Sporting
Salmon & Trout Fishing
The River Dochart flows through the estate and is one of the main tributaries of the River Tay.
There is both salmon (15th Jan – 15th Oct) and trout (15th Mar – 6th Oct) fishing on the river.
Permits can be bought online or from the gamekeeper’s cottage at Auchlyne.
A day permit costs £20 for salmon and £10 for trout, with season tickets costing £125 and £60, respectively. A map can be found here.
Red Deer Stalking
The area the Estate covers in Perthshire, is traditionally a summering and rutting ground for Red Deer stags. As such, we have a responsibility to undertake an annual cull on the stags, during the stag stalking season.
The Estate normally culls between 35 and 40 stags & 50-60 Hinds per year and most of these are let to clients. Stag stalking usually takes place from mid September to 20th October. Hind stalking from 21st October to 15th February.
Management of the deer population through stalking is essential and has remained the same for many years. The picture to the right is of Archie Crabbe in 1914 with his first stag - a 17st switch.
All parties will be accompanied by our professional deer stalker, Ian Dingwall. He will decide on the ground to be covered and the deer to be shot, he will also be responsible for the safety of the stalk. His detailed knowledge of the rugged terrain and the deer that inhabit it will ensure you have an unforgettable day.
The larger the stalking party the more chance there is of disturbing the deer prior to a shot being taken, we therefore recommend that a maximum of 2 friends accompany the client shooting.
The cull maintains the health of the deer stock and prevents environmental damage through over grazing. Stalking and venison production are one of the main sources of income for the estate.
We are members of both the Breadalbane and the Balquhidder Deer Management Groups, which are part of a national Association concerned with the welfare of wild deer populations.
Roe Stalking
Roe buck stalking can take place between 1st May & 20th October, and the does are culled between 21st October and the end of February.
Roe stalking is normally carried out by family members and is currently not let out to clients.
Red Grouse
In the past, we used be able to offer 2 weeks walked up shooting in August. Sadly, as with many estates, we were affected by the Heather Beetle in 2000. The heather beetle is an insect pest which de-barks the heather causing it to dry out and die. We lost more than 80% of our heather and because the grouse rely on the heather during all the plant's different growth stages, the grouse population crashed.
With careful moor management, the heather is recovering in places and with it the grouse but it is a slow process. Therefore, currently we are not in the position to offer grouse shooting.
Pheasants, Wildfowl & Woodcock
We operate a small informal pheasant shoot.
We are lucky to be blessed with a reasonable annual rainfall and enjoy large visiting populations of wild mallard, widgeon, teal and other duck species.
We have a good mosaic of habitat that the resident woodcock population enjoy. They are augmented by an influx of wintering woodcock in the month of November.
Shooting Seasons in Scotland
Red Deer Stags 1st July - 20th October
Red Deer Hinds 21st October - 15th February
Roe Bucks 1st April - 20th October
Roe Does 21st October - 31st March
Pheasant 1st October - 31st January
Grouse 12th August - 10th December
Duck 1st September - 31st January
Snipe 12th August - 31st January
Woodcock 1st September - 31st January