A RECORD number of peatlands have been restored in a bid to help reduce carbon emissions and restore biodiversity, the Scottish Government has announced.
More than 14,000 hectares of degraded peatlands have been restored across Scotland in the past year, which the Scottish Government says exceeds its targets set out in its last Programme for Government.
Peatlands are areas of wetland that support habitats and species that are important for biodiversity, while also protecting the wider ecosystem by improving water quality and reducing the severity of flooding.
Covering nearly two million hectares, Scotland is home to two-thirds of the UK’s peatlands, but nearly three-quarters of the country’s peatlands are currently degraded.
The Scottish Government has pledged £250 million to support the restoration of 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030, with an interim target of 110,000 hectares by 2026.
A total of 90,000 hectares have been restored since 1990, with 14,860 of those completed throughout the 2024-25 financial year.
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie (below) hailed the benefits of restoring Scotland’s peatland as he said: “As we celebrate World Peatlands Day, I am very pleased to report Scotland’s Peatland ACTION partnership has put 14,860 hectares of degraded peatlands on the road to recovery last year. This is a new record in one year.
“Restoring peatland benefits our environment by reducing emissions, reducing risks of flooding and wildfires and improving water quality. It also invests in people and skills, creating green jobs in rural communities.
“This means we have exceeded our 2024 Programme for Government commitment and represents a 42% increase over the 10,360 hectares restored during 2023-24. I thank all of our partners for their sustained efforts and tenacity in delivering another milestone figure.”
Nick Halfhide, NatureScot interim chief executive, said restoring peatland is essential in addressing the climate emergency while helping to boost Scotland’s biodiversity and water quality.
He said: “As key partners in the Scottish Government's Peatland ACTION Partnership, NatureScot has successfully facilitated 65% of the restoration work completed in 2024-25. This significant achievement contributes substantially towards the overall target of 250,000 hectares of degraded peatland being put on the road to recovery by 2030.
“Restoring Scotland's degraded peatlands is essential to addressing both the climate and nature emergencies – it makes a vitally important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing broader benefits for biodiversity and water quality.”
Forestry and Land Scotland helped to deliver 1744ha of peatland restoration work across Scotland in the last year, surpassing its yearly target of 1500ha.
Its CEO Kevin Quinlan said: “Forestry and Land Scotland is proud to be supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to restoring 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030 as a key delivery partner in the Peatland ACTION Partnership.
“Every site we restore adds to the scale of the contribution we make in efforts to transform and restore one of Scotland’s largest degraded ecosystems to create a far healthier landscape.”
