---
title: "Peat survey guidance, Scotland: wind farms and grids | Vireo"
description: The two survey phases, probe spacings, records and outputs Scottish guidance expects on peat before a layout is fixed, and where a desk read saves fieldwork.
image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_peat.jpg
---

[Skip to content](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-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 survey guidance for wind farms and grid lines in Scotland: what it asks for

Scottish guidance expects two peat survey phases before a layout is fixed: probes on a grid of about 100 m across the whole site, then a 10 m grid at every turbine base and probes every 10 to 50 m along tracks. Planning a wind farm or grid connection? See [wind farm and grid site evidence](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/wind-and-grid).

By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 20268 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026

![Peat survey guidance, Scotland: wind farms and grids | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_peat.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_peat.jpg)

On this page

Share

Key points

- Scottish guidance expects two survey phases: a grid of about 100 m across the whole site, then a 10 m grid at every turbine base and probes every 10 to 50 m along tracks.
- National Planning Framework 4 asks for the baseline depth, habitat condition, quality and stability of carbon-rich soils before a proposal on peat is supported.
- The national Carbon and Peatland Map is a screening tool. Recent depth and vegetation surveys are still required.

**The Vireo view:** Phase 1 is money spent finding out where the peat is. Read the ground first, and that money goes on confirming the answer where it changes the layout.

A peat survey for a wind farm, substation or overhead line in Scotland follows published guidance that is short and specific. This guide sets out what the guidance asks for, in the order you will meet it, and how to arrive at the survey with a plan.

## Which documents set the rules for a peat survey?

Three public documents do most of the work. Each answers a different question.

### Planning policy

**National Planning Framework 4, Policy 5.** Development on peatland, carbon-rich soils or priority peatland habitat is supported only in named cases. They include essential infrastructure with a specific locational need, and renewable energy generation.

Where development is proposed, a site-specific assessment must identify "the baseline depth, habitat condition, quality and stability of carbon rich soils", the likely effects on peatland, and the likely net effects on climate emissions ([NatureScot](https://www.nature.scot/site-visit-template-assessment-peatland-proposed-development-sites)).

### Survey method

**Peatland Survey: Guidance on Developments on Peatland (2017).** Published online by the Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA. It updates the 2014 guidance.

It sets the two survey phases, the probe spacings, what to record at each point and how results must be presented ([Scottish Government](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)).

### Slope stability

**The peat landslide hazard best practice guide, second edition.** Published on 26 April 2017 for Section 36 applications, which cover electricity generation such as onshore wind.

It states that "the principles apply equally to S37 applications for above-ground overhead lines". It starts with a desk study and site reconnaissance, then detailed assessment ([Scottish Government](https://www.gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/)).

## What does a peat depth survey have to cover?

The survey guidance splits the work into two phases. The first is coarse and covers everything. The second is dense and covers only what you plan to build on.

Phase 1: 100 m grid, whole sitePhase 2: 10 m grid at infrastructureTrack probes

Figure 1. The two survey phases on one site. Schematic, not to scale. Spacings from Peatland Survey: Guidance on Developments on Peatland (2017).

| Phase | Where | Spacing | Depth recorded to |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Low-resolution | The whole area proposed for development | Usually 100 m by 100 m | At least 10 cm |
| 2. Detailed | Each turbine base and other infrastructure, including borrow pits and compounds | 10 m by 10 m grid | At least 5 cm |
| 2. Detailed | Track and road centrelines | Every 10 to 50 m, with 10 m offsets at right angles | At least 5 cm |

## How much survey effort sits between the two phases?

The gap between the phases is where budgets move. A 100 m grid is one probe point for every hectare. A 10 m grid is one hundred.

100 m grid (Phase 1)1 point per hectare50 m spacing4 points per hectare10 m grid (Phase 2)100 points per hectareProbe points per hectare (linear scale)

Figure 2. Survey density at the spacings named in the guidance. Vireo arithmetic from the grid spacings in Peatland Survey: Guidance on Developments on Peatland (2017).

So the first phase decides, cheaply and coarsely, where the expensive second phase has to go. A layout that moves after Phase 2 pays for the dense grid twice.

