Facts & Figures

 

 

 

Moorland Status

 

 

- The generally accepted figure is that the UK holds 75% of the world’s resource of open heather moorland, and the majority of that is in Scotland. 

 

- Almost a quarter (24%) of Scotland’s heather moorland was lost in the last 60 years with most of that (18%)  between the 1940s and the 1970s.  There has been considerable variation in losses, from regions such as the Western Isles which saw only a 3% decline to Dumfries & Galloway which was down by 63% over this period.

 

- Between the 1940’s and 1980’s moors managed for grouse shooting lost on average only 24% of their heather cover while non grouse moors lost 41%.  

 

- The Scottish Government has an aspiration to achieve the target of 25% of Scotland to be under tree cover by the second half of this century, with planting levels increasing to 10,000 hectares per annum (Scottish Forestry Strategy 2006)

 

 

Ownership and Management

 

- In 1873 only 118 people owned half of Scotland’s land area, but by 1999, with the break up of many of the large old estates, that had been diluted fivefold.  That half of Scotland is now owned by an estimated 608 people or organisations. 

 

- The “private sector” in the form of individuals, companies and trusts still own some 90% of the moorland area, ranging from big estates to small hill farms. 

 

- The estimated 3 million hectares of moorland broadly equates to the area classified as “rough grazing” in the Scottish Agricultural Census 2007 (3.4 million ha) which comprises 22,196 agricultural holdings, or farming businesses.

 

- Research by the University of Strathclyde estimated that there were 485 active grouse moors in Scotland in 1991 covering 1.86 million hectares

 

 

Conservation and Birds

 

- At 31 March 2007, there were 1,455 SSSI’s, covering a total area of 1,034,000 hectares or 12.9% of Scotland.

 

- Moorland is an important breeding or feeding habitat for 57 bird species, of which eight occur in internationally important numbers in the UK and 12 are listed in Annex 1 of the EC Birds Directive 1979

 

- The most protected moorland specialist birds are; Red list:  Hen Harrier, Black grouse (also a Biodiversity Action Plan species), and Ring Ouzel.  Amber list: Golden eagle, Merlin, Red grouse, Dotterel, Lapwing, Dunlin, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Short eared owl,

 

- Grouse moors typically have five times as many golden plover and lapwing and about twice as many curlews as other nearby moors.

 

 

Economic Contribution

 

- Sportsmen come from many other countries each year to shoot grouse and it is a significant “export” for the Highlands.  In 2000, 28% of grouse shooting was done by people from North America and the rest of the world

 

- In 2001, grouse shooting supported a total of 940 full time equivalent jobs across Scotland and £17 million of GDP.  Almost one quarter of the sampled estates derived more than half their income from grouse shooting and around one fifth were involved in “green tourist” activities

 

- Shooting and stalking of all types in Scotland involves 1.5 million gun days per year, worth £240 million to the Scottish economy.  Shooting influences the management of 4.4 million hectares, approximately half of which is grouse moor.

 

 

Public Benefits

 

- An estimated 70% of our drinking water is collected from the uplands

 

- The UK uplands as a whole store some 5 billion tonnes of carbon – more than all the forests of Britain and France combined, and Scotland’s moorlands are the most important part of the equation

 

 

Grouse Shooting on Scottish Moorlands

 

• Research by the University of Strathclyde estimated that there were 485 moors in Scotland in 1991 covering 1.86 million hectares, where grouse are shot from time to time.  However, there are probably now (2005 estimate) only around 170 properly  keepered grouse moors ie, which might be driven in good years.

 

• The same research showed that in 2001, grouse shooting supported a total of 940 full time equivalent jobs across Scotland and contributed £17 million of GDP, almost all of which went directly into the local economy of remote areas.  Given the high level of new investment in the last 5 or so years, greater affluence and inflation etc, the estimate is that the GDP contribution is probably nearer to £30 million pa now.  Nearly all that money is recycled back into local wages and service providers – no profit is taken away by the owners, indeed there is significant net annual investment by owners

 

• Number of birds shot varies hugely from year to year but a five year average for 170 moors (based on 1995 – 2000 bag records) would give a ball park figure of 100,000 birds shot per year. 

 

• The best estimate is that there are over 6000 participants each year in Scottish grouse shooting (based on 2000 data).  About 20% from Scotland, 51% from the rest of the UK and 28% from North America and the rest of the world.  So it is a significant export

 

• Every single bird is eaten and there are never enough to satisfy demand.  As a result grouse is a premium food.  The young birds may go to restaurants as a seasonal speciality, or sold privately, while some of the older birds can be processed into pate, or even exported.

 

• A typical shoot day is very carefully organised, as the outcome of just a few days shooting per year can make the difference to people’s livelihoods.  As in all forms of game shooting, gun safety is paramount. 

 

• Moorland keepering is a highly skilled job requiring dedication and tough people.  More and more hill keepers are college trained now but many of the best hill keepers are still those with a family history in the job.  The main basic skills needed are in fox, crow and stoat control and  heather burning, but there is an increasing amount or public relations work and keepers have to know all the law and all about wider conservation management.  They are real day to day conservationists – practical bird and plant experts.

 

• Many other species benefit from the management regime on grouse moors, especially from predator control.  Many of these are protected species.  Waders - Curlew, Lapwing, Golden plover, Dunlin, Dotterel, Redshank, Greenshank,     also Black grouse.  Fox and crow control also protects ground nesting birds of prey – particularly Merlin, Hen Harrier , Short eared owl etc.  And of course the Red grouse itself – now Amber listed , the UK’s only truly native bird, and only found on moorlands, and unquestionably saved from extinction in many areas by the interest in shooting