Muirburn has ‘no place in natural cycle’

SIR, – It is difficult to imagine the photograph of a typical muirburn situation which illustrated Mr Macleod’s recent letter in the P&J (October 18) presenting anything other than an extremely challenging environment for such “rare and diverse species” which still survive on our upland deserts. The recently published State of Nature report (nbn.org. uk/stateofnature2019/reports/) highlights a steady decline in the abundance and distribution of Scotland’s species over recent decades. The influence of grouse moor management is specifically mentioned as “inappropriate muirburn, including on deep peat, can damage vegetation and soil leading to nitrogen deposition and release of carbon”.

Muirburn is a practice introduced to maintain hill land solely for the management of grouse – it has no place in the natural cycle. The wildfires which Mr MacLeod seeks to control are not spontaneous but are lit, either maliciously or accidentally, by human agency. Burning off mature heather to prevent wildfires is akin to setting fire to your house to save the fire service the trouble of attending in the event you had an accidental fire. It sensible to prevent fires in the first place by education and vigilance.

I fail to understand how a system which involves the wholesale slaughter of white hares, foxes, stoats, weasels, foxes and even in some cases endangered raptor species, coupled with largescale burning of vegetation and thin peat soils, solely to increase the supply of grouse to act as living targets, can be classed as “good for the environment”, as claimed by your correspondent.

Much of upland Scotland is damaged and degraded. It must be healed by the regeneration of native trees and scrub. This will halt the continuing decline in species numbers and diversity and lock up carbon to aid our fight against climate change.

Picture courtesy of Steven Rennie Photography