**Fixing a layout on peat?** See where the deep peat is likely to sit before the probing contract is let.

[See the Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)

## What has to be recorded beyond peat depth?

Depth alone will not pass. The guidance asks for a fuller record at every point.

- A position from a GPS device, with zero entered where there is no peat. Any peat layer is recorded, including layers under 50 cm.
- Peat type, surface drainage, slope and any sign of instability in Phase 1.
- Cores in Phase 2, taken with an auger or Russian corer. The guidance is blunt: "Peat probes are not sufficient for collecting samples at depth."
- Vegetation, artificial drainage and erosion features such as gullies and hags (the exposed peat faces left by erosion), with habitat survey where infrastructure is proposed.

A peat soil, for these purposes, has a surface peat layer of at least 50 cm with more than 60 per cent organic matter. Shallower peat is a peaty soil. It still has to be mapped.

## How must peat survey results be presented?

Reviewers want data they can open. The guidance asks for geo-referenced tables for every sampling point and states that "A pdf table only will not be acceptable."

Weak

- A depth map with no point data behind it
- Tables supplied only as a PDF
- An interpolated surface with no method stated
- Probe depths with no cores at infrastructure
- Condition described in a sentence

Strong

- Point data and maps supplied as GIS files
- Every sampling point in a geo-referenced table
- Surveyed points shown on the map, interpolation method described
- Cores and peat type recorded in Phase 2
- Drainage, erosion and vegetation mapped

The same figures then feed three other documents: the carbon calculator, the excavated volumes in the peat management plan, and the peat landslide hazard and risk assessment.

## How do you arrive at the survey with a plan?

### Screen the whole site at the desk

Read likely peat depth, slope, drainage and ground motion before anyone is on site. The national map is the starting point, not the answer.

### Mark where the screen is unsure

Uncertainty is the useful output. Cells where the evidence disagrees are where a 100 m grid is too coarse.

### Run Phase 1 with that plan

Keep the 100 m grid the guidance expects. Add points where the screen flagged disagreement or steep, wet ground.

### Move the layout before Phase 2

Shift turbines, tracks and compounds off the deep peat while a move is still cheap.

### Run Phase 2 once

Dense grids and cores go only where infrastructure will actually sit.

The Vireo Neural Map does the first two steps. It reads peat depth with a range on every figure and ranks the cells where the evidence disagrees. It supports, and does not replace, intrusive peat survey and peat landslide hazard assessment carried out to current national guidance.

## What about avoiding and offsetting peat loss?

NatureScot advice follows a hierarchy: avoid, minimise, restore, offset. Where loss remains, it recommends restoration "in the order of 1:10 (lost:restored)".

Major, national and EIA developments must also deliver biodiversity enhancement on top of that. A layout that avoids deep peat early carries a smaller restoration bill later.

**100 m**Phase 1 grid spacing across the whole sitePeatland Survey guidance, 2017

**10 m**Phase 2 grid at each turbine basePeatland Survey guidance, 2017

**50 cm**Minimum surface peat layer for a peat soilPeatland Survey guidance, 2017

**1:10**Recommended ratio of peat lost to peat restoredNatureScot, revised March 2026

## Is your peat survey plan ready?

### Peat survey readiness check

Tick what is already in place and written down.

A desk screen of the whole site, with the uncertain areas marked A Phase 1 grid planned at about 100 m across the whole development area Infrastructure positions that can still move after Phase 1 A Phase 2 plan with 10 m grids at each turbine base and probes along tracks Coring equipment specified for Phase 2 Condition, drainage and erosion on the recording sheet Outputs planned as GIS files and geo-referenced tables One data set feeding the carbon calculator, peat management plan and landslide assessment

## How Vireo helps

Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. For a site, the [Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) returns peat depth with its range, ground motion, surface change and water on one grid, with a plan for where to probe first.

For a wind farm connection or a line, the [Corridor Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) reads a route of up to 30 km in ten working days. Vireo can supply surveys, and works alongside your own surveyors and consultants.

### Ask the team about peat surveys

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)

## Frequently asked questions

Is the Carbon and Peatland Map enough for an application?

