Laid is a small crofting community of 18 crofts located on the shores of Loch Eriboll on the north western coast of Sutherland. With support from Elgol Fund for Nature, the Laid Common Grazing’s Community Committee will be able to progress their long-term aspirations toward restoring degraded peatland and areas of native woodland on their common Grazing’s land. Hand-in-hand with enhancing biodiversity and restoring carbon capture, the Grazing’s Committee seeks to identify avenues for nature-based livelihoods through this project.
Habitat surveys and mapping will provide a baseline to inform decisions for project development and implementation, such as Peat restoration & Tree planting on the Grazing’s. Further comparative surveys between woodland crofts and traditional crofts will provide a baseline for projecting the extent of potential biodiversity benefits of different land uses, while informing the scope for monitoring the project’s impact over time.
This project has been inspired by the worrying deterioration / erosion of deep peat on the Grazing’s & the woodland transformation many of the croft holders undertook more than 20 years ago, where now there are well-established and species-rich woodland habitats. In addition to the climate benefits realised through new carbon capture by carbon retention by restored peatlands & additional woodlands, the biodiversity benefits of these new and restored habitats will be significant. Combined with avenues for nature-based livelihoods, this project will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come for the community.
Elgol Fund for Nature is working with Fauna & Flora to support the Laid Common Grazing’s Restoration Project.
