Studies of red deer on Rum have revealed that the deer are starting to rut earlier in the year because of climate change. Scientists from Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities examined the records of deer behaviour collected on the island of Rum over the last 38 years. The studies show that the annual rut, when males compete for a harem of females to mate with, now starts two weeks earlier on average. The researchers have said this could be because of warmer springs and summers. The research, published in the journal Global Change Biology, was funded by the Natural Environment Research…

2011 is the European Year of Volunteering and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is suggesting people should kick off the year with a resolution to help wildlife in Scotland. A recent SNH report found that only 23% of organisations involved with wildlife surveys felt they had enough volunteers to meet their needs and 60% found geographic coverage a problem. Wildlife recording has a long and important history in the UK for science and conservation, and has always been led by volunteers. Amateur collectors had a key role in developing natural history collections in the 19th and early 20th century and were…

Plans for massive new housing inside the Cairngorms national park could be sunk by legal action being brought by three Scottish based environment groups in the Court of Session. The groups are challenging the Cairngoms national park authority’s housing plans which provides for over 2000 new homes, including 1500 at An Camas Mor, near Aviemore, which, it is claimed, would be the largest housing development in any UK national park. The Cairngorms Campaign, the Scottish Campaign for National Parks, and the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group are also challenging developments at Grantown-on-Spey, Nethy Bridge, Carrbridge and Kingussie. The park authority…

Scotland’s leading environmental and heritage organisations have thrown down the gauntlet to the Scottish Government, challenging it to renew its obligations to conserve, protect and enhance the nation’s landscapes. An alliance of organisations has signed an open letter to the Scottish Government calling for reaffirmation of commitments contained in the European Landscape Convention, and greater progress towards meeting them. The letter, dated 10 January 2011, calls for a clear indication from the Scottish Government that: •A system of monitoring and proofing all new relevant legislation, policy and guidance will be carried out to ensure compliance with the Convention. •Scotland’s Landscape…