Author: Playfair Walker

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.

Warmest congratulations go to the 2026 winners of the Fred Taylor Memorial Trophy for Working Hill Ponies, Pimms of Balmoral with Morag Macdonald at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair, and huge thanks to all those who made the journey to Scone to take part. Another fantastic event as always and a great showcase for the upland deer sector.

Victor Clements

Introduction
In spring 1976, Heiner Hatlapa was driving north through England, heading for the Scottish Highlands. He was a man on a mission. He had come across from Germany to try and source a bald or white faced/ blaze red deer for his wildlife park at Eekholt at Schleswig- Holstein near Hamburg. He had been to Woburn and a number of other English deer parks to look at their animals and their detailed records, but none of his leads had come to anything. It seemed that the last recorded animal south of the border had been killed by a falling branch in a lightning storm in 1963.

However, it appeared that the animals were still in evidence on the Remony Estate on the south shore of Loch Tay in Perthshire, near to the village of Kenmore. This was his destination now, and with him he had a horse trailer, nets, a tranquilizer gun and other fishing equipment. He was working with G Kenneth Whitehead, who had made the introduction with Remony, and deer vet and farmer John Fletcher was to try and dart an animal.

Once there, three days were spent searching a large area trying to locate and capture one of the animals, but without success. Getting within 20 – 30 metres to dart a deer in that type of landscape was more or less impossible. On the last day, the Remony head keeper Angus Hogg suggested that the most practical way of securing a white faced deer would be to try and catch a calf shortly after it was born. He had experience of doing this for a range of other projects and research studies.

Reassured that this was the best way forward, Heiner then returned to Germany, and had more or less forgotten about it when, in June, he received a telegram which said very simply “we got it.”

Continue reading “The bald (white or blaze) faced red deer of Breadalbane and South Perthshire”

ADMG has received confirmation from Scottish Government that the removal of the exemption for non-domestic rates for deer management which was proposed in the Scottish Budget last month will be amended.

We have been advised that through secondary legislation the qualification for exemption from non-domestic rates will be extended to cover:

(i) deer forests on which –

(aa)shooting rights are exercised solely for the purposes of environmental management or for preventing damage to woodland or to agricultural production, or a combination of those purposes, and

(bb)any deer shot are made available for human consumption as venison, and 

(ii)deer forests on which shooting rights are not exercised in practice

Tom Turnbull, ADMG Chair, says:

“This is an important rethink.  We have been in regular contact with Scottish Government officials since the announcement of the removal of the exemption in the Scottish Budget and those concerns have clearly been listened to.

“We are grateful to the Minister and to those MSPs with whom we have engaged who have recognised the proposed removal of the exemption as flawed, and appreciate that this change has been delivered so timeously.

“The interpretation of the assessors will be vital but we believe this new exemption proposed via secondary legislation should now cover the vast majority of our members for their deer management and venison production activities.”

Link to the Statutory Instrument here.

The Scottish budget was presented to the Scottish Parliament on 13 January 2026. Included in it and having been subject to no previous consultation or discussion with the sector was the proposed removal of the small business relief scheme (SBBS) for sporting rates.  This would effectively mean subject to the very limited conditions stated yesterday that for any enterprise where deer management was let as part of its overall deer management business then they would no longer be eligible for rates relief.  The budget clause reads:

Shootings and deer forests will be excluded from eligibility for Small Business Bonus Scheme relief from 01 April 2026, except where a) shooting rights are exercised solely for the purposes of deer management, including to prevent damage to woodland or to agricultural production, environmental management or vermin control, b) crofts and c) all forms of agricultural and small landholding tenancies, leases for new entrants, and leases agreed for environmental purposes.
 
Tom Turnbull, Chair, the Association of Deer Management Groups, says:
 
“This has come completely out of the blue and in our view could be a hammer blow to the collaborative deer management structure on which Scottish Government and its agencies rely to deliver their deer management targets if those small businesses who are letting stalking are to be penalised through removal of this relief.
 
“This is an extraordinary step at a time when we are in discussion with Government about how deer management should be incentivised as it is currently carried out at a net loss by many businesses with its cost partially offset by letting stalking.  We are seeking urgent clarification from Government on what this means and the scale and scope of the impact of this proposal.  We need to understand what is meant by “solely for the purposes of deer management” and implications around, for example, the sale/supply of venison as well as let stalking.
 
“If this goes ahead we can only see that this will impact heavily on the sector, undermine trust and collaboration, threaten jobs, and ultimately serve no purpose other than act as a disincentive to supporting government in delivery of its climate change, environmental recovery and habitat restoration targets.”
 
Tom Turnbull is writing urgently to Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity and to others in Government expressing concern over this proposal and also proposing that an exemption should remain for rural businesses that are signed up to a Deer Management Plan and who are part of a Deer Management Group.

