Last month marked an end of an era for BASC Scotland when Donald Muir retired after 25 years of unbroken service to the association.
Donald’s career with BASC started in 1995, when he joined as a development officer in the Scotland office. In 2003, Donald became acting director Northern Ireland for a period of one year before returning to Scotland as the events and training officer – the role he has held ever since. Throughout his tenure he has made an instrumental contribution to the shooting community.
One of Donald’s most meritorious contributions is to wildfowling, where he sat on all seven of Scotland’s wildfowling management committees for 17 years. In that time, he helped extend the wildfowling jurisdiction at Caerlaverock, resisted calls to ban wildfowling at the Crook of Baldoon, helped the Eden estuary wildfowlers contend with a necessary area restriction and assisted with the introduction of non-lead shot across wetlands in Scotland. As a result, Donald Muir is renowned in Scotland as the voice of wildfowling, and is respected and valued by wildfowlers across the country.
Elsewhere, Donald has made a momentous contribution to the delivery of deer stalking training. Since becoming an assessor 17 years ago, Donald has put around 1600 people through the deer stalking certificate level one. He has also delivered training to external bodies.
Additionally, Donald has played an instrumental role in the delivery of young shot activities and the organising of ladies’ shooting events. Highlights include helping to establish the Scottish Ladies Shooting Club in 2013 and running the first series of young shot residential courses in Scotland. Donald’s varied and wide-ranging work has resulted in him becoming one of Scotland’s most well-known members of the shooting community.
Speaking on Donald’s final day, BASC Scotland Director, Dr Colin Shedden, said: “Donald has been an outstanding ambassador for shooting in Scotland. His contributions over a quarter of a century speak for themselves, and it goes without saying that he will be greatly missed.
“We are all pleased that Donald will not be disappearing completely – he will continue to provide some of BASC’s training courses in Scotland on a freelance basis. We wish Donald every success as he retires from his full-time role.”
