Venue Description

Portmoak Moss, known to locals as The Moss, is one of the few remaining raised bogs in central Scotland. Raised bogs are areas of deep peat raised above the surrounding land. They form over thousands of years from shallow glacial lakes and wet hollows. Over this time, each lake or hollow becomes filled with the un-decayed remains of plants and silt, and peat begins to form. The raised bog at Portmoak Moss is at least six metres deep in places. Here, 12 hectares of raised bog remains, skirted by mixed confierous and birch woodland. It provides a refuge to lots of wildlife, from roe deer and red squirrels to a wide variety of birds, fungi and sphagnum mosses. The site is also a hotspot for damsel and dragonflies, butterflies and moths.

Accessibility

From the Village of Scotlandwell there is easy access to Portmoak Moss. From the main road junction follow the B920 south for 150m to the edge of the village, then turn right down a track (signposted 'Portmoak Moss') for a further 180m to enter the wood through a wheelchair-access kissing gate. Once at the moss, there is almost 2km of surfaced paths to explore.The loop path (1.5km, with several sets of steps en route) encircles and traverses the raised bog. Due to the nature of the site this path can become flooded in winter – wellies are recommended! There is a 400m surfaced, all ability route which avoids the steps on site. There are also many informal unsurfaced paths throughout the site, many of which are often muddy in places and require the crossing of sleeper bridges over wider drains. The paths also form links with other external routes including the Michael Bruce Way, a circular route which links the villages of Scotlandwell and Kinnesswood with Portmoak, Kilmagad Wood and the Loch Leven Heritage Trail.

Toilets

There are no facilities or toilets onsite. The nearest public toilets are at Kinross services (M90, J6) approximately 7 miles away which is open 24 hours. Additionally there are several pubs and hotels in both Scotlandwell and Kinross along with cafes and farm shops in the area which have facilities for customers.

Staff

Information about the staff has not been added for this venue.

Assistance dog facilities

Assistance dog exercise facilities

Dogs are welcome in our woods. To ensure we keep our woods safe and accessible for all, we ask that everyone follows our dog code of conduct: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/walking/walking-dogs-in-our-woods/