GoG News
RURAL COMMUNITIES SPEAK UP AT SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT EVENT - JOBS, FOOD AND YEAR-ROUND CONSERVATION HIGHLIGHTED
Scotland’s regional moorland groups hosted an event at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, to outline the many benefits of the work undertaken by Scottish estates and upland communities. MSP’s including Maurice Golden, Murdo Fraser, Edward Mountain, Kate Forbes, Rhoda Grant, Donald Cameron and Rachael Hamilton were updated on the activities of the six groups, from
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400 RURAL BUSINESSES VOICE OPPOSITION TO GROUSE SHOOTING LICENSING PLANS
Nearly 400 businesses have joined together to urge the Scottish Government to avoid a ‘disastrous and irreversible’ outcome for rural Scotland from its plans to licence grouse shooting. Butchers, hotels, tradespeople, farms and upland estates are amongst those to have written to Environment Minister, Gillan Martin MSP, seeking changes to be made to the Wildlife
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GLORIOUS TWELFTH STARTS WITH A BANG ACROSS SCOTLAND
The official start of the grouse season, the Glorious Twelfth , began in Scotland today, with sporting estates hoping for a good season following the difficult years of the pandemic and hot weather during 2021 and 2022. A grouse day is considered to be the pinnacle of country sports activity, attracting participants from all over
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GLORIOUS TWELFTH AT RISK FROM ‘EXCESSIVE’ LEGISLATION
The official start of the grouse season, the Glorious Twelfth , begins tomorrow, with shooting parties taking to the moors across Scotland from the Lammermuirs in the south to the Dornoch Firth in the north. The game and country sports sector is worth over £350m per year to the Scottish economy. Over 11,000 full time
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GROUSE MOOR MANAGEMENT OFFERS 'MOST SUSTAINABLE OPTION FOR TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS', ACCORDING TO NEW REPORT
A new report concludes that, based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) environmental, social and economic definitions, moorland managed for grouse shooting provides greater overall benefits than any alternative use. Written by Professor Simon Denny, formerly of the University of Northampton, and reviewed by Professor James Crabbe from the University of Oxford, the new report titled ‘Sustainable driven
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SHOOTING GUIDANCE UNDER NEW HUNTING WITH DOGS LEGISLATION TO AVOID FALLING FOUL OF THE LAW
Eight rural organisations have published new guidance for walked-up and rough shooting and field trials, ready for the new Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023 coming into force in the autumn. Once the Act comes into effect, no more than two dogs can be used at the same time to flush a mammal for shooting
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CONTROLLED BURNING VITAL TO COMBAT FUTURE WILDFIRE – NEW FILM MAKES THE CASE
The crucial role that gamekeepers, stalkers and rural workers played in tackling the huge wildfire at Cannich is being explained in a new video released this week. Loch Ness Rural Communities, a group highlighting land management, employment, wildlife and conservation that goes on in the Straths around Loch Ness, has released the film in partnership
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MUIRBURN MUST BE PART OF TOOLKIT TO TACKLE WILDFIRES
A summit held today to discuss wildfires in Scotland has been welcomed – but land managers have urged the Scottish Government to listen to fire experts and recognise the value of controlled burning. Scottish Land & Estates were among representatives to attend the wildlife summit in Beauly organised by MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch,
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COUNTRY SPORTS SECTOR URGES GOVERNMENT TO ‘LISTEN TO THE REAL VOICE OF RURAL SCOTLAND’
The Gift of Grouse campaign is calling on the Scottish Government to ‘listen to the real voice of rural Scotland’ and resist pressure from activists determined to undermine a world-leading country sports sector. More than 30,000 people will attend the Scottish Game Fair which begins today (Friday 30 June) and celebrates the multiple benefits that
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SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARY EXHIBITION SHOWCASES THE BENEFITS OF MOORLAND MANAGEMENT
The importance of moorland management was highlighted at the Scottish Parliament this week as the Gift of Grouse campaign hosted an exhibition sponsored by Jim Fairlie, the SNP MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire. The three-day exhibition showcased the benefits of moorland management for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, the economy and rural communities, and was supported
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