Stratigraphy of a Site in the Munsary Dubh Lochs, Caithness, Northern Scotland: Development of the Present Pattern

(1) The Munsary Dubh Lochs, NE Scotland, are a good example of a blanket mire whose surface displays a pattern of hummocks, ridges and pools. (2) A description of the vegetation is given with particular emphasis on the contemporary microtopographical features of the mire surface. (3) The development of a part of the patterned surface was investigated by five peat cores extracted from a site about 4 x 2 m in the centre of the mire complex, spanning two elongated pools and an intervening ridge. These cores allowed the three-dimensional pattern to be displayed. (4) The sequence of deposits suggests that a pool phase was initiated relatively early in the development of the mire. This was followed by a period during which it is likely that no pools were present. Later, the present day pool formed in a slightly different position from that of the early pool. (5) Various suggestions which have been made to account for patterned surfaces are discussed in relation to the present findings.