Cranny Bogs ASSI

Cranny Bogs represent a series of three inter-drumlin lowland raised bogs which are remarkably intact and are among the best remaining examples in the west of Northern Ireland. Typical of the inter-drumlin hollows the bogs are irregular in shape and are surrounded by intensively managed land. The intact surfaces of the three closely associated bogs exhibit well defined dome formation with characteristic vegetation and structural features, including small shallow pools.

Notable species include the rare hummock forming mosses, Sphagnum imbricatumand Sphagnum fuscum, together with the nationally rare Sphagnum pulchrum. The moss Racomitrium lanuginosum also forms scattered hummocks over the bog and the distinctive liverwort Pleurozia purpurea is present, which is rare on lowland raised bogs. The lagg surrounding the three intact bogs has been cut for turf in the past, creating a mosaic of habitats ranging from acid grassland through wet and dry heath to small pockets of birch scrub.