03 Mar

Hundreds of Bog Pools Restored for Rare Dragonflies

03/03/2026

Scotland hosts some of the rarest dragonfly species in Britain and their breeding sites are now under increasing threat from climate change. More extreme weather conditions, especially summer droughts, are drying out fragile bog pool habitats. This is having a profound effect on three species in particular; Azure Hawker, Northern Emerald and White-faced Darter. Permanent water is vital for the survival of the larvae of these three dragonfly species.

Since November 2024, the British Dragonfly Society has been working with landowners and contractors to make hundreds of bog pools more resilient to periods of dry weather. In partnership with a variety of estates, work has been carried out across eight locations, including Mamore Estate, Dundreggan and Glencoe, in the north-west Highlands as part of the Dragonflies on the Bog project. This project, supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot, follows earlier pilot work with the Corrour Estate on the edge of Rannoch Moor.

The bog pool restoration uses small peat dams to stem pool outflows and rewet the surrounding area. Floating mats of vegetation are removed to reveal open water, with the removed material often used to cover the new dams. Where necessary, deeper refuge areas are then dug within the pools, so that some water remains for the dragonfly larvae even during extended periods of dry weather.

The results of this pool restoration work are already stunning. At Kinloch Woodlands in Wester Ross, where three large pools were cleared of surface vegetation and dammed by hand, both Northern Emerald and White-faced Darter larvae were already present by July 2025. Larvae of a further four species were also found.

During the current project, over one hundred pools were restored at Corrour Estate over the 2024/2025 winter. “Summer surveys of the restoration area found larvae of all three target species, with over 40% of the pools holding Azure Hawker larvae.” said Emma Veitch-Stevens, BDS Project Officer. “This dragonfly spends up to five years in the water before emerging as an adult, so resilient pools are vital.” Larvae of all ages were found in the surveys. It should be noted that larvae can travel between pools if water levels are high enough to connect them. Larvae can also walk between nearby pools.

Azure Hawker, White-faced Darter and Northern Emerald are all Endangered on the newly reviewed Red List for Dragonflies (in prep.), while Common Hawker and Black Darter are classed as Near Threatened. This Bog Pool Assemblage of rare and threatened dragonflies has just been added to the Scottish Biodiversity List, alongside Northern Damselfly, another Endangered species found only in Scotland within the British Isles.

All six species rely on freshwater habitats for survival. Recognition of this Bog Pool Assemblage shows that these species are priorities for maintaining and improving Scottish Biodiversity.

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Ends

Notes to Editors

Contacts:

Emma Stevens-Veitch

Dragonflies on the Bog Project Officer (Scotland)

British Dragonfly Society

email: emma.stevens-veitch@british-dragonflies.org.uk

Eleanor Winnett

Scientific Officer (England and Wales)

British Dragonfly Society

email: eleanor.winnett@british-dragonflies.org.uk

Partner Estates

Corrour Estate

Hilton and Guisachan Estate

Corrimony Farm

Dundreggan Estate – Trees for Life

Glencoe and Glen Etive – National Trust for Scotland

Kinloch Woodlands

Glen Shieldaig – Woodland Trust

Mamore Estate – Jahama Highland Estates

About the British Dragonfly Society

The British Dragonfly Society (BDS) was founded in 1983 by a small group of dragonfly enthusiasts and scientists. The Society has grown substantially since that time, and the current BDS membership of about 1,800 is spread the length and breadth of the country, as well as into Europe and beyond.

The BDS three main aims:

Carry out and support research on dragonflies

Conserve dragonflies and their habitats

Engage the public with dragonflies and their wetland habitats