Aim

Restoring crucial peatland habitat in the UNESCO designated Flow Country World Heritage Site.

Munsary is a vast undulating plain of peatland.

It is an incredibly important part of the famous Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland, which as well as now being a World Heritage site, is also an Important Plant Area (IPA) and a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Munsary stores around 1.9 million tonnes of carbon locked up in the peat.

Centuries of environmental pressures such as historic drainage, erosion, and invasive non-native conifer scrub, have resulted in a severely degraded habitat.

This project aims to restore biodiversity, sequester carbon and improve the long-term resilience of this unique landscape.

2026 Peatland Restoration

Targeted restoration work now aims to:

• Restore hydrological function by blocking artificial drains and gullies.
• Stabilise eroding peat surfaces through hag reprofiling and revegetation.
• Remove non-native conifer scrub to prevent further habitat degradation.
• Improve conditions for protected species and habitats within designated conservation areas.
• Monitor restoration outcomes and maintain long-term site health through active management.

These objectives will be achieved through a number of restoration techniques. These methodologies are based on prior peat depth and condition surveys and have been designed in collaboration with NatureScot. Specifically, they include:

• Drain and Gully Blocking – through construction of peat dams and bunds on approx. 8km of drains and 2km of gullies
• Hag Reprofiling and Revegetation – through machinery work on approx.. 700m of bare eroding hags
• Scrub Clearance – manual removal of approx.. 4.5 ha of invasive sitka spruce and lodgepole pine
• Deer Management – monitoring to ensure management that maintains deer density at ~6km2, thus reducing browsing pressure
• Species Protection Measures - including pre-operational surveys for otters and water voles, breeding bird surveys, and establishing buffer zones around sensitive habitats, such as the Marsh Saxifrage colony.
• Access Route Management: temporary bridges and fence opening to facilitate machinery access
• Engagement: Plantlife plans to engage with scientists, protected area managers, and local, regional, or national government during the execution of the project.

These interventions will restore biodiversity, sequester carbon and improve long-term landscape resilience.

Who are we?

Plantlife Scotland

Plantlife is the only UK-based international organisation dedicated solely to the conservation of wild plants and fungi in their natural habitats. Plantlife has a Scottish branch called Plantlife Scotland, that owns and manages Munsary Nature Reserve in Caithness. This site is designated as a SSSI, SAC, SPA, Ramsar, and is part of a World Heritage Site, and is managed specifically for biodiversity conservation and peatland restoration.

Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation 

Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation (HIEF) is a Scottish Charity, number SC043026, working to protect and restore nature in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. They channel funds from people who share our passion for the natural environment of the Highlands & Islands to provide vital funding and support to grassroots projects working to protect and restore nature.

Conservation Collective

HIEF is a member of Conservation Collective: a global network of local foundations on a mission to protect and restore the wild places we all know and love. Conservation Collective are facilitating the transfer of funds from Crowdfunder to Plantlife Scotland.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made