by Adam Watson, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Banchory
Summary
In the 1930s and 1950s, farm sheep (Ovis aries) were scarce on plateaux in the Cairngorms massif. A new public road and chairlift at Cairn Gorm in 1960-61 led to more people in summer, and to sheep and introduced domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) soliciting and receiving picnic food. Sheep and Reindeer summering on the plateau increased but were later removed. Both favoured grassland. Sheep grazed much on newly growing grass near snowbeds, which provides a high-quality bite far into the summer. Reindeer did this less, and were more mobile.
Introduction
This paper presents data for fifty-four years showing increases and later removal of sheep and Reindeer on Cairn Gorm and its plateau in the north-east Highlands.
After a new public road (1960) and chairlift (1961) were built at Cairn Gorm ski area, many people went there and to the nearby plateau at all seasons (Watson, 1979, 1991). More people went to Glenshee ski area south of Braemar after it opened in 1962. At both areas, Watson (1979) saw more sheep in summer than on nearby areas with few people, and at Cairn Gorm ski area more Reindeer. Both species often ate fertilised grass sown to reduce soil erosion on patches bared by ski developments. Sheep often approached people at both car parks to solicit picnic food, and likewise Reindeer at Cairn Gorm car park and nearby. A few sheep and Reindeer became habituated to seek scraps, others often followed them, and sheep even bumped cars with their horns until food was given. This was unsurprising at busy car parks, but their use of natural arctic-alpine land on Cairn Gorm plateau is of interest.
Study area and methods
The area was on Cairn Gorm and its plateau near Aviemore on Spey, 100 km west of Aberdeen (see Deer, July 1997, p.279 – map). Cairn Gorm stands in the Cairngorms massif between Aviemore and Braemar on Dee. Sheep and Reindeer on this alpine land were conspicuous and easily counted (Watson 1979).
Results
Sheep
Sheep have been scarce in the Cairngorms massif this century except on Cairn Gorm, where a blackface flock from Lurg near Nethy Bridge has summered since at least 1920. lt numbered between twelve and twenty-four in the 1930s, mainly on Cairn Gorm’s north slope (Mrs D. Macdonald, pers. comm.). During long watches on the plateau each summer in 1933-45, D.Nethersole-Thompson (pers. comm.) saw an odd sheep on the plateau’s centre at Feith Buidhe in July-August. In summers after the war, when Red deer (Cervus elaphus) had declined greatly on the plateau, he saw sheep more often than deer, with up to six sheep at most.
I saw sheep on the plateau in one year in 1943-59 before the ski developments, and in all but one in 1962-90 after them (Table 1. Fisher exact P<0.001). Numbers (including lambs) rose from 1978 and 1979 (mean 3 per day) to 1981 (30). In 1981 I saw up to ninety-two in a day on the plateau and ski area, plus two corpses partly eaten by foxes (Vulpes vulpes). I found another dead on the plateau in 1966. Biggest numbers in a day there were in July-August, with sightings from 1 June to 13 October. In late 1990 the grazing lease ended and they were sold.
They favoured grassland, especially beside long-lying snowbeds, e.g. in every visit in 1976 I saw twenty beside a snowbed south of Feith Buidhe. They also favoured snowbeds at north Feith Buidhe, high and low Garbh Uisge Beag, Coire Domhain. Ciste Mhearad, and at the top of Coire Cas on the ski area. Ground there comprised bare granitic grit with a vegetation mainly of mosses, and further out a sparse grassland dominated by wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa).
Out of 1,334 sightings of grazing sheep when I noted habitat, 41% were beside long-lying snowbeds, on land covering <1% of the plateau. To analyse this I chose one day’s observation randomly each year in 1981-88, as these years had fairly big annual sample sizes for day visits, with sheep numbers on chosen days ranging from fourteen to forty-six. I then tested the probability of obtaining the observed or a more extreme number beside snowbeds, on the hypothesis that sheep use the ground in proportion to the area available (i.e. no selection). This probability was <0.001 each year (cumulative Poisson probabilities). This was good evidence that the sheep strongly favoured ground beside snowbeds.
I saw none on other Cairngorms plateaux, bar three on Ben Avon in 1946 and five on Braeriach in 1956 and 1958. In contrast. the base-rich Mounth south of Braemar has been known for over a century as a good grazing, and summer numbers remained high after the Glenshee ski development there (Watson, 1979), to date.
Reindeer
Domestic Reindeer were introduced from Swedish Lapland to Glen More in 1952, and in summers after 1961 some were on Cairn Gorm ski area. Subsequently, the plateau held quite high summer numbers (table 1). Since the late 1980s, most have summered in a fenced moorland enclosure with some woodland, where many tourists pay to see them.
The herd was divided in 1991, when many were taken to moorland at Glen Livet, 30km to the north-east (Mrs E. Smith 1991, Highlands & Islands Enterprise Liaison Meeting on Cairngorm Estate).
In 1992 and since, all the Cairn Gorm ones were in the enclosure in May-September to ease supervision during and after calving, and all were outside it in winter, mainly on moorland in the Coire na Ciste area. In March 1997 there were sixty on Cairn Gorm and sixty-four at Glen Livet. The total has stayed fairly steady for many years. Recruitment from calves has roughly balanced high losses of calves in early summer and some adult deaths including a few losses from strays. The deer are given some supplementary food such as grain.
Sightings on the plateau ranged from 24 May to 2 October. They favoured grassland, grazed near snowbeds less than sheep and were more often on the move. However, on hot days they lay for hours on snow where heat and insects gave less trouble, A few went as far as Beinn Mheadhoin. Ben Macdui’s south side. Cairn Toul, and Moine Mhor in Glen Feshie, up to 13km from their enclosure. I found one dead on the plateaus south part.
Discussion
Attraction to fertilised grass on the ski area (Watson, 1979) and to picnic scraps may explain the increase of sheep on the plateau. From 1986 a shepherd was paid to chase them off reseeded grass on the ski area (Cramond, 1990). When gathered for clipping, and then let out, they walked south and within twenty-four hours were on the plateau (Donald Smith, pers. comm.), 15km away in a straight line. They returned to the farm in October on their own, when snow came to the high land.
On the plateau they favoured grazing on grass beside long lying snowbeds. As snow melted, they grazed >3m from the edge. Within 3m, soil was frozen or waterlogged, and plants dormant, whereas favoured plants at 3-10m had started growth. Avoided plants at >l0m had grown for a few weeks and had passed the first growth flush. So, as snow receded, grazing sheep ate newly growing plants, rather like a long spring season.
Reindeer are known to seek high land on hot days and the plateau was near their moorland wintering area. Attraction to picnic scraps may have contributed.
Acknowledgements
I thank D. B. A. Thompson and B .W Staines for comments on the manuscript.
References
CRAMOND, R. D. 1990. Cairngorm – conservation and development: living together. ln: Caring for the High Mountains. (Eds) J. W. H. Conroy, A. Watson & A. R. Gunson, 15-29. Centre for Scottish Studies, Aberdeen.
WATSON, A. 1979. Bird and mammal numbers in relation to human impact at ski lifts on Scottish hills. Journal of Applied Ecology 16, 75364.
WATSON, A. 1991.Increase of people on Cairn Gorm plateau following easier access. Scottish Geographical Magazine 107, 99-105.
Letters, etc. 