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SNH criticised over the management of its
hill farm at Cairnsmore
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Teviot Scientific Publications Ltd, Edinburgh
Filed 20 Jan 06
©www.land-care.org.uk
The Blackfaced sheep (blackies) that have been
hefted for generations on the hills of Galloway - on the Cairnsmore
Estate to be precise - are under serious threat. The land is owned
and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) (1),
and therefore by us the taxpayers. We who pay taxes have therefore
every right to question just what SNH is doing supposedly on our
behalf.
Mary Armstrong, writing in the Scottish Farmer
(2) describes the problem well. She, and
her family before her, have had much experience farming sheep in
the hills of the area. She will also be aware of the views of other
shepherds in the neighbourhood but who, for reasons that are not
difficult to conjecture, may be reluctant to speak out.
SNH has now removed substantial numbers of hefted
ewes from the hills of Cairnsmore on the pretext of looking after
Scotland's natural heritage. But is SNH looking after our natural
heritage, or are they damaging it through misguided theories and
policies at the taxpayer's expense? Few on the staff of SNH would
appear to know much about sheep farming, but generally carry lots
of folk with university degrees in ecology, "land management"
and the like. One has to wonder if SNH appreciates just how important
to the people of Scotland certain aspects of the nation's true natural
heritage actually are - so biased and so narrow is SNH in its thinking
(3), aided and abetted by the heavily government
funded Macauley Land Use Research Institute (MLURI) (4).
As Mary Armstrong puts it
"Before the loss of traditional leased hill farm holdings,
hill-bound flocks were secure under law in time-tested numbers
tied to the hill, maintaining the rich diverse vegetation, habitat
and species of the landscape of Scotland, recognised as unique."
But SNH, apparently with the support of SEERAD
with its so-called "environmental" agenda consisting of
"conservation" and "biodiversity" as determined
by "ecologists" and "modern geographers", are
removing the hefted hill-bound Blackfaced flock at Dromore, Cairnsmore-of-Fleet,
their only hill farm in Scotland.
The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is quoted
as being in agreement with SNH's actions, but when in recent years
has the SAC ever done or said anything that was contrary to the
wishes of either SEERAD or SNH (5)?
Local enquiry in Perthshire confirms that there
can indeed be a role for the custom of taking hoggs (female lambs
kept for breeding) off the hill for away wintering, but if the hefted
ewes are taken off there is likely to be some difficulty in getting
them to go back again. Indeed, this very point was made during the
Foot and Mouth Inquiry in terms of the highly controversial contiguous
cull (6).
One hears a lot from the "environmental"
lobbyists that over grazing by sheep is seriously damaging to heather
and the biodiversity that depends on it. But there are concerns
that the scientific evidence that the "environmental"
lobbyists claim supports their case may not always be valid. It
is therefore wise to take a more detailed look at what SNH is proposing
to do - and may have already done - in the Hills of Galloway. This
is especially needed when there is clearly concern amongst at least
some of the local farming community.
This is what SNH has to say about their plan for
Cairnsmore (1):
'A new grazing regime is to be introduced at Cairnsmore of Fleet
National Nature Reserve in an effort to restore extensive areas
of heather habitat.
'The reserve is owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH) and is an important site for upland plants and animals.
Notable species include peregrine falcon, red and black grouse,
red deer and feral goats. The site is also grazed by 620 blackfaced
sheep owned and managed by SNH.
'The extent of heather has declined considerably in recent years.
Research, commissioned by SNH, concluded that this was primarily
due to grazing pressure. To help address this the organisation
was set to remove one of the three hefts of sheep from the reserve.
However after concerns about this were expressed, an alternative
approach was sought.
'Area manager for SNH in Dumfries & Galloway, Chris Miles,
explained: “What people expect to see and enjoy at Cairnsmore
and what we are determined to get back is extensive carpets of
purple heather together with the wildlife that this supports.
We’ve been losing our heather so are needing to give the
heather that remains a chance to recover.”
