Blogs

Held at Scone Palace since 1989, the GWCT Scottish Game Fair has grown to become Scotland's largest celebration of the countryside, attracting thousands of visitors every summer.

This last weekend saw unprecedented wildfire occurrences across land uses, ecosystems and regions.  Until we have the data, we cannot be definitive, but it feels worse than 2022 and is being dubbed by experts, the 2026 firewave.

Following yet another devastating wildfire - this time at Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain with far reaching effects highlighted by the smoke seen across Anglesey - GWCT Cymru extends its deepest sympathy to the farmers anxious about the safety of their livestock and livelihoods, the communities affected and the firefighters working hard to bring them under control.

Once you start looking, wild bees can be found nesting in an incredible variety of places, from bee hotels and garden walls to old tree trunks, riverbanks and patches of bare soil.

This summer the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scotland is inviting supporters and interested members of the public to join them for guided walks on two outstanding grey partridge recovery projects with a chance to spot this increasingly rare bird.

Once found in abundant flocks across Britain's farmland, grey partridges are now largely confined to areas where land managers actively create the conditions they need to thrive. Rebuilding populations requires a carefully balanced approach - providing suitable nesting cover, abundant insect-rich habitat for chicks and effective predator management. 

I visited one of our longest established floral field margins over the weekend. Stepping out of the truck prompted four skylarks to ascend, filling the sky with birdsong. This part of the farm is the bastion of the skylark, away from the wooded areas down by the village, these large open fields are their favorite place.

When people think of wildflower meadows, they often picture colourful displays of orchids, knapweeds and oxeye daisies buzzing with pollinators. What is less obvious is the careful management required to create and maintain these habitats, and the important role that farmers play in ensuring they continue to support wildlife alongside productive agriculture.

Join the GWCT at this year's Game Fair at Ragley Hall on 24-26 July.  

This spring, we have established 6.7 hectares of AB9 Winter Bird Seed Mix across our 320-hectare farm at the GWCT Allerton Project in Loddington.