The next time you’re enjoying a refreshing gin & tonic remember to give thanks to Scotland’s gamekeepers for they are at the forefront of helping to protect and nurture the juniper plant which is used to flavour gin.A recent report published by PlantLife Scotland, a conservation organisation protecting the UK’s wild flowers, plants and fungi,

Bees and honey producers are thriving across parts of Scotland thanks to a helping hand from one of the nation’s most iconic birds – the red grouse.Despite long held concerns over a decline in the number of bees across the country – not helped by this summer’s inclement weather – rural estates are reporting a

  New report highlights support for the benefits moorland delivers Communities in key rural areas of Scotland have voiced strong support for grouse shooting which they believe makes a major social and economic contribution to the lives of local people. The importance of grouse shooting and moorland management in supporting fragile rural communities is highlighted

The Gift of Grouse, a major new campaign to highlight the benefits of grouse moors to Scotland, has been unveiled to mark the start of the shooting season.The initiative was launched today on the Glorious Twelfth in the Angus Glens by businesses, families and estate staff who all depend on the sector to support their

Eight Scottish estates have been awarded prestigious international accreditation to recognise their ongoing work in wildlife management and conservation.The award of Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) accreditation was made at the Scottish Game Fair, held at Scone Palace. WES is a national version of the EU Wildlife Estates (WE) initiative and is endorsed by the European

The much-loved Curlew is thriving on Scottish moorlands thanks to careful conservation work and moorland management. Named as this year’s ‘Bird of Focus’ for the RSPB Scotland’s Big Nature Festival, taking place this weekend, the Curlew is in serious decline across much of Scotland, particularly in the lowlands, where numbers more than halved between 1995

A pioneering project to restore one of the country’s most vital natural resources is set to provide a valuable environmental legacy.Landowners and land managers in the north east of Scotland are working with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) to restore peatland areas as part of wider collaboration on moorland

The Highlands are celebrating a special conservation bonus following two very good grouse seasons.Scottish moorland managers are reporting large numbers of the much loved and easily recognised mountain hare, linked to last year’s ‘best in a generation’ grouse season. The Scottish population of hares is thought to be around 350,000 and in some areas they