Muirburn Licence Scheme - Implementation Moved to Autumn 2026

Muirburn licence scheme - Implementation moved to Autumn 2026

New licensing conditions for muirburn will not come into force until autumn 2026, Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie has confirmed. In the aftermath of the wildfires which have affected many parts of the country and caused extensive damage to Scotland's peatlands, the decision has been taken to move the commencement date from 1 January, when the relevant part of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act would have come into effect.

Muirburn licensing delayed until 2026 after record wildfires

A decision by the Scottish government to postpone the rollout of muirburn licensing until autumn 2026 has been hailed as pragmatic and evidence-led.

BASC cautiously welcomes further delay to Scottish muirburn licensing rollout

BASC cautiously welcomes further delay to Scottish muirburn licensing rollout - Latest news October 9, 2025 …

Scottish Government delays start of muirburn licences (for the second time) after aggressive lobbying by grouse shooting industry

The Scottish Government has, for the second time, delayed the implementation of muirburn licensing after caving in to pressure from aggressive lobbying by the grouse shooting industry. A quick re-cap for new blog readers: In March 2024, the Scottish Parliament voted for the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, which introduced, amongst other things, a requirement for all muirburn to be licensed (see here). The Bill was enacted in Ma…