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2024 review and 2025 pre-season news
Introduction
2024 was another busy year at South Chesthill, with both Chesthill House and Gardener’s Cottage having high occupancy, and record numbers of deer culled.
In June last year we made the big step to acquire The Fortingall hotel, restaurant and pub, which are currently being refurbished to the highest standard. See more information below.
We upgraded our website (southchesthill.com, take a look!) and remain committed to our vision for South Chesthill to remain a traditionally run estate with high standards and sensitive improvements each year.
All our 2025 stags are now let, but for both properties we have a few weeks left in the spring and summer, plus the hind season in November to February. Why not pop up in the hind season and stay for a few nights at The Fortingall? First come first served!
Thank you Ainster and Michelle for doing a tremendous job at ensuring guests have a wonderful time with us.
Fishing
There was a better run of salmon across Scotland in 2024, with numbers caught on the Tay and reported on FishPal at just over 5,000, up about 50% versus 2023. South Chesthill saw a doubling of its catch but still below the 10 year average of 25, and its 2012 record of 105. Nevertheless, this is perhaps, hopefully, the first signs of results from the 2023 – 2028 implementation plan of the creditable Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy.
Congratulations to Simon Troughton for the heaviest of the season, a 16 pound cock caught on a Cascade at Bridge. Thank you to everyone for returning their salmon.
In 2025 we will give The Fortingall guests first priority on the Culdaremore beat (Peter’s Pool up to Weavers), as it used to be for many years, but when it isn’t booked it will be available to Chesthill House guests.
We are lucky to have some great trout fishing on the river and hill loch. Congratulations to 6 year old Flora Ramsay for her first trout, at Boat Pool.
Please contact us if you are interested in staying at Chesthill House for a week (fishing included), or visit FishPal.com (availability is now live) for day permits, with which you can fish for salmon or trout.
Stalking
After the record cull in the 2023/24 season, we set another record in 2024/25, with 76 stags (versus 71 in 2023), 184 hinds and calves (versus 151 in 2023). This total of 260 compares to the previous 20 year average of 145 and shows how much we are doing to help the deer group keep numbers in check, to the benefit of the environment and to keep within our 2020 agri-environment commitment to keep deer numbers stable. Well done to Ainster, Kevin, and all successful guests, especially Gavin Sharp for his first stag, Rosie Donald for her first hind, and Jo Thomson who shot her first two deer with her first shot!
The deer population is likely to now be back under control so the cull is likely to come down a next season, so book early to avoid disappointment. We are fully sold out for stags in 2025, but have hind stalking and Chesthill House available. See below for more information.
Activities
South Chesthill is about a lot more than just its sport, and many visitors neither fish nor stalk. Activities on the estate include nature tours, a visit to the hill loch, picnics, bbqs, kayaking, biking, games room, badminton, massages, swimming, walking, and clay pigeon shooting. Plus on the website you will find a long list of local activities and places to visit.
E-Bikes
We have recently invested in four top of the range Mondraker Prime electric mountain bikes (mondraker.com/nc/en/prime), varying from small (minimum rider height 155cm) to extra large. They are equally happy on roads and tracks, and we will produce some suggested routes. They are free for Chesthill House guests to use, we just ask that sensible care is taken. We will get some suggested route maps printed.
The Fortingall
“He’s gone mad!” I can hear you say.
If you’ve stayed at South Chesthill before, you’ll have driven past The Fortingall Hotel and Ewe Pub at the bottom of the glen. The Fortingall has been running as a hotel since it was built in 1891 on the site of an older inn. It was about to be bought and turned into a house so South Chesthill began to think about putting in an offer and ended up the lucky(?!) buyer.
We partnered with Luxury interiors company Anbôise with a clear vision — to save the hotel, upgrade it, re-energise it, offer South Chesthill produce, and integrate it with some outdoor activities including Culdaremore fishing.
The hotel has now welcomed its first guests since reopening and is ready for a ‘soft’ relaunch. While the design has been elevated to the highest standards, it still very much has that traditional Scottish heart and soul. It is very special. We hope you might like to stay, or if you are staying at Chesthill House or Gardener’s Cottage, visit for lunch, tea or drinks.
Availability & Prices – 2025
Tenants have six weeks from their departure date to pay their deposit to reserve their week the following year; otherwise it is up for grabs. Please enquire about:
- Chesthill House: there’s 2025 availability for fishing / holidaying from April to early July, plus hind stalking from November to February. The house sleeps 16 but the dining room is better suited to 12 adults (plus children). Sunday to Sunday (short-stays bookable within three months). Five miles river for four/five salmon rods, trout loch, stalking (stags and hinds). Price range for 2025 is £4,800 to £8,800 for the house, including VAT, excluding sport. Please reply to this email to enquire / book.
- Gardener’s Cottage: sleeps four. Sunday to Sunday (short-stays bookable within two months). Trout and salmon fishing and other activities can be booked as an extra, depending on availability. Price range £790 to £1,090, including VAT. Please check availability via southchesthill.com.
- Fishing only: you can now book fishing on FishPal.com from eight weeks in advance (if available). Prices from £30-£50 per day for salmon fishing (reduced if you book for 6 days or more).
Yours sincerely,
Charlie Ramsay, 4th May 2025