When the Cairngorms Peatland Action Project Officers were invited to take a look at an “interesting” bog they didn’t quite know what to expect.

Sue White, Peatland Restoration Project Officer at Shetland Amenity Trust, writes: Most of Shetland’s hill are cloaked in blanket bog; in fact about half of Shetland is covered in peat. In general, though, local folk who drive by the hills every day have been unaware of the importance of the habitat. Shetland does, however, have a rich cultural tradition and the peaty hills, music inspired by the landscape, and tales of mysterious beings that co-habit the islands are all part of that. As peatland ecologists, we are all aware of the range of ecosytems services that peatlands provide, but what about their value as a resource for inspiring the imagination and telling stories?

Contractors Barker & Bland from Cumbria started this week on peatland restoration work on an upland blanket bog in Glenfeshie Estate in the Cairngorms National Park.

Robin Page’s article ‘There are more fires to come on mismanaged moors’ does a disservice to the farmers, sporting estates and conservation bodies who understand the need to look beyond heather burning and consider what lies beneath the moor.

The news of major fire incidents in the uplands of north of England during this year’s summer heatwave is deeply concerning both in terms of the impact on people and the environment. While the specific circumstances around the various fires are still being investigated, discussion has turned to the issue of peatlands and the role of managed burns.

The Peatlands Partnership has just appointed Joe Perry as their World Heritage Site Officer to take forward the idea of The Flow Country in Sutherland and Caithness becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS).