A network of green roofs in the city to offer new homes to Edinburgh’s butterfly.
The Northern Brown Argus really is Edinburgh’s butterfly. For years it existed on Arthur’s Seat with Scottish butterfly watchers in the 1700’s assuming it was just a slightly different version of the Brown Argus which it closely resembles. But in 1793, closer inspection revealed that it was indeed a completely new species.
Sadly, after its discovery it became a highly prized addition to the collections of butterfly enthusiasts. Over-zealous collecting plus land use changes at Holyrood including the building of a road through the last remaining population strongholds of this species, meant that the iconic population of Northern Brown Argus butterflies had disappeared by
1869; less than 100 years after it was first discovered.