Peatcutting
Photo credit Roddy John MacDonald
Peats are a valuable, natural source of fuel for islanders, and have been for many years, and if you are walking the Heritage Trail right now and have scanned the QR code, the ground you are standing on is peatbog. Cutting peats is an arduous job, usually involving the whole family. Once cut, peats are left to dry, and then turned and stacked before being ready to use in open fires.
Peatland is an internationally rare wetland habitat which supports populations of important breeding, migratory and over-wintering birds. You may see the following birds on this scenic trail: White tailed sea eagle, golden eagle, hen harrier, raven, snipe and jack snipe, golden plover, stonechat, skylark and red grouse.
For more information, see:
D.S. Murray, ‘The Dark Stuff – Stories from the Peatlands’, 2018, Bloomsbury, p.23
