Bogs have secrets

August 29, 2018

When the Cairngorms Peatland Action Project Officers were invited to take a look at an “interesting” bog they didn’t quite know what to expect.   Peter Ferguson of Rothiemurchus Estate guided Stephen Corcoran and Emma Stewart to the end of Gleann Eanaich.  In the base of the Glen lies a peatland with a fascinating story to tell.  Hidden below about 0.5-1m of peat is an ancient woodland, a forgotten forest of preserved stumps of all shapes and sizes.  

It has been revealed after years of erosion removeed the peat that has built up on top of it.  Initial investigations show the stumps themselves sit on top of deep peat that formed in the flat bottom of the glen a long time ago.  Cut tops to many of the stumps suggest previous visitors to this glen used them as firewood after they were exposed.    

The name Gleann Eanaich is revealing as well, it may mean either Glen of the bog or Glen of the stumps!  The Peatland Action team hope to discover more about the history of the peatland here as they develop restoration plans with Rothiemurchus Estate to prevent further erosion of the site.  What else will be discovered about this special place?

Scientist taking scientific measurements in peatland. Credit Emma Hinchliffe
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