The Nith Catchment Fishery Trust, offer a five-session outdoor education programme to schools. Sessions teach children about the aquatic environment and conservation, culminating in a day’s fishing on a local water. The trust also runs the Nith Young Anglers Club, taking young people out fishing throughout the year, teaching them various methods of fishing.

Buccleuch were delighted to donate the use of lochs and river beats on Queensberry Estate for some of the sessions. This year, children from Dunscore Primary explored life within the Marr Burn, a tributary of the River Nith. They also received a demonstration of electrofishing and kick sampling for aquatic invertebrates. They deemed the watercourse to be in full health by the end of their session!

Secondary school pupils from Wallace Hall Academy and Sanquhar Academy enjoyed a successful day’s fishing for rainbow trout on Slatehouse Loch, with the Nith Young Anglers Club also trying loch fishing and salmon fishing on the Nith on Buccleuch’s Boatford beat. Whilst weather conditions were not optimal for catching salmon, the children had a wonderful day learning fishing techniques and caught a few salmon parr.

Debbie Parke, Operations Manager/Fishery Biologist at the Nith Fishery Catchment Trust said: ‘We would like to thank Buccleuch for the generosity, and we hope to work with the estate in the future.’