A very enjoyable, if very wet, visit to Thormaid being shown around by area forester David Edwards and some "sport" both before and after drying out at the Forss Bridge Hotel in the company of host Ian McGregor, the proprietor. I called Hinchingbrooke and the nursing staff put Della herself onto the telephone and we had a nice chat as she told me that everything was all right.
We got 7.00am call this morning and I had a nice bath before going down to breakfast. We were all set to go by 8.00am and checked out of the hotel and drove to Broubster where we met David Edwards, the area forester. As senior forester, he had been involved with Broubster since its inception and had actually laid out Thormaid and others. He took Nigel and I on a walk from the southern edge of the estate along the western boundary past the DuLochan System.
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We saw several snipe fly away and then a group of three red grouse put up in front of Nigel and he was quite pleased with the signs for shooting but had left his guns in the car. We then walked on up the hill opposite and along and then over the oldest planting and down to the White Loch. I saw the trees in good shape after my years of absence and, in particular, the 1987-9 plantings had flourished in the milder and wet winters of this maritime land within sight of Dunnet Head. The 1985-6 plantings had been exposed to colder weather and a more open aspect and were ahead of the others but nor dramatically so. There were some signs of Spruce Aphid and Pine Saw-Fly but small in effect so as not to need any spraying at this stage.
The loch level had been lowered after it proved to have been affected by fertiliser run-off and having only been booked a couple of times this year with an old-time fisherman saying that it was better when the level was lower. More young brown trout had been added this year with those from 1980 still very much in evidence but slimy when caught. During the morning, the rain had started to fall and got heavier and heavier until we were soaked through. After a couple of hours, we called it a day and, saying farewell to David Edwards with a cup of whisky-laced hot tea, we took off. David's job is being merged with that of his counterpart from Lairg and he is being moved to the lake district.
We went early to our next hotel, The Forss Bridge which was close to the estate, to ask them if we could check in and dry off. They were very welcoming and had a large laundry/boiler room and let us lay out our things and use the tumble drier whilst we had lunch there. Nigel fell in love with the hotel and had the idea of getting another half-dozen friends to come along for a week in early October 1992. We would be fishing, shooting, eating and drinking in equal measure. We returned to Thormaid as soon as we had lunch in front of the fire and our clothes had dried out. The Forss Bridge is a sporting hotel with salmon fishing time-shared and an additional reputation for food and hospitality that brings people out from Thurso and the Dounray Reactor and U.S. Airforce bases for business lunches.
The rain continued this afternoon, but we carried on and attempted our first shooting. I had the first chances at some snipe at the DuLochan system and let off both barrels but missed! I was later to learn that even very experienced guns almost never manage to drop them. It was only after a couple of wet and non-productive hours that we were about to leave and I suggested a last walk down the boundary ride down to Loch Thormaid. Up went two birds on Nigel's side and he shot one and could have had another if he was not so surprised. We therefore got to take a grouse back home! To the hotel to start the drying-out process all over again and then we had some tea and booked a meal for the evening.
Ian McGregor, the proprietor, had mentioned to us that the district ranger for Fountain Forestry, Alan Brooks, had just been made redundant and, as much of what we had in mind for improving the sporting amenity of Thormaid would depend upon him and we had intended meeting him next trip, we decided to set up a meeting to talk things over more urgently. I telephoned home to leave a message about our hotel details and then called the hospital. Although Diana was temporarily away, the nursing staff put Della herself onto the telephone and we had a nice chat as she told me that everything was all right. I had already sent her an "aeroplane" postcard on my way to Scotland to send my love and she was missing me.