Auction 2018

Presented by Malcolm Innes:

JOHN CHRISTOPHER BELL (Op. 1841-1860) Covey of Grouse.

A limited edition of 300. Image size 12" x 18".

Presented by artist Melanie Shand: 

'Bespook'; a bespoke notebook, descorated with a personalised, hand-drawn piece of artwork!

This A4 (or 2 A5) notebook is suitable for writing in/making field notes as well as drawing. Made from 32 pages of 150grm paper, the notebooks will be personalised to the buyer, with a hand-drawn front cover of their chosen animal, bird or favourite saying.

A lovely gift!

Presented by College Valley Estates Ltd and Lord Joicey:

Rise to the challenge of a MacCheviot - a rare and exclusive chance for a wild sporting day in North Northumberland!

The MacCheviot is a fun interpretation of the classic highland MacNab, based on and around the stunning College Valley estate.

The winning bidder will have the chance to shoot a brace of grouse on the hill before heading out to stalk a roe buck. If successful at both, the challenge is then completed with the landing of a salmon or sea trout on the Ford and Etal Estate beat of the River Till, the only English tributary of the River Tweed. 

Any one of these three parts would make for a fine day out, but the chance to bring them all together in a single 24 hour period puts a fresh and exciting twist on an old idea...

The MacCheviot is to be taken on a date in August or early September, to be agreed with the donors.

Presented by Finzean Estate:

After supporting the Heather Trust sale by donating a classic Macnab in 2016, Finzean estate have offered their own take on the traditional stag, grouse and salmon challenge for 2018. 

The MacHedge is named after Finzean's famous headkeeper Allan "Hedge" Shand, and the challenge requires an individual to take a roe doe, ten rabbits and a brace of pheasants in a day.

The MacHedge will take place on Monday, 3rd December 2018, and while nobody can guarantee a successful MacHedge, the winners can be sure of a relaxed, fun day in glorious surroundings.

Finzean is a beautiful estate on Royal Deeside a short distance from Aberdeen, and the local community includes a thriving 4 star farm shop set in stunning countryside. The estate also has three lovely holiday cottages that are available for rent. Finzean won the Heather Trust's Golden Plover Award for Moorland Management in 2015, and the area offers a huge amount to see and do for tourists and locals alike.

If required, self-catering accommodation is available by separate negotiation – see website or call 01330 850710.

Presented by Bolton Abbey Estate:

Bid for your chance to enjoy two days of fishing for two people on the beautiful Bolton Abbey Estate Fishery during the 2018 season.

Trout season: 1st April - 30th September.

Grayling season: 16th June - 31st December.

Fishing for one rod on 1.35 miles of some of the finest water on the Tay, all of which is excellent fly water.

A very lightly fished beat in the spring, Monday 8th April to Sunday 14th April (Week 12) is a 6 rod beat that is likely to have only one or two other rods present at that time of year.

Full time ghillie, boats and first class facilities available.

This time share has been donated to the Heather Trust.

Presented by James Ingleby:

Two days for two rods on the River Deveron - one of the "top five salmon rivers in Scotland" ( http://www.fishingthedeveron.co.uk/)

Date to be mutually agreed with the purchaser.

Presented by Greg Hutchings:

A really exciting chance to see an afternoon of grouse hawking over pointers in East Ayrshire.

A packed lunch will be provided before heading on to the hill. The opportunity will be for two people to spectate while Greg works his dog and falcon as a team.

There will also be an opportunity to handle the falcon, and falconry will be explained in detail.

To be taken by arrangement with the donor on a fair weather Saturday in September or October 2018.

Presented by Chris Amos:

The opportunity for one person to shoot 50 clays at Westlands Country Park, Dumfries and Galloway.

The shooting ground contains all layers suitable for novices, professionals and everyone in-between. At 140ft, Westlands have the highest shooting tower in Scotland with four simulation traps, Down the Line, English Skeet, two Compaks and twenty other sporting traps including a rabbit.

https://www.westlands.co.uk

The Moorland Mousie Trust and Exmoor Pony Centre have been pursuing their charitable aims of ‘promoting and protecting the rare breed Exmoor pony’ for over 17 years and we are delighted to be able to offer a tailor made experience from one of their bases, either at Dulverton, Exmoor or Hexham, Northumberland.

The charity has a wealth of experience in training and handling Exmoor ponies straight from the free-living herds and then finds roles for them either as riding ponies, companions or conservation grazing herds.

On offer is a day’s experience either escorted on Exmoor by charity manager Linzi Green or in Hexham with Trustee, Juliet Rogers.  Both have been involved with the Exmoor ponies for many years and look forward to offering an experience tailored to your interests.  Riding will be available for those who enjoy seeing the landscape on horseback or alternatively a 4x4 safari to discover the ponies in the natural environment.  At both locations work is on-going to manage and co-ordinate conservation grazing, handle and train young ponies; all tasks which you can get involved in on your Exmoor Pony Experience Day.

