Wild flowers in Scotland

The moors, cliffs, mountains, machair and coasts of Scotland hosts a large variety of wild flowers including numerous orchids and rare alpine plants.

There are over 1,600 species of native wild flowers in Scotland. Many of them are abundant in Scotland but rare elsewhere in Britain. Some are endemic for Scotland, like the Shetland Mouse-ear or Edmondston's Chickweed (Cerastium nigrescens) that only grow at the Keen of Hamar, Unst, Shetland and the Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica).

Edmonston's Chickweed

Shetland Mouse-ear or Edmondston's Chickweed

Scottish Primrose

Book your About Argyll walking holiday in June to walk among wild flowers

There are wild flowers in bloom from March till October but if you like to see lots of them, we recommend to book your walking holiday with us in June when many will be in bloom, including wild orchids.

April and May for spring flowers

Some wild flowers start early and you can see primroses in bloom from February. Bluebells turn the lower slopes of many hills blue in May, while in other places Ramsons or Wild Garlic form carpets of white flowers in woodlands.

August and September for heathers

Many Scottish mountains are covered with heather with the Common Heather most abundant. This one flowers in August and September, but other species like Cross-leaved Heather and Bell Heather flower throughout the summer. There are also many other wild flowers to be seen in the late summer like the Scottish Bluebell or Harebell, Knapweed, Bog Asphodel, Grass-of-Parnassus and Devil's-bit Scabious.