Golden Plover Award

This award is made by the Trust in collaboration with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.  Adam Smith and I have been on a world tour of Scotland in the last week to visit the three short-listed applicants.  This saw us in Sutherland on the Gordonbush Estate at Brora, last week; on the top of the Cairngorms on the Mar Estate, on Tuesday; and in Shetland, yesterday.

 Gordonbush Estate

Mar Estate

Cunningsburgh Apportionment

Adam and I are extremely grateful for the enthusiasm with which we have been received and entertained by the applicants.  We could have spent days with all of them, rather than the hours we had available, to learn more about the management of their land.  It is fascinating to see the management issues through the eyes of those who have to make the decisions and it is a change for Adam and I not to switch into an advisory mode.

We have now to sit down and weigh up all the information we have received to pick a winner of the award.  The award will be presented at a reception, sponsored by Savills, at the Scottish Game Fair - 4.30pm on Friday, 3 July.

More information about the Golden Plover Award and the three applicants that were shortlisted, is available on the Award's website.  We will be announcing the winner, next week.