Temporary Control Zone
The Scottish Government has announced a Temporary Control Zone around the affected holdings in Dumfries and Galloway and some parts of Ayrshire, introducing movement restrictions for susceptible animals within the zone.
Livestock keepers within or close to the affected area should check the Scottish Government Temporary Control Zone announcement and latest guidance for details of the area covered and the movement requirements that apply.
NFU Scotland is continuing to engage with the Scottish Government on the operation of the zone and its impact on affected members. We will keep members updated as the situation develops.
The BTV-3 situation is developing and
movement requirements may change at short notice. Livestock keepers should
always check the latest Scottish Government guidance before moving
animals and treat this as the definitive source for current requirements. The
information below reflects the position at the time of publication.
The Bluetongue Virus (BTV-3) situation in
south-west England continues to develop, with the number of cases and the
associated risk of disease spread increasing. As a result, the risk linked to
movements of Bluetongue-susceptible animals from England, Wales,
Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man into Scotland has also
increased.
To protect Scotland's livestock sector from the
growing threat of disease introduction, the Scottish Government is introducing
changes to the rules governing animal movements into Scotland. These changes
will also affect Scottish animals that leave Scotland to attend sales, shows or
other events before returning home.
Temporary Control Zone
The Scottish Government has announced a Temporary Control Zone around the affected holdings in Dumfries and Galloway and some parts of Ayrshire, introducing movement restrictions for susceptible animals within the zone.
Livestock keepers within or close to the affected area should check the Scottish Government Temporary Control Zone announcement and latest guidance for details of the area covered and the movement requirements that apply.
NFU Scotland is continuing to engage with the Scottish Government on the operation of the zone and its impact on affected members. We will keep members updated as the situation develops.
Changes to Return Movements into Scotland
End of the Four-Day Exemption
From 18 August 2026, keepers are
being asked on a voluntary basis to restrict the time Bluetongue-susceptible
animals spend outside Scotland to:
- Within
daylight hours only, unless the animals are cattle that have been
fully vaccinated with the Bultavo-3 vaccine.
This requirement will become mandatory
from 22 August 2026.
Animals that do not return to
Scotland on the same day will only be permitted to return
if they have undergone a pre-movement Bluetongue test on the holding they
visited outside Scotland, unless they are fully vaccinated cattle covered by
the exemption.
More specifically, animals going into a
gathering in a bluetongue control zone can only qualify for the “same-day”
testing exemption if they are unloaded after sunrise and loaded before sunset,
The travel to and from the gathering must be direct from/to Scotland.
The aim of this measure is to significantly
reduce the risk of animals becoming infected while outside Scotland.
Bluetongue is spread by biting midges, which
are most active at dawn and dusk. By limiting the length of time animals spend
in a bluetongue zone during these times, the risk of exposure to infected
midges can be reduced.
The measure will limit how far animals can
travel south of the border, reducing the likelihood of infection.
New Arrangements from 10 September 2026
The Scottish Government has also reviewed the
current controls that are due to expire on 9 September 2026.
Given the continued disease risk, combined with
unseasonably warm temperatures that favour midge activity, Government has
decided that additional protections remain necessary beyond
that date.
Vaccination Requirement for Animals Moving to
Scotland
From 10 September 2026, all
Bluetongue-susceptible animals entering Scotland to live from:
must be fully
vaccinated using any authorised BTV-3 vaccine.
Scottish animals attending shows and sales
south or the border will continue to be exempt as long as they are
only present at the show/sale during daylight hours.
Changes to Pre-Movement Testing Requirements
The current requirement for routine
pre-movement testing will be removed for most animals after 9 September,
relying instead on vaccination.
However, bulls intended for
breeding and pregnant cattle will continue to require
pre-movement testing because of the higher level of risk associated with these
categories of livestock.
- As
has been the case throughout the 2025 low-risk period,
these additional safeguards recognise the risk of disease
overwintering through breeding animals.
- Bulls
intended for breeding and pregnant female cattle fully vaccinated using
the Bultavo-3 vaccine will continue to be exempt from pre-movement testing
requirements.
- For
pregnant female cattle, the exemption from testing applies only
where the full vaccination course with Bultavo-3 was completed
at least 21 days before pregnancy began.
Vaccination, alongside careful sourcing of
stock, is vital to protecting your stock and Scotland’s disease status. It is
strongly recommended that livestock keepers consider vaccination and
seek advice from their vet and exercise caution when purchasing new
stock, paying close attention to where stock are coming from and
their vaccination status. If you are considering vaccination it is
important that you order the vaccine now to help manufacturers understand and
manage demand,
NFU Scotland is
continuing to engage on behalf of livestock keepers as the situation develops,
seeking practical arrangements that protect Scotland’s livestock while allowing
essential movements to continue. We will keep members informed of significant developments.