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Scots' wildlife priorities shift

Native species such as the capercaillie are seen as being a special part of Scottish culture

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By Will Finch

Saturday, 12 November 2011

A new survey on wildlife and landscapes highlights that the Scottish public's main concerns are not do with wildlife

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) says that the results of a new survey on wildlife and landscapes show that the Scottish public has a “deep affection for nature” and “clearly values its natural heritage”, yet the study also showed that the Scottish public actually values its countryside more as a place for tourism, recreation and enjoyment than as a home for native wildlife.

The YouGov poll found that 89 per cent of Scots see their country’s celebrated woodland creatures, such as red squirrels and capercaillie, as part of Scottish culture and believe that they help make the country’s rural areas special.

However, the main concerns that were highlighted in the survey are not to do with wildlife at all — more people were worried about high water quality around the coast, litter-free beaches and well-maintained urban parks than anything else. An “end to bird of prey persecution” came fifth on people’s list of priorities.

Susan Davies, SNH’s director of policy and advice, said: “Scotland is fortunate to be blessed with a remarkable variety of wildlife and world-class landscapes. These survey results show that people clearly recognise this and place great importance on their continued protection so that the next generation of Scots is also able to use and enjoy them.”

The rest of this article appears in the 9th November issue of Shooting Times.

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