WILD AT HEART

Highlands – Scotland’s Wild Heart is a new four-part series from BBC Scotland and the company which made the acclaimed Hebrides – Islands on the Edge. Narrated by Scottish film star Ewan McGregor, it will follow the seasons over the first three parts with a fourth episode looking at the people who work and live alongside the animals in the middle of this amazing landscape; the scientists, conservationists and local people working to rebuild wild landscapes and habitats. The first episode aired on 27 April at 9pm and the series is available on BBC iPlayer. The Scottish Moorland Group has appealed for better understanding of the culling of mountain hares, which is carried out in the Cairngorms to ensure the protection of species and habitat. Tim Baynes, director of the Scottish Moorland Group, said: ‘If a picture of culled hares emerges, there tends to be a reaction – particularly on social media – that somehow this activity is wrong. This is understandable if a member of the public is not conversant with conservation needs. Mountain hare populations move in cycles and culling is only done when numbers are high. Hares can affect fragile habitats, spread sheep tick and cause the failure of tree-planting schemes.’

Hare cull reaction sparks appeal