Thrill Of The Hill

THRILL OF THE HILL | An iconic Scottish species and of high conservation interest, the mountain hare has a lot going for it. Years of hard work to create the managed uplands we know have also contributed to the betterment of the species and a combination of predator control and careful heather management means that it has found a home in our hill expanses. In this episode of the po

THRILL OF THE HILL | Fire can be an effective management tool in the Scottish uplands, and if controlled and utilised responsibly, can be helpful in rejuvenating our upland heaths. However, fire can also be devastating for many rural businesses and with a number of factors at play, including, climate change, water scarcity, public access and total accidents, wildfires can and do ha

THRILL OF THE HILL | In a year two weather extremes the water environment has shot up the agenda for many, drought conditions put a lot of pressure on farmers and nature in the summer and heavy rains push many farmers and riverbanks to breaking point this autumn. While Scotland's rivers generally end up at the sea, they start in the uplands and catchment management with appropriate

THRILL OF THE HILL | Carbon and benchmarking carbon are here to stay, firmly embedded in the best practice for the farming community. With COP28 happening now, the need to decarbonise farming has never been clearer but how to do that in a sustainable manner remains a big question for many. Carbon calculators are designed to identify carbon emissions in a business, where they are ha

THRILL OF THE HILL | For years now Scotland has sought to address climate change and habitat fragmentation with increased rates of tree planting, but often the end product, timber, is overlooked. Woodlands cover almost 19% of the landscape in Scotland and while not all of them are part of a productive timber rotation a significant chunk is. Timber production enriches our economy fr

THRILL OF THE HILL | Farmland covers the Scottish landscape, between 70% and 80% of it, but farmers are not the only stakeholders in the countryside. Increasingly, the general public is interacting with farming and land management, encouraged by the prospects of adventure, points of interest, leisure, health, and well-being. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) makes provisions

THRILL OF THE HILL | When people think of Scotland, at some point visions of a red deer ranging across an open hill must enter the mind. Deer have become synonymous with the farmed upland environment in Scotland, bringing huge interest and benefits, but these are not without their challenges. In Scotland's pursuit of a green, low carbon, high nature value future, deer have proven t

THRILL OF THE HILL | Agroforestry is an increasingly popular prospect for many in Scotland and across the UK, allowing farmers and crofters the opportunity to increase carbon sequestration, nature value and allowing for the continuation and enhancement of productive activity. In this episode, Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry for the @Soil Association joins us for a

THRILL OF THE HILL | An invasive species and a cause for concern among farmers and policymakers, bracken is a hot topic in the farmed upland environment. While the species has some habitat value and its presence can be indicative of land suitable for woodland regeneration, the plant can quickly spread, taking over areas of upland grass pasture and heather, cutting the area of land

THRILL OF THE HILL | Sheep are synonymous with the farmed upland environment in Scotland but in times of change and with external and policy pressures now on it, the sector cannot sit idle. Last season we discussed what the cow of the future looks like and now sheep get their time in the spotlight as we try and unpick some of the complexities in improving flock performance with hel