Deer People – Valuing Tradition, Embracing Change is the latest collaboration between writer Richard Cooke (former Chair of the Association of Deer Management Groups, and current Chair of industry body Scottish Venison), and artist Ian MacGillivray looking at upland deer management in Scotland through the lens of the lives of those involved on the ground or through their related previous or ongoing work.
The book features 24 individuals whose lives have been shaped by Scotland’s red deer and offers a unique insight into their thinking and the wealth of knowledge and breadth of tradition behind upland deer management today.
Contained in the book’s 130 pages is a rich and diverse collection of essays, quotes and opinions, stunning artwork, and a selection of wild venison recipes. Together these capture the spirit of upland Scotland and its landscape to which these 24 Highland heroes have devoted their lives, caring for environment and habitat and stewarding our iconic red deer.
All proceeds from sales of the book go to the Association of Deer Management Groups’ ‘Deer People’ fund which supports overseas placements for early career deer management and environment professionals, allowing them to study wildlife and landscape management in other countries around the world. ‘Deer People’ placements to date have included North America, Africa and Europe.
Also, first published in 2022 Deer People – Twenty four working lives dedicated to deer in the Scottish Highlands, a collaboration between Cooke, MacGillivray and acclaimed photographer Glyn Satterley, has now been reprinted with a soft cover and to the same format as Deer People 2.
There is more information about the Deer People fund and reports from previous beneficiaries of support from it on the ADMG website www.deer-management.co.uk/general-info/tutorials/
The books are priced at £35 for Deer People 2 (published 2026), and £30 for Deer People (first published 2022), with a special offer price of £60 for both. The books can be purchased at www.ianmacgillivray.co.uk/category/all-products Prints from Ian MacGillivray’s portraits from Deer People 2 are also available from his website.