Thursday October 15th 2026
A peat restoration plan is being proposed for parts of the Pentland hills over the next three years
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Plans to restore nearly 1,000 hectares of peat land across four local authorities are set to get underway after farmers came together to support the work.
Project L and Community Enterprise Ltd have given Midlothian Council prior notice of their plans for part of the work at Eastside Farm, within the county.
But it reveals that other phases of the work will fall into Edinburgh, West Lothian and the Scottish Borders boundaries as they aim to restore blanket bogs across the Pentlands.
The farmer-led social enterprise says its aim is to restore ecosystems and biodiversity across the Pendland Hills working with famers, residents, businesses and visitors.
It is planning peat restoration across the four areas over the next three years with plans to apply for funding from the Scottish Government supported Peatland ACTION Restoration Fund which will be needed for the work to be carried out.
In its supporting statement to council planners, they say: “Eastside Farm is one of the participating landholdings within the wider collaborative peatland restoration programme.
“The Eastside proposal covers 135.40 hectares of blanket bog within one restoration area. The objective is to restore degraded and drained peatland towards a healthier, more naturally functioning blanket bog.
“The works are intended to reduce peat erosion and water loss, raise and stabilise the water table, retain stored carbon, support peat-forming vegetation and improve the long-term ecological and hydrological function of the site.”
They say peatland restoration plays a critical role in Scotland’s response to the climate change and biodiversity emergencies. Peatlands store carbon and provide important benefits for biodiversity and water quality.
They add: “Around 75% of Scotland’s peatlands are degraded and degraded peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.
“Restoring peatlands is one of the most effective nature-based measures for locking in carbon and addressing both climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Peatlands in good health are valuable carbon stores and provide many benefits for people and nature.”
The full project covers nearly 985 hectares of land across the Pentland Hills at four landholdings: Baddinsgill, Cairns, Bavelaw and Eastsid and will be carried out, if funding is made available in phases from next September to February 2030.
The plans are available to view on Midlothian Council’s planning portal.
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