What do you think?
Rate this book
The Gamekeeper
The H is for Hawk for lovers of the outdoors and wildlife. A fascinating memoir of Scotland’s first-ever qualified female gamekeeper.
Portia Simpson grew up outdoors, always preferring to climb trees than play indoors. Talented and driven, she became the first female to graduate as a Gamekeeper and Wildlife Manager. In this wonderful memoir, Portia tells the story of how she first broke into a traditionally conservative, male-dominated profession and the skills, training and dedication that helped to set her apart. She gives an intimate account of a life filled with stunning landscapes, heart-wrenching lows and magnificent highs, and shares her expert insight into the world of game keeping.
Offering a sense of wonder at the mystique and natural beauty of the wild, this is a fascinating and unique look at the life of the huntswoman.
‘ The vividness of Portia Simpson’s writing seduces you, evoking her passionate connection with the raw, violent beauty of nature ’ Libby Purves, Daily Mail
Portia Simpson grew up outdoors, always preferring to climb trees than play indoors. Talented and driven, she became the first female to graduate as a Gamekeeper and Wildlife Manager. In this wonderful memoir, Portia tells the story of how she first broke into a traditionally conservative, male-dominated profession and the skills, training and dedication that helped to set her apart. She gives an intimate account of a life filled with stunning landscapes, heart-wrenching lows and magnificent highs, and shares her expert insight into the world of game keeping.
Offering a sense of wonder at the mystique and natural beauty of the wild, this is a fascinating and unique look at the life of the huntswoman.
‘ The vividness of Portia Simpson’s writing seduces you, evoking her passionate connection with the raw, violent beauty of nature ’ Libby Purves, Daily Mail
- GenresNonfiction
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2017
5 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 25, 2021
Didn't know what a gamekeeper was before going into this book, thought it had to do with sports haha. But I found this book to be very interesting and very readable about her time as a gamekeeper in a male dominated profession.
April 3, 2018
As a woman in a male dominated field who loves to wear eyeliner, I feel a connection to Portia Simpson. She highlights a lot of the sense of pride in being feminine yet masculine, and in living a modern life that many would find unusual and hardly modern at all.
I don't think the writing itself is exceptional; I was more interested in the mundanity of Portia's day to day existence than in her personal stories, but the sense of self and the subject matter is engaging.
I don't think the writing itself is exceptional; I was more interested in the mundanity of Portia's day to day existence than in her personal stories, but the sense of self and the subject matter is engaging.
Read
July 10, 2017Really enjoyed this, no star rating from me as it's a memior.
Loved the descriptions of people, landscapes and her pets!
Just wish there were photos, I read the ebook version, not sure if any in the paper version, so spent time on the web looking at places mentioned.
Loved the descriptions of people, landscapes and her pets!
Just wish there were photos, I read the ebook version, not sure if any in the paper version, so spent time on the web looking at places mentioned.
April 8, 2021
I really liked this book which to me read more like a great novel than a Memoir. Portia's descriptions of the various landscapes were amazing and the role of the more modern Gamekeeper was beautifully done.
The facts about the various animals and their behaviours were worthy of Barbara Kingsolver and the necessity for culling animals was explained in a clear manner but not without sympathy for the target species.
The facts about the various animals and their behaviours were worthy of Barbara Kingsolver and the necessity for culling animals was explained in a clear manner but not without sympathy for the target species.
July 6, 2017
I really enjoyed the story of Portia who became the first qualified gamekeeper in Scotland. The hook is a lovely collection of Portia's experiences before she was forced to quit and change career.
Portia's stories are interesting and the places she lived are fascinating, as a lover of Scotland I really enjoyed each chapter. An easy but enjoyable read.
Portia's stories are interesting and the places she lived are fascinating, as a lover of Scotland I really enjoyed each chapter. An easy but enjoyable read.
November 25, 2025
The Gamekeeper has an intriguing premise, and there were moments when I thought the story might really hook me—but overall, it just didn’t come together in a satisfying way. The setting is atmospheric, and there are flashes of strong writing, but the plot felt uneven and sometimes confusing, like it couldn’t decide what kind of story it wanted to be.
The characters also never fully clicked for me. I wanted to understand their motivations more, but they often felt distant or underdeveloped, which made it hard to care about the stakes. A few scenes had real potential, but they were followed by long stretches that dragged or didn’t move the story forward.
I can see what the book was aiming for, and there are interesting ideas here—they just don’t quite land. With tighter pacing and more emotional depth, this could’ve been a much more compelling read. As it is, though, it left me more frustrated than invested.
The characters also never fully clicked for me. I wanted to understand their motivations more, but they often felt distant or underdeveloped, which made it hard to care about the stakes. A few scenes had real potential, but they were followed by long stretches that dragged or didn’t move the story forward.
I can see what the book was aiming for, and there are interesting ideas here—they just don’t quite land. With tighter pacing and more emotional depth, this could’ve been a much more compelling read. As it is, though, it left me more frustrated than invested.
April 22, 2019
I was recommended this by my father - in-law and I was looking forward to reading about a strong female role model. However, I couldn't get past the first two pages as it was a bit too much with the description of gutting a stag that someone had just shot. Not for me I'm afraid 🤢
January 17, 2022
Very nice read. With lots of humor Portia Simpson describes her road to being a Gamekeeper and the beauty of Scotland. A book about ambition, not living an average life and how people react to that, friendship, nature and the elements.
January 25, 2022
Always fantastic to read of the tremendous effort required of women to enter traditional male domains. Made me rethink my understanding of environmental conservationists, and admire those who remove animals unwanted in an ecosystem.
May 19, 2017
Ok for the first half then a bit samey. Not really much about game keeping or stalking as I thought there would be. Disappointing.
June 5, 2017
Humdrum really but nice little stories of wildlife/nature kept me going.
July 18, 2017
A tale of a woman born before her time who triumphs in a male dominated profession despite the lowest of lows & soaring highs. Great read
December 26, 2017
Fantastic , well written inspirational book, perfect for country folk
February 13, 2020
Epic read
Amazing read. A true badass women kicking ass in mans world and smashing stereotypes. She paints an incredible picture of natural environment in her world.
Amazing read. A true badass women kicking ass in mans world and smashing stereotypes. She paints an incredible picture of natural environment in her world.
September 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It was an entirely different existence from anything I'd experienced and I found it most interesting. I just wished there had been illustrations!
February 26, 2022
Probably a bit of an odd choice for me, a life long non meat eater, but I always think it's good to read about different lives and views. She certainly has had an interesting life.
June 15, 2017
Loved this book so much!! I could relate so well as I'm a hunter myself but also a girly girly and love getting dressed up to!
I found her life story so interesting and the little stories along the way were so great and funny! I actually learnt a fair bit about deer and their behaviours as well as other animals!
The way she describes the landscapes and her surroundings makes it such a beautiful book! Just wow! Although I would have liked more hunting and stalking stories, I still loved this book and didn't want it to end
I found her life story so interesting and the little stories along the way were so great and funny! I actually learnt a fair bit about deer and their behaviours as well as other animals!
The way she describes the landscapes and her surroundings makes it such a beautiful book! Just wow! Although I would have liked more hunting and stalking stories, I still loved this book and didn't want it to end
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews