‘Middle of nowhere’ Ice Age bog is an unexpected must-visit for 2025

The Cairngorms National Park isn’t the only breathtaking view in Scotland.

Flow Country, in the far north, is the most intact and extensive blanket bog system in the world.

Stretching across Caithness and Sutherland, tourists have branded it a place of ‘stark beauty’ and it was recently crowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the seventh in Scotland.

The area, packed with wildlife such as water voles, red deer and red foxes – and even lizards – has also been named by the New York Times in their 52 places to visit in 2025 list, just one of three places in the UK.

Its inclusion on the list, which also included the likes of Raja Ampat, an archipelago in Indonesia and Sun Valley in Idaho, seemed to surprise even the writer Amelia Nierenberg.

‘Yes, a bog system has joined the ranks of the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef,’ she wrote. ‘But it’s not just any bog. The first peatland to earn the recognition, it is one of the world’s biggest carbon stores, which makes it key to the fight against climate change.’

Visitors on TripAdvisor agree, calling Flow Country ‘fascinating’ and were left in awe of its ‘magnificent landscape’.

‘What a spot in the middle of nowhere,’ claimed one reviewer. While another said it was an ‘inspiring day out.’

And while it might sound like you’re going to get wet in the bogs, boarded walkways and paths ensure tourists stay clean and dry.

About The Flow Country

This stunning area of natural beauty covers a staggering 200,000 hectares – for reference, just one hectare is the size of about two and a half football pitches.

If you’re a Scotland native, The Flow Country is more than twice the size of Orkney.

This blanket bog is the largest of its kind in Europe, with environments like this only forming in cooler places with frequent rain.

This particular bog has been forming for 10,000 years, ever since the glaciers melted at the end of the last Ice Age.

Peat, formed from the decades of plants that have tried to grow and have rotted away, here measures 10 metres deep – equivalent to a three-storey building.

All this means that The Flow Country is the first and only peatland World Heritage Site on the planet.

What is there to see in The Flow Country?

For some of you, just the views alone will be reason to visit this stunning North Scotland landscape.

But for those of you who are wondering what else it offers, you won’t be disappointed.

We’ll start with the iconic Scottish wildlife. There are two species of deer that live amongst these wetlands – the red deer and roe deer.

The red deer roam The Flow Country in large herds and there’s a strong chance you’ll spot them, while the roe deer favour sheltered woodland, rather than the open plains.

Foxes and weasels are a couple of other common inhabitants, but you may be more interested in the adorable little carnivores that love a swim: the otters.

If you have an abundance of patience when it comes to wildlife spotting, you may want to seek out the water voles and field voles, as well as the water shrew.

For the avid birdwatcher there are plenty of bird species too. Greenshanks, black-throated divers, golden plovers and dunlins can all be found here.

Fishing is another pastime you can enjoy, because the water quality is so high, meaning salmon and trout thrive here in the rivers.

For an even more informative visit, you can enter The Flow Country via Lairg and discover the touring exhibit.

The exhibition is free and can be found throughout the exhibition space in the centre. The Ferrycroft Centre is open Thursday – Monday 10am till 4pm, until the end of October.

You will find a small shop, café and toilet facilities too, so no going in the bushes next to the poor deer.

How to explore The Flow Country

It’s likely that, if you’re this far north, you may have opted to drive. The good news is there are plenty of winding roads with stunning views to explore by car.

If you’re more of the active type, walking and hiking is also an option. You can opt for the Dubh-lochain trail to the Flows Lookout Tower, or walk the longer Forsinain trail.

For Dubh-lochain, a short but stunning walk, you’ll cross the bog on a wooden walkway before reaching an older trail of placed flagstones to visit more of the Dubh Lochan pools.

The walk starts at the Forsinard Peatlands centre at the railway station.

For the Forsinain trail you’ll want to park on the west side of the A897 opposite the barns of Forsinain Farm. Then the walking route will take you across peat bogs in the heart of Flow Country.

Wear appropriate shoes though, because the trail can get pretty wet.

Rail is a great way to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site too, with the Far North Line that runs from Inverness to Wick and Thurso.

You’ll see stunning coastlines, rivers and stations that serve barely a couple of homes.

How to get to The Flow Country

The easiest option is to drive, if you’re thinking of exploring this gorgeous landscape, this way you can explore it by foot and by road.

As mentioned, the Far North Line will take you there. The southernmost station is Inverness, so to get there you can get a direct train from Aberdeen for as little as £11.20.

Alternatively, if you’re travelling from London, you can get a direct train to Inverness from Kings Cross, which will take you around eight to 10 hours, with prices starting at about £50.

Once you’re at Inverness you can get the Far North line to Forsinard.

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