The Wester Ross Fisheries Trust works to conserve, restore and develop productive fisheries in Wester Ross by working closely with proprietors and landowners, government, anglers and agencies.

They invited the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross down to mark the start of the salmon season at Gruinard River.

Maree Todd said: “It was an absolute pleasure to help the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust mark the beginning of the salmon season earlier this month. We had the First Cast on the Gruinard River and I poured a dram into the river to bless it.

“A big thank you to the Trust for inviting me along to mark such a big day in the fishing calendar – Gruinard River has a healthy run of salmon but unfortunately I made no catches on the day!”

Wester Ross retains some of the most important wild Atlantic salmon river systems in the northwest mainland of Scotland in terms of the overall size of the accessible ‘wetted area’ and the diversity of freshwater habitats for salmon.

These include the Little Gruinard River (including the Fionn Loch), a Special Area of Conservation for Atlantic salmon, formerly protected by European Union legislation; the big Gruinard River system (including Loch na Sealga); and the River Ewe system (including Loch Maree).