Keil’s Den
Leven, Fife
Spending most of the year underground as bulbs, bluebells begin to emerge from their wintry slumbers in April and will usually flower until sometime in June.
The bluebells native to Scotland (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) thrive in woodlands where the trees are wide enough apart to allow light to reach the ground even when they are in full leaf.
The early flowering allows them to make the most of sunlight available on the forest floor and attract the attention of pollinating insects.
New plants are often able to split from the bulbs to grow as clones, helping to create the soft blue carpets of flowers we associate with spring.
The ancient gorge woodland at Keil’s Den (pictured above) in Fife’s East Neuk makes for blankets of bluebells, which can be seen by following the path from the small parking area by the Keil Burn.
If you’re feeling a little more athletic, the 290m Largo Law nearby offers quite a climb – just bear in mind the ancient volcano is now grazing land.
Aldouran Glen
Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway
At the bottom of the steep slops of this mixed woodland grow ferns, greater woodrush and an abundance of bluebells, wild garlic and birds such as chaffinches, treecreepers and wrens.
Situated on the Rhins of Galloway, dragonflies flitting around the stream and small waterfalls help create an almost magical atmosphere about the place which has an Iron Age fort at its heart.
Kinclaven Bluebell Wood
Stanley, Perthshire
Situated close by Stanley, a village on the north side of the Tay around 6 miles north of Perth, is Kinclaven Bluebell Wood.
One of the largest areas of oak woodland in Tayside and well known for its displays of bluebells, people have been known to come from across Scotland and beyond to take in the blue views.
Formerly known as Ballathie Bluebell Wood, the Woodland Trust acquired the wood and its adjacent fields carpet two years ago thanks to a generous legacy from a supporter.
The Trust are working to restore the land at nearby Court Hill back to woods by planting 34,000 native trees, removing invasive rhododendron and improving public access.
Crinan Wood
Crinan, Argyll and Bute
With views across Loch Crinan to Duntrune Castle, Crinan Wood also has a magical, romantic feel. Crinan’s woodland is a remnant of the Atlantic oakwoods which once stretched along the western seaboard from Scotland to Spain.
Its mild, wet climate makes it an ideal spot for fern, moss and lichen and its heathlands brim with bluebells, foxgloves and heather in spring. Here you might even spot a rare red squirrel, a red deer, or some of the area’s more than 20 species of nesting bird, including buzzard, redstart, and wood warbler.
Glen Finglas
Brig o’Turk, Stirling
Lying at the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is Glen Finglas, the Woodland Trust’s largest site and one of the best in Scotland one of the best sites in Scotland for ancient and veteran trees, including 300-year-old alder and hazel.
Bluebells and primroses carpet the floor of its oakwoods, while heather and blaeberry grow in the dry heaths and many types of sedge are to be found in its wet heath areas.
Keep a watch out for wildlife most associated with the area such as red deer and golden eagle. The Visitor Gateway is open daily for more information.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here