Lowland Deer Network Scotland
Minute of meeting held on
18:00 on 26 March 2026
in Stirling Court Hotel
1. Present: Dr Peter Semple, Hugh O Neil, A McTavish, J Campbell-Smith, John Forteith, Tim Baynes, Alasdair Young, Bob McIntosh, Alexander Stein, David Hertwig, Iain Semple, Stuart Conway, James Mclintock, Josh Dixon, Kevin McCulloch, Cameron Balfour, John Bruce
2. Apologies: Hugh Rose, Jamie Hammond, Al Monkman, Graeme Dalby, Alan Marshall, Patrick Hunter-Blair, Gordon Harmison, Alan Balfour.
Introduction:
John Bruce welcomed and thanked those who had managed to attend
and explained how the agenda would address current affairs and also
showed how the initiative to supply grant aid for infrastructure fitted
into the strategy to facilitate the deer cull.
5. Pilot scheme to reward the culling of additional females:
Kevin McCulloch reported that the report on the first year’s pilot
scheme had been published.
https://www.nature.scot/doc/deer-management-incentive-scheme-
pilots-end-first-year-report
and that the second year of the Stirling area project to reward those
who culled more than the average cull of 4 deer per square kilometer
had just completed 8 days previously, the data and results had not
been formally assessed or considered by Nature Scot . The explanation
of the scheme can be found at
https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-
management/managing-wildlife/deer-scotland/deer-management-
incentive-scheme-pilots
Kevin had undertaken some preliminary analysis and comparisons of
the two years and identified some reasons for the results as found.
2024/2025 2025/2026
Total culled 150 239
Total paid for 87 176
Total payment £5,075 £10,225
Total area 960km2 1600 km2
Proportion of
total area 1.26% 0.46%
Speculation as to why phase 1 uptake was lower than expected
included.
Poor communication, sector penetration didn’t happen, too short a
notice period, lack of time to increase infrastructure. Inadequate
collection system. App issues / user issues with App
Speculation as to Phase 2 uptake issues, similar to above, Farmer
resistance, ineffective promotion, poor infrastructure, poor collection,
Discussion in the room reaffirmed infrastructure constraints, poor /
erratic/ no collection service causing blockages:
Infrastructure Grant Schemes:
John Bruce reported on the two stages of Grant scheme that have
completed explaining why SAOS were involved, the application
process, the uptake in general. 10 Applicants were approved and
claimed monies.
Stage 2, 46 applications were approved, nearly all have been
completed and will be formally reported on soon.
Stage 3 will be launched at the Royal Highland Show making it ready
for applications at our AGM towards the end of June 2026, and for
Scone Fair in early July.
Deer Forest and Sporting Rates.
There had been sector wide fury at the announcement that the small
business rates exemptions would be removed making all deer
management taxable, The Cabinet Secretary, Jim Fairlie, negotiated
dispensation and a Statutory Instrument amending the situation was
issued.
The Non-Domestic Rates (Levying and Miscellaneous Amendment)
(Scotland) Regulation 2026
5/ This Regulation does not apply to
(C) deer forests except
(i) deer forests on which-
(aa) shooting rights are exercised solely for the purpose of
environmental management or for the preventing of damage to
woodland or to agricultural production, or a combination of those
purposes, and
(bb) any deer shot are made available for human consumption as
venison, and
(ii) deer forests on which shooting rights are not exercised in
practice.
Scottish Venison
John Forteith reported on the corporate changes from the old
organisations into the new, and his role in the new.
Scottish Quality Wild Venison assurance program.
John Forteith explained how it is agreed commercially that assurance is
sought by commercial wholesale buyers as to the process the food has
been through to reach the market.
Previous attempts to introduce an assurance scheme for Venison had
failed, he had been commissioned to reorganize the scheme to ensure
that the majority engaged and complied with a new scheme. He
explained how the scheme worked for those supplying AGHE and how
AGHE could use it to promote their product. The next sector to
develop was the micro-processor who wanted to market his own
venison, and lastly the other communities that wanted a group
approach to the processing and marketing of the group’s venison.
The slide show exhibited can be seen here.
Any Other Competent Business
There was a good round of Questions and Answers before closing the meeting at
21:00
Date of Next Meeting:
The AGM
Saturday 27 June 2026, or Sunday 27 June 2026