The Hillphones service provides information to enable hillwalkers and climbers to find out where red deer stalking is taking place over the stag stalking season, between the 1st July and the 20th October, and to plan routes avoiding stalking operations.

From the 1st July recorded phone messages are regularly updated with some messages recorded daily and calls are charged at standard rates. Wherever possible, Hillphone messages contain a forecast of stalking activities for the next few days. It will help to have a map beside you when you call the Hillphone. This website provides information about the service, phone numbers and latest information can be found by clicking on the map on the left or on the latest information page.

The Hillphones service is organised by Scottish Natural Heritage and the participating estates, with support from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. The service aims to improve communication between deer stalkers and hillwalkers.

An alternative web based pilot service was also available for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Scottish Natural Heritage led the development of Heading for the Scottish Hills working in partnership with the National Access Forum stalking communications sub group. This covered some properties on the West coast and in the Cairngorms National Park, as well as several of the Hillphones estates. The website is a development of both the Hillphones service and the out of print Heading for the Scottish Hills book and was developed in response to requests from both land managers and walkers for an easy to use web resource that can be quickly updated.

Thanks to everybody who provided feedback through the online Heading for the Scottish Hills survey. We are using these comments as part of the review of Hillphones and Heading for the Scottish Hills and will update this page in due course.