SuiSgill ESTATE SuThErlAnd, ScoTlAnd Wick Airport 45 miles Inverness 76 miles Inverness Airport 83 miles Edinburgh 230 miles A SPECTACULAR SPORTING ESTATE ON THE RIVER HELMSDALE • Upper Suisgill Lodge (2 reception rooms and 9 bedrooms) • Kildonan Farmhouse (2 reception rooms and 6 bedrooms) • Four estate cottages, bothy and estate buildings • One-sixth share of the River Helmsdale fishings with a five year river average of 1,937 salmon and grilse, of which Suisgill rods averaged 405 fish • Red deer stalking (averaging 39 stags and 45 hinds) and roe stalking • Walked-up grouse shooting • Low ground shoot potential • In-hand sheep farming enterprise • 657 acres pasture and 14,804 acres hill • 994 acres commercial and native woodland About 16,523 acres (6,687 hectares) in total For sale as a whole Savills Savills Wemyss House 12 Clerk Street 8 Wemyss Place Brechin Edinburgh EH3 6DH Angus DD9 6AE [email protected] [email protected] +44 (0) 131 247 3720 +44 (0) 1356 628 628 1 inTroducTion hiSToricAl noTE The Strath of Kildonan has supported Suisgill’s place in the history books where it is still found today. The history an active population since the Stone was ensured late in 1868, when a brief of Kildonan’s gold started in 1818, Suisgill was formerly part of the Age. It was occupied by the Norsemen announcement in a local paper stated when a solitary gold nugget weighing Sutherland Estates in the days when of the 9th century, and the name of the that gold had been discovered at about ten penny weights was found in the Dukes of Sutherland owned virtually village of Helmsdale dates from this Kildonan, in the County of Sutherland. the River Helmsdale. the whole county. It was sold in 1919 period. Great changes in the way of Baile an Or, the site of the great to the Duke of Portland to extend the life of the people in Kildonan took place Sutherland Gold Rush of 1869, is SiTuATion deer wintering ground of Langwell in the early 1800s when Cheviot sheep situated on the estate. During the Suisgill is situated in east Sutherland forest. In 1935, it was bought by were introduced into the Strath. At that peak time up to 400 miners were said and lies a short distance from the Brigadier General Sir George Paynter, time the parish was divided into the six to be working there, with the greatest A9 trunk road and only 83 miles and in 1973 by Edward Reeves and his estates that still bear the same names concentrations of gold deposits found from Inverness Airport which has a family, the present day owners. today. in the Suisgill and Kildonan burns, growing number of both domestic and international flights. The local village of Helmsdale, a fishing port situated at the mouth of the River Helmsdale, has a number of local amenities, including a post office, butcher, restaurant, tackle shop and an inn. The train station on the North Highland line connects to the main railway network at Inverness from where there is a sleeper service to London. Inverness provides all the services expected of a major regional city. Wick Airport lies 46 miles to the north. 2 3 4 dEScripTion Suisgill lies approximately 11 miles inland from the village of Helmsdale. The Helmsdale River, which flows for about 24 miles before meeting the North Sea at the village, forms the south-western estate boundary, and has an international reputation as one of the most prolific rivers in the world for producing Atlantic salmon. Suisgill is one of the six sporting estates on the river, and in addition to its superb Helmsdale fishings, the estate also offers the opportunity to shoot grouse and stalk red deer on the hill as well as maintaining a productive in hand farming enterprise along with 994 acres of commercial and amenity woodlands. The six estate houses and cottages are found at strategic locations off the quiet public road that winds through the Strath of Kildonan. The system of ownership of the river is almost unique amongst Scottish rivers. The ownership of the River Helmsdale and the salmon fishings therein is shared between six proprietors - Torrish, Suisgill, Kildonan, Borrobol, Badanloch and Achentoul - all of which have an equal pro indiviso share of the river. These proprietors all have a right to fish the river on six The river water levels can to some the river level to be maintained rotating days, with each taking two extent be managed by the River Board by the release of artificial freshets beats daily. The river is managed by through the control of the flow from and, critically, permitting angling to the Helmsdale River Board which is Loch Badanloch, on which in 1901 continue even in dry summers. The made up of representatives from each Sutherland Estates and the tenants dam was replaced in 1989 and rebuilt of the six ownerships. first built a fisheries dam, allowing with a more effective fish ladder. 