The wild and windswept peatlands of Scotland’s west coast are being brought back to life, thanks to an ambitious and growing programme of restoration work.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has dramatically expanded its efforts to revive these vital habitats, playing a key role in record-setting restoration achievements for the year.
Over the past 12 months, FLS teams in the west have restored 500 hectares of peatland, a marked increase on previous years.
This work has focused on both open habitats and areas previously used for commercial forestry.
Among the key sites are Lussa Forest at the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula and Glengarry Forest, which lies between Loch Garry and Loch Arkaig.
Across the country, FLS delivered an impressive 1744 hectares of peatland restoration last year, comfortably exceeding its national target of 1500 hectares.
These west coast projects form a core part of the FLS Peatland Restoration Strategy, which sees FLS working in partnership with NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION Project.
This collective effort is seeking to restore tens of thousands of hectares of forest to bog, while improving a similar area of existing peatland.
The results speak for themselves.
Coinciding with World Peatlands Day on 2 June, Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie announced that the Peatland ACTION partnership had helped more than 14,000 hectares of degraded peatland begin its recovery this year.
This milestone marks a record achievement for the programme.
Restoring peatlands is about far more than simply rewilding the landscape.
Healthy peatlands lock away carbon, help prevent flooding, improve water quality and boost biodiversity.
Dave Salmon, FLS Peatland Restoration Forester for the South of the West Region, explained how the work is carried out.
“In the past few years, we have really stepped up the work we are doing in the west to restore and enhance these vital habitats and ecosystems,” he said.
“Surveys are carried out to identify where restoration is needed, detailed plans are developed, and then the physical work begins.
“This involves using excavators and specialist techniques to remove trees and stumps, smooth out ridges and furrows, and block drainage channels with peat dams.
“Damaged peatlands release carbon dioxide, but once restored they can return to their natural condition and begin capturing carbon again.”
This acceleration in restoration work is the result of years of careful planning, and the benefits are now becoming clear.
Callum Strong, FLS Environment Advisor for the West Region, praised the progress being made.
“The team here in the West has been preparing these projects for years, building them into our land management plans and carrying out extensive surveys and consultations,” he said.
“Last year, we really picked up the pace of delivery.
“It is hugely satisfying to see all that work now taking shape on the ground, bringing real gains for both the climate and biodiversity.
“There is still a lot to do, but our local team and our fantastic contractors should be proud of what they have achieved so far.”
Looking ahead, FLS has earmarked further peatland sites across Lochaber, Mull and Argyll for restoration in the coming year.
