Blogs

This spring marks a major step forward for our “Factors influencing maternal condition in red grouse and subsequent breeding success” research project.

In northern England, black grouse are found on the moor fringe, where females, also known as greyhens, nest and rear their chicks.

Since joining in March I have hit the ground running with an intense programme of fieldwork on the first year of our expanded Maternal Grouse project that was launched in Scotland this year, spending many hours on the moors already. 

In February, two members of our Uplands Research and Advisory staff were invited to the Virological Surveillance Unit at the Moredun Research Institute (MRI) to mark the start of a closer collaboration between the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and the MRI.

The uplands are under more pressure than ever, shifting land‑use, policy restrictions, changing weather patterns, biodiversity concerns, and public scrutiny. Effective moorland management needs both rigorous evidence-based science and practical ‘boots on the ground’ ecological understanding. 

With the manifestoes from the leading parties taking part in the Scottish Parliament election now available, we’ve summarised the key rural discussion points emerging from the documents.

The haunting call of the curlew is one of the most evocative sounds of the British countryside. Yet behind that wild, bubbling song lies a species fighting for survival. 

At a time of geopolitical and climatic instability, neglecting the economic foundations of food and farming is a risky experiment. A resilient farming sector is not a luxury, but a necessity — for food security, the rural economy and the environment.

There have been varied reports from the 2025/26 season on the potential challenges that shoots have faced.