Clyde Peatlands spotlight

Hardridge - peatland restoration case study

A massive 950 hectares of peatland, roughly half the size of Paisley or equivalent to 1350 football pitches, has been successfully restored at Duchal Moor in Inverclyde.

The project, part of the Glasgow City Region (GCR) Green Network’s Clyde Peatlands initiative, took a full three years to complete and grew beyond its intended restoration of 788 hectares, making a significant contribution to nature restoration and climate mitigation in the region.

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Alt text — The Duchal Moor project has received lots of interest!

Bringing benefits to people, climate and nature

Healthy, functioning peatlands can help mitigate the anticipated impacts of climate change such as increased rainfall events by storing and slowly releasing water back into the river network. They are also home to an array of plants, fungi, invertebrates and microorganisms making them an incredibly unique and biodiverse habitat.

By restoring Duchal Moor, the restoration is delivering benefits that extend far beyond the site itself.

The restored peatland will:

Store carbon more effectively and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Slow the flow of water during heavy rainfall, helping improve downstream flood resilience
Improve water retention across the landscape during increasingly dry periods
Support the return of important peatland plants, fungi, insects and birdlife
Create a healthier and more resilient upland ecosystem for future generations

Restoration techniques

A diverse range of restoration techniques were used across the site, tailored to the varied and often challenging terrain which included hag and gully reprofiling, and wave damming – or blocking – of drained areas to encourage peatland species to recolonise. Some of the work was completed by hand in the most degraded and difficult areas. Together, these methods will help stabilising the peat, improving hydrology, and will set the moor on a long‑term path to recovery.

Farmer praise for restoration

The restoration work has also delivered practical day-to-day improvements for the tenant farmer managing the land. By rewetting and stabilising degraded areas of the moor, the site is now safer and easier to navigate, particularly when moving across the landscape using ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles).

Key benefits highlighted by the farmer include:

Easier travel and access across the moor
Improved ability to gather and manage sheep
Reduced risk of sheep and lamb injuries caused by open drainage channels
Increased availability of surface water for livestock during dry weather
A more stable and manageable landscape overall

The project demonstrates how peatland restoration can support both environmental recovery and sustainable land management, creating benefits for nature, climate and rural livelihoods.

Recognition of success

The Duchal Moor project was recognised with a COSLA Excellence Award in 2024 for Just Transition to a Net Zero Economy for Inverclyde Council. The project was led by the GCR Green Network’s Clyde Peatland initiative in partnership with Inverclyde Council and funded through NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION programme.

The Duchal Moor project remains one of the largest peatland restoration efforts delivered in the region to date and will serve as best practice for peatland restoration efforts across the rest of the region.