NatureScot restricts general licences on two Scottish estates

NatureScot has imposed general licence restrictions on parts of two Scottish sporting estates for three years, after Police Scotland provided evidence of crimes against wild birds. The suspensions cover Cochrage Muir at Milton of Drimmie Estate in Perthshire and the Dalbrack Farm area of Invermark Estate in Angus, and both run until August 2029.

Why has NatureScot restricted the general licences?

At Milton of Drimmie the regulator points to the conviction of former gamekeeper Russell Mason at Perth Sheriff Court on 17 March 2026 for killing a goshawk. The restricted ground is the area where that offence took place.

At Invermark, NatureScot says it received robust evidence from Police Scotland in relation to the shooting of a peregrine discovered in the Dalbrack Farm area. Its announcement cites no conviction in that case.

Chris Dailly, head of licensing at NatureScot, said: “We have decided, in discussion with Police Scotland, to suspend the use of general licences on these two areas of land for three years until August 2029.” He added: “We are committed to using all the tools we have available to tackle wildlife crime. These measures will help to protect wild birds in these areas, while still allowing necessary land management activities to take place.”

What does the estate say?

Dalhousie Estates, which owns Invermark, said it was deeply disappointed and would take time to consider whether to appeal. A spokesman said the estate owns the land but does not manage it, that the peregrine was found in the garden of a cottage where there is no sporting activity, and that an agricultural tenant and a sub-tenant have had full control under a tenancy in place for more than 10 years.

“Furthermore, no estate employee or manager nor the agricultural tenant were interviewed by police,” the spokesman said. “While grouse shooting does take place on land some distance away, the vet who examined the bird concluded that it could not have flown any distance because of its injuries and that the shooting must have happened close to the locus.”

The estate said substantial evidence had been submitted during the investigation and that it had offered NatureScot a site visit which was not accepted. “It is difficult to accept this restriction when no allegation has been made that our organisation was responsible for the offence, and equally difficult to see how imposing such a significant restriction upon us can represent a fair or proportionate outcome,” the spokesman said, adding that Invermark is home to more than 100 bird species and that being implicated in the illegal killing of birds was abhorrent to the estate.

What does a restriction mean on the ground?

General licences let occupiers control common species such as crows and magpies to protect crops, livestock and public health without applying case by case. Where a restriction bites, that route closes for three years and any control has to be carried out under an individual licence.

General licences let landowners or land managers control common species such as crows and magpies to protect crops, livestock, public health and air safety, and to prevent the spread of disease, without applying case by case. Where a restriction bites, that route closes for three years and any control has to be carried out under an individual licence.

The sanction is administrative rather than criminal. NatureScot does not have to prove an offence against a named individual to impose one, only to be satisfied by the evidence the police provide, which is why the measure has long been contentious among land managers.

The sanction is administrative rather than criminal. NatureScot does not have to prove an offence against a named individual to impose one, only to be satisfied by the evidence the police provide. Estates have challenged restrictions before on exactly that point.

Three others stand: Lochindorb Estate in the Highlands, and Raeshaw Estate and Watherston Wood in the Scottish Borders. The two announced on 7 August take the total to five.

What happens next

Dalhousie Estates says it will consider an appeal. Under NatureScot’s framework for implementing restrictions an appeal must be made in writing within 14 days of the decision, and the restriction is suspended while the appeal is considered, as happened at Raeshaw earlier this year. Unless lifted, both restrictions run until August 2029.

No shooting organisation had commented publicly by the afternoon of 7 August, and reactive comment from the Scottish bodies is still awaited. Anyone managing ground under a restriction who needs to control birds should apply to NatureScot’s licensing team for an individual licence before taking any action.