| Lewis Peatlands | |
| Location: | Lewis, Scotland |
| Coordinates: | 58.25°N -6.5833°W |
| Area Km2: | 589 |
| Area Ref: | [1] |
| Established: | 2000 |
| Governing Body: | Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) |
Lewis Peatlands (Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: mòinteach Leòdhais) is a large area of blanket bog covering more than one third of the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland. With a total area of 58,984 hectares, it is one of the largest and most intact known areas of blanket bog in the world,[2] and is the second largest Ramsar site in Scotland.[3]
The site contains a near-continuous mantle of blanket bog, with oligotrophic and mesotrophic small pools and lochans. It supports a diverse range of breeding waterfowl, including internationally important numbers of dunlin (up to 30% of the world population), and nationally important populations of numerous other species including the black-throated diver, golden eagle and golden plover.[2]
Lewis Peatlands has been recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,[3] and has been designated a Special Protection Area.[1] A little under half of the area has also been designated as a Special Area of Conservation.[4]