Press Coverage

Fledgling falconry business takes to the air, on Skye

Euan Naylor & Jenny Sandiford, Skye

Seagulls beware! The falcons of Kensalyre are coming to get you.

Since starting up "hawk walks" and falconry courses last year, Euan Naylor and Jenny Sandiford of the Isle of Skye Falconry were surprised to hear from local businesses keen to scare off troublesome seagulls.

“We didn't see ourselves offering a pest control service when we first started the business but it has certainly helped us survive a quiet winter,” Ms Sandiford said. “We've completed a few contracts, and our birds seem to have been quite successful at scaring off gulls. They don't actually catch or kill them, they just disturb them from nesting and roosting in the area.”

The fledgling business was taken under the wing of Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise as part of the “HIE Starts” scheme. Shirley Grant, HIE Starts adviser with SALE, said helping new businesses get off the ground and stay in the air was a top priority for the agency.

She added: “They are now ready to spread their wings, but we will continue to meet regularly with them to offer our support as their business grows, and I wish them every success for the future.”

West Highland Free Press, February 14, 2003