THE STORY OF PEAT
Much of the very earth in the islands is made up of peat, and there's much more to the story than smoky whisky, as Jo Laidlaw discovers
26 The Guide to Scotland’s Islands
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hat covers three per cent of the world’s surface, yet holds a third of the earth’s soil carbon? What heats the home, cleans the water, flavours the whisky and – somewhat controversially – makes the garden grow? It’s peat, an enduring (and often misunderstood) aspect of the land and life of the north and west of Scotland. For centuries, island and coastal communities have hand-cut peats to heat their homes and croft houses, carefully managing what’s both a scarce commodity and a communal resource. It’s less common to cut your own peats these days – it’s back-breaking work and takes lots of time for the peats to dry – and many islanders have embraced cleaner, greener or just plain easier forms of energy. That said, you can still spot the distinctive lines of the old peat banks, piles of drying peat and the distinct aroma of a peat fire as you travel around. There are also lessons to be learned from the islanders’ collective experience and expertise. Peatlands actually cover around 20 per cent of Scotland’s total land area and we’re only just beginning to recognise the role they play in tackling climate change. Healthy peatlands lock in carbon as well as providing an important habitat for wildlife. Much of the country’s drinking water is filtered by peat before it reaches streams and reservoirs, and peat plays an integral role in managing flood risk. Yet many peatlands nationally have either been poorly managed or ignored for decades, which led to the launch of Scotland’s first ever National Peatland Plan in 2015.
