Grouse shoots worth glorious £23m to rural Scots economy
GROUSE shooting gives rural businesses an annual ‘shot’ of £23million, latest figures show.
Each of Scotland’s estates put an average £500,000 of business local firms’ way in the past year, it was revealed yesterday.
The importance to the economy was underlined in data from seven regional moors bodies that highlight the role of estates in rural communities.
A survey of 45 estates found that businesses such as garages and building firms were big beneficiaries.
Significant cash was also generated from construction, path repairs and renewable energy.
The poll of estates from the Highlands to the Borders left items like gamekeepers’ wages and influx of visiting shooters out of the equation.
Details were announced as more than 350 gamekeepers, their families and traders took part in a march in Edzell, Angus, to mark the new 18-week season starting on Saturday.
Lianne MacLennan, of 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 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 impact trickles down.
‘There is not a community in these seven areas that could afford to lose either the number of jobs created by the grouse estates – or the business people are deriving from all the work that goes on.
‘It is not just shooting-related businesses, either, it is everything from wine sellers to clothing companies, fencers, architects and garages.
‘Those businesses are out in force today, standing shoulder to shoulder with the gamekeepers ahead of another busy season.’
The poll covered accounts for 2015-2016. Holdings of all sizes across the seven regions were studied, with highest local spending and most employment stemming from larger, commercially-driven grouse moors. On one Perthshire estate three holdings generated almost £2million of contracts.
Businesses in Angus gained by more than £4.2million from seven estates while £3.1million was invested locally in Grampian by ten estates.
Firms around Loch Ness and Inverness-shire clinched £6.2million trade from 11 estates. In Speyside the figure was nearly £4million from six and in the Lammermuir Hills £2.7million, also from six estates. Two estates in Tomatin alone generated more than £880,000 for trade.
Perthshire builders Frankerton draw 75 per cent of their business from estates across the country. The firm’s Bryan Paterson said: ‘We employ nine now and six work full-time for estates, with the others on contracts such as wind farms.
‘We too use local hotels and businesses when working. That is when you see how far into communities the work generated, goes.’
Meanwhile, a study has shown grouse moors help protect endangered bird species. Nationwide, six times the number of curlews were found on grouse moors compared with other upland habitats.