Muirburn and Deer Management Top Agenda at SLE Moorland & Wildlife Conference

Press Release

Moorland managers ‘stand ready’ to continue delivering substantial social, economic, and environmental benefits—despite a wave of shifting legislation affecting muirburn, deer management, and grouse shooting.

That was the core message at Scottish Land & Estates’ Moorland and Wildlife Management Conference, held at Perth Racecourse on Wednesday. As the sector’s leading annual event, the conference attracted more than 185 delegates and featured contributions from across land management, conservation, and rural policy.

Sponsored by headline partner Levy & McRae and supported by Gillespie Macandrew, House of Bruar, and Spratt’s Game Foods, the conference tackled several key policy developments. 

These included the proposed overhaul of deer management under the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill and the forthcoming muirburn licensing scheme, due to come into effect on September 15. Estates and gamekeepers have already expressed serious concerns about the scheme’s requirement to survey peatland to comply with restrictions on muirburn on ‘deep peat’.

A major focus was also the  new vaccine to combat Louping Ill Virus (LIV), work that has been led by the Moredun Research Institute which is currently at the ‘manufacturing transfer’ stage of development. Since the withdrawal of the previous LIV vaccine in 2017, no alternative has been available. With longer tick seasons increasing the spread of the disease, the initiative has been warmly welcomed by livestock farmers, vets, and moorland managers alike. The conference also explored how the sector could help fund vaccine development and support its path to commercialisation.

Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland at Scottish Land & Estates, said:

“Estates, land managers, and gamekeepers are navigating a period of significant policy and legislative upheaval, yet their commitment to managing some of Scotland’s most important natural environments—and delivering the vital social and economic benefits that come with it—remains steadfast.

“Private land managers carry out around 80% of Scotland’s deer cull, but there is growing concern within the sector about proposals to grant NatureScot new statutory intervention powers based on the vague concept of ‘nature restoration’. To date, the Scottish Government has provided no clear definition of what this means or how such powers would be implemented in practice.

“As the introduction of the new muirburn licensing regime draws near, urgent clarification is needed from the Scottish Government and NatureScot on how estates are expected to comply with restrictions on muirburn on ‘deep peat’. Under current proposals, land managers could be required to survey thousands of individual points simply to secure a licence—a process that may prove unworkable for many, increasing the risk of uncontrolled wildfires.

“This year’s conference delivered outstanding insights and robust discussion from both practitioners and policymakers. We are immensely grateful to all who attended, and to our sponsors—especially our headline sponsors, Levy & McRae—for their generous support.”

Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, addressed the conference by video.

Mr Fairlie said: “It is the Scottish Government’s intention to bring forward our new muirburn licensing scheme this year and I'm aware of concerns surrounding the implementation of the licensing. Developing a scheme that is practical, reasonable and proportionate has been critically important to me and officials throughout the process.

“Carried out with skill and proper training, muirburn can be a vital tool in creating fire breaks to help tackle those deadly wildfires we have been witnessing recently. I'd like to put on record my thanks to all of those practitioners who are in our communities across Scotland. You're helping us to maintain sustainable land management with a deep understanding of the balance that is required which will ensure our landscapes, our ecosystems, our wildlife and as importantly our rural communities are secure for generations to come, with muirburn playing its part in achieving just that.”

David McKie, senior partner of Levy & McRae, provided a keynote speech focused on the impact of regulation over the past three decades. 

He said: “Landowners and those managing our moorlands have seen exceptional levels of regulation through legislation, both primary and subordinate, as well as unprecedented micro management and scrutiny both by quangos and those opposed to game shooting. Simultaneously, wildlife crime has significantly reduced. It would be refreshing for once to hear voices in government and beyond praising those whose diligent land management has seen wonderful conservation results to the great benefit of local communities and the wider rural economy.”