Sites In Scotland Research Articles

Hunting habitat selection by hen harriers on moorland: Implications for conservation management

We examine habitat use by hunting hen harriers Circus cyaneus at three study sites in Scotland to evaluate whether foraging patterns differ between sexes, sites, and stages of the breeding period. We modelled time spent hunting in focal plots as a function of habitat and nest proximity. Male hunting intensity (time spent hunting per hour of observation and km 2) varied between sites and breeding periods, being lower during the nestling than the incubation period. Habitat use patterns were mostly consistent among study sites, which is important for developing species management recommendations applicable over the species’ range. Males avoided improved grassland, and selected areas of mixed heather and rough grass (with an optimum at ca. 50% heather cover). The effect of nest proximity was small. In contrast, females hunted mainly within 300–500 m of the nest, with a small additive effect of vegetation cover, areas of fragmented heather being preferred. Habitat management to benefit foraging harriers will involve creating (or maintaining) mosaics of heather/grassland around nest areas. Additionally, it might be possible to manipulate habitat to reduce conflict in areas where harrier predation on red grouse is important by segregating areas holding highest grouse densities (with high heather cover) from those favoured for harrier foraging (heather–grass mosaics). However, it would be necessary to test whether these manipulations might also influence harrier nest distribution, an effect which could negate any benefits from this strategy.

Decline in atmospheric mercury deposition in London

Bulk atmospheric deposition samples were continuously collected using a standard IVL-type mercury (Hg) bulk deposition collector from January 1999 to December 2005 in order to monitor Hg deposition in London. The volume-weighted annual Hg concentrations in deposition gradually declined from 76.0 ng L(-1) in 1999 to 43.8 ng L(-1) in 2005. Correspondingly, Hg fluxes in deposition declined from 45.3 microg m(-2) yr(-1) in 1999 to 15.0 microg m(-2) yr(-1) in 2005. However, this decline in Hg deposition does not agree with trends in UK Hg emissions which are relatively stable over the sampling period. Comparison with contemporaneous data collected at Lochnagar, a remote site in Scotland, suggests that the high Hg concentrations in London deposition are likely to be due to local or regional sources. Surface sediments taken from lakes across London show that the environment has been heavily contaminated by Hg and suggest that Hg re-emission from depositional sinks (e.g. soils, water bodies) may be an important source to London's atmosphere, thereby delaying response to the major reductions in direct emissions to the atmosphere since the 1970s.

Economic determinants of biodiversity change over a 400‐year period in the Scottish uplands

Summary Economic forces are recognized as an important driving factor behind current biodiversity losses. This study investigates whether such factors have been important in determining one measure of biodiversity change over the ‘long run’– in our case, 400 years – for upland sites in Scotland. A combination of palaeoecological, historical and economic methods is used to construct and then analyse a database of factors contributing to changes in plant diversity over time for 11 upland sites. Using an instrumental variables panel model, we find livestock prices, our proxy for grazing pressure, to be a statistically significant determinant of diversity change, with higher grazing pressures resulting in lower diversity values on average, although site abandonment is also found to result in a fall in plant diversity. Technological change, such as the introduction of new animal breeds, was not found to be a statistically significant determinant. Using later period data (post 1860) on livestock numbers at the parish (local) level, we were able to confirm the main result noted above (3) in terms of the effects of higher grazing pressures on plant diversity. Synthesis and applications. This study shows how data from very different disciplines can be combined to address questions relevant to contemporary conservation and understanding. This novel, interdisciplinary approach provides new insights into the role of economic factors as a driver of biodiversity loss in the uplands. Biodiversity levels have varied considerably over 400 years, partly as a function of land management, suggesting that establishing baselines or ‘natural’ target levels for biodiversity is likely to be problematic. Changes in livestock grazing pressures brought about by changes in prices had statistically significant effects on estimated plant diversity, as did land abandonment. This suggests that long‐term management of upland areas for the conservation of diversity should focus on grazing pressures as a key policy attribute. Another policy implication is that drastic cuts in grazing pressures – such as might occur under current reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy – can have adverse biodiversity consequences.

