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Driven Partridge
Red-legged partridge presented over steep valleys and broom-covered ridges. Five to six drives a day, the line numbered and drawn each morning in the old manner.
Serra da Estrela · Beira Interior · Portugal
Beira Hunting
An annual gathering of Guns in the granite high country of Portugal. Driven red-legged partridge, pointers working the heather, and long evenings by the fire.
Season 2027 · 12–16 November
The Invitation
A sporting party, once a year, in the hills of the Beira
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Each autumn, when the first frosts silver the ridges of the Serra da Estrela, we gather a small company of Guns in the oldest mountains of Portugal. The partridge here are wild-hearted and quick, the valleys steep and scented with broom and resin, and the hospitality, as it has always been in the Beira, is generous beyond reason.
Ours is a party in the British tradition: a fixed number of pegs, a proper draw each morning, keepers and beaters who know every fold of the hill, and a gentleman's pace to the day. It is sport taken seriously, and everything else taken with a good deal of port.
With our compliments,
The Hosts
16Guns on the line
IVDays of sport
1,993mThe Torre, highest point of mainland Portugal
IQuinta, a fire & a cellar
The Sport
Three ways to meet the partridge
Days are arranged to suit both the seasoned Gun and the newcomer to driven shooting. Every drive is planned around the wind, the birds and the lie of the land.
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Walked-up with Dogs
A quieter day behind Portuguese pointers and springers, working the high heather for wild coveys. Small parties, long views and the honest pleasure of good dog work.
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The Gun Room
Bring your own pair or borrow from ours: matched side-by-sides, cartridges, loaders and a coaching session at the clay stand for anyone who wishes to warm up their swing.
“The hills of the Beira do not give up their birds lightly; that is precisely why one returns.”
— from the game book
The Order of Days
Five days, unhurried
Friday 12 November to Tuesday 16 November 2027 · Serra da Estrela, Beira Interior, Portugal
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I
Arrival & the Welcome Dinner
Collection from Porto or Lisbon and the drive up into the mountains. Settle into the quinta, then sherry in the library, the safety briefing, and a dinner of roast kid and Dão reds.
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II
The First Driven Day
The draw for pegs at nine. Morning drives across the eastern valleys, elevenses with a nip of ginja, then lunch in the field at a long table under the chestnuts.
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III
Walked-up on the High Ground
Pointers and spaniels on the heather plateau beneath the Torre. In the afternoon, the clay stand for those so inclined, a cellar tasting for those who are not.
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IV
The Big Day
Our most celebrated drives, the birds high and curling off the ridge. The day closes with the game card, the keepers' toast, and the black-tie Shoot Dinner.
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V
Farewell
A late breakfast, the settling of wagers, and a slow descent through the villages of the Beira to your onward travel. Até para o ano.
Hospitality
Fireside, cellar & table
Home for the week is a restored granite quinta: shuttered bedrooms, a library with a fire that is never allowed to go out, and a cellar of Douro and Dão that rewards curiosity.
Lunches are taken in the field, dinners at one long table. Expect mountain cheese from the Serra, roast partridge and chestnuts, bacalhau for the Friday, and vintage port with the Stilton, because some traditions travel well.
- Four nights full board at the quinta
- All shooting, keepers, beaters & dogs
- Field lunches, wines & the Shoot Dinner
- Transfers from Porto or Lisbon airport
- Firearm permits arranged with the GNR
Dress
Tweed, if you please
Shooting breeks or plus-twos, a tweed jacket or waistcoat, a tie for the field and stout boots for the hill. Black tie for the Shoot Dinner. The mountains can be cold in the morning and warm by noon, so layers are wise.
Etiquette
Safety first, always
Every Gun must hold a valid firearms or shotgun certificate, or shoot under the supervision of our loaders. Guns are carried sleeved between drives, and the Shoot Captain's whistle is final. Novices are most welcome.
Registration
Request a peg
Places are limited and allotted in order of request. We reply personally to every letter within a few days.
Questions
Before you travel
Can I bring my own guns to Portugal?
Yes. Holders of a European Firearms Pass may travel with their shotguns, and we arrange the temporary Portuguese licence with the GNR on your behalf. Guests from outside the EU should write to us early so that the paperwork can be done in good time.
I have never shot driven birds. Is this for me?
Most certainly. Novices shoot with a loader at their side, and a coaching session on the clay stand on the first afternoon will have you swinging with confidence.
What is the season and the weather like?
The Portuguese partridge season runs through the autumn and early winter. In the mountains, expect crisp, bright mornings, occasional mist in the valleys, and the odd dusting of snow on the high ground.
How is payment arranged?
Once your peg is confirmed by letter, we ask for a deposit of thirty per cent to secure it, with the balance due eight weeks before the shoot.
May non-shooting companions join?
They are warmly welcomed. Companions may stand with their Gun, walk with the beaters, or spend the day in the villages and wineries of the Beira with a guide of our choosing.