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PODCAST

Thrill Of The Hill

Farm Advisory Service

This is a podcast about hill farming in Scotland, brought to you by the Scottish Farm Advisory Service. Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service is funded by the Scottish Government. Our podcast covers a range of topics which help support your farm or croft to be more profitable and sustainable.

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All Episodes

46:08

Agrecalc Cloud: The Sky's the Limit

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/12/21

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 happening, to provide insights for positive actions. Agrecalc has been one of Scotland's leading calculators and has seen

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30:36

It's Going Down: Timber Processing

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/11/29

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 from the local to the national level, promotes employment and produces a sustainable, renewable end product. But timber

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38:13

They See Me Roaming: Promoting Sustainable,...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/10/18

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 for responsible access to land and by and large that is achieved. In this episode, Bridget Jones, NatureScot, joins the

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35:01

Thinning Herds to Thicken Forests

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/09/21

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 themselves obstacles to be overcome and without active management, the uplands cannot flourish. In this episode, Michael

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43:23

Branching Out

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/08/17

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 broad discussion on the benefits of agroforestry, insights from their own trial farm and to promote the upcoming

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39:24

Don't Go Bracken My Heart

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/07/27

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 that can be utilised for farming. In this episode, Simon Thorp, coordinator for the Bracken Control Group shares his

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45:46

A Flock for the Future

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/06/29

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 help from returning guest speaker and SAC Consulting sheep specialist Kirsten Williams as we talk maximising productivity,

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41:09

It's a Trap!

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/05/26

THRILL OF THE HILL | With a lack of apex predators in Scotland, human intervention is often required to maintain a balance of nature, whether that is at the species, habitat or landscape scale. Predator control is an often unpleasant and more so important aspect of maintain equilibrium across different interests and in this episode, Paul Chapman,SAC Consulting sets out what the different options are for predator control, what species can be targeted, what protections exist and for what species and

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51:55

Aiming at Success

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/04/27

Farmers are custodians of the landscape in Scotland, and the farmed environment accounts for roughly 75% of all land in the country, but farmers need not take all that responsibility themselves. Agriculture adjacent, the game bird sector has a huge role to play in supporting the farmed upland environment and in this episode, Ross Macleod,Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust lays that all out, discussing the interplay between farming and the upland sectors, how we can work collaboratively, the role

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01:07:38

A Damming Conclusion?

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/03/23

Episode #12 – A Damming Conclusion?Beavers are a keystone species and their presence in Scotland could go a long way to achieving land landscape scale nature restoration that Scottish Government want to achieve. They are, like humans, ecosystem engineers and the natural processes they encourage can bolster other vulnerable habitats and species. But beavers come with challenges, they will naturally be inclined to block ditches and watercourses, burrow into productive agricultural fields and will by

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39:49

The Farm Business Survey

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/03/07

Episode #11 - The Farm Business Survey. On the podcast, we take two things more seriously than anything else - hills and thrills. But if there were a third place, that would go to data. Being able to produce figures to make informed decisions and justify your actions is at the heart of farming, more so now than ever. The Scottish Farm Business Survey offers a free, independent assessment of your business, producing a helpful set of management accounts and the all important carbon audit.Related

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53:14

A Cow for the Future

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/02/27

Episode #10 – A Cow for the Future. We all think we know a good cow when we see one, but how futureproof is she, and what are the traits the beef industry needs, at an individual cow and herd level to be productive and sustainable? In this episode we hear from agricultural consultant Robert Ramsay about the importance of a range of different features, from tail to temperament, hind legs to horns and how they all come together to form the cow of the future. The beef sector in Scotland has faced some

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35:31

Digging Deep on Soil Carbon

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/01/31

Episode #9 – Digging Deep on Soil Carbon. In this episode we hear from Senior Scientific Lead Rachael Ramsay about the scientific consensus around soil carbon, its impact on farm carbon footprints, options to reduce atmospheric carbon and whether soil is the silver bullet in the fight against climate change.There is an increasing awareness of the role of soil, grassland, peatland and atmospheric carbon capture in the pursuit of net zero emissions. The Food & Agriculture Organization of the

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52:57

Working for Waders - Part 2

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2023/01/10

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #8 – Working for Waders Part II. In this episode we hear from returning guest, Working for Wader's Patrick Laurie, joined this time round by RSPB's Stephen Field, about the importance of our national priority ground nesting wading birds, life through a lense, the importance of predator control and promoting landscape scale conservation efforts.Increasingly recognised for their conservation importance, Scotland's waders are under threat from all sides

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53:06

COP26 One Year On

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/11/17

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #9 – COP26 One Year On. In this episode we hear from SAC Consulting's Seamus Murphy as we take a look back at Scotland's role in COP26 and review some of the highlights, shortcomings, commitments and missed opportunities from the conference. We also discuss the changing mindsets of farmers in Scotland and how to find common ground with climate marchers and protestors.COP26, or the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, was a watershed moment in

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45:39

Virtually Stockproof

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/10/21

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #6 – Virtually Stockproof. In this episode we hear from SAC Consulting's Malcolm Macdonald & Robert Ramsay about the increasing opportunities for virtual fencing technology in Scotland, including; benefits to stock management, habitat grazing and ease of use for the farmer.As an industry, we have repeatedly been told that a mix of innovation, sequestration and emissions reduction can solve the climate crisis. This is true, but it is a special kind of

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47:18

Natural Capital

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/10/14

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #5 – Natural Capital. In this episode, we are joined by Rachel Smillie and Paul Chapman of SAC Consulting to discuss what Natural Capital is, ecosystem services, and the opportunities for farmers and crofters around Scotland as we enter unchartered territory.Related FAS ResourcesNatural Capital | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

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01:00:07

Sea Eagle Management & Mitigation

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/08/23

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #4 – Sea Eagle Management & Mitigation. In this episode we hear from SRUC Head of Research at Kirkton & Auchentyre, Dr Davy McCraken about the reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle to Scotland, how the species is adapting to the Scottish landscape, the case for rewilding in Scotland and managing conflicts when they occur.As Scotland endeavours to meet the challenges of biodiversity decline, the reintroduction of lost species is an enticing prospect,

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40:10

Renewed Interest

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/07/26

Thrill of the Hill is back! Episode #27 – Renewed Interest. In this episode we hear from Senior Renewables Consultant John Farquhar about the impacts of the Ukrainian conflict, how that is changing mindsets around energy security here in Scotland, including a discussion on the most popular renewable options for the uplands, costs around construction and some of the pitfalls to watch out for!Catch up on our previous renewables episode with Senior Consultant Iain Boyd here

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46:06

Spawning Success

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2022/06/30

Thrill of the Hill is back! Season 3 #2 – Spawning Success. In this episode we hear from Ayrshire River Trust’s Stuart Brabbs and Struan Candlish about the quality of Scotland’s water environment, factors impacting this quality, the successes of the Nature Restoration Fund and the need for a holistic approach to managing riparian habitats.Farming & Water Scotland is a joint initiative between SAC Consulting and SEPA, focusing on the provision of practical advice around the protection of the

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