Emergence of cold water strawberry disease of rainbow trout Oncorynchus mykiss in England and Wales: outbreak investigations and transmission studies

Cold water strawberry disease (CWSD), or red mark syndrome (RMS), is a severe dermatitis affecting the rainbow trout Oncorynchus mykiss. The condition, which presents as multifocal, raised lesions on the flanks of affected fish, was first diagnosed in Scotland in 2003 and has since spread to England and Wales. Results of field investigations indicated the condition had an infectious aetiology, with outbreaks in England linked to movements of live fish from affected sites in Scotland. Transmission trials confirmed these results, with 11 of 149 and 106 of 159 naive rainbow trout displaying CWSD-characteristic lesions 104 to 106 d after being cohabited with CWSD-affected fish from 2 farms (Farm B from England and Farm C from Wales, respectively). The condition apparently has a long latency, with the first characteristic lesions in the previously naive fish not definitively observed until 65 d (650 day-degrees) post-contact with affected fish. Affected fish from both outbreak investigations and the infection trial were examined for the presence of viruses, oomycetes, parasites and bacteria using a combination of techniques and methodologies (including culture-independent cloning of PCR-amplified bacterial 16S rRNA genes from lesions), with no potentially causative infectious agent consistently identified. The majority of the cloned phylotypes from both lesion and negative control skin samples were assigned to Acidovorax-like beta-Proteobacteria and Methylobacterium-like alpha-Proteobacteria.

A habitat suitability model for the narrow‐headed ant, Formica exsecta, evaluated against independent data

Abstract. Predictive models are frequently used to assist forecasts of species’ distributions. For rare species, this approach can provide insights into habitat utilisation and potential habitat suitability that can assist conservation action. However the technique has seldom been used for invertebrates. A habitat suitability model was constructed for the rare ant, Formica exsecta, at Glenmore, a pinewood site in Scotland that contains a significant proportion of the UK population of this species. A range of botanical and environmental variables were surveyed within cells in a grid structure. The model successfully re‐classified 87% of cells according to the presence/absence of ant nests. When subject to a jackknife procedure, 70% of cells were successfully re‐classified and the median predicted probability of presence in occupied cells was significantly greater than in unoccupied cells. The model was further evaluated against three independent datasets with rates for successful predictions of 70%, 62.5% and 25%. The performance declined with increased distance from the area from which calibration data were collected. We conclude that caution is required when a model is validated purely by reference to the data from which it was constructed and not against independent data. However, the process can provide useful insights into habitat suitability for rare invertebrates that can assist rapid assessment of potential ranges for conservation measures such as restoration of populations.

Associations between fungal and abiotic leaf spotting and the presence of mlo alleles in barley

The hypothesis that the increased use of the powdery mildew‐resistance gene mlo has caused the increase in spotting diseases of barley over the past 20 years was tested in field trials. Near‐isogenic lines with alleles of the Mlo gene for susceptibility or resistance to mildew in two parental backgrounds were trialled at four sites in Scotland and two in Ireland that were prone to spotting diseases, over 3 consecutive years. Mildew was controlled by sprays with quinoxyfen. Disease levels were low in the trials, the two most important diseases being scald caused by Rhynchosporium secalis and ramularia leaf spot caused by Ramularia collo‐cygni. There were high levels of abiotic spotting. Lines with mutant mlo alleles consistently developed less Rh. secalis and Ra. collo‐cygni, but more abiotic spots. This study indicates that the mlo mildew‐resistance gene has not alone been responsible for the rise in spotting diseases over the past 20 years. Possible reasons for the rise are discussed, including the interaction of the mlo gene with the environment.

Projecting Climate Change Impacts on Mountain Snow Cover in Central Scotland from Historical Patterns

ABSTRACTCumulative days of seasonal snow cover at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, a mountain site in Scotland, are related to altitude, temperature, and precipitation using a 45-year record from a nearby climate station. Multiple linear regression is used to model interannual variation in snow cover duration as a function of winter mean daily temperature and monthly precipitation. Snow cover duration is closely linked to temperature, while precipitation contributes a positive effect among winters of similar temperature mode. Snow cover duration at mid to upper altitudes (600–900 m) responds most strongly to variation in mean daily temperature. A 1 °C rise in temperature at the station corresponds to a 15-day reduction in snow cover at 130 m and a 33-day reduction at 750 m. The empirical relationship is applied to climate change scenarios from the HadRM3 regional climate model. Under a ‘low’ greenhouse gas emissions scenario, snow cover in the 2050s is projected to be reduced by 93% at 130 m, 43% at 600 m and 21% at 1060 m, while under a ‘high’ emissions scenario these reductions are projected to be 100%, 68%, and 32%, respectively. The potential impact of snow cover reduction on snow-dependent vegetation is modeled. The results suggest a future decline in climax vegetation of international conservation importance.

