Dunaverig Farm

Explorer Tom Flanders Moss is a great wet sponge of a landscape west of Stirling, only it has been growing for thousands of years and offers rather better birdwatching than the one beside my kitchen sink. Step onto the boardwalk and the coloured mosses, bog cotton and open sky soon make the quiet feel like a proper event. NatureScot calls this one of Britain's largest intact raised bogs. Moss began growing on wet clay here about eight thousand years ago, and layers of peat built a dome above the surrounding land. Sphagnum still holds water and helps the bog grow. The place may look soft enough to nap on, but that is a dreadful plan for both you and the habitat. The boardwalk lets visitors cross part of the wet ground without trampling it, and a viewing platform gives a wider look. Colour changes with the seasons: cotton grass, heather, birds, insects and winter geese each take a turn. Bring binoculars if you have them and keep to the path. This is a protected living bog, not a shortcut across an empty field. NatureScot places the reserve car park about ten miles west of Stirling, reached from a signed track off the road south of Thornhill. Its published boardwalk walk is about 900 metres and suitable for everyday shoes. Check current access details before travelling. Come prepared to be surprised that a place called Moss can put on such a show without a single curtain.