Bilberry Season is here!

Bilberries

Bilberry, or Whinberry, season traditionally begins at the start of August and doesn’t last long, although this year it looks like it’s going to be another fairly productive one. There are many regional names for Vaccinium myrtilus, in some parts of Ireland and Scotland it’s called a blaeberry, in the South of England a whortleberry, and there are many other local names for this smaller cousin of the Blueberry.

Tough little mountain shrub

This tough little mountain shrub is ubiquitous on the dryer parts of the British uplands, where it usually grows alongside heather and is hugely important for the upland ecosystem. Flowering throughout spring and summer, the small pink/white bell shaped flowers provide a welcome and long lasting source of pollen for Bumblebees such as the Bilberry Bumblebee, pictured below, for moths and many other insects which may find few other flowers to feed from on the high tops. They also they lend their own pink hue to the unique purple colour Britain’s moors are famous for.

Tiny and tasty

It takes a long time to pick a useful amount of Bilberries, as they are small and grow throughout the plant, some of the juiciest ones will be right in the middle where they haven’t been picked off by Grouse or other wild birds, for which they are an essential source of carbohydrates especially leading up to winter. Migrating birds, such as Fieldfare, heading down to the British isles to overwinter, will stop off to refuel on hills where there are good crops.

Bilberry Charlottes

Bilberries are often used to bake crumbles, pies etc and are particularly tasty when made into Bilberry Charlottes, a type of tart, It takes a lot of work to pick enough though. Filling up old ice cream tubs to stick in the freezer is a local past-time at this time of year and means a drive out to somewhere only you know about, and getting a sore back, sunburn, purple fingers and clothes too!.

But it does mean you get to spend all day in beautiful scenery and fresh air, and is a highlight of the year for lots of people, which they’ll remember all their life and pass down to their kids, with generations going to the same spots, I’m not telling you mine though unless you ask nicely!

Blaeberry Mou’

William Souter (1898-1943)

The flitterin faces come doun the brae

And the baskets gowd and green;

And nane but a blindie wud speer the day

Whaur a’ the bairns hae been.

The lift is blue, and the hills are blue,

And the lochan in atween;

But nane sae blue as the blaeberry mou’

That needna tell whaur it’s been.

A B-H