What to wear when hunting in Scotland
The question of what to wear when hunting in Scotland can seem like a confusing one, but if you follow a few simple rules, you can’t go wrong.
- – Lots of layers
- – Muted colour
- – Sturdy boots
- – A hat with a brim / peak
(Click on the links in this article for examples / our recommendations)
Lots of Layers
Layers are key because the Scottish weather is so unpredictable. No matter what time of year you go out hunting in Scotland you, will almost certainly encounter lots of different weather in one day, especially on the hills. So, make sure you bring:
- An under shirt / t shirt
- Shirt
- Jumper
- Coat / waterproof layer
Muted Colours
The one thing not to wear when hunting in Scotland is the sort of fluorescent hunting clothing worn in the US in particular.
Instead, wear clothing of muted natural colours e.g., greens, browns, greys etc. Basically, the sort of colours you get in nature. Muted colours will help you blend in with the countryside and also will ensure you don’t look out of place if you are sharing a hunting day with some Scottish Locals.
Camouflage or no Camouflage?
The best thing to wear when hunting in Scotland is probably not Camouflage.
Camouflage can be worn, and it certainly won’t hinder your chance of hunting success, but it’s only really worn in Scotland for specific types of hunting e.g., deer stalking or duck / goose shooting. Even for deer stalking, most people don’t wear camouflage, just muted colours or tweeds. So, if you are coming for a general hunting trip and want to be sure to fit it, avoid camouflage.
Sturdy Boots
This may seem a little obvious, but you’d be surprised how many clients over the years have had to do an emergency trip to a country clothing store because they turned up in bright white trainers!
There may be some discussion of wellington boots vs. walking boots, but in general walking boots are going to be more useful in more situations – see examples here . Most Scottish hunting involves a decent amount of walking which can be hard in Wellington boots, hence why we’d always recommend you wear walking boots when hunting in Scotland. The one exception could be for very high-end driven pheasant & partridge shooting where you travel in vehicles between drives, in this instance wellington boots might be preferable (if you can fit them in your luggage).
N.B – Although I’d recommend waling boots in general, Wellington boots will do absolutely fine for most situations. This one is almost just a matter of preference (except perhaps for stag stalking or walked up grouse).
A hat with a brim / peak
A hat is essential for all types of hunting in Scotland. Not only does a hat protect you from the Scottish weather, but it also disguises the outline of the human face and helps a hunter avoid being seen by the deer / birds.
For specific hat-type – A tweed flat cap is our recommendation for what to wear when hunting in Scotland. A flat cap will be appropriate for virtually every occasion, they are relatively cheap and easy to acquire once you are in Scotland and they are guaranteed to make you look the part!
Formal / driven shoots
Sometimes clients will be coming to Scotland to join a line of guns on a formal shoot. In this instance, we’d recommend a little more care in the choice of outfit in order to blend in with the other guests (or “guns” as they are referred to in Scotland).
For a driven shoot we would recommend:
- Walking boots or Wellington Boots (both are legitimate options)
- Long shooting socks
- Plus fours / breeks
- Shirt
- Tie
- Jumper
- Tweed coat
If you don’t have the opportunity to pick up plus fours / breeks before you come to Scotland, don’t worry about it, we are all aware that they are fairly unique to the UK so no one will judge you for not owing a pair. As an alternative, good outdoor trousers of subdued colours combined with a pair of gaiters (green / brown if possible) are perfectly acceptable and will do the job on a practical level. Indeed gaiters are another cheap but effective bit of kit we’d recommend as they can be used for most types of hunting in Scotland
Examples
Still confused about what to wear when hunting in Scotland? We are here to help!
As with everything in life, every circumstance is different. There will be times when only bits of the above advice are relevant. There will be times when the above advice might seem wrong e.g., if you are specially here for duck / goose shooting then camouflage is absolutely the best choice.
The best thing to do, if you are still confused about what to wear when hunting in Scotland, is to ask me directly and I’ll advise on your individual situation. Email me on alex@river-green.com. I won’t claim to be able to give you the hottest fashion advice, but I will be able to tell you what the right thing is to wear for your particular Scottish hunting experience.
Alternatively, for general enquires visit our “contact us” page or to receive a bespoke hunting proposal, visit our “Design Your Hunting Holiday” page.