Crikey, it’s coming to something when The Times (Scottish edition) headlines with this:
Royal family ‘hypocritical’ to have grouse shooting at Balmoral.
This paper is not known for its criticism of the establishment and especially not of establishment hobbies such as driven grouse shooting (e.g. it was only on Sunday the paper was publishing what looked very much like an attempted stitch-up of Chris Packham at the behest of a load of gamekeepers (or more likely the gamekeepers’ masters)).
Anyway, today’s headlining article is very welcome. I’m afraid it sits behind a paywall but as it’s based on the writing of Nick Kempe, whose brilliant blog ParksWatchScotland should be a must-read for anyone interested in the mis-management of Scotland’s two national parks, the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, then I’d encourage you to cut out the middle man and go direct to Nick’s blog.
The blog post on which today’s article in The Times is based is this one:
COP26, the Royal Family and the failures of the Cairngorms National Park, published by Nick on 12th November 2021 and can be read here.
And if that whets your appetite, there’s now a follow-on blog called:
The £23m sale of the Abergeldie Estate – the Royal Family should pay for their environmental damage, published by Nick on 22nd November 2021 (here).
It’s a fascinating and useful discussion which will help inform your reaction the next time you hear a senior Royal claiming green / conservation credentials.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Are you doubting the green / conservation credentials of the Patron of the RSPB by any chance?
I am sure all those grouse are dispatched humanely with non lead shot. I am also sure that the the estate will have fully supported a moratorium on muirburm and that raptors are most welcome.
Nick Kempe of ParksWatch gives in-depth reportage and backs up his opinions with hard evidence. Good to find that he is out-doing even the news reporters at their own game.
ParkswatchScotland is an excellent blog – thanks for providing the link
“Good to find that he is out-doing even the news reporters at their own game.”
Nick’s blog is admirable as is Ruth’s.
It is slightly insulting to compare their writing with modern ‘news reporters’.
What I see in the news is patently a party line fed out by the establishment and parroted by the media.
I remember fondly the days when news contained some investigation and reporting.
But I have a long memory.
There are of course some honourable exceptions; just few and far between.
Aspertions not intended against either Ruth or Nick, both blogs are professional. Quite agree that newspapers these days are not what they were, going back also too many decades!
I find his blog excellent and so wide-ranging. The breadth of topics he manages to master is quite superb: it is my second “go to” behind RPUK (sycophancy completed).
Just to add to this, BBC’s Six o’clock News contained a feature on rewilding grouse moors in Scotland!
Maybe things are beginning to turn…
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/nov/24/e-bike-safari-in-the-cairngorms-highlands-scotland-wildlife
Of course they are Hypocritical. [Ed: rest of comment deleted as xenophobic]
When I was driving near there, there was more biodiversity on the road verges than surrounding the grouse moors