Scotland retains some of Britain's most important wildlife, including red squirrels, Scottish wildcats, and recovering populations of golden eagles, ospreys, and red kites. But wildlife crime, grouse moor management, and habitat loss create significant welfare challenges.
Driven grouse moors cover 15% of Scotland. Grouse moor management has significant wildlife welfare implications: legal mountain hare culling (hundreds of thousands killed annually to reduce tick loads on grouse); raptor persecution (golden eagles, hen harriers, and peregrine falcons poisoned and trapped to protect grouse bags — illegal but continues); corvid trapping (Larsen traps); and stoat/weasel killing. The scale of legal and illegal killing on grouse moors makes them a major welfare priority for Scottish wildlife.
Pine martens — severely depleted across Britain — are recovering in Scotland. Their return is suppressing grey squirrel populations (grey squirrels are less adapted to marten predation), indirectly benefiting red squirrel recovery. Martens are illegally killed on some grouse estates. Translocation programs to England and Wales are spreading their recovery benefits.
Scotland's rewilding ambitions — including Rewilding Britain's target of 30% of land rewilded by 2030 and reintroduction proposals for lynx and wolves — represent potentially significant wildlife welfare improvements through restored ecosystem function and reduced human persecution pressure.