Deer Stalking Season and Access Rights for Hillwalkers

Scotland has some of the best access legislation in the world. Unlike England and Wales, you have a legal right to be on almost all of the hills — including private estates — to walk, climb and camp. But that right comes wrapped in responsibilities, and one of the situations where they matter most is deer stalking. Understanding how the two fit together is part of being a considerate hillwalker, and it's what keeps the hills open and relations with estates good.

Your right to roam

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 established a statutory right of responsible access to most land and inland water. The detail of what "responsible" means is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. In practice, for hillwalkers, it means you can walk, run, cycle, wild camp and climb across open hill, mountain and moorland, whether or not it's privately owned.

The three principles of the Code are worth committing to memory: respect the interests of other people, care for the environment, and take responsibility for your own actions. Deer stalking sits squarely under the first of those — the estate has a legitimate interest in managing the land, and cooperation on both sides is what makes the system work.

Why stalking matters

Deer stalking isn't a bloodsport add-on to be dismissed. With no natural predators, Scotland's red deer population has to be managed by culling, or numbers explode and the deer overgraze and damage the very habitats and young woodland that make the hills what they are. Culling is a legal requirement of managing the land, and for many Highland estates the stalking season is also a significant source of income and local employment.

During a stalk, a stalker and clients may spend hours crawling into position within rifle range of a specific animal. A walker appearing on a skyline a kilometre away can scatter the deer and ruin a stalk that's been worked on all morning — and there are obvious safety reasons not to be wandering unannounced across ground where rifles are being fired. This is why a little consideration in season goes a long way.

The stalking seasons

There are two seasons that matter to walkers, targeting different animals:

• Red deer stags: roughly 1 July to 20 October, with the peak in September and October. This is the season that affects hillwalkers most, because it coincides with fine autumn walking weather and takes place high on the open hill where we walk.
• Red deer hinds: roughly 21 October to 15 February. Hind culling happens through the winter, often on lower ground, and can affect access in some areas — worth checking, though snow and short days already limit where many of us go.

Dates vary and estates set their own stalking days within these windows, so the seasons tell you when to check, not when to stay away. Plenty of hills see little or no stalking at all — popular Munros, National Trust for Scotland and John Muir Trust land, and Forestry and Land Scotland ground are often unaffected. Our guide to the best time to bag each region can help you slot the right hills into the right months.

How to find out where stalking is happening

The Access Code asks you to take reasonable steps to find out about stalking and take account of it. It's easy to do:

• Heading for the Scottish Hills: a free online service run by NatureScot and estates, giving information on where stalking is taking place on participating estates and, often, a contact number for the day's plans.
• Estate phone lines and hill lines: many estates run a recorded message or a number you can call to hear which glens and hills are being stalked that day.
• Signs and notices: at car parks and access points, estates often post information — read it, but note that signs telling you the hill is closed outright have no legal force over your access rights.

A quick check the evening before turns a potential conflict into a non-event, and often the answer is simply "not today".

Choosing considerate routes in season

Your access rights don't switch off during stalking season — you're entitled to be there. But choosing to cooperate is what keeps goodwill on both sides. In stag season, when you've established a hill is being stalked:

• Take the advice offered and consider an alternative hill, or use the main ridges, paths and popular routes where stalkers expect walkers and can work around them.
• Avoid crossing open corries and skylines away from paths, which is exactly where a stalk is likely to be under way.
• Stalking rarely happens on Sundays on most estates, so a Sunday is often a good choice in a stalked area.
• If you meet a stalker on the hill, stop and have a word — a friendly conversation usually sorts out where you can go with least disruption.

None of this is about giving up your day. It's about small adjustments that let both parties get what they came for.

Dogs

Dogs deserve a special mention in stalking season, and around livestock and ground-nesting birds generally. A dog that disturbs deer — or worse, chases them — can wreck a stalk and cause real harm. Keep dogs under close control on the open hill, and on a short lead near livestock and during the bird nesting season (roughly April to July). In stalking areas, keeping the dog to heel is the responsible default.

Cooperation keeps the hills open

The Scottish access model is generous and, by international standards, remarkable. It survives because walkers and land managers largely respect each other's interests. Your right to roam remains through stalking season — nobody can lawfully turn you away — but exercising it thoughtfully is how we keep that right healthy and the relationship with estates positive. It's the same spirit that runs through all good hill behaviour, covered in our guide to Munro bagging etiquette.

Practically, a bit of planning is all it takes — and it's the same planning you'd do anyway. When you're picking a hill for an autumn day in the Munros app, you can line up your route and offline map, and it's a natural moment to check the estate's stalking information before you go, so you head out knowing your day fits alongside what's happening on the ground.

Related guides

• Munro Bagging Etiquette — the wider unwritten rules of considerate hill behaviour.
• Best Time to Bag Each Region — plan your calendar around season and conditions.
• Navigation Skills for Scottish Mountains — stay on your intended line and off sensitive ground.