Phone service for deer estates

A scheme to help hillwalkers stay safe during the deerstalking season has been launched in Perthshire.

The Atholl and Lude estates around Blair Atholl have opened up a hill phone service allowing walkers to find out where the estates are planning to hold their shoots.

The service means that walkers can plan to avoid areas where they may accidentally come across people shooting, and also stops the deer from being disturbed and moved on by walkers.

Julian Clark, manager at the Atholl Estates, said: “We have introduced the telephone operated service, and all the keepers will phone the countryside rangers in the mornings and tell them where they are planning on going deer stalking that day.

“The ranger then leaves a recorded message on the hill phone and people who are going hill walking can call it up and listen to the message to find out which areas to avoid.

“Hillwalkers can move the deer about the estate quite a lot, so keeping out of those areas helps the stalking parties.”

The Atholl and Lude estates hill phone service can be contacted on 01796 481740.

The service will run until the end of the deerstalking season on Friday October 20.

Further information can be found online at outdooraccessscotland.com and posters will also be on display in the Glen Tilt car park and the Blair Atholl information centre.