The Whiskey Wash

Major whisky distillers Suntory Global Spirits, Diageo, and The Glenmorangie Company have united with RSPB Scotland to restore 1,000 hectares of peatland at The Oa nature reserve on Islay. The companies will collectively contribute £1.6 million ($2.105 million) over five years to transform the landscape into a thriving blanket bog.

The project marks the first sector-wide collaboration of its kind between Scotland’s whisky industry and conservation groups.

Work will focus on making the peatland more resistant to flooding while improving resilience against wildfires and creating enhanced habitats for threatened species, including Curlew, Snipe, Hen Harrier, and Large Heath Butterfly.