From a small tortoiseshell sunning its wings on a garden buddleia, to a dark green fritillary soaring over grassland, butterflies add colour to wherever they live.
Scotland is home to more than half of Britain’s species of the insect, with several found in greater numbers than anywhere else in the UK.
Several others are migratory visitors, for instance the suphur flashes of the clouded yellow and the brimstone are occasionally seen in Scotland, but to be considered native a butterfly must regularly breed in its home country.
They all have fascinating life cycles, starting life as tiny eggs that hatch into ravenous caterpillars, eventually pupating and emerging as adults – one of the great transformative miracles of the natural world.
But it’s amazing how few butterflies the average Scot can identify, aside from the usual ‘cabbage whites’ and red admirals.
So, here are all the species to be found, along with where and when you can see them. How many can you spot in 2025?
25. Purple Hairstreak
The flash of purple on its upper wings makes the purple hairstreak easy to tell apart from the white-letter hairstreak. Another insect that tends to spend most of its time at the top of trees, it can be found in small patches of south west and central Scotland, flying from July to August. | Canva/Getty Images
26. Common Blue
By far the most widespread of Scotland's blue butterflies (as the name would suggest), the common blue can be seen on grassland and heath from June to August. Some females lack the blue colour, appearing dark brown. | Canva/Getty Images
27. Holly Blue
Most easily distinguished from the common blue by the smaller number of markings on the underside, the holly blue is a rare butterfly in Scotland only recorded on a few sites in the Borders and East Lothian. They fly from April to July. | Canva/Getty Images
28. Small Blue
Britain's smallest butterfly, the tiny small blue can be found on sand dunes and grassland on the coast of east and north east Scotland in May and June. | Canva/Getty Images