Peatland ACTION case study: What's the connection between peat and green jobs?

Peatland ACTION case study: What's the connection between peat and Lochrosque Estate?

The answer lies in local, green jobs that benefit communities and the environment.

Lochrosque Estate

The upland peatlands of Lochrosque Estate, near Achnasheen, is one of the largest peatland restoration projects NatureScot Peatland ACTION has funded to-date.

Managed by a land agent and working with a Peatland ACTION project officer, based at NatureScot, more than 1400ha peatlands were put on the road to restoration over nine phases between 2017 and 2022. 

This case study focusses on Phase 8, where almost 700ha were put on the road to restoration in just six months. 

Lochrosque - Multi-year project reaps the benefits

Lochrosque Estate is a great example of a multi-year project that has cumulatively put 1421ha of peatlands on the road to restoration. Starting small, phases have built up from 80ha in 2017 to almost 700ha in 2022.

The landowner Randal Wilson took the decision to begin peatland restoration before the advent of the Peatland Code, identifying a range of benefits to the hydrology and biodiversity of the site.

Restoration work has also brought economic benefits to the area, with around 20 people employed to work on the project in total, while there have been significant improvements to water quality, reducing ongoing maintenance needs of a hydro-scheme sited on phases 1-4.

Lochrosque - What was involved?

The subject of this case study, Phase 8 of the work, was carried out at Doire nan Gobhar, a large area of blanket bog on the Lochrosque Estate.

The majority of the restoration work has involved reprofiling, damming and bunding of peat gullies and hags. In all 78,871m of hags were reprofiled; 13,666 peat dams installed; 0.74ha of cell bunds constructed; and 0.76ha of sphagnum moss transplanted into newly created pools during this phase alone.

This has been carried out by a contractor, Albamontane, based less than 10 miles from the site. The contractor used between four and six excavators. The lower elevations of the site were incredibly soft, and on several occasions machines had some difficulty manoeuvring around, making bog mats essential for navigating the terrain. One machine was fitted with nylon tracks, which in very soft areas reduce tearing of vegetation when the machine turns, as the edges of the tracks are angled. 

Lochrosque - Protecting nature 

The presence of red-throated divers meant a protection buffer had to be placed around their nest sites during the breeding season to prevent disturbance, but as the site was so large work could continue in other areas during this time. On a smaller site a large protection buffer could cover the whole site meaning that works would need to stop until after the breeding season. This is a benefit of larger scale projects, which allow an element of flexibility to work around any sensitive areas.

In fact at this site work was suspended in mid-August as more divers were discovered on small lochans north of where the original birds were found. This meant the remaining works could not be completed until after the beginning of September. And due to the contractors’ work commitments elsewhere, work was not resumed until late October, but was still completed as planned.

Lochrosque - Challenges and benefits

These delays highlight the fact that peatlands are living ecosystems. No matter how good the pre-restoration surveys are, there is always the possibility that circumstances on the ground will change, and alternative plans will need to be made. 

However John Dunnet of Angus Davidson Ltd. commented that despite the inevitable ‘challenges’, he has never known a project not to go ahead in some form once work has begun.

In fact anecdotally it seems that the restoration work has also improved the efficiency of the hydro scheme. It has certainly reduced the work load on Estate staff to maintain it, reducing the need for filters to be cleaned from daily to monthly. 

"Peatland restoration offers much wider benefits than just landscape improvements. While biodiversity improvements are a prime goal, it also strengthens our approach to carbon reduction goals, adds significant value to socio-economic frameworks here in the Highlands and visually this type of restoration is transformative".

Lochrosque - Economic gains

Previously mainly focussing on pathwork, Albamontane now spend a significant part of their time working on peatland contracts, allowing them to increase job opportunities for local people, with up to eight staff now working for them in the sector. As the phases have grown in size the number of people employed to develop, deliver and monitor the work more generally has also increased. John Dunnet of Angus Davidson Ltd. estimates that the project involved around 20 people in total.

"As a local contractor peatland restoration has allowed me to expand my business, but also given really good training opportunities to younger people in the area - because they are the future".

The scheme has also offered opportunities for training. For example placement students from the University of the Highlands and Islands were invited to come and shadow the Angus Davidson Ltd. field team while they were working. In the future there is also potential for Scottish Water and SSE staff to use the site to learn more about the effects of peatland restoration on hydrology and hydro-schemes.

Lochrosque - Successful outcomes

"The work has successfully raised the water table of the site as we have seen pools forming behind dams and an increase in biodiversity within and around the pools. The bog has been returned to significantly greater health whilst simultaneously restricting carbon from escaping the eroding peat.

"The works that have been completed have provided a significant improvement to the visual aspects of the site, with large hags close to Toll Beag corrie being successfully reprofiled, which walkers have noticed from a distance when descending Fionn Bheinn. In just one growing season the sphagnum cover also significantly increased - really encouraging sign which happened much more quickly than expected.

"While peatland restoration provides an abundance of positive impacts on the environment, there are also significant socio-economic positive impacts that occur as a result of this. This project involved local contractors, thus reducing the carbon impact of the work taking place. This in turn helps to support local economies and provide work for local businesses".

For further information, or to get involved with PeatlandACTION

Peatland ACTION case studies: We demonstrate links between peat condition and: fisheries; grouse; carbon storage; wildlife; landscapes; human history; and so much more. 

If you would like to contribute to the on-going work of Peatland ACTION please contact [email protected].

For further information: www.nature.scot/peatlandaction.

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