The Flow Country

The most intact and extensive blanket bog system in the world

Stretching across Caithness and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland this vast expanse of blanket bog comprises a complex set of interlinked pool systems and micro features that not only host an eye-catching flora and fauna but also play a vital role in our defence against the effects of climate change.

From above the land is a mottled pattern of peat and pools, their colours shifting like an opal. But look a little closer and you’ll find a world of amazing plants, rare birds, and a place to be inspired by peace and space.

Nature & Heritage

Nature and Heritage

People looking over the Forsinard flows from lookout tower Ecosystem Services
July 23, 2024

Ecosystem Services

The Flow Country is excellent habitat for wildlife, but this ecosystem is valuable for people too! Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions ecosystems make for human wellbeing. The Flow Country provides several important services for people.

Peatlands and Climate Change
July 23, 2024

Peatlands and Climate Change

Peatlands have been historically undervalued. In the UK, 80% of peatlands have been degraded, often in attempts to drain them for agriculture and forestry. We now have a better understanding of peatlands and the vital role they play in the fight against climate change.

Plants
July 23, 2024

Plants

In the winter, the grey-brown hues of the Flow Country disguise the incredible range of plant life it is home to. In spring and summer this living landscape explodes in colour, with lots of fascinating plants to discover. By far the most significant plants in the Flow Country are the Sphagnum mosses, which are integral […]

Invertebrates
July 18, 2024

Invertebrates

While the Flow Country may look flat, it is complex and diverse ecosystem. The array of different mosses and other plants, and the various bodies of water provide habitats for many different types of invertebrates. The best time to see invertebrates in the Flow Country is between June and August. The information here is far […]

Nature & Heritage

Dùthaich nam boglaichean

Newsroom

Exciting Progress in Peatland Restoration: A New Milestone for The Flow Country
October 21, 2024

Exciting Progress in Peatland Restoration: A New Milestone for The Flow Country

We’re thrilled to share some exciting developments from The Flow Country, where work has officially begun on our second peatland restoration project. This initiative marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to protect and restore one of Scotland’s most vital ecosystems. Restoring 410 Hectares of Peatland The new project is taking place on […]

Excavators Break Ground on The Flow Country Green Finance Initiative’s First Peatland Restoration Project
September 2, 2024

Excavators Break Ground on The Flow Country Green Finance Initiative’s First Peatland Restoration Project

Last Monday marked an exciting milestone for the Flow Country Green Finance Initiative as excavators began work on our first peatland restoration project. Covering approximately 880 hectares, this project is a significant step towards regenerative agriculture and a more sustainable future for our land, economy, and community. The restoration, scheduled in two phases, will focus […]

A group of young people stand smiling in a group at the top of a lookout tower. Mountains are in the background. Flow Country welcomes international volunteers as part of UNESCO Initiative
August 25, 2024

Flow Country welcomes international volunteers as part of UNESCO Initiative

We welcomed a group of young people from the UNESCO World Heritage Volunteers Initiative this month, read on to hear about their visit to the Flow Country, the first peatland World Heritage Site. What is the World Heritage Volunteers Programme and how does the Flow Country fit in? The World Heritage Volunteers programme exists within […]

The Scottish Land Commission is hosting a virtual public meeting to discuss land ownership and use in Caithness and Sutherland.
August 8, 2024

The Scottish Land Commission is hosting a virtual public meeting to discuss land ownership and use in Caithness and Sutherland.

The Scottish Land Commission is hosting a virtual public meeting, designed to encourage local residents to have their say on issues affecting land ownership and use in the area. Taking place on Monday 2 September at 7.00pm on Zoom, the free event is open to anyone with an interest in the way land is owned […]

Royal visit marks Flow Country’s UNESCO success
July 31, 2024

Royal visit marks Flow Country’s UNESCO success

Today [31 July 2024] the Flow Country project team welcomed His Majesty The King who commended the award of UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The world’s most expansive blanket peat bog, the Flow Country, spans much of Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland. It was granted the designation reserved for sites of exceptional […]

Scotland’s Flow Country secures World Heritage status
July 26, 2024

Scotland’s Flow Country secures World Heritage status

The most expansive and best example of blanket bog in the world, the Flow Country in the far north of Scotland has joined the Serengeti, the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef in securing prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its globally important nature.  This is a global first, as the Flow Country […]

The Newsroom 
Flow Country Projects

The first and only peatland World Heritage Site in the World

 

World Heritage

Find time to take in The Flow Country and discover an extraordinary world at your feet, a world that touches and shapes life in clever and surprising ways.