Moine Mhòr ("Great Moss" in

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

)The Story of Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve. p. 1. encompasses a large area of

raised bog Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation (ombro ...

in the

Kilmartin Glen Kilmartin Glen is an area in Argyll north of Knapdale. It has the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland. The glen is located between Oban and Lochgilphead, surrounding the village of Kilmartin. I ...

area of

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. As well as raised bog there are areas of

saltmarsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It ...

, brackish grassland,

alder carr An alder carr is a particular type of carr, i.e. waterlogged wooded terrain populated with alder trees. They can be found across the United Kingdom, sometimes attracting Ash trees should they become drier. Many have developed alongside streams in ...

, fen and woodland, and the variety of habitats at Moine Mhòr provide important habitats for a variety of animal and plant species. The area was declared a national nature reserve (NNR) in 1987, and is now owned and managed by

NatureScot NatureScot () is an Scottish public bodies#Executive NDPBs, executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for Scotland’s natural heritage, especially its nature, natural, genetics, genetic and scenic diversity. ...

. According to NatureScot lowland raised bogs like Moine Mhòr are some of the rarest and most threatened natural wildlife habitats in Europe, due to removal of peat, afforestation and reclamation of farmland.The Story of Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve. p. 5. Around 8,000 people visit the Moine Mhòr NNR every year, with the reserve being popular with local people and school groups, as well as tourists visiting the nearby attractions of

and the

Crinan Canal The Crinan Canal is a Canals of the United Kingdom, navigable canal in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It opened in 1801 and connects the village of Ardrishaig on Loch Gilp with Crinan, Argyll, Crinan on the Sound of Jura, providing a navi ...

. A 600 m nature trail has been constructed at the northern edge of the reserve; other visitor facilities include a car park and picnic area.

History

The Moine Mhòr began to form after the last ice age some 10,000 years ago, as rising sea levels covered the area in impermeable marine clay. The land began to rise as the glaciers melted due to

post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound an ...

, and a shallow estuary formed at the mouth of the

River Add The River Add () is a river which runs through Argyll and Bute on the west coast of Scotland. Historically, it was known as the river Airigh but to avoid confusion with the '' Aray'' (which gives its name to Inveraray), it was renamed the River ...

. A freshwater loch formed over the Moine Mhòr, separated from the sea by an area of saltmarsh. About 5,500 years ago sea levels fell further, and

sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

es started to colonise the area, which was kept damp due to the impermeable clay. Over time layers of

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

were laid down, leading to the Moine Mhòr as it is today. Moine Mhòr lies to the west of Kilmartin Glen, one of the most important prehistoric landscapes in Scotland, however the boggy conditions prevented these prehistoric people from living or farming on the moss. It is nonetheless likely that they would have used the bog to cut peat for fuel, and to collect berries and lichens for food, drinks, dyes, and potions. Core samples have shown that the bog was regularly burnt to maintain open grazing for animals.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 12. The

, built immediately to the south of the Moine Mhòr between 1794 and 1801, led to a decline in peat cutting, as coal from the Glasgow area began to replace peat as fuel. Landowners began to "reclaim" the bog by drainage in order to commence agriculture. Controlled burning of the unimproved sections of the bog continued, however the focus shifted from grazing to sporting interests, with the aim of encouraging

red grouse The red grouse (''Lagopus scotica'') is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in Calluna, heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the willow ptarmigan (''Lagopus lagopus'') ...

for shooting parties. Around 1980 approximately 100 ha of conifer plantation were planted at Moine Mhor. In order to prevent the disappearance of more of the blanket bog, the

Nature Conservancy Council The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 (it did not cover Northern ...

(NCC - the predecessor body of NatureScot) decided to purchase 500 ha of land and declared the area a national nature reserve.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 13. Since taking ownership NatureScot have attempted to reverse historical drainage of the bog by the damming of drainage ditches, with over 190 dams having been constructed by 2017. This has led to a rise in the water table, and allowed the sphagnum mosses to regenerate. NatureScot has also taken action to remove trees and scrubs in order to maintain the area as a raised bog.

Flora and fauna

Sphagnum moss ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

es are the key plants in the formation of a raised bog and nine species have been recorded at Moine Mhòr NNR. The marginal habitats mean that there is also a diverse flowering plant community, including purple heath orchid, round-leaved sundew,

bog myrtle ''Myrica gale'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceae native to parts of Eurasia and North America. Common names include bog-myrtle, sweet willow, Dutch myrtle, and sweetgale. Description ''Myrica gale'' is a deciduous shrub g ...

and bog asphodel.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 8 The plant life of the bog helps supports many types of invertebrates, including the

marsh fritillary The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval st ...

(one of Europe’s most threatened butterfly species), which lives on

devil's-bit scabious ''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas '' Scabiosa columbaria'' ( ...

, a plant of the drier fringes of the bog. The

large heath ''Coenonympha tullia'', the large heath or common ringlet, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It flies in a variety of grassy habitats, including roadsides, woodland edges and clearings, prairies, bogs, and arctic and alpine taiga and tun ...

butterfly, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species is also present, and the reserve hosts many species of

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 9. 235 bird species have been recorded at the reserve, with the bog itself supporting species such as

curlew The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been infl ...

and

meadow pipit The meadow pipit (''Anthus pratensis'') is a small passerine bird that breeds throughout much of the Palearctic, from south-eastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; ...

, whilst redshank,

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. ''Gallinago'' snipe have a nearly ...

and

oystercatcher The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family (biology), family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and Sout ...

breed on the saltmarsh areas. The reserve hosts an important population of breeding

hen harrier The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Palearctic, Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It bird migration, migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian ...

s; other raptors present include

short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

s, which also breed here occasionally, whilst

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

s can be seen fishing along the river and at the estuary.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 10.

Otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the Rank (zoology), subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic animal, aquatic, or Marine ecology, marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae Family (biology), family, whi ...

regularly visit the watercourses, and

roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

and

sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south t ...

also visit the Moine Mhòr.The Story of Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve. p. 11.

Conservation designations

Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve - geograph

The national nature reserve is classified as a Category IV

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

. Moine Mhòr also holds other national and international conservation designations for its natural heritage, being both a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

(SSSI) and a

Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

(SAC): these designations cover a wider area than the NNR (''c''. 11.5 km²). Moine Mhòr lies within the Knapdale national scenic area (NSA)

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Moine Mhòr National Nature Reserve
- NatureScot
Scotland's National Nature Reserves
{{National nature reserves of Scotland National nature reserves in Scotland Protected areas of Argyll and Bute