Scottish Field Homecoming Scotland 2014 June issue

YOUR LETTERS YOURletters

THE FINAL WORD In a recent issue [Letters, April 2014] Rob Gibson SNP MSP Caithness, Sutherland & Ross, takes your columnist Alan Cochrane to task for his article Lie of The Land on our lawmakers’ supposed ignorance with regards to countryside matters, and deer in particular. In his rebuttal of Cochrane’s views, Gibson states that there are: ‘7,000 to 10,000 road accidents annually involving the bloated deer population’. Really? Out of a total of 1,566 deer road casualties in Scotland

during 2003-2005 roe deer accounted for 1,204 (76.9%), red deer 321 (20.5%), with sika and fallow accounting for the rest (J Langbein, 2007, Natural deer-vehicle collision project – England 2003-2005. Highways Agency, Research Report). Either Langbein is wrong, or an emotive issue is being used as an excuse to get rid of deer. It is incumbent on every MP, MSP, Convenor of any Parliamentary Committee or Government Minister to get their facts right. Secondly ‘on the bloated deer population’, even the World Wildlife

Fund report that ‘deer numbers are notoriously diffi cult to estimate’ (J Hunt, 2003, Impacts of wild deer in Scotland – How fares the public interest?). Total red deer numbers across Scotland are, in any case, a red

herring. Local deer densities and carrying capacities are much more important. Except in a limited number of areas, environmental damage across the Highlands is not a problem. Rob, as a trained historian, do please put more stock on primary

sources. Gamekeepers, stalkers and land managers – of whom I was one before teaching in Dingwall – do know what they are talking about. G.J. Strachan, Conon Bridge, Ross-shire

JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER I don’t think I have ever written to any magazine but after reading Guy Grieve’s article on his lamb Archie [Betrayal of a Friend, May 2014] I felt I had to pick up a pen. What did Mr Grieve think would happen when he rescued a sickly

lamb in the knowledge that if it survived it would grow into a large sheep – a sheep that had fallen in love with his wife and children? When one nurtures something with love, affection and attention, the

object of that kindness is smitten. In this case Archie believed the family to be his world. Yes, of course we are all aware that we breed sheep and lambs for the dinner table but this turned out differently and Archie had become family. Why didn’t Mr Grieve accept that through circumstances there would

be one sheep on his farm that had turned out differently? Why did he feel inclined to keep analysing Archie’s feelings like a counsellor and decide that he was very unhappy because he had no place within the animal kingdom or a human house? Who gave him the right to decide that Archie should die? He sets out his reasons in the prose but to me it sounds like he is trying to assuage his guilt. Either that or getting a high on being judge, jury and executioner. I hope he really felt those burgers were worth it. Shame on him!

Ianthe Kinninmonth, Drymen

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