Blogs

The GWCT welcomes the amendment to muirburn legislation as it removes a provision that was not based on scientific evidence. It is our hope that the amended legislation will facilitate carrying out legal muirburn as a conservation tool with vital benefits to blanket-bog management and carbon sequestration.

On Monday 26 January 2026, GWCT Scotland sent an open letter to the Scottish Minister of Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie MSP, which sets out our views on muirburn licensing and peatland management in the context of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

In order to support Scottish participants taking part, the GWCT will be running two free bird ID sessions. These workshops will provide you with the skills required to identify birds you may encounter during the count and how to record them, and will be followed by a short walk to practice your new skills.

NatureScot has issued new General Licences for 2026, which are in effect from 1 January to 31 December 2026. Wildlife managers operating under General Licences are required to understand the current licences and comply with their terms and conditions.

One aim of the PepsiCo FAB project is to enhance communication between project participants. Over the course of the project, this has been done in a number of ways including regular updates, building relationships and providing project-related training events.

Today marks the beginning of the 2025/26 muirburn season in Scotland. This season will be a special one, as many of the new provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 are expected to come into force halfway through it.

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.