For six years now, Loch Craignish – which lies between Oban and the Crinan Canal, and opens to the Isle of Jura sound – has been home to a seagrass meadow restoration project hailed as a pioneering way to help mitigate the climate crisis.

Seagrass meadows are naturally occurring ecosystems of flowering plants in shallow waters. They are an essential species which retain carbon while providing a habitat and spawning ground for fish and other marine life. The meadows have been dubbed “the lungs of the ocean” and some are capable of absorbing carbon dioxide 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. They also improve water quality, reduce contamination in seafood, and offer protection from flooding and storms.