Icy cold feet

Early morning for Sam and me for a visit with Forestry and Land Scotland on Deer Management. Seeing the deer larder at Monymusk was an eye opener (and a bit of a challenge for this wildlife loving, life long veggie) but sam got a lot of info as the staff were very open and frank about the process. The challenges of reconciling national commitments to native tree planting and wildlife protection and the respective policies and practice are still some way from finding a balance. The way we live is out of kilter with age old natural connections and solutions but with climate change and rapid decline and loss of species the need to find balance is evermore the holy grail.

Then it was on to Bennachie to walk to see some physical plantation installations and deer management techniques and get more insight. Lots of discussion around interventions and impact on the environment, seen and unseen, even straying beyond deer management to a life long large scale sheep farmer sharing his experience and concerns over impacts on biodiversity of sheep dipping and spray chemicals on our vital carnivore and pollinating insects and the impact up the food chain too. All in all, a wee window into real life issues and a taste of changes that will have to come in the future.

Our tippy toes and fingers were so cold by the end, we had some old school tea from our new flask with some choccy biscuits to warm up before heading home.

Whether it was the tricky week or the sight of the deer larder, body aches and sair heid bid me to bed at 4.30pm! Total light weight.