A walk across Flanders Moss

Start of the walk at Moss-side

The community were examining the opportunities to extend the local path network, which is non-existent beyond the village boundaries. We are probably the only village in the area with no footpath or cycle paths. Travelling on foot or by bike is highly dangerous along narrow and busy rural roads infested with timber lorries, tractors, white vans and speeding commuters..As Stuart McCulloch proclaimed in his excellent book on the social history of Thornhill, it is on the edge of everywhere. He even titled his book with this place epitaph.

I offered to investigate the routes to the west of the village towards Flanders Moss. I have always had a notion to walk across Flanders Moss, the largest raised bog in Britain. I cycled to Moss-side and asked Kate if it was possible to walk across her land to reach the Nature Reserve. It was two or three kilometres via a circuitous route to the viewing tower at the Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve. The SNH sometimes guide students across by this route, but it lacks any obvious paths.

It was a cool, cloudy afternoon, but the rain seemed unlikely. Kate came part of the way with me to point out features that would guide me across: old viewing towers, gates, trees and dykes. It took about half an hour to make the crossing with quite a few sections where I was balancing on clumps of heather and teetering on the verge of falling into the surrounding bog. I disturbed a couple of deer lying in the long grass by the field boundaries, a herd of Shetland cattle were grazing on the organic pastures, and a flock of geese flew over in a V-shaped formation. Do they know that autumn will be early?

I wobbled my way back across the bog and was met by Kate and her dog; she was apparently concerned for my safety. She explained how SNH had removed the birch trees on the bog and addressed the damage to the bog incurred by the peat extraction and the construction of dykes to drain the bog. I had hoped to identify a possible route across the east end of the Moss to reach the old Stirling to Buchlyvie railway line, but it would require at least a kilometre of boardwalks to make a safe passage. 

Perhaps a better option would be to find a route alongside the Goodie Water and then along the edge of the plantation to Blaircessnock, where a road runs towards Dykehead. There is a road to Gartur and then a mile of open land towards Gartrenich, from where there is a track all the way to Aberfoyle. I must explore this route next.

Improved organic  pasture

Young deer disturbed in the long grass

Looking south to sentry box and Campsies

Dyke left from peat workings

Approaching the SNH looking tower

West view

North to Ben Ledi

Northeast across Poldar Moss