Forsinard: Discover the Moorland and Trails

The Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve is an expansive landscape of blanket bog, protected straths and mountains. It is part of Flow Country, which was inscribed in July 2024 as the world’s first World Heritage Site for peatlands. The designation puts peatlands at the centre of the World Heritage theme.

Walking and wildlife watching

As you walk the trails in the nature reserve, you can spot golden plovers, dunlins, greenshanks, hen harriers, skylarks and meadow pipits. Wildlife-watching opportunities vary by season. If you make birdwatching your focus, you can combine it with a walk through the moorland.

The Dubh Lochans Trail is one mile long and takes approximately 45 minutes. Its boardwalk provides relatively easy access for a wide range of people. The trail passes through peatland with pools to the Flows Lookout. From there, you can enjoy views across the system of pools and the surrounding landscape. Its length and approximate duration help you fit the walk into your day; the pools and viewpoint give the route specific destinations.

In summer, RSPB Scotland staff regularly lead guided walks in the Forsinard Flows area. If you would like to plan one of these walks, check the specific dates in advance. This lets you coordinate your visit with the seasonal programme.

More ways to explore the moorland

Near Forsinard, the signposted Forsinain Trail passes through peatland and forestry in the heart of Flow Country. You can see peatland restoration in progress there. This gives the trail a different focus from the route to Flows Lookout: here, the focus is on peatland restoration, while the Dubh Lochans Trail is described in terms of pools and views. This distinction can help you choose excursions based on the landscape theme you’re interested in.

On the “Forsinard Flows and Tower” trail, gullies and mounds offer another perspective on the moor: they were formed by peat extraction over the years. These landforms connect the landscape with its history of use. If you’re interested in how they came about, you’ll find a historical dimension here alongside the nature and restoration themes.

Facilities and getting there

The nature reserve’s visitor centre and toilets are in the old railway station building in Forsinard, next to the level crossing. The paved Forsinard Car Park serves the visitor centre, Flows Lookout and Dubh Lochan Trail; it is also shared with the railway station.

RSPB Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve is accessible by train, car or bicycle. You can take these three travel options into account when planning your trip; the station and car park are part of shared infrastructure at the site.

If you’re looking for a hotel for a stay in Forsinard, comparing the trails can help you decide whether views, birdwatching or peatland restoration should be the focus. The Dubh Lochans Trail has a specific duration, while the other trails explore different aspects of the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Castletown, Mallaig, Kenmore, Shieldaig, Aultbea, Dornie, Invergarry, Ballachulish

For the main travel overview: Highland.