Another uncle, Dr Arthur Edmondston, had written A View of the Ancient and Present State of the Zetland Islands in 1809.

He discovered several rare plants growing on the serpentine rocks on Unst, including the endemic Shetland Mouse-ear Cerastium nigrescens, known as Edmondston's Chickweed on the island.

A few months later, he was offered the position of naturalist on board HMS Herald, on a journey retracing the voyage of HMS Beagle, and Charles Darwin became a frequent correspondent with requests for further observations.

While disembarking from a boat on the coast of South America, however, Edmondston was killed by an accidentally discharged gun, cutting short a career of great promise.

After his death, Charles Darwin was in regular correspondence with his father on Unst and was particularly interested in Edmonston's ongoing ornithological observations.