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One of a series of roads excavated 250 years ago across Blair Drummond Moss which were flanked by 12 feet walls of peat bog, probably the height of the telephone wires in the picture. Highlanders from the other side of Ben Venue (the mountain in distance at the end of this vista) were given their own portion of bog to dig out from these roads, rent free for 18 years. Their shelters were mere peat caves, which then dried out and which they propped up with wooden staves to make their homes, earning them the epithet “moss lairds”.  Kirk Lane, Rossburn Lane, Wood Lane, Westwood Lane, Napier’s Lane, Drip Moss, Robertson’s Lane, and Sommer’s Lane,  today these roads still exist and the farmland they created to feed their families still feeds us today.

willow, salix, seileach.

 

The sgian of the tairsgeir slices slickly through the soft Skigersta peat.

Hairy caterpillar, Flanders Moss.

Bog cotton pom-poms cheerleading on the moor.

Wind blown threads of bog cotton attach themselves to the drying peat.

Garradh– stacking the wet peats like this on top of the bank allows the wind and sun to dry them more effectively.

Not only family but friends are so very generous with their peaty gifts. Alan and Anne-Marie have brought back wonderful treasures from their favourite island.

Lewis bus shelter/drying peat slabs.

Drying nicely.