A licence for the annual guga hunt on a remote island has been refused by NatureScot. The guga hunt has been an annual tradition in Ness, north Lewis, since the 15th century, with ten men setting out for the rocky island of Sula Sgeir 40 miles away. At the conclusion of the meeting on Monday, NatureScot said: “We received a licence application from the Men of Ness for a 2026 guga hunt. “We have used the latest information available and commissioned an updated population model to help predict the effect of the guga hunt on the gannet population. “However, as long as the loophole in the law exists, there is a chance the guga hunt could be permitted again in the future.