The Gift of Grouse

01/10/2026

Beautiful!

01/10/2026

Beautiful birds!

01/09/2026

17/08/2026

💬 “One of the great weaknesses in modern policymaking is the tendency to undervalue practical experience. Too often, decisions affecting rural Scotland are shaped by those who visit occasionally rather than those who work there every day.”

📰 In The Herald today, Ross Ewing from Scottish Land & Estates argues that the Scottish Government and its agencies need to back those who really understand the land if its full potential is to be achieved. From gamekeepers and shepherds to farmers and foresters, these are the people who know the land best.

💥 The editorial uses findings from the Angus Glens Impact Report - published jointly by SLE and the Angus Glens Moorland Group - to illustrate the magnitude of benefits estates already deliver in a single year. Imagine what more could be achieved by listening to those on the frontline of delivering these benefits?

⬇️ Read the full article below.

Grampian Moorland Group Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group Southern Uplands Moorland Group Scottish Gamekeepers Association SGA Loch Ness Rural Communities BASC Scotland Scottish Countryside Alliance GWCT Scotland SACS - Scottish Association for Country Sports

17/08/2026

🥩 12 Glorious Jobs for the Glorious 12th ~ BUTCHERS

"The grouse season is integral to the sustainability of local businesses such as Bel's Butchers in Angus.
We rely heavily on the increased business it provides, boosting sales both directly and indirectly within the business, providing extra local employment and creating a ripple effect of increased business throughout the local area.
We supply the estates with butcher meat for the lodges and feed the beaters daily. We benefit from the visitors who travel to the glens for grouse shooting as they often visit our shops prior to heading home.
Not only do we supply directly to the sporting estates, but we also process a large volume of game throughout the year for these estates to use privately, and for sale within my business, both wholesale and retail.
Communities like ours will struggle to survive without the trade that grouse shooting brings. We must stive to safeguard the longevity of this sport for the sake of all those living and working within rural communities such as ours."

Annabel Forbes
Director
Bel's Butchers

Bels Butcher works hand in hand with Angus Glens Estate, as mentioned in our ‘Angus Glens Impact Report’.

To read the full report, visit the link in the comments below.

17/08/2026

🌿 12 Glorious Jobs for the Glorious 12th
Craftsmen 🦌

A unique example of rural craftsmanship is The Horn Shop in Braemar.

Using naturally cast antlers collected from local estates, skilled horn carvers transform a sustainable natural resource into beautiful handcrafted products. This traditional craft supports local employment, celebrates rural heritage and showcases Scottish craftsmanship to visitors from across the UK and beyond.

“Our business simply would not survive without the keepers and estates supplying antler to our shop. I employ five staff and sell antler products not only in the shop here in Braemar, but wholesale to other shops across Scotland, as well as to hotels and other businesses that value and promote the craftsmanship of skilled horn carvers.”

— Gareth Guy, The Horn Shop

12/08/2026

Ross Ewing from Scottish Land & Estates being interviewed by STV about the start of the grouse season -- look forward to watching on the evening news

12/08/2026

The grouse season is under way in the Angus Glens and across Scotland, bringing an important boost for rural jobs, businesses and communities.

Grouse shooting contributes £32 million to Scotland’s economy each year and supports 2,640 full-time equivalent jobs.

In the Angus Glens alone, seven estates spent £6.6 million during 2025, supporting 86 full-time equivalent jobs and 768 seasonal workers. Of the £2.94 million spent on goods and services, 82.5% remained within the local economy.

The Glorious Twelfth is about much more than a day on the hill. It marks the continuation of year-round work that supports livelihoods, sustains rural skills and helps conserve Scotland’s internationally important moorland.

https://www.giftofgrouse.com/2026/08/12/grouse-season-under-way-as-major-contribution-hailed-by-rural-communities/



Angus Glens Moorland Group

12/08/2026

Glorious Twelfth in the Angus Glens

07/08/2026

Excellent, insightful research here.
Among the important findings in this report, the fact that 82.5% of expenditure on goods and services was retained within the local area - this really is a standout finding and makes an enormous difference to the viability of local businesses!