Warning Scottish ministers risk more wildfires spreading with new muirburn system

A helicopter douses a wild fire with water on the Isle of Bute on April 10 in Colintraive, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Scottish Government risks making the threat of wildfires in Scotland worse unless it introduces a better approach to muirburn licensing, a number of organisations have warned.

Scottish Land and Estates (SLE), National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) have raised concerns over a new system being introduced under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Muirburning is the controlled burning of moorland vegetation – generally heather and grass – and is often carried out by land managers.

The idea is to promote new growth of heather and grasses for grazing by game birds, preventing wildfires by reducing build-up, and managing habitats and biodiversity, though this is debated by those opposed to the practice.

Muirburn season takes place in Scotland from October 1 – April 15 annually. With permission, muirburning can be made up until April 30.

The season is due to be changed to September 15 – March 31 when the changes to the Act are implemented by the Scottish Government.

The organisations calling for change made the warning in light of the wildfires that have occurred across Scotland, which experts warn are the result of combustible vegetation, or fuel load, increasing.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has said controlled muirburning, when carried out by professionals, is an important means of land management to prevent the build-up of fuel loads, in turn reducing the risk of wildfires.

The Scottish Government plans to implement a new muirburn licensing regime ahead of the 2025-26 season, but rural stakeholders say the technical requirements and application processes will not be in place before September 15 this year, leaving many farmers, land managers and gamekeepers without adequate time to gain a licence.

Subsequently, this could mean large areas of land will remain unmanaged, meaning fuel loads will be heavier and wildfires may be more likely.

Concerns centre around the need to avoid muirburn on areas of deep peat bogs. Vast swathes of land face being classified as uncertain, triggering the need for thousands of physical soil tests before a licence can be issued.

The organisations said they had already devoted significant time and resources to NatureScot’s Muirburn Code Working Group in an effort to help shape a workable licensing system.

However, with the clock now ticking, they warn there is still no sign of a practical solution being put in place in time for next year.

Ross Ewing, director of moorland at SLE, said: “There is widespread agreement that muirburn, when done responsibly and in line with best practice, plays a vital role in preventing uncontrolled wildfires.

“We support a workable licensing system, but right now the process being proposed is overly complex and impossible to deliver within the time available. If muirburn is blocked due to licensing delays, we are sleepwalking into a heightened wildfire risk next season.”