---
title: Peat landslide risk assessment (PLHRA), Scotland | Vireo
description: When a peat landslide hazard and risk assessment is needed in Scotland, what the guide suggests it shows and what the Checking Report reviews.
image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_a07.jpg
---

[Skip to content](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-landslide-risk-assessment-scotland#main) [**New**Launch price: the first ten sites get the Site Evidence Pack at £3,600. Check whether your site qualifiesLaunch offer: £3,600 a site. Check yours→](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)

[![Vireo Nature](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_rev_1.png?width=113&height=54&name=logo_rev_1.png)](https://www.vireonature.com/)

Solutions

By project

[**Wind and grid**Wind farms, substations, grid links](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/wind-and-grid)[**Water and catchments**Flood risk, SuDS and nutrients](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/water-and-catchments)[**Ground movement and slopes**Subsidence, mining risk, slopes](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/ground-and-slopes)[**Linear routes *Guide***Cable, pipeline, road and rail](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/linear-route-desk-study)

By market

[**Biodiversity net gain**BNG assessment, gain plans, units](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/biodiversity-net-gain)[**Offshore wind and marine**Seabed, scour, plumes, coast](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/offshore-and-marine)[**Environmental digital twin**Field to nation, in 3D](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/environmental-digital-twin)[**Peatland carbon *Guide***Peatland Code evidence and credits](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-code-evidence)[**Land and restoration *Guide***Feasibility, condition, carbon](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-restoration-feasibility-scoping)

Not sure where your site fits?[Send it to us →](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)

Services

Evidence packs

[**Site Evidence Pack**£3,600 launch price, first ten sites](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)[**Corridor Evidence Pack**£9,600 launch price, ten corridors](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor)

Surveys and data

[**Drone and sensor surveys**LiDAR, thermal, InSAR, GPR and more](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/drone-and-sensor-surveys)[**Data sources**Satellite, LiDAR, water and soil](https://www.vireonature.com/data)

Free tools

[**Carbon calculator**Peatland carbon in tonnes of CO2e](https://www.vireonature.com/calculators/carbon)[**BNG exemption checker**Six questions, the GOV.UK tests](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/bng-exemptions)

Packs, assessments and field capture.[All services and prices →](https://www.vireonature.com/offers)

[How it works](https://www.vireonature.com/how-it-works)[Results](https://www.vireonature.com/results)[Report](https://www.vireonature.com/report)[Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)[Check my site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)

![Vireo Nature](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_rev_1.png?width=96&height=46&name=logo_rev_1.png)

×

Solutions

By project

[Wind and gridWind farms, substations, grid links](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/wind-and-grid)[Water and catchmentsFlood risk, SuDS and nutrients](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/water-and-catchments)[Ground movement and slopesSubsidence, mining risk, slopes](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/ground-and-slopes)[Linear routes *Guide*Cable, pipeline, road and rail](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/linear-route-desk-study)

By market

[Biodiversity net gainBNG assessment, gain plans, units](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/biodiversity-net-gain)[Offshore wind and marineSeabed, scour, plumes, coast](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/offshore-and-marine)[Environmental digital twinField to nation, in 3D](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/environmental-digital-twin)[Peatland carbon *Guide*Peatland Code evidence and credits](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-code-evidence)[Land and restoration *Guide*Feasibility, condition, carbon](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-restoration-feasibility-scoping)

Services

Evidence packs

[Site Evidence Pack£3,600 launch price, first ten sites](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)[Corridor Evidence Pack£9,600 launch price, ten corridors](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor)

Surveys and data

[Drone and sensor surveysLiDAR, thermal, InSAR, GPR and more](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/drone-and-sensor-surveys)[Data sourcesSatellite, LiDAR, water and soil](https://www.vireonature.com/data)

Free tools

[Carbon calculatorPeatland carbon in tonnes of CO2e](https://www.vireonature.com/calculators/carbon)[BNG exemption checkerSix questions, the GOV.UK tests](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/bng-exemptions)[All services and pricesPacks, assessments and field capture](https://www.vireonature.com/offers)

