CITATION
KIRKCOWAN FLOW SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST Dumfries and Galloway Site code: 870
NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE: NX 255705
OS 1:50,000 SHEET NO: Landranger Series 76, 82 1:25,000 SHEET NO: Explorer Series 310
AREA: 777.57 hectares
NOTIFIED NATURAL FEATURES
Biological: Bogs: Blanket Bog
DESCRIPTION
Kirkcowan Flow Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is an area of blanket and basin bog lying 10.5km northwest of Kirkcowan.
The site is also notable for its mix of bog and rocky outcrops (comprised of Ordovician greywacke) which give rise to a varied range of habitat types.
On level plateaux, cols and valley flats, extensive bog moss Sphagnum carpets have formed giving rise to areas of patterned surface ridge and pool systems. In other areas, these have developed into the more pronounced and classic hummock and hollow systems found on other important sites in the area. These Sphagnum carpets support a variety of sedge species. Extensive areas of valley bog, dominated by purple moor grass Molinia caerulea, further add to the diversity of bog types.
Relatively few examples of this type of habitat, with such a variety of bog formations have escaped afforestation or agricultural reclamation in Wigtownshire.
NOTIFICATION HISTORY
First notified under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981: 20 December 1985. Notification reviewed under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004: 7 June 2010.
REMARKS Measured area of site corrected (from 776.6 ha).
Kirkcowan Flow SSSI is also designated as Kirkcowan Flow Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the European habitats listed below.
Habitats: Blanket bog Depressions on peat substrates
To the northeast the site is contiguous with and in parts overlaps very slightly the River Bladnoch SAC.