Wing shooting in Scotland is one of the most frequent requests we get from our international clients and one which we are always delighted to assist with. There are various different types of wing shooting in Scotland, from wood pigeon shooting to driven grouse shooting, there is something to fit all budgets and preferences. Below are the available options, their seasons and locations etc. (in descending order based on price)
Summer vacations in Scotland are not normally promoted alongside warnings about maintaining hydration and the importance of liberal applications of factor 30 sunscreen, but 2018 has not been a normal year. Following on from a very hard, persistent and late-arriving winter, spring was relatively short-lived. Then arrived summer.
The spring run, which has been improving on several of our rivers, is facilitated by the tail-end of the winter bringing fresh rain and usually quite consistently high river levels. As the temperatures slowly rise, the levels are further augmented by snow melt in the Highlands. As a result, the Scottish Atlantic salmon fishing is good from mid-March into May.
Similarly, the autumn run of Scottish salmon is initiated by low pressure cells sweeping in from the west, bringing with them the cooler temperatures, wind and rain. With the seasons seeming to come later than in the past, this autumn run is manifest by increasing numbers of fish entering the Scottish river systems from mid-September, through to the end of the season.
So what then of the summer? In the usual course of things, the Scottish summer can best be described as generally frustrating. Just as three consecutive days of relative warmth prompt us to declare that summer has finally arrived, the rain moves in, the wind picks up and the jackets are retrieved from the back of the wardrobe. However, it is this very pattern of unpredictability with the weather that gives cause to celebrate Scottish salmon fishing in the summer months.
Sadly, 2018 has seen the hottest temperatures and driest conditions in over 50 years. This has resulted in abnormally low river levels across the country. On the Spey in particular, we are seeing parts of the riverbed which haven’t been previously exposed in perhaps a hundred years! And the effect on the fishing has been significant.
Without freshets of water pushing into the estuaries, the salmon are not induced to leave the sea. Instead, they will follow in on the incoming tide, test the estuarine conditions and then fall back as the tide ebbs, unconvinced that the river is capable of providing safe passage to the redds. This daily prevarication provides a bonanza for the legions of seals lying in wait. The urgent need to control seal numbers has never been made more obvious than by the experience of this summer of 2018.
With the shock of the Britain’s exit from the EU beginning to sink in, now is the perfect time to book a discount hunting, fishing or golfing break in Scotland. The Pound has fallen to an historic low against the Dollar and has also fallen sharply against the Euro meaning that if you book a holiday in Scotland now you will benefit from an automatic 5 – 10% reduction in the cost of your holiday. Hurry, before the markets stabilise!
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It’s been almost 2 weeks now since the season for deer hunting in Scotland came to an end but already thoughts are turning to next years hunting season. It will be a few months before the quota’s for next year are worked out however the time for planning your next hunting trip begins today! Read more
River & Green are currently offering our clients the opportunity to enjoy a luxurious hunting trip to Scotland that is steeped in history and tradition.
Guests will have the opportunity to stay in the Hope Scott Wing of the world famous Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott and to shoot pheasant and partridge (dependent on dates) over one of the finest shooting estates in southern Scotland.
As August swiftly rolls into September the red deer stag stalking season in Scotland is now well and truly in full swing. For those of you who haven’t managed to get out onto the hill so far this year or are perhaps thinking of planning a trip next year we thought we’d share this lovely photo from our recent client’s day stalking red deer stags on the isle of Skye.
The clients shown in the picture above also had a glorious day’s grouse shooting on the 12th August (pun absolutely intended) despite the wind meaning the grouse were flying at quite a considerable rate of knotts!
If the picture above is inspiring you to take a break in Scotland in the next couple of months then we have an excellent choice of sport on offer. There is still some (very limited) availability for red deer stags as well as a good number of walked up grouse days to be had.
As September approaches our thoughts are beginning to turn to the prospect of the beginning of Scotland’s pheasant season 2014 (only 1 month and 2 days to go!). We have a selection of walked up and driven pheasant shooting days on offer from the 01st of October including availability for full lines of up to 8 guns as well as partridge, pigeon and mixed bag days walked up days available from the 01st September onwards.
If you are interested in a shooting, stalking, fishing or mixed sporting holiday in Scotland then don’t hesitate to contact us to find out more.
Following on from the lovely roe buck photo last week here are a few more photos from our client’s recent trip to Scotland which included red deer stag stalking, grouse shooting on the 12th, hunting with hawks, sea fishing and roe buck stalking.
After a few days in the Scottish borders our clients headed up to Perthshire where they spent the afternoon with highly experienced falconer Stuart Milne. As can be seen from the photograph on the right, the Scottish weather was putting in quite a show with the wind and rain but despite this it was an excellent afternoon’s hunting.
After Pertshire the next stop was the Isle of Skye for an evening sea fishing on Friday 15th August with some excellent catches including the beautiful pollock (top left) caught by one of the ladies of the party. With our clients not being the type to let the pace slacken, Saturday morning was a relatively early start with the stalker from Eilean Iarmain Estate arriving at a bracing 08:30 am (although compared to Monday’s 05:15 start for the roe buck stalking 08:30 could be seen as a lie-in!)
The stalk was lead by expert stalker Scott Mackenzie which after a day of some challenging walking and stunning scenery resulted in the youngest client of the group getting his first red deer stag (pictured above).
We’d like to thank our clients for very kindly giving us permission to use their wonderful holiday snaps which serve to illustrate exactly the sort of uniquely Scottish hunting and fishing experience that River & Green specialize in creating and delivering.
If you are interested in a trip to Scotland including any of the sporting activities featured above or indeed thinking of planning a more relaxed sort of holiday the don’t hesitate to contact us today for more information.
