Wildlife campaigners are calling for even tougher policing of Scottish grouse moors on the eve of this year’s “Glorious Twelfth”, which marks the legal start of the grouse shooting season.

On Monday 12 August moors across the British uplands will echo to the sound of shotguns and estate vehicles.

But for the first time, grouse moors in Scotland must hold a licence for shooting under new powers brought in earlier this year to reduce the unlawful killing of birds of prey by gamekeepers.