TheGlorious Twelfth is the twelfth day of August, signifying the start of theshooting season forred grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) inGreat Britain and Northern Ireland, with theptarmigan (Lagopus muta) also being hunted to a lesser extent during this period. Not all game (as defined by the 1831 act) have the same start to their open seasons – most begin on 1 September, with 1 October forwoodcock andpheasant.[1] Since English law prohibits game bird shooting on a Sunday, the start date is postponed to 13 August on years when the 12th falls on a Sunday.[2][3]
The date itself is of traditional significance; the currentlegislation enshrining it in England and Wales is theGame Act 1831 (and inNorthern Ireland, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985). Prior to the Game Act of 1831, the Game Act of 1773 stipulated that red grouse, or "red-game," could not be sold before August 12, effectively starting the shooting season on this day.
Because heather moorland is managed for shooting, the population density of red grouse is unnaturally high.[4] However, supporters argue that moorland managed for grouse shooting typically contains high levels of biodiversity, including ground-nesting birds (such aslapwing,curlew,meadow pipit,golden plover,redshank andwoodcock, in addition to red grouse) and raptor species.[5] Diseases such as thesheep tick, heather beetle (which attacks the heather that several of these species eat) and the intestinalparasiteTrichostrongylus tenuis[6] can impact population sizes.
In recent years, the Glorious Twelfth has also been affected byhunt saboteurs, the2001 foot and mouth crisis (which further postponed the date in affected areas)[7] andsevere flooding and bad weather. In some seasons, when certain moors are affected by low grouse numbers, shooting may not take place at all, or may be over by September.
Some restaurants in London have for years prided themselves on being able to serve grouse on the Glorious Twelfth, with the birds being shot that morning and immediately transported to London via rail.[8] This tradition persisted.[8] On 12 August 2024,Harry Cole noted that no restaurants in London were offering this service,[9] reported the next day byThe Telegraph to be caused by an "unusually cold" breeding season and unrealistically high prices.[10] Wildlife advocacy groups sometimes refer to the day as the "inglorious 12th."[11][12]