For a number of years ACT have been working with NatureScot Peatland ACTION to help landowners restore damaged peatlands across Argyll. I’m Lucy, one of ACT’s Peatland ACTION Officers, working alongside Clare, and together we support landowners across Kintyre, Knapdale, Islay, Jura and Colonsay with advice, restoration planning and project delivery on the ground.

Why restore peatland?

Peatlands are a unique, internationally important habitat but unfortunately a large proportion of Scotland’s peatland has fallen into unfavourable conditions. Healthy peatlands have many benefits including:

• Storing carbon, making peatland restoration a nature-based solution to offset carbon emissions, combating climate change
• Managing water flow, playing a role in flood management
• Filtering water, improving water quality
• Naturally more resistant to wildfires, while degraded peatland becomes drier and more vulnerable
• Supporting a range of wildlife such as breeding birds, reptiles and insects including hen harrier, adders and marsh fritillary butterflies

Restoring peatland in Argyll

Over the past year, our Peatland ACTION Officers have been working hard to develop restoration plans for various sites, carrying out consultations and surveys. We have been supporting local landowners as they apply for Peatland ACTION funding and to deliver the restoration works needed on their site.

Winter is our main delivery season for peatland restoration and we are currently working with landowners to restore two sites by February 2026.

Drains which have been wave dam and zipped to leave shallow pools for sphagnum to colonise

Caladh, Tighnabruaich

At Caladh we have been working with Dalhanna Farming Company to help them restore approximately 250ha of blanket bog. The site has historically been drained, grazed and more recently suffered from a wildfire. The majority of restoration work on the site addresses the artificial drainage and hydrology. By blocking the drains we are aiming raise the water table and restore the site’s ability to hold back water.

We have been using wave dam and zipping techniques which transforms a drain into a series of shallow pools, ideal for sphagnum to colonise. We have also been transforming areas of upland erosion by reprofiling steep hags, blocking gullies and covering areas of bare peat. We are nearly half way through the restoration plan and are already seeing a drastic improvement in the condition of the site.

Reprofiled hags and bog pool created by peat bunds at Caladh

Coull Farm, Islay

Work is due to start soon at Coull Farm, in partnership with the I O Warren Farming Partnership. We’ll be restoring approximately 120ha across two areas of peatland.

The main focus here will be reprofiling old peat cutting banks to create gentle, well-vegetated slopes, like the example shown below. We’ll also be blocking drains and reshaping channels to restore natural water flow across the peatland.

 

Before and after peat bank reprofiling on Islay

Peatland ACTION Funding

Both projects are supported by the Scottish Government’s Peatland ACTION Fund, delivered in partnership with NatureScot and other agencies. 

#PeatlandACTION @PeatlandACTION @NatureScot @ScotGov @ScotGovNetZero @ScotGovRural

You can Find more information here:

• Peatland ACTION | NatureScot
• Community-led Peatland Restoration

If you’d like to learn more about our peatland restoration work or have a project in mind, please do get in touch. We're always happy to chat about peatlands.

Lucy Smith Peatland ACTION Officer

[email protected]

All photos by Lucy Smith