The Glorious Twelfth

The Glorious Twelfth

I meant to write this a few weeks ago but life is very busy here at the farm. Dogs, dogs, dogs and the promise of a baby boy. Our first. So exciting!

We were very lucky to have been invited out on the 12th for the first day of the Grouse season. Up in the Scottish Borders on a moor I have come to dearly love over the past couple of years. A day filled with anticipation, excitement and intrigue. It seemed very different to a normal shoot day, not just because of the current pandemic, but because the Glorious Twelfth has its own identity. Something that feels so very special and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Arguably the most natural of shooting environments where your skill is truly tested in the most rugged and rural terrain you’ll likely ever set foot on.

It would be a great test for both me and the dog. Gun in hand, Labrador by my side as the mist started to rise up above the hill. The dog I ran for the day was Millie. Millie has been with us on and off for a number of years now and I love her like one of my own. It was a great test for Millie to be in that environment for the first time and she took it all in her stride. Foot perfect in line and once the first covey came flying over, you could almost see the light bulb go on in her head. What is interesting is that Millie spends a lot of time in London yet switches effortlessly to life in the countryside and back into training and work. We were treated to a fantastic covey just before lunch and three were dispatched in quick succession right in front of us. Millie gave the last one to fall her total focus and picked efficiently after the first two had been picked further down the line. What a time to break.

The afternoon was a long walk across the moor that started with a fantastic flush right along the gun line. Several flushes later and we were drawing to a close of what had been a mesmerising day. All this of course with the backdrop of something akin to the early paintings of Rodger McPhail.

The day was not about the size of the bag, nor was it about the pulling of the trigger. An amazing experience with a great friend set high up in the beautiful ‘highlands in the lowlands’.

Dave