Red deer research on Rum
One of the primary purposes of the purchase of Rum by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1958 was to use the island as an outdoor laboratory where it was possible to conduct long-term ecological studies. In particular it was intended to use Rum for studies of the ecology of red deer, and research on the island’s population started immediately after its purchase and has continued since then. 
Red deer research on Rum has provided the basis for much of our understanding of the ecology and biology of Scottish red deer populations and has been widely used in the development of management regimes for red deer populations throughout Europe.
Research has been conducted on red deer on the Isle of Rum since 1958. Since 1972, research led by TH Clutton-Brock (Zoology, Cambridge) and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has addressed wide range of questions using information collected on the red deer in the North Block, or Kilmory region, of Rum concerning the behaviour, population dynamics and the causes of individual variation in reproductive success in both sexes. By agreement with the Nature Conservancy Council, the annual cull of the North Block was terminated to allow investigation of the population dynamics of naturally regulated populations and to permit the animals to become habituated to close observation.
In 1984, an associated project on the genetics of the North Block population was initiated by JM Pemberton (IEB, Edinburgh). For more than 20 years blood or tissue samples have been collected for over 80% of calves born in the North Block and used to investigate the distribution of paternity and the fitness consequences of genetic variation.
The Kilmory red deer research project
A full-time field researcher is based in Kilmory, and can recognise every deer in the population using natural and artificial markings.
This identification process allows us to monitor the behaviour, movement and reproduction of individual red deer from birth through to death. Our database currently contains information for over 3,500 individually recognisable red deer observed in the Kilmory or North Block study area since 1971.
The North Block red deer population is monitored year round by the full-time field assistant: population censuses are taken five times a month and mortality searches are conducted throughout winter. A great deal of information is also collected during the two main reproductive events in the deer year: calving (late May to June) and rutting (mid-September to mid-November).
During the calving period, a team of research volunteers work with Kilmory’s full-time field assistant to closely monitor pregnant females. 
Most calves born each year are caught within a few days of birth, and are marked for future identification, weighed, and tissue samples taken for later genetic analysis.
During the mating season (or rut), adult males compete for access to harems of females. Daily rut censuses are carried across these two months. The identities of the females in each male’s harem are recorded, and the outcome of fights and challenges between males are also monitored.
More information & contacts
The Rum red deer research project has involved more than 30 scientists based at Cambridge and other universities and institutes, and has generated over 100 scientific papers and several books. Information on the research findings (including the details of the scientific papers published on this population) of the Rum red deer project can be found on: www.zoo.cam.ac.uk.
The project frequently requires volunteers to help with data collection, particularly during the calving season (May – July). Anyone interested in volunteering should write to the full-time field assistant for the North Block red deer study, Alison Donald, at Red Deer Research Project, Kilmory, Isle of Rum, PH43 4RR, enclosing their CV and the contact details for two referees.
Text © Alison Donald / Cambridge University
Deer stalking
One of the few enterprises on Rum is run by Derek Thompson who takes clients deer stalking. Derek is highly experienced and knows the island and its deer population intimately, leading guest stalkers to ideal locations. There is a program of reducing red deer levels on the island and Derek fits into this regime in a thoughtful, enterprising and sensitive way.
Email Derek for further information: derekt@islerum.fsnet.co.uk
images © Alison Donald, Laurie Campbell and George Logan