'Removal of the sheep entirely would certainly help achieve this,
however we received expressions of concerns about this and agreed
to investigate further. We put the plans on hold and spoke to
the Heather Trust, National Sheep Association and the Scottish
Agricultural College. It became clear that our original approach
would indeed have helped the heather recover. However we have
been persuaded that even more heather recovery is likely by keeping
some sheep on the hill in the summer and targeting their grazing
at areas of dense grass that is burnt or flailed in the winter
and spring. We will therefore be keeping half of the heft and
off wintering them. We will also look to introduce summer grazing
with traditional hill cattle.”
'Isabel Glasgow, who chairs SNH’s West Areas Board, added:
“SNH recognises the value of hefted stock in our uplands
and the role that grazing has in the management of moorlands.
We have listened carefully to the views of others and made our
choice based on sound research and practical experience, both
of our own staff and of colleagues from other organisations. The
changes will be monitored, and if necessary reviewed, in order
to ensure satisfactory recovery of the extensive heather habitat
for which Cairnsmore is best known.”
(http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/news_detail.asp?newsID=55)
The first comment to be made is that Cairnsmore
has been managed by a government agency of varying name continuously
since 1975: initially by the Nature Conservancy, then by the Countryside
Commission and currently by SNH. So why has the heather been allowed
under the government's management to become so damaged?
As far as this reviewer can ascertain 620 blackfaced
ewes were hefted on 3000 acres of hill at Cairnsmore in three hefts.
The mid heft, of some 1000 acres that held some 300 ewes, is the
heft mainly involved in the recent SNH management plan. That would
hardly amount to overgrazing, even allowing for a considerable amount
of rock. The nature of the terrain can be seen in a photograph on
the nnr-scotland website referred to above, suggesting that a charge
of under-grazing may be more appropriate. The statement made by
SNH that "Research, commissioned by SNH, concluded that this
(the poor state of the heather) was primarily due to grazing pressure"
therefore needs to be checked. Who did the research? Was it MLURI?
If so, was it peer reviewed and is it applicable to the Cairnsmore
site? Hopefully, in a future article on Land-Care it may be possible
to address some of these questions.
Miurburn
What is fact is that the well established and
effective practice of muirburn (7) has not
been done on Cairnsmore for many years. An SNH spokesperson stated
that they could not risk it because of the amount of woodland in
the vicinity. But we are talking about vast numbers of acres here.
Indeed, as stated above, SNH is "determined determined to get
back is extensive carpets of purple heather together with the wildlife
that this supports". Indeed SNH's own picture of the area on
the Cairnsmore web page does not show a tree in sight. What seems
rather likely is that SNH either did not seek, or did not accept,
the advice of truly independent persons directly involved in the
day to day management of heather moorlands - such as professional
gamekeepers. The SNH spokesperson also suggested that as the climate
was so wet there was difficulty in finding appropriate times to
do muirburn, but this is scarcely credible. The south west of Scotland
is wet, but it is not all that wet.
Drainage
Not only has muirburn not been appropriately practised,
but it would appear that the drainage of the area has also been
neglected, presumably deliberately. Heather likes to have dry feet.
The Galloway Hills, rising to more than 2000 ft, must attract a
lot of rain from the clouds coming from the West or South West across
all that sea. Indeed, as mentioned above, the amount of rain was
offered as an excuse for not carrying out muirburn. According to
the NNR-SNH web page on Cairnsmore, the soil is not free draining
but peaty.
It would therefore appear that Mary Armstrong
may have a point when she headed up her recent letter in the Scottish
Farmer, "Sheep becoming the scapegoats?"
Cattle as an environmental tool
The stated intention by SNH "to introduce
summer grazing with traditional hill cattle" may not be such
a good idea if drainage has been neglected, especially if the area
is as wet as SNH says it is. Poaching of the ground would be a likely
consequence. Whether the cattle are Belted Galloways or some other
native breed, there is the question of animal health and welfare.
Tick and fluke are risks that come to mind. There could be additional
problems when cattle are being used primarily as an environmental
tool rather than part of a professional livestock enterprise: such
as proper nutrition throughout all seasons, and especially if calving
was involved. Elsewhere, on the Isle of Rum for example, SNH has
a questionable record in terms of cattle management (8).
This leads one to wonder if SNH, while being instrumental
in devising numerous rules for farmers under the heading of "Cross
Compliance" whereby all farmland in Scotland is required to
be kept in "Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition"
(GAEC) (9), it can conveniently exempt itself
from keeping to its own rules.
SNH claims the support of the Heather Trust, the
National Sheep Association (NSA) and the SAC for its proposed plan
and for its actions. Whether the Heather Trust is truly independent
of SNH is difficult to ascertain. Its annual reports are not available
on its website. It is difficult to understand how the NSA can concur,
and one wonders why. As already mentioned, the independence of the
SAC in relation to SNH is certainly open to question. One is left
with the uncomfortable question as to whether the NSA is willing
to acquiesce on some issues as a bargaining chip in the hope of
succeeding in some other area as part of their negotiations with
government bodies.
SNH fails where private enterprise succeeds
But whatever support for their actions SNH may
claim to have, the following would appear to be the facts as far
as Crainsmore is concerned. Failing to attend to either muirburn
or drainage - and especially to both - is unlikely to result in
"the extensive purple coverage" that SNH claims to crave
for the hills of their only sheep farm.
But elsewhere in the UK others can achieve beautiful
vistas of purple heather on their estates, while at the same time
successfully encouraging wildlife, managing a commercial shoot and
commercial livestock enterprises involving sheep, cattle and deer,
and still enable public access 10, 11).
That is because the owners take the holistic approach to the management
of moors, rather than the over-focused approach of such bodies as
SNH with their apparent serious lack of professional competence
in many areas of land management.
Figure 1: Curlew,
easily recognisable with its evocative
ringing 'cour-li' call and long down-curved bill.
They are thriving on upland moors managed for grouse shooting
Photo Alexis de la Serre, courtesy of Game Conservancy Trust
(To enlarge: Click
Here)
Mary Armstrong is correct in drawing attention
to the loss of hefted sheep from the hills. The problem is not confined
to SNH at Cairnsmore. The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) as adopted in Scotland, whereby farm subsidies were decoupled
from production, has lead to the exodus of sheep from the highlands
(12).
The National Trust caused an outcry when they broke up the sheep
farm in Cumbria donated to them by Beatrice Potter (13).
Ironically, SNH in particular appears to be presiding over the loss
of what is truly part of Scotland's natural heritage in favour of
a heritage that SNH perceives is best for us, but from an unbalanced
perspective that is inefficiently executed. The RSPB is tarred with
the same brush: one only has to recall the disaster of the Langholm
Moor experiment that they initiated (14).
Cairnsmore-of-Fleet National Nature Reserve had
an open day on Sunday 4th September 2005. It was reported on its
website as follows (15):
Over a hundred members of the public came along to the family
day held by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) at Cairnsmore of Fleet
National Nature Reserve on Sunday 4th September 2005.
Visitors made the most of the 'hands-on' activities which included
demonstrations of solar energy, wildlife gardening and traditional
crafts and the chance to try your hand at felt making, stilt walking
and juggling.
The feedback from visitors, some of whom were from as far away
as Australia, was positive. One local mum said that her older
child really enjoyed trying out the various crafts whilst another
person commented that she'd never been to the reserve before but
found it quite easily and enjoyed her day out.
Kevin Carter, SNH Cairnsmore National Nature Reserve Manager
said:
'I am very pleased that people took the time to come along on
Sunday and joined in the activities. I am sure the glorious weather
helped. Many people don't even realise that there is a National
Nature Reserve here, with a small visitor centre that they can
visit all year round. We hope that coming to an event like this
will make people want to come back again and again. It is a superb
place to get away from it all with moorland and peatlands stretching
up to the Clints of Dromore and the dramatic summit of Cairnsmore.'
But does this really add up to a success? Rather
it would appear to demonstrate the well known fact that the vast
majority of the public are not prepared to make the effort to walk
more than short distances. So at an SNH open day we are told that
the visitors carried out activities and saw demonstrations that
they could do even although there wasn't a vast moorland in the
vicinity. In fact the visitors could have done what they did in
any number of places up and down the country, whilst the moorland
could have been managed for wildlife and for sport, and still maintain
public access, much more efficiently through private enterprise
supported by grants where appropriate and which can be managed with
competent economics in mind.
