Stalking
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Show menu"My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a hunting the deer;
A chasing the wild deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go"
Words from an old song published in the front of William Scrope's famous book 'The Art of Deer Stalking'.
KILDERMORIE ESTATE
The facts
The 19,000 acre Kildermorie Estate offers red and sika deer stalking according to season (listed below).
Red deer are stalked on the open hill where the terrain ranges from rocky ridges and scree slopes through burns and peat hags to lush green pasture. Sika deer inhabit the forests, the dark coats of the mature beasts are ideal camouflage when amongst the weathered tree trunks.
Wherever the ground conditions permit, deer carcases are brought down from the hill using traditional garrons - pure-bred highland ponies.
Kildermorie Estate is a licensed game dealer, and is fortunate to have one of the finest original deer larders in Scotland, upgraded to comply with current regulations for food preparation and storage. A chiller unit and complementary larder for feathered game complete the arrangements.
Red and Sika deer (pictured) have the same 'open seasons'.
General
Policy
Kildermorie Estate neither permits nor condones 'trophy shooting'. Deer are culled for the express purpose of keeping the sizes of the herds in balance with the numbers the habitat can support, in order to maintain a healthy deer population. For this reason, the number of stag and hind days offered to guests each season takes into account winter mortality and the number of newborn calves.
Safety
Before the first stalk begins the rifle (sportsperson, stalker) is taken to the Estate shooting range which includes life-size deer targets.
This is to establish that :
- he/she is comfortable with the rifle and knows how to handle it safely.
- his/her aim is accurate.
- the rifle is accurately zeroed.
The etiquette of the sport is also summarised.
For guests who use an estate rifle when stalking on Estate ground, it is not necessary to be in posession of a Firearm Certificate since all stalking is under the guidance and supervision of professional estate staff.
Deer Open Seasons
| Red stag | 1 July – 20 October | Red hind | 21 October – 15 February |
| Sika stag | 1 July – 20 October | Sika hind | 21 October – 15 February |
| Roe buck | 1 April – 20 October | Roe doe | 21 October – 31 March |
Tariff for 2024-2025
KILDERMORIE ESTATE
| Red stag | £570.00 incl. VAT |
| Sika stag (on foot) | £450.00 incl. VAT |
| Sika stag (high seat) | £90.00 incl. VAT for a single-rifle outing, plus £330.00 incl. VAT per beast taken for an early morning or evening outing. |
| Red hind | £260.00 incl. VAT per single rifle outing, in which one hind/calf may be taken. |
| Red hind | £360.00 incl. VAT per double rifle party; numbers as above, per rifle. |
| Sika hind (on foot) | £210.00 incl. VAT per single rifle party, in which one hind/calf may be taken. |
| Sika hind (high seat) | £60.00 incl. VAT for a single-rifle outing, plus £150.00 per adult beast taken, for an early morning or evening outing. |
| Sika hind (on foot) | £240.00 incl. VAT per double rifle party; numbers as above, per rifle. |
Notes:
- For any of the above, a wound, a miss or a failure to fire when presented with a safe opportunity, counts as a beast shot. Should there be a genuinely blank outing (which in the case of a double rifle party means that both rifles have a "blank"), no charge will apply.
- For a full week of hind stalking (being Monday - Friday) the charge is capped at £2,880 incl. VAT, regardless of the number of outings or beasts taken.
- All rates quoted are for outings accompanied by an Estate stalker and are inclusive of VAT
- Carcasses remain the property of the Estate, but venison joints, burgers and sausages are available for purchase.
BALEDIGLE ESTATE & CREAGAN BREACA
The Baledigle Estate at Forsinard in Sutherland was planted mainly in 1988 under the supervision of the present owners, taking account of the natural contours of the 3,785 acres (1,532 hectares) of 'flow country'. The Estate's rides and lawns were created to allow easy passage between the plantations of trees, and now afford red and sika deer stalking under enclosed block regulations. Parties stalk either from dawn for 4 – 5 hours or for a similar period before dusk. In the short winter days it is possible to overlap these stalking periods and still be back at Kildermorie in time for dinner.
Arrangements may be made for escorted drives to the Baledigle Estate (2 hours each way). Rates are according to guest requirements and sport availability. Observers are welcome if vehicle space allows.
Creagan Breaca, a more recent acquisition, comprises over 530 acres (214 hectares) of mature woodland and currently does not support sporting activities.
Scottish Law
There are Scottish legal requirements governing rifles and ammunition used for deer. Guests preferring to provide their own rifles and ammunition must ensure that they adhere to current legislation under Scottish Law.