Explore

[Inside a siteTap real river, habitat, ground motion and peat data](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site)[How it works](https://www.vireonature.com/how-it-works)[Results](https://www.vireonature.com/results)[Report](https://www.vireonature.com/report)[Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)[Check my site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)

[Home](https://www.vireonature.com/)  /  [Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)  /  [Peat on development sites](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-and-development)

Guide[Peat on development sites](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-and-development)

# Peat landslide hazard and risk assessment in Scotland: when one is needed and what the Checking Report reviews

For geotechnical leads and EIA coordinators on Scottish wind farm and grid applications

The Scottish guide says an assessment should be a requirement where there is peat within the application boundary, and should be undertaken where blanket bog slopes exceed 2 degrees and on raised bogs. An assessor appointed for the Energy Consents Unit then reviews the report and returns one of three outcomes.

By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 202612 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026

![Peat landslide risk assessment (PLHRA), Scotland | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_07.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_07.jpg)

On this page

Share

Key points

- [National Planning Framework 4](https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-planning-framework-4/pages/3/) (13 February 2023), Policy 5 d), requires a site specific assessment to identify "the baseline depth, habitat condition, quality and stability of carbon rich soils".
- Section 1.6 of the guide asks for a team led by a Competent Person with "a minimum of 5 years demonstrable experience in managing geotechnical risk and undertaking upland geohazard assessments and/or surveys, specifically in peatland environments".
- Section 1.5 of the [guide's introduction](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/1) gives three Checking Report outcomes: the report is "satisfactory", "requires minor revisions" or "requires resubmission".

Your peat landslide hazard and risk assessment (PLHRA) is written to one document: the Scottish Government [peat landslide hazard best practice guide](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/), second edition, 26 April 2017. This article sets out when the guide says an assessment should be undertaken, what the guide suggests the report holds, and what the Checking Report reviews.

This article describes published rules and records. It is not engineering, safety or legal advice. Whether a slope is stable, and what investigation is needed, are matters for a competent chartered geotechnical professional and the relevant authority. No desk read replaces inspection or ground investigation.

**2 degrees**

Against

Blanket bog slope above which the guide says a PLHRA should be undertaken

Source

Scottish Government guide, section 3.3.1 (26 April 2017)

Date

Checked 10 Nov 2026

**1 probe per hectare**

Against

Approximate site-wide probing density the guide cites

Source

Scottish Government guide, section 4.4.2 (26 April 2017)

Date

Checked 10 Nov 2026

**1:2,500**

Against

Smallest scale the guide suggests for the plans and maps of the site

Source

Scottish Government guide, Appendix D (26 April 2017)

Date

Checked 10 Nov 2026

## When does the guide ask for a PLHRA?

The guide ties the need to peat within the boundary, then gives slope and bog type information to help developers judge whether a report is likely to be required. Section 3.1 of the [scoping chapter](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/3) says the guidance considers that "PLHRAs should be a requirement where there is peat within the application boundary of a proposed development site."

Section 3.3.1 then states: "In blanket bogs, which typically mantle hillslopes, PLHRAs should be undertaken where slopes exceed 2°". Section 3.3.2 states: "In raised bogs (which typically occur on very gentle terrain), PLHRAs should be undertaken". The raised bog sentence carries no slope threshold.

The previous edition applied a 2° slope threshold to all peat. The second edition explains the change: "a discrimination is made between raised bogs and blanket bogs".

Three further points sit beside that wording.

- **Signs of instability override gentle slopes.** Section 3.2.2 says past peat landslides or pre-failure indicators point to "the need for detailed assessment of peat stability, even if slopes are generally gentle".
- **The exceptions are narrow.** Section 1.5 says most section 36 applications will be assessed for their potential to generate peat landslide risks. It adds: "Exceptions would be those sites where there is no peat or where peat is highly localised and demonstrably outwith areas proposed for infrastructure."
- **Peat has a definition.** Section 3.2.1 defines peat as "a soil with a surface organic layer greater than 0.5m deep which has an organic matter content of more than 60%".

