Hill-walking and stalking

If you're planning to walk in the Scottish hills during the red deer stag stalking season (1st July to 20th October), you should take reasonable steps to find out where stalking is taking place and land managers should provide information to enable you to do so.

Two services helped walkers to plan hill routes that were unlikely to disturb deer stalking in 2011. Hillphones - an answerphone service that provides information about stag stalking activities and suggests routes which will minimise disturbance; and the 'Heading for the Scottish Hills' pilot web service which aimed to build on Hillphones and the out of print Heading for the Scottish Hills book. 

Both services finished on the 20th October and are now being reviewed. Further information about the evaluation will be available here in due course. The feedback from walkers and other recreational users has been very helpful - many thanks to all who contributed their experience and advice.  

Deer stalking is necessary to manage deer sustainably and is also an important source of income in rural areas. Regular culling ensures that there is enough grazing for the herd and other animals, and that fragile upland habitats are not damaged. The busiest time of year for deer managers is usually the stag stalking season (1st July to 20th October with stalking increasing as the season progresses). The popularity of this time for walkers and climbers to also head to the hills, has led to the demand for both these services.