The Glorious Twelfth and the true value of our grouse moors

Published on Monday 11 August 2008 22:04

THERE'S a small school in Dalwhinnie which underlines the real value of one of Scotland's prime natural assets – the grouse moor. A glance at the school roll will tell you that all the pupils are the sons and daughters of gamekeepers and other workers employed on moors in the area. They and their families are very much part of that community and unquestionably part of the fabric of rural Scotland.

In my own neck of the woods, there are no fewer than 28 gamekeepers, trainee keepers and estate workers employed full time in Upper Donside between Alford and the Lecht. They and their families are very much part of their own communities.

Of course, the economic contribution of grouse shooting – grouse shooting and deer stalking in Scotland contributing 80 million per year – tends to grab the headlines as the Glorious Twelfth comes round once again and tourists from all over the world come to sample the sport that Scotland's pristine moorland offers. However, the social contribution as evidenced by the children at Dalwhinnie Primary School and in other rural communities in Scotland, though largely unrecognised, is substantial and well worth sustaining.

The Cairngorm National Park Plan supports this view and recognises grouse shooting as bringing significant socio-economic benefit to the area, highlighting the fact that shooting is closely linked with the cultural heritage of the Park's land use.

The rest of Scotland is no different – grouse moors across the country are inextricably linked to communities, providing the ability for families to live, work and thrive in our fragile rural areas. Each moor will have keepers, shepherds and maintenance staff managing it. In these increasingly tough times, not just for Scottish agriculture but the economy as a whole, field sports provide valuable employment in areas which are remote and also economically fragile. These jobs would not exist if the moors were not used for grouse shooting and skills that have been inherent in the countryside can be preserved and provide opportunities for young people to stay and work where they grew up.

The reach of the moor goes deeper still into these communities. From the 12th onwards, the grouse season attracts a significant number of tourists that spend well in the towns and villages that surround the moors.

This economic engine, which supports communities across rural Scotland, also drives the conservation of an internationally important habitat – the heather moorland – which is iconic to Scotland. We cannot underestimate the importance of this conservation, which supports a myriad of other upland flora and fauna, and demands serious commitment from landowners and a host of conservation bodies.

The Otterburn Project, which has been running in Northumberland since 2000 and is a study to quantify the effect of predator control on ground-nesting birds on moorland and surrounding farmland. It is an important scientific study which demonstrates that without proper management, there would be no sustainable populations of grouse or wading birds on moorland.

The moorland supports more than just grouse. Heather products such as Freoch the heather ale, heather blossom honey and heather gem jewellery are increasingly popular, forming a mini industry of their own.

This social, economic and conservation benefit is supported by years of work and investment from those who own and manage the moors. These estates make significant investments in their moorland for an unpredictable return in cash terms.

World class products do not happen by accident. Our grouse moors are the product of co-operation, care and pride. The by-products of the Glorious Twelfth are not merely satisfied tourists and happy hotel owners but communities throughout Scotland.

I believe that sometimes it is valuable to look beyond the figures to really understand the true value of our natural rural assets. Hail to the heather!