Watch: The Scottish housing estate where deer have been filmed 'heading to the shops'

One member of a herd was filmed running across the road at Castlemilk Housing Estate this week. The video was posted on Instagram by the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), with the tagline: “Castlemilk, Glasgow’s newest resident…heading to the shops.”

Deer sightings and numbers in urban areas in Scotland have grown over the years as the population nationwide has expanded exponentially in recent decades. It means road accidents involving the mammals are also increasing, the SGA has previously warned.

The surge in deer numbers also means more are seen entering urban green spaces, domestic gardens, amenities and nature reserves around cities. These areas can be negatively impacted by heavy browsing, as with natural regeneration projects in rural areas.

The SGA, which represents professional deer managers, has previously called on the Scottish Government to support the group in a trial scheme aimed at managing deer around Central Belt cities.

The scheme would see an initial cull increase, taking pressure off roads and habitats in urban areas, before establishing a system that will introduce the venison, which the group said will be managed to meet welfare standards, to the food chain. 

The SGA said a modest sum from the Scottish Government and provision of a larder facility could help develop a system where Central Belt roe deer could be collected by an approved game meat handling establishment.

The group said there was presently an “under-utilised surfeit of trained deer managers numbering around 2,000 qualified individuals” that the Scottish Government could be making use of to bring more venison into the market.

The SGA-backed scheme has identified two potential sites around Glasgow as possible hub locations.

David Quarrell, an urban deer manager and member of the SGA Deer Group, said: “If you journey in your car around the major cities now, the chances are you will see roe deer.

“That wasn’t always the case. They are drawn to areas like roadside verges. There are more carriageway collisions, which means more insurance bills and a greater danger to public safety.

“It was inevitable because, for decades, there has been such little focus on these areas and no infrastructure. That now needs to be addressed and with a small amount of targeted investment, there could be a disproportionate benefit for people, biodiversity and for the deer themselves.”