According to the Cairnsmore website SNH has ambitions
to nurture both the peregrine falcon and red and black grouse. Peregrine
falcons like to eat other birds. Also, SNH is presumably intending
to promote on Cairnsmore its general policy of preserving all kinds
of raptors, some of which (such as the buzzard) have so proliferated
that they have become serious enemies of grouse, partridges, pheasants
and waders (16)? Remember what happened
at Langholm Moor (17)?
Limiting public access
A further point that rankles is that SNH restricts
access by the public to certain areas of the Reserve during critical
times of year when nesting is happening. But no such option is available
to private landowners who have a keen interest in wildlife. Indeed,
the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC), which was drawn up by SNH,
can be seriously counterproductive with regard to conservation and
biodiversity on privately owned land (18,
19). But then SNH would appear to like
to give the impression that SNH is the main force behind conservation,
which has of course been effectively practised in extensive areas
of Scotland long before SNH or its predecessors were invented.
Mary Armstrong is not a lone voice
The power of the so-called environment lobby,
co-ordinated in Scotland through the body known as Environment LINK
which is heavily funded by taxpayers through SNH (20),
is demonstrated in the absurdities of many of the Land Management
Contracts offered to farmers (21) as part
of the Scottish Executive's response to the reform of the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP). Here again the lack of competent knowledge
of land management is clearly demonstrated, yet most of the land
in Scotland is currently being farmed in one form or another.
Mary Armstrong is by no means a lone voice when
she protests about the behaviour of SNH. Her stance was dismissed
by the SNH spokesperson in relation to Cairnsmore as being that
of an extremist. If she is an "extremist" then there are
rather a lot of similar "extremists". Indeed some of them
joined together to hold a conference entitled "Who governs
rural Scotland?" This conference, under the able chairmanship
of People TOO founder Kirsty Macleod, attracted more delegates to
the Dewar Centre, Perth than did the annual conference organised
by SNH to coincide with their AGM at their headquarters at adjacent
Battleby.
Among the excellent papers presented at the People
TOO conference of October 2004 was the description by Liz Robertson
of the conduct of SNH regarding the Isle of Arran (22).
She was speaking on behalf of 36 farmers, landowners and tenants
who were opposed to the Arran Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) and Special Protection Area (SPA). Her reasoning was convincing
but sadly had no effect on the eventual outcome. As ever SNH say
they listen but do so only as gesture without sincerity (23).
Also deeply worrying is the apparent lack of integrity
when SNH and other environment lobby groups claim to quote scientific
evidence for their actions (24). Such behaviour
adds to the lack of trust, especially by those who work the land,
in SNH and in the 36 lobby groups incorporated into the organisation,
Scottish Environment LINK.
The situation at Cairnsmore so effectively highlighted
by Mary Armstrong in her letter published in the Scottish Farmer
is symptomatic of a general concern, articulated by Kirsty Macleod
on this website, entitled "Who takes the flak when 'farming
for the environment' schemes fail to deliver?" (25).
There is also just a hint of realism beginning to dawn when none
other than the National Trust (albeit the English version) - yes,
the charity who had broken up Beatrice Potter's historic sheep farm
in the Lake District - declares, "English uplands facing a
bleak future: National Trust calls for measures to help hill farming
through major change" (26). But is
"the major change" in the right direction? Or will the
skilled shepherds leave for the reasons so succinctly described
in a little girl's letter to the Minister for Rural Affairs (27)
?
The trouble with SNH (as with other Scottish Executive
quangos and certain large charitable trusts) is that it can be difficult
to reconcile their public statements with the reality of their intentions,
as demonstrated by their actions. In particular, SNH has lost the
trust of many of those who fund it through their taxes. Central
to this is a growing dichotomy between what SNH regards as Scotland's
natural heritage, and what many of Scotland's citizens (and many
people around the world) cherish as Scotland's natural heritage.
The outcome is likely to be expensive mismanagement of Scotland's
countryside and the loss of the skilled people who have contributed
so much to its beauty and culture over generations.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Scotland's National Nature
Reserves (2005). New grazing plans for Cairnsmore-of-Fleet NNR.
