Peat and Whisky

‘A unique work … a journey through ancient peatlands … Billett reveals the special relationship peat has had with the Scotch whisky industry … essential reading for anyone with an interest in whisky.’

As well as being a whisky connoisseur, Mike Billett is among the world’s leading peatland scientists, with a background in geology, earth, and water science. During his career in research and education at the Universities of Edinburgh and Stirling and at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, he researched and wrote extensively on the peatlands of the British Isles, Scandinavia and the Arctic, focusing on water quality, carbon, peatland management, and environmental change, writing many research papers, book chapters, reports, and articles. In recent years he has immersed himself in the landscapes, taste, and qualities of Scotland’s single malt whiskies and has applied his deep understanding of the science of peatlands to this passion. Peat and Whisky is his first non-academic book.