Moles seem to do quite well in this area: there's plenty of evidence of their excavations, for example, along the track that passes below Dunrobin Castle. However, what we noticed both here and on Ardnamurchan is that these workings can be widely separated from the next lot of workings.
This suggests that moles travel long distances and, to do this, they must move above ground. Each set of burrows is the home of just one mole, and since mothers turf their young out as soon as they are a few weeks old, in late summer, it may well be that it is these young ones who travel to found new territories.
This idea was supported the other day when, walking along a road near here, we came across a mole on the surface which, when disturbed, made no attempt to burrow but found shelter....
....in the bottom of a stone wall. We were told that there were no other mole workings anywhere in the area so, presumably, this one had arrived to rectify the situation.
We left it to its travels in the hope that it would move on: the house behind the stone wall boasts some rather fine lawns which might tempt the mole.
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