The Flow Country

The Flow Country is an extensive area of blanket bog and peatland in northern Scotland, principally in Caithness and Sutherland, known as one of the largest such peatland systems in Europe. The landscape is dominated by wet, hummocked peatland with a network of streams and small lochs.

The area is valued for its peatland habitats and wildlife and is visited for walking on boardwalks and low-impact nature observation; there are long, open stretches rather than concentrated visitor facilities. In places the peatland is managed as nature reserves with trails and an interpretive centre at Forsinard that explains the ecology.

Peat accumulated here over millennia, forming deep peat layers that store carbon and support specialised plants and invertebrates. Conservation efforts in the 20th and 21st centuries have focused on protecting peat from drainage and industrial damage and on restoring natural hydrology.

The Flow Country lies in the far north of mainland Scotland across parts of Caithness and Sutherland, with small settlements such as Forsinard providing the main access points; the nearest larger towns are Thurso and Brora on the coast.

• Conservation importance: The blanket bogs are a globally important carbon store and remain among the largest contiguous peatland areas in Europe.

What to See #

• Forsinard Flows: A large protected peatland area managed in places as nature reserves, with a visitor centre and guided trails at Forsinard in Sutherland.