The vast bog that helps fight climate change

To the untrained eye it looks like a vast expanse of empty moorland, but the Flow Country holds a secret.

Beneath the surface it contains more than double the carbon of all UK forests combined.

The huge area in the far north of Scotland acts as a giant sink, soaking up and storing carbon from the atmosphere.

It is a critical process in the fight against climate change.

In recognition of its global significance, a team has been bidding to make it the planet's first peatland with world heritage status.

Assessors for Unesco have visited the 187,000 hectare (469,500 acres) site to see if it qualifies and a verdict is expected around the middle of next year.