Mark Barnett, "Going to the Heather".

The presentation on heather honey held on the 22nd April 2026 in the Smailholm Village Hall was well attended, and the couthy traditional venue was apposite for the topic. The speaker, Mark Barnett, covered the topic comprehensively, from preparing the hive to taking the bees to the heather and ultimately to honey in the jar.  He took us through the whole process without making it seem daunting. So many interesting facts were gently thrown in. How many of us knew that half of the eukaryotes already known were insects, with only 1 million classified to date with another 9 million plus insects yet to be found?

Heather honey, especially in Scotland, is THE honey, yet few of us beekeepers take bees to the heather. The reasons for and the method of, as well as sundry inherent difficulties and pitfalls, were covered well.

It seems likely that after this meeting, more beekeepers will feel inspired and, importantly, more confident to try taking bees to the heather, and hopefully get a decent honey crop. Such a well-timed and informative meeting for those thinking about doing so this season.

- Penelope Marchant Wink