Flora and Fauna
Mainland has a great deal of marine life surrounding it, especially seabirds. Corncrakes can also be found in some parts. The Loch of Harray can host up to 10,000 wintering duck and is important for Pochard.
There are few wild land mammals although there is an endemic sub-species of the Common Vole, the Orkney Vole or Cuttick, (Microtus arvalis orcadensis) found only in the Orkney archipelago. It may have been introduced by early settlers circa 4,000 years ago. Brown hares and rabbits can be found and there are frogs, but no toads.
There are six hundred recorded species of plant on the Orkney Mainland. Two rarities to be found here are the oyster plant (Mertensia maritima) and the Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica). The latter is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Orkney and nearby Caithness. It is closely related to the Arctic species Primula stricta and Primula scandinavica.
Read more about this topic: Mainland, Orkney
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