September 23, 2024

Fly-Fishing in the Scottish Highlands

September 23, 2024/ Deborah Brazendale

When the conditions are right, I don’t know of a more relaxing way to spend the day than fly-fishing.

I’ve fished since I was a wee boy growing up in a fishing community on Scotland’s north-east coast. Mr grandfather taught me how to bait a hook and encouraged my keenness but I didn’t learn to fly-fish until I was in my late teens. My job afforded me access to some of Scotland’s best fishing lochs and rivers and I’ve spent many happy hours on bank and boat and beat.

Come fishing with me

I offer a fly-fishing experience local to my base here in the north-east of Fife and, for this, I use local fisheries or rivers that best suit folks who are new to fishing or have never fished in Scotland before. But, for the more experienced or more adventurous, I can also incorporate fly-fishing into one of my custom driver-guided tours to the Highlands, depending on the water and the season.

The Scottish Countryman fly-fishing at a local reservoir.

Fishing in the West Highlands of Scotland

Recently, I took a two-day trip up to the West Highlands where I fished on a river, at the mouth of a sea-loch, and on a Victorian-built dam. The weather was ideal: a mix of cloudy skies and light rain but some occasional sunshine, too. I fished at four locations over the course of about 4 or 5 hours and just had the most wonderful time. Fishing is such a contemplative pastime - great for some head-space and time to reflect or refresh.

Did I catch anything?!

Yes, but only some very small fish that I put back - nothing for the pot and certainly nothing I could brag about over a wee dram that evening! I’m ever hopeful of a salmon, of course, but I typically catch brown trout and, sometimes, when I’m lucky, a sea trout up here.

The Scottish Countryman fishing on the dam at Kingairloch in the west Highlands of Scotland

There are fishing seasons for certain species and rivers, but Scotland’s range of fish and fishing spots means we can, in theory, fish on any day of the week and throughout the year.

If you’re interested in having a go at fly-fishing, take a look at my fishing experiences with a picnic lunch or without a picnic lunch or send me an email. I provide you with all the gear you’ll need along with full instruction on a rod that is bested suited to your height and ability. And if you’re keen to fish in some of the most beautiful scenery Scotland has to offer, I can customise a tour to feature some fly-fishing, too. Just get in touch!

September 02, 2024

Take a TSC Tour the East Neuk of Fife

September 02, 2024/ Deborah Brazendale

If you’ve been for an experience with me, whether it’s been fly-fishing, birds of prey or archery, you know that I am passionate about making sure you have a great time.

I’m now adding driver-guided tours to my list of experiences and I’d love to show you Scotland! Or, at least, some of the places in Scotland that I know and love. Let’s start with the East Neuk, since that’s on my doorstep…

What (and where) is the East Neuk?

The East Neuk (or ‘Nook’ or ‘corner’), is a strip of land in the north-east corner of the Kingdom of Fife. Along the coast, it runs from Kingsbarns round to Elie and Earlsferry taking in the seaside villages of Crail, Kilkenny, Cellardyke and Anstruther, Pittenweem, and St Monans. Inland, there are the hamlets of Carnbee and Arncroach and the hill villages of Kilconquhar and Collinsburgh.

Farming, fishing and foraging - food is good in the East Neuk

Although most famous for its coastal villages and seafaring history, the East Neuk’s inland strip means a focus on farming and food production, too: we’ve got farm shops and fishmongers, artisan bakers, and beer and cider brewers, a gin and whisky distillery, makers of jams and pickles cheeses, Michelin-guide restaurants, and everything from street food to cosy cafes. (If this is your thing, check out the Food from Fife site.)

With my half- and full-day tours of the East Neuk taking approximately 4 or 8 hours, I tailor the route and stopping points to your interests. I’ll create an itinerary to show you the best bits based on your wish-list and I’ll recommend the best places to grab a coffee or sit and have lunch, depending on the time available and your preferences.

A full-day tour example

As an example, on a recent full-day trip, I took guests to Falkland for the morning and then we visited St Monans (windmill and harbour), Pittenweem (the habour and cave, with a stop for a seafood platter), Anstruther (Shore Street and the Dreel Burn) and Cellardyke (harbour and tidal pool), before a wander round Crail exploring its beautiful marriage lintels, historic Church, Tolbooth, and harbour. We also called in at the Kingsbarns golf course to preview the location of my guests’ next-day activity.

Make the most out of your time in the East Neuk and let me take care of the logistics. I’ll manage all of the driving, parking, and timings of your trip, so that you can relax and enjoy the sights of this beautiful corner of Fife in Scotland.

You can find out more about my full-day and half-day tours of the East Neuk here or send me an email. These tours can be on any day of the week and run throughout the year.

