Saturday will be the final “Glorious 12th” – the official start of the grouse-shooting season – before a new Scottish law brings in a licensing scheme and regulations for the country sport.
Landowners say the tradition, one of the busiest days of the shooting season, is at risk from the “excessive” legislation going through Holyrood.
The Scottish Government wants to minimise the impact of grouse moors, which campaigners say are causing environmental damage.
The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill was introduced at the Scottish Parliament earlier this year, seeking to implement many recommendations of the Werritty review in December 2019.
That report called for widespread changes to grouse moor management and the regulation of traps in Scotland.
Scottish Land & Estates said the game and country sports sector is worth more than £350 million to the economy, supporting 11,000 jobs.
Its director of moorland, Ross Ewing, said: “Sustainable grouse moor management provides a huge boost to the economy, bringing visitors to rural areas from August to December and providing revenue which underpins rural jobs year-round.
“The licensing scheme proposed by the Scottish government is excessively disproportionate, allowing NatureScot to suspend a licence if an official investigation is initiated and, crucially, without being satisfied that any relevant offence has been committed.
“We would urge the Scottish Government to amend the legislation, before it has an impact on jobs and the rural economy.”
He argued that grouse moors provide environmental benefits through carbon capture, peatland restoration and wildfire prevention.
Mr Ewing continued: “Sustainable grouse moor management provides remarkable conservation benefits, particularly for ground-nesting birds, birds of prey, rare moorland plants and pollinators.
“The uplands are home to specialist species that benefit enormously from land management for red grouse.”
Meanwhile, the climate campaigners Extinction Rebellion said they would hold a protest on the “inglorious twelfth” at Dundee Airport.
The group said the airport is near several large hunting estates which shooters will be flying in to visit.
It said grouse moor management brings “huge environmental costs” including the burning of heather and the culling of other species.
