small tortoiseshell butterfly on ragwort

A small tortoiseshell butterfly on ragwort

A small tortoiseshell butterfly on what I believe is ragwort, corrections are welcome. This was taken on the island of Inchcolm, in the Firth of Forth, just outside Edinburgh, Scotland. Inchcolm Abbey was just a short walk away and if I remember correctly, I took this as I was waiting for the ferry to return after spending the better part of a day on the island. It was cold, even in late July, but worth the trip. The Abbey is a beautiful ruin and the short ferry ride to the island, as well as some exploration, yielded many seals, birds, and of course, butterflies. The Wikipedia article on the island, linked below, says this is the place referenced in Shakespeare’s Macbeth:

That now Sweno, the Norwayes King,
Craves composition:
Nor would we deigne him buriall of his men,
Till he disbursed, at Saint Colmes ynch,
Ten thousand Dollars, to our generall use

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_tortoiseshell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobaea_vulgaris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchcolm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inchcolm_Abbey

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/inchcolm-abbey/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth

http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html

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