For many years the sport of grouse shooting has taken place on moorland.
In fact, many of these areas of land are referred to as 'grouse moors'
and provide a very valuable means of income for local people.
Most shoots take place in a formal way with birds being driven over
the Guns (the people who shoot). The Guns stand in a butt (a hide used
for shooting, screened by a turf and stone wall) and the grouse are
driven towards them by 'beaters' (people who beat the heather to flush
the grouse) but dogs may also be used. |
Anyone who takes part in a grouse shoot has to take note of the rules
of the sport, especially from a safety point of view.
Because grouse can fly at speeds of up to 60mph, a high level of skill
is needed to be able to shoot accurately and grouse shoots are carried
out with a great deal of care and attention.
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| Waiting
for the grouse to take to the air. Of all the different moorland
activities, shooting is undoubtedly the most important because
it pays for their traditional management. Image (C)
David Gowans |
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In some areas of moorland, there are too many deer and these can cause
a lot of damage, especially when their natural source of food is scarce.
To reduce the numbers and to make
sure that the deer remain healthy, deerstalkers will cull (shoot) individual
animals. Those most likely to be culled are the old and weak
deer although some younger females and young males are also shot.
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Some guests of the estates will pay to shoot a 'trophy'
deer – a male with large antlers, which are kept as a souvenir.
This practice provides much needed income for the estates and still
benefits the herd as a whole.
Stalking is a very skilled craft. The stalker
(usually the gamekeeper) must be careful not to show themselves, or
give themselves away by being upwind of the deer.
They need to know the land, and of course, need to be an excellent marksmen!
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| Red
deer stags congregating on the lower slopes to escape
the winter snows. Winter is a crucial time for heather because
it is especially sensitive to grazing at this time. Image
(C) David Gowans. |
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Scotland has over 35,000 lochs – many of them situated on areas
of moorland.
Fishing in these upland lochs
is an extremely enjoyable pastime and reaching these small but often-deep
lochs often justifies the effort in getting off the beaten track –
a hobby to calm the stresses of life.
In many moorland lochs you can find wild brown trout – a hard fighting,
tasty fish, which varies in weight from a few ounces to several pounds!
The size is influenced by the amount of available feeding which can often
be poor in a peaty, moorland loch.
The scarcity of food in such lochs means that they can be like little
piranhas when they see the fisher’s lure or bait.
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In some of the larger, deeper lochs you may also find arctic char –
quite a rare species. Char are common throughout Scandinavia and the
Arctic Circle and its believed they were left in Scottish lochs after
the last Ice Age.
In Britain, this fish only grows to a size of about 16ins, but in Scandinavia
they can be very much larger.
Some lochs are connected by burns to a major river system so that sea
trout, and even salmon, can 'run' up these burns to spawn – thus
passing through the lochs.
The diversity of these upland lochs is amazing – from dark, peaty
lochans to translucent limestone pools.
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| Fly
fishing on a clear, still, moorland loch amongst spectacular
scenery. The tree-less nature of moorlands greatly reduces your
chances of a snag on the back cast!
Image (C) David Gowans. |
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Many people enjoy going for a walk – alone, or with a party of family
or friends.
The shifting of the seasons means
you can walk across the same area of moorland many times and never have
the same experience twice!
From a magical white wilderness in the winter, to the glorious purple
haze of late summer, the moorland landscape is forever changing.
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Some areas of moorland are situated on relatively low ground with easy,
natural access.
Other patches of moorland can be found on higher, more difficult terrain
where caution is advised. Wherever access to moorland is required, walkers
should always be away of the Countryside Access Code – remember,
this is a working, living landscape!
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access is free to the Scottish hills the maintenance
of tracks and paths can be very expensive and labour intensive,
especially in more remote areas. |
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