Organisations representing deer managers and environmental NGOs have jointly welcomed the crucial amendments lodged by MSPs Tim Eagle and Rhoda Grant to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, which will be voted on in the Scottish Parliament on 10 December.

An amendment lodged by Scottish Conservative MSP, Tim Eagle, calls for financial incentives for deer management, to enable deer managers to maintain and expand levels of culling across Scotland. Such activity has historically been privately funded and is often loss-making.

At the direction of Scottish Ministers, NatureScot has initiated a number of pilot incentive schemes which have been warmly welcomed by the sector. However, deer managers and e-NGOs believe the incentivisation of deer management must go further if a meaningful impact is to be made. The amendment from Mr Eagle would underscore the importance of incentives for the future of deer management in Scotland, and enable land managers to play a vital role in supporting government objectives.

Continue reading “Deer management must be supported to achieve habitat protection aims – call from deer managers and e-NGOs”

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the rural business organisation, appealed to the Scottish Information Commissioner to obtain a copy of a briefing note provided by civil servants in June 2023 to the then Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater MSP, regarding future legislation on deer management.

Section 6ZB of the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, currently at Stage 2 in the parliament, enables NatureScot – acting on behalf of Scottish Ministers – to take proactive action to manage deer populations to support ‘nature restoration’, details of which are not defined in the Bill and will be discharged to a code of practice.

A host of rural bodies have argued against this proposal as ambiguous and unworkable, with no mechanism for differentiating between deer impacts and those of other herbivores, such as sheep, feral goats and mountain hares. Thay warn proposals would irreparably damage collaborative deer management – 80% of which is conducted voluntarily by private estates.

However, the advice given to Ms Slater in 2023 by civil servants makes clear that Scottish Ministers were warned about the serious problems which exist with this proposal.

Firstly, officials warned that “significantly reducing deer numbers, without corresponding reductions in sheep numbers, or making only marginal reductions in either species will not produce the required results in terms of carbon and nature and will therefore be, in effect, a waste of public money and effort.”

In a speech at the Royal Highland Show in June 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon MSP, said, with regards to sheep and cattle: “Let me be crystal clear: this government has no policy, and will have no policy, to cut livestock numbers.”

The Cabinet Secretary’s remarks, coupled with the advice to Ministers released under disclosure, strongly suggest the new powers to intervene in deer management will not work, needlessly wasting taxpayer’s money and the resources of NatureScot. 

Secondly, officials warn that increasing state intervention powers to go beyond cases where deer were causing damage was legally problematic. The briefing to Ministers states: “To go beyond preventing damage is a significant shift in balance between public and private interests and we could expect challenges to this proposal on European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”) grounds, with particular reference to A1P1 (protection of property).”

The Bill containing the controversial powers was introduced by the Scottish Government in February 2025 – after dissolution of the Bute House Agreement. Ministers decided to press on with powers which would enable NatureScot to intervene in connection with nature and climate objectives.

The publication of the briefing note from June 2023 follows a prolonged FOI battle. A FOI request was first made by SLE in October 2024 and was subsequently refused twice by government agency, NatureScot. SLE subsequently appealed to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who instructed that the advice should be released – noting that there has been a failure “to comply with the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.”

Rural bodies said the advice to Scottish Ministers backed up their view that state intervention was seriously flawed and should be removed from the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill.

Ross Ewing, Director of Moorland & Strategic Projects at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Organisations representing the deer sector have been clear from the outset that the Scottish Government’s proposed powers for state intervention in deer management are unworkable in practice and carry significant legal risk.

“It is deeply concerning to learn that, as far back as June 2023, civil servants had already warned Ministers of these very issues – yet the Government pressed ahead and included the provisions in the Natural Environment Bill regardless.

“Ministers must now urgently remove this section of the Bill. To proceed would be to introduce legislation that their own officials say will waste public money and effort, while exposing the Government to entirely avoidable legal challenges.”

Tom Turnbull, Chair of the Association for Deer Management Groups (ADMG), said: “ADMG has always had concerns around Section 6ZB of the Natural Environment Bill. Taking a one size fits all approach to habitat damage and only focusing on deer risks targets being missed.

“Deer numbers will need to be considered in some circumstances along with a wide range of other factors. Whilst we are not opposed to regulation where needed, we have had no clarity on how this new trigger for intervention will be used, and its subjective nature could risk jobs and livelihoods in the deer sector.”

Peter Clark, Scotland Director of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “The deer management sector has consistently warned that the Scottish Government’s proposed powers to control deer were wholly unworkable and severely risk rural jobs.

“Despite the warning calls being given by both the sector and civil servants, the Scottish Government ploughed on regardless and put the powers in the Bill.

