Flow Country
The Flow Country is one of the most important and least-known landscapes in Britain: a vast expanse of blanket bog covering over 4,000 square kilometres of Caithness and Sutherland. This extraordinary peatland wilderness, formed over 10,000 years, is now recognised as globally significant for carbon storage, biodiversity, and as one of the planet's most intact examples of this rare habitat.
To the casual observer, the Flow Country might appear as endless, flat, brown moorland - but look closer and you'll discover a complex mosaic of pool systems, rare plants, and specialised wildlife. Greenshanks, golden plovers, and dunlins breed here in internationally important numbers, while the peat itself stores more carbon than all the forests of Britain combined. This is a landscape of subtle beauty and immense ecological value.
The RSPB's Forsinard Flows reserve offers the best access to this remarkable landscape, with a visitor centre, viewing tower, and boardwalk trail through the bog. Standing in the midst of this trackless wilderness, under vast skies with no sign of human habitation to the horizon, provides a genuine sense of Scotland's wild spaces. The Flow Country is under consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status - recognition long overdue.
What You Can Experience
- Walk the Dubh Lochan boardwalk trail
- Climb the Forsinard viewing tower
- Spot rare breeding birds on the bog
- Learn about peatland ecology at the visitor centre
- Experience true wilderness remoteness
- Understand the landscape's climate importance
Best Time to Visit
Late spring and early summer (May to July) offer the best birdwatching, with breeding waders displaying across the bogs. The visitor centre at Forsinard is typically open April to October. The landscape can be accessed year-round but is very wet - waterproof footwear is essential. Midges can be challenging in calm summer weather.
Ready to Visit Flow Country?
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