GWCT News Blog

All of us in Scotland are counting down the days until 4^th July – and for different reasons to our friends in the USA! This year the Scottish Game fair at Scone Palace begins that day, running until Sunday 6^th July and we’ve got plenty to keep everyone interested.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 introduced Muirburn Licences as a new legal requirement for making muirburn in Scotland. The new licensing scheme was expected to come into effect ahead of the 2025/26 burning season starting on 15 September 2025. However, NatureScot informed stakeholders on 18 June that Scottish Government decided to postpone the enactment date until 1 January 2026.

As spring arrives in the Scottish Lowlands and the mornings start to creep earlier and earlier, it means it’s time for the Lowlands team to complete the annual partridge spring pair surveys at Balgonie Estate.

Over 200 pupils visited Abercairney in the sun last week, primary pupils on the first day and secondary on the second. The day was run by the Moorland Groups under their new Educational Programme, Learn on the Land.

NatureScot has informed us that the implementation of the licensing scheme for operating spring traps and corvid traps in Scotland will be delayed at least until autumn 2025.

In March and early April, GWCT staff commenced the 2025 red grouse monitoring season by carrying out pair counts across Scotland. The results of this year’s pair counts indicate a pronounced decrease compared to 2024

It is important, now more than ever, that land managers are able to demonstrate to policy makers and the public the conservation value of the management activities that preserve our rare habitats.

The GWCT Advisory Services in Scotland offer Muirburn Planning Services to assist estates in obtaining the right muirburn licences. We have developed spatial datasets over several years through collaboration with estates. These datasets operate at a much finer scale than NatureScot’s Peatland Map and take into account other environmental factors important for planning muirburn.

We've teamed up with Scottish Land & Estates and the Scottish Regional Moorland Groups to put on a series of Pie & Pint Evenings.