Wild goats leap their first hurdle in calls for protection

Scottish Parliament Public Petition PE2151 Update - On 10th September 2025, the Scottish Parliament public petition 2151, calling for the protected status for the wild goats of Langholm and Newcastleton Hills, was considered by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in Holyrood.

Emma Harper MSP had written to the committee with a letter of support for the petition.

Both Rachael Hamilton MSP and Craig Hoy MSP gave statements to the committee in robust support of providing protected status for the wild goats.

Committee member David Torrance MSP spoke of the enjoyment he and the Scouts in his company often had at the sight of wild goats whilst out hill walking at Grey Mare`s Tail. He asked for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to be contacted for comment on providing protection for wild goats under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Committee member Fergus Ewing MSP mentioned that he could not understand why NatureScot do not apparently value wild goats. He considered that if NatureScot had taken more interest they might have provided better guidance for the management of the Langholm and Newcastleton Hills wild goats that could have satisfied local community concerns.

Mr Ewing also commented on the removal of hill cattle and sheep from Langholm and Newcastleton Hills. He went on to discuss his concerns about ungrazed moorland building dangerously high fuel loads of vegetation. This was particularly concerning to him as the largest wildfire in Scotland`s history had blazed this summer in his constituency. He asked if the committee could request comment from both NatureScot and the Chief of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The Convenor appeared somewhat exasperated by what he referred to as the “Dead hand of NatureScot” and its lack of willingness to engage with local communities on important issues such as the subject of this petition.

It was concluded that the petition should stay open and further detailed information should be requested from JNCC, NatureScot and the SFRS.

A video recording of your petition being considered is available to watch here, and the Official Report (a reliable written record of what is said in public meetings) will be available on the petition’s webpage in due course.