Sep 08 2009
Posted by Dylan Smith
What an incredible three days Theresa and I have been able to experience this weekend! It is the first one since arriving that we have both been off for both the Saturday and the Sunday and we were determined to make the most of it (our time in Scotland is running out far too quickly!). Fred very kindly offered us the use of an Invermark Landy which we gratefully accepted and we set off in the general direction of the West coast and Loch Ness… Apart from having a bash at seeing Nessie (one never knows when ones luck is on) we were on a bit of a puffin-finding expedition.
Sep 04 2009
Posted by Dylan Smith
An entire week of driven grouse shoots has come to an end. And what a week it was! I have been in the very privileged position of being a loader – that is I get to sit in a cosy butt out of the wind and rain enjoying watching the birds fly over and every now and again casually passing a cartridge to the chap shooting. Mmm… not quite the way it works. All the loaders gather at the lodge in the morning where we collect our guns, cartridges and butt sticks and load them into the Landrovers. When the guests are ready (after breakfast, tea, coffee, a cigarette, some more tea and another couple of cigarettes) we head out to where the shoot will take place.
For many years the Oppenheimer family have spent time each year at Lord Dalhousie’s famous Invermark estate in Scotland. Invermark is acknowledged to be one of the greatest grouse and deer moors - an area of true wilderness. Jamie Dalhousie and Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer have, for some time, been discussing the idea of an exchange between Invermark and Tswalu to broaden the experience of the two management teams.
This year the first such exchange will be taking place - Dylan Smith, Tswalu’s Wildlife Projects Manager , will be going to Invermark for some two and a half months from the middle of January. This will be quite a cultural challenge, not least moving from the middle of summer with temperatures in the mid 30 c to Scotland where the temperature will mostly be below freezing.
Coming in the other direction from Invermark to Tswalu will be Andy Malcolm, one of Invermark’s senior keepers, and his family. Both parties are really looking forward to new experiences and will be writing a weekly blog to be posted on the Tswalu web.
