Wild camping and shooting in Scotland

[rghjones]

Me and my friend have wanted to go wild camping for 4/5 nights for a while now, but we're thinking about sorting it out for October somewhere in Scotland.


The wild camping aspect seems straightforward with regards to the Outdoor Access Code, however, if possible, we'd also like to take air rifles with us for shooting pigeon/rabbit/pheasant. As I understand it this can only happen with the express written permission of the landowner. As you can imagine Googling for places to do this just chucks up 'proper' hunt companies where you stay in a hotel and shoot partridge for a few thousand pounds Not quite what we're after! All we'd be looking for is a landowner who doesn't mind the odd thing being shot, which I doubt many would anyway, it's just finding them (in combination with it being a nice/big enough area to camp).


Any ideas?


I guess to start if anyone can even recommend good places to go wild camping then we can try and find out who the landowner is from there, if possible.

And just to clarify, we're sensible gents. The only reason for wanting to take our air rifles with us is that we used to shoot when we were younger but since moving to cities simply don't have the opportunity. This plus it would be much more enjoyable/'real' if we at least had to hunt and/or forage some food for ourselves.

All advice appreciated and please feel free to PM me with locations if it would be better. Thank you in advance.

 

[rik_uk3]

And you'll eat all you shoot?

 

[rghjones]

And you'll eat all you shoot?

Yes of course. We're not ones for shooting wildlife just for the sake of it. Even used to make the most of squirrels although they're pretty skinny it has to be said!

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I have no experience of this, (except once trying to get permission to wild camp on the rothimurchus estate before the present access laws were introduced) but maybe you could write to a hunting estate and ask them how they would feel about you wild camping on their land out of season. Most such estates have a strong conservation ethos and they usually pay for pest control; you'd be providing that service for free. Also, despite the law, most land owners hate the idea of wild camping without permission. At least if you ask you're showing a willingness to respect the property and the land owner. I'd make a list of likely looking estates, get a number for ghillies on each estate and ring up. Can't hurt.

 

[Dannytsg]

The only advice from me would be to ensure that when you contact whoever the estate/land owner is where you intend to shoot ensure you have the relevant insurance cover and expressly detail this in your contact with them.

Their biggest concern 9/10 is that you would not have any adequate insurance should you shoot someone by accident whilst on their land. BASC BASA etc all offer this is you don't have it already.

Good luck with the search.

 

[Goatboy]

Not wanting to sound negative, but I think you'll be lucky to get permission to shoot on an estate whilst on holiday. You can get lucky, but it is luck. Plus the pointless Scottish Parliament (IMHO) has had powers to ban air guns moved from main Parliament to them and seems very likely to steamroller legislation this year that all airgun are to be licensed and that visitors will have to get some form of temporary documentation before crossing the border with one. So a lot of estates/farms will be keeping their heads down to see which way the hot air blows.

Good luck though,
GB.

 

[dump of the stig]

im not sure about Scotland but getting a permission to air rifle hunt in England is a serious pain in the bottom.
I had 3 permissions I held since I was a lad and being a game keepers mate, then I moved and come down into
reality with a bump, first you need public liability insurance (go on any air rifle forum ther are a few bodys you
can join that have insurance included very cheap) tho not sure you may have to join a scottish one).
Then its hours of letter righting tho some good letters can be found on previous mentioned forums.
Then lots of bottom kissing im afraid. To put it into perspective ive very good refrences and a lot of experience
and it still took me over 2 years to get my first permission, then by chance I asked in passing at my local
PYO farm and bingo, from that I got a local chicken farm and it just snowballed, its not easy to break into mate.
Tho wishing you the very best of luck im not holding out much hope. please let us know how you get on tho brother.

 

[rghjones]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Seems we may be facing an uphill struggle then. Such a shame, one of my best memories as a teenager was shooting, skinning and eating rabbits and the like. Like you say, permission in England is a nightmare, and back then we were always shooting on family land. Will give it a go anyway and see how we get on, else will just have to go camping and plan a trip to Scandinavia next time!

 

[Goatboy]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Seems we may be facing an uphill struggle then. Such a shame, one of my best memories as a teenager was shooting, skinning and eating rabbits and the like. Like you say, permission in England is a nightmare, and back then we were always shooting on family land. Will give it a go anyway and see how we get on, else will just have to go camping and plan a trip to Scandinavia next time!

Sorry if I seemed negative, just wanted to be realistic with you. Unfortunately airgun ownership is under severe duress in Scotland and a lot of places just aren't taking the risk. Where I am at the moment is over-run with rabbits, but the foreign estate owner wants the bunnies for the once a year he's off out with his raptors. And due to other things I've no-one to ask to see if they could accommodate you. (A lot of keeper friends had retired or lost their jobs up here of late.)
Give the letter writing a go, you never know.
Good Luck,
GB.

 

[rghjones]

GB, seeing as you're in Scotland I don't suppose you've used or heard of http://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk have you? Seems like a good tool for finding out some landowner information, and £5 isn't a lot but still wasted if the information isn't great. It looks like most of the north of the country is listed too.

 

[rghjones]

Not at all, realism isn't negative! Thank you for your advice and for even thinking about asking personal contacts.