The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has been working with independent ecologist Dr James Fenton on producing a strategy for Moorland in Scotland, something recently identified by SNH as a national priority.
With many of our members working daily in these rich habitats, they are concerned at the loss of heather moorlands which help define upland Scotland as globally important in conservation terms.
Heather moorland is restricted to the uplands of Britain and Ireland and is found in a few areas of mainland Europe the west coast of Norway, making it internationally rare.
Between 1940 and 1980, though, heather cover in Scotland declined from 53 per cent to 29 per cent, largely due to afforestation and changed land use on our moors.
The loss of heather and other types of moorland in the post-war period has been scientifically acknowledged yet policy guidance today remains scant.
This short video explains the thinking behind our strategy and how we hope it will encourage people to evaluate what we have and pinpoint the core areas we cannot afford to lose through the lack of a cohesive approach.
The SGA is set to launch its Moorland Strategy next month.
To play the video, click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cmUrQ_sigA
