Highland glens and bogs - Glen Coe and Rannoch Moor

Grade of trips and walks - easy to moderate.

Echoes of waterfalls, and huge buttresses are the first impressions of Glen Coe as you encounter Glencoe. A gentle walk explores woodlands along the local trails in Glen Coe before we visit the Interpretation at the new NTS visitor centre. The battle of Glen Coe and The Clans are interpreted in the centre before a small walk around the birch woodlands and meadows in the glens.

We explore red deer ecology and golden eagle country, exploring the high corries and mountain tops where we may also see some rare willows and herbs growing in the rock crevices on the mountain paths. The west coast of Scotland favours broadleaved woodland species and rich moss covered trees are frequent in Glen Coe. These woodlands are encouraged by management practices that prevent overgrazing and browsing on the NTS estates.

The wild stretches of Rannoch moor are inaccessible except by foot. A series of bogs, marshy swamps and lochans stretch from near Kings House near Glen Coe to Perthshire in the east. Bog mosses makes up a large part of this extensive wild land with all shades of sphagnum mosses. Bog bean does well in shallow open water and there are many species of bladderwort, carnivorous plants that supplement their food with aquatic insects. Rannoch rush is found in central and northern Europe but is only found at Rannoch moor in Britain where it survives in wet hollows with sphagnum moss.

There are also many birds breeding here including curlew, red grouse and the beautiful red-breasted merganser on the lochs.

If you require further information please contact us here.

Click here to go back to main Wildlife / Ecology Tours.