenic Area. Much of the local area is rural, with gently rolling hills and a great variety of lowland and marginal habitats. Of special interest are the numerous basin mire fens, many of which are calcareous, which together form the largest concentration of this botanically rich habitat in the UK.

Accommodation

We plan to use the Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose as a base and we will have local field trips on the Friday morning before a simple lunch at the hotel at 1pm followed by afternoon excursions and three further days of field meetings. So, you can make the weekend 2.5, 3 or 4 days long. There will be after-dinner talks and activities. The Waverley Castle Hotel does a great three-night DB&B deal but has a limited number of single rooms. Do not try and book online - it is best to phone the hotel directly on 01896 822244 (between 9am -5pm) and tell them you are part of the BSBI group.  Alternatively, share a twin with a friend, or there are plenty other hotels, guest houses and B&Bs in the area. Note that all accommodation should be booked directly with providers.

Friday Lunch

There will be a charge of £10 per person for the soup and sandwich lunch on Friday at 1pm.  This will be a great chance to meet old and new friends at the start of the long-weekend.

Administration Charge

In addition to lunch and any accommodation charges everyone planning to participate must book and pay a small flat rate admin charge of £20 to cover room hire, volunteers' and speakers' expenses.  The charge is the same regardless of whether you plan to join the meeting for one day or all 4 days.  

Payment by Cheque

Please use the book and pay online – it’s easy to use and saves me a lot of time.  However if members prefer not to pay online, they may send me a Cheque, made out to "BSBI" to cover the charge and any lunch(es).  I'll then send you a promotion code which will allow you to complete your booking online, including selecting the field excursions, without further cost.  Please send your cheque, including brief details and your email address, to Jim McIntosh, BSBI Scottish Officer, RBGE, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR.

Maximum number

As we only have capacity to organise so many field meetings in parallel and numbers on each will be limited, there is an overall limit of 45 on the Annual Summer Meeting (regardless of where you plan to stay).  Consequently if you have booked accommodation already - book your place on this webpage asap.  If you have yet to book accommodation, check that there are places available on the ASM by booking here before booking accommodation.

Field excursions

To lure you to Melrose we are offering four days of visits led by local experts to some of the most interesting botanical locations in the Borders! On each day we will run three or four field meetings in parallel. Apart from Friday all excursions will be full day. On Friday there will be a half day excursions before and after lunch. Please indicate which of the following meetings you would be most interested in on each day. The programme is indicative and subject to change depending on the weather and how popular each excursion is (if particular excursions are popular we will try to repeat them if possible). But generally numbers will be limited and it may not be possible to give everyone their preferred choices.

Cauldshiels and Faldonside Lochs (15): Friday morning and repeated Friday afternoon

These small, scenic lochs within easy reach of Melrose will be visited for a leisurely half day excursion focussing on aquatic plants. Little walking will be required. Both these lochs are poorly recorded in recent years, but historic records show them to be rich.  Cauldshiels has records of seven Potamogeton taxa, including Potamogeton x angustifolius and Red Pondweed, P. alpinus last recorded in 1974 and Long-stalked Pondweed, P. praelongus last recorded in 1934. The remaining four taxa have all been recorded more recently, but need updating in the current date class. Faldonside Loch is designated as a SSSI for its “lowland marl Loch”, it has been surprisingly poorly recorded for aquatic plants, but previous records show an additional two Potamogeton taxa are possible. We will also collect any Charophytes and identify these back in Darnick village hall.

Newtown St Boswells Woods SSSI (15): Friday afternoon

On Friday afternoon only we will have a half day visit to the above site and also take in some local history on the way. After admiring (Sir Walter) Scott’s view of the Tweed and Eildon Hills, we will park at Dryburgh, visit the Temple of the Muses Folly, cross the River Tweed on a chain suspension bridge (not as scary as it sounds!) and explore Newtown St Boswells Woods SSSI.  This is one of the better extents of base rich, ravine woodland in the area. Characteristic plants include Alternate-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Chrysosplenium alternifolium, Toothwort, Lathraea squamaria, Large Bitter-cress, Cardamine amara and Wood Stichwort, Stellaria nemorum. The paths are generally good, but a number of flights of stairs are involved. Depending on time, optional “add-ons” may include the spectacular Wallace Monument; the Cedars-of-Lebanon Cedrus libani planted by the Monks at Dryburgh Abbey and a recently discovered (in winter!) site for Annual Knawel, Scleranthus annuus. The latter has not been visited in the summer and may hold other interest.