The need is "typically determined at the scoping phase of the EIA", the guide says, in a scoping opinion from the competent authority. Policy 5 d) of National Planning Framework 4 separately requires the stability of carbon rich soils to be identified.

Try it

### What the guide says for your case

Enter three facts about your application. The tool returns the guide's own wording for your case, quoted from the second edition of 26 April 2017. It applies no rule beyond those words and it makes no decision.

Is there peat within the application boundary? YesNoUnknown

Bog type Blanket bogRaised bogUnsure

Blanket bog: peat that typically mantles hillslopes. Raised bog: peat that typically occurs on very gentle terrain (sections 3.3.1 and 3.3.2). Choose the type from site information, such as survey, mapping and walkover, not from slope alone.

Your figure for maximum slope on peat within the boundary (degrees)

Quotations are from sections 1.5, 3.1, 3.2.2, 3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 4.2.1 of the Scottish Government peat landslide hazard best practice guide, second edition, 26 April 2017. The answers and the slope figure are your own. This tool describes published rules and records. It is not engineering, safety or legal advice. Whether a slope is stable, and what investigation is needed, are matters for a competent chartered geotechnical professional and the relevant authority. No desk read replaces inspection or ground investigation.

## What a PLHRA covers, and what sits alongside it

A PLHRA answers a defined question: the hazard of peat landsliding and the risk it poses. It is one part of the ground picture. Peat with a low landslide hazard can still settle and consolidate, offer little bearing capacity, and shape how foundations, excavations and embankments are designed. Those questions belong to the project's ground investigation and geotechnical design, which run alongside the PLHRA.

Who does what:

- The developer commissions the assessment and owns the report.
- A competent, multidisciplinary team led by the Competent Person carries it out and justifies the investigation (section 1.6).
- The geotechnical specialist designs the ground investigation and the works.
- The assessor appointed for the Energy Consents Unit reviews the report and writes the Checking Report (sections 1.4 and 1.5).
- The competent authority settles the need at scoping and decides the application.

## Who the guide applies to and who does the work

The guide is written for section 36 generation applications and reaches overhead lines too. Section 1.1 of the [introduction](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/1) says "the principles apply equally to S37 applications for above-ground overhead lines which pass through peatland environments".

Scottish Ministers decide onshore generating stations over 50 megawatts and overhead power lines, according to the Scottish Government [energy consents policy page](https://gov.scot/policies/energy-infrastructure/energy-consents). Smaller onshore stations of 50 megawatts or under go to the local planning authority.

The assessment is specialist work. Section 1.6 asks for "a competent, multidisciplinary team comprising at least three of the following disciplines". The list is engineering geologist, geomorphologist, geotechnical engineer, hydrogeologist or hydrologist, and ecologist.

That team "should be led by a Competent Person" who is chartered and holds the five years of experience quoted above. Nothing in this article stands in for that person.

## What the guide asks of the desk study and probing

The area studied is wider than the red line. Section 4.2 says "The study area should not be restricted to the footprint of the proposed infrastructure" and "should take in any areas of the landscape that the development might impact on". It adds: "Typically, the study area will be determined by catchments and topography", "sometimes extending downslope and upslope of the application boundary". Section 4.2.2.1 asks the desk study to "Identify the presence of existing failure scars and the extent of debris runout".

The [detailed site assessment chapter](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/4) names its sources and asks you to list yours. Section 4.2.1 treats five as "essential sources for the initial assessment":

- Previous site information, including technical reports and earlier ground investigation.
- Geological information, specifically the regional field guide and maps of superficial and bedrock geology.
- Soil Survey of Scotland Soil Memoirs.
- Site-wide aerial photography, "both contemporary and historical".
- Digital elevation data.

Academic literature, newspaper archives, internet searches and local knowledge "provide additional information". The guide states limits on peat maps and terrain data in its own words, and asks for a source list.

