‘It would put the Flows on an even footing with the Grand Canyon. Well, it should be’
BBC Scotland journalist and newsreader who visited the Flow Country for outdoors show Landward
Being an islander, cutting peat to use as fuel is something I’m very familiar with. But, as a kid growing up, you don’t give much thought to the peatland until you’re at the site again the following year doing the same thing again!
You don’t appreciate just how vast an area the Flow Country is until you see it for yourself. The scale of it is epic and of course it should be recognised globally, with it being one of the largest blanket bogs in the world. While it may not be so hospitable to us humans, it’s extremely important for our planet.
It’s home to a variety of significant plant life and particular species that adapt well to the harsh environment – cold, wet, acidic conditions that makes them important to biodiversity. Another thing that makes it significant is the carbon that is stored in the peat. In the Flow Country there’s more carbon than in all the forests of Britain twice over. Not only that but it supports an amazing array of wildlife. It is a key site for climate change – making it one of the most important natural landscapes we have.
People understand much more now about the carbon capture and the special area that it is. If the Flows succeed with the bid, it would put them on an even footing with the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon – and why not?
There are many opportunities this could offer to the communities around about: a gateway to the Flows – for people to come and visit and appreciate it for what it is.
I don’t think anyone could ever be disappointed with the scenery around and about it. It’s breathtaking. It truly is a wonderful part of the world.