Eshbrack Bog

Whitefronted Face

Close-up photograph of the head of a Greenland Whitefronted Goose.

Whitefronted Face

Whitefronted Face

Close-up photograph of the head of a Greenland Whitefronted Goose.

Enlarge image

Eshbrack Blanket Bog is situated near Scotstown and links to Slieve Beagh. It is a well developed blanket bog, with an abundance of typical vegetation cover including Deer Sedge, Ling Heather, Common Cottongrass, Cross-leaved Heath and a wide variety of mosses. Certain areas are dominated by cranberry, and along the perimeter and upper slopes of the bog are some strong heath communities. The lowland areas support wet grassland habitats and a number of bog pools and lakes also occur at Eshbrack Bog.

Eshbrack Bog, with its abundance of heather, makes an ideal habitat for Red Grouse, a declining species in Ireland. The area is also hosts a number of Irish Red Data Book bird species: Greenland White-fronted Goose, Hen Harrier, Merlin and Golden Plover. However, concerns over natural bog habitat loss have been raised due to the conifer plantations in the area.