A THREE-year project to restore a huge chunk of Inverclyde peatland larger than 780 football pitches has been given funding of more than three-quarters-of-a-million pounds.

The Duchal Moor scheme involves an area of 788 hectares of drained peatland south of Loch Thom, and is being carried out in a bid to cut carbon emissions.

Inverclyde Council has been awarded £768,705 from NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION partnership to carry out the work, which is due to begin on site in January 2024.

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The project has been supported by the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network’s Clyde Peatlands initiative, which aims to increase the rate and scale of peatland restoration across the whole City Region.

Inverclyde Council is one of the first local authorities in Scotland to carry out peatland restoration on this scale.

Convener of environment and regeneration, Councillor Michael McCormick, said: “Much of the upland countryside area of Inverclyde is peatland and restoring it can work wonders for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re in a climate emergency and we must do all we can individually, and collectively, to reduce carbon emissions and support initiatives that will help improve the environment.”