July 23, 2018

The white-tailed eagle

July 23, 2018/ The Scottish Countryman/ Deborah Brazendale

How many birds of prey can you name that you can see in the wild in Scotland? Six? Maybe twelve? Perhaps more?

Although perhaps most famous for its peregrine falcon, it may surprise you to know that Scotland is home to more than 20 varieties of bird of prey. This series introduces you to some of the birds of prey that you can see across Scotland. This post: the white-tailed sea eagle.

July 13, 2018

5 reasons to love the Scottish Owl Centre

July 13, 2018/ The Scottish Owl Centre/ Deborah Brazendale

The Scottish Owl Centre in central Scotland is a brilliant place to visit for any owl lover but I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in birds. Here are my 5 reasons to love it!

June 24, 2018

What can you see at a Royal Highland Show?

June 24, 2018/ Royal Highland Show/ Deborah Brazendale

The Royal Highland Show at Ingliston by Edinburgh is a highlight of the farming and countryside calendar but you don’t have to be outdoorsy to enjoy this fantastic annual event. Here are our highlights from RHS 2018.

May 24, 2018

The merlin

May 24, 2018/ The Scottish Countryman/ Deborah Brazendale

How many birds of prey can you name that you can see in the wild in Scotland? Six? Maybe twelve? Perhaps more?

May 03, 2018

Where do your birds come from?

May 03, 2018/ The Scottish Countryman/ Deborah Brazendale

Sourcing birds of prey for Inspired Falconry

If you've been following our series on what birds of prey can be seen in Scotland, you'll know that more than twenty species of raptor can be found in Scotland. Yet none of these are ever going to end up in the Inspired Falconry team, or - for that matter - any other team.

Why?

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, it is illegal to remove any bird from the wild. Eggs, nests, birds and their habitats are all covered by the Act to ensure that our native species can thrive.

So how do falconers like Steve get their birds of prey?

The answer is that all of the raptors used in falconry in the UK today are either captive-bred in this country or imported under licence. Birds of prey bought from these breeders must come with the necessary legal paperwork, which - depending on the bird and its status under the law - may simply be confirmation of origin or an Article 10, which is like a passport for a bird. The Article 10 paperwork, for 'Schedule 4' endangered birds (9 of them, including the peregrine, merlin and golden eagle) contains information about the bird's parents and is matched with a numbered ring on the bird's leg. The Government Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) oversees this registration process.

British captive-bred stock may stem from wild-captured birds taken under licence or before the 1981 Act. Birds are bred in captivity by dedicated, skilled falconers and breeders who have learned to replicate nature as closely as possible in order to achieve any success.

Why and how did captive-breeding start?

Captive breeding was initially a reaction to raptor population devastation caused by pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s. Changes in farming practices (enabled by pesticide use) and the effect of the poisons themselves decimated bird numbers during the 1960s. Prey species were drastically reduced in number and diversity and raptors' eggs were damaged by the pesticides, preventing their shells from developing properly. Raptor numbers declined sharply. Starting with peregrines, a small number of falconers set out to breed them in captivity, helping to save and then strengthen the population over time.

Captive-bred birds can be released successfully into the wild, using a process called 'hacking', which we'll cover in another post.

The network of UK's falconers and their mutual interests and interactions means that birds are now routinely exchanged or sold between them, depending on need and circumstances. Where a falconer can no longer provide a bird with the hunting grounds or secure mews it needs, another falconer will take on the bird instead. Some birds live for many years and may be retired from a breeding programme or from hunting, living out their days in more sedate places such as Falconry Centres, Owl Sanctuaries and Safari Parks across the UK.

Those of you who remember Peggy, our peregrine (pictured above), may recall that she was a retired breeding bird. You can see from her really dark colouring that she's a mature female. Ailsa the Eagle Owl (below), on the other hand, was only about 4 years old (and called something else) when she was bought by Steve from friends who could no longer fly her every day.

How much are birds of prey?

Not that you'd ever want to buy one, unless you were highly experienced or properly trained and had the appropriate set-up, but we're often asked how much the birds are worth. The rather unsatisfactory answer is that it depends. It depends on the quality, gender, rarity, and training; it depends on the breeder and the birds' availability! It depends on what they are used for and how old they are. But, as a broad example, a mature, trained female Golden Eagle would fetch anywhere from £5,000-£7,000, whilst a male Barn Owl can be found for under £100. The cleaning bills and food preparation are a whole other story, though!

No matter where they have sourced them, falconers like Steve are passionate about birds of prey and pride themselves in their husbandry and care. It takes many hours and needs daily input to keep a bird in peak condition. A bird's condition is evident - in their eyes, their feathers, their feet and their general demeanour. It certainly affects their ability to fly or to hunt. But that's another post for another day!

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