Peatland ACTION - Training and skills for restoration delivery
Resources and information for peatland restoration contractors.
Peatland restoration is primarily carried out by skilled operators using low ground pressure excavators. Generally speaking, the landowner who has applied for a Peatland ACTION grant will tender via Public Contracts Scotland for contractors to carry out the work.
In order to support businesses to get involved in peatland restoration we offer site visits and demonstration events; training sessions on tendering for the work, as well as occasional one and two-day training courses. In 2023/24 we offered, for the first time, funding support for businesses wishing to bring in new entrant operators. We are doing the same again this year, follow the links on this page to apply.
A Technical Compendium and videos also provide a useful starting point to understand the techniques required in restoration.
Peatland Restoration training Course - Strathy South forest-to-bog training site
We are offering two four-day long free training opportunities for accomplished excavator drivers who wish to develop skills in forest-to-bog peatland restoration.
Collaborative efforts between NatureScot Peatland ACTION and SSE Renewables aim to restore seven hectares of previously afforested peatland at Strathy South wind farm on the north coast of Sutherland.
The restoration of the site – scheduled for End of March 2026 - will take two weeks to complete and we are offering bespoke onsite four-day-long training sessions at the same time. These unique training courses will offer participants the opportunity to carry out specified restoration tasks under the expert supervision and guidance of a principal contractor and Peatland ACTION staff.
Free training and mentoring and £150/day allowance.
Apply today to book your preferred slot in March 2026
Peatland ACTION - Peatland Training Fund (in collaboration with Lantra Scotland)
The Peatland Training Fund has been established and funded by NatureScot Peatland ACTION to support the development of a skilled workforce across the expanding peatland restoration sector in Scotland.
The Peatland Training Fund
- is a collaboration between NatureScot Peatland ACTION and Lantra Scotland hosted through the Skills Hub Scotland platform, which will help make relevant training more visible and accessible
- offers financial support to residents of Scotland, over the age of 16 who are
- already working in peatland restoration and keen to further develop their skills
- interested in and working towards a role in peatland restoration.
- offers eligible applicants 50% funding up to £1000 per course for Peatland Training Fund badged courses. Eligible courses are being badged and hosted on Skills Hub Scotland.
- brings together commercially available training under the Peatland Training Fund badge. This includes training in plant and machinery operation (excavator, ATV/Argo) as well as skills in spatial data, ecological survey and use of drones. As additional relevant training is identified, it will be added to the eligible courses list.
Peatland restoration learners
For those interested in applying for the Peatland Training Fund, you can see all the eligible courses though the Skills Hub Scotland course listings.
Find all the information on the fund, including an FAQ section and details on how to apply to an eligible course on the dedicated Lantra Scotland Peatland Training Fund page.
Training course providers
If you are business or training provider that offers courses suitable for those seeking to enter the peatland restoration workforce or that supports early career development in this field, you could be listed as an eligible course under the Peatland Training Fund.
If you cover topics such as excavator training, outdoor first aid, basic field ecology or other skills which might be useful to peatland restoration roles, please get in touch with our team on [email protected] to be considered.
Tendering training through SDP
Peatland ACTION is a member of the Supplier Development Programme (SDP). It is a business support initiative using training and information to improve the competitiveness of local businesses.
The SDP is a partnership of Local Authorities, Scottish Government and other public bodies working together to bring business support in all aspects of tendering.
They run training and events to improve the tender readiness of local suppliers through early intervention and early engagement.
We work with SDP to highlight opportunities for peatland restoration contracts. They run webinars with us to help businesses engage with our work and the tendering requirements.
These webinars are free to attend by registering with the Supplier Development Programme; register and login to learn more about booking training and events, and access additional resources.
Peatland ACTION restoration training - building capacity for ecological restoration
NatureScot Peatland ACTION work in collaboration with The Crichton Carbon Centre who help to deliver our restoration training programme. One and two-day training events are held across Scotland, and cover both technical and practical content. The events are a space for open, interactive discussions on peatland restoration.
The training sessions are specifically designed for:
- Contractors looking to undertake peatland restoration projects
- Consultants looking to undertake peatland restoration projects, peatland condition assessments and feasibility studies
- Ecological Clerk of Works
- Agents preparing peatland restoration projects
- Landowners and Managers
A typical training session includes:
- An overview of Scotland’s peatland extent and condition
- An introduction to planning and designing a peatland restoration project
- An overview of restoration techniques
- A site visit to look at examples of restoration techniques in action (for in person events only)
If you would be interested in registering for one of these events, please get in touch with [email protected] or have a look at the Crichton Carbon Centre website
Demonstration events
Peatland ACTION offer a regular series of site visits to peatland restoration sites, normally on a monthly basis, to discuss and learn about restoration techniques with experienced contractors, designers and Peatland ACTION project officers. Feedback from previous visits show that these outdoor sessions are very helpful in understanding what techniques work well, in situ.
Last year we had a number of visits in a variety of settings, focussing on different training needs. These included events for contractors on how businesses can get involved in peatland restoration work, events for new designers on putting together restoration plans and also exploring challenging specific restoration scenarios like bare peat, urban sites and monitoring.
If you are interested in attending future events, keep an eye on our events page or email [email protected] to register your interest. You can also email us to sign up for our mailing list.
Peatland restoration guidance - technical compendium and videos
The technical compendium of peatland restoration techniques is built on the shared experience of the Peatland ACTION Programme, since its inception in 2012, in applying peatland restoration techniques and assessing their outcomes.
As well as providing an overview of the procedural and technical requirements for peatland restoration in Scotland, it also offers an ideal place to start learning about the types of restoration interventions that have been applied to date by Peatland ACTION.
Learn more about the different techniques and how they are applied in peatland restoration settings.
We have also put together a suite of technical restoration demonstration videos to help land managers and contractors learn about the techniques and their successful implementation on-the-ground.
View our Peatland ACTION playlist on our YouTube channel for a full list of techniques (ditch blocking, bunding, reprofiling, and surface smoothing)
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