Tuesday February 10th 2026
Golden Eagle (photo by C Lorne Gill Snh)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A countryside watchdog has banned landowners from shooting pests on two Borders estates without individual gun licences.
Scottish Government agency NatureScot has imposed a three–year restriction on the use of general licences at Raeshaw Estate and Watherston Wood, both near Stow, following evidence supplied by Police Scotland linking the estates to wildlife crime.
Anyone wishing to shoot pest species on the affected estates must now apply for an individual licence, which will involve strict monitoring, record‑keeping and reporting.
The watchdog said police investigators uncovered “robust evidence” relating to the disappearance of a satellite‑tagged golden eagle named Merrick in October 2023.
Blood, feathers and shotgun cartridge wadding were later recovered from the same area, indicating the bird had been illegally killed.
Further evidence included the sudden disappearance of a satellite-tagged golden eagle named Merrick in October 2023 as well as golden eagle blood, feathers and shotgun cartridge wadding recovered from the same location.
Chris Dailly, NatureScot’s Head of Licensing, said: “We have decided, in discussion with Police Scotland, to suspend the use of general licences on this land for three years until January 2029.
“The police have recorded Merrick’s disappearance as a crime and have provided robust evidence to NatureScot to support this.
“We are committed to using all the tools we have available to tackle wildlife crime. This measure will help to protect wild birds in the area, while still allowing necessary land management activities to take place.
“We believe this is a proportionate response to protect wild birds and prevent further wildlife crime.
“We will continue to work closely with Police Scotland and consider information they provide on cases which may warrant restricting general licences.”
General licences allow landowners or land managers to carry out control of common species of wild birds, such as crows and magpies, to protect crops or livestock, without the need to apply for an individual licence.
In addition to this latest restriction, there are currently two other restrictions in place in Scotland: on Millden Estate in Angus and Lochindorb Estate in Highland.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds. General licences permit authorised persons to carry out actions that would otherwise be illegal.
They cover certain types of activity relating to birds, such as preventing damage to crops or livestock, preserving public health or air safety, and preventing the spread of disease.
General licences cover situations which are seen as relatively commonplace and where there is unlikely to be any great conservation impact.
Article updated 11/02/2026 11:07 with comment from Raeshaw Estate
A spokesperson for Raeshaw Estate said:
“The decision by Nature Scot to restrict the estate’s general licence is wholly unjustified. We will challenge it vigorously through an appeal.
“We share the frustration felt by many about Merrick’s disappearance but there is no evidence the estate or any of its employees were in any way responsible.
“The estate has zero tolerance for raptor persecution and remains fully committed to respecting wildlife, nature and the environment.
“Merrick’s last established position was not on land owned or managed by our estate. The location was in a nearby wood where other parties have access and are permitted to shoot. No employee of the estate was charged as a result of a lengthy police investigation which concluded nearly 20 months ago.
“NatureScot has conceded there was an unacceptable delay in dealing with this case. We also provided expert veterinary testimony to NatureScot stating there was insufficient evidence to ascertain the bird had been killed by criminal means and that DNA analysis was inconclusive.
“In reaching its decision NatureScot confirmed the estate was not suspected of any other contraventions of land management regulations.
“This decision is even more disappointing given that NatureScot has acknowledged the estate is a supporter of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. So much so, the estate recorded the presence of eagles on many occasions foraging and enjoying the safety and serenity of Raeshaw – something we dearly welcome. We also provided NatureScot with video evidence of these frequent visits.”
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