Dumfriesshire Botany Group at Crichope Linn Saturday 2nd May 2026
On a fine dry day six of us met in the small car park in the old quarry just past the entrance to Crichope Linn. The aim was to visit and record plants in two monad squares within which the Linn sits. Most of the recording was in woodland areas though the first square included the old quarry where we recorded plants on the old spoil and rubble. These included plants now established but presumably dumped in and around the car park.
Crichope Linn was a well-known destination in Victorian times when paths and bridges allowed visitors to enjoy the spectacular gorge and waterfall. Famous people like Burns was said to have visited as well as Thomas Carlyle and Walter Scott. The latter featured the Linn in his book Old Mortality a story about covenanters who are known to have sought shelter here. Some of these visitors have left their names or initials carved on the soft sandstone rock. This red sandstone in of Permian age laid down in desert conditions starting 300 million years ago. This is good for building stone hence the existence of the quarry where we parked.
So before we got into the Linn we recorded in the mixture of scrubby woodland, stony rubble and ruderal habitats on part of the old quarry site. Here obvious garden throw outs included Hybrid Bluebell Hyacinthoides non scripta x hispanica, Garden Solomon’s-seal Polygonatum multiflorum x odoratum and Leopard’s-bane Doronicum pardalianches. These were alongside undesirables like Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica and Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera . The main trees here were Downy Birch Betula pendula though some Silver Birch Betula pendula was also seen. The acid nature of the rock and soil was demonstrated by the presence of heath loving plants like Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Sheep’s Sorrel Rumex acetosella and Heather Calluna vulgaris.
Across the road and into the Linn we were into old woodland. We first explored the lower reaches of the Crichope Burn. The main canopy trees were Oak showing a mix of characters, forked hairs on leaves but strong auricles so recorded as Quercus petraea x robur, and Downy Birch with Alder Alnus glutinosa along the Burn, Wych Elm Ulmus glabra on steeper slopes and Beech Fagus sylvatica scattered through, some being very large. The lower canopy was of Hazel Corylus avellana, Holly Ilex aquifolium and Bird Cherry Prunus padus. A good stand of Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula looked happy but was not found elsewhere where the only other sedge was Remote Sedge Carex remota. More widespread woodlanders included Ramsoms Allium ursinum, Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Hairy Wood-rush Luzula pilosa, Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna ssp. fertilis and Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa. A little Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina was found in this lower area. In the upper part of the Linn beyond the Waterfall the always fabulous sight of a complete carpet of Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta was nearing full glory – see photo.
As we explored slowly upstream, we found early growth of Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum, and Oak Fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris. As it turned out once we reached the deep cut Linn the steep slope immediately above was covered in an almost continuous band of Oak Fern in what must be one of its most extensive growth in any site in the county. We took lunch just below where the gorge develops which is also where we moved into the second square. As the path then skirts rock walls towering above it the sound of the waterfall indicates the approaching drama. Plants like Wood Millet Millium effusum and Golden-scaled Male-fern Dryopteris affinis liked the steep slopes. The first dramatic rocks by the path were festooned with Hard Fern Blechnum spicant and Harts-tongue Asplenium scolopendrium.
In the chasm and ravine cut by water large blocks of sandstone and deep recesses conceal a botanical prize. Many bryophytes cover the rocks, among them at least one western species Hutchins’ Hollywort Jubula hutchinsiae, indicating an oceanic microclimate This is the kind of place people have been finding one of Britains rarest plants, the Killarney Fern Trichomanes speciosum, which is confined to frost free oceanic districts in the far west of Britain and Ireland. It is our rarest filmy fern and usually present in small numbers. However it has been realised for a while that its gametophyte generation is more widespread and capable of persistent survival without producing a sporophyte. It looks nothing like the beautiful sporophyte. It grows as a mat of green filaments forming a layer or patches like green cotton wool on extremely shaded rocks where high humidity is always present. About a month before the group’s visit the author made a recce and discovered that the gametophyte does grow in several places just down from the waterfall. This is the first record of this plant in South Scotland. We were able to look at this though key characteristics like rhizoids and gemma need a microscope. Given the extent of the gorge and the difficult access it is likely that there are more colonies of this species at the site. It is highly likely that it will turn up in other suitable locations across South Scotland. Incidentally Hutchins’ Hollywort is often found with the sporophyte in the far west.
Total records morning NX9095 134, afternoon NX9195 71
Chris Miles
BSBI county recorder for Dumfriesshire VC72 – see bsbi.org/dumfriesshire
