You could see the beaters far distant on top of the next hill. They were sending the grouse flying slightly uphill towards the Guns.

As far as the eye can see is a very long way indeed if you are sitting in butt nine on the return of Glenmoy drive at Glenogil Estate, in the Angus Glens. From our perch, about 500 metres above sea level and 15 miles north of Glamis Castle, you can see the sea 27 miles away at Montrose. The landscape alone is enough to make Glenogil special, and it is easy to understand why the estate was bought in 2013.

Following the change of ownership, the estate launched into an enthusiastic programme of conservation, becoming a member of the influential Angus Glens Moorland Group, founded in 2015. By the time The Field visited last season, the estate’s conservation efforts were already showing massive progress, especially in black grouse numbers – a beacon species for British shooting and conservation.

Glenogil’s headkeeper, Danny Lawson, reported: “We record the number of birds at the same sites and at the same time each spring to make sure our conservation strategy is