Date :
27/06/2014
Country sports in Scotland are estimated to contribute £200 million per year to our economy. Around 15-20% of that is generated by foreign visitors, according to Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group's figures. To some, country sports is a contentious industry they would rather not engage with, but the fact remains that these sports are extremely popular.
What are country sports?
Aside from the obvious deer stalking and fishing, it can also include wildfowling, ferreting and dog trials. Falconry and clay pigeon shooting are becoming increasingly popular too.
Wildfowling is a gun sport which involves lying in wait, sometimes for hours, for ducks, geese or wading birds. Ferreting uses ferrets to flush out burrow-dwelling animals, usually rabbits, to hunt them. Dog trials test a hunting dog’s skills at seeking and retrieving (usually canvas dummies). Falconry uses peregrine falcons or hawks to hunt for birds and mammals. Clay pigeon shooting is a gun sport using clay discs as targets. And finally Angling is increasingly popular, either sea, loch or river fishing.
The Scottish appeal
There are lots of countries where these sports are practiced, but Scotland’s appeal is the unique landscape and, for many, the tradition and culture that surrounds them. Being out in the wild, experiencing nature first hand, and the beauty of the landscape is a huge draw for these visitors.
Some foreign travellers are looking for a Scottish ‘package’ deal as an addition to country sports, which might include a whisky tour, one-night city stay, a country spa hotel. There are endless possible selling-on opportunities for visitors who may not want to take part in field sports. Remember some members of a group may not want to take part in field sports, so it’s worth having options for other activities up your sleeve.
Value to rural economies
Country sports enthusiasts argue that, as well as the obvious spending power these visitors bring, country sports provide jobs in remote rural areas.
Sarah Troughton, Chair of the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group said “we have demonstrated how valuable country sports are to the Scottish economy, not only in terms of turnover but also providing jobs in places where there is little other economic activity and by prolonging the tourism season almost throughout the year, which in a remote spot can make all the difference to other businesses, such as hotels.”
Fields sports seasons extend beyond the usual tourist season. Consider offering special deals for these visitors when the season tails off. To be sure of the fishing season check out VisitScotland’s Fish in Scotland pages and the Scottish country Sports shooting season page for game hunting.
The myths
Country sports have a reputation for being elitist and expensive, but this doesn’t have to be the case. All good fishing tackle shops hire kit, and a day’s salmon fishing on the Tay can cost as little as £35. Pheasant shooting is around £30-35 per bird; at the end of a day’s stalking, where hunters are accompanied by a local expert stalker the outlay might be £450-£500 with a stag to show for it. Alternatively a day’s roe deer stalking would cost around £150, so it’s not as expensive as visitors might think.
Fieldsports Welcome and Anglers Welcome Schemes
If you provide accommodation, there are a few things you need to know to make anglers and country sports participants feel welcome. The most obvious is secure storage for guns, facilities for storing the day's catch and somewhere to dry clothes and gear, among other logistical requirements. Like all visitors who are dependent on nature and conditions, being prepared to be flexible in both pricing and lengths of stay, especially for foreign visitors is welcomed.
VisitScotland runs the Fieldsports Welcome and Anglers Welcome Schemes. They are awards given to accommodation providers who go out of their way to welcome shooting, stalking, fishing and hunting visitors.
Establishments displaying the Fieldsports Welcome or the Anglers Welcome award logo provide additional facilities such as a freezer for today’s salmon catch and facilities to gut and clean fish; a daily weather forecast; a hanging facility for game or kennelling for gundogs.
There are already over 150 bed and breakfast, hotel and self-catering providers on the list of award holders and plenty of need for much more to make sure there’s a good geographic spread across the Scotland.
Find out what you need to know for these visitors and how you can gain the Fieldsports Welcome and Anglers Welcome accreditation.
Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group
The SCSTG was established to promote participation in and development of country sports in Scotland.
Andrew Grainger, Project Coordinator for SCSTG urges, “don’t be afraid to ask questions. We can help you make more of what country sports have to offer.”
You can find further information, including country sports providers, accommodation and much more on the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group website.
A commissioned market research report on country sports tourism is due to be published in August, which will bring valuable market intelligence on this important tourism sector. This research data will form the basis of a brand new TIS resource on country sports.