Flora and Fauna

This project will seek to explore the ways in which the ecology of Bennachie has changed from post-glacial times to the present. It will question the extent of human impact on the development of the natural heritage and attempt to chart those changes to their culmination in the present environment.Existing surveys of the present-day ecology already undertaken by members of the Bailies will form the foundations upon which these subsequent investigations will be built. It is hoped that palaeo-environmental surveys of pollen from a range of peat sources across Bennachie will also help to shed light upon the ever-changing complexions of the hill from the post-glacial period to the present day. This project will complement the study of the built- and cultural-heritage of the area covered by the ‘Social Landscapes’ design.