Moine Mhor NNR - Visiting the reserve
Visit Moine Mhor NNR to see one of Scotland’s oldest landscapes, with 5,000 years of history locked in the layers of peat.
Getting here
Moine Mhor is in Kilmartin Glen.
By car
From the A816 Lochgilphead to Kilmartin road, turn onto the B8025 at Slockavullin. The turn-off for Moine Mhor is 10 kilometres north of Lochgilphead or 2 kilometres south of Kilmartin. Follow this road to the car park, which is signposted from road side.
PA31 8QF is the nearest postcode (centred at the crossroads 1 kilometre north of the car park).
Car park
There is parking for up to 10 cars at the entrance to the reserve.
By public transport
There is a limited local bus service from Lochgilphead to Kilmartin, which passes the reserve car park.
By bike
The Kilmartin to Bellanoch section of NCN Route 78 (Oban to Campbeltown) passes through the reserve.
Map
Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve
Click for a full description
Car park two miles south of Kilmartin on the B8025 and six miles north of Lochgilphead via the A816. Local bus service from Lochgilphead to Kilmartin.
For visitors
Our visit Moine Mhor NNR leaflet is a good introduction to the reserve.
Toilets
The nearest public toilets are in Lochgilphead, 10 kilometres from the reserve.
The accessible toilet has a RADAR lock – keys are available from Disability Rights UK.
Picnic areas
There are three picnic tables at the reserve car park, one of which is easily accessible and set on a firm surface.
Rest areas
There are two seats along the trail and one at the end of the boardwalk with spaces for wheelchair users and buggies next to them.
Wildlife hide
There is a viewing hide 300 metres west of Islandadd Bridge overlooking the reserve. The hide is accessible, but there is a step from the towpath leading onto the ramp down to the hide.
Seasonal interest
April to October is the best time to visit the reserve.
Spring
The fluffy flowers of cotton grass carpet the bog like snow, and hen harriers can be seen ‘sky dancing’ over the bog. Visiting whinchats join the resident stonechats and meadow pipits on the bog, and the woodlands are full of willow warblers.
Summer
Summer sees the emergence of sparkling dragonflies on the fringes of the bog, including the beautiful demoiselle. Ten species hunt over the bog for small insects and lay their eggs in pools and flooded drains. Ospreys are a common sight in summer, fishing along the river and the estuary. The yellow flowers of bog asphodel light up the bog.
Autumn
The burnt oranges, reds and purples of the moss are complemented by the autumn foliage of the oak and alder woodland. Look out for shy roe deer and sika deer around the fringes of the reserve.
Winter
Just off the reserve, large numbers of wildfowl congregate on the estuary and surrounding fields. They include whooper swans, Greenland white-fronted geese and wigeon. The frost-sparkled sphagnum moss is beautiful in winter and it is an ideal place for a quiet walk. Watch out too for roosting hen harriers gliding over the moss.
Trails for all
The Tilework Trail starts in the car park.
Everyone can enjoy the 600-metre self-guided trail. Follow it through ancient bogland and woodland. Be careful on the bog – it contains hidden holes and deep flooded drains, so please stay on the main trail and boardwalk.
Tileworks Trail
This short trail through native woodland takes you to a viewing point where you step out on to a boardwalk above one of Scotland's oldest landscapes - over 5000 years of history are locked into the peat.
Generally a smooth, firm gravel surface and a section of wooden boardwalk. Mostly flat but with two short gentle slopes. One overhanging tree could be a barrier (max height 1.6m).
