The importance of the shooting sector to rural businesses has been underlined by new research from the University of Northampton which found that the direct economic benefit of grouse shooting is estimated to be £67.7million per annum for the UK as a whole. In Scotland the grouse season is estimated to be worth £32m each

Muirburn – the controlled, cool burning of heather on Scotland’s moorlands – is becoming ever more important in the fight against wildfires in Scotland, land managers said today. As the permitted season for muirburn (October 1 to April 15) opens, grouse moors and estates are working with government, conservation groups and Scottish Fire & Rescue

Authors: Professor Simon Denny, Tracey Latham-Green (link here) This mixed methods research study considers the economic and social impacts of upland, moorland management in the UK and compares them to nationally available data. The research project aimed to identify the economic and social circumstances of communities in moorland areas where grouse shooting takes place, and

Author: Dr Tracy Latham-Green, University of Northampton Executive Summary of a PhD thesis, 8th September 2020 An estimated 1.5 million people take part in driven game shooting in the UK. The findings of this PhD thesis show that participation offers significant benefits for participants in terms of physical health, mental health, social cohesion, inter-generational mixing,

A sea eagle pair in Deeside have successfully fledged two chicks on a sporting estate – this is the first successful sea eagle breeding in the region in about 200 years. Mar Estate, where the birds are nesting, is managed principally for deer and grouse. Mark Nicolson, a proprietor of Mar Estate, said: “We are

The safe participation in country sports is vital to helping the rural economy recover, Scottish Land & Estates said today. The comment comes as country sports has been unfairly singled out by a vocal few as an activity that should not be allowed to take place during Covid restrictions. In common with a plethora of

The Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group has moved to clarify the regulations governing social distancing measures and the operation of country sports. A framework for the operation of country sports – backed by the Scottish Government – was published in July. This allows outdoor fishing, angling, stalking and shooting activities operated by businesses to continue

Gamekeepers are calling on Scottish Government to protect the practice of muirburn and acknowledge its role in preventing wildfires and protecting carbon stores. Millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere during major recent wildfires in the Flow Country, Galloway and Moray, which burned for days. Out-of-control wildfires scorched miles of

Some of Scotland’s most endangered bird species are thriving on grouse moors, according to a new survey. The survey of endangered nesting birds on an estate in the Grampians has shown an increase in both the number of nesting birds and in the number of different species recorded. Gamekeepers on Invercauld Estate continued their conservation

Rural businesses have heralded the start of the grouse season as a ‘lifeline’ in overcoming the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As parties gathered in the Angus Glens for the first day of the season, local businesses are hoping that visitors for grouse shooting will provide an injection of income to sustain employment after