Ramblers welcome deer fence policy

News Release

New fencing policy guidelines(1) have been welcomed by the Ramblers' Association Scotland. Director of Ramblers Scotland, Dave Morris, said:

The application of these new criteria will greatly help to reduce the amount of unnecessary deer fencing in the hills. For the first time anyone wanting to erect new fencing will have to justify this against a clear set of tests which are designed to protect the public interest.

We believe many fencing proposals will be rejected because of the damage to landscape and outdoor recreation interests. Equally importantly it will now become obvious how much public money has been going into fencing projects, either through Forestry Commission grants to private land owners or around FC owned forests as they try to protect them from excessive herds of red deer on adjacent land.

These criteria will now put pressure on landowners who have too many deer adjacent to woodland areas. Reducing these deer numbers, using compulsory powers if necessary, will be seen as a far better use of public money than erecting mile after mile of deer fencing across the Scottish hills."

• JOINT AGENCY STATEMENT & GUIDANCE ON DEER FENCING adopted by the Deer Commission Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
• Fencing policy (MS Word)
• Scottish Executive press release (MS Word)