90% of Scotland’s countryside is privately owned and managed

In a talk yesterday at Edinburgh University, focused on the contribution of grouse shooting to land management, it was noted that 90% of Scotland’s countryside is privately owned and managed; that there are around 500 grouse moors; and that 25% of Scotland’s heather cover has been lost since 1945. This loss is continuing at at 0.5% per annum, driven by forestry development, unmanaged grazing and the spread of bracken and pests. The Moorland Forum was said to be active on critical issues like the illegal control of raptors, the integration of field sports and public access and tick control.