Whether you’re a business looking to bring your climate and nature story to life or a landholder keen to unlock the potential of your estate, Caledonian Climate has the experience and expertise to make it happen.
Dip into our portfolio of peatland restoration projects to explore the progress we have already made in terms of supporting our clients, helping communities across the Scottish Highlands, and making a positive, long-term impact on tackling climate and nature change.
Case study – Allt Achadh na Sine peatland restoration
Extensive hagg system pre-restoration
Caledonian Climate’s role in Scotland’s largest peatland restoration project is already delivering significant climate change and biodiversity benefits.
The Caledonian Climate team is playing a vital role in the largest peatland restoration project in Scotland. Lochrosque Estate’s peatland restoration programme, in the west Highlands, covers an area of 251 hectares and has required the creation of more than 8,000 timber and peat dams.
The transformation process of restoration
The challenge
As with many Highlands estates, Lochrosque has significant areas of peatland, some of which has been degraded from decades of erosion and over-grazing. This left deep, exposed peat bogs with poor biodiversity and increasing soil erosion.
In keeping with the land management objectives of the wider estate, Lochrosque embarked on a multi-year peatland restoration programme in 2018.
The outcome
Although only part of the way through the 10-year restoration, the following achievements reflect the success of the project so far:
158,246 metres
Wind, rain and heat all contributed to the erosion of peat banks on site. But with 158,249 metres reprofiled this process has been halted and allowed vegetation to regenerate.
The return of the greenshank and golden plover reflects the significant improvements in biodiversity. Chick mortality is also down on site, due to restoration efforts.
251ha restored
The volume of carbon within the 251ha restored area is 87,103 tonnes – the equivalent of 1,528ha of forestry cover.
Raising the water table through restoration has allowed sphagnum moss to continue its bog-building work.
With 8,713 dams installed it is difficult to find an area on site that doesn’t host a bog pool teeming with life.
347 tonnes of carbon per ha
There are 347 tonnes of carbon saved from emission in each hectare.
Case study – Dos Mhucarain peatland restoration
At Dos Mhucarain Caledonian Climate has welcomed the challenge of restoring 484 hectares of blanket bog within the Highlands of Scotland. With an aim to improve the biodiversity of the area as well as to enhance water quality, over 155,000 metres of degraded haggs have been reprofiled across the project. Along with the damming and creation of pool systems, this site has been firmly set on the path back to its natural state.
The challenge
Dos Mhucarain consists of a large expanse of blanket bog with severely degraded hagg systems and bare peat areas leading to a major loss of peat soil.
Man-made channels criss-cross the landscape draining the water that is vital to the otherwise near constant growth of bogs.
The outcome
Water vole populations have bounced back due to the creation of pool systems within previously bare areas of peat.
An initial trial of seeding sphagnum in pools has led to strong colonies of the peat building moss that benefit insect life and therefore mammal and bird life.
The damming of artificial drains has reduced the mortality of ground nesting birds that before, were prone to falling into channels and being unable to get out, ultimately starving.
The following achievements reflect the success of the project so far:
155,000 metres
Reprofiling is one of the main restoration techniques. Revegetating bare peat banks halts the erosion of peat and the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
An explosion of insect life after restoration benefits biodiversity of the area and the wider food chain.
484 ha restored
Accounting for 145,942 tonnes of carbon not released into the atmosphere. Add to this the carbon absorbing properties of a growing bog and the climate benefits are clear.
Sphagnum moss has been seeded into restored pool systems giving the habitats a much needed kickstart.
With 11,415 peat and timber dams in place across the site on both ‘natural’ gullies and man made drains, water can once again pool across the site creating niche habitats for flora and fauna.
301 tonnes of carbon per ha
There are few processes that we can undertake in the fight against climate change that have quite the immediate and lasting benefits that peatland restoration offers.
