BBC ALBA's New Series Spotlights the Power of Peat

The documentary series takes us to Iron Age bog bodies, remarkable pool systems, shielings that built communities on the moor, and bogs that cover stone walls older than the Pyramids.

READ MORE: Protecting Scotland’s peatlands will be key part of future policy

Anne also discovers how peatlands, which cover just 3% of the planet yet hold more carbon than all the forests combined, are an important ally in the fight against climate change. But the message of the series is: to keep our peatlands from leaking out all the carbon they hold, we need to look after them.

Anne McAlpine at Rannoch Moor (Image: web)

In episode one, Life on the Bog, Anne discovers what exists on the peat: from rutting stags that roam the peatlands in Harris, to salamander-eating pitcher plants in Canada, and the watery legacy of peat extraction in the Netherlands.

In her home island of Lewis, Anne joins local Danny Mackay as he makes the finishing touches to a peat stack to learn about how small-scale use of peat has long heated homes in the Highlands and beyond.

There are also the views of a peat producer in Finland, where times are changing amid environmental concerns, with viewers learning about the use of peat on a commercial scale.

Our Peaty Past – episode two – focuses on times when peat has come to the fore. Remarkable stories include the use of bog moss for field dressings in the First World War thanks to a widespread civilian volunteer effort, with origins at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Anne also meets professor of conflict history and archaeology, Tony Pollard, of the University of Glasgow, who has been exploring Scotland’s many battles. He relays how Robert the Bruce’s boggy battle tactics proved decisive.

When speaking about the battle of Loudoun Hill, he said: “What Robert the Bruce cleverly does … he would come to the battlefield early, and work out how he could turn the terrain to his advantage.

“Horses are not going to be able to operate over those bogs. To limit the space even more, Robert the Bruce and his men dug three ditches, creating choke points and bottlenecks. The English cavalry could only pass through 500 at a time. At that point, Robert the Bruce’s Scottish army, with their spears, come in and basically cut them to pieces.”

Closer shot of peats drying, Ness (Image: web)

Anne also visits the Roman Vindolanda Fort and Museum in Northumberland, where treasures include the only surviving boxing gloves from the entire Roman Empire, preserved in the peaty landscape.

The final episode of the three-part series, The Power of Peat, looks at the dramatic outcomes when peat is disturbed, and Anne continues her trip through the Netherlands, visiting a city built on soft, peaty soils that are slowly sinking.

Back on home turf in the Outer Hebrides, the presenter finds out how the peat moors inspire artist Màiri Gillies and popular local band Peat & Diesel.

Throughout the series, Anne makes many extraordinary findings: “In Scotland, peat is behind some of our most iconic scents, tastes, and sights” she said. “Growing up in the Western Isles, peat played a central role in community life. Many islanders will have memories of summers spent cutting peat with family, friends, and neighbours and will recognise the inviting smell of a peat fire keeping houses warm through the winter.

“This series really opened my eyes to the importance of keeping our peatlands healthy. From preserving Roman artifacts to having a pivotal role in storing carbon, it’s been fascinating to learn about the power of the humble peat in combating climate change.”

The Secrets in the Peat series begins on BBC ALBA on Wednesday, September 20, at 9pm. All three episodes will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.