Proposed peatland restoration at Portmoak Moss  

Woodland Trust Scotland has been consulting on plans to remove large numbers of trees to restore the lowland raised bog at our Portmoak Moss site in Kinross-shire.

What we proposed and why

The site is named a “moss” because it sits almost entirely on a lowland raised peat bog. This rare and special natural feature has taken thousands of years to develop.

Non-native trees were planted as a commercial timber crop in the 1960s, many years before we took over management of the site. Ploughing and drainage required to plant these trees damaged the bog, and the trees and their roots continue to be a major barrier to restoring it to full health.

Now mature, these trees are found attractive by many visitors to the site, but the plantation is at the end of its life, and the trees will eventually fall. We have inherited the situation and are keen to manage the site to achieve the best nature conservation outcomes.

Last year, we shared our proposal to apply to Peatland Action for funding to undertake significant restoration of the raised bog, which comprises almost the entire site. The work would involve two key stages:

• clear felling the remaining non-native conifers, and native trees on the areas of deepest peat
• undertaking extensive peatland restoration, including blocking drains, building peat barriers and mulching regenerating trees.

What has been the reaction?

While there is considerable local support for proposals to restore the bog, many in the community don’t want to lose the woodland and are alarmed by the scale of the proposed changes to the site.

Responding to people’s concerns

The initial consultation period closed on 12 January 2026 and we are currently reflecting on the 106 responses received. We are continuing to talk to members of the community and technical experts at Peatland Action and Scottish Forestry.

In February 2026 we met at the site with an MSP and some opponents of the proposed work. There was also a site meeting with local councillors and representatives from the community, which included people both for and against the plans.

A workshop will be held during March 2026, bringing together members of the community who represent the range of local views, with Woodland Trust Scotland staff, representatives of Scottish Forestry, the chair of Portmoak Community Council and Perth & Kinross Council’s greenspace officer. This workshop will be an opportunity to discuss the proposals in fine detail.

In light of these discussions and responses to the initial consultation, we aim to present updated proposals in spring. There will be an open meeting so people can discuss and ask questions. This will be advertised locally and on social media once we have a date and a location.

If we decide to continue with plans, there will be additional statutory processes to fulfil before regulatory approval can be granted. This would provide another opportunity for people to comment through Scottish Forestry's formal public consultation.

About Portmoak Moss

Portmoak Moss is a 44-hectare lowland raised bog near Scotlandwell, Perth and Kinross. Historically managed for peat cutting, it was drained and planted with non-native conifers by the Forestry Commission in the 1960s, before the Woodland Trust bought it in 1996 with the help of the community. ‘The Moss’ is well-loved and used by the local community, with the Portmoak Community Woodland Group having been instrumental in helping with its day-to-day management.

Since owning the site, we’ve completed several forest-to-bog restoration actions on the central area of the Moss. Twelve hectares of non-native conifer woodland were felled and restored as open peat bog between 2000 and 2005, followed by drains being blocked, cut peat edges being reprofiled and regenerating trees being removed. While these interventions have markedly improved the bog habitat, it is not yet functioning without intensive management to continually remove regenerating trees – a sign that the bog is still not wet enough.

To find a solution, we approached Peatland Action in 2023 for their advice regarding a sustainable, long-term fix. They suggested a significant restoration project to restore almost the entire site to a functioning raised bog. This led us to create the draft proposals we shared last year and consulted on. We have not yet made an application to Peatland Action, or secured funding.

Why did we propose such large-scale restoration?

Lowland raised bogs are incredibly rare habitats. When functioning properly, they are huge carbon sinks and provide an extremely valuable habitat for specialist plants, invertebrates, breeding waders, wildfowl and ground-nesting birds.

Although felling trees to manage an open habitat might seem counter-intuitive for our work, we promote the ethos of ‘right tree, right place’. Trees growing on the site have been planted in the wrong place – on a rare, valuable peatland habitat. Restoring this habitat should massively increase the biodiversity value of the site.

The conifers are of an age where they’re now susceptible to blow over in storms. They were planted close together and on inappropriate peat soils, and in recent years we’ve seen trees blow down. Combining restoration of this important peatland at the same time as felling the trees will ensure disturbance at the site is kept to a minimum.

What would happen?

Under the original plans we consulted on, around 25 hectares of predominantly non-native conifers would be felled around the part of the Moss which is currently open habitat. These areas would be restored as raised bog. Some areas of native woodland (mainly Scots pine and birch) would also be felled where they’re growing on the deepest peat.

Diggers would turn over felled tree stumps and drive over them to create a smooth layer to the restored bog, which will be able to hold more water.

Existing plastic dams in some drains would be bolstered with additional peat dams. More peat dams would block drains currently open in the felled areas. We wouldn’t block any of the drains which form the site boundary.

Cracks in the peat would be closed by sub-surface peat barriers known as bunds. Additional peat bunds would be created to make a network of smaller ‘cell’ bunds around 5m x 5m.

Some areas around the western steps to the Moss have previously been reprofiled where historic peat cutting took place. All steep edges would be reprofiled to flatten these edges, keeping more water on the bog.

What would Portmoak Moss look like post-restoration?

Portmoak Moss would be a largely open peatland habitat with small areas of mostly native woodland. The main areas of remaining woodland would be around Wellburn and the car park. We would look to block the drainage ditches in these areas to create a wet woodland habitat, buffering the core peatland restoration area by rewetting the entire site.

The site would look messy for the first couple of years after the restoration. However, as the vegetation recovers on the disturbed peat, we should see more sphagnum mosses (peat-forming mosses) returning to replace the heather and wavy-hair grass which are currently growing, both of which signal that the bog is currently too dry to function properly.

When would this happen?

If we go ahead with our Peatland Action funding application, and it is successful, tree felling would take place in autumn 2026 with peatland restoration work taking place in winter 2026/27.

How would it impact wildlife?

Felling most of the trees sadly means we would lose habitat suitable for woodland birds and red squirrels. As a conservation charity, this is not something that we take lightly. We would do our best to mitigate impacts where we can.

As the plantation is at the end of its life, the trees are likely to fall, so this habitat is already at risk. Our proposals would at least allow us to make sure the trees were removed outwith the breeding season.

How would it impact visitors?

Public access would be restricted during the works as we would need to ensure the public was safe when we’re felling and removing trees. While we would aim to keep path closures to a minimum, some temporary closures would be necessary. These would be publicised locally.

It’s difficult to predict exactly how the bog would react to the restoration measures. Some of the paths would likely be wetter and many of the informal paths around the site boundary may become inaccessible.

Allowing visitors and the local community to continue to access the Moss is very important to us. If the surfaced path becomes too wet after restoration, we would seek funding to install a boardwalk. We would also look to upgrade boundary paths, funding permitting.

For further information please email Scotland@woodlandtrust.org.uk.

Check this page periodically to keep up to date with the latest developments.

This page was last updated: 2 March 2026.