Positive Planning for Wind-Turbines in an Urban Context

An international concern with climate change has prompted a political commitment to the use of renewable energies. Yet, the operationalization and management of this political objective may be frustrated at the local level, where, it is suggested, an implementation impasse exists. This paper reports on a case study that examines the planning issues around the harvesting of wind at an urban brownfield site in Scotland. The paper discusses the nature of the state–market–civil relations involved in the development management of private wind-energy infrastructure, and the potential for a positive mediating role for the planning system.

Controlling working time in the ward and on the line

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to assess whether tele‐nursing in Scotland (NHS24), when compared with traditional face‐to‐face nursing, facilitates greater employee control over working time and therefore a potentially better work‐life balance.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on evidence from two independent research projects; a survey of 64 ward nurses and midwives, which involved face‐to‐face interviews; and a field study of tele‐nursing in a large site in Scotland, using interviews and observations of 15 nurse advisors or tele‐nurses.FindingsThree elements of work organisation are central in shaping nurses' working hours and their control over the balance between their work and their home life: the management of working hours; the degree of mutual dependency of nurses within teams; and the nature of patient care.Research limitations/implicationsThe two pieces of research reported offer a strong basis for comparative study. However, the two projects were designed independently, though research questions overlapped and one researcher conducted the field work in both settings; there is an imbalance in the number of interviews conducted in each setting; and the nurse advisor interviewees are of the same clinical grade, whereas a variety of grades and clinical areas are represented among the hospital nurse interviewees.Originality/valueThis is the first study of work‐life balance amongst tele‐nurses. The research demonstrates that call centre work has rationalised, depersonalised and yet enabled more “control” by nurses over their work‐life balance, while paradoxically offering less autonomy in their task environment. In conventional work settings professional values make it difficult for nurses to disengage from the workplace.

Dose distribution measurements and calculations for Dounreay hot particles

Discrete fragments of irradiated nuclear fuel have been discovered on the foreshore at the Dounreay nuclear site in Scotland, offshore on the seabed and at nearby beaches which have public access. The fragments contain mainly (137)Cs and (90)Sr/(90)Y and for particles recovered to date, (137)Cs activities are within the range of 10(3) to 10(8) Bq. The most active particles found at Sandside Beach contain approximately 3 x 10(5)Bq (137)Cs. Direct measurements of the spatial dose distributions from 37 fuel fragments were measured in detail for the first time using radiochromic dye film as part of a national evaluation of the associated potential radiological hazard. Monte Carlo code calculations of the doses are in good agreement with measurements, taking into account variations to be expected due to differences in shape and the increasing importance of self-absorption for the larger, more active fragments. Dose measurements provide little evidence for wide variations in the (137)Cs:(90)Sr/(90)Y ratio between fragments. Specific attention is given to the evaluation of skin dose, averaged over an area of 1 cm(2) at a depth of 0.07 mm, since this is of major radiological concern. There is no obvious dependence of skin dose on the site of origin of the fragments (foreshore, seabed or beaches) for a given (137)Cs activity level. A dose rate survey instrument (SmartION) was shown to provide a rapid and convenient method for skin dose assessment from fuel fragments in the (137)Cs activity range measured (2 x 10(5) to 2 x 10(7) Bq). A conversion factor multiplier of 240 can be applied to the open window SmartION scale reading to estimate the skin dose rate within +/-25%.

Pathogenicity of Marssonina betulae on Betula pendula and Betula pubescens

Studies were undertaken to investigate whether Marssonina betulae is a causal agent of dieback of young birch in Scotland. Marssonina betulae was inoculated onto shoots of B. pendula and B. pubescens and symptoms monitored over several seasons. On B. pendula, but not B. pubescens, lesions developed on young shoots which often girdled to cause dieback, and secondary, sunken cankers developed on main stems. These cankers expanded during subsequent seasons, and often coalesced, girdling stems to cause death of some seedlings. A survey of 900 trees at nine planting sites in Scotland found that 50% of B. pendula and 17% of B. pubescens had M. betulae foliar infections, and that 82% of these infected trees also had sunken cankers on shoots and stems. This study has shown that M. betulae is an aggressive pathogen on B. pendula, causing sunken stem cankers and progressive crown dieback which are symptoms commonly observed on young, planted birch in Scotland.

