The Pluscarden bees have had quite a happy year so far, as we write at the end of July 2026. Reports of terrible heat waves, droughts and wild fires have reached our Northly Glen, but we have been lucky, enjoying periods with warm sunshine, never excessive, and also of welcome rain.
Nevertheless, our bees have not so far produced much honey: which is really what we keep them for!
Several colonies decided to swarm in very late June or early July: thereby ending all hope of a honey surplus from them.
Also in July, as last year, our bees seemed to experience a strange dearth of nectar. The sun shone and the flowers bloomed: especially clover, lime trees, willow herb and bell heather, all about. Yet colonies found themselves hungry, and if not well stored from previous months: starving.
So as usual all hopes are now pinned on the ling heather, flowering in abundance, and quite early, across nearby hills. The heather flow usually lasts from early August to mid-September.
Those of our colonies that are strong, with a young queen, and so able to produce a surplus, have been moved up to two out-apiaries. Our picture shows the out-apiary at Blackhills, on the other side of the Wangie hill. The bees sit inside a sort of gorse enclosure. But just beyond that stretch limitless acres of flowering heather. It's a most wonderful sight, and on sunny days gives off a delightful, even heady scent: all to be captured, please God, in delicious honey. That is: provided conditions remain favourable, and the bees work hard, and the Lord blesses their efforts!