Theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh has been ordered to carry out a deer cull at his Highland bolthole.
Sir Cameron – who has amassed a £1.2billion fortune from smash-hit musicals such as Les Miserables, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera – bought the 14,000-acre Nevis Estate in 1994, as he enjoyed childhood holidays there. He has since been an avid supporter of community causes.
But residents of Mallaig have complained that they are being overrun by wild deer from the estate.
They claim the deer are destroying their gardens and menacing local dog walkers.
There are also fears the animals are posing a danger on the roads – even blocking roundabouts.
Now NatureScot has become involved, and has officially classed the deer as a “threat to public safety”.
‘The stags are getting out of hand’
Following a meeting with Mallaig Community Council, the agency has now ordered Sir Cameron to take urgent action to reduce deer numbers – meaning he must carry out a cull.
Although deer are a wild animal and do not belong to any individual, the right to kill them is restricted to the owner of the land on which they are found.
It is thought there are around 300 deer on the estate, and Mallaig residents estimate up to 40 are regularly roaming the village.
Port assistant Paul Dean, 33, said: ‘The stags are getting out of hand. There is a switch stag, so-called because of its sharp style and shape of antlers. If it attacks it can be quite a threat.
“A deer will go for dog walkers and because it is rutting season everything is a threat to them.
“They are not even frightened of dogs. They are moving onto the people now. They are bold.”
Harbour master James McLean, 71, said: “I don’t have a problem with the deer but they are ruining the village.
“Culling them is Cameron’s responsibility. It’s his estate so he should do something about them. There’s a lot of them. I’d say there are easily 40. They are everywhere – 99% of the people want them out of the place.”
Estate vows to carry out cull following talks
Andrew MacMaster, from NatureScot, acknowledged that the current deer population surrounding Mallaig is “too high”.
He added: “If the deer are not controlled then the population will continue to increase, along with the risks to public safety.
“If the required cull does not happen, then NatureScot, can use its powers under the emergency measures section of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 to achieve this.”
Andrew Aitchison, from Sir Cameron’s estate, insisted the matter was being taken seriously.
He said: “He understands what needs to be done and wanted to ensure all parties were comfortable for it to be undertaken.
“He is supportive of us getting on and doing it.
“He’s doing as a responsible landowner should be doing – cooperating and communicating with the local community and the statutory bodies.”
The deer will now be encouraged to leave the village to be culled away from people’s homes.
However not everyone is happy with the plans.
Retired railway conductor, Patrick Burns, 68, regularly enjoys seeing deer in his garden.
He said: “I have named two of them Rudolph and Randolph. I open my curtains and there’ll be a great big stag or two, grazing. They come down regularly.
“I don’t think they should be culled. They have been around longer than we have. It’s their land. They are animals and should be free to roam wherever they want.”