The fate of released captive-reared grey partridges Perdix perdix: implications for reintroduction programmes

We investigated the potential for released captive-reared grey partridges Perdix perdix to restock regions from which the species has disappeared. Birds were released at two sites in Scotland (not concurrently) from 1997 to 2003 and monitored via spring and autumn counts, night-time surveys and radio-telemetry. Some wild female partridges were caught and radio-tagged each spring for comparison with reared females. The survival rate of 520 captive-reared birds released in autumn until the following spring was poor (around 10% overall) and was not significantly different for radio-tagged and visibly-marked birds. Carrying a radiotag did not alter the body condition of the birds. The breeding-season survival rate of released hens averaged 30% and was not significantly different to that of 44% for wild hens. However, the power to detect significant differences was low due to the small number of survivors. The major cause of mortality throughout was predation (82 and 55% of losses at the two sites), with red foxes Vulpes vulpes and raptors being the most significant predators. Reared partridges at the study site with legal predator control had higher survival rates than those at the other site, but this was not true for wild hens as raptor predation compensated for declining mammalian predation rates (19% of deaths were due to raptors at the site without predator control, 56% at the site with predator control). We suggest that the vulnerability to predation of reared birds was most likely due to inappropriate antipredator behaviour or an increased risk of predation near to release pens. Of the partridges that survived long enough to breed, three times more wild hens reached incubation than reared hens. No reared hens raised chicks in their first breeding season whilst the only hen that survived long enough to breed in her second year raised 14 young. Captive-reared grey partridges could not be used to increase the species' range unless 1) the number surviving their first year increased, 2) the higher breeding rate of two-year-old females suggested here was ubiquitous, and unless 3) appropriate management was in place first. Methods for improving the success of releases are discussed.

Clustering of parasites within cages on Scottish and Norwegian salmon farms: Alternative sampling strategies illustrated using simulation

Within the literature, most discussion of sampling protocols for monitoring aquatic parasites is based on the assumptions of simple random sampling. Recent research has shown that in monitoring parasite abundance on fish farms composed of discrete cages, care must be taken to properly account for the clustering which naturally occurs. This paper illustrates the effect of clustering in the context of monitoring ectoparasitic sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus in salmon farms. The degree of clustering of sea lice infections in fish within cages is measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). A wide range of ICC values from sites in Scotland and Norway were estimated for the chalimus and mobile stages of L. salmonis, and for C. elongatus mobiles. The analyses indicate that significant clustering of lice infections within cages occurs across lice species and stages on both Scottish and Norwegian farms. A Monte-Carlo simulation using two sets of data from Scottish farms with ICC values for adult L. salmonis of 0.35 [0.08–0.73, 95% CI] and for adult C. elongatus of 0.39 [0.16–0.69, 95% CI] were used to illustrate the implications of clustering. The protocols simulated reflect those typically used across a range of countries and production environments in which salmon are currently reared. The findings demonstrate that the “few fish from many cages” approach results in a marked improvement in precision when sampling aquatic one-host parasites in cage-based production systems.

Habitat associations of two entomopathogenic nematodes: a quantitative study using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reactions

1. Despite nematodes being the most abundant animals on earth, very few animal ecologists study them, probably because of the difficulties of identifying them to species by morphological methods. 2. A group of nematodes that are important both ecologically and economically is the entomopathogenic nematodes, which play a key role in regulating soil food webs and are sold throughout the world as biological insecticides, yet for which very little is known of their population ecology. 3. A novel detection and quantification method was developed for soil nematodes using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the technique was used to estimate numbers of two closely related species of entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema kraussei and S. affine in 50 soil samples from 10 sites in Scotland representing two distinct habitats (woodland and grassland). 4. There was a high degree of correlation between our molecular and traditional morphological estimates of population size and our data clearly showed that Steinernema affine occurred only in grassland areas, whereas S. kraussei was found in grassland and woodland samples to a similar degree. 5. Real-time PCR offers a rapid and accurate method of detecting individual nematode species from soil samples without the need for a specialist taxonomist, and has much potential for use in studies of nematode population ecology.