- **Peat maps.** "It should be noted that maps indicating peat cover should not be taken as definitive statements on its presence or absence."
- **Terrain data.** "25m or 50m ground resolution may be insufficient to pick up small scale but critical variations in topography".
- **The source list.** Section 4.2.3 asks for "a clear listing of all data sources", with the age of each dataset or its resolution where relevant.

On probing, section 4.4.2 cites earlier Scottish Government guidance as suggesting "a site-wide density of approximately one probe per 100m (or one probe per hectare) supplemented with significant additional probing at infrastructure and along tracks". The current detailed spacings sit in [Peatland Survey: Guidance on Developments on Peatland](https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-and-guidance/2018/12/peatland-survey-guidance/documents/peatland-survey-guidance-2017/peatland-survey-guidance-2017/govscot:document) (2017).

That guidance asks for a "10m by 10m grid" at each turbine base and "10 to 50m intervals" along tracks. Our guide to [peat surveys in Scotland](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-scotland) covers both phases.

Probing sets depth, not the whole picture. Section 4.4.2.2 notes that probing is "less accurate than coring for determining the depth of peat" and that "no insight is given into the characteristics of the peat". Coring lets the peat be logged with depth, including its humification, and neither replaces the wider ground investigation a development may need.

On monitoring, section 4.4.3.3 says: "Ideally a minimum twelve month cycle of monitoring is required to identify seasonal variability in hydrological conditions". Where instruments are installed, it adds: "A minimum monitoring period of 8 weeks would be anticipated." A shorter record says less about seasonal and long-term behaviour, so any shorter period should be justified. The guide expects longer monitoring where ground movement is possible.

Section 2.1 of the guide says peat slides correspond "in appearance and mechanism to translational landslides". The British Geological Survey [landslide classification page](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/earth-hazards/landslides/how-to-classify-a-landslide/) (modified 17 February 2025) defines that type as movement "along a distinctive planar surface of weakness".

For evidence of past movement, the Survey describes its [National Landslide Database](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/landslides/national-landslide-database/) as "the most extensive source of information on landslides in Great Britain". The page (modified 31 July 2024) gives "over 18 000 records".

## How does the guide rank hazard and risk?

The guide ranks risk as likelihood combined with consequence, area by area. Section 5.2 of the [hazard and risk chapter](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/5) states: "Risk can be expressed as the product of the probability of a \[peat\] landslide event and its adverse consequences".

Tables 5.1 and 5.2 give example five-point scales for likelihood and consequence. On the likelihood scale, section 5.3.3 says: "The developer should not consider these examples as prescriptive". Section 5.5 then describes a risk level for each area and "peat landslide risk maps prepared for the development site".

Section 5.1 frames the whole chapter, Table 5.4 included: its examples "are illustrative only and should not be taken as prescriptive or used as a substitute for a developer's preferred methodology".

| Risk level | Action suggested for each zone (Table 5.4) |
| --- | --- |
| High | "Avoid project development at these locations" |
| Medium | "Project should not proceed unless risk can be avoided or mitigated at these locations, without significant environmental impact, in order to reduce risk ranking to low or negligible" |
| Low | "Project may proceed pending further investigation to refine assessment and mitigate hazard through relocation or re-design at these locations" |
| Negligible | "Project should proceed with monitoring and mitigation of peat landslide hazards at these locations as appropriate" |

Source: Table 5.4, Scottish Government peat landslide hazard best practice guide, second edition, 26 April 2017. The action column is quoted in full.

NatureScot reads the result as well. Its [advice on peatland and carbon-rich soils in development management](https://www.nature.scot/site-visit-template-assessment-peatland-proposed-development-sites) (June 2023, revised March 2026) refers to a PLHRA that identifies "medium or high risk potential".

## What the Checking Report reviews

An assessor appointed by the Energy Consents Unit assesses your report. Section 1.4 calls the written assessment a "Checking Report" and says these reports "will be succinct, providing clear and justified conclusions". Draft consent conditions may be annexed.

