Moorland Management Best Practice Guidance

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Moorland is an important resource and globally scarce

Scotland holds a significant amount of the European and world resource of peatland, which is an important contributor to mitigating climate change. Blanket bog is one of Scotland’s most common semi-natural habitats, covering some 1.8 million ha (23% of our land area).

Our moorland has cultural and historic significance and is vital to the Country’s tourism industry but it also holds a much more important role.

Due to its rich biodiversity, it supports a range of otherwise scarce and increasingly rare species, its carbon capture and storage ability and plays an essential role in water management.

Much of Scottish moorland is managed and maintained in its current state by careful management practices which are in line with Statutory Guidance.

Scottish moorland also provides the fundamental resource for many rural livelihoods and hosts varied forms of recreation, which benefits physical and mental wellbeing.

Management is an important feature of moorland

Management is an important feature of moorland and much moorland requires some management to maintain it in its current condition, such as:

• Management of bracken and other invasive species
• Prescribed burning and/or cutting
• Maintenance and restoration of blanket bog
• Management of grazing animals
• Predator control