Scotland

Newlands Estate - Driven Pheasant shooting
Season October- December

Newlands Estate is located about 90 minutes southwest of Edinburgh, near Dumfries. Andrew and Eileen Duncan- your hosts and owners of Newlands, have created a perfect couples trip as the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. Newlands is a private estate and features eleven bedrooms with bath, a living room, sitting room, snooker room, gunroom and dining room. Andrew runs the shoot and Eileen sees after the ladies and the estate. The estate produces good, strong flying pheasant. Trek has been using Newlands for 4 years and all groups have returned with rave reviews.

The trip is for seven days, six nights and has three days of shooting over a four day period. We will have one day as a rain make up or touring day in the case the weather is not good enough to shoot. We have contracted for 300 birds per shooting day. Trip includes six nights accommodations- five at Newlands and one night at the end of the trip at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh. Daily tours are scheduled for the non-shooters with a private guide. The tours include sightseeing in private estates, shopping and visiting local towns and points of interest. Trip fee includes all meals and drinks (except last day in Edinburgh), transfers, gun permits, accommodations (double occupancy) and up to 900 birds on the shoot. Not covered are airfare to Edinburgh, tips to gamekeeper, loaders, cartridges and meals in Edinburgh.

Trip is limited to eight shooters and up to eleven non-shooters. We recommend this trip for couples interested in a friendly and casual environment. Meals are excellent but dress is casual throughout the trip. Local entertainment is brought in some night's as well.

Scottish Highlands - Mixed bag driven Partridge and Pheasants at Kildrummy Castle Hotel
Season October-November

Here's a great opportunity to enjoy the finest of what some people consider the greatest things in life, visiting the Scottish Highlands and shooting driven red legged partridge and peasants. This trip you'll get to experience the wonderful local flair of the Scottish people of the Highlands as well as gunning the fast flying red legged and gray partridge as well some testy high flying pheasants.

The shoot takes place in the Scottish Highlands between Aberdeen and Inverness. Accommodations are The Kildrummy Castle Hotel. Set in the heart of the Grampian Highlands, overlooking the ruins of the original 13th century castle, Kildrummy Castle Hotel offers a rare opportunity to enjoy the style and elegance of a bygone era combined with all the comforts and service of a modern, first class hotel.

The trip will have three full days of driven partridge and pheasant shooting over 4 days- 300 birds per day. Shooting will take place at three different estates - Aswanley, Cairnfield and Ralia. All three have well deserved reputations for presenting high, challenging birds. The terrain provides beauty scenery and difficult shooting- just what a line of shooters is looking for in a first class shoot.

With the demise of grouse shooting, many top estates in the United Kingdom have replaced this shooting with driven partridge and pheasants. The shooting grounds are ideal for driven shoots. This region has high hills with draws, valleys and gullies where the guns will be placed. The partridge are driven over the line at heights to test even the best shooters. The trip is limited to eight shooters. We can accommodate as many as ten non-shooters. Note the price for the non-shooters is very reasonable.

The non shooters will be well looked after with a professional guide. This area is rich with history as there are several nearby castles, battlefields, distilleries, shopping districts and quaint Scottish villages. during the three shooting days will have a special day of sightseeing for the entire party that will be a rain bad weather makeup day. We'll return to Kildrummy the last night for a farewell banquet.

This is a high quality trip- both in the shooting and in Kildrummy Castle Hotel. We are fortunate to secure a date for Trek clients at these are highly esteemed estates.

Wood Pigeon - Scotland
Season June-August

This is a great shooting adventure to hunt the wily wood pigeon. Many consider the wood pigeon to be one of the sportiest game birds in the world. These are wild, unpredictable things. Hunting is done in harvested grain fields. The method of hunting is similar to duck hunting- only done on dry ground. Hydes, or blinds, are built in the field. Pigeon decoys are set up around the blind. You must to well camouflaged and patient. The wood pigeon will not come in unless he feels safe.

This is not a high volume or "hot barrel" shoot like some of our hunts in South America. But a good day can find one expending 10 -12 boxes of shells. But a more realistic expectation would be three to six boxes in a day. But it is great fun and an unusual type of shooting. And the scenery and the people are spectacular. Trips are during the Scottish spring and summer when the crops are being harvested. Our guide and host will be Steven Wright- a local Scot who has been guiding foreign hunters for many years. Accommodations are at a comfortable Scottish hotel- Huntly Castle Hotel. All rooms have in-suite bath. The hotel boast an excellent restaurant and a friendly pub! It is located right in Huntly. We'll pick you up in Aberdeen and drive to Huntly (about an hour and a half). First night we'll have dinner and get settled in. The Scottish weather is always unpredictable so we have four days planned to get in three days of hunting. We have an "insurance day" in case of bad weather. If we have bad weather during the first three days, we'll shoot the fourth day. If we have good shooting the first three days, we'll sightsee on the fourth.

Trip fee covers all cost of the trip upon arrival to Aberdeen and return except items of a personal nature and tips. Trips are limited to six hunters. Non-shooters are welcome and a full time guide is assigned to them. Some dates are already filled for 2002.