Ramblers petition targets estate’s two-month stalking closure

Ramblers Scotland has launched a petition against a Perthshire estate that has again told walkers to stay off its four Munros for the whole of September and October, in a dispute that goes to the heart of how deer stalking and public access share the Scottish hill. The estate says the closure lets it meet Scottish Government cull targets safely; the local council says a blanket closure would be unlawful.

What has North Chesthill Estate asked walkers to do?

The estate, in Glen Lyon, has a notice telling people to “walk elsewhere” across September and October, and its car park will be closed for the two months to help it “manage visitor pressure”. The ground carries four Munros north of Invervar: Càrn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Càrn Mairg and Creag Mhòr.

The same arrangement ran last autumn, when signs reading “No walking. We are stalking” drew national coverage and criticism at Holyrood. Ramblers Scotland, whose petition is backed by the walking site WalkHighlands, puts the estate at 2,600 hectares and says a ban of that scale is not what the access legislation allows. Beyond the stalking season, it says, walkers are also asked to keep to the ridges in May and June, to walk in a clockwise direction, and to be off the hill by 7pm.

What does the law actually allow a stalking estate to do?

Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 created a statutory right of responsible access to most land in Scotland, and placed a duty on land managers not to interfere unreasonably with people exercising it. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which followed in 2005, is where the detail sits.

On deer management the Code is specific. Land managers are asked to give on-the-day information about where stalking is taking place, through signs or through the Heading for the Scottish Hills service, and to suggest alternative routes for particular days in particular places. It does not contemplate closing an entire estate for a fixed block of weeks whether or not anyone is on the hill with a rifle.

What has the council said?

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said the authority’s position is that any blanket closure of access rights would be unlawful under the 2003 Act, and that it would take appropriate enforcement action where necessary to restore lawful access. The council added that both landowners and access takers should act responsibly and follow the Code, and asked anyone obstructed or deterred from responsible access to report it.

Brendan Paddy, director of Ramblers Scotland, said: “Nothing in Scotland’s access laws allow the unilateral closure of an entire estate for two months for deer stalking. Other estates across Scotland prove that stalking and responsible public access can go hand-in-hand, so why not North Chesthill?”

Why does this matter to stalkers everywhere?

The stag season runs from 1 July to 20 October, with most stalking from August, and the hind season follows from 21 October to 15 February. Cull targets are not getting smaller, and every autumn brings the same negotiation between the rifle and the hill boot.

Most estates manage it. They post their stalking on Heading for the Scottish Hills, put up dated notices, offer routes that keep walkers clear of the ground being worked, and take the phone calls. That daily effort is what has kept access and deer management on speaking terms for two decades, and it is what a nine-week closure puts at risk, because one estate’s gate becomes every estate’s headline.

What happens next?

The petition is open for signature and Ramblers Scotland is calling on the estate to withdraw the closure before September. Perth and Kinross Council has the enforcement power under the 2003 Act and has said it will use it where necessary. Walkers planning autumn hill days, and stalkers planning their weeks, can check where stalking is taking place through the Heading for the Scottish Hills service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Scottish estate close its land for deer stalking?

Not wholesale. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code asks land managers to give day-by-day information on where stalking is happening and to suggest alternative routes for particular days and places. Perth and Kinross Council says a blanket closure of access rights would be unlawful under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

When is the deer stalking season in Scotland?

The stag season runs from 1 July to 20 October, with most stalking taking place from August onwards. The hind season runs from 21 October to 15 February.

How can walkers find out where stalking is taking place?

Through the Heading for the Scottish Hills service, which carries stalking information for Munros, Corbetts and other popular hills, and through dated notices at the usual access points.