Both Juliet and Linzi are also offering included in the lot a conservation grazing consultation at your location to discuss any Exmoor pony grazing possibilities, opportunities and practicalities.  The charity would also be able to supply ponies for your needs if required.

Pub lunch will be included in the experience.

Accommodation is available locally.

To be taken within 12 months, seasonality can affect the activities undertaken so please discuss with us.

Presented by BPG Media

Presented by BPG Media.

PUBLISHED TO TIE-IN WITH WORLD CURLEW DAY ON 21st APRIL

‘In this empowering account of a walk that focuses a razor light on the plight of one of the UK and Ireland’s most iconic birds, Mary Colwell adds a powerful fresh voice to the conservation debate and challenges us to think and act differently. Inspirational!’ Tim Birkhead

Curlews with their long curved bills are Britain’s largest wading birds. Their plaintive calls, celebrated in both verse and music, are the sound of the British wilderness – a haunting song which is the springtime music of our uplands, moorlands, marshes and seacoasts.

But so fast has been their fall in numbers that the curlew has now been put on the Red List of the UK’s most endangered birds. Over the last 22 years the curlew has declined by more than 50 per cent across England and Scotland and by more than 80 per cent in Wales and Ireland and it is now sliding rapidly towards extinction.

To raise awareness of the curlew’s rapid decline and funds for its conservation, Mary Colwell, a nature writer and long established producer at the BBC Natural History Unit, went on a 500 mile walk from the West of Ireland to the East of England to track these elusive birds and observe them in their different habitats. CURLEW MOON is the account of her journey.  Starting in the early spring, when birds are first arriving at their breeding grounds in the west of Ireland, she then walks to Wales, where they incubate their eggs. She makes her way through England to coincide with the time when chicks are hatching and six weeks after setting out she arrives in East Anglia as the fledglings are beginning to try out their wings.  Finishing on the east coast, she marks the place where many curlews come to spend the winter.

Curlews need wet, rough pasture to nest, and their decline has largely been driven by loss of this habitat – in Ireland, by the stripping of boglands for peat and elsewhere, by widespread forestry planting and other developments which have destroyed nesting sites, including increased predation by a rising number of foxes.  But although their decline has been drastic there is still time to do something about it. Weaving an evocative tale of discovery interspersed with the natural history of the curlew, CURLEW MOON focuses a light on the plight of this iconic bird which so desperately needs our help.

Presented by Malcolm Hay:

A classic day’s rough shooting for three to four guns in the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside, a few miles outside Huntly.

A fantastically varied bag is possible, with pheasant, grouse, snipe, duck, woodcock, hare, pigeon, and rabbit on offer.

This is an old-fashioned mixed day of exciting, relaxed sport. A delicious lunch will be provided for the guns in Edinglassie Lodge.

The day is to be taken by arrangement with the donor in early/mid November 2018.

If required, self-catering accommodation is available by separate negotiation with the donor.

Presented by Luise Janniche and Michael Bruce:

A fantastic opportunity for 2-3 guns to shoot up to five brace of grouse over pointers. 

The dogs will be provided by experienced handler, Luise Janniche, and the day will take place on the magnificent Glen Tanar Estate on Deeside, by kind permission of Michael Bruce.

This is the classic, alternative form of grouse shooting that requires the guns to work with the trained pointers and their handler.  By its nature, the day will involve walking over moorland and therefore the successful bidders will need an appropriate level of fitness.

This lot may be taken on one of four days: 3rd, 4th 5th or 7th September, subject to agreement with the donors.  If in the assessment of Glen Tanar Estate, the stock of grouse is insufficient to meet the requirements of this lot, the successful bidder will be offered an alternative date in 2019.

Presented by Argyll Estates:

An exciting chance to enjoy a day stalking hinds for up to two rifles in season on Argyll Estates, Inveraray, the home of the Duke of Argyll.

The winning bidder will be accompanied by the Estate's stalker and can be taken in season (October 21st - February 15th) by arrangement with the estate.

The winning bidder must prove his/her competence with their rifle and produce the necessary certification.

A good level of fitness is required to access the hill ground.

Presented by Dalefoot Compost. Website: www.dalefootcomposts.co.uk.

½ pallet of compost (30 bags).

The ½ pallet can be a mixed pallet of any of the following:

• Lakeland Gold - Encourages worms and enriches your soil.  Claybuster and Autumn Mulch
• Wool Compost - For growing in containers where water retention is key.  No need to add extra feed or water retaining gels.
• Wool Compost for Seeds - A blended, fine mix to provide the perfect start for your seeds.
• Wool Compost Ericaceous - For container growing acid-loving plants eg Azaleas, Heathers and Blueberries.
• Wool Compost Double Strength Ericaceous - For planting out and top dressing all your acid loving plants.
• Wool Compost for Vegetables and Salads - Perfect for "grown your own" vegetables, salad and fruit in an allotment, raised beds, containers or windowsill.

