Current demand is
strongly biased towards people who already have an interest in
natural history, and this is largely dominated by birdwatchers.
Bogs are not generally perceived as attractive to the casual
visitor and even the spectacular landscape has little appeal. They
have an air of danger that is partly real, as a result of the
difficult nature of the terrain, but people also have a false
perception of bogs as barren, hazardous places more suited to the
will-o'-the-wisp than to human visitors. If people were aware of
the true nature of the bog they would be much more likely to want
to visit it. If they could see the wonderful detail of the plant
life, experience the openness and sense of peace or hear the
variety of birdsong they would begin to understand why it is so
special. However, there is little point in trying to use these
assets to attract visitors because the inaccessibility of the site
greatly limits the potential for people to enjoy these
aspects.
