Good News at Last

Well Wimbledon has begun and as we approach the second week even the redoubtable flying Scot Sir Andy Murray has met his Waterloo. So I content myself with thinking about nature and its beauty and difficulties. It’s been breeding time for Britain’s biggest type of grouse, the capercaillie. Forest clearings in the Highlands are their grounds and the hens sit in the trees watching the mating rituals of these large birds. And they have been having a difficult time of it recently, as for the last eight years capercaillie numbers have been in consistent decline. But there may be light on the horizon,  even though it is but faint life at the moment. Scottish conservationists warned that their population had fallen to just 542 last year, a halving of the birds since 2015 and so any improvement is welcome.

There has been a rewilding of some areas with predators that like a bite of capercaillie, like goshawks and pine martens, but those more remote areas are bucking the trend and the capercaillies seem to be prospering, despite increased predation. Changes in other animal populations affect the capercaillie too as pine martens may switch to eating their chicks if there is a shortage of small mammals for them to eat. Let us hope the martens find other fare.

Good news is always welcome in the animal kingdom as it is at good old James Pirie, established 1890. And the good news at the moment is the Summer Sale with some cracking price reductions on some very good goods. In many cases there is 75% or 60% off. So if you have a wedding present to buy, it is the season after all, or you have congratulations to make then we are the people to see. For weddings and graduations there can be no nicer, or more long lasting gift than  our outstanding fine glassware.  It tells the youngest that they can have affordable luxury in their lives. Take the Aviemore 4 Old Fashioned Tumblers in a classy presentation box by Royal Scot Crystal. They are at 60% off. Affordable luxury indeed! Just right for cocktail mixers or straight spirit drinkers. Or have a peek at the 60% off our Aviemore - Crystal 3/4pt Tankard in a special presentation box. Yours for a smidge over thirty quid for that deserving ale drinker.

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