Scaling the heights to see very best of nature reserve
A tower erected 10 years ago has been credited with providing visitors to Flanders Moss with a whole new way of viewing the national nature reserve near Thornhill.
According to Scottish Natural Heritage who manage the reserve, the tower has changed visitors’ perspectives by allowing them to view the moss from seven metres above ground level.
Flanders Moss is one of the largest remaining intact raised bogs in Britain, a wild and ancient landscape.
The surface of the moss is a mosaic of sphagnum mosses and other specialist plants and animals, adapted to a land that is mostly water.
The whole expanse of Flanders Moss, all 2200 acres, can be seen stretching out from the top of the tower with its beautiful bog tapestry of colours.
Though the purpose of the tower was actually to be invisible and frame people’s view of the moss, rather than being an attraction in itself, it has become an structure featuring in various guide books and write-ups of the moss.
At the moss, there are a number of mature Scots pine trees that became established over 50 years ago.
These trees however are too far south to be in the natural range of Caledonian pine forest. They also damage the bog by sucking out water and drying it out.
The trees produce a lot of seedlings which, if left, will grow into more pine forest and have an even more detrimental effect, drying out the bog.
However, this month a hardy bunch of SNH staff volunteered for a day to cut down young pine trees.
Their reward for a day of hard labour in the cold and up to their knees in the bog was to take home a young pine as a free, environmentally-friendly Christmas tree.
In March this year, Flanders saw an influx of thousands of pink-footed geese during their migration to Iceland and Greenland, which was a sight not to be missed.
Flanders Moss can be visited at any time of year. For more information go to: www.nature.scot.