Standing up for our moors
THE past two years have been difficult for everyone, and grouse moors are no exception. A double whammy of poor breeding seasons and closure of the UK to overseas Guns, compounded by outbreaks of heather beetle, have tested the resolve of most moor owners. But the majority have weathered the storm and are now looking at better times ahead. Nevertheless, half a dozen productive moors in Scotland have been sold in a hot market, driven by a unique set of financial incentives to develop woodland and restore peatland with corporate investment and carbon offset finance. While this is in line with its policy on climate change, the Scottish government is now looking at ways to limit the distortion to the hill land market, which has taken prices out of the reach…
