Sights on good grouse season
This weekend marks the start of the annual grouse shooting season, and experts are already saying this year looks “encouraging”.
The 18-week season starts on Saturday, August 12, and a full programme of shoots is already scheduled across Perthshire, including Craiganour, Rannoch, Lochan, Lude and Atholl Grouse shooting begins this weekend
estates – as well as other locations throughout Perth and Kinross.
Experts say there is a good stock of red grouse leftover from last year’s shooting season, and a good number of pairs in good health going in to the 2017 breeding season, promising this year’s shooting season will be a fruitful one.
Ralph Peters, the head of estate management at property consultants Bidwells, said: “The annual pre-season counts are ongoing but there is a feeling
of welcome optimism due to the healthy breeding stock and the warm, relatively benign spring and early summer.
“There have been some deluges of rain in June and July but the general feeling is that these will have done the grouse little harm.
“The north suffered from some late snow, possibly harming early hatches, however the hope is that it was early enough to allow for a second brood, meaning there will be some shooting albeit not until later in August and perhaps on a reduced programme.
“As expected, in line with good moorland management and reasonable weather, many other species, particularly waders, have also done well.”
Mr Peters also issued a warning as the wet and mild winter has led to tick and strongyle worm friendly conditions, both of which can have a negative impact on the health of the grouse.
This comes as new research has found Scottish grouse estates to have a significant economic benefit to local communities.
The report by Scotland’s seven regional moorland groups found the Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group had an average downstream economic benefit of £656,586.10 per estate, which is higher than all other regions in Scotland apart from Speyside, and above the national average of £514,886.
Overall in Scotland, more than £23m is generated in the local economy on the back of grouse estate activities.
Lianne Maclennan from Scotland’s regional moorland groups said: “Grouse shooting attracts criticism in some quarters but the survey tells the story of the value of country sports to smaller rural communities.
“The results do not show the wages that keep the gamekeepers and their families in the glen villages. What we wanted to understand better is how the impacts trickle down.”
She continued: “It is not just shooting-related businesses either, it is everything from wine sellers to clothing companies, fencers, architects and garages.”