Though peat is not used as much today as in earlier times, was there ever concern of running out of the supply in the days when it was used as a major heating source in the islands? It seems to take thousands of years to form, and it has been a very long time since the woodlands mostly vanished. Has it ever been estimated how much is still available, how long it would last with current use, how long would it have lasted with the amount of use was greater? Was there concern about scarcity when people quit using it for a major source of fuel--or just the availability of other fuels? Today we look at raw materials and the problems from unlimited use in a different way than people did 100 years ago. (Well, some still don't care, but that is an entirely separate discussion. Just asking about peat use, availability, etc. in Orkney.) Karen English in Memphis Re ..... The blanket peat which covers large areas of Orkney today did not start to form until about 1800 BC ie. well after the woodlands had declined....______________________________________ Norman Tulloch ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

Hi Karen The peat coverage and development depends on the rocks (type, permeable or not), rainfall, location, etc. In orkney it develops best on the Rousay flags of Hoy, Eday and Rousay, though most islands have some, except N Ronaldsay and Sanday. There are peat banks all over the place, and with careful management and technique the rebuilding of the banks can be maximised. Peats certainly would never have run out everywhere even at the maxumum usage in the early 19th century, though some banks were severely depleted. The extensive peat banks as mentioned already could supply Orkney for a very long time I suspect. But they have in fact not been around for that long.