REOPENING after the lockdown last weekend, Dunrobin Castle in the far north of Scotland held its first falconry display of the season.
After demonstration flights from a barn owl and a Harris hawk, we were introduced to Alba the gyrfalcon. Tempted by resident falconer Andy Bunting with dummy prey, Alba circled and swooped — and kept missing.
Finally, she hit bullseye. With Andy’s bait of little nutritional value, Alba was handed a snack as a reward for her efforts.
Like its namesake bird of prey, the Alba Party is unlikely to win anything more than a consolation snack when the Scottish Parliament regional list results are declared on Saturday.