[Appendix D of the guide](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/11) suggests a report structure with minimum content, and lists the work areas the assessor takes into account.

| Report section (Appendix D) | What the guide asks it to hold | Assessor work area (Appendix D) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Introduction | For whom the work was done, its nature and scope, the site location and extent | "Schedule of work" |
| Initial Assessment | An initial assessment referenced to "plans and maps of the site showing national grid co-ordinates and to a scale no smaller than 1:2,500" | "Site selection" |
| Ground Conditions | Interpretation of ground conditions and "their relevance to the stability of the site and surrounding area", with "interpretative geological cross sections of the peat environment" | "Sampling equipment and strategy"; "Techniques and methodology"; "Sample analysis" |
| Hazard and risk assessment | Evaluation of site stability. "The risks post construction and during restoration should also be presented" | "Risk assessment/register" |
| Discussion regarding mitigation measures | Mitigation for each infrastructure component, "Peat landslide hazard zonation plans" and a risk register | "Recommendations on mitigation measures" |
| Conclusion and Recommendations | The outcome of the discussion, stated as conclusions and recommendations | "Proposals for further investigation"; "Summary of requirements" |
| Data sources (section 4.2.3) | "a clear listing of all data sources", with dataset age or resolution | "References used" |

Source: Appendix D and section 4.2.3, Scottish Government peat landslide hazard best practice guide, second edition, 26 April 2017. The wording in every cell is the guide's. The pairing of rows with work areas is our reading.

Section 1.5 gives three outcomes.

- "The PLHRA is considered to be satisfactory". No further revisions are required.
- "The PLHRA requires minor revisions". One or two key elements need more work, supplied as an appendix or a clarification letter.
- "The PLHRA requires resubmission". The guide reserves this for "significant shortcomings throughout the PLHRA".

Section 1.4 accepts that in complex cases "some iteration of reports submitted under the guidance may be necessary".

## Illustrative example

This example is invented. An application boundary covers 600 hectares of upland with 9 km of new access track. Peat is mapped within the boundary, the bog is blanket bog and the steepest peat slope is 9 degrees.

- **Guide wording.** Peat is within the boundary and 9 degrees exceeds 2 degrees. The guide's wording is that PLHRAs "should be undertaken".
- **Site-wide probing.** One probe per hectare over 600 hectares is about 600 probes.
- **Track probing.** 9,000 m at 50 m intervals is 180 centreline points. At 10 m intervals it is 900. Offsets add to both.
- **Sources to list.** The five essential desk sources, each with its age or resolution.

Site-wide, 1 per hectare600Track centreline at 50 m180Track centreline at 10 m900Probe points (count), invented 600 hectare site with 9 km of track

Figure 1. Probe counts for the invented site. Arithmetic from the one probe per hectare density in section 4.4.2 of the Scottish Government guide (26 April 2017) and the 10 to 50 m track intervals in Peatland Survey: Guidance on Developments on Peatland (2017). Turbine grids and track offsets are extra.

The track figure moves fivefold with the interval chosen. The guide leaves that choice to a competent person, who is "responsible for identifying and justifying the numbers, locations and types of sample collected".

Scoping a wind farm or a line across peat? [Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) and we reply within two working days. A desk read shows your specialist where to look first, and the specialist decides where the probing goes.

## What to do next

### Record three facts at scoping

Record peat presence, bog type and maximum slope against sections 3.1 to 3.3 of the guide, and confirm the need with the competent authority. Note any past landslides or pre-failure indicators, which section 3.2.2 treats separately.

### Build the source list now

Start the section 4.2.3 list with the age and resolution of every dataset. The assessor's work areas end with "References used".

### Read the sister documents

The same peat data feeds the [peat management plan](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents).

### Put a desk read in front of your specialists

The Vireo Corridor Evidence Pack is a desk read of a linear route before survey, and the Site Evidence Pack is the same for a site. Every figure in a pack carries its range, its source and its test label. Vireo can supply the surveys, including drone, aerial and ground survey, across the UK and Ireland.

