Suisgill was bought by Edward Reeves in 1973 and is still owned and run by the Reeves family, with his children Lucy, Emma and Andrew getting involved in its management in recent years. The primary enterprises on the estate are sporting, farming and tourism.
In terms of sport, Suisgill holds a one-sixth share of the salmon fishing on the highly-regarded River Helmsdale and many of our guests return year after year to cast a fly on this stunning river, benefiting always from the excellent guidance and advice of our ghillie Donald Sutherland. Red deer stalking is another important activity on Suisgill, and this is managed by our keeper Derek Darvill, who has recently declared war on the rabbit population and is working hard to reintroduce grouse shooting on the estate.
Suisgill is also home to 880 North Country Cheviot ewes and these account for the farming aspect of the estate which is ably managed by our shepherd David Henderson.
There are several self-catering properties that we let out to visitors, ranging from our lodge Upper Suisgill, which sleeps 14, to our holiday cottage Balvallioch, which sleeps 4. From 2012, guests will also be able to stay at the recently-renovated Gardeners Cottage, which sleeps 6-8 people. As well as the sporting activities, a big draw to the estate is the opportunity to pan for gold at Baile an Or, one of the sites of the 1869 Great Sutherland Gold Rush, which is located at the Kildonan Burn. Other visitors enjoy walking or wildlife-spotting, and Suisgill is an excellent base for exploring Sutherland and Caithness, be that for the excellent golf courses and beaches, horse riding, mountain biking and surfing, or for the region’s many tourist attractions such as the Timespan Museum in Helmsdale or Dunrobin Castle at Dornoch.