Extract from Ross-shire Journal 9.8.1926
Heather HoneyLucky is the beekeeper (says “Janet” in the “Press and Journal”) who has his hives situated on a pitch within foraging distance of heath or heather blossom. In normal years he may safely expect to reap a far richer harvest of honey than his less fortunate brothers, while in bad seasons, when the honey flow from fruit and clover blossoms has been meagre, Nature usually provides ample compensation in the returns from the heather bloom. In the English counties the heather begins to flower in late July, and often continues till mid-September, but here the season is a fortnight or a month later, and since the blossom is at its best for so short a period special care and forethought are necessary if the beekeeper means to take full advantage of the wealth of nectar which lies at his door. Often he must pack up his hives and transport them to the moors; it is common knowledge that a bee will forage for nectar no further than two miles from her hive. Even when colonies are situated within this limit of the heather, a vast amount of bee life, time and energy can be saved by transporting the hives into the midst of the purple blossom. Heather honey, by virtue of its colour and delicious flavour, is more popular and valuable as comb than run honey, and since it is difficult to extract, the beekeeper works for sections rather than shallow frames. It does not, however, blend well with the nectar from other flowers, and so if the colonies have any section racks half-filled with clover honey when moved to the moors, they should be extracted before they are returned to the bees to work in.
