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Ecological Recording and Analysis

James MacKay's floral survey of the hill undertaken in the 1980s has now been digitised and is available for perusal at the Garioch Heritage Centre. This survey has also formed the basis of a fresh record which is continually being added to. Individual records for the different species of fauna found on Bennachie have also been created. In part, these records are aimed at discovering how the known flora and fauna have altered over time due to changing habitats, whether natural or man-made.

One of the more prominent projects we are following is about the people living on the Colony. What impact might they have had on the flora of Bennachie? Could they have introduced and spread species by means of farming or through their kitchen gardens (kailyards)? As well as the types of plants, their distribution will also be mapped in order to identify how far the influence of the settlement spread over Bennachie.