Field Sports
‘The story of a very poor grouse season this year is one being repeated across Scotland’
The grouse season is well underway but numbers at the lowest in memory, says Dr Matthew Balfour from St David’s Gamebird Services. It’s the first year in memory that grouse has not been served in any London restaurants on the Glorious 12th and unfortunately, the story of a very poor grouse season this year…
Read MoreScottish Game Fair: Red Hot Chilli Pipers to perform at this year’s event
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be performing at this year’s Scottish Game Fair. The iconic Scottish rock band counts Sir Paul McCartney, Ewan McGregor, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gary Player, and Samuel L Jackson as fans, but will be coming back to Scotland this summer to perform. Tickets are now on sale for the Scottish…
Read MoreGroundbreaking community deer stalking pilot underway at Creag Meagaidh
Community deer management is common in many European countries. But for the first time on publicly owned land in Scotland, people are being offered the chance to stalk deer for their own consumption. The pioneering NatureScot initiative is offering people living near Creag Meagaidh free access to the reserve to shoot deer in season, once…
Read MoreAbercairny Estate crowned winner of Estates Challenge
Abercairny Estate in Crieff was crowned winner of the Estates Challenge at The GWCT Scottish Game Fair. The sixth annual inter-estate competition is run to celebrate Scottish estates and raise awareness of the work carried out by their ghillies and gamekeepers to preserve and care for the countryside. It saw teams of six showcasing their…
Read MoreFind out how salmon were filmed for Wild Isles
FILMMAKERS Richard Davies and Chris Howard will share the secrets next week of how they captured shots of Atlantic salmon for Wild Isles, the recent BBC One wildlife series presented by Sir David Attenborough. The Missing Salmon Alliance (MSA) is hosting an online evening with the Silverback Films duo on 18 May. The free event…
Read More‘Save our Smolts’ salmon project begins
THE Spey Fishery Board has launched its “Save our Smolts” project to help baby salmon make it to the sea. During this year’s trial, smolts will be collected in traps upstream from Loch Insh, which is a “pinch point” on the River Spey through which young salmon struggle to swim. The fish will then be…
Read MoreAttenborough’s ‘Wild Isles’ shines light on salmon
WILDLIFE legend Sir David Attenborough’s Wild Isles television series will shine a light on the plight of Scotland’s wild Atlantic salmon on Sunday. Attenborough will use his BBC One show to highlight that “there has been a 70% loss in 25 years, and [wild Atlantic] salmon could be extinct in the next two decades”. Members…
Read MoreNews from the rivers Dee and Tweed
IT’S been a busy month for the rivers Dee and Tweed. Actor Robson Green, Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger, and internationally-experienced river guide Al Peake have been appointed as ambassadors for the River Dee Trust. Green said: “It’s the bonniest river, not only in Scotland, but in Britain if not Europe. “But, like all rivers,…
Read MoreRiver Tweed salmon catch up 14%
THE number of Atlantic salmon caught with rods in the River Tweed leapt by 14% last year, according to the latest figures. The River Tweed Commission said 6,690 salmon were caught last year, up from 5,862 in 2021, and approaching the five-year average of 6,810. The additional 828 fish were caught despite “extremely-low water levels…
Read MoreDucks given helping hand with nest tubes
NOW is the “ideal time” to install nest tubes for ducks, according to the Brititsh Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC). The charity’s push to erect more platforms is part of its wider duck monitoring project. Last year, 48% of the 225 raised nests monitored by the project were occupied, with 98% showing signs of…
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