Locking antlers: A ‘levels of conflict’ analysis of upland deer management in the Scottish Highlands

Conflicts over the use and management of rural land, wildlife and other natural resources tend to involve multiple layers of contention, beyond the issues that are most readily observable. We illustrate this in the case of upland deer management in the Scottish Highlands, which has been the subject of fierce debate for many years. Drawing on the perspectives of a wide range of stakeholders and applying an adapted ‘levels of conflict’ framework, we show that whilst the superficial manifestation of this dispute concerns deer numbers, their impacts and methods of management, beneath this sit underlying factors of historical controversy, blame and mistrust between parties as well as tensions around the individual and collective identities of stakeholders in a changing rural landscape. The framework acts as a useful tool that reconfirms the complexities of this case whilst allowing them to be more easily understood, providing a fresh insight into this long-running issue.