Caithness Hosts Exhibition Celebrating 300 Years Recording Nature

21st January 2009

A key SNH contribution to the Year of Highland Culture 2007 programme is now on show for the public in Caithness.

Scottish Natural Heritage's Highland Naturalists display is available for free public viewing at Caithness Horizons in Thurso from 20 January until 15 March.
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The exhibition which was located in SNH's headquarters, Great Glen House in Inverness for the Year of Highland Culture, tells the stories of people who have passionately studied and recorded the area's landscape and wildlife with images, writings, sounds and artefacts.

Lesley Cranna, SNH area manager for North Highland, explained: "In the Highlands we have a great tradition of the study of natural history and this is reflected in the work of the individuals featured in this new exhibition. The exhibition features a selection of 30 naturalists who over the past 300 years have influenced the way we think about nature conservation or have made an impact in understanding and helping to conserve a particular species."

Local naturalists included in the exhibition are Mary Legg, Highland Council's senior Countryside Ranger in Caithness, who as a field naturalist has inspired many school children; and the late Alan Joyce, formerly an inspirational biology teacher at Golspie High School, who became regarded as a leading authority on freshwater algae in Scottish lochs.

Also included is Robert Dick, the 19th century Thurso baker who was self-taught and went on to become a famous and respected authority on plants, insects and geology. His collections of 200 mosses, ferns and flowering plants, together with hundreds of specimens of bees, beetles, butterflies and other insects are now housed in Caithness Horizons. He also collected fossils and had several new fossil fish, such as Dickosterus, named after him.

The Highland Naturalists exhibition uses artefacts, text and pictures relating to the work of up to 15 of these dedicated people. The remaining Highland naturalists feature on the website www.highlandnaturalists.com .

Ian Mitchell, SNH development officer for Caithness and Sutherland and one of the team who developed the original project, said: "Our initial idea was to look at the work of one or two eminent people from the past who had made a name for themselves studying the wildlife and landscapes of the Highlands. But the more we looked at this the more we realised there were lots of dedicated, fascinating and pioneering people who have done so much to improve our knowledge of the natural world in the north and to share that knowledge with others."

Mary Legg acknowledged her inspiration not only comes from the rich wildlife of Caithness but also from a number of people, including the late Jimmy Gunn from Reay. Jimmy had a great knowledge of the county, was well respected, and is fondly remembered by many.

And Robert Dick - also from Mary's home county of Clackmanannshire - found the first hoary whitlow grass growing on Morvern. Mary, accompanied by another friend and botanist, Bing White, found it still growing there two centuries later.

Speaking about her work as a Countryside Ranger she said: "Rangers are very lucky. In the summer I take parties of adults and children around. The kids in particular do not need to be enthused, they are naturally enthusiastic. There's always something out there in the natural world that will surprise and delight if we only take the time to look around. I am always optimistic about young naturalists of the future. Young children may lose interest as they get older but it is something that they can come back to in later life - like gardening."

Beki Pope, the Caithness Horizons centre manager, added: "It has been great to work in partnership with SNH over the exhibition and we are delighted with the arrangement. The exhibition is well worth seeing as it comprises a range of people and subjects that are important to this part of Scotland."

The Highland Naturalists exhibition is open at Caithness Horizons in the Old Town Hall in Thurso Monday - Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 11am-4pm. Phone 01847 896508 for details.