Davie Black

Access & Conservation Officer, Mountaineering Scotland

The Scottish Outdoor Access code allows huge freedom across the hills, with the right to responsible access for all. Davie explains what that means for walkers when the stag stalking season is in full swing. mountaineering.scot

“Scottish outdoor access legislation says you can have access, but you must act responsibly. That means taking into account others’ use of the land at the same time, including stalking. So how do you know what’s happening?

“There is a website called Heading for the Scottish Hills where participating estates put up when they’re likely to be stalking, the area they’re likely to be stalking in and whether they’ll be stalking on Sundays. You can also walk up and see if there’s a sign on the fence or the gates. It will generally say there’s stalking in a defined area, for a forecast time period, with alternative routes identified. That’s a useful sign. A sign saying ‘stalking will be taking place on this estate for months on end, go walk elsewhere’ is not a reasonable sign. And you can’t terrorise folk by saying ‘Don’t come in here because you might be shot’ because that’s irresponsible. One part of getting the shooting license is that you must take a safe shot. The reasonable behaviour agreement applies to both sides.

“Sometimes there’s no sign, or you miss it. Then, during the stalking season, the thing to do is to follow the main routes and ridgelines, and try not to cut across a corrie because that’s where the deer are. If you’re up high, it’ll be fine. But if you cut through the corrie, they’ll bolt and that’s a day wasted for the stalker.

“This is during the stag season, the commercial cull, where paying guests come in and estates make their money. The hind season is more of a conservation cull. The hinds produce two young every year and become fecund in their second year, so it can really take you by surprise, how the numbers mount.

“There’s a lot of work in stalking, knowing where the deer are at any particular point of year and their favorite feeding grounds. If you’re wandering about willy nilly, in areas where deer are not used to seeing people, then there’s a good chance you’ll spook them. That’s why we say: Follow the main routes, follow ridgelines, and don’t cut across a corrie. Three simple things to remember.”