CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ADDS TO BANK OF SCIENCE DEMONSTRATING MUIRBURN'S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION ON CARBON
By Tim Baynes, Moorland Director at Scottish Land & Estates The role of muirburn in maintaining some of Scotland’s most precious habitats can be heated one – but new science from the University of Cambridge is the latest research to demonstrate the importance of ‘cool burns’ to our upland ecosystem. Published in Nature Geoscience by
Read MoreBIODIVERSITY AND ECONOMIC BOOST FROM THE GROUSE SEASON, DESPITE FEW BIRDS
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
Read MoreRewilding & the BBC
By Dee Ward, Rottal Estates I was pleased to be asked to host the BBC national network news at Rottal Estate recently and eagerly anticipated journalist Allan Little’s report which was broadcast on Wednesday both on television and radio. Of course, there’s never enough time to tell your whole story but I was surprised and
Read MoreThe six environmental Gifts of Grouse
As the COP26 climate conference comes to an end, land managers are celebrating the progress already achieved towards meeting the key goals set out for sustainable land management and biodiversity. Here we summarize the top six environmental benefits of grouse moors. Wildfire prevention Climate change is increasing the likelihood of wildfires, including in the UK,
Read MoreBIRD OF PREY POPULATIONS THRIVING ON MANAGED MOORLAND
This year there have been numerous success stories for birds of prey on and around Scottish grouse moors. These examples demonstrate the clear advantage of active moorland management. The East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership is a collaboration between five estates – Balmoral, Glenavon, Glenlivet, Mar Lodge and Mar Lodge Estate – along with the Cairngorms National
Read MoreBBC Countryfile Magazine - Tim Baynes letter
Further to the article in your May issue ‘Should grouse moors be licensed?’, there are some assumptions about grouse moors that need to be corrected. The proposed licensing of grouse moors is, by the Scottish Government’s own admission, a very complex issue. There is no detail at present as to how it may work or
Read MoreMOORS THE PITY
By Ian Coghill, former GWCT chairman. His new book, ‘Moorland Matters’: The Battle for the Uplands against Authoritarian Conservation’ has now been published by Quiller. There is a battle for Britain’s grouse moors. The conservation industry is intent on acquiring control over their management because, they claim, they are in a parlous state. The RSPB,
Read MoreGROUSE MOORS AND ANDERS POVLSEN'S WILDLAND IN ALLIANCE OVER RAPTORS
A collection of Perthshire grouse moors and farms has formed an alliance with a major conservation body to advance eagle conservation in an area of past alleged persecution. The Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group (TCSMG) is teaming up with Wildland, the company established by Dane Anders Povlsen, the largest landowner in Scotland. The intention
Read MoreTHE MOOR THE MERRIER AND HOW WE’RE GREEN AT HEART
Jenny McCallum, from Loch Ness Rural Communities, writes in the Mail on Sunday on her hopes that politicians will Support Moorland Life and recognise the great green work that is happening. By Jenny McCallum At last, we have been able to savour the splendour of rural Scotland over the past week or so. As the
Read MoreControlled burning helps protect our precious moorlands
Blog written by Iain Hepburn of Dunmaglass Estate A very high to extreme risk of wildfire is in place across North-East, East and Central Scotland for the next few days and in Western Scotland there is an extreme risk of wildfire from 15th to 17th April. The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service is warning members
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