Unlocking over 8,000 years of Scottish history at Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve

News

19 Jan 2023

Our Drumduff wind farm is helping fund the construction of more boardwalks, giving people the opportunity to discover an oasis of open windswept moors.

Article written by alex.lomax

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After the successful extension of the boardwalk last year, we’re pleased to share that we’re continuing our support of NatureScot and its work at the Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is helping to provide greater access to this rich and diverse ecosystem.

Tucked away in the hills behind Blackridge in Scotland, the reserve is located near our Drumduff wind farm, which we co-own and operate alongside GreenPower. In 2022, Drumduff helped to fund the construction of 170 metres of boardwalk, with an official opening held in March 2022. Now we’re supporting the second phase of the extension, which will add a further 250 metres of boardwalk and will be completed in March 2023.

Blawhorn Moss is a rare survivor of the raised and blanket bogs that once covered much of central Scotland, with over 8,000 years of history locked into its peat layers. Carnivorous sundews, dragonflies and damselflies, heath spotted orchids and curlews, are just some of the plants, animals and birds that call this home.

As well as the educational benefit, the nature reserve plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions. This is because each raised bog contains 1,000 years’ worth of accumulated plant material that can’t rot down – also known as peat. Peat contains a considerable amount of carbon and so, to prevent it being released into the atmosphere, the reserve must be kept waterlogged.

“Protecting the environment and biodiversity close to our sites is really important to us and is just one of the ways in which we aim to support the communities that host our projects. That’s why we’re pleased to be continuing our support of the Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve, which we know is a vital resource for locals, as well as those who visit from further afield. We hope this funding to further extend the boardwalk encourages more and more people to come and explore this wonderful landscape and learn more about how the site is helping to tackle the climate emergency.”

Adrian Warman, Head of Operations, Thrive Renewables

“We are excited to be able to create more boardwalks offering greater opportunities to all our visitors to explore the Reserve. Learning about peatlands and renewable energy will help our visitors understand what we can all do to help tackle the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.”

Amee Hood, Reserve Manager, Blawhorn Moss NNR

Drumduff wind farm is made up of three turbines and built on an old, disused open cast coal mine to the north of Blackridge in West Lothian, Scotland. At 6 MW, it has the capacity to generate enough renewable electricity to meet the annual demand of over 5,000 homes.

We aim to support the communities living close to our sites in a variety of ways, which includes improving the energy efficiency of important community buildings through our Community Benefit Programme. Administered by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), we have made grants of up to £4,000 available to shared buildings so that they can make important sustainability improvements such as draught proofing and insulation. This year, we are also supporting CSE’s ‘Share the Warmth’ appeal, which is giving vital support to those facing fuel poverty. You can read more here.