The Gamekeeper tells the story of a year in the life of Charlie Pirie, gamekeeper and head stalker of Glen Tilt, on the Duke of Atholl’s estates near Blair Atholl in Scotland. Stag stalking is the most dramatic sporting event of the estates’ calendar and Charlie describes vividly these exiting occasions, set in one of the most beautiful Highland glens, which sportsmen and women come from all over the world to enjoy. Grouse shooting is another major source of income, and managing the grouse, along with assisting with the organization of pheasant shoots, are also important tasks during the year. Charlie instructs the guests in the art of shooting and guides them through their days out in the glen, helping them find and shoot their quarry.
In between the shooting parties, he has many jobs to do amidst the glorious Highland scenery, from culling hinds and foxes and burning the heather, to looking after the sheep and rescuing hill climbers.
Alongside Charlie’s monthly diary are entertaining anecdotes about hinting and the Atholl Estates, past and present. We read about the great hunting parties of early Scotland, the famous Jacobite Rising of 1745 when Atholl welcomed Bonnie Prince Charlie and his troops, wildlife in the glen over the centuries, tradition of feasting, stories about the great poachers of the past, weapons, clothes, and many tips for the would-be stalker.
The romantic ideal of the Victorian hunting estate no longer exists and, like every other Highland estate, Glen Tilt is coming to terms with the realities of the late twentieth century. Specially commissioned photographs taken over the year capture the full beauty of this magnificent place, as well as the people and the wildlife, providing a unique insight into a vanishing way of life.
Hardback.