Call for wolves to be reintroduced

Paul van Vlissingen, who owns a 32,000 hectare estate at Letterewe, Achnasheen, Ross-shire, in the Western Highlands, commissioned a three-year study costing about £300,000 on deer and their impact in the wild.

Mr Vlissingen said he had employed five scientists, including UK experts on deer, on the project.

He said culling deer had a low long-term effect on deer numbers, and that the number of deer in Scotland is preventing the regrowth of vegetation.

Mr Vlissingen said: "I think that something that could be debated is to divide Scotland into voluntary zones - some areas where you have practically eliminated deer, those areas where you want a specific natural regeneration of forests, and other areas where you manage deer as part of the concept of wild land.

"In that concept I think wolves and lynx would fit very well, and I can promise you that if you do your research you will find that there are no known cases of anybody ever being eaten by wolves in Europe in the past century.

"There are thousands of people who live amongst the wolves in Canada and Alaska and that's no problem at all."

The study claims Scotland has 300,000 red deer which are preventing regeneration of woodland and shrubs.

Mr Vlissingen dismissed culling as a means of control.

He said: "The culling has been happening for many years now and the official policy is not effective."

The last wolf in Scotland was shot in the 18th century. Lynx have been absent since prehistoric times.

Mr Vlissingen said he believed reintroduction of both creatures would boost tourist numbers.

He said: "Scotland has to create more excitement than a monster in Loch Ness - we have to create in Scotland more excitement about our rural areas.

"There is enormous eco-tourism building in the world, and Scotland is losing out."

The study has been made available to MSPs, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Deer Commission for Scotland and deer management groups.