成人论坛

The Outer Hebrides are a wildlife paradise thoughout the year, but it is flower power that holds sway in the summer, providing a rich source of food for one of the UK's most threatened insects. There are 25 species of bumblebee in the UK and some of the rarest can be found here. Artist Bill Neil loves painting them. Certain bees have longer tongues than others and thus specialise on the types of flowers for which you need a long tongue to get right down to the food. Some flowers encourage that by providing more nectar. Some species without a long tongue - such as the white-tailed bumblebee - cheat and nibble a hole in the flower. How does an artist get close to a subject that won't sit still? Bill collects dead bees that've been hit by cars, for that purpose. This landscape is a reminder of what much of Britain used to be like, before intensive farming and fertilisers drained the land of much of its colour. It's a place that simply mustn't be missed. The islanders are rightly proud of the machair - a stunning wildflower spectacle.