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Balancing Act at Mar Lodge Balancing act at Mar Lodge Can native woodland make a strong come-back on traditional sporting estates? Piers Voysey spoke to ecologist Shaila Rao about balancing woodland regeneration with red deer for sport at Mar Lodge Estate in Deeside. hat, in your mind, makes monitoring vegetation, trees, birds When NTS accepted the £4 million Mar Lodge Estate worthy and so forth. I also contribute to the legacy to purchase the estate, 12 as a National Trust for estate management plan and habitat management principles were agreed ScotlandW (NTS) property? action plans. Other aspects of my job which we are required to follow. The It’s a magnificent property with a involve hosting visiting groups to the top three principles are: conservation rich and varied natural and cultural estate, running a kid’s nature club and of the natural and cultural heritage heritage. The spectacular landscape managing biological records. as the primary aim, open and has a high quality of wilderness, and appropriate public access to the estate, encompasses land on the plateau The estate covers 29,380 hectares; and continuing management as a which is among the least managed that’s 7% of the total area of the highland sporting estate. by man in the UK. This has led to Cairngorms National Park. What is its inclusion within two National it like being part of the management What is the interplay between Mar Scenic Areas and more recently the team responsible for such a large area? Lodge as a sporting estate and its Cairngorms National Park. The It’s certainly exciting to be involved priorities for habitat management, large span in altitude supports a in the management of such a large in particular woodland regeneration? diverse range of species and habitats, area at the heart of the Cairngorms For management purposes, the estate which has led to over 40% of the National Park. However, there is is split into two zones: the moorland estate being given European and UK also a sense of responsibility and zone, which includes the large area conservation designations (SSSI, expectation. Much has been achieved of moorland on the west side of SPA, SAC, NNR & Ramsar sites). by NTS since its acquisition of Mar the estate, and the regeneration Its cultural heritage ranges from Lodge in 1995, but there is still more zone, which comprises the areas rare inland Mesolithic finds to the to do. We have a big task in the with remnant native pinewood grand Victorian Mar Lodge building. coming years to fulfil the objectives (Glens Derry, Luibeg and Quoich). Several of the archaeological sites are set out in the 2011-2016 estate The red deer population on the scheduled ancient monuments. management plan and, through this, estate – around 1,650 – is currently demonstrate best practice in upland compatible with maintaining the What does your job involve on a day- land management. moorland habitats in favourable to-day basis? condition. The sporting cull (target My job is to provide ecological The terms of the legacy that helped of 100 stags) is taken from this input to guide the management NTS to acquire the estate stipulated moorland zone. of the estate. I spend most of my certain priorities for its management. time on the hill or in the woods Could you tell us about this? Above: Glen Derry in winter. Photo: Shaila Rao. ISSUE 46 Reforesting Scotland AUTUMN/WINTER 2012 p19 THE LIVING FOREST We have had to reduce deer numbers described above, we will be erecting a in some areas of the estate to boost in the regeneration zone to allow 4km fence at the boundary between the number of regenerating pine natural woodland regeneration, so the moorland and regeneration seedlings. taking a sporting cull from this zone zones around the Linn of Dee area. is no longer feasible. However, it is The main purpose of this fence is to Would you conclude from the envisaged that, once considerable protect our sporting resource of red NTS experience that it is virtually areas of regeneration have established, deer stags on the moorland zone. impossible to see woodland the woodland will be able to support These stags tend to drift into the regeneration without fencing in a higher red deer population in the woodland in the regeneration zone Scotland – not because we cannot future. At this point we may again during winter and are likely to be get deer numbers low enough, but be able to take a sporting cull from culled. The fence is not required to because there are too many vested this zone and fully integrate our protect regeneration but is a measure interests in maintaining high deer sporting and woodland conservation that will allow us to continue meeting numbers? objectives. both our sporting and conservation We have clearly demonstrated objectives. that it is possible to secure natural In addition, we let fishing on the regeneration in an area