19th century woodland structure controls stand‐scale epiphyte diversity in present‐day Scotland

ABSTRACTAxioms developed from island biogeography theory (i.e. species–area relationships, effects of fragmentation and isolation) are central to the development of conservation strategy. Within this context, the ‘extinction debt’ hypothesis brings into question an often assumed relationship between species richness and present‐day spatial habitat structure (i.e. extent, fragmentation), suggesting instead that the richness and composition of biological communities may lag behind spatial changes in habitat. We examined evidence for an extinction debt among epiphytic lichens, a highly diverse biological group of significant conservation concern. Using sites in Scotland, we compared epiphyte species richness in smaller‐scale habitat units (aspen stands) to larger‐scale woodland structure (extent and fragmentation) measured at two spatial scales (1 km2and 4 km2) and for two timeframes, modern (1990s to 2000s) and historic (1860s to 1880s). Species richness was positively related to woodland extent and negatively related to woodland fragmentation; however, richness was explained better by historic woodland structure at a 1‐km2scale, than by modern woodland structure. The results indicate: (1) a coupling of stand‐scale epiphyte assembly and dynamics of the wider woodland ecosystem, and (2) a significant lag in the response of epiphyte species richness to habitat spatial structure. However, the effect of spatial habitat structure is different between species groups with contrasting traits. The effect of decreasing woodland extent on epiphyte richness is generally more severe for microlichens (comprising a greater number of rare and specialist species) than the more generalist macrolichens.

Getting strategic about environment and health

ML. Risk of congenital anomalies associated with residence near landfill sites. Environ Health Perspectives 2005;113:1362–5. 3. Sharp L, Black RJ, Harkness EF, McKinney PA. Incidence of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the vicinity of nuclear sites in Scotland, 1968–93. Occup Environ Med 1996;53:823–31. 4. Commission of the European Communities. A European Environment and Health Strategy. Communication from the Commission to the Council the European Parliament, and the European Economic and Social Committee. http://europa. eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2003/com2003_0338en01.pdf [COM (2003) 338 final]. 2003. 5. Lyons RA, Temple JMF, Evans D, Fone DL, Palmer SR. Acute health effects of the Sea Empress oil spill. J Epidemiol Community Health 1999;53:306–10. 6. Marmot MG. Improvement of social environment to improve health. Lancet 1998;351:57–60. 7. Pickett KE, Pearl M. Multilevel analyses of neighbourhood socioeconomic context and health outcomes: a critical review. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55:111–22. 8. Macintyre S, Ellaway A, Cummins S. Place effects on health: how can we conceptualise, operationalise and measure them? Soc Sci Med 2002;55:125–139. 9. Macintyre S, Ellaway A. Neighborhoods and health: an overview. In: Kawachi I, Berkman L, editors. Neighborhoods and health. New York: Oxford University Press; 2003. p. 20–42. 10. Goldstein H. Multilevel statistical models, 3rd ed. Edward Arnold: London; 2003. 11. Cummins S, Macintyre S, Davidson S, Ellaway A. Measuring neighbourhood social and material context: generation and interpretation of ecological data from routine and nonroutine sources. Health Place 2005;11:249–60. 12. Stafford M, Bartley M, Sacker A, Marmot M. Measuring the social environment: social cohesion and material deprivation in English and Scottish neighbourhoods. Env Plan A 2003;35:1459–75. 13. Weich S, Burton E, Blanchard M, Prince M, Sproston K, Erens B. Measuring the built environment: validity of a site survey instrument for use in urban settings. Health & Place 2001:283–92. 14. Dunstan FD, Weaver N, Araya R, et al. An observation tool to assist with the assessment of urban residential environments. J Environ Psychol 2005;25:293–305. [15]. Araya R, Dunstan F, Playle R, Thomas H, Palmer S, Lewis G. Perceptions of social capital and the built environment and mental health. Soc Sci Med 2006;62(12): 3072–83. 16. Fone DL, Dunstan FD. Mental health, places and people: a multilevel analysis of economic inactivity and social deprivation. Health Place 2006;12:332–44.

