Mayfield is a former mining village and residential settlement on the edge of the Midlothian coal-field plain, immediately east of Newtongrange and adjacent to Easthouses at the boundary of the arable farmland and the reclaimed colliery ground of the Gore Water valley. The village sits on flat ground between the South Esk river valley to the north and the moorland edge rising toward Gorebridge and the Moorfoot Hills to the south. Oilseed rape on the surrounding arable fields provides a powerful April and May flow; white clover on the improved amenity grassland and reclaimed colliery sites carries through June and July. Bramble has colonised much of the former industrial land around the village margins; himalayan balsam is establishing on the South Esk corridor.
Collectors attend swarms on the oilseed rape field margins between Mayfield and Easthouses, in the bramble and elder scrub of the reclaimed colliery ground east of the village, along the South Esk willow and hawthorn corridor below the housing, in the garden trees and hedges of the residential streets, and in chimney stacks and eave voids of the older council-built and inter-war stone properties.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
CA6 4HN· approx. 102 km
Visit websiteNE65 9QH· approx. 108 km
Visit websiteNE46 3NB· approx. 116 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Oilseed rape on the Midlothian arable plain between Dalkeith, Pathhead and the East Lothian boundary provides a powerful April-May flow that is one of the most reliable in the Lothians. White clover on the improved pastures of the Esk valley floor and the amenity grasslands of the Midlothian towns is the main mid-summer crop from June through July. Sycamore is the dominant May flow tree throughout the council area, with the best sources in the North Esk gorge woodlands at Roslin Glen and Lasswade. Hawthorn on the valley hedgerows and the Midlothian lane margins provides a complementary May blossom flow. Himalayan balsam is establishing in the lower Esk corridors near Dalkeith. Bramble is dense on former colliery and mining reclamation sites throughout the area. The Pentland Hills above Penicuik and the Moorfoot Hills above Gorebridge carry heather and bilberry from late July — modest but accessible upland heather ground within the council area. Ivy closes the foraging year on Dalkeith Palace estate walls and the older stone buildings of the Esk valley villages in October.
More on beekeeping in MidlothianReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
