GoG News
YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECT WITH NATURE ACROSS SCOTLAND
The Estates that Educate initiative has returned for 2023 offering young people a hands-on experience of the variety of activities undertaken by Scottish estates to maintain the unique biodiversity of the uplands. From the Southern Uplands to the Angus Glens, Grampian, Tayside and the banks of Loch Ness, nearly 2,000 young people will have taken
Read MoreMSPs WARN AGAINST RESTRICTING MUIRBURN
Liam Kerr MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for net zero, energy and transport, with fellow MSPs Maurice Golden and Tess White, warned that restricting muirburn could have a devastating effect on rural Scotland and the environment, during a visit to Glen Lethnot on Monday. The visit, organised by Angus Glens Moorland Group in conjunction with Scottish
Read MoreSCOTTISH LAND & ESTATES STATEMENT ON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND MUIRBURN (SCOTLAND) BILL
Scottish Land & Estates has issued the following statement following publication of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill at the Scottish Parliament. Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive, Scottish Land & Estates, said: “We are disappointed that after so many years of deliberation on the issue of grouse moor management, the Scottish Government has introduced a
Read MoreFOR PEAT’S SAKE - INSIGHTFUL FILM AND CAMPAIGN FROM SCOTLAND’S REGIONAL MOORLAND GROUPS
Wildfire experts, scientists and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) have joined forces with land managers to spell out the importance of muirburn as a conservation tool to protect Scotland’s precious peatland. February is the Month of Muirburn, with an insightful film and social media campaign from Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups and the Scottish
Read MoreNEW MUIRBURN TRAINING SCHEME A ‘STEP FORWARD’ FOR LAND MANAGERS
A new training scheme to promote best practice in the use of muirburn has been backed by Scotland’s estates. Organised by Lantra and recognised by NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, the training course is designed for those who will take part in land management activities that use fire as a tool. Scottish Land & Estates, which
Read MoreLICENSING GROUSE SHOOTING MUST NOT DAMAGE A ‘VITAL’ LAND USE FOR SCOTLAND
Rural organisations united today to urge the Scottish Government not to damage a ‘land use that is so vital to Scotland’ through its proposals to introduce a licensing scheme for grouse shooting. The Scottish Government’s public consultation on their forthcoming Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill proposals ends tomorrow (Wednesday, December 14). A wave of individuals and
Read MoreGOOD GROUSE SEASON HELPS RURAL ECONOMY DESPITE COST OF LIVING SQUEEZE
The grouse season ends today, 10th December, with land managers reporting a good season overall, providing a much-needed boost to the rural economy in Scotland. The country sports sector is worth over £350m annually to the Scottish economy and supports 11,000 full time jobs in rural areas. Grouse shooting is a significant driver of tourism
Read MoreSCOTLAND’S FIRST FEMALE GAMEKEEPING LECTURER IS ALSO A FIREFIGHTER
Sophie Clark (27) – is a trail-blazer in every sense of the word. She is Scotland’s first female lecturer in Gamekeeping, and is also a retained firefighter. “I grew up in the small harbour village of Kinlochbervie in the north west of Sutherland. It was and still is an idyllic place to live and the
Read MoreLICENSING GROUSE SHOOTING MUST NOT JEOPARDISE JOBS AND CONSERVATION
Rural organisations said today the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce a licensing scheme for grouse shooting must not jeopardise vital jobs and important conservation work in some of the country’s most fragile, rural areas. Following the announcement today by the Scottish Government of a public consultation on a forthcoming Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill, a joint
Read MoreRURAL SCOTLAND BOUNCES BACK AS THE GROUSE SEASON STARTS: A BOOST FOR BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY
Rural businesses today welcomed the Glorious 12th – the start of the grouse shooting season – and predicted a much-needed return of international visitors following the impact over two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the first enthusiasts to take to the heather-clad moors were a shooting party on See Far Hill at Forneth Farm
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