Pheasants & Duck on the Isle of Muck!

Thursday, Excitement Brewing in Port Appin!

The usual team coming from all directions with one rookie, Charles, somehow managed to all meet at Gretna Green for lunch before the last leg of the journey to my brother’s hotel called the Pierhouse at Port Appin.

The first night is always messy and there was much determination to avoid massive hangovers on the ferry trip to Muck. This year surprisingly we succeeded despite the issuing of engraved commemorative pint tankards with everyone’s nickname.

A wonderful dinner in a private dining room with some fantastic seafood platters washed down with plenty of wine set the spirit for the next few days.

The Sloe Ferry

The 60 mile drive to Arisaig was memorable this year for the tremendous colours of the trees with a range of brilliant golden shades, the weather this year is almost certainly the cause. The ferry crossing this year was relatively benign and dry, so standing outside on the ferry with a bottle of sloe gin rapidly disappearing was most memorable as we edged gently past the islands of Rum and Eigg towards Muck.

Awaiting for us on the jetty were Toby and Mary with their Land Rover ready to take all our belongings up to Port Mor hotel just a 5 minute walk from the harbour. Having left our cars at Arisaig one has to be extremely methodical to remember everything for the trip.



Beaten by Snipe & Duck!

Arrival back at the hotel was like coming home to familiar surroundings. Interestingly a new lodge is being built on the island to be ready for next year. Overlooking the Costa del Muck beach and facing towards the island of Rum it promises to be a spectacular location to stay.

After a hearty lunch we were off for the first drive which Toby said would contain some snipe amongst other game. Well, the snipe and their volume were spectacular. With a strong wind it was quite the most testing shooting many of us had had all season so far. Tremendous fun!

We then headed off toward the other end of the island for a duck drive which Toby told us was an experiment. Well, after a barrage of cartridges at some of the highest duck imaginable we accounted for only a modest number. It is though the views from the pegs which are such a special part of this trip. The backdrop across the sea was the Island of Mull and the lighthouse on the most westerly point of mainland Britain.

When in Muck...

An evening of party games ensued with bed shortly before the generator is switched off plunging the island into total darkness. With the moon heading towards being full there was sufficient light to find your way to the loo! The only bad news was that this meant the geese were feeding on the game cover at night making early morning flighting tricky.

Friday brought us a tremendous days shooting with a substantial bag of pheasant, partridge, duck and snipe. In dry conditions and only a modest wind we drove round the island in the fleet of four wheel drive vehicles that would perhaps challenge the MOT centre for a pass certificate, but there is no need to worry about these small details on Muck!



With reveille at 6 on Saturday morning, duck flighting awaited for the eager participants that hadn’t been bowled over during the previous evening’s activities. For those less able bodies a more leisurely start with the first drive at 11 beckoned. With the wind picking up Toby and Mary laid on some spectacular birds. Beachy yet again managed to be underneath a high volume of birds which were despatched with aplomb and those less so, were quickly collected by Trigger who was fortunately confined by the shores of island from straying too far!

With wonderful food Saturday night saw the team toast a bag of 314 over the 2 days, the highest so far for the island. The Sunday departure reminded us of the Hebridean weather as the rain lashed down in torrents completely soaking us for the return journey to Arisaig. All in all a spectacular place to shoot and we will return again next year.



Total Bag: 314

Guns:
James Horne
Michael Beach
Nick Horne
John Garner
Chris Horne
Charles Huntington-Whiteley
Julian Glasgow
Graham Lee
Jonathan Birch

Chief Picker Up:
Freddie the Dog

Ageing Rocker: 
Clive Drayton