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Highland sporting estates facing massive losses if stalking and game bird shoots unable to take place in 2020


By Tom Ramage

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Country sports businesses in the Highlands and across Scotland are facing tens of millions of lost income this year if coronavirus restrictions prohibit visitors from shooting in the country’s glens.

A snapshot survey of 32 sporting estates has shown that the green light for activities such as grouse shooting and deer stalking could be pivotal to economic revival in some remote communities.

Red grouse
Red grouse

The survey echoes growing uncertainty over whether visitors from outwith Scotland will be able to participate in country sports in 2020.

The confidential poll, facilitated by Scotland’s regional moorland groups, found that average losses could be close to £270,000, with some individual holdings destined to face much higher drops in income.

With the findings representing only a fraction of businesses involved in the sector, potential country-wide losses will be in the tens of millions, without factoring in lost angling bookings.

Some estates have already cancelled or scaled back pheasant shooting programmes, due to begin in October, and the total projected losses across the survey stood at over £8.5 million.

But despite worries, the findings suggest that country sports – particularly driven grouse shooting – could be pivotal to economic recovery in some remote places badly hit by the virus.

Across all respondent holdings, no lockdown redundancies were reported and only three gamekeepers had been placed on the UK Government’s furlough scheme, with all other businesses planning to maintain current staffing levels.

A significant number of estates have also continued to, or intend to, give lifeline work to essential businesses in dispersed areas despite anxiety over disappearing bookings.

Lianne MacLennan from Scotland’s regional moorland groups, which organised the survey, said: “People are worried and gamekeeping and shooting bodies have been liaising with Government. A lot of bookings have not happened or have been delayed or put back to next year. There will be some operators requiring financial support- which has not been easy to come by.

“Unlike some conservation or charity-run holdings, the surveyed estates in the main are not furloughing staff or cutting jobs and are continuing to support essential community businesses. These are the positives that can be taken from a difficult picture. Hopefully, if the country is safe enough to enable some visitors to come here, sporting businesses will play a major role in maintaining economic viability in remote parts of rural Scotland, as they always do.

“That will depend on public health, the safety of our communities and continued dialogue and sector backing from Scottish Government.”

The majority of respondents cited driven grouse shooting as part of their business model but returns were received for pheasant and partridge shoots, fishing beats and red and roe deer stalking businesses.

During lockdown, gamekeepers and self-employed pest controllers have continued to work, helping to protect food supply through fox, crow and pigeon management during lambing and crop establishment.

The email survey allowed respondents to provide information anonymously. It was carried out by Scotland’s 7 regional moorland groups which cover Angus Glens, Grampian, Tomatin, Loch Ness-side, Tayside and Central Scotland, Speyside and the Southern Uplands.

The survey asked respondents to detail losses incurred for the 2020 season so far due to Coronavirus restrictions as well as potential income loss as a result of a lack of (or reduced) sporting programme for 2020.

It also asked whether they had retained or furloughed staff.

Those who responded were a mix of small and large businesses, with varying levels and types of sporting offering and commercial goals.

The total losses across all surveyed 32 estates was recorded as £8,564, 767 – an average, per holding, loss of £267 649.

Among the region specific losses quoted were those of Speyside:

Four respondent estates. Total potential loss £1 002 545. Total average potential loss, per holding£250 636. Grouse shooting losses, principally, followed by deer and low ground shooting are the areas which will potentially hit, alongside sporting tourism within the wider community. No sporting staff furloughed across the respondents.

And Tomatin:

Two respondent estates. Total potential loss £201 400. Total average potential loss, per holding £100 700. No sporting staff furloughed across the respondents.

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