"From the bonny bells of heather, they brew a drink Langsyn. Was sweeter far than honey, was strong far than wine. " These are a few lines from Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "Heather Ale: A Galloway Legend." Heather, which grows abundantly across about five million acres of Scottish hills and moorland, is considered a national symbol of the country.

There are many poems and songs about heather in Scotland. Perhaps because it's a very common plant in the country that blooms twice a year, in early summer, and in early autumn. The wild Scottish heather is usually in some shade of purple. Sometimes you can see a white Scottish heather, which is less common, and considered to be lucky, especially for brides.

Since olden days, Scots have been using heather for multiple purposes. Dried Scottish heather is used to make soft mattress. Heather stems are used to make farming tools because they are resilient. The plant is also used as a medicine to treat skin problems and so on.

(All images are via VCG and edited by Ding Qian)

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