The Farm
A well balanced culture.
Sheep farming
The last 5 years have seen a significant shift away from an extensive sheep flock, to a much more focussed and specific breeding programme for hardy but productive animals, symbiotic for the moorland landscape and our conservation objectives, as well as an economically viable and a very desirable product.
We have reduced the flock by 50%, breed the Black Face ewes with Lleyn tups and then crossed the gimmers with South Country Cheviots, and at the same time significantly improved the nutritious and taste quality.. Our current stocking rate is at 1 animal to 10 acres. We are carbon net-zero, quality assured and preparing for the first year of conversion to organic.
We have idealistic outdoor husbandry, and grow an excellent grass and moorland fed lamb.
Forestry and biodiversity
The estate has planted over 65 ha (100,000+ trees) of native woodland in the last 4 years. Predominantly Scots Pine, but with a range of over 20 other native woodland species.
Each year we look to plant approximately 20,000 trees and re-wild areas of the estate and build on natural capital, ground-nesting bird habitat and wetlands for insect additionality and wader birdlife habitat creation.
Access
We manage public access to the Estate with a dedicated plan of improvement. In the last 5 years, we have upgraded and made previously inaccessible areas possible to enjoy by less able visitors. We have upgraded over 6 kilometres and 7,861 sq m of pathways.
We have also made the access points safer for families to use paths and enjoy the experience of walking on the estate.
The Estate is under enormous environmental pressure and we hope that responsible access is followed, and walkers keep dogs on leads and importantly use the paths, stopping moorland erosion and disruption to wildlife.
Water and riparian ecology
We mange the sporting rights to the Threipmuir reservoirs, and lease out the fishing to one of Scotland’s oldest fishing clubs, the Threipmuir Angling club. This provides a role in the local community with many people enjoying fishing on the loch.
We also are active in the conservation of the reservoir wildfowl riparian and aquatic ecology, ensuring the water levels are not exploited, lowering it to a catastrophic low level.
Carbon Sequestration
Carbon sequestration - the rate and quantity of carbon emissions absorbed by biomass, with Edinburgh and Glasgow being in the same central belt of Scotland the Pentland Hills, a carbon sink and sequestration by moorland and forestry is critical to air quality and well being.
The moorland has naturally been the life support and silent champion of this cycle. Not absorbing carbon increases the acidification of the soil and water.
Net Zero Carbon
The farm is audited for its carbon footprint and we are carbon negative, we absorb more carbon than we emit, without taking into account the carbon sequestration on the moorland.
We are committed to net zero carbon and feel this adds considerable value to our management approach and in time should reflect additional value to lamb prices - the equivalent of organic.
