Plant Life in the Scottish Highlands
By Alexander Edward Holden
And many thanks to Christene Geis for typing this book in for us

PLANT LIFE
IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Ecology and Adaptation to their Insect Visitors

BY
ALEXANDER EDWARD HOLDEN

WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY
ROBERT M. ADAM

OLIVER AND BOY
EDINBURGH; TWEEDDALE COURT
LONDON; 98 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, W.C.

PREFACE

From a very early age I have been attracted and fascinated by the beauty and charm of our wild flowers.

After my first visit to the Scottish Highlands, I returned home with a considerable number of specimens which became the nucleus of a now extensive herbarium.  This visit awakened a new interest in plants in general which has ripened into an absorbing and fascinating study and hobby.

I have returned many times to the Highlands since that memorable first holiday there and during these periods I took notes of everything of interest with regard to the flowering plants I came across.

I came to realize that there was no book dealing especially with plant life in the Highlands and that a close study of the flora necessitated wading through technical general floras and botanical works.  I realized how many people must be put off from a more intimate knowledge of the Scottish mountain plants for this reason.

I therefore decided to write this book with the idea of bringing the plants of the Highlands into a single volume, and to incorporate any interesting points with regard to their adaptations to habitat and insect visitors as well as their distribution, so that the great number of people interested in our mountain flora may be encouraged, like myself, to become absorbed in its study.

I have seen and examined almost every plant described in this book and have visited most parts of the Highlands in search of them.  The writing of the book has entailed the reading of many articles and works dealing with the British flora.  I am greatly indebted to the books of P. Knuth, Muller and Darwin, Tansley’s The Vegetation of the British Isles, and various publications of the Scottish Mountaineering Club.  This has all been done in my spare time which, owing to official duties, is all too limited.

The beautiful photographs have been supplied by Robert M. Adam, formerly of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, who put his magnificent photographic collection of Scottish plants and scenery at my disposal.  I can only regret the high cost of production limited the number that could be used in my book. [Note: Pictures will be added to this web edition at a later date]

The book would never have reached completion without the hard work and devotion of my wife, who not only did all the typing, but encouraged me in every way.

Chiswick                                             
A.E. HOLDEN

• Introduction

• Adaptation to Insects and Environment

• Plants of the High Mountain Summits, Conditions of Life and Description of Habitat

• Plants of the High Mountain Summits (continued) --Cushion Plants

• Plants of the High Mountain Summits (continued)--The High Alpine Saxifrages

• Plants of the High Mountain Summits (continued)--The High Alpine Carpet Plants

• Plants of the High Mountain Summits (continued)--Other Dweller of the Highest Summits

• The Mountain Pastures--Plants of the Rocks and Screes

• The Mountain Pastures (continued)--The plants of the Grassy Pastures

• The Mountain Pastures (continued)--The plants of the Wet Pastures

• Maritime Plants that Inhabit the Mountain Pastures

• The Native Forests of the Scottish Highlands

• The Shrubs and Trees of the Mixed Woods (Part 1)

• The Shrubs and Trees of the Mixed Woods (Part 2)

• Flowers of the Mixed Wood and Copses (Part 1)

• Flowers of the Mixed Wood and Copses (Part 2)

• The Moorlands

• The Bogs

• The Bogs (continued)--Insectivorous Plants

• Plants of the Marshlands

• The Lochs (Part 1)

• The Lochs (Part 2)

• The Meadows and Pastures of the Highlands

• The Orchids of the Highland Meadows

• Some other Interesting Meadow Plants

• The Distribution and Affinities of the Scottish Mountain Flora

• Epilogue

Uses of Highland Plants (pdf)