What Is Muirburn?
Muirburn can be defined as the intentional and controlled burning of moorland vegetation. Most commonly it is the burning of heather but gorse bushes and grasslands are sometimes burnt. When burnt, heather moorland regenerates to provide fresh growth for game and livestock.
The aim of muirburn is to create a mosaic of heather at different ages to provide a range of habitats to suit different wildlife and stock groups. For example, longer heather nearby to short fresh growth gives grouse somewhere to shelter.
The Muirburn Code
A latest version of the Muirburn Code was produced for the Scottish Government by Scotland’s Moorland Forum in 2017.
Since then, the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 30 April 2024. This Act changes the rules around muirburn as well as how people can capture and kill certain wild birds and animals. The Muirburn code will be getting updated as a result of this act and this should be complete in time for the 2025/26 Muirburn season.
The code provides good practice guidance for burning and cutting of vegetation, and sets out the statutory restrictions that apply. Under cross compliance, recipients of direct support payments (e.g. Basic Payment Scheme) have to meet the requirements of Good Agricultural and Environment Conditions (GAECs), some of which relate to the Muirburn Code.
Regulatory changes are underway and once complete, we will be updating our resources. The videos shown below cannot currently be used for legislative advice
The key changes to be aware of following the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 are:
- You must have a licence in order to carry out muirburn in the 2025/26 muirburn season. Carrying out this act without a licence will be considered an offence.
- The licence application will require evidence that the person who will complete the muirburn has completed an approved training course. You can complete this training course and Lantra are offering an approved course.
- A muirburn licence only allows muirburn during the muirburn season, which is from 15 September in any year to 31 March in the following year.
- Muirburn licence holders are required to have regard to the “muirburn code” which will set out how to make muirburn safely and appropriately.
Key Information
We advise that you read the muirburn code in its entirety to get a clear and complete understanding, however we have provided some key points below:
- Burning should not take place on peatland (land with a peat depth of more than 50cm). This is consistent with current thinking on the importance of our peatlands as a carbon store. Burning on peatland can, however, be carried out as part of a peatland restoration plan approved by NatureScot. This will normally include measures to raise the water table
- Burning cannot take place without a licence as of the 2025/26 muirburn season
- Introduction of fire-free buffer zones adjacent to water courses and water bodies
- Specific guidance on burning for grazing
- Greater emphasis on the potential role of cutting, in addition to, or as a replacement to burning.
The Code is supported by Supplementary Information which provides more detail on a range of topics, including guidance on
- Muirburn planning
- Ignition patterns and techniques
- Fire control equipment
- Advantages and disadvantages of burning and cutting
Muirburn And Agri-Environment Schemes
If you have areas of approved muirburn in any current agri-environment scheme contract, (SRDP – Rural Priorities or AECS), you must adhere to the Muirburn code to meet the scheme requirements.
Fire Safety
Eurofire have produced a range of resources that those looking to undertake muirburn should review ahead of time:
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