Scotland's parliamentary bees swarm to a million

The Scottish Parliament’s bee population is causing quite the buzz as it swarms to over a million bees.

First installed in 2014, the parliamentary grounds have been a hive of activity with the colonies growing steadily over the past nine years.

Last year saw four additional hives added to the gardens, taking the total amount to 15.

Stuart Hood, beekeeper and owner of ‘Hoods Honey’, says the bees have flourished on the parliamentary grounds but keeping everyone happy is a careful balancing act.

He said: "Looking after the bees at the parliament can always be a wee bit of a challenge as it’s a working place and we have to try to work in tandem with them.

"So, we try to do work early in the morning or late at night."

He says that when the bees first arrived at the Scottish Parliament there were some concerns about swarming but now both the bees and staff are "very happy".

Hood added: “Whenever the honey we take from the bees is for sale in the shop at The Scottish Parliament, it’s like a stampede down to see who can get the honey first.

"So, as they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

When the bees are not busy with pollination and making honey, they produce beeswax for the Great Seal of Scotland and seal acts of the Scottish Parliament.

Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament says they also play an important role in maintaining the environment.

She said: “As a Parliament we are keen to do everything we can to ensure that the future is a sustainable one for all of us.

“We’ve had these bees with us since 2014 and they’re very much part and parcel of our grounds.

“They play a really important role in highlighting all organisations and institutions should do their bit when it comes to promoting biodiversity, tackling climate change and looking at how we produce our food.”