Heading for the Scottish Hills: What It Is and How to Use It

Quick Summary

• Heading for the Scottish Hills is a free online information service that shows where deer stalking is taking place on popular hills, with estate contacts, so you can plan a route around it
• It runs all year — stags have had no legal close season since October 2023 — and is busiest in the first three weeks of October and from late January to mid-February, the periods its operator flags
• Using it is not legally required, but the Access Code asks you to find out where stalking is happening and follow reasonable advice on alternative routes — this is the easiest way to do that
• Access it at outdooraccess-scotland.scot

Deer stalking and hillwalking coexist in Scotland through a combination of good law, good practice and occasionally tense negotiation. The Land Reform Act gives you a right of responsible access that no estate can simply override. But a stalking party encountering a walker unexpectedly can result in a missed stalk (significant economic loss), distressed deer, and in very rare cases genuine safety risk from a shot made on a spooked moving animal. Heading for the Scottish Hills is the practical tool that prevents most of that conflict from happening.

Quick Answer: Heading for the Scottish Hills is a free web-based service at outdooraccess-scotland.scot where you can check where deer stalking is taking place before you go, with contact details for estates if you need more. It runs all year, and matters most in autumn and late winter. Checking it is quick and prevents conflict with working estates. It is not a legal requirement, but your access right depends on behaving responsibly — and the Access Code asks you to plan around stalking and follow reasonable advice on alternative routes.

How the system works

Heading for the Scottish Hills is an information service, published on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website:

For walkers

The service is split into areas — the islands, the Northern, Western, Eastern, Central and Southern Highlands, Creag Meagaidh and the Monadhliath, and the Southern Uplands — with a map and tables giving stalking information for popular hills. Some estates give specific information; others give a broad message about the general period when they stalk, with contact details so you can find out more and plan a route. There is nothing for walkers to register.

For estates

Land managers supply the stalking information and contacts that appear on the service.

The result

The system doesn't stop you going. It gives you the information to plan around a stalk. Most conflicts come from simple lack of information — a walker who didn't know a stalk was planned. Where specific information for your route isn't available, the service asks you to watch for signs on arrival and through the day, follow reasonable advice from land managers on alternative routes, and use paths and ridges.

When it matters most

The system now runs all year, because since 21 October 2023 male deer can legally be shot in any month. It is most useful in the late summer and autumn stag stalk — traditionally up to 20 October, the old end of the legal stag season, and busiest in the first three weeks of October — and again from late January to mid-February, the end of the hind season. The autumn window coincides with:

• Excellent hillwalking weather (September and October are often the best months)
• Peak estate stalking activity (stag quotas are filled in this window)
• Highly visible, noisy deer (rut means stags can behave unpredictably near humans and dogs)

During this period, it is good practice to check Heading for the Scottish Hills for any route that takes you through Highland estate land — which is most of the Munro-bearing terrain in the Cairngorms, Lochaber, Torridon, Knoydart, Assynt and Perthshire.

Your access rights, and the responsibility that comes with them

Your right to walk does not depend on checking this system. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives you a right of access to almost all Scottish land — but it is a right of responsible access, defined by the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. An estate cannot bar your route because you didn't check Heading for the Scottish Hills.

What an estate can do is ask you to use an alternative route while a stalk is in progress. The Code asks you to follow reasonable advice of that kind, so treat a reasonable request as part of exercising your right responsibly rather than an optional courtesy.

Deer stalking seasons: the calendar

Two different things get called "the stalking season", and they are worth keeping apart. The legal season is when the law allows a deer to be shot. The stalking period is when estates actually stalk — a matter of practice, not statute.

The law is the Deer (Close Seasons) (Scotland) Order 2011 as amended in 2023. Since 21 October 2023 there is no close season for any male deer in Scotland; only females have one:

Before 2023 the red stag season was 1 July to 20 October, and most estates still stalk stags in late summer and autumn up to that old 20 October end — which is why autumn remains the period of most potential conflict. For Munro-goers, the autumn stag stalk and the hind season (21 October to 15 February) are the primary considerations, but a stalk on any date is now lawful.

