Wildlife managers from across Scotland gathered in Fort Augustus last week for a specialist training day aimed at strengthening the country’s response to rising feral pig numbers.
Forestry and Land Scotland welcomed colleagues from NatureScot to its Fort Augustus office and deer larder for the latest in a series of best practice sessions designed to help landowners and wildlife professionals manage the challenges posed by feral pigs.
The training forms part of a long running programme that brings together practical skills, legal guidance and the latest scientific understanding to support those tackling a species now found in Lochaber, Dumfries and Galloway and Ross shire.
Current estimates suggest Scotland’s feral pig population may now be in the low thousands, with growing concern about their impact on farmland, woodland and fragile habitats.
The session covered the full range of issues facing wildlife managers, including legal requirements, modern methods of control, safe equipment use, carcass handling, monitoring techniques and the importance of accurate reporting.
Tom Cameron, FLS North Region Area Wildlife Manager, said feral pigs present a challenge that cannot be ignored.
He said:
“Feral pig control is an issue for all land managers in the affected areas across Scotland.”
“They are certainly capable of causing significant damage to agricultural land and sensitive habitats from ploughing fields and gardens to damaging fencing and infrastructure.
“Members of the public should not feed or encourage feral pigs both to minimise encounters with wild animals and to reduce the risk of disease transmission to domesticated pigs.
“Feral pigs are likely to have an increasing impact on our limited resources so it is imperative that we continue to build on a coordinated approach to managing their numbers.
Portclair Forest near Fort Augustus is one of the key monitoring sites and is currently a European Observation Point for a feral pig density survey being carried out by the Animal Plant Health Agency’s National Wildlife Management Centre.
FLS and NatureScot rangers have also been trained by APHA to collect samples from pigs found naturally deceased or killed in road accidents, allowing testing for African Swine Fever, a disease not present in Britain but spreading rapidly across parts of Europe.
As concerns increase, requests for training and guidance have risen sharply.
Louise Farmer, NatureScot Wildlife Management Best Practice Officer, said the training days respond directly to that demand.
She said:
“These Best Practice days have been organised by Wild Deer Best Practice, FLS and NatureScot in response to increasing requests for practical guidance on the control of feral pigs in Scotland.
“Collaborative events such as this provide an important opportunity to exchange knowledge, promote high standards and support consistent, responsible approaches to feral pig control, with a strong focus on the safe and humane use of corral traps.
“Animal welfare, health and safety and legal compliance are emphasised throughout.
“Our aim is to strengthen skills, improve consistency and support the responsible management of feral pigs across Scotlands wildlife and land management sector.”
Members of the public have reported sightings in several regions, although there have been no reports of threatening behaviour.
Walkers are advised to stay alert in areas where pigs are known to be present and to keep dogs under close control, especially during the peak breeding season from November to January.
FLS culls take place between October and February each year.
So far in 2025, rangers have culled five pigs in the north, two in Lochaber and two in the south of Scotland.
