Land management has been carried out for centuries, producing upland landscapes that offer rich biodiversity and favourable habitats for an abundance of wildlife. My knowledge has increased somewhat over time and all the keepers working the moors today have a far greater skill set of how to conserve the environment…
Shooting in Scotland
Best shooting weekend getaways in England and Wales
Sporting hotels: Looking for a good sporting hotel? Here is a list of the best.
Under the coverts with Alex Hogg, Chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association
SG: Firstly, many congratulations on your MBE. How does it feel to have those three letters after your name, Alex Hogg? Alex Hogg: I feel very proud to have been given the MBE but, at the same time, very humbled. This has been a huge team effort from all the…
What will the Scottish stalking season be like this year?
Usually at this time of year everyone involved in deer stalking in Scotland – ghillies, agents and guides – would be gearing up for the season ahead. However, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, recreational stalking and sporting tourism have been hit hard. Scottish National Heritage (SNH) has ruled: “… Unaccompanied…
General licences restricted on Leadhills Estate following wildlife crime
In the past week Scottish Natural Heritage has announced that it is restricting the use of general licences on the Leadhills Estate in South Lanarkshire after evidence of wildlife crime against birds was provided by Police Scotland. Nick Halfhide, SNH’s Director of Sustainable Growth, explained: “There is clear evidence that…
Review of firearms licensing in Scotland drives call for improvements
HMICS has powers to look into the “state, effectiveness and efficiency” of both the Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). It said that while firearms licensing in Scotland has become more consistent since the formation of Police Scotland in 2013, there are still many areas requiring improvement. A…
Game sales are sky-rocketing
The popularity of game meat is rocketing, with sales in the UK rising by 8.6 per cent in the last year and some Scottish game dealers reporting a five-fold increase in demand for grouse. A new report by independent market researcher Mintel says that general UK sales now stand at…
It’s time to ban firearms decides ScotRail
BASC chairman Peter Glenser says: “ScotRail claims its Scotland’s railway but it is striking at the heart of rural businesses and communities that rely on the estimated £155million injected each year into the country’s economy by country sports tourism. BASC understands the ban comes as a result of a shotgun…
Scottish shooters condemn illegal killing of raptors
The shooting community has condemned the illegal killing of birds of prey after a new report into the disappearance of golden eagles provided strong evidence of raptor persecution over Scottish grouse moors. The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report followed the movements of 131 golden eagles between 2004 and 2016 and…
Scotland puts game-shoot licensing back on the table
Scottish fieldsports groups have expressed their dismay over the Scottish Parliament’s decision to explore the introduction of game-shoot licensing. Last month, the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee voted narrowly in favour of examining a possible licensing scheme to tackle wildlife crime in the country. And cabinet secretary Roseanna…
Hero gamekeepers dig through six feet of moorland to rescue lost spaniel
The dog’s owner, Karen da Rosa, was working her spaniel Jazz at a grouse shoot on Invermark Estate when Jazz disappeared without trace. After two prolonged searches of the vast area, head gamekeeper Garry MacLennan heard breathing at an opening and discovered Jazz had entered a pipe hole on the moor.…
Grouse counts now underway
Moorland estates across Scotland are gearing up for the start of the shooting season and are carrying out counts to gain an accurate measure for the season ahead. Given the long winter and wet summer months breeding conditions have been less favourable on many estates. However, thanks to perseverance and…
Scottish roe review 2015
There are two aspects of trophy roe from Scotland that remain consistent. The first is the overall numbers that are presented for evaluation; the second the locations whence they come. Last year proved to be no exception, with the eastern side of the country producing the pick of the trophies, and…
Five of the most popular clayshooting grounds in Scotland
Gleneagles Shooting School The name of Gleneagles is celebrated. Based on 850 acres of Perthshire countryside, Gleneagles is a world-renowned five-star estate and hotel. The estate is a dream destination for the countrysports enthusiast, offering fieldsports including falconry, fishing, gundog training and clayshooting (which is run by the Gleneagles Shooting…
Nine of the UK’s top game restaurants
London Rules Just around the corner from Covent Garden, London’s oldest restaurant, which opened in 1798, is the place to go if you have a budget to throw out of the window and an appetite for game to satisfy. With links to an estate in the Pennines, where staff go to…
Gameshooting in the UK – a guide
Find game shooting in the UK! This guide is here to help you find available game shooting around the country. Counties listed alphabetically.
Drumlanrig: Partridge shooting in Dumfriesshire
It’s hard to know exactly what the grandees of shooting in the late Victorian and Edwardian era would make of the Whirlpool drive at Drumlanrig, or the Bothy for that matter. At the Whirlwind the guns are warned beforehand by unflappable Drumlanrig shoot host John Duncan and irrepressible headkeeper Rab…
Roxburghe Hotel Kelso review
I can’t resist humming the theme from Mike Hodge’s Get Carter whenever I head north on the East Coast Mainline. When I make the journey, sometimes with a shotgun in the guard’s van (not for use in retribution for my brother’s murder, of course), I travel full of curiosity for…
Partridge and pheasant shooting at Bowhill, Scottish Borders
Shortly before the first drive started, a sparrowhawk emerged from the highest cluster of oak trees and twinkled her wings in the bright sunlight. Against a cloudless blue sky, the little hunter passed directly over my head at a fantastic height, pausing once to wheel and turn before vanishing behind…
Partridge & pheasant shooting at Bandirran Estate, Perthshire
From the moment of arrival at the converted mill, which is now the shoot room at Bandirran Estate, a sense of calm confidence pervades the air. This estate, which is owned by the Lowson family, has no need to worry about the quality of the sport it offers because it…