The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in almost £1.7m of losses in Scotland’s grouse moor estates, according to new research.
Figures from Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups indicate estates spent a total of £8.98 million over the period March to November – an average of more than £390,000 each.
Lianne MacLennan, co-ordinator of Scotland’s Regional Moorland Groups, said it shows “grouse estates continued to spend in their communities”.
She added: “They were still using local businesses and they retained their full land management staff despite knowing they would lose income due to travel and accommodation restrictions.”
The survey, which took information from 23 grouse moor estates, shows each business lost an average of shoot and accommodation income of £73,000 due to the pandemic – totalling £1.67m.
Only one junior gamekeeper was placed on the UK Government’s furlough scheme.
MacLennan said: “That is in contrast to employers in the conservation sector, which relied heavily on the taxpayer to keep employees in jobs
She said the survey was an “opportunity, following a very different grouse season, to get some indication of the financial effects Covid-19 has had”.
MacLennan added: “The total losses, from cancelled shoot days, visitor accommodation and things like game sales amounted to £1.67m across the 23 respondents.
“That is not an insignificant dent.”
She claimed without the money spent by grouse estates, “small family businesses will struggle badly, jobs will be trimmed and the threads of these small communities will weaken further”.
Grouse shooting was among 20 organised outdoors sports the Scottish Government cleared to take place in the autumn.
Some shoots cancelled their programme early, however, while travel restrictions led to lost bookings.
