Nature lovers in Edinburgh and the Lothians can still help track changes in the butterfly population, which are thought to be linked to climate change.
National charity Butterfly Conservation is asking people across Scotland to join its annual Big Butterfly Count, running until August 9.
Each count can provide valuable data on how some species are dramatically expanding their range while others are disappearing.
People across Edinburgh and the Lothians may spot a Speckled Wood butterfly, with numbers recorded in Scotland rocketing 566% since 2001, while numbers of Ringlets have increased 197% since 1996.
The iconic Peacock, which came out on top of the charity’s recent poll to find Britain’s Favourite Butterfly, has risen 240% in Scotland since 1995, and is another commonly spotted in the Lothians.
David Hill, Butterfly Conservation’s Head of Nature Recovery for Scotland, said: “If you were doing this count 30 years ago, some of these butterflies wouldn’t even have existed in much of Scotland, and now they’re amongst the most common species people see.
“It’s a really extraordinary change in such a short period of time, and the cause has got to be linked to climate change: most butterflies thrive in warm weather, and we are seeing more of that than ever before.”
Another species on the rise in Scotland is the Red Admiral, for which records have rocketed by 1219% since 1980 – however these are thought to be almost all summer visitors, rather than a breeding population.
Butterfly Conservation warned that other species are doing very badly, however. Sightings of the Small Tortoiseshell in Scotland have dropped 67% since 1979, and reports of Grayling have plummeted 93% since 1990.
Hill added: “Unfortunately, we are clearly seeing that there are winners and losers from climate change, and some species are definitely suffering.
“That might just be because they are negatively affected by long dry periods, or it might be from harmful effects of widespread pollution, for example.
“When people take part in the Big Butterfly Count, it gives us a really fantastic snapshot of how these common species are doing all over Scotland – not just on nature reserves but in people’s gardens and local parks, and in the centre of Glasgow and Edinburgh – and that’s really valuable information.”
The Big Butterfly Count is the world’s biggest annual butterfly survey. Each year, thousands of people spend 15 minutes outdoors counting and recording the butterflies and day-flying moths they see.
In this year’s Count there are hopes of a “bumper summer of butterflies”.
Last year, more than 6,200 people took part north of the border as Scotland enjoyed a “white butterfly summer” with the Small White the most commonly spotted species followed by the Large White.
A warm, dry spring has raised hopes of an abundant season for some species, just two years after 2024 delivered the worst results in the Count’s history, leading to the declaration of a “butterfly emergency”.
Anyone can take part in the Big Butterfly Count by downloading the free app and recording sightings that provide important data to help scientists understand where the insects are thriving, struggling, or shifting due to climate change, habitat loss or restoration.