19th October 2005.
http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/news_detail.asp?ID=55
2. Armstrong, Mary (2006). Sheep
becoming the scapegoats?
Scottish Farmer, 7th January 2005, p 9
3. Irvine, James (2005). Comment
on Roger Wheater/Alex Hogg session "Enhancing our environment:
holistic management or single species priorities." SCA conference
"Getting the balance right: rural Scotland 2005" 12th
April 2005, Edinburgh.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed , www.land-care.org.uk
Click Here to View
4. Irvine, James (2004). Scotland's
land. RSE conference 30th September 2004. Reviewed.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 04 Oct 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
5. Irvine, James (2005). "Talk
up farming, don't talk it down and never mind reality." A review
of SAC Outlook Conference 2005 "Taking marketing opportunities."
Edinburgh 15th November 2005
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 17 Dec 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
6. Royal Society of Edinburgh
(2002). Inquiry into Foot and Mouth Disease in Scotland. July 2002
http://www.royalsoced.org.uk
7. The Muirburn Code.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/environment/mcgc-00.asp
8. Editorial (2004). The management
of the SNH suckler herd of Highland cows on Rum.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 30 Aug 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
9. Scottish Executive (2005).
Cross compliance: notes for guidance.
A 92 page document including 7 new Statutory Management Requirements
for 2006, an explanation of the penalty system and various updates
to Cross Compliance.
www.scotland.gov.uk
10. Irvine, James (2005). Contrary
to what RSPB and English Nature would have us believe, curlews are
doing fine on upland moors managed for grouse shooting.
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 24 Aug 05, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
11. Scottish Farmer article
about access
12. Riddoch, Lesley (2005). The
parable of the last sheep.
Originally published in the Sunday Herald 6th November 2005
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 10 Nov 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
13. Irvine, James (2005). Fury
with the National Trust as it plans to break up historic farm in
the Lake District.
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 29 Jan 05, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
14. Linklater, Magnus (2004).
Claws out on a silent moorland.
Reproduced with kind permission from The Times 25th August 2004
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 27 Aug 05, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
15. Open Day at Cairnsmore 4th
September 2005
http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/news_detail.asp?newsID=49
16. Owen, James (2003). Buzzards
bounce back in UK, sparking cull debate
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1222_031222.buzzards.html
17. Hogg, Alex (2005). Transcript
of Alex Hogg's paper given at Scottish Countryside Alliance conference
"Getting the balance right: rural Scotland 2005".
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 21 Apr 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
18. Mylius, Andrew (2003). SNH
draft Outdoor Access Code Consultation: response by Andrew Mylius.
See SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE Homepage, filed 06 Oct 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
19. Irvine, James (2003). NFUS
access meeting, Perth May 2003. The impression and thoughts of one
person who attended.
See LAND REFORM Homepage, filed 22 May 03, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
20. Scottish Environment LINK
http://www.scotlink.org
21. Editorial (2005). Land Management
Contracts - a joke if they were not so sad.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 28 Feb 05,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to view
22. Robertson, Liz (2004). SNH
and the Isle of Arran. A case study presented at the People TOO
conference, Perth 29 October 2004 "Who governs rural Scotland?"
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 19 Nov 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
23. Editorial (2003). Redrafted
SNH SOAC pays little heid to consultation responses.
See SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE Homepage, filed 02 Dec 03,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
24. Irvine, James (2004). Concerns
about the validity of statements on the condition of SSSIs in Scotland
made by members of Environment LINK. Review and comments on a case
study presented by Kirsty Macleod at People TOO conference Perth
"Who governs rural Scotland?" October 2004.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 17 Nov 04,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
25. Macleod, Kirsty (2005). Who
takes the flak when "farming for the environment" schemes
fail to deliver?
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 30 Nov 05, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
26 Editorial (2005). Some conservationists
wake up to the fact that "environmental" agendas may not
be good for conservation.
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 13 Jul 05, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
27. A little girl
(2006). A letter to our Rural Affairs Minister.
Originally published in The Scottish Farmer 6th January 2006
and reproduced here with kind permission.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 11 Jan 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
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