Latest news - August 2010
Ramblers Scotland has expressed strong reservations on the planning application submitted by the Alladale estate to create a series of enclosures for wild animals. While these structures are unlikely to have a significant impact on the landscape or on public access, we have concerns about the long-term purpose of this project with its intentions to enclose large tracts of land within electrified fences of considerable height in order to establish a zoo. In June 2010 the Highland Council received a new Notice of Intention from the Alladale estate to apply for a zoo licence to stock wild animals such as elk, bison, wildcat and wild boar within 4 enclosures, including the existing 500-acre enclosure. See the new notification here.
Currently animals within this large enclosure are covered by a Dangerous Wild Animals licence, renewed by the Council in February despite an objection from the council's own access officer. The situation as regards access within the enclosure has always been unclear. While an electrified fence had been erected, there were gates within the fence - although these had been locked. The fence itself and its associated service tracks create a massive impact on the landscape.
An earlier notification in December 2009 stated that the estate intended to include wolves as one of the species covered by the zoo licence, but this aspect of the proposal has now been dropped. There will be a period of public consultation on the application when it is submitted.
Ramblers Scotland Director Dave Morris said: "We expect to oppose the issue of this zoo licence if it is detrimental to landscape and to public access needs. There are already problems with the existing exclosure, with its high fence and electrified wires which make it near impossible to cross. The Alladale situation suggests that it is time for us to ask the Scottish Parliament to prohibit the use of electric fencing in Scotland in association with deer fencing or other forms of high fencing."
Background
There has been much publicity about the plans of Paul Lister to reintroduce certain native species to his estate at Alladale, in Sutherland. These would include wild boar, lynx, brown bears and, most controversially, wolves. In 2006, Ramblers Scotland President at that time, Cameron McNeish, Director Dave Morris and current President, Dick Balharry, visited the estate and discussed the project with Mr Lister. Although Alladale is around 23,000 acres, it is too small an area to support wolves naturally, and so we believe that what is proposed is a “safari park” encircled by a 3-metre high electrified fence in which visitors will pay to be driven around to see the animals. 
Director Dave Morris, Paul Lister and Dick Balharry at the Alladale Estate
Ramblers Scotland is clearly concerned about the threat to access posed by such a fence, even if access points are included, and we believe that it is unlikely to receive planning permission. Our main worry, however, is that if this development went ahead it would set a precedent for other landowners to stock their estates with a few wild animals and then put a fence around the whole area. We understand there is already a 500-acre enclosure on the estate surrounded by an electrified fence, which contains wild boar and elk. We continue to take an interest in this project.
Ramblers Scotland position statement on reintroductions
Article from Scottish Rambler 2005
