Guide
Wildlife management and muirburn licensing in Scotland
How the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 changes wildlife management practices in Scotland. Covers the new muirburn licensing regime, trap and snare reforms, glue trap ban, and general licences for bird control.
The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 is the most significant reform of wildlife management regulation in Scotland in over a decade. It changes how land managers, farmers, gamekeepers, and pest control operators can manage wildlife and carry out muirburn (the controlled burning of vegetation, principally heather).
The Act received Royal Assent on 1 March 2024 and its provisions are being commenced in phases. Some changes are already in force, while others await commencement orders and secondary legislation. This guide explains what has changed, what is coming, and what you need to do to prepare.
What the changes mean in practice
If you manage a grouse moor or sporting estate
The Act has the most significant impact on grouse moor management. Muirburn — the foundation of heather management for grouse — now requires a NatureScot licence. Burning on peatland over 40cm deep is effectively prohibited except for narrowly defined conservation or wildfire prevention purposes. Gamekeepers must complete NatureScot-approved training for trap operations and register for a unique identification number.
If you have traditionally managed moorland through a combination of burning and predator control, you need to:
- Apply for a muirburn licence from NatureScot before your planned burning programme
- Map your peatland depths to determine which areas are affected by the peatland burning restriction
- Ensure all gamekeepers complete trap operator training and hold valid identification numbers
- Replace any snares with compliant cable restraints meeting the new design specifications
- Remove all glue traps from your property immediately — their use is now a criminal offence
If you are a farmer
Farmers using traps for pest control (such as controlling rats, stoats, or mink) must comply with the new trap licensing and identification requirements once they are commenced. The practical change is that you will need NatureScot-approved training before setting traps, and each trap must carry your identification number. Snares are replaced by regulated cable restraints with specific technical requirements.
If you run a pest control business
The glue trap ban is immediate and absolute. There are no exemptions for professional pest controllers. You must remove glue traps from all client premises and use alternative methods. Trap operator training and registration requirements will also apply to your operations.
General licences for bird control
Alongside the 2024 Act, NatureScot continues to issue annual general licences that authorise certain bird control activities without requiring an individual licence application.
What if you are already using methods that are now restricted?
The Act includes transitional provisions for some requirements, but not all:
- Glue traps: No transition period. Stop using them immediately.
- Snares: Transitional arrangements will be set out in commencement orders. Monitor NatureScot communications for the changeover date.
- Trap licensing: Training and registration requirements will be phased in. NatureScot will publish details of approved training providers and the registration process.
- Muirburn licensing: The licensing regime will apply from the commencement date set by Scottish Ministers. Until then, existing muirburn regulations apply.
The safest approach is to begin preparing now: book trap operator training as soon as it becomes available, and plan your muirburn programme on the assumption that licensing will be required.