UNITED KINGDOM: Roe In Scotland & Gun Rooms In England

[Tintin]

Just back from a UK trip.

Aside from the magnificent scenery of the Cotwsolds and the Lake District, the first AH worthy activity was a long-awaited visit to Westley Richards. Time had got away from me a bit with other sightseeing, and I’d neglected to email them to arrange a tour until quite late on the day prior to our arrival. Despite this, and despite the low likelihood of my ever ordering one of their fine rifles or guns, we very warmly welcomed and spent a most enjoyable couple of hours there, chatting with their retail manager (who hosted us), stockers, engravers, actioners and others, including the leather / canvas work folks.

All were incredibly generous with their time. I must apologise to any here who have orders in with Westleys - our visit no doubt had a less than positive impact on your delivery times.

We were also shown their in house photography studio, home to two full time photographers whose work many on here would be familiar with. I cannot recommend highly enough a visit If anyone finds themselves in the UK.

Their retail space was a delight.

Now, I'm not in the habit of commenting on such things, but even the toilets were noteworthy, with an old local chap we met there telling us that he had never seen a washroom wall with so many dead tiger photos.

Among others, I handled a magnificent .577 Nitro double, that was suitably weighty and incredibly ornate creations fit for a king, prince or sultan. One in particular stood out for it’s intricate enamelled side plates.

^ The legendary former manager of their Bond Street premises, a “rough cut gem from Ealing”, William Bishop aka the Bishop of Bond Street. We weere told the bones of his beloved dog are still on hand at Westleys.

We then headed North to Scotland, staying at a great property in Dumfries - they offered clay shooting and fly fishing in a very peaceful, picturesque setting, right on the River Nith.

We wished we could stay there longer, but there were sights to see in Edinburgh and deer to chase in the border district of Berwickshire.

More to follow.

 

[Tintin]

Edinburgh is full of great sights and rich history, and with a good does of that taken in, it was down to the border district for a spot of Roe stalking. Earlier in the trip, we’d stayed with friends whose local pub I took as a good omen.

As we drove in to our hunting spot just before 0400, we had a doe and buck break cover and take off as we - another good sign ... or had we just spooked the only deer in the area?

It was a first for me hunting this far North in the summer with the long days it bought. We had solid hunting light shortly after 0400.

After a short stalk, we spotted a decent, though only 4 point, buck at about 60m. We froze, waiting for him to present broadside, as he did the rifle barked - well as much barking as a suppressed .223 can muster - and the mighty, game stopping, Scottish legal for Roe 55gn V-Max hit true.

It was only 0420. After dressing him, and driving back to our lodgings, I was back in bed before the bride was even stirring for the day.

More to follow.

 

[Tintin]

Had another outing arranged for that evening, again making the most of the long summer days. Again spotted a buck on the way in, very preoccupied with a doe. The rut is still a little way off, but the local consensus was that the warm weather was producing a ‘false rut’.

The signs were good on the drive in.

The stalk was underway in some nice country, a bit too nice a view, in a moment of me doing an all around scan, I’d missed my guide freeze, my freezing was too little, too late and we busted - I caught a glimpse of Roe bum finding safety in thick cover.

A chance to make good my poor performance eventually presented itself, passing through an opening in a hedgerow, I spotted a 6 point buck at about 70 metres. The wind was good, I gave a low whistle to the guide, he froze, but the buck was now not liking something and clocked us before I could get a shot.

So close.

With light and optimism now fading and some self kicking on my part, for not having capitalised what should have been good opportunities - we make a plan to work along a fringe strip, where woods met an open area.

I caught the slightest of movements. Eventually the movement morphed into a 5 point buck, blissfully unaware of our presence, foraging at 150 metres out. Sticks up, a suppressed pop, deer down.

My 33 year old guide was almost incredulous that my old, bespectacled eyes had spotted him.
What followed was one of those quick discussions, where the question and the answer are one and the same.

“Redemption?”

“Redemption.”

With redemption earned, and a few more castles visited, we headed South to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Some very interesting exhibits, that we lacked the time to completely take in. Well worth a visit.

More to follow.

 

[Javaman]

Super cool, thanks for sharing!

 

[SRvet]

Was the Roebuck pub just north of Preston by any chance?