Dominic Prince

The ultimate trophy asset for the new-money elite

Dominic Prince says grouse shooting attracts the super-rich — and demand will keep estate prices rising

issue 15 March 2008

Grouse shooting and grouse moors have historically been the preserve of the British aristocracy. For anyone interested in game, shooting grouse is about as good as it gets. If pheasant shooting is a yacht, grouse shooting is a luxury private liner reserved only for the very rich.

Owning a grouse moor is like owning a very expensive, extremely high-maintenance toy — and there are a group of buyers who are making grouse moors one of the most sought-after assets in the land. With only 300 moors in Britain, specialist agents say that there’s a queue of newly wealthy buyers but very few sellers, and consequently prices are heading skyward. The people buying moors are invariably self-made men who are not worried about reaping an income from this most prestigious of sporting trophy assets.

However, according to the Moorland Association, a grouse moor let out on a commercial basis can in fact yield quite significant revenues.

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