Grouse slump is 'a bitter blow' to Highland economy
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A POOR grouse season has seen Highland hotels and estates suffer a downturn as shooting parties cancel.
Roughly 70 per cent of grouse shooting days have been cancelled this season because of the extreme weather conditions across most of Scotland earlier this year, having a knock effect on the hotels, pubs and other businesses which are reliant on trade generated by the grouse season, which runs from August 12 to December 10.
In a good year, approximately 970,000 bed-nights per year are purchased by tourists, both domestic and international, keen to enjoy Scotland’s world class country sports. Country sports tourism generates £155 million annually for the Scottish economy.
Gareth Paschke, owner of the Cairn Hotel in Carrbridge, said: “We have had six group bookings cancelled so far for this season, accounting for more than 200 bed nights, which is obviously a significant loss of revenue. We will be able to resell some of those but we will still lose the supplementary income from gamekeepers, beaters and other estate staff, who will have much smaller wage packets to spend.
“This has a knock-on impact on our local suppliers, as sporting groups enjoy the best of local produce from our Speyside butcher or a great Kinrara or Caorunn G&T. The region is a popular one for all types of visitors but the positive impact of the grouse season and country sports as part of the local economy and employment cannot be underestimated.”
Spending by estates is necessarily reduced when there is a poor season. One estate in Speyside forecasts that their average annual spend of £12,000 to £14,000 on rooms for staff will be wiped out completely this year.
Philip MacKenzie, owner of Farr Estate in the Monadhliath hills, has also had to cancel grouse shooting, with a knock-on effect on the local economy. He said: “At Farr we would hope to have 15 driven days per season and four or five walked-up days.
“This year we have cancelled all grouse shooting. Our 15 driven days would have produced an income of £150,000 which we re-invest in the estate. In addition, we would have offered 350 man-days of employment during the season. We can’t now take on any of those people, so they will lose that pay.
“The local community shop relies on income from beaters and casual workers which it will not now receive. This makes it very difficult for the shop to stay in operation.”
Andrew Grainger, co-ordinator for the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group, said: “The impact of a poor season is very significant, with little or no work provided to part-time staff such as beaters, catering staff and pickers-up, and the knock-on effect on associated rural businesses such as pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels, is also very damaging.
“When casual employment falls, the spend in local businesses falls as everyone has to tighten their belts.
“The tourism sector is also severely impacted by a poor season.
“We know that almost one million bed-nights are generated by tourists in a good season but hoteliers in rural areas are hard hit when the season falls flat.”
