Langlands Moss, East Kilbride

Langlands Moss is a lowland raised peat bog and an important habitat for a diverse range of mosses and grasses. Its importance was recognised in 1996, when it received Local Nature Reserve status.

Recent drainage for a conifer plantation had put this rare habitat at risk of succession by gorse and shrub, before the plantation was removed and efforts made to raise the water level of the bog again.

A series of dams has helped to keep the nature reserve flooded, which is good news for the peat bog, but not for the many walkers and nature enthusiasts who enjoy the site!

A boardwalk that had been installed in the 1990s had begun to decay and become unsafe, prompting walkers to seek alternative routes over the Moss, so the Friends of Langlands Moss put together a proposal to replace the old boardwalk with a new, plastic one that would resist decay better than wood and provide better access for both walkers and conservationists working on the site.