Practical advice for the stalking season

• Check Heading for the Scottish Hills the night before any hill day in estate country — it runs all year, and matters most from August to October and from late January to mid-February
• Call ahead if stalking is listed for your hill — estates are usually happy to suggest a route or time that avoids the stalk
• Keep dogs on a lead near deer — a dog running loose can scatter a herd across the hillside and ruin a stalk from a kilometre away
• Be aware of the rut (September–October) — rutting stags are unpredictable and can be aggressive if surprised at close range, particularly if you have a dog
• If you encounter a stalking party, do not approach the shooter position — back off quietly and wait until they signal it is safe to proceed, or take a wide detour

Related services

Individual estates — some large estates also publish stalking and access information on their own websites; where an estate is listed on Heading for the Scottish Hills, use the contact details given there.

Forestry and Land Scotland also manages deer on its land. In forests, follow on-site signs about deer control and any temporary diversions.

National Trust for Scotland publishes access information for its properties — check the property page for any restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Heading for the Scottish Hills?

Heading for the Scottish Hills is a free online service on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website. It shows where deer stalking is taking place on Munros, Corbetts and other popular hills, with estate contact details where you need more information, so you can plan a route that avoids disturbing a stalk. It is the main practical tool for managing the coexistence of deer stalking and hillwalking in Scotland.

Do I have to use Heading for the Scottish Hills?

No. There is nothing to register — it is an information service, and you do not need to notify anyone before walking on a Scottish hill. But your access right under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 depends on behaving responsibly, and the Access Code asks you to find out where stalking is taking place and follow reasonable advice on alternative routes. Checking the service is the easy way to do that.

When is deer stalking season in Scotland?

Legally, red deer stags can now be shot all year: the Deer (Close Seasons) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2023 removed the close season for male deer from 21 October 2023. Hinds still have one — they may only be shot from 21 October to 15 February. In practice most Highland estates still stalk stags in late summer and autumn up to 20 October, the old end of the legal stag season, and the Heading for the Scottish Hills service names the first three weeks of October and late January to mid-February as the busiest periods. It now runs all year.

Can an estate stop me walking during stalking season?

An estate cannot bar you from land where access rights apply. It can ask you to take a reasonable alternative route while a stalk is in progress, and the Access Code asks you to follow reasonable advice of that kind — your right is a right of responsible access, not an unconditional one. In practice, most interactions between walkers and stalkers are courteous and easily resolved.

Is it safe to walk during deer stalking?

Yes, with normal awareness — walking in the stalking season is normal. Follow signs and any request from a stalker, and if you meet a stalking party, back off quietly and wait or take a wide detour. The practical risks of the rutting season are unpredictable stag behaviour at close range (keep your distance from rutting stags) and a dog disturbing deer, so keep your dog under close control.

Related articles

• Are Dogs Allowed on Munros? — seasonal restrictions and access with dogs
• The Scottish Outdoor Access Code Explained — your legal rights and responsibilities on Scottish land
• How to Start Hillwalking in Scotland — the broader beginner guide
• Munros A-Z — route information for all 282 Munros

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This article is for informational purposes only. Access rights in Scotland are governed by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 — see outdooraccess-scotland.scot for authoritative guidance.

Sources

• Heading for the Scottish Hills — Scottish Outdoor Access Code (all-year service, busiest periods, how the area tables work and what to do where no information is given; read 28 October 2026)
• The Deer (Close Seasons) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2023 (SSI 2023/184) — legislation.gov.uk (removes the close season for male deer from 21 October 2023)
• The Deer (Close Seasons) (Scotland) Order 2011, schedule — legislation.gov.uk (current close seasons, as amended)
• Scottish Outdoor Access Code — NatureScot
• Deer stalking and access — Mountaineering Scotland
• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 — legislation.gov.uk