Scottish Water has finished the second phase of peatland restoration at Loch Katrine, using earthworks to hold more water on the hills and reduce organic matter entering the reservoir
On 14 May 2026, Scottish Water announced the completion of the second phase of a major peatland restoration effort above Loch Katrine. The work, which began in October 2026, restored a further 94 hectares of degraded bog as part of a ten-year plan to rehabilitate up to 400 hectares of peat in the catchment.
Peatland here refers to the deep, waterlogged soils that act as natural sponges and filters, and the project aims to secure source water quality for the more than one million customers who rely on the loch for drinking water.
The programme uses mechanical reprofiling to repair damaged areas and block artificial drains, a method delivered on the ground by contractor George Leslie.
Scottish Water and partners emphasise that the intervention is as much about maintaining clean water as it is about climate objectives: healthy peat stores carbon, reduces flood peaks and lowers the amount of dissolved organic matter reaching reservoirs. Funding support has come from the national Peatland ACTION initiative, which sits within the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan for Net Zero and backs peat recovery work across the country.
Why peat restoration matters for drinking water
Peat functions as a natural regulator of water flow and a biological filter. When peatlands are intact, they slow runoff, retain rainfall and reduce the volume of coloured or organic-rich water entering streams and reservoirs. In degraded areas, manmade drains and eroded peat hags accelerate runoff and wash high loads of dissolved organic carbon into watercourses, increasing treatment demands at treatment works. Restoring peatland hydrology therefore directly lowers treatment complexity and cost, while helping to preserve the taste and clarity of the source water for urban supplies centred on Glasgow.
How rehabilitation reduces treatment pressure
By blocking ditches and regrading exposed peat surfaces, the teams recreated the conditions necessary for peat to re-saturate and regenerate vegetation. These interventions increase the land’s capacity to hold water, which diminishes the pulse of brown, organic-rich runoff that follows heavy rain events. The practical upshot for utilities is a smaller burden on chemical and mechanical treatment processes at the intake, translating into operational resilience during storms and reduced carbon emissions associated with water treatment.
Techniques used and on-the-ground progress
The approach combined civil engineering with ecological restoration. Excavators were used to construct dams in drainage channels and to smooth or reprofile eroded gullies and peat hags, while teams kept disturbance to a minimum to allow vegetation to re-establish. Scottish Water’s project manager reported that, when combined with the earlier phase carried out at the start of 2026, over 200 hectares have now been restored around Loch Katrine—an area described as roughly equivalent to 280 football pitches. Contractors also noted signs of recovery such as increased amphibian activity within the newly formed pooling areas.
Partnerships and landscape-scale planning
The restoration sits within a broader catchment management plan developed with Forestry and Land Scotland and other stakeholders. Plans include expanding native broadleaf woodlands as part of the Great Trossachs Forest initiative, creating complementary habitats that further stabilise soils and capture carbon. Funding from Peatland ACTION and alignment with national net zero commitments (including the government pledge of £250 million to restore 250,000 hectares by 2030) have been crucial to scaling the work and securing long-term benefits.
Benefits, monitoring and what comes next
Restoration delivers multiple co-benefits: improved raw water quality, greater carbon sequestration, reduced flood peaks and enhanced biodiversity. Scottish Water and delivery partners are monitoring hydrology, water quality and ecological indicators to measure progress. The teams point to visible signs of success from earlier phases, and a third phase is scheduled to begin later this year to extend recovery across additional degraded ground. Continued monitoring will guide adaptive management and ensure that the restored peatlands continue to protect source water for millions.
