The fight to save our vanishing wildflower meadows

There has been a huge decline in Scotland's wildflower meadows over the past 100 years.

About 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost and now 1% of Scotland's land is wild grassland.

Wildflower meadows are important ecosystems for rare species and homes for pollinators such as bumblebees and butterflies.

Alastair Whyte from the charity Plantlife Scotland, said wildflower meadows were "important as corridors" to allow wildlife to move through the landscape.

"What we've seen in the last few years is the remaining patches of wildflower meadow become really, really fragmented from each other," he said.

"That means that pollinators can't move between these patches of habitat and they get stranded and isolated so you can leave a little patch of your garden to grow wild and then cut it once a year, at the end of the year.

"Even if you don't have a garden, you can ask your local council to manage the road verges close to where you live in a way which is more friendly for wildlife and for plants.

"Ask them to cut less, cut later and watch the wildflowers flourish around about where you live."

Video by Zara Weir