Hugging the coast of North Uist, it feels as though wildlife is everywhere. There is more of it than we saw on Lewis and Harris—though perhaps that is only how it seems. Among the birds we could name: Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Northern Shovellers, Lapwings, Sanderlings, and the ever-familiar Eider, or Cuddy Duck. Then of course there is the Oystercatcher, as common as ever, piping from every rock along the shoreline. Still, they all cannot quite compete with the pair of Golden Eagles we watched circling high above Harris.
The flowers, too, seem further along—though that may be because we are a week deeper into the season. Thrift, or Sea-pink, is everywhere: tight clumps of green topped with small pink blooms. They colonise the rocky shoreline, even spread themselves along wind-scoured cliffs where there is hardly enough soil to support a shadow. They grow from cracks in bare rock as if determined to make something from nothing.
Thrift is not loyal to the sea. It grows inland too, across moors and hills, as tough in the mountains as on the shore. Perhaps that is why it bears the name—Thrift: not just pretty, but persistent. A plant that flourishes wherever it finds itself. It is also known as Lady’s Cushion, and the name fits. The leaves gather densely into soft, rounded mounds, like moss woven into upholstery.
Plants like these were not always only admired; they were used. The flowerheads of Thrift once treated epilepsy and obesity. They are edible, rich in iodine and other compounds, said to calm the nerves and lift the spirits. An infusion of the flowers was taken to treat melancholy and fatigue. A stubborn little plant, with more uses than one might expect, and far more charm than it needs.
Leave a Reply