Peat slide at Viking’s Mid Kames site but SSE says ‘area is safe’

A Sustainable Shetland campaigner has expressed concerns after a peat slide at Viking’s Mid Kames site last week.

A video, which can be viewed in full below, has emerged of the slip at the Mid Kames on Monday, 4th July.

SSE confirmed the slip and said it was now investigating to find out how it happened.

But it assured the public that the area “is safe” and that the peat had been pulled back into position.

But Frank Hay, of Sustainable Shetland, said he was particularly worried that the slip had happened “in an unexceptional spell of weather”.

“We warned about the possibility of peat slides in that area,” he said.

“Quite simply, the area is at high risk for peat slides and introducing their tracks and drainage systems probably hasn’t reduced the risk.

“In fact, it may have increased the risk by effectively unzipping the top of the ridge.

“There could well be further issues for them”.