A desk read shows a competent person where to look first. Probing to the guidance remains the basis of the assessment.

Does the guide apply below 50 megawatts?

The guide is written for applications that Scottish Ministers decide under the Electricity Act 1989. Policy 5 d) of National Planning Framework 4 applies to development on peatland generally and requires the stability of carbon rich soils to be identified.

## Sources

1. [Scottish Government: Peat landslide hazard and risk assessments, best practice guide for proposed electricity generation developments, second edition, 26 April 2017. Introduction, sections 1.1 to 1.6 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/1)
2. [Scottish Government: the same guide, An overview of peat landslides, section 2.1 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/2)
3. [Scottish Government: the same guide, Scoping, section 3 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/3)
4. [Scottish Government: the same guide, Detailed site assessment, section 4 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/4)
5. [Scottish Government: the same guide, Hazard and risk assessment, section 5 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/5)
6. [Scottish Government: the same guide, Appendix D, Reporting (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/pages/11)
7. [Scottish Government: National Planning Framework 4, Policy 5 Soils, 13 February 2023 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-planning-framework-4/pages/3/)
8. [NatureScot: Advising on peatland habitats and carbon-rich soils in development management, June 2023, revised March 2026 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.nature.scot/site-visit-template-assessment-peatland-proposed-development-sites)
9. [Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA: Peatland Survey. Guidance on Developments on Peatland, 2017 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-and-guidance/2018/12/peatland-survey-guidance/documents/peatland-survey-guidance-2017/peatland-survey-guidance-2017/govscot:document)
10. [Scottish Government: Energy consents policy page (checked 10 November 2026)](https://gov.scot/policies/energy-infrastructure/energy-consents)
11. [British Geological Survey: How to classify a landslide, modified 17 February 2025 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/earth-hazards/landslides/how-to-classify-a-landslide/)
12. [British Geological Survey: National Landslide Database, modified 31 July 2024 (checked 10 November 2026)](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/landslides/national-landslide-database/)

## Ask the team

### Ask the team about peat landslide assessments

Send your question and the team replies personally within two working days. No sales sequence.

Your question

First name

Work email

Send my question

We use your details to reply to you. [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy)

![](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/favicon-32.png?width=52&height=52&name=favicon-32.png)

**Written by the Vireo team**Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. Every figure in our work carries its range, its source and its test.

*Working on something like this?***Send us your route**

Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days.

[Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor)

*Live example***Inside a site**

Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map.

[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site)

*Working on something like this?***Send us your route**

Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days.

[Send us your route](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor)

*Live example***Inside a site**

Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map.

[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site)

## Keep reading

### [![Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_01.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_01.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 12 minute read Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks What a peat management plan must contain, the excavation and reuse figures a reviewer tests, and the survey evidence each figure rests on. With sources. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents)

### [![How accurate is the England Peat Map? What national peat maps support at site scale](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_05.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_05.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 13 minute read How accurate is the England Peat Map? What national peat maps support at site scale What the England Peat Map and other national peat maps are designed to support, how map depth compares with probed depth, and what a site decision needs. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/england-peat-map-accuracy)

### [![The peat depth gap: where the open measurements are](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_13.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_13.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 10 minute read The peat depth gap: where the open measurements are 82 per cent of mapped peat across Britain and Ireland lies more than 1 km from any openly published peat depth measurement. Look up your area. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap)

## See what is under your site before you survey it.

Send a site or a route and the decision you face. Three details, and a reply from the team within two working days.

[Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site)

## Related guides and services

- [Slope stability and ground movement evidence →](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/ground-and-slopes)
- [Wind farm and grid evidence →](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/wind-and-grid)
- [Plan a peat depth survey: Site Evidence Pack, £3,600 →](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)
- [Peat survey guidance for wind farms in Scotland →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-scotland)
- [Satellite ground motion desk study guide →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/egms-ground-motion-desk-study)

![Vireo Nature](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_rev_1.png?width=96&height=46&name=logo_rev_1.png)

© 2026 Vireo Nature · [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy)

[How it works](https://www.vireonature.com/how-it-works)[Results](https://www.vireonature.com/results)[Data sources](https://www.vireonature.com/data)[Offers and pricing](https://www.vireonature.com/offers)[Report](https://www.vireonature.com/report)[Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)[Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)[Corridor Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor)

[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865)[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com)

Occasional updates on the Neural Map and new sealed results.

