The Allan Water project is a catchment based approach to nature restoration for the benefit of wildlife, rivers and communities. Within the project there are a number of additional projects where we work with local landowners to improve rivers and land management. Dunruchan Peatland aims to work with the local land factor to improve damaged peatbogs for the benefit of wildlife and natural flood management within the catchment.Â
Dunruchan Peatland Restoration Project
Overview
Dunruchan Farm is found on the River Knaik, a tributary of the Allan Water. The peatbog in question spans 48hectares and sits just below 300m in altitude on a hill names Meall a’ Choire Odhair. The Farm is a tenant farmer with land ownership sitting with Drummond Estate.
In the 1940’s, the Hill Farming Act 1946 promoted draining peatland to increase productivity for grazing after the war and a number of grips and drains were created on the bog.
This however meant that the water table was lowered, reducing the function of the peatbog for sequestrating carbon from the atmosphere and also helped release it through the drying out of the bog.
In 2018, the Trust was awarded £38,000 by Nature Scot’s Peatland Action Fund to deliver over 790 peat dams, 10.4km of ditch reprofiling, 6 wooden sediment traps, 2 x 20m ditch bunds 1x 10m trench bund and 7 plastic dams.
These works will support wildlife thrive on the peatland whilst providing natural flood management benefits for the wider catchment going forward.
A lessons learned document was created outlining the challenges and successes of the project. SUMMARY Report Dunruchan Farm Peatland Restoration Project Learned Learned
Objectives
To restore degraded peatland using techniques which also benefit natural flood management.Â
Work with the landowner to carry out the works and improve grazing of the peatland.
Funder
This project was funded by NatureScot’s Peatland Action Fund and The Scottish Government.
Landowner
With thanks to Dunruchan Farm and Drummond Estate.
