Moorland birds and mammals

The hills and moors of Scotland support some of the most iconic Scottish species, the red deer, the mountain hare, the golden eagle and the grouse.

The classic stag against a rugged backdrop is a classic view that many people will associate with Scotland. The country supports the largest population of red deer in Europe. The roar of the stag can be heard in many glens during the rut. However, a fine balance needs to be struck to maintain the ecology of the moorlands. Insufficient grazing by deer may mean that vegetation becomes overgrown and rank. This prevents seeds from reaching the soil and germinating. Too much grazing and the plants do not get the chance to flower and seed. So controlling deer numbers is necessary.

Recreation is a very important upland activity with deer management in Scotland thought to be worth over £100 million annually to the economy and grouse shooting an estimated £30 million a year.

Moorland inhabitants

An instantly recognisable bird of the uplands is the Golden eagle. Its effortless flight soaring over the mountains shows this powerful bird to be an agile hunter. The eagle likes to make its nest or eyrie on rocky inaccessible outcrops where it will be safe. Some nests are used for many years and become very large as they are built up year after year.

The eagles feed on a variety of food from dead deer or sheep, and the gralloch left by stalkers. Rabbits and mountain hares are also on their menu.

Mountain hares or blue hares are our only native hare. They have developed a clever approach to camouflage. In winter, when there is snow on the ground, the sharp eyes of an eagle would easily be able to spot a dark hare against a backdrop of snow. So the hares change their coats. In winter time, they have a thick white fur coat to blend in with the snow. Come summer time and the snow melts, a new coat is needed, so the hare moults and develops a brown (sometimes tinged blue) coat that allows it to blend with the heath more easily.

Mountain hares are often seen on grouse moors - upland areas  managed to encourage grouse. Grouse and the associated activities make a significant contribution to the rural economy, as many people visit the uplands for sporting pursuits.

Grouse moors cover large areas of the uplands. The vegetation is burnt or cut into strips to ensure a mosaic of young plants and shoots for food and taller more mature plants to provide shelter. This management leads to the 'patchwork' effect seen on many hillsides