The Craigiehowe Shoot is one of
the most enjoyable shooting experiences in the north of Scotland.
Craigiehowe sits 10 minutes drive to the east of the A9 across the
Kessock Bridge from Inverness.
The topography at Craigiehowe lends itself to producing testing
driven pheasant and partridge shooting from the beginning of October
to the end of January in magnificent scenery. The ground is bounded
on one side by the Moray Firth, which is part of the North Sea and
on a second side by Munlochy Bay, which is a wildfowl sanctuary
leading off the Firth.
The promontory between these stretches of water rises steeply at
its point to a height of over 130 metres, and old Caledonian pines
and silver birch trees cling to its sides and are used as vantage
points by cormorants, red kites, buzzards and all manner of birds
producing a truly eye-catching spectacle. The steep buttress on
the seaward side levels off on its top before dropping over a cliff
on the landward side into sweeping agricultural
fields, where crops are grown, specially for the game birds.
Other ground cover consists of bracken, heather, gorse, broom and
reeds, all of which holds multitudes of pheasant and partridge.
Several ponds located on the higher ground hold ducks, which often
come through the drives with the pheasant and partridge. Migratory
woodcock sometimes join the bag
after the first full moon in November. |
Drives have been developed to
test guns in all manner of ways from the standard high, fast, straight
pheasant, to fast curlers with little time to see them, to a drive
with birds coming from three directions, to one with partridge coming
at grouse height (just off the ground) down the beach, with the
chance of a second barrel at a high pheasant lifting off the Shore
Bank above the beach.
Occasionally a gun may have to stretch to take a long bird low over
the sea and then watch in admiration as a dog swims out
to retrieve it with as much accuracy as that exhibited by the marksman.
Barry Larsen, the owner, and Arthur, his keeper, organise their
beaters and pickers up with quiet efficiency and a large, forward
control Land Rover carries all the guns from drive to drive to minimise
wear and tear on the landscape. On arrival guests are greeted with
coffee and biscuits. Warm snacks and drinks mid morning precede
a hot meal with a glass of wine at lunch time. At the end of the
shoot, tea is provided whilst the bag is counted.
Daily bags of 250 to 550 birds are possible to varying numbers of
guns and 2 consecutive days can be shot. |
