Peatland ACTION awards grant to Fort Augustus peatland project
The Scottish Government's Peatland ACTION Fund grant will support the recovery of 322 hectares of damaged peatland near Fort Augustus.
A peatland restoration project near Fort Augustus, owned by Glendoe Estate and led by peatland specialists, Caledonian Climate, has received a contribution of £327,832 from the Scottish Government's Peatland ACTION fund and delivered through NatureScot and other agencies to restore 322 hectares of degraded peatland.
Healthy peatlands are natural carbon sinks, actively absorbing CO2 while also providing a rich habitat for diverse species, improving water quality and mitigating severe climate events such as flooding and drought.
The works, which will commence in September 2025, will include the reprofiling and revegetation of eroded hags to stabilise exposed peat and prevent further erosion. This, alongside gully blocking and reprofiling, cell bunding, and the restoration of artificial drains, will return the peatland to a rewetted state, supporting the recovery of a healthy ecosystem where plant and animal species can thrive.
Freddie Ingleby, Managing Director of Caledonian Climate, said: “Working with contractors AEP, we’re restoring the degraded peatland at Glendoe Estate to recover damaged habitats, raise water quality, and enhance the surrounding flora and fauna. And, with an anticipated 34,140 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions reductions, our efforts will greatly support Scotland’s net-zero ambitions and biodiversity strategy.
“With over 15% of the country’s carbon emissions released from damaged peatlands, large scale peatland recovery is needed to reverse this trend and tackle some of the impacts of climate change, while simultaneously generating high-value, high integrity carbon units to strengthen Scotland’s natural capital market.
“Glendoe Estate is one of many that Caledonian Climate is working on to accelerate large scale peatland restoration throughout Scotland and bring about much needed, positive change for climate, nature and people.”
Jonathan Carslaw, Managing Director of Glendoe Estate, said: “We are delighted to have received this contribution towards our peatland restoration objective. The support received alongside our continued commitment and investment has made this project a reality”
The focus of Peatland ACTION is to restore damaged peatlands in Scotland for the many benefits to both people and nature. Peatland ACTION funding, delivered by a network of organisations, comes through the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan to net zero, which in 2020 set out a commitment to invest £250 million to support the restoration of a total of 250,000 hectares by 2030.
Peatland ACTION delivery is led by NatureScot in partnership with these supporting agencies: the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority, Scottish Water, and Forestry and Land Scotland.
Nick Halfhide, NatureScot CEO, said:
“Restoring Scottish peatlands offers a clear nature-based solution to the climate crisis by locking in carbon, enhancing biodiversity, improving water quality and mitigating flood risk.
“Since 2012, the Peatland ACTION Partnership, led by NatureScot, has put more than 66,000 hectares of peatland on the road to recovery.
“We are delighted that so many landowners, managers and communities have already seen the value of peatland restoration, and taken advantage of the opportunities Peatland ACTION funding offers to deliver positive change for their land. We hope that this will inspire many more to do the same.”
For more information on this article, please contact:
Freddie Ingleby
Managing Director
+44 (0) 7840 998 944
freddie@caledonianclimate.com
About Caledonian Climate
Working responsibly with the custodians of Scotland’s beautiful countryside, Caledonian Climate is committed to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
To achieve this, we talk to forward-thinking businesses who want to fulfil their ambitions for carbon emission reductions through high-quality carbon credits with multiple co-benefits. We then partner them with landholders in the Scottish Highlands, maximising the ecological value and sustainability of their estates.
Building on our significant experience, and guided by a distinguished Advisory Board, Caledonian Climate is delivering the benchmark for long-term restoration of Scotland's degraded peatlands, locking away the carbon for good.
Our work also enhances biodiversity, improves water quality, boosts local economies and creates a compelling story for all of our partners to share.
