Scotland’s purple-clad heather moorland is heading into a new era and uncertain future.
By Dee Ward, owner Rottal Estate, Angus The final report of a two-year long review into grouse moor management, commissioned by the Scottish Government, has made a host of recommendations that would result in the biggest change for generations. Grouse shooting, of course, evokes strong opinions and there are those who would gladly see an
Read MorePLAY YOUR PART: SPEAK UP FOR GROUSE MOORS
The Gift of Grouse initiative provides a voice to all those involved in grouse moor management and helps inform about the benefits this important sector provides to Scotland’s rural communities and beyond. We want everyone to play their part in The Gift of Grouse whether you are a gamekeeper, a country sports participant, someone who
Read MoreTHE AREA OF GROUSE MOOR IN SCOTLAND
The area of Scotland used for grouse shooting has been alleged to be “almost a fifth of Scotland’s land” but this is based on out-dated figures. Changes in land use and economic viability has reduced this figure, and is estimated to now be no more than 10% of Scotland used for both driven and walked
Read MoreAN UPDATE ON THE BRITISH GAME ALLIANCE’S FIRST SEASON
The British Game Alliance (BGA) was formed with the aim to increase demand in order to return a commercial value back to British game meat. Launched back in May 2017, the BGA laid out its plans for the season ahead and has certainly delivered, publishing a comprehensive end of season summary to the industry. Now approaching 500 shoot members have
Read MoreTRADITIONAL, VIABLE AND CRUCIAL FOR RURAL AREAS
The contribution of grouse moors revealed in new Scottish Government-commissioned report. The James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College were jointly commissioned by the Scottish Government to investigate the socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of grouse shooting in Scotland. Their report, published last week, demonstrates the importance of the sector to rural areas of the country
Read MorePREDATOR CONTROL – FINDING THE BALANCE BY MARY COLWELL
I’m delighted that my next book with William Collins will be on our relationship with British predators. The idea is to explore the natural history of some of the main ones in the UK and Ireland – fox, seal, badger, crow, cormorant, buzzard, pine marten and so on – and to look at how we
Read MoreMUIRBURN: CARBON LOSS OR CARBON GAIN?
Muirburn: Carbon loss or carbon gain? With recent scrutiny of moorland management practices, research into muirburn has been given a new lease of life. This review by Rebekah Strong of Scottish Land & Estates will focus on some of the most recent studies on the impact of muirburn on carbon storage in peatland. What is
Read MoreDON’T GROUSE ABOUT MOORLAND ESTATES – MUCH GOOD CONSERVATION WORK IS DONE
By Tim Baynes, Director of the Scottish Moorland Group A version of this article first appeared in The Scotsman on 9 November 2018. For land managers tasked with caring for Scotland’s treasured moorland landscapes, 2018 has not been the easiest year to be out in our hills and glens. The incredibly harsh winter that
Read MoreFOR THE LOVE OF GAME
THE LAUNCH OF THE BRITISH GAME ALLIANCE Guest GoG blogger – Tom Adams, Managing Director, British Game Alliance In 2017 over 50 major representatives from across the shooting community met. They felt enough time had been dedicated to idly discussing the declining market for game meat, and that something needed to be done. Unlike many
Read More#WEHAVEWILDLIFE: SEPARATING POLITICS FROM THE FACTS
By Tim Baynes, Director, Scottish Moorland Group We Have Wildlife – a positive message for all who care and treasure biodiversity both on and away from Scotland’s moorland. The campaign, backed by the #WeHaveWildlife hashtag, was launched by Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups and The Gift of Grouse in mid-July in response to Chris Packham’s Bioblitz.
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