No. NatureScot describes the 2016 map as a screening tool. Classes 1 and 2 show land dominated by peat soil and peatland habitat, and recent peat depth and vegetation surveys are still required.

Does the guidance apply to grid lines as well as wind farms?

The landslide guide is written for Section 36 generation projects and says its principles apply equally to Section 37 overhead lines. NPF4 Policy 5 applies to development on peatland generally.

Can a desk read replace probing?

No. A desk read aims the survey. The depth figures in an application come from probes and cores taken to the guidance.

What counts as peat?

A peat soil has a surface peat layer of at least 50 cm with more than 60 per cent organic matter. Thinner layers are still recorded.

Does the same guidance apply in England, Wales or Ireland?

No. This guide covers Scotland. Other nations have their own policy and guidance.

## Quick answers

What is classed as deep peat?

Each UK nation sets its own threshold. In Scotland, deep peat is 50 cm or more. England's peatland decision framework treats a peat layer of 30 cm or more as deep peat. A peat depth survey settles it on your site. Source: [Scottish Forestry, July 2025; Forestry Commission and Natural England framework, July 2023](https://www.forestry.gov.scot/definition-deep-peat-forestry).

## Sources

1. [Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA: Peatland Survey. Guidance on Developments on Peatland (2017)](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)
2. [Scottish Government: Proposed electricity generation developments, peat landslide hazard best practice guide, second edition (26 April 2017)](https://www.gov.scot/publications/peat-landslide-hazard-risk-assessments-best-practice-guide-proposed-electricity/)
3. [NatureScot: Advising on peatland habitats and carbon-rich soils in development management (June 2023, revised March 2026)](https://www.nature.scot/site-visit-template-assessment-peatland-proposed-development-sites)
4. [Scottish Government: National Planning Framework 4](https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-planning-framework-4/)

![](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?***See a corridor read**

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

[See a corridor read](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?***See a corridor read**

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

[See a corridor read](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

- [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 landslide risk assessment guide →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-landslide-risk-assessment-scotland)
- [What a peat management plan contains →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents)
- [Peat depth map of the UK and Ireland →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-depth-gap)

![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" : "No. NatureScot describes the 2016 map as a screening tool. Classes 1 and 2 show land dominated by peat soil and peatland habitat, and recent peat depth and vegetation surveys are still required."
    },
    "name" : "Is the Carbon and Peatland Map enough for an application?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "The landslide guide is written for Section 36 generation projects and says its principles apply equally to Section 37 overhead lines. NPF4 Policy 5 applies to development on peatland generally."
    },
    "name" : "Does the guidance apply to grid lines as well as wind farms?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "No. A desk read aims the survey. The depth figures in an application come from probes and cores taken to the guidance."
    },
    "name" : "Can a desk read replace probing?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "A peat soil has a surface peat layer of at least 50 cm with more than 60 per cent organic matter. Thinner layers are still recorded."
    },
    "name" : "What counts as peat?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "No. This guide covers Scotland. Other nations have their own policy and guidance."
    },
    "name" : "Does the same guidance apply in England, Wales or Ireland?"
  }, {
    "@type" : "Question",
    "acceptedAnswer" : {
      "@type" : "Answer",
      "text" : "Each UK nation sets its own threshold. In Scotland, deep peat is 50 cm or more. England's peatland decision framework treats a peat layer of 30 cm or more as deep peat. A peat depth survey settles it on your site."
    },
    "name" : "What is classed as deep peat?"
  } ]
}
```

```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" : "The two survey phases, probe spacings, records and outputs Scottish guidance expects on peat before a layout is fixed, and where a desk read saves fieldwork.",
  "headline" : "Peat surveys for wind farms and grid lines in Scotland: what the guidance asks for",
  "image" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/ins_peat.jpg",
  "inLanguage" : "en-GB",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-survey-guidance-scotland",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/logo_rev_1.png"
    },
    "name" : "Vireo Nature"
  },
  "wordCount" : 1615
}
```

```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-survey-guidance-scotland",
    "name" : "Peat surveys for wind farms and grid lines in Scotland: what the guidance asks for",
    "position" : 4
  } ]
}
```