Mountain Flowers

Description

"Mountain flowers are the most romantic in our flora, exquisite, enigmatic and, often, remote from human habitation. Michael Scott has not only seen them all but has roamed every part of the hill scenery of Britain and brings to his subject passion, learning and hands-on experience. This is field botany at its best, engrossing, exciting and full of wonder." PETER MARREN Britain's mountains and exposed sub-arctic regions of the far north are home to a remarkable range of specialist flowers, shrubs and ferns that are able to thrive on our islands thanks to a combination of conditions seldom found in mainland Europe. The peculiarities of their occurrence here, at unusually low altitudes for typically alpine species and uncommonly far south for arctic species, make their ecology especially intriguing. In this invigorating journey from the Lizard of Cornwall to Unst in Shetland, Michael Scott examines Britain's richest upland sites, bringing an important 21st-century perspective to our understanding of the flora along the way. Lavishly illustrated, Mountain Flowers has much to offer wild flower enthusiasts and botanists, including detailed profiles of over 150 of the plants most characteristic of our montane regions. It will prove an indispensable companion for hillwalkers and climbers wanting to learn more about the enigmatic species that are such an intrinsic part of the British mountain landscape. - Featuring over 150 mountain plants, with 20 extended profiles for the most enigmatic species - Illustrated with over 340 colour photographs of plants and their spectacular habitats - Jacket artwork by Carry Akroyd

Michael Scott became interested in the flora of Britain's mountain and sub-arctic regions while studying botany at Aberdeen University. He has walked many of the hills of Scotland, Wales and northern England looking for wild flowers in magnificent scenery, and has also botanised widely in the Arctic. For many years he ran a field course on mountain flowers at a field centre in Highland Perthshire. He is a former Scottish Officer of Plantlife, the wild plant conservation charity, and former Deputy Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage. He was awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to biodiversity conservation in Scotland.

Superbly written and readable ... I highly recommend this book! -- Su Gough * BTO book reviews * Wonderfully conveys the feeling that looking for alpine plants is one of the most exciting of all the forays we can make into exploring Britain's wild plants -- Noel Kingsbury * Gardens Illustrated * Mountain Flowers is a superb introduction to these elusive but tenacious plants. * Gardens Illustrated * A great guide for the hill walker but also a great read for the armchair traveller. * Gardens Illustrated * In this richly illustrated and engaging account, botanist and conservationist Michael Scott travels from Cornwall to Shetland, sharing a lifetime of knowledge of Arctic-alpine plants along the way. * BBC Wildlife * This beautifully produced book left me wanting to climb to the high places to admire these pioneering species. * BBC Wildlife *