One of the many red deer hinds on the Isle of Rum.

The island of Rum was acquired by the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) in 1958. One of the primary purposes of the purchase 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.
(Courtesy of Isle of Rum Red Deer Project website)