“Given the concern that this has caused across the deer sector, BASC has lodged amendments to remove these inappropriate powers.”

Alex Hogg MBE, Chair of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, said: “We have met with the Minister and reinforced our opposition to the new 6ZB powers.

“They will destabilise the voluntary deer sector and cost jobs at a time when deer managers need to be valued.”

Rob Mearns and 5 year old mare Twiggy have won the Fred Taylor Memorial Trophy for Working Hill Ponies at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair.

This year saw a near record entry of 16 ponies.  In second place was Dalhousie Estates, with Balmoral Estate taking third.

The event which was first staged in 2013 was conceived by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Association of Deer Management Groups in memory of the late Fred Taylor, dedicated pony man and head stalker on Invermark Estate.  Since then it has become the ‘blue riband’ event for working hill ponies in Scotland.

Tom Turnbull, Chair, the Association of Deer Management Groups, said:

“It was an absolutely fantastic turnout this year and probably among the highest in this event’s history. It’s a superb way not just of remembering Fred but also keeping the long tradition of using ponies on Scottish upland estates and, indeed, the interest in breeding and training them, alive.  They are a wonderful part of upland moorland management and it’s a fantastic spectacle to see them at Scone with the stalkers and ghillies in their estate tweeds and the sparkling, spotless deer saddles and tack.”

As well as the Fred Taylor Quaich the winning estate receives free use of an Isuzu DMax pickup for 6 months, a bronze medal from the Highland Pony Society, and a bottle of Whyte & Mackay whisky, Fred’s favourite tipple.

Tom Turnbull, Chair of the Association of Deer Management Groups has called for the effort and commitment of stalkers, gamekeepers, estate staff and other volunteers to be recognised publicly and especially in the Scottish Parliament following the recent upland fires in Morayshire.  He said:

“Not only are these professionals undertaking moorland and upland management to prevent major incidents like this happening in the first place, but they are on hand to support the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service when such events occur.  Volunteers from estates all across Scotland have been quick to respond to calls for support, both in terms of manpower and equipment and, despite the recent rain we understand that there is still considerable work ongoing to bring ‘hot spots’ under control and the prevention of further outbreaks.

“Climate change is increasing the potential for wildfires so more public education is vital.  ADMG repeats the call in urging the public not to light fires in upland or woodland areas at any time, not to use disposable barbecues or to discard cigarettes, and to report anything they see that may be suspicious in terms of wildfire.  These ‘hot burn’ events cause untold damage to the environment, to biodiversity, woodland and wildlife and to peatland, and release huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere – all of which we are working hard to prevent.”

The publication of the Natural Environment Bill has put into sharp focus the change in emphasis from Scottish Government. The proposed changes to the 1996 Deer Act will enable NatureScot to use regulation not only to prevent damage but will also enable action to be demanded for the preservation, protection, restoration and enhancement of landscapes through the existing regulations, Sections 6, 7 and 8.

Whilst we are pleased that Scottish Government has dropped the controversial Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders, these proposed new triggers for intervention coupled with the ability to intervene to achieve “a relevant target, strategy, or plan relating to the environment, climate change, or biodiversity” give us significant concerns over a lack of clarity around who might be the target of regulatory intervention and at what level, as well as the subjective nature on which such intervention might be based.  ADMG will be seeking clarity and definition on these points.  Despite being much discussed in the run-up to the Bill’s publication the prospect of incentives is worryingly absent from the narrative.

We would also like to better understand how the changes within the Bill will apply to the lowlands of Scotland and those areas outside the established Deer Management Groups, as it would appear that they can only practically be applied to the Highland red deer range. It should not be lost on NatureScot that they rely on DMGs to deliver and report culls in the Highlands, to produce deer management plans, population models and undertake habitat monitoring. Voluntary collaboration on a landscape scale is at risk of being threatened by increasingly heavy-handed regulation such as that proposed. Historically we have seldom objected to the use of regulation by NatureScot but these new triggers may significantly change the socio economics in deer management and hinder any supposed ‘just transition’. Used incorrectly this Bill could break down the good working relationships that we have.

Our member DMGs provide deer management on a landscape scale in partnership with NatureScot. We are already delivering across the vast majority of the uplands, deer numbers are dropping, and 2023/24 saw the highest annual reported cull on record in Scotland. Deer managers are very aware of their vital role in the fight against climate change, and we all value improvements in biodiversity. We will be looking for assurances from Scottish Government that voluntary, collaborative Groups are valued and that actively participating in a Group will not result in increased exposure to or risk of regulation.

We are urging Scottish Government and NatureScot to concentrate on supporting, incentivising and facilitating deer management on a landscape scale and on supporting a buoyant venison sector, rather than threatening the deer management community with new triggers for intervention that may endanger effective future collaboration.