They&#x27;re run as sporting estates because that&#x27;s the only way to monetise the area --- and they have to be monetised because the environment&#x27;s so wrecked (mostly by the deer) they need to be actively managed, which costs money.<p>It&#x27;s also worth pointing out that deer hunting in Scotland is a very, very different experience to deer hunting in America.<p>What happens in Scotland is that you get taken up into the hills by the gamekeeper, a specific animal is pointed out to you, and you shoot it with a high-powered telescopic rifle from a large distance. You pay very handsomely for this, and you don&#x27;t even get to keep the animal. You&#x27;re certainly not allowed to wander around on your own with a gun!