Primula scotica has two flowering periods: one in the early spring and one in summer. In some texts the Spring flowering is the main one but in others they say that summer flowers are better. In the past I have seen it in flower in August and assumed that July/August was the time for the summer flowering but this year there was a very full flowering of Primula scotica seen at both the Durness, Faraid Head and Orkney sites in late June or early July when I had previously assumed there would be little to show.

Certainly in previous years forays in June at Strathay point, the site with supposedly the greatest numbers of P. scotica, were very disappointing with many rosettes but few flowers. However the local crofters are allowed to graze sheep here and that may be the reason for so few flowers.

Asking whether what we had seen was a late Spring flowering or an early Summer flowering met with blank stares by the locals but they did volunteer that the population on Orkney, now very rich (literally in the thousands) was not so long ago very much smaller but has recovered recently.

This delightful endemic northern plant is actually very small and many have commented that it is like a Primula in miniature. Look at the width of the blades of grass in the habitat photo below for an indication of size. It loves the far northern climate so much that it isn't found much further south than Wick. Inverness, a city we southerners imagine to be in the furthest northern part of Scotland, is too far south as far as Primula scotica is concerned and you really will only find it in numbers on the north coast or on Orkney where colonies on Westray, Papa Westray and Rousay also exist although I haven't seen them.

Stace describes ways in which it differs from Primula farinosa (Bird's-eye Primrose) another plant which has a very restricted range. To me they look nothing like each other. Primula farinosa is twice the size for instance.

Primula scotica Scottish Primrose Durness Golf course footpath, 3rd July 2011 Previous   Next	Primula scotica Scottish Primrose Yesnaby, Orkney Mainland, Scotland 29th June 2011 Previous   Next	Primula scotica Scottish Primrose Durness Golf course footpath, 3rd July 2011 Previous   Next
Primula scotica Scottish Primrose flower close-up	Primula scotica Scottish Primrose habitat Orkney	Primula scotica Scottish Primrose whole plant

LHS: Yesnaby, Orkney 29th June 2011: RHS: Durness Golf Course path, 3rd July 2011

Added on 11th June 2006, updated 10th July 2011, updated 18th February 2013