Speaking at the Scone Game Fair today (Friday 5 July), Scotland’s pre-eminent Sporting Lets agency believes that this year’s grouse season should be good even after the cold spring.

Robert Rattray, partner at CKD Galbraith and head of the firm’s Sporting Lets agency, said: “Despite the late Spring, the hatch commenced in earnest on time in late May, and since that time the weather has been good with excellent warm dry spells.

“Early indications suggest good brood sizes, and at this stage of the year, unless we have a sustained period of cold wet weather, we should see good grouse numbers.

“Generally speaking everyone in the industry is upbeat about this year’s grouse season with birds being well spread out throughout Scotland.”

Enthusiasts can expect to pay in the region of £150 plus VAT per brace for driven grouse and £100 plus VAT per brace for walked up grouse this season, a similar price level to last year.

Sporting Lets operate shoots on some of the finest Scottish estates offering top class grouse shooting and report strong demand among both UK and international sportsmen and women for both walked up and driven grouse shooting this season.

In terms of salmon fishing, Robert says: “After a patchy start, hopefully due to the unseasonably cold weather, we are now waiting for the start of the main grilse runs, which we should see over the next few weeks, depending on the water.”

Sporting Lets is shortly launching its new look website www.sportinglets.co.uk where full details on sporting opportunities and lodges available can be found as well as day-to-day up-dates throughout the season.

The website will be highly interactive and link in with the agency’s new social media campaign which has just been launched on Facebook: facebook.com/sportinglets and Twitter: twitter.com/SportingLets.