John Dickson and Son, Scotland’s oldest gunmaker, which also incorporates a number of other great Scottish gunmaking names, has provided all the sporting equipment to support Delaney & Sons’ trip to the Isle of Harris in pursuit of the Macnab Challenge.

The Macnab Challenge has its roots in the 1925 novel John Macnab by John Buchan. The story follows three protagonists – Sir Edward Leithen, John Palliser-Yeates and Lord Lamancha – all desperate to relieve the boredom that has engulfed them. The solution can only be something devilish, with a dash of daring.

Under the mantle of John Macnab, they issue a warning to three Highland estates: within 48 hours they will remove a salmon or stag, undetected, and present it at the door of the house. On this, they stake their reputations and the danger proves part of the thrill of the pursuit of the quarry.

The modern Macnab Challenge involves bagging a salmon, stag and brace of grouse within one day between dawn and dusk and is a thrilling test of sporting skill, with a huge serving of luck thrown in.

John Dickson and Son was able to supply a new Daniel Fraser stalking rifle, a vintage Dickson Round-Action gun and a pair of new Alex Martin fishing rods and reels, thus making the company the only gunmaker in the world able to equip the team with a rifle, gun and fishing rod/reel from three of the greatest Scottish gun, rifle and fishing tackle manufacturers.

Taking place over five days at the fabulous Amhuinnsuidhe Castle, a remote seaside estate on the Isle of Harris, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, two Macnabs were achieved by the team.

Pic caption 9for two guns): John Buchan was born in Perthshire (also the home to Dickson’s today) and was an owner of a pair of vintage Dicksons made in 1887 (pictured).