Islanders in South Uist vote against mass deer cull

Islanders in South Uist have voted against removing all the red deer from a 93,000-acre community-owned estate.

Some residents of South Uist Estate had raised concerns about Lyme disease, which can be spread to humans from parasitic ticks carried by deer.

The animals have also been blamed for damaging grazing land and gardens.

In a vote organised by Stòras Uibhist, which manages the estate, there were 140 votes in favour of a cull and 379 against.

• Why are large numbers of red deer being killed?

Stòras Uibhist's board believed eradicating all the estate's deer was unnecessary.

It said the population could be reduced through targeted culls.

But about 200 members of the community company signed a petition calling for the removal of all the estate's deer.

South Uist has among the worst rates of Lyme disease in the Western Isles.

Red deer are among animals that carry parasitic ticks which can become infected once they drop off and feed on other species.