The first shots heralding the start of the grouse season will be fired tomorrow, the Glorious Twelfth of August. Inevitably, there will be a chorus of disapproval from those who are opposed to shooting, but for we who live and work in Scotland's hills and glens the picture looks very different.
While critics have a right to express their own views, what is disappointing is the lack of genuine understanding of what shooting actually means to rural communities. As a head gamekeeper on Invermark estate in the Angus glens I take great pride in what we do. We have nine keepers employed full time. Our children go to local schools and nurseries which in some cases would suffer or even close without this support.
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The article is written by Garry Maclennan from the Angus Glen Moorland Group