Tweedwood-Gateheugh (12): Friday afternoon

Tweedwood – Gateheugh is a long strip of ancient woodland along the River Tweed, which starts at the picturesque Leaderfoot bridges, east of Melrose. Whilst the woodland (much managed) and river banks are interesting, the most diverse area is a little further east of Leaderfoot, where the river begins to cut against a cliff of calcareous rock. The flora of the woodland is fairly typical but species rare or uncommon in the Borders such as Lesser Meadow-rue, Thalictrum minor, Common Rock-rose, Helianthemum nummularium, Stinking Hellebore, Helleborus foetida and Rock Whitebeam, Sorbus rupicola also appear. The woodland is a SSSI and is also important for a number of specialist deadwood beetles.

Access from Leaderfoot Lodge for the first kilometre is easy and level with river and woodland banks to explore. At the far eastern end, there are some steps and access is narrow at points especially between the cliff and the river! It may be possible to take a few cars and park at a fishing hut. 

Blackpool Moss & Beanrig Moss (15): Saturday

These mosses are part of the Whitlaw Mosses SSSI which includes some of the best wetland sites in the Borders, each mire has its unique suite of species characterised by variations of herb-rich sedge fen, brown moss lawns, upwelling springs, lime-rich short sedge flushes, tall herb meadow and wet woodland of willow or birch. The sites are noted for their nationally scarce species, including Coralroot Orchid, Corallorhiza trifida, notoriously fickle in its appearance; Alpine Rush, Juncus alpinoarticulatus, a flourishing area of Holy-grass, Hierochloe odorata and a very restricted area of Narrow Small-reed, Calamagrostis stricta. There is however a rich range of other species common to wet mires including at least ten sedges, Cowbane, Cicuta virosa and Round-leaved Wintergreen, Pyrola rotundifolia.  

William Hope and Glenkinnon Burn (15): Saturday

We will visit two adjacent SSSIs, one woodland and one grassland and heathland. The grassland is one of the finest examples of unimproved lowland grassland in the Borders and on a steep curving hillslope, with abundant ant hills, has the feel of a chalk down of the north! Common Rock-rose, Helianthemum nummularium is abundant and unimproved grassland specialist such as Betony, Betonica officinalis and Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia species are present. The Glenkinnon burn has upland mixed ashwood in its lower stretches merging through wet alderwood into upland birch wood on the lower slopes of the Three Brethren. This trip is as much about the quality and extent of special habitats as it is about the plants themselves in this stunning valley. All can be experienced in a short, flat walk along a rarely used road of three to four kilometers in total.

Plants and farming (15): Saturday and repeated Monday

Kittyfield is a 430-acre family run mixed livestock farm situated on the North bank of the Tweed close to Melrose. Plant habitats include the Tweed haughs, herb rich pastures, arable and woodland. In recent years a wide range of arable weeds have been recorded and we would hope to see annuals such as Northern and Cut-leaved Dead-nettle, Lamium confertum and L. hybridum, Large-flowered Hemp-nettle, Galeopsis speciosa and Fumitory ssp. including Tall Ramping-fumitory, F. bastardii. The herb rich pasture has perennials such as Musk Thistle, Carduus nutans and Field Mouse-ear, Cerastium arvense and we will also look at a good number of grasses. Though the distances are not great, some of the fields are steep and suitable footwear is advisable.

Grey Mare’s Tail (10): Saturday and repeated Sunday - weather permitting

Grey Mare's Tail is the premier site for upland plants in southern Scotland, having a number of rarities, including Black Alpine-sedge, Carex atrata, Hair Sedge, Carex capillaris, Alpine Saw-wort, Saussurea alpina, Oblong Woodsia, Woodsia ilvensis, Dwarf Cornel, Cornus suecica, Alpine Foxtail, Alopecurus magellanicus and a host of other montane species. Having beautiful scenery more akin to the Highlands, the site is popular amongst botanists and walkers alike. This visit is only suitable for those who are physically fit and used to walking on steeper slopes as it will involve a 7km round trip walk and a 700m ascent.

