Estate News

A Message from the Estate to the Walking Community

The public are asked to avoid the hills and Munros on the north side of Glen Lyon behind Invervar from September through to the end of October, a few short weeks, in accordance with Scottish Outdoor Access Code ( SOAC) - Section 5 - Deer Stalking on Open Hill. 

The Estate has been receiving a large number of requests for access during our stalking programme from Heading to the Scottish Hills. This is very welcome and we have endeavoured to respond personally to everyone but the numbers preclude this going forward. An automatic response will be forwarded.

Our predicament is essentially constant deer disturbance by walkers. This is driving the deer off the estate. Neither do we get the opportunity for undisturbed deer management and being able to deliver for our guests. 

All who have enquired have responded to us  positively and fully understand and have taken steps to walk elsewhere over this short period. My family and I, along with our employees thank them wholeheartedly.

The Estate Hill is our workspace - this space is our business premises and is core to our survival. It is not a playground! Its also home to birds and animals, all part of our conservation efforts for sustainability. Our deer stocks are being “de-hefted” by constant disturbance. Our guest and management programme is constantly disturbed.

So against this background and with the support of the authorities we are asking that people walk elsewhere in September and October, including Sundays, whilst we conduct our programmes.

So thank you again to all those who have worked with our advice, have enquired, gone elsewhere over this short period, and are to be welcomed back when the pressure is off and we can accommodate them for a nice day in the hills.

It would be wonderful if more walkers would be as conscientious and flexible to the sensitivity of the situation as a great number have been last year and in growing numbers this year.

Our deer management programme is being run from mid August, through September – October. Please walk elsewhere over this short period allowing us to conduct our activity and business undisturbed. Thank you.

Summary and Conclusion

Scotland offers fantastic hillwalking, but summer and autumn are also important times for deer and calf welfare and herd management, which is essential for sustainable deer management.

Heading for the Scottish Hills helps you find out where deer management activity is taking place during the stag stalking season (1st July to 20th October, but with most stalking from August onwards), so you can plan routes elsewhere which minimise the chance of conflicting with and disturbing stalking, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code - Section 5 - Deer Stalking on the Open Hill.