The GoG Blog

By Lianne MacLennan, Grampian Moorland Group Coordinator A Grampian gamekeeper who hasn’t been without his signature moustache since he was 18 years old has had it waxed off to raise vital cash for men’s health charities. For 32 years, Leslie George (50), a gamekeeper in Strathdon, has had a full moustache, with even his wife

By Nick Nairn, Grouse remains for myself and many others, the king of game birds. I like grouse roasted on the bone for an all-round better taste and texture. Roast grouse is where traditional cooking and accompaniments can’t be beaten – bread sauce, game gravy, roast tatties. The grouse itself only needs a bit of

By Lianne MacLennan, Co-ordinator for the Angus Glens Moorland Group On Sunday the 7th of August 2016 the small and quaint village of Edzell, in Angus, saw over 350 people gather at its iconic Dalhousie Arch.  There was a mixture of Gamekeepers and their families from across the country who are members of the seven different Regional Moorland Groups that

By Jim Goodlad Lecturer in Gamekeeping & Wildlife Management at SRUC Elmwood Campus Scottish colleges began offering game keeping courses after recognising there was a demand for training and education to pave the way for the next generation of stalkers, upland and lowland gamekeepers throughout Scotland. Courses are designed and delivered to accommodate all aspects

BBC Countryfile has paid another visit to the Angus Glens to report on the dazzling array of wildlife in the region – thanks in no small part to the efforts of gamekeepers managing our moorland areas. In their edition on May 5, 2016, presenter Naomi Wilkinson joined Andy Malcolm from Glenesk Wildlife for a wildlife tour on

By Iain Hepburn, head gamekeeper at Dunmaglass Estate and member of the Loch Ness Rural Communities Muirburn largely takes place in the spring and often raises questions over why parts of Scotland’s moorland landscape are ablaze. I know only too well the importance of health and safety during the Muirburn season being a part-time fireman,

Following recent publicity and commentary on mountain hare culling, Douglas McAdam, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, wrote this article for today’s Sunday Herald. Culling is a word that conjures up all sorts of images and, for most people, none of them very attractive. The mere mention of a seal, badger or even deer

By Tim Baynes, Director of the Scottish Moorland Group Understandable public concern has been expressed about the practice of culling mountain hares and this is perfectly reasonable given the recent coverage in print and social media. So moorland managers are keen to explain more about their work to sustainably manage populations of mountain hares in