Mid to late August is a fantastic time to walk on the Peak Districts moorlands as the heather is in flower giving the impression that many of our moors are carpeting in purple!  There are only a few weeks in the year that you can see this wonderful display so if you can time your walking holiday or day walk in the Peak around now, it is well worth it.

Moors that are particularly beautiful at present, include Stanton Moor, Eyam Moor, Bamford Moor, Win Hill, Kinder Scout, and Burbage Moor, to name just a few!  There are great walks to be had on all of these.  Stanton Moor is easily accessible without any big hills to climb if you approach it from the village of Birchover and the paths are easy to walk on.  More challenging moorland walks can be enjoyed on Kinder Scout, Win Hill and the high moorlands surrounding Ladybower, Derwent and Howden reservoirs.

If venturing up onto the more remote moorlands, make sure that you have a good map, a compass and are competent in their use to avoid getting lost.

What may people don’t know is that there are actually three types of heather in the Peak District.  Ling Heather is by far the most common and it is the Ling Heather that gives the impression of our hills and moorlands being carpeted in purple.  Less common is the Bell Heather which has slightly larger flowers with a slightly plumy tone to them.  Least common of all is the Cross Leaved Heather with its pretty pink flowers.  This heather likes wet places and tends to grow in boggy areas of the moorland.