The management and restoration of damaged blanket bog in the north of Scotland

Abstract

Summary The blanket bogs of Caithness and Sutherland are the finest examples of their type in the world. Restricted to a few parts of the world where cool, oceanic climatic conditions prevail, Britain holds approximately 13% of the total global resource of blanket bog, of which the bogs of Caithness and Sutherland form the largest and most intact area. In recent times, extensive areas of the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland have been damaged – principally through drainage and forestry. In 1994, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) purchased Forsinard Estate in the heart of the peatlands as part of a EU LIFE funded project on blanket bog conservation. In partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage and Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, this four year RSPB led project promoted a number of initiatives on awareness raising and ecotourism as well as a range of practical demonstrations on restoring damaged blanket bog. More recently, a follow up LIFE Peatlands Project was launched in 2001 where RSPB extended the partnership to include SNH, Forest Enterprise, Plantlife and the Forestry Commission. This paper gives an over-view of the partnership approach to the management and restoration of damaged blanket bog in Caithness and Sutherland.