With funding from Peatland ACTION and delivered as part of the Cairngorms Connect partnership, this habitat restoration work will stabilise the existing peatland allowing the bare peat to re-vegetate.

Image: Eroding peat hags on An Lurg, RSPB Abernethy © Cairngorms Connect

Contractor MNV Consulting will be working over 92 hectares where large areas of bare peat exists along with severe gullying and peat hags on An Lurg. The damage on this remote hill has been linked to historic high herbivore pressure which now allows peat to erode with rainfall as well as releasing carbon into the atmosphere. These processes mean that impacted areas will continue to increase until restoration work takes places.

Excavators will make a 2-day journey along forest tracks in RSPB Abernethy to get to the site which is north of Bynack Mor. This machinery will be onsite to reprofile the exposed peat, some of which is 2m in height, and will create bunds to help re-wet the peat. Other materials needed, like stone, will be helicopter lifted to the site from Cairngorm Mountain’s Coire na Ciste car park. Using helicopters allows materials to be transferred to the site quickly without potential damage to surrounding sensitive areas.

When completed, this work will help reduce carbon emissions as the restored bog will sequester carbon. Water quality should also improve with sedimentation being reduced and the water table in the blanket bog being raised. This restored area will then provide new habitat for specialised species.

For those enjoying RSPB Abernethy, please be aware that Monday 7th & Tuesday 8th September will see machinery moving along tracks towards Ryvoan and An Lurg

Helicopter lifts are currently due to take place in the week beginning 14th September which will require the closure of part of the Coire na Ciste car park on Cairngorm Mountain.