Inverness is the capital of the Highlands — a city on the Ness at the head of the Moray Firth, flanked by the low hills of the Black Isle to the north and the Monadhliath foothills to the south. The River Ness corridor, with its islands, willows and bankside elder, is one of the most productive bee-flying corridors in the city; Inverness Botanic Garden holds a diverse collection of flowering species, and the lime avenues of the Crown residential district and the older city-centre parks give a reliable June flow. The Moray Firth shoreline carries sea-aster and sea-thrift, and the heather moors of the Monadhliath begin within ten miles of the city centre. Inverness Beekeepers' Association has strong urban and rural membership.
Collectors attend swarms along the River Ness islands and bankside willows, in the Inverness Botanic Garden and Crown residential lime trees, in the chimney stacks and sandstone eaves of the Victorian and Edwardian properties of Crown and Merkinch, on the Moray Firth coastal scrub margins at Longman Bay, and in the heather-moor fringe at the city's southern edge.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
NE65 9QH· approx. 290 km
Visit websiteCA6 4HN· approx. 292 km
Visit websiteNE46 3NB· approx. 308 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
The season arrives late — gorse and broom on the Moray coast and sycamore in sheltered valleys begin May. Raspberry (cultivated and wild) on Easter Ross gives a substantial early flow. The Highland defining crop is ling heather on the huge moors of the central, eastern and western Highlands — the finest UK heather honey with a distinct red-amber set and jelly texture, still commercially worked. Bell heather, bilberry and upland herbs supplement. Coastal sea-thrift and ivy on lochside cottages close a short, high-quality year.
More on beekeeping in HighlandReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
