The Ruined Dyke
This ancient wall, or 'dyke',
reminds us of the people that once formed this land. Though sparsely populated
now, many people used to live in this area. There are the ruined remains of at
least five small villages nearby. Many people were moved off the land during the
Clearances in the middle of the 19th. century.
Some emigrated to Canada. Indeed Calgary, the city in Alberta, is named after
Calgary, Mull. An officer in the Canadian Mounted Police, Col. McLeod, had
stayed on holiday at Calgary Castle and had very fond memories of his visit. On
returning to Alberta, he was asked to name a new fort, which he called
'Calgary'. From this fort, the new city grew.
In summer, this area is full of flowers. These include Devil's-bit Scabious,
with a pretty blue button of flowerlets on a long stalk; Grass of Parnassus, a
white flower not remotely related to grasses; and orchids, especially
Heath-spotted Orchid, which has a short spike of pink, red or white flowers. A
bright orange flower found in wet areas is Bog Asphodel a member of the lily
family.
These flowering plants will support a wide range of insects. Butterflies are
amongst the more eye-catching insects on a sunny day, the ones most often seen
being Common Blues, Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and Speckled Woods.
The balance between the flowers and the coarser grasses and rushes is maintained
by cattle and
sheep that graze down the coarse vegetation, giving the less aggressive
flowering plants room to grow.