“Moorland Scotland – we can all take pride in it“. This is the remarkable statement made by Lord Hopetoun in today’s Scotsman newspaper.
You may remember we featured this laird’s letter-writing talents in September, after he had written to the Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson asking for ‘an expression of Government support’ for the grouse management industry (see here), but what looked to us like a back-door attempt to over-turn the new law on vicarious liability (see here). In today’s article, he stays on the same subject [the grouse shooting industry] but attempts to convince a wider audience – readers of The Scotsman – that the industry is “an outstanding Scottish success“.
He goes on: “The contribution grouse moors also make in terms of biodiversity should also not be underestimated“, and, “When it comes to talking about world-class Scotland, we hear plenty of our whisky, golf, fishing and natural produce. The moorland management industry – and what it delivers – means it too has earned the right to be labelled world class“.
This industry has certainly earned the right to be labelled, but the label we’d give it wouldn’t be ‘world class’, it would be ‘international disgrace’. Something ‘we can all take pride in’? How about something that most of us are deeply ashamed of?
Scotsman article here
Raptor Persecution UK 
Yes…we have today a triumphant press release about this being a fabulous year for grouse [shot ones that is]…now I seem to remember us pinko liberal conservationists being harangued about not being able to produce grouse with out culling [killing] birds of prey…
So…how many birds of prey were killed to produce all these 2011 grouse?
Simples?
Quote: “So…how many birds of prey were killed to produce all these 2011 grouse?”
It’s difficult to know for sure how many birds of prey were culled (killed) in order to produce all these 2011 Grouse when the majority of them had already been culled (killed) in previous years by current and previous generations of gamekeepers and their ilk !!!
I can only assume that Lord Hopetoun has also convinced the RSPB that all is well on Scotland’s grouse moors. Perhaps that is the reason behind their amazing decision to use Hopetoun Estate as the venue for their Scottish Bird Fair next year.
Hopetoun Estates also own Leadhills Estate which needs no introduction as the shocking record of raptor persecution on this estate has been widely publicised.
Ronnie
Fully agree with Mr Graham, how they came to hold a bird fair at Hopetoun Estate is really a terrible choice of venue with Raptors being Persecuted in the past and at the Present and no doubt in the future on Leadhills Estate and surrounding areas.
Running with the hare and hunting with the hounds springs to mind here, how can the RSPB make such a big issue about raptor persecution then hold an event on the estate of what I think is one of the biggest culprits, does money have anything to do with it I wonder? This is shameful and disgraceful and it would appear also very hypocritical.
Par for the course I would say !!!