Lindean Reservoir & Moor and Murder Moss (15): Sunday

A local nature reserve with an easy flat 1.5km walk, around an attractive loch. The habitats are mesotrophic loch, rich fen and unimproved grassland. A good place to see a range of plants without much effort. Including uncommon species like Greater Spearwort Ranunculus lingua, Cowbane Cicuta virosa, Red Pondweed, Potamogeton alpinus and Rugged Stonewort, Chara rudis. Followed by a short walk over Lindean Moor (Water Whorl-grass, Catabrosa aquatica) to Murder Moss, which is part of the Whitlaw Mosses SSSI, and where we would hope to also see Fen Pondweed, Potamogeton coloratus.

Bowhill (15): Sunday

The designed landscape and extensive policy woodland associated with the home of the Duke of Buccleuch offer a rich collection of exotic trees and shrubs. Just under 30 species of conifer have been recorded here. Expect the unexpected with Alchemilla tytthantha, the relatively recently discovered living fossil Wollemi Pine, Wollemia nobilis and other plant species rarely seen in the UK, even in gardens.

Branxholme Lochs and Wood Burn (6): Sunday and repeated Monday

A “twitching” trip to see the nationally rare and scarce fen specialities. Branxholme Wester Loch Special Area of Conservation will be visited to see Fen Pondweed, Potamogeton coloratus, Hedgehog Stonewort, Chara aculeolata and possibly Fibrous Tussock-sedge, Carex approproquintata and Wood Burn to see Flat Sedge, Blysmus compressus. Branxholme Easter Loch SSSI will be visited for aquatic plants including Long-stalked Pondweed Potamogeton praelongus. Alemoor will be visited afterwards to tick off three nationally rare grasses Holy Grass Hierochloe odorata, Narrow Small-reed Calamagrostis stricta and Calamagrostis x gracilescens. This trip does not involve walking far, but the ground can be tricky and energy sapping! Thigh waders are highly recommended! but wellies would do at a stretch for most of the sites.

Peniel Heugh & Smailholm Crags (8): Sunday and repeated Monday

The basaltic intrusions, small hills with craggy “Heughs” in the lowland area of eastern Roxburghshire have remnants of acid and alkaline grassland with specialities such as Maiden Pink Dianthus deltoides, Meadow Saxifrage Saxifraga granulata, Annual Knawel Scleranthus annus, Knotted Clover Trifolium striatum, Spring Vetch Vicia lathyroides and Mountain Pansy Viola lutea. We will visit two of the most prominent examples, both with striking views of much of the Scottish Borders, commanded over by a keep tower and an impressive folly respectively. They are both near roads and only require short walks, although one involves a climb of 100m and the ground will be craggy in parts.

Synton Loch (15) Monday

An undesignated mesotrophic loch with a rich aquatic flora of at least five pondweed species including Fennel Pondweed, Potamogeton pectinatus and Curled Pondweed, Potamogeton crispus and at least three Stonewort species including Dark Stonewort, Nitella opaca and Rugged Stonewort, Chara rudis. We will sample the loch further and aim to add to the list. The loch is surrounded by flushed grassland and fen adding to the botanical interest. Other lochs in the area will be visited, time permitting. Not much walking will be involved as the lochs are all near roads.

Jed Forrest (8) Monday

A trip to visit some of the SSSI woodland remnants of the Jed Forest to look for Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia and Bird’s Nest Orchid Neottia nidus-avis. We will also visit the veteran oak trees “The Capon Tree”, “King of the Wood” and “Crooked Family”!

Cancellation Policy

Event cancelled by you: we will give you a full refund providing you let us know at least two weeks prior to the event. Obviously you should cancel any accommodation you have booked separately. Sorry we are unable to refund within two weeks of the event. 

Event cancelled by us: in the unlikely event that the BSBI has to cancel or postpone this event, we will refund charges paid by you on this booking page or by cheque fully. However we shall not be liable for reimbursing the cost of travel or accommodation arrangements made by participants. We strongly recommend that you purchase your own travel insurance.