The Landscape
The Wicklow Mountains are made up of a mass of granite, which was forced up to the earth's surface when the ancient continents of Europe and America collided 400 million years ago. The molten granite crushed and baked the surface sedimentary rocks (slates and schist), forming mica-schist, much of which has now been weathered away. The boundary between the granite and mica-schist holds high concentrations of lead, tin, copper, iron and zinc, which were mined in various parts of Wicklow.

The last Ice Age had an enormous influence on the character of the Wicklow landscape, not only through the resulting erosion when it finally melted, but also in what it left behind. There are breathtaking examples of valleys and glacial lakes, all testimony to the mighty force of nature. Another legacy, often valued by the sheltering walker, are the huge scattered boulders deposited by the melting ice.

Animal Life
A large population of deer occupies the open hill area of the mountains. Other characteristic mammals of these mountains include the mountain hare, badger and fox. Red squirrels can be observed in pine woodlands, and frequently feral goats with long shaggy coats and curved horns can be seen on the remote cliffs. Birds of Prey are well represented with peregrine falcons, merlins, kestrels, buzzards, sparrow-hawks and even hen harriers, all occurring within the Wicklow hills. Red grouse, becoming quite rare in parts of Ireland, are still quite common here. Small birds, normally associated with mountain moorland, heath and blanket bog, such as meadow pipits and skylarks are common too. Less common birds such as whinchat, ring ouzel and dipper also occur here. The fish fauna is typical of Irish uplands, consisting mainly of trout, stickleback and minnow.

Irish Peatlands
Peat, which turns Wicklow's mountain streams a golden brown, is an integral part of the Wicklow landscape. Peat is a soil that is made up of the partially rotted remains of dead plants, which have accumulated on top of each other in waterlogged places for thousands of years. It consists of Sphagnum moss along with the roots, leaves, flowers and seeds of heathers, grasses and sedges. Occasionally the trunks and roots of trees such as Scots pine, oak, birch and yew are also present.

Peatlands originally covered more than 17% of the land area of Ireland - a higher proportion than any other European country with the exception of Finland. Peatlands, together with their unique assemblage of plants and animals, are a seriously endangered western European habitat. Most countries in Europe have exploited the majority of their peat resources for fuel. Ireland is one of the few countries where a wide range of peatlands still exists in a near natural state.