A TEMPERATE rainforest in Clackmannanshire? Surely not.

Well, yes actually, for parts of Dollar Glen are akin to such places; a moisture laden environment rich in ferns, mosses and liverworts.

As I made my way up the glen last week, I was most struck by the verdant greenness along the burn side, especially in the ravines and chasms.

Here, there were the strange shiny and elongated leaves of hart’s tongue fern, while the frilly fronds of hard shield ferns decorated the mossy trunks of some of the trees.

Down by a ledge close to the tumbling burn, the rocky sides were covered in a mat of liverworts, simple plants that thrive in the humidity and shade.

Like many of the other Ochil glens, the deeply incised south-facing Dollar Glen is well protected from prevailing westerlies and cold easterlies, and as such, is a mild and humid micro-habitat where unusual plants can thrive.

Further up the glen I hear the yodelling call of a green woodpecker and then another burst of sweet music hits the air. It is an unfamiliar sound, a strong and powerful whistling melody. Realisation quickly dawns – it is a nuthatch, a relatively new arrival to Scotland having colonised from the south in recent years.

Ramsons, or wild garlic, were unfurling into full leaf by the path side and their white blousy flowers will soon be in full bloom. On a mossy log, wood sorrel was also on the cusp of bursting into flower.

Over the next few weeks this wonderful glen will become a riot of colour – but not for long, for by the end of May the tree canopy will have enclosed, the spring flowers wilted, and the glen once more becomes a dark and shady place.

@BroomfieldKeith