Many thanks to several blog readers who attended Leadhills Estate’s ‘Information Day‘ yesterday and sent reports.
[Grouse moor on Leadhills Estate. Photo by Ruth Tingay]
A number of people have told me that the rumours about the sale of the estate and/or the estate’s shooting rights were ‘categorically denied’ by Lord Andrew Hopetoun himself.
Hmm. Personally, I have zero confidence in anything this former Director of Scottish Land & Estates says after his previous statements about the relationship between the Hopetoun Estate in Edinburgh and the Hopetoun (Leadhills) Estate in South Lanarkshire (see here, here and here for previous blogs on this).
And given some of the statements published on information boards at yesterday’s meeting (see below), it’d hard to keep a straight face when you know that Leadhills Estate is currently serving not one, but TWO General Licence restrictions after the police found ‘clear evidence’ of wildlife crime (see here & here), just the latest in an astonishingly long list (at least 70 reports of alleged raptor persecution there since the early 2000’s).
Obviously, people can draw their own conclusions about what might be going on. Equally, I can draw my own and I can state with absolute certainty that Leadhills Estate will remain high on my watch list.
Here are the display boards from yesterday’s meeting:
Here is the map showing the areas of the estate that have been made available to forestry companies:
Raptor Persecution UK 
On the ‘Leisure & Recreation Board’ under ‘What’s on offer’ there’s no mention of birdwatching. I wonder why that is????
There’s no mention of any type of wildlife watching! Says it all, really.
Interesting to note that they fail to suggest watching birds or other wildlife under “Leisure & Recreation” which is decidedly odd given how the game shooting fraternity keeps banging on about the wealth of wildlife found on grouse moors. I can’t imagine why well-informed individuals armed with high-end optics & cameras wouldn’t be welcome!
Yes, considering the nonsensical hype that “grouse moors have more wildlife than anywhere else”, it is rather odd that they aren’t championing that in any way!
My late father often said, on reading bullshit, “Paper never refuses Ink” I think it is also fair to say “An Information board never refuses Print”
Seems hopeful, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Interesting that they are still going to offer ‘Walked up’ shooting. I’m also surprised they are thinking of certain watersports, Yes the lack of birdwatching is rather a glaring omission.
Sounds like the reforesting is going to be conifers rather than broadleaf, as they are looking for tenders. All projected areas on the edge I note.
Fencing, dyking and road maintenence is all good stuff. Village pathways? trying to keep us off the more ‘sensitive’ bits, mayhap?
I like the Heritage stuff being protected, and mapping (hopefully also fencing) mineshafts is a good idea, (only last week a dog fell down a mineshaft in either Devon or Cornwall.)
I’ll hold my counsel for the time being and see what transpires.
Could this be Leadhills Estate undertaking a tick box exercise with one eye on the up and coming licencing of grouse moors? Community engagement. Tick.
“..Could this be Leadhills Estate undertaking a tick box exercise with one eye on the up and coming licencing of grouse moors?..” More like looking for a potential buyer…theres a few of us could take folk round on a rather different kind of “information day”..!