Back To Life: Visions For Alternative Futures For Scotland's Grouse Moors

Almost one fifth of Scotland's land is kept barren and dead for the sole purpose of maximising the number of red grouse so they can be killed for sport. Many people object to the killing of animals for sport as a matter of principle; others believe that Scotland's land is concentrated in too few hands and used inefficiently and unproductively.

The grouse hunting sector often touts the value it generates for the local and Scottish economy but Common Weal teamed up with Lateral North and the Revive Coalition to assess the potential alternative uses for this land and to find out if shooting grouse is really the best we can hope for.

Our conclusions, published here, have shown that all reasonable alternative uses for the land - from housing and renewable energy to agriculture and tourism - would generate far more in terms of economic impact and jobs created for any given land area.

We have also produced a map illustrating what a typical Scottish grouse moor could look like if it was changed from a single-use hunting estate to a mixed-use area utilising all alternative uses. 

We are continuing to work with our coalition partners in Revive to effect meaningful change to the regulations over grouse moors and to encourage significant land reform. You can sign up to and support the campaign here.