Teal Lough SAC

Teal Lough SAC lies to the north-west of Cookstown beyond Lough Fea at an elevation of 220m. It is bisected by the county boundary, which runs through Teal Lough itself. This is one of the largest and least disturbed upland blanket peat and raised bog habitats in Northern Ireland.

The features of interest are all hydrologically linked; being four actively developing upland raised bogs surrounded by active blanket peat with an oligotrophic lake to the north. The pool and hummock complexes display rich bryophyte communities (including Sphagnum imbricatum and Mylia taylorii), a limited but notable range of upland invertebrates (including Salda muelleri and Agabus arcticus) and a vascular flora uncommon in Northern Ireland (Drosera intermedia and Utricularia minor).  The underlying Pleistocene sand and gravel fluvioglacial outwash series, together with the ridge series, are important, being related to a major deglaciation phase of the South Sperrins.