Freedom of Information Request - Deer Culls/Collisions
Date: 30 January 2025
Our ref: SIR178476/A4966984
Information Request – Deer Culls/Collisions
Your Request
Question 1
How many times over the last five years has NatureScot informed landowners that failing to keep deer numbers down would result in NatureScot culling deer or hiring others to cull deer.
How many times NatureScot employees decided to cull deer due to a failure of the landowner to do so.
In each case, please specify what risks the deer posed to the area (e.g. damage to peatlands, woodlands, etc.)
Please specify the number of deer per square km, how many deer were culled, how much the culling cost, and who footed the bill.
Please break down the numbers by location and specify the landowning organisation (e.g. company or estate).
Question 2
Please provide data held by NatureScot about deer collisions which have occurred between 2008 and 2024.
Please ensure the following information is included, if held: a date and location, such as coordinates, for each collision, including the local authority”
Our Response
We have carried out a detailed search of the information that we hold and have responded to each of your questions in turn:
How many times over the last five years has NatureScot informed landowners that failing to keep deer numbers down would result in NatureScot culling deer or hiring others to cull deer?
Between 2020-2025, NatureScot informed landowners on four occasions; Loch Choire, Sutherland; Flanders Moss, Stirling; Strathnaver and Jahama Estates, Kinlochleven.
How many times NatureScot employees decided to cull deer due to a failure of the landowner to do so.
Between 2020-2025, NatureScot have culled deer due to the failure of a landowner to do so on one occasion, at Loch Choire, Sutherland in 2023.
In each case, please specify what risks the deer posed to the area (e.g. damage to peatlands, woodlands, etc.)
At Loch Choire the deer posed a risk of damage to the natural heritage, specifically to designated sites
Please specify the number of deer per square km, how many deer were culled, how much the culling cost, and who footed the bill. (Please break down the numbers by location and specify the landowning organisation (e.g. company or estate)).
Location: Loch Choire
Deer density: 13/km2
Number culled: 160
Cost to NatureScot: £25,000 minus £8,000 in venison sales, i.e. net cost of £17,000
Landowner is a private estate
Please provide data held by NatureScot about deer collisions which have occurred between 2008 and 2024.
Please ensure the following information is included, if held: a date and location, such as coordinates, for each collision, including the local authority
The following links should provide some of the data for these two parts of your request:
The first link is information available through the Open Government Licence and is for data up to 2018
Subsequent data to 2024 is not held by NatureScot. Data is gathered by third parties, e.g. Trunk Road Operating Companies and is collated on our behalf by a contractor. However, you may find the report from the NatureScot website useful: NatureScot Research Report 1329 - Deer Vehicle Collision analysis 2019-2021.
A new report is being prepared for deer/vehicle collisions for 2022-2024 and we hope that it will be published
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
