Protesters confronted the Deer Commission on the estate

About 75 protesters confronted Deer Commission for Scotland staff over the operation at the Glenfeshie Estate.

They said hinds only weeks away from calving had been killed. The official season ends in mid February.

But the commission's David Balharry denied acting inhumanely and said it was complying with the law.

He said hinds were generally pregnant during the culling season.

"The only issue is the size of the foetus," he said.

Gamekeepers are angered by the cull

"That is a big issue, it is an emotional issue for the people doing it.

"Some people don't like doing it and I'm not sure any of the guys we work with like doing it either."

The commission has culled about 500 deer at the estate in recent weeks.

It said the animalsr feed on native woodland which estates are trying to regenerate.

However, a spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers' Association said that erecting more fences offered one very simple solution to that problem.