New butterfly campaign takes off

Wildlife fans say butterflies could be a tourist draw

Campaigners from Butterfly Conservation Scotland are launching a push to make the insects one of Scotland's main tourist attractions.

They said Scotland was one of the best places for butterflies in Europe, with 30 native species - although a fifth of them are in decline.

The group has been running special workshops for people involved in the tourism industry.

It has also been given a £260,000 grant from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

It is aimed at helping to save Scotland's 12 most threatened species - including the chequered skipper, the marsh fritillary and the slender Scotch burnet moth.

People don't think of Scotland and think butterflies, but we should be promoting some of these sites Julie Stoneman Butterfly Conservation Scotland

They are all in danger because of the loss of wild grassland.

Advice is being given to land managers on how best to protect endangered species, such as by creating woodland clearings or changing grazing patterns.

Countryside ranger Alan McBride has been taking tours of hoteliers to key butterfly sites in Mugdock Country Park near Glasgow, as part of the campaign to increase tourism.

Great sites

He said: "In late August we're getting quite a few peacock butterflies, the aristocrat butterfly as they're called because of their bright colours, we're getting the red admirals and the small tortoiseshells as well."

Julie Stoneman, from Butterfly Conservation Scotland, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We've got lots of species that perhaps you won't find in England.

The peacock has been called the "aristocrat" of butterflies

"That's because the habitats changed there, or they're northern species or just because we have really good places to look at them.

"People don't think of Scotland and think butterflies, but we should be promoting some of these sites to our visitors."

Scotland has 30 native species, along with 100 species of moths.

Wildlife tourism is worth £85m to the country every year.