Measures include use of personal protection equipment, implementation of social distancing protocols, food hygiene guidance on shoot days and travel restrictions.

They are part of a framework of Covid-19 guidance developed by the country sports sector and approved by the Scottish Government.Sporting estates across Scotland hope the shooting season will bring a much-needed boost for rural businesses at this time of major economic uncertainty.The grouse season in Scotland, which runs for 16 weeks from 12 August to 10 December, is estimated to be worth around £32 million a year – part of the £350 million overall value of game and country sports to the nation. Sporting shooting supports 11,000 full time jobs north of the border, of which 2,640 are in the grouse sector.Mark Ewart, coordinator of the Southern Uplands Moorland Group, said: “This year is different to any season we’ve experienced before but the discussions held over the past few weeks have helped to ensure everyone knows what to do.“It’s hard to overstate the importance of the season to people in this area. Not just for those directly employed by the estates but all the local businesses that supply equipment and the pubs and hotels. “This year there will be fewer guests coming to shoot from abroad but we are hopeful that more people from within the UK will come and that will make up the shortfall.”Tim Baynes, moorland director at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Grouse shooting is by its very nature low-risk as participants are well spaced and it takes place on wide-open moorlands. “Estates planning to shoot early in the season have undertaken detailed risk assessments and adapted their procedures to comply with Covid-19 rules. “After two poor grouse seasons, largely due to the weather, 2020 is looking better in many areas. “This is the time of year when accurate counts are taken and decisions are made on whether it is sustainable to shoot. “Some moors in the north of Scotland have decided not to shoot, but many have had a good breeding season and will be optimistic.”But animal welfare campaigners have renewed calls for driven grouse shooting to be banned in Scotland.They say the sport is cruel and results in thousands of other creatures being killed or maimed. “There is nothing glorious about the day which marks the start of the shooting of large numbers of grouse,” said OneKind director Bob Elliot. “Thousands of wild animals that are predators to red grouse are killed all year round on Scotland’s driven grouse moors to ensure that high numbers of red grouse are available to be shot for sport. “They can be legally trapped, shot and snared in Scotland’s countryside with very little in the way of public scrutiny, inspection or regulation by the authorities. “These animals experience considerable mental and physical suffering in cruel traps and snares: suffering which would be illegal and universally condemned if inflicted on domestic animals.“In fact, Scotland is behind many countries in the protection afforded to wild animals. Only a few EU states permit and routinely use snares.”

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Sporting estates are employing Covid-19 safety precautions as the grouse shooting season gets under way

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Covid protections in place as Glorious Twelfth grouse shoots get under way in Scotland

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