Flow Country: Peatland restoration work 'will create more than 200 jobs' in Sutherland

Work to restore peatland in Sutherland could create more than 200 jobs over the next 20 years, according to a new report.

A number of organisations have worked together to set out how the area’s potential to capture carbon in the peat could benefit the local region – saying it could be worth up to £400m.

The Flow Country in Sutherland is the largest area of blanket bog in Europe.

The rich peatland stores twice as much carbon as the whole of the UK’s woodlands put together, at an estimated 400 million tons.

Eann Sinclair from Highlands & Islands Enterprise said: “Part of the process is about how do we develop our own labour pool, how do we develop our own skills base to make sure that when these opportunities come up, whether its now or the next five or ten years, we are ready for them.

“Because if we are not ready for them, somebody else will be.”

Almost half of the region’s peatland has degraded and needs restored to capture carbon again.

It’s this work that could create hundreds of jobs over almost two decades and a number of projects are already under way.

Genevieve Duhigg, chair of North Highland Initiative said: “We have started work on three pilots; one on the west coast, one a bit further north and we are working at the moment to build some common grazing pilots into this as well, so that makes a really exciting development.

“The idea of that is proving what jobs are needed, what skills are required and also what investment has to be made up front in order for the restoration to happen, the ground and land to be maintained, but also what skills are needed.”

A decision will be taken this summer on whether the Flow Country will be awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status. If granted it will ensure even more protection for the region.