Rare show from fast breeders

SIGHTINGS of the great yellow bumblebee are rare enough, so seeing a pair mate is almost unheard of.

However, such an event has been captured on film, possibly for the first time on mainland Scotland, in the less-than-romantic surroundings of the Dounreay nuclear site.

The Caithness complex is one of Scotland’s biggest demolition sites, as buildings are dismantled as part of a 15-year decommissioning programme costing £2.6 billion.

As buildings and radiological hazards disappear, a patch of grassland is flourishing. The wildflower meadow has been allowed to return to a natural state and help stabilise the local population of the bumblebee.

It was created in a field in front of what was once the hub of Britain’s fast-breeder programme, and is providing a source of food for a bee which is otherwise found only in Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, the Western Isles, Coll and Tiree.

Simon Cottam, an environmental adviser for Dounreay Site Restoration, said: “To have spotted the great yellows mating in the meadow, and for us to be lucky enough to capture it on camera, was a real bonus.”