Chairmans Blog


January 25th

Why oh why is Scotland the only country in the UK to still have the ban on tail docking of working dogs?

December 20th

Just back in from ferreting a plantation of young larch and scots pine trees. I am soaked to the skin and frozen. My daughter is visiting us with her boyfriend and I thought it would be a good chance for him to see some different animal tracks in the snow.

December 9th

I am not a happy chappy. I was cutting old rabbit fences away this morning and my ear is bleeding profusely. I detest that high tensile wire; when you cut it with the wire cutters it goes off like a coiled spring. It felt like I had been shot in the ear.

Gamekeeper's World

Red Deer - Glyn SatterleyGamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies live and work by the seasons, the weather and the type of terrain that encompasses their individual “beat” on an estate, so there is no typical job. What they have in common is an overriding emphasis on the management of a piece of land to create the best possible biodiversity and a healthy surplus of wildlife which can be culled for sport and food.

Scotland attracts thousands of visitors every year to stalk deer, shoot surplus grouse, pheasants or partridge and fish for salmon and sea trout. Many millions more come to admire and enjoy the country’s renowned biodiversity, created as a direct result of our unique work.

Find out more about our work and how this influences the Scottish countryside in 'Working conservationists'.

You can also find out about current management issues in the Game & Wildlife issues section. This provides food for thought on a number of concerns facing keepers.