Scottish Land & Estates

“We have seen some huge wildfres across Scotland in recent years including the fre on peatland on part of the Flow Country which is estimated to have released carbon into the atmosphere equivalent to six days’ worth of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Had muirburn by skilled practitioners been allowed in this area then there is a chance that wildfre could have been prevented or lessened in severity due to a much reduced fuel load for the fre to spread.

“The Muirburn Code, launched by the Scottish Government in 2017, provides good practice guidance for burning and cutting of vegetation. This code is important for gamekeepers and estates and it prohibits muirburn on deep peat, something which is often misunderstood by those not familiar with the code.

“We are constantly reviewing the latest science on this subject as we strive to contribute to Scotland’s net zero targets. The latest international science from Duke University suggests controlled burning could help reduce carbon loss from peatland and it is something that needs to be closely considered as we continually update our knowledge and practices.”

Iain Hepburn, head gamekeeper at Dunmaglass Estate, part of the Loch Ness Rural Communities, and also a part-time frefghter with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, has been engaging with frefghters to share best practice when it comes to tackling wildfres on moorland.

Iain said: “Muirburn largely takes place in the spring and is conducted in line with the Muirburn Code which we fully support. This controlled burning helps hugely in preventing the spread of wildfres and there is an army of gamekeepers on estates across Scotland who work together to stop wildfres which are a real problem in the summer months. Managing vegetation growth is key to tackling wildfres.”

Protecting jobs and our ecosystem

By Stephen Young,

Whilst Covid-19 continues to dominate our daily lives, farming is a sector which is often seen to have been largely unaffected by the pandemic.

Food production has continued fairly seamlessly but this is testament to a resilient sector rather than one which has not had hurdles to overcome. Price volatility remains a major concern.

Many businesses have diversified to spread risk and tourism is a key element of this, making use of the beautiful countryside that we are rightly proud of. However, it is a sector that has been under immense pressure during the pandemic, with travel restrictions and shutdowns proving catastrophic for tourism in many cases.

Sadly, the recent announcement of new restrictions in households being able to meet has delivered another hammer blow.

After government initially gave the green light to continue the rule of six for self catering units, this was then

changed at the last minute. The initial exemption for selfcatering accommodation, bunkhouses and others was down to the hard work of the accommodation providers in meeting the Visit Scotland “We’re Good To Go” requirements, carrying out risk assessments and putting in place mitigation measures.

Throughout the pandemic both Holyrood and Westminster governments have been very supportive, going beyond what many would have thought possible to shore up businesses and employment. As part of Fergus Ewing’s remit, we have been fortunate to have a Cabinet Secretary who understands the challenges facing rural tourism businesses. The First Minister said that “if the Scottish Government had the power…so we could mitigate the impact on jobs, it is very possible, perhaps even likely, that we would have reached a different decision on hospitality.”

These impacts are being felt now by the self-catering sector and the Scottish Government does have some tools to support these businesses and jobs if they feel they cannot change the decision. Grant schemes which were open earlier this year could be re-opened with previous eligibility restrictions removed. Similarly, planned increased regulatory burdens should be paused to allow the sector some breathing space.

The impact of not being able to welcome mixed households to rural selfcatering properties will be felt widely. Hospitality and activities such as country sports and mountain biking will suffer due to their remote nature and the need for accommodation to be part of a trip. Local retailers, farm shops and services will also miss potential income.

These businesses are all part of the ecosystem of the rural economy and if one segment fails then all of the others suffer. We hope that the damage can be minimised and businesses and jobs can be maintained.