The increased professionalism in gamekeeping as a career is evident as many Scottish sporting estates require new recruits to have undertaken an industry recognised degree. In marking National Careers Week (7th – 11th March) Scotland’s leading rural colleges report that they have been inundated with student applications for places in their gamekeeping and wildlife management

The grouse season ends today, 10th December , and while the number of shoot days has been limited, the season continues to provide an extraordinary boost for biodiversity and the rural economy in Scotland, with numerous birds of prey nesting successfully and spending by estates rising to £15m. Tim Baynes, moorland director of Scottish Land

Downstream spending in remote communities by Scotland’s grouse moors increased this year to over £15m despite the season being decimated by snow. That is the surprise finding of a survey by Scotland’s 6 regional moorland groups, which also saw jobs on grouse shoots being maintained. The survey analysed confidential accounts data from 25 respondent estates of varying sizes, from the Monadhliath Mountains

Six key environmental benefits of moorland management are helping to tackle climate change. As efforts to combat climate change intensify through the COP26 summit, politicians and conservation bodies have been urged to embrace the contribution of sustainable moorland management. The six environmental gifts of grouse are:- Carbon capture;  Peatland restoration; Wildfire prevention; Habitat creation; Mountain