Restoration Projects Underway

Armadale Farm

Armadale Farm is a 2,290ha traditional hill farm in Sutherland. The farm has supported a continuous flock of sheep since 1791 and today is home to a mixed enterprise of sheep, cattle, and a holiday cottage business. Like many upland farms, it also contained extensive areas of damaged peatland, including an estimated 210km of historic hill drains.

Over two phases, we have successfully completed 958.5 hectares of peatland restoration at Armadale Farm. Phase 1 was completed in Autumn 2024, followed by Phase 2 in Autumn 2025.

All restoration work was delivered by John Mackay Ltd, whose team carried out drain blocking and reprofiling using peat dams, along with targeted gully blocking, gully reprofiling, and hag reprofiling.

Joyce Campbell, the landowner, shared that the restoration has already benefited the business in several ways. In the first year alone, it significantly reduced black loss, with far fewer sheep becoming trapped in drains. The work also helps to future-proof the farm in anticipation of any future carbon taxes or penalties associated with emissions from modified peatlands. Ultimately, however, Joyce explained that she undertook the restoration because “it was the right thing to do.”

You can find out more about the Armadale Farm restoration here.

Achentoul Estate

Achentoul Estate is a 20,000-acre estate operating a range of enterprises including sporting (deer stalking, grouse shooting, and fishing), farming (North Country Cheviot ewes and gimmers, and a herd of suckler cows), and tourism (holiday cottages).

This peatland restoration project was carried out from October 2024 to March 2025 by Bruce Todd Ltd, from Halkirk. The restoration work, 412.53 hectares, involved drain blocking and drain blocking in combination with reprofiling (standard peat dams), gully blocking (peat surface bunds), gully and hag reprofiling, and micro-erosion repair.

Achentoul Estate Manager, Anson MacAuslan, was an early adopter of peatland restoration in land management and has substantial experience in delivery of peatland restoration projects over many years, including at Langwell & Braemore Estate, for example. Achentoul Estate was motivated to be a pilot project in the Green Finance Initiative to achieve the climate, biodiversity, and water quality benefits of the restoration (particularly as a sporting estate with fishing guests). Additional motivation was to access carbon finance income through the Peatland Code, and to do so through a local charity aiming to maximise the benefits of peatland restoration locally.