A View Across Some Typical Hill Lochs

An Evening's Board

Fishing For Salmon And Sea Trout From A Drifting Boat

A View From The Hills

A Catch Of Brown Trout Largest 2 ½ lbs

A Butcher - Very Successful On The Hill Lochs

How Does The Fishing Work ?

As well as the fishing available from Scourie District Angling Club, Reay Forest Estate and Kylestrome Estate, there are approximately 250 lochs and lochans, split into 40 hotel-controlled beats. The names of all hotel residents wishing to fish are put onto the fishing roster, known as the board, in order of arrival at the hotel. Each evening, after dinner, the fishing is allocated according to the order on the board. Guests are free to chose any beats not taken by those above them on the board. Each day the name at the top of the board moves to the bottom and everyone else moves up one place. Should you chose not to fish every day, your name will still progress up the board.

Who Allocates The Fishing ?

The fishing is allocated by the "boardmaster". The boardmaster is a hotel guest who has a good knowledge of all the hotel fishing and will be able to offer advice to guests new to the district.

How Much Does The Fishing Cost ?

All hotel-controlled beats, with the exception of Loch Stack, More and the River Dionard are absolutely free to hotel residents. The hotel has three boats per day on Loch Stack which cost between £ 25 and £ 35 per day depending on the time of year - two rods are allowed per boat. Loch More boats are £ 10 per day and the River Dionard is normally let as a two rod beat (Please contact the hotel for further details).

Are Boats Available ?

Yes. All the salmon beats have boats and several brown trout lochs have boats where the boat gives a definite advantage. Most of the brown trout lochs fish better from the bank. There is no charge for the boats (Other than Loch Stack and Loch More - see above).

Are The Services Of A Ghillie Available ?

With the exception of the boats on Loch Stack, with which a ghillie must be taken, all fishing is let without a ghillie. A ghillie is largely unnecessary on the brown trout lochs, as the hotel boats are easy to handle and advice on the best places to fish and flies to use is freely available. The daily rate for a ghillie on Loch Stack is £ 40 per day.

Do I Need To Book Fishing ?

It is suggested that boats on Loch Stack are booked at the time of room reservation and they are very popular. Weeks are available at certain time of the year on the  River Dionard   - please contact the hotel for further details. Boats on  Loch More can also be booked in advance. The rest of the fishing is allocated via the board method (see above).

Will I Have To Walk Far To Get Good Fishing ?

Access To Loch Stack is from the roadside as are some of the hotel brown trout lochs. It is fair to say that most of the better brown trout lochs involve a fair amount of walking, although most of it is fairly easy and some along established paths. On average you could expect to walk from three to eight miles in the course of a day's fishing, although there are beats that will involve less walking and some which require more.

What Are The Fishing Hours ?

The fishing day on hotel water is from 9am to 6pm and Loch Stack from 10am to 6pm.  It is essential that you are in the hotel at approximately 9pm after dinner each evening if you wish to chose your fishing for the following day. Evening fishing is not permitted and there is no fishing on Sundays.

What Can I Expect In Terms Of Numbers And Size Of Fish ?

This depends on the extent of your experience of fishing for wild fish in natural surroundings. There are Brown Trout of up to 5lbs and in a fortnight you would expect to have a reasonable chance of trying for one of these fish. However, the really big fish are quite difficult to catch. An average angler, on a first visit to Scourie, can expect to catch upwards of six fish per day with the sprinkling of fish in the region of a pound. Salmon tend to be mainly grilse between 4 and 8lbs in weight although a fish of 23 lbs was taken from Loch Stack in 1997. Sea Trout vary from finnock (immature fish) to many pounds.

What Methods Are Permitted ?

All fishing on hotel controlled beats is by fly only, including dry fly, wet fly and dapping.

Is Tackle Available At The Hotel ?

The hotel does have rods, reels and lines for hire and we stock a good selection of flies and nylons for sale for all our fishing. The most successful flies are the traditional Scottish Trout and Sea Trout flies, though some newer types of reservoir flies such as the Muddler Minnow can be useful for Salmon.