The effects of autumn testosterone on survival and productivity in red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus

There are costs and benefits to individuals of having high levels of circulating testosterone, and the costs can be particularly apparent outside the breeding season. Unlike many birds, red grouse have high testosterone levels in autumn and in this study we explored the consequences of variation in autumn testosterone levels, in terms of survival and breeding success. We caught 123 male grouse in September, from six sites in Scotland and England, U.K. Grouse were given either testosterone or control implants, then fitted with radiotransmitters and released. Control males tended to survive better, but the difference was not statistically significant. During the first 3 months, cause of mortality varied with treatment, with birds of prey killing only testosterone-implanted birds. In spring, females paired with testosterone-implanted males had larger combs (sexual ornaments) than those with controls, suggesting that they might have been better-quality individuals. Testosterone-implanted birds were more likely to be paired and to be bigamous, and each bird alive in spring produced on average 2.5 more offspring than control birds. The benefits of investing in elevated levels of testosterone are clearly high for those males that survive the winter. However, these benefits are reduced by overwinter mortality and the reproductive success of all males alive at the start of the experiment did not vary statistically with treatment. We discuss the longer-term consequences of high testosterone levels, which are likely to be very different to short-term ones.

WEB TRAWL

This month's web trawl examines three very different web sites that give information on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. http://www.dsdcengland.org.uk This is a communal web site for England's eight Dementia Service Development Centres (DSDCs), which provide services and information about dementia for a defined geographical area. From the home page, the user may access pages for each of the eight centres (each page contains a statement pertaining to the work of the centre, along with contact details). Links are also provided to a series of pages giving details of research projects undertaken by the various DSDCs, seminars, and other similar events. It does appear some time however since these pages were updated, and some of the information, particularly with regard to the seminars is out of date. Although the web site covers the eight English DSDCs, there are also links provided to the equivalent web sites in Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland. Overall, the information provide on this web site is very specialised and would be largely of interest only to those who are providing services for the care of patients with dementia.

Use of sewage treatment works as foraging sites by insectivorous bats

AbstractSewage treatment works (STWs) with percolating filter beds are known to provide profitable foraging areas for insectivorous birds because of their association with high macroinvertebrate densities. Fly larvae developing on filter beds at STWs may similarly provide a valuable resource for foraging bats. Over the last two decades, however, there has been a decline in filter beds towards a system of ‘activated sludge’. Insects and bat activity were surveyed at 30 sites in Scotland using these two different types of sewage treatment in order to assess the possible implications of these changes for foraging bats. Bat activity (number of passes) recorded from broad‐band bat detectors was quantified at three points within each site. The biomass of aerial insects, sampled over the same period as the detector surveys, was measured using a suction trap. The biomass of insects and activity of Pipistrellus spp. were significantly higher at filter beds than at activated sludge sites. In addition, although foraging activity of Pipistrellus spp. at filter beds was comparable to that of adjacent ‘good’ foraging habitat, foraging at activated sludge sites was considerably lower. This study indicates the high potential value of an anthropogenic process to foraging bats, particularly in a landscape where their insect prey has undergone a marked decline, and suggests that the current preference for activated sludge systems is likely to reduce the value of treatment works as foraging sites for bats.

Religious studies in Scotland: A persistent tension with divinity

This article treats the history of the study of religions in Scotland as a chapter in the history of the academic study of religions in the UK and Continental Europe. After sketching traditions of ‘Scottish comparative religion’ from the late nineteenth century to the interwar period, the authors map out an institutional history of ‘Religious Studies’ as a distinctive disciplinary formation in Scotland since 1970. The emergence, consolidation and in some cases decline of this relatively new academic field are charted at the five main contemporary university sites in Scotland where religion, as a distinct subject, is taught: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and the Open University. In the cases of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the authors argue that ‘Religious Studies’ has had to fashion its niche in the context of the ecclesiastical authority enjoyed by Scottish Divinity faculties, resulting in an ongoing ‘tension’ between Religious Studies and Theology. The development of the subject at Stirling and the Open University underscores the historical alignment of Religious Studies with non-Presbyterian educational values in Scotland, whereas the persistence of Religious Studies in Schools of Divinity at the other Scottish universities may veil the traditionally ‘religionist’ stance of most scholars of religion working in these institutions.