Loch Nah-Achlaise
Like so many others, we only briefly passed through this hauntingly beautiful landscape, but one I have always wanted to see. I long to go back and spend a week wandering around it's bogs looking at it's secrets.
Rannoch Moor, Scotland.
Rannoch Moor SSSI is located in the central Highlands of Scotland, to the east of Glen Coe. Within its area of 10,102ha, it encompasses an extensive blanket bog as well as fen complexes, which combined constitute about 72% of its area. Blanket bog occupies hollows, level ground and gentle slopes, with species composition reflecting overall wetness and water movement. There are large areas of heath on shallow peat and small areas of grassland, bracken and native woodland are also present.
The moor contains many waterbodies that constitute 10% of the area, and which vary greatly in size.
The smaller ones are peaty and have low species diversity from the low nutrient content. The large waterbodies have an intermediate nutrient level and a greater range of species. Uncommon open water and moorland bird species regularly breed at the site, including black-throated diver, greenshank, dunlin, common sandpiper, greylag goose, red and black grouse, stonechat and wheatear. There are also beetle, moth and fly species of interest.
Taken from the fascinating document "Review of Status and Conservation of Wild Land in Europe"
Source: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1051/0109251.pdf
Other recommended reading http://www.wildlandresearch.org/index.html