Work email

Sign up

 I agree to receive occasional updates from Vireo Nature and to Vireo Nature storing my email for this. Unsubscribe any time.

Figures as at October 2026. They describe what exists today, not forecasts. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Copernicus DEM (modified), NASA MODIS MCD64A1, Tellus survey.

[Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org",
  "@type" : "Organization",
  "description" : "Checkable evidence under decisions about nature: land, water, habitat, carbon and biodiversity, with a range on every figure.",
  "email" : "sales@vireonature.com",
  "logo" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/logo_rev_1.png",
  "name" : "Vireo Nature",
  "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865", "https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com" ],
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ],
  "description" : "A desk screen (peat depth with its range, ground motion, surface change and water held on a 50 m grid) and a walkable probe plan aimed where the ranges are widest.",
  "name" : "Site Evidence Pack",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Peat depth screen and probe plan",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ],
  "description" : "A calibrated depth, volume and carbon read from your own probes, with a range and an evidence tier on every number.",
  "name" : "Site Assessment",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Calibrated peat depth, volume and carbon read",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ],
  "description" : "A screen and probe plan for a site or route, so the peat survey for your environmental statement goes where it matters.",
  "name" : "Peat depth screening for wind, solar and grid routes",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Peat screen for wind and infrastructure routes",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "description" : "Screens and calibrated reads under your own client work, and bespoke projects designed with your team.",
  "name" : "Evidence behind your advice",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Evidence for consultancies",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "description" : "A sealed test of a figure someone else produced: the prediction is locked before the values are released, then scored once.",
  "name" : "Independent re-test",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Independent verification of environmental figures",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Service",
  "description" : "Condition, surface change and bog breathing across a restored site, read against its baseline.",
  "name" : "Restoration outcome evidence",
  "provider" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org"
  },
  "serviceType" : "Peatland restoration monitoring",
  "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers"
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity" : [ {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "The guide is written for applications that Scottish Ministers decide under the Electricity Act 1989. Policy 5 d) of National Planning Framework 4 applies to development on peatland generally and requires the stability of carbon rich soils to be identified."
    },
    "name" : "Does the guide apply below 50 megawatts?"
  } ]
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Article",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "name" : "Vireo Nature",
    "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-11-10T09:00:00+00:00",
  "datePublished" : "2026-11-10T09:00:00+00:00",
  "description" : "When a peat landslide hazard and risk assessment is needed in Scotland, what the guide suggests it shows and what the Checking Report reviews. Sourced and dated.",
  "headline" : "Peat landslide hazard and risk assessment in Scotland: when one is needed and what the Checking Report reviews",
  "image" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/ins_07.jpg",
  "inLanguage" : "en-GB",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-landslide-risk-assessment-scotland",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/logo_rev_1.png"
    },
    "name" : "Vireo Nature"
  },
  "wordCount" : 2438
}
```

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement" : [ {
    "@type" : "ListItem",
    "item" : "https://www.vireonature.com/",
    "name" : "Home",
    "position" : 1
  }, {
    "@type" : "ListItem",
    "item" : "https://www.vireonature.com/insights",
    "name" : "Insights",
    "position" : 2
  }, {
    "@type" : "ListItem",
    "item" : "https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-and-development",
    "name" : "Peat on development sites",
    "position" : 3
  }, {
    "@type" : "ListItem",
    "item" : "https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-landslide-risk-assessment-scotland",
    "name" : "Peat landslide hazard and risk assessment in Scotland: when one is needed and what the Checking Report reviews",
    "position" : 4
  } ]
}
```