Bee swarm collection in Aberdeen City

The lime avenues of the West End and Union Terrace Gardens provide a classic early-summer urban flow; sycamore is ubiquitous on the granite street margins and parks from late April. Victoria Park, Duthie Park and Seaton Park carry white clover and ornamental nectar through June and July. The River Dee corridor between Cults and Peterculter runs through mixed broadleaf woodland, hawthorn and wild cherry, extending the spring flow. Rosebay willowherb and bramble are abundant on the post-industrial margins and railway cuttings, giving a mid-summer nectar boost. The Don valley through Woodside and Bridge of Don adds alder, willow and meadowsweet on the water margins. Ivy on the granite walls of the older suburbs sustains the season into October.

Aberdeen Beekeepers' Association supports urban and semi-rural members across the city. The mix of traditional granite townhouses with enclosed garden policies, suburban semi-detached housing with established hedges, and riverside parks gives city beekeepers a surprising diversity of microhabitats. The North Sea climate means springs can be cold and wet — colonies are typically overwintered cautiously and the main flows taken in June and July.