The biggest secrets of the Cairngorms revealed

I defy anyone to look at the front cover of the beautiful The Secret Life of the Cairngorms and not have a wee smile on their face. Illustrated with a stunning selection of Andy Howard’s photographs, the book celebrates the wildlife and landscape of the Cairngorms National Park in all its glory. Anyone who has visited…

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Grouse moor helps golden eagle conservation

A Highland estate is encouraging other land owners to get involved with a ground-breaking Scottish golden eagle conservation project after eagle chicks were donated to the project. As one of the first estates involved in the pioneering South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project, Pitmain and Glenbanchor Estate, a 12,000 acre estate near Kingussie, volunteered to…

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‘Seismic’ change ahead for grouse moor management

Rural organisations have said that the recommendations of a government-commissioned review of grouse moor management will mean a ‘seismic’ change for grouse moors across Scotland. The Grouse Moor Management Group was established in November 2017, to examine the environmental impact of grouse moor management practices such as muirburn, the use of medicated grit and mountain…

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Getting to know Scotland’s gamekeepers

While they play an important part in the management activities of large areas of Scotland, little is known about the daily lives of gamekeepers and their attitudes, motivations and behaviours.  This is set to change after a new survey was launched by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) – which teaches Gamekeeping at its Elmwood campus in Fife – to find out…

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Grouse season defies predictions with late upturn

The grouse season in Scotland is ending today, 10 December, on a high note. Experts predicted the season would be mixed at best, but as it turned out, some moors in Scotland were able to host fairly full programmes. The east of Scotland tended to fare best overall, from Aberdeenshire down to Angus, parts of…

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Grouse salad is a healthy twist for Game Week

Great British Game Week is celebrating, promoting and highlighting just how nutritious, versatile and delicious game meat is. This week we have brought you recipes to highlight the versatility of game, and we conclude today with a pulled grouse salad. With the shooting season in full swing, grouse is the bird of the moment. For…

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Harsh winters have hit Scotland’s woodland birds

Harsh winter weather is thought to be a factor in a short-term decline in woodland birds between 2017 and 2018. Official statistics published by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) track the abundance of Scotland’s terrestrial breeding birds using results from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey. The latest figures show that while farmland and upland birds remained…

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Scotland’s Hotel of the Year hosts Game Food weekend

East Haugh House in Perthshire will host its annual Game Food Weekend later this month. Taking place on 29 and 30 November, and 1 December, a plethora of game dishes will feature on the menu including wild mountain hare, pheasant, grouse and venison. Dishes are priced individually with starters from £8.95 and mains from £18.95.…

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£3.9million Cassillis Estate is packed full of history

An imposing castle standing high above the River Doon steeped in history and restored for 21st century living is now on the market. From a high bank, Cassillis towers over the River Doon. Presented for sale by Savills, it is approached through electric gates via a private tarred drive which follows the River Doon through…

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Celebrate grouse season with this tasty recipe

If you’re looking to try cooking game for the first time, then you can’t do much better than learn from a master. Neil McGown, the chef/patron of East Haugh House Hotel near Pitlochry, was chosen as Scottish Game Chef of the Year 2018. Now that the grouse season is upon us, Neil suggests a delicious…

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