Scottish panoramas Buried millennia and key to our future, the bogs of the Flow Country

VICKY ALLAN

THE human mind loves nature’s patterns, and the vast dappling of pool and peat that is the Flow Country is one of the most quietly epic landscapes in Scotland. This is a huge expanse of blanket bog, stretching from Caithness to Sutherland, an ecosystem formed over many millennia and whose prime component is sphagnum moss. The peat here is, in places, 15 metres deep. Not only is this panorama breath-taking to look at, but it is now considered a vital element in our defence against the effects of climate change – a huge carbon sink.

This peatland, Scotland’s equivalent of a rainforest, is currently the focus of a UNESCO World Heritage status bid. The Flow Country is the largest blanket bog in the world and it stores, it has been estimated, almost 400 million tonnes of carbon – twice the total carbon content of all the woodlands and forests in the UK. Globally, peatlands, despite covering only three percent of the world’s land area, contain an astonishing 30 percent of all carbon stored on land.

Such knowledge affects how we appreciate this marshy vista. This rough and raw beauty, we now know, is vital to our survival. It is also an ecosystem that has been destroyed in some parts by forestation. We think planting trees is good for the planet, but the plantings that took place in this area are not. At Forsinard Flows, RSPB Scotland has been trialling various approaches to peatland restoration – and there are areas in which bog conditions are already re-establishing.

It’s not just in its panorama, but also in its minutiae, its wildlife, that the flow country is a marvel. A list of the names of the flora and fauna that live here is its own poetry. Bog myrtle, wild cranberry, bog orchid, cotton grass and butterwort. There are also dragonflies, otter, deer, common scoter ducks and rare waders like the dunlin and golden plover.

What astounds is also what we cannot see, what lies beneath the surface, the strata of the peat bog – an upper level of mosses and other plants, living at the surface but dead and dying below, and a lower layer called the catotelm, in which the decayed former plants are decomposed and compressed into peat.

Bog, or mire, have often been derogatory terms, associated with being stuck, but now we are beginning to see them in a positive light.

The Flow Country is our prize, a heartland, which we must protect to keep ourselves and the kind of world that sustains us alive. It is not just our heritage but our future.

WHERE IS IT?

Loch Goil in Argyll. The prettiest loch with the not-so-pretty name. Goil has two possible meanings: boil (and having got into wild swimming there during lockdown I can tell you it is definitely not boiling) and to cry or weep. The beauty of this loch and how it makes me feel is enough to spark a good greet, but with happy tears. Like so much of the west coast, its ruggedness is both enthralling and a little bit scary; making you feel both small and, thanks to the heights of the mountains around it, on top of the world.

WHY DO YOU GO THERE?

My parents have had a place at Loch Goil for more than 20 years but moved there full-time at the start of the year.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO?

Whenever we can. This year that has meant, at times, more than normal. During the summer we tried to go as much as possible but now I’m not sure when we will be able to get back.

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER IT?

Through my parents. I like the idea that places are like heirlooms, my parents passed their love of the west coast and Loch Goil to me and I hope to pass it on to my kids.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY?

During the summer there were two northern bottlenose whales in the loch, they weren’t distressed (it’s a very deep loch) and had just lost their way. It was incredible to see these two hugely beautiful animals at home from our home. On the same day, we also saw porpoises and the bob of seals that lives there too. The kids were so excited, it was like having a wildlife park on our doorstep.

WHO DO YOU TAKE?

My family and friends.

WHAT DO YOU TAKE?

Marshmallows. We make a small fire on the beach if it’s dry enough, so after pottering about looking for crabs we can sit down with a bit of warmth (it helps keep the midges away) and enjoy the view with a marshmallow in hand.

SUSAN SWARBRICK WHAT DO YOU LEAVE BEHIND?

Worries. That sense of always being on a phone. It feels like somewhere to breathe, and not just because the air is so lovely.

SUM IT UP IN FIVE WORDS.

Watching the weather roll in …

WHAT TRAVEL SPOT IS ON YOUR POST-LOCKDOWN WISH LIST?

Everywhere. This year has made me value home – there’s so much of Scotland that I don’t see enough of – and want to explore other places. I miss that connection of discovering and learning about other cultures, so I think top on my list would be somewhere exotic and otherworldly. I would love to visit the Mayan temples in Mexico.

Cat Cubie co-hosts The Sleep Mums podcast with baby and child sleep expert, Sarah Carpenter, aimed at helping new parents get better sleep. Available on Apple podcasts, visit thesleepmums.co.uk