Get the most out of a hunting trip to the UK

There is a long and established tradition of field sports enthusiasts traveling from the US to Scotland and England to enjoy hunting local quarry in the fabulous British countryside; whether it’s a bracing day of driven shooting over the moors of northern England, or stalking deer over the peaks of the western Highlands, there’s always something special about a hunting trip to the UK.

Pheasant, grouse and duck shooting are all popular, as is deer stalking and hunting, which tends to be more prevalent in Northern England and Scotland. Salmon fishing, particularly on the world famous Tweed River (that runs along much of the border between Scotland and England) is also a highly popular activity for sportsmen travelling from the US. Much of these activities take place in open countryside, but there are many large estates and historic country homes that offer shooting activity days, clay pigeon shooting and deer stalking.

There are a considerable number of sporting agencies that specialize in arranging either field sports packages or completely bespoke hunting holidays for shooting enthusiasts travelling from the States. Over the years the style of travel and trends in destinations have changed, but hunting in England and Scotland has always had a special appeal. As a consequence there are numerous sporting agencies that cater to travelers from overseas who wish to experience shooting, stalking and hunting in the UK. Some of these sporting agencies work with larger estates, others only provide assistance with the hunting part of the holiday and do not arrange accommodation or transportation.

There are however a number of highly experienced sporting agencies, true gems that are difficult to find because of their small scale. Smaller sporting agencies, particularly those that can arrange an entire hunting holiday (airport pick up, transfers, transport, accommodation, hospitality, gun repairs, food, and of course drink!) are worth hunting down (no pun intended). As a seasoned gun, particularly one that enjoys pheasant shooting and deer stalking, I had the tremendous pleasure of arranging a trip to the UK with  Exclusively Scottish. This sporting agency only works with a small, select group of estates and specialist suppliers, and as a consequence they are able to provide some of the best quality pheasant shooting, deer stalking, hunting and fishing that Scotland has to offer. If you’re planning a hunting or field sports holiday in the UK, they’d be well worth consulting as they provide a full sporting agency service for overseas visitors. Whether you are after pheasant shooting, game shooting, duck hunting, deer shooting or fishing in Scotland or Northern England, they can assist and plan your trip (including activities such as distillery tours, textile mills, golf days, archery lessons and city shopping for those in the party who don’t want to partake in shooting).

Whether your trip to the UK is for hunting, stalking (or because your other half wants to go shopping) it’s well worth researching the smaller, less well known sporting agencies, as they often provider a better, more personal and memorable hunting trip. For more information on this type of activity, please click here.