The
title page of an 1882 reprint of Lachlan Shaw's The History of the
Province of Moray.The very first records of Moray plants were made around 1775, published in a book 'The History of The Province of Moray' by Lachlan Shaw, a historian.
The
title page of an 1882 reprint of Lachlan Shaw's The History of the
Province of Moray.
Since Lachlan Shaw was concentrating more on the economic and agricultural history of the Province, his references to plants are, in general, more to do with edible ones! He therefore refers mostly to edible wild plants (such as brambles), and those in cultivation, such as flax. The flax was certainly grown as a source of linen fibre, as this period corresponds with the height of the linen industry in Scotland.
Lachlan
Shaw's 1775 list of wild edible plants in Moray - as well as a fairly
comprehensive list of fruits grown for consumption. Moray has obviously a
long-standing reputation for growing soft fruit! Tormentil roots may have
been important as a source of tannic acid, for making leather.