dominated by River Dee and continue to manage Even before the review, red deer traditional sporting estates. However, the moorland for red grouse numbers on the estate were estimated this has not been without significant shooting. Following a muirburn plan at 1,650, down from the 1995 levels controversy resulting from differing agreed with SNH, we hope to see of around 3,350 animals. Had you objectives between ourselves and some the benefits of this practice while seen greater woodland regeneration as of our neighbours. It is important to avoiding the detrimental impacts of a result of this reduction in numbers? remember that we are also a sporting inappropriate burning. Yes, there has been a considerable estate. Personally, I feel that, for response in woodland regeneration, landscape-scale woodland restoration In 2011, NTS commissioned an particularly since the ‘zero tolerance’ to be achieved in Scotland, there independent, evidence-based review approach to deer management in the must be significant statutory changes of land management at Mar Lodge regeneration zone was adopted in in deer management. Estate. How has this fed into the October 2009. Browsing levels are objectives in the new 2012-2016 now low and we are seeing both Scots Ecologists have long been aware of management plan? pine and broadleaves successfully the need for habitat connectivity. Overall, the primary objectives regenerating. Where are the key links between Mar for the estate have not changed. Lodge and its neighbours in terms of The deer reduction policy within Woodland regeneration had also forest connectivity and what critical the regeneration zone is still the occurred within some fenced plots. links, do you think, are missing? main process through which Might these old fences now be The key and critical links missing pinewood regeneration will be removed from within the regeneration in terms of forest connectivity are achieved. However, as a result of zone? Yes, now that trees within between Mar Lodge and Invercauld the independent review, there is fenced plots are beyond browsing Estate within the main Dee valley, now a greater emphasis on pursuing risk and unfenced regeneration and between Mar Lodge and Glen interventionist management actions is progressing well, we feel that a Feshie. The latter link would create to encourage woodland and to allow number of fences are now redundant. a woodland corridor linking up both sporting and conservation We intend to remove the majority of objectives to be met. Examples of this existing fences from the regeneration Below: Young stags on the hill. Opposite, clockwise are fencing as part of the Upper Dee zone within the next year. from left: Regeneration at Carn Crom, Glen Derry; Riparian project, ground disturbance deer stalking on the estate; Shaila in Glen Derry. to encourage natural regeneration Is consideration being given to Photos: Shaila Rao, National Trust for Scotland. and planting to establish riparian speeding up the rate woodland. of regeneration by any other means? That includes building a few more Yes, within the kilometres of strategic fence line? scope of our Forest How will this help the estate team Plan, which is near manage its priorities on the ground? completion, we Yes, as part of the more plan to carry out interventionist management action ground disturbance “I feel that, for landscape-scale woodland restoration to be achieved in Scotland, there must be significant statutory changes in deer management.” p20 ISSUE 46 Reforesting Scotland AUTUMN/WINTER 2012 THE LIVING FOREST the Spey and Dee catchments. Our the development of management wedding and sporting guests and involvement in the Upper Dee plans, sit on the Section 7 [deer other visitors to the estate. Riparian Project will be a start to management] steering group and addressing the link with Glen Feshie. had the opportunity to contribute What, for you, are the highlights of Within the scope of our Forest Plan, to the Independent Review. Many working at Mar Lodge Estate? over the coming years we hope to be local people walk and cycle on the I am lucky to be able to live and able to work with Invercauld Estate to estate. We also run events such as a work on such a beautiful estate. To close the forest gap between the two kid’s nature club and a bonfire night have eagles, merlins, red squirrels, estates. – these are extremely popular with crossbills and so forth on my doorstep locals. is a privilege. The highlight of the job Tell us about the relationship between for me is finally seeing the woodland Mar Lodge Estate and the local Among some there is a feeling that coming to life again as more and community. the reduction in deer numbers on more regeneration becomes apparent. Fifteen permanent staff and 12 Mar Lodge has impacted on tourism seasonal staff work on the estate – all in Braemar.
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