Deer Management Incentive Scheme

Our Deer Management Incentive Scheme helps to tackle herbivore pressure in the National Park – one of the four key threats to nature identified in our Future Nature Route Map – by encouraging sustainable deer management. Sustainable deer management is vital if we are to bring populations into balance with the rest of nature through forest regeneration, woodland creation, peatland restoration and habitat improvement. Real progress has been made, but a significant reduction in wild deer numbers is required if we are to meet the ambitious but necessary targets to restore nature and reach net-zero.  

In 2025, the National Park Authority launched its LLTNP Deer Management Incentive Scheme to encourage higher female deer culls in the National Park by offering a financial incentive. The incentive scheme will run again in 2026/27. 

Who can apply? 

Participation in the incentive scheme is open to those with the legal right to take or kill deer on any landholding that has land within the LLTNP boundary. If a landholding is partly within the LLTNP boundary, then the whole landholding area will be eligible for the scheme. 

What do we fund?  

• A landholding must cull a minimum of 3 adult female or juveniles of any species of deer per 1 km2 (100ha) to trigger payment. Landholdings will receive a back payment for all deer (females and juveniles) culled at or above 2 deer per 1 km2. 

• For example, if a landholding is 10km2, then the land manager will need to cull a minimum of 30 female or juvenile deer of any species to trigger the incentive payment. They will then be paid for every deer they cull from deer number 20 and up. 

• Once the minimum cull of 3 deer per 1 km2 has been met, payment will be made for all female and juvenile deer culled at or above 2 deer per 1 km2 at a rate of: 

• • £100 per animal for any adult female or juvenile (male or female under one year of age) red, sika or fallow deer, 

• • £70 per animal for any adult female or juvenile (male or female under one year of age) roe deer. 

• All participants must use the NatureScot Deer App and associated tagging system, or an alternative app approved by NatureScot. 

How to apply 

Full details of the scheme conditions can be found here, and you can apply for the incentive scheme here. Applications for the incentive scheme will close on 16th August 2026.  

If you are interested in applying to the scheme and would like help to work out what payments you could expect to receive for current or projected cull returns then please get in touch with us at deer@lochlomond-trossachs.org, or contact your NatureScot Wildlife Management Officer. 

This is the second year of a pilot scheme, which we hope will run in future years. The LLTNP incentive scheme criteria have been set to ensure that culling is in addition to the average cull levels currently recorded in the National Park, but we recognise that these criteria will not suit everyone. Success of the scheme will be dependent on participant uptake and feedback, and we will review as needed in future years.