The Nature of Scotland – Autumn 2011 – Issue 13

Country sports have a large following in Scotland
but are sometimes seen to be at odds with
conservation. Pete Moore of SNH suggests
that closer working should help to resolve these
countryside conflicts
By late September, the peak time for
summer tourists has passed, the school
holidays are over and an autumnal calm
has begun to settle on the land.
However, a major wildlife event is
about to appear over the horizon, as
the skies fill with wild geese on their
way back to Scotland from their arctic
breeding grounds – pinkfoot, greylag
and barnacle geese all have major
wintering populations here. Tens of
thousands gather on farmland and
estuaries, as they’ve done for centuries,
creating a thrilling spectacle to see
and hear.
Large numbers of folk gather to
watch the birds as they fly out to feed
or return to roost at the end of the day.
But many others come to Scotland to
test their endurance and skills by lying
in wait on mudflats and in ditches to
shoot them. It’s not to everyone’s taste,
but a large number of people are real
enthusiasts for these country sports.
Recent studies indicate that
around 480,000 take part in shooting
across the UK and it’s thought that
an even higher number enjoy fishing
as a pastime. Many of these people
visit Scotland to enjoy their sport in
spectacular settings. These sportsmen
and women relish the ‘connection’
with nature that country sports offer,
in much the same way that mountain
bikers, hillwalkers and canoeists
describe the thrill of their own particular
‘connections’ with the outdoors.
And for many tourist accommodation
providers the country sports tourists
provide an important boost for the
industry during the lean period of the
autumn and winter months. The stalking
season for red deer, although it opens
at the beginning of July, peaks during
the first three weeks of October. And
the grouse season runs from August
to December, with other bird shooting
seasons opening in September, and –
depending on the quarry – continuing
until some time in February. By which
time salmon angling has started again
on most rivers.
1
Deer management
supports about 2,500
jobs and is worth about
£100 million to the
Scottish economy.
www.snh.gov.uk 33