Nature & Heritage

Plants

In the winter, the grey-brown hues of the Flow Country disguise the incredible diversity of plant life it is home to. This living landscape explodes in colour in the spring and summer, with lots of fascinating plants to discover.

Mosses are such important plants for the Flow Country, we’ve dedicated a whole page just to moss!

Flowering Plants

Some of the most eye-catching plants on the bog, these bright flowers attract a variety of insects.

Bog Asphodel

The bright yellow, star-shaped flowers of bog asphodel are unmistakable on the bog. These pretty plants grow in areas of low calcium, this led them to be known as 'bone breakers' because it was thought the plant caused brittle bones in the livestock which ate them. In fact, it was the poor calcium pastures bog asphodel is associated with that was doing the damage!

Heath Spotted-Orchid

A delicate white and pink orchid. The orchids readily hybridise, making them challenging to identify at times.

Northern Marsh Orchid

Of the several orchid species which grow in the Flow Country, the northern marsh orchid is one of the most common. It readily attracts insects, though its flowers contain no nectar or pollen!

Bell Heather

There are three species of heather in the Flow Country, bell, ling and cross-leaved. Heather grows throughout the Flow Country, during summer the blooming heather flowers transform the landscape to a sea of purple.

Bogbean

Bog bean is an aquatic plant. It grows upright in shallow pools. The Flow Country's dubh lochans (black pools) provide excellent habitat for this plant.

Dùthaich nam boglaichean

Insectivorous Plants

The lack of nutrients in the bog has led to some impressive adaptations to allow plants to survive. Some plants survive the lack of nutrients in the soil by finding their food elsewhere- they trap insects and secrete enzymes to digest them!

©Lorne Gill/SNH/2020VISION

Oblong-Leaved Sundew

One of three sundew species in the Flow Country, as the name suggests, it can be identified from the other species by its oblong leaves.

Great Sundew

The great sundew is larger than the similar oblong-leaved sundew. It can be further identified by the hairs on its leaves, which taper off towards the leaf tip. In the oblong-leaved sundew, the hairs form an oval near the tip.

Round-Leaved Sundew

This close up shows a sundew leaf with the sticky hairs it will use to catch small flies.

Lorne Gill

Common Butterwort

The delicate, purple flower of the butterwort is a common sight in The Flow Country between May and July. The flower attracts insects which sit on its sticky leaves.

Lorne Gill

Common Butterwort Leaves

The leaves of the butterwort are covered in a sticky substance which traps unsuspecting flies.

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The Flow Country is an internationally important breeding site for upland birds.

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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.

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Mammals

From water voles to red deer, The Flow Country is home to some of Scotland’s most iconic mammal species. While herds of red deer are not easy to miss, many more elusive species can be found in this vast landscape.

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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 […]

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Reptiles and Amphibians

The cold far north of Scotland might not be the what comes to mind as ideal amphibian and reptile habitat. However, there are 6 different species of amphibian and reptile which can be found throughout the Flow Country!