Sporting estates

Donald Lewis (Letters, 3 January) quotes 8000 as the figure for the numbers employed on Scotland’s sporting estates, and a figure of £470m as the 
annual contribution to the Scottish economy.

I recall doing holiday work on the Angus grouse moors at Clova and Prosen, and the number of employees (excluding holiday workers like me) would have fitted into a 
minibus.

Can Mr Lewis tell us how he arrives at these figures?

Who are the “independent researchers” he quotes? I am surprised by these figures, and although I very much hope they are true, I suspect they include turnover from hospitality, tourism, and other related activities.

There is nothing wrong with that, of course, every little helps, but clarification would be 
welcome.

Graham M McLeod

Muirs

Kinross