Man has to adapt to give deer their place on the planet.
Photograph: Iain Thornber
MORVERN LINES IAIN THORNBER
editor@obantimes.co.uk
IT JOKINGLY used to be said that the definition of a croft is an area of land surrounded by a sea of legislation. Pity the Argyll farmer who, on being asked recently who owned the land on which he was standing, replied: ‘Scottish Natural Heritage’ – even though his family have held the title deeds for many generations. He was, of course, being slightly facetious and referring to the number of controls imposed upon him by this government agency whom some are beginning to complain wields far too much power and, more worryingly, appears to be unaccountable for its actions. One of the problems which folk have with SNH is its attitude towards wild red deer and the heavy culls it insists on to meet EU habitat directives from which common sense should have dictated they be largely exempt.