Presented by Patrick Laurie:

The Black Grouse is a lively natural history interwoven with a personal account of an on-going battle to conserve black grouse on a farm in Galloway.  The author’s beautiful illustrations convey his passion for these vulnerable birds, so full of character, from their aggressive lekking behaviour to their desperate struggle to survive against nearly-impossible odds in modern Britain. 

‘This beautiful book is a labour of love, with its lively text and striking illustrations by the author. ‘  The Scotsman, Sept 2012 

‘ Whichever background you come from, this is must to read as it covers so many basic questions, including the age-old quandary between the shooting world and conservation. ’ The Highland News, July 2012 

‘It is without doubt a book which, no matter your individual knowledge of the bird in question, you will learn something from.  For many, they will learn a lot, because Patrick has done an exceptional job in researching this bird.   Lindsay Waddell, NGO Chairman, Aug 2012

Patrick Laurie is Project Manager and Head of the Country Market and Sporting Sale at the Heather Trust, and has written a monthly column for the Shooting Gazette since 2009.

The Black Grouse book is signed by the author and available when required from The Heather Trust. FREE postage and packing within the UK mainland.

Presented by Quiller Books:

This magnificent volume brings together the work of eight of Britain's foremost wildlife artists. Each artist writes of their own experience of deer and, as you would expect, there are stunning images in contrasting styles of painting, pencil drawing and scraper board, while the accompanying words give a fascinating insight into the world of the artist and the deer.

As Rodger McPhail points out, deer were among the first creatures depicted on the wall of caves more than 4,000 years ago and the evocative images in this superb book show their magic is undiminished. Some coffee table books lie untouched, this is one that you will constantly pick up.

Presented by Antony Braithwaite and Charles May:

Place your bids for a varied and exciting sporting day for two in Northumberland!

The day will begin at 9.00 am near Rothbury, to walk up grouse over pointers for 3 hours with a picnic lunch on the hill. Guns should expect 2-3 brace, but of course this can not be guaranteed!

Would-be MacTyners will then drive to Haughton castle for an afternoon's salmon fishing on the Haughton Castle Fishings, North Tyne. Anglers will be shown the beat and offered some advice on promising pools before trying their luck in this beautiful stretch of the river. 

The day will end with a duck flight at dusk on the Haughton Castle pond. The flight is geared towards two guns, but partners or friends are welcome to come along.

An exciting take on the classic MacNab, the MacTyne should appeal to anyone with a love of fieldsports, but participants should make sure they are fit and ready for a busy day!

To be taken on a mutually convenient mid-week day in September 2108.

Donated by Chris Amos:

Make a big day's shooting one to remember by enlisting the help of NGO qualified loader Chris Amos

Chris has years of experience loading across the country and now specialises in double guns for driven grouse, but this Lot could be adapted to suit a single gun on a partridge or pheasant day.

Date to be mutually agreed with the donor.

Presented by Tillmouth and Tweed Fishings LLP: 

A day’s salmon fishing for two rods on Tillmouth water, one of the best beats of the River Tweed. The day is to be taken on Saturday 14th July 2018.

The Lot is suitable for either experienced rods or beginners (instruction can be provided to the latter by the boatmen/ghillies).

The fishing will be under the River Tweed Angling Code and the rods will be accompanied by a dedicated ghillie throughout the day.

Rods should bring their own equipment and advice on this can be obtained from the Tillmouth head boatman Willie Elliot (telephone 07815 808268), who should be contacted in advance of the day’s fishing for final arrangements.

Presented by Mr and Mrs Landale: 

One day’s fishing for 6 rods on the river Nith accompanied by 3 night’s self-catering accommodation in the Mews Flat on Dalswinton Estate (Friday – Monday with fishing on the Saturday).

For details regarding Dalswinton Estate, please visit: http://www.dalswintonestate.co.uk/

For information on the Mews Flat, please visit: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/...Dalswinton/The-Mews-Flat-930173.html.

Dates to be arranged with the donor.

http://www.dalswintonestate.co.uk/

Presented by Hoggs of Fife:

County Quilted Jacket in S or M - softer, lighter and better value than its predecessor 

100% Nylon with diamond-quilt stitching, lightly padded with hollow-fibre polyester. 

Hoggs branded stud front closure with brown needle-cord collar. 

2 large front pockets and inside zipped pocket

Front pocket and cuffs with corduroy binding

Studded vents at rear for ease of movement

Machine washable at 30°C

http://www.hoggs.co.uk/prodcut_details.php?catid=99&product_id=228

This particular item must be claimed within one week of the closing date.

Presented by Hoggs of Fife:

Ranger: X3 Field Jacket (Size M - XXL)

A SUPERIOR 3-IN-1 FIELD JACKET FOR THE DISCERNING COUNTRY PROFESSIONAL.

Jacket may be worn with zip-in fully lined Polar Fleece Waistcoat. 

Jacket may be worn without zip-in Waistcoat. 

Waistcoat may be worn on its own.

http://www.hoggs.co.uk/prodcut_details.php?catid=114&product_id=1

This particular item must be claimed within one week of the closing date.