Salmon Fishing on the River Beauly
One of the great Scottish Highland rivers to be harnessed for Hydro-electric power, the River Beauly is born out of its tributaries, Affric, Cannich, Glass, and Farrar. The spring run has diminished since the building of the Hydro dams and the best fishing months are now July, August and September. The lower river can also be good for sea trout, with the main run appearing in July. With the water flow controlled by the hydro electric scheme, the Beauly is less reliant on rainfall and can often provide good fishing irrespective of weather conditions.
The best of the salmon fishing on the Beauly is on the river below the dams at Aigas and Kilmorack, while good fishing can be had on the main tributaries Glass and Farrar from July onwards. The main lower beats are Falls, Home and Downie, owned by Lovat Estates, where salmon can be taken from April, with the best of the fishing from July through to October. On the main river above the dams and on the tributaries, it will be late May or early June before the first fish are caught, with things really picking up with the first of the summer spates in July. The total salmon catch is somewhere in the region of 1000 fish per annum.
Beauly Angling Club has water on the lower river, owned by Lovat Estates, which can be very good for sea trout. Day tickets are available for the tidal stretch below Lovat bridge. Further up the river, the Downie beat can also be excellent for sea trout, with a good Spring run around April and again in July when the main summer run of sea trout enters the river. Most of the Beauly beats are owned by Lovat Estates.
River Beauly Map
Tap or click on the map below to view full size image
Note: the maps on this website are extracts from the Bartholomew “Half Inch” map series dating back to the middle of the twentieth century. There have been many changes since the maps were made, and much of the human detail, e.g. buildings and roads, will have changed over the period. It is to be hoped, however, that the character of our Scottish rivers, and the trout and salmon in them, will not have altered too dramatically over the years and that they may still offer the wonderful fishing prospects of days gone by. Bearing the above in mind, anyone planning a fishing or walking trip in Scotland is advised to equip themselves with a compass and the appropriate up-to-date Ordnance Survey map, the most useful for the angler probably being the Landranger series, scale 1:50,000. For Beauly, see O.S. map number 26.
For further information about the fishing on the Beauly see River Beauly Fishing
For information about the trout fishing in the area see Trout Fishing Scotland