A new era for grouse moor management began today as the Glorious Twelfth, the official start of the season, got underway with a new licensing scheme imposed in Scotland.

Following legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament in March, moors now need to apply for a licence to shoot grouse and comply with a raft of other regulations.

Each licence runs for a period of five years and applications for the new regime were opened by NatureScot in mid-July. Many estates have yet to apply for their licence due to uncertainty over mapping requirements as part of the application process but rural business organisation, Scottish Land & Estates, said they were hopeful that positive dialogue with NatureScot would address those challenges and resolve the matter soon.

As the first party went out on a moor in the Lammermuir Hills to the south-east of Edinburgh, estates across Scotland are expecting a significantly curtailed season after wet weather in the spring led to unfavourable breeding conditions for grouse. Today’s shooting also looks to be impacted by rain and storms in some part of the country.

Despite the challenging weather conditions, parties from across the UK and internationally are still expected to visit Scotland in the months ahead, providing a significant economic boost to hoteliers, hospitality and retail businesses in some of Scotland’s most remote glens and villages. In addition, the continuation of moorland management by estates year-round brings with it considerable trade for other local rural businesses, including garages and various tradespeople.

Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland at Scottish Land & Estates, said:

“The licensing regime is the biggest change to grouse shooting in generations and we are entering into a new era for those involved in the sector.

“We had to work hard to ensure the legislation was as proportionate and workable as possible for moor owners and gamekeepers and we believe this has been achieved in most respects. We are encountering challenges regarding the maps that are required by NatureScot to accompany licence applications but we are hopeful this can be resolved soon.

“Research commissioned by the Scottish Government has found that grouse moor management delivers more for rural economies and communities than other comparable land uses. We also know that moors have a huge role to play in protecting fragile habitat, whilst peer-reviewed science is demonstrating that vulnerable and threatened species such as the Eurasian Curlew can produce four times as many chicks on grouse moors than on unmanaged moorland.

“The Scottish Government is on record as firmly supporting the positive role that grouse moors play for people, jobs and nature and we want to work with them and other stakeholders to sustain those benefits as the new regime gets underway.”

Mr Ewing added that despite the quieter forecast for the season ahead, many shoots would still be taking place.

Ross continued: “The weather in May and early June was wet and cool across much of Scotland, leading to challenging breeding conditions for grouse and other ground-nesting birds. As a result, grouse have not bred particularly well in many areas which has led to the sustainable surplus of birds being smaller than it otherwise would be.

“To that end, we are expecting a quieter season in the months ahead but we know many estates will still be entertaining guests from across the UK and abroad, bringing many social and economic benefits to rural Scotland as a result. We forecast that there will be more walked-up shoots taking place this year which remain a big draw across some majestic landscapes.”

One of the gamekeepers out on today’s first shoot of the season was Ian Elliot of the Southern Uplands Moorland Group.

Ian Elliot said: “It is always a special day as the season gets underway on the Glorious Twelfth and this year is slightly different with the new licensing system in place.

“It obviously brings with it more regulation and paperwork for us to complete but we believe that it can be workable in the long-term so long as government continues to recognise the value and work of the sector.

“The season is looking patchy and we will know more once we enter the autumn months. Even if shoots are fewer in number, the privately funded conservation work we undertake which helps wildlife and habitat will continue unabated.”

Keith Robertson, Director of QuadCare in the Scottish Borders, which supplies and repairs All-Terrain Vehicles, underlined the importance of grouse shooting to his business.

Mr Robertson said: “We work with six of the sporting estates in the Borders – and the estate work represents 35-40 per cent of our business. We have been established for 10 years and now have seven members of staff – the success of the sporting season is really important to us, and the whole region.”