Snapshots

Grouse shoots to be licensed in Scotland

Shooting groups have expressed their dismay at the Scottish government’s decision to introduce a licensing regime for grouse moors in the country.

The proposal was announced by Mairi Gougeon, the rural affairs minister, at the end of November in response to the Werritty Reporton grouse moor management in the country. The report had recommended the introduction of licensing five years hence but only if there had been “no marked improvement in the ecological sustainability of grouse moor management”.

The Scottish government chose to ignore the advice of Professor Alan Werritty and his expert panel. Ms Gougeon acknowledged that it was a “complex issue” which attracted “strong views”. The threat is that a licence could