The official start of the grouse shooting season is today and this "Glorious Twelfth" marks a new era on the moors.

The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act, passed earlier this year, will bring about decisive change in the Scottish uplands, most notably through the introduction of a licensing scheme for grouse moors.

It is without doubt the biggest change owners and managers of grouse moors have faced in decades. This matters because grouse shooting has major significance when it comes to people, jobs and nature in rural areas.

Be it through the provision of jobs or local spending, grouse moors consistently punch above their weight, with Scottish Government commissioned research suggesting they deliver more for rural economies and communities than other comparable land uses.

Grouse shooting itself is also revered by hunters the world over, with many travelling to Scotland for the privilege of partaking in what is considered a world-class country sport. In the course of doing so, many spend their money in rural hotels, restaurants and shops, providing a veritable boost to the rural economy as the summer tourism season draws to a close.

And their contribution to the preservation of vulnerable, rare and threatened species cannot be understated either. Peer-reviewed scientific research has shown that the Eurasian Curlew, a species on the brink across much of the UK, produce four times as many chicks on grouse moors compared with unmanaged moorland sites.

Why is that? The answer is grouse moor management – and specifically the work of gamekeepers to manage generalist predators (such as foxes, mustelids and corvids) and create good habitat (through muirburn, the controlled, rotational burning of heather).

While carried out primarily to produce a sustainable surplus of grouse to shoot, there is no question that other species materially benefit as a result, something the Scottish Government has recognised and wants to see sustained for years to come.

Like all walks of like, however, there are a small minority of people who have engaged in illegal activity in the course of managing grouse moors, predominantly through the killing of birds of prey. Also known as raptors, these avian predators have been known to take grouse and other ground-nesting birds.

While the prevalence of these crimes is thankfully at a historic low, these isolated - but unacceptable - incidents are the reason grouse moors are being licensed. While we do not accept that a licensing scheme was needed, grouse moor owners worked constructively with ministers, officials and the regulator, NatureScot, to try and make the scheme as workable as possible.

The licensing of grouse moors is significant and presents major change.  

Landowners and land managers will adapt to the new regime as they have done before. We should not doubt the resolve of these custodians of the countryside to deliver in spades for nature and rural communities through the management of Scotland’s grouse moors.

Despite the potential pitfalls of licensing - and a smaller than normal surplus of grouse to shoot this year (in part thanks to a very wet bird breeding season) - landowners remain committed to providing material benefits for people, jobs and nature.  Grouse shooting is a rural success story.  As we enter this new era, that is something to cherish and celebrate.

Ross Ewing is the Director of Moorland at Scottish Land and Estates - a membership organisation for landowners, rural businesses and rural professionals.

Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk