Glenbranter

I had never been  into the actual Glen of Glenbranter before today (though I have been to the Forest office and visitor centre  near the main road often)  but I had a meeting  and visit here with the new Cowal Deer Group this morning to look at deer management issues which are of crucial importance not just in Cowal  but across Scotland.

At one time the estate was owned by Harry Lauder who leased ground to the then new Forestry Commission just after the First World War.  Later the forest village was built.

It is worth seeing and the Cowal Way runs through it  which  is how most people traverse it.

A whole group of us went along the Glen today on the forest roads and my extra picture is of one of the stops where we discussed the difficulties of ensuring success in planting when deer numbers are still so high, though the Commission here does great work in keeping them lower than in the surrounding area.  

Deer Mangement is a bit of a hobby horse of mine and I am glad that the Parliament's Environment Committee and the Scottish Government are making fresh efforts to tackle the problem and the environmental degradation , as well as  the commercial loss, it causes.