5 FiShingS Those who fish the Helmsdale are considered to be the envy of those less fortunate individuals who have never had the opportunity to do so; it has a reputation for providing some of the finest fishing in Scotland and, as a result, available weeks are hard to come by. The catchment is vast; in fact it is the second largest catchment of all river systems north of the Kyle of Sutherland. The headwaters drain into a number of lochs, among them Loch Rimsdale, Loch nan Clar and Loch Badanloch. Loch Achnamoine forms the uppermost beat on the river. The Bannock Burn then enters the Helmsdale some two miles downstream, carrying with it water from a number of lochs, notably Loch an Ruathair. From the confluence of the Bannock Burn, the river flows south east for some 20 miles to the sea below the village of Helmsdale. The fishings are managed by the owners through the Board, with a are briefly thus: the river is divided by each proprietor changes daily. the exception of Beat Six on which an with fishing by fly only throughout combination of lets, family and guests. into 12 beats, six below and six The order of fishing is determined additional third rod is permitted to fish the season. An official Open Day The arrangements and rules for fishing above Kildonan Bridge. During the by ballot, with the draw for the next on Loch Achnamoine. Ceremony, now part of the Helmsdale salmon fishing season, each of the six season’s order taking place annually calendar, celebrates the start of have been unanimously agreed by the The fishing runs for about 24 miles the fishing season; in 2009 the first six proprietors and are set out in full in proprietors of the river fishes one beat at the Board’s autumn meeting. A west to east. The salmon and sea salmon in Scotland was caught within a rules and fishing guide (available to below Kildonan Bridge and one above, maximum of two rods per estate may trout season opens on 11th January, 10 minutes of the ceremony. parties viewing). The arrangements for one day at a time; the beat fished be on the river at the same time, with and runs until 30th September inclusive 6 7 8 The last stretch of water near Helmsdale extends to 1.5 miles of double bank fishing, with a number of good pools and runs, and is fished by local and visiting fishermen on a daily or weekly permit basis. Recent records for the Suisgill rods on the River Helmsdale are as follows: Suisgill Salmon & Grilse Whole River Salmon & Grilse Year Number Number 2003 287 1487 2004 362 2336 2005 336 1887 2006 451 2205 2007 306 1671 2008 358 1507 2009 317 1550 2010 544 2570 2011 383 2022 2012 427 2039 10 Year Average 377.10 1927.40 5 Year Average 405.80 1937.60 3 Year Average 451.33 2210.33 The 30 year average for the Suisgill Rods is 352.87 fish and the 20 year average is 364.75 fish. Besides salmon fishing there is a trout pond near Kildonan Farmhouse called Emluan which has in the past been stocked with brown trout. In addition there is a right to fish for trout from one boat on Loch Badanloch on Badanloch Estate and from one boat on Loch Arachlinie between Badanloch and Achentoul Estates. These additional fishing rights can be enjoyed by those not occupied on the river. 9 grouSE Records dating back to the end of for the 10 years between 1980 and preserve numbers. As a result the In common with many Sutherland the 19th century indicate that Suisgill 1989 was 369 brace and as recently average since 1989 has dropped moors, the Suisgill hill is traditionally has produced up to 1,500 brace in a as 1981, 721½ brace were shot. In to 11½ brace. There is an ongoing shot over pointers. season, with an average of 600 - 700 recent years, the grouse stocks have programme of heather burning, brace up until 1905. The average bag been low and the aim has been to vermin control and distribution of grit. 10 11 12 4 STAlking Current cull records are as follows: Suisgill comprises an interesting Year Stags Hinds and varied hill which extends to 2012 33 20 approximately 14,804 acres, and has a 10 year average cull of 39 stags and 2011 36 14 45 hinds. The terrain offers exciting 2010 35 29 and challenging stalking across the 2009 48 39 estate. The highest point on Suisgill is Cnoc an Eireannaich (‘The Irishman’) 2008 37 59 at 517 metres above sea level.