News

On Tuesday, 1 October, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited Viking Arms, a leading supplier of shooting sports equipment in the UK. During her visit, The Princess Royal officially opened Viking Arms' new warehouse facility, toured the company’s premises, and met with staff to learn more about their contributions to the UK shooting sports industry.

Welcomed by Managing Director Sam Macarthur and members of the founding family, The Princess Royal began her tour with a presentation on the company’s operations. Viking Arms specialises in the supply and distribution of rifles, shotguns, ammunition, optics, and accessories to the UK gun trade, equipping gamekeepers, wildlife managers, fieldsports enthusiasts, Olympic shooters, and competitive target shooters nationwide.

Her Royal Highness was shown the company's newly licensed warehouse, equipped for the storage of firearms and ammunition. During the tour, she spoke with Andy Norris, Viking Arms' Head of Sporting Sales, about the role of gamekeeping and wildlife conservation within UK countryside management. Her Royal Highness was introduced to the latest Leupold rifle scopes and discussed various calibres and types of ammunition available in the UK market.

Andy Norris, Head of Sporting Sales, commented:

“It was an honour to host Her Royal Highness. Her deep passion for the countryside, coupled with her extensive knowledge of wildlife management and conservation, was evident throughout the visit. Her insights, drawn from personal experience, made the day truly memorable.”

Throughout the visit, The Princess Royal met with staff from various departments, discussing Viking Arms' commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the UK gun trade.

In addition to officially opening the new warehouse, The Princess Royal presented an award to long-serving employee Janet Dinsdale in recognition of her 48 years of service. The visit concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.

Managing Director Sam Macarthur expressed her pride in the visit:

“We were deeply honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to Viking Arms. It was a privilege for the entire Viking family, including our founder Mrs Brown, to share our journey with Princess Anne. The Princess Royal took the time to engage with our team, showing genuine interest in how we support the UK gun trade and remain resolutely committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional service and gun safety in our work. We are incredibly grateful for her visit.”

About Viking Arms

Founded in 1965 by the late Geoffrey Brown, Viking Arms has grown from a small family business into one of the UK’s leading distributors of firearms, ammunition, optics, and accessories. Viking Arms operates in two key divisions: Defence and Sporting. The company is a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and a recipient of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award.

For more information on Viking Arms and its services, visit www.vikingarms.com.