Thrill Of The Hill

32:47

Policy Pathfinder: Farming for a Better Climate

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/10/01

Before FAS, Farming for a Better Climate helped put practical climate action firmly on the agenda for Scottish agriculture. At its heart was a focus on practical change. The programme encouraged farmers and crofters to look at areas including energy and fuel use, renewable energy, soil carbon, fertiliser and manure management and livestock efficiency. Rather than approaching climate change as an issue separate from everyday farm management, Farming for a Better Climate sought to demonstrate where

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35:16

Organic Outlook: Planning for Conversion

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/09/17

Organic farming in Scotland is entering a period of renewed growth. The latest Scottish Government statistics show that, in 2025, 168,200 hectares of Scottish agricultural land were either fully organic or undergoing conversion — an increase of 28% on 2024 and 62% since 2021. Of this, 115,800 hectares were fully organic, while 52,400 hectares were in conversion, around double the area recorded the previous year. Organic and in-conversion land now accounts for 3.3% of Scotland’s agricultural area

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48:58

Beyond the Hedgerow: Biodiversity Auditing in Scotland

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/08/20

Biodiversity auditing has become part of the Scottish Governments Whole Farm Plan and discussions around nature conservation are becoming commonplace around the farm table. In today’s episode Alex is joined by senior ecologist Dr Lorna Cole for a broad discussion on the state of Scotlands Nature and where biodiversity auditing fits into the bigger ambitions for nature restoration. Lorna also puts Alex in the hot seat to talk about levels of farmer agreement with habitat classifications. This

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44:06

Beef, Business and Beyond

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/07/16

The beef industry in Scotland is resilient and adaptable, whether it’s changing markets and cost of production pressures, policy developments or the new entrant bottleneck. To help us navigate these topics and many more, today we are joined by Senior Beef Specialist Gavin Hill to discuss the outlook for the beef sector.This episode is brought to you by the Farm Advisory Service, presented by Alexander Pirie, produced by Heather Stuart, edited by Kieron Sim, with executive producers Kirstyn Blackwood

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48:06

Where Waders Wander

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/06/18

Welcome to The Thrill of The Hill. Today we're talking about one of Scotland's most iconic groups of farmland birds – our waders. Species such as lapwing, curlew, redshank and snipe have long been part of the Scottish farming landscape. Their calls and displays are synonymous with springtime on farms and crofts across the country, yet many of these species have experienced significant declines over recent decades. Toby Wilson from RSPB Scotland joins us to discuss what is driving these changes,

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46:47

A Damming Conclusion? Part III

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/05/21

Welcome to The Thrill of The Hill. This is the third and final episode in our series exploring beaver reintroduction in Scotland. Across the last two episodes, we’ve looked at the challenges, concerns, and practical realities beavers bring to land management.Today, we’re joined by farmer and rewilding advocate Tom Bowser from Lerrocks farm and we’ll be focusing on the other side of the story — the ecological case for beavers, the benefits they can bring, and what a future with more beavers in

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35:31

Where Policy Meets Pasture - The Agri-Environment...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/02/19

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.At Scotland's First Nature Friendly Farming Summit, Minister Jim Fairlie announced the return of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme for a 2026 funding round and a commitment to continue the scheme through to 2030. This announcement brought a degree of certainty to the policy landscape and has allowed farmers and crofters to plan

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50:48

Counting Carbon - Auditing the Uplands with James Orr

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2026/01/15

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Reducing carbon emissions is becoming an increasingly important consideration for upland and hill farmers across Scotland. As climate targets, evolving support schemes and market expectations continue to shape the future of agriculture, farmers are being asked not only to produce food from some of the country’s most challenging

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56:27

Are You In or Out? Cattle Wintering Strategies with...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/12/18

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment. Cattle wintering is an unavoidable and hugely important aspect of livestock management in Scotland. Whether stock are housed in traditional courts or managed outdoors on forage crops, wintering systems sit at the heart of animal performance, farm workload and long-term land stewardship. These decisions are not only about

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54:30

Happening Organically - Supporting Organic Farming in...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/11/20

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Organic farming is woven through Scotland’s landscapes, from the rolling fields of Aberdeenshire to the upland pastures of Argyll. Rooted in principles of soil health, biodiversity and local resilience, organic systems work with nature rather than against it—building fertility through crop rotations, clover leys and composts, and

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41:54

Flying Blind - Conservation Management for Bats with...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/10/16

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Bats are a defining—if often unseen—part of Scotland’s working landscapes. From the edges of upland pasture to lowland hedgerows, shelterbelts and farm ponds, these nocturnal insect-eaters weave through dusk and darkness, helping to regulate moths, midges and beetles while signalling the health of our wider environment. Species

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53:46

When the Rivers Run Free - Restoring Our Waterways...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/09/18

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.The water environment is one of the defining features of the Scottish landscape, shaping both its character and its ecological richness. Rivers, lochs, wetlands and coastal waters weave through glens and straths, carving valleys, feeding fertile soils and sustaining a remarkable variety of wildlife. They provide vital habitats for

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35:02

Getting Your Fill When Out on the Hill - Livestock...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/08/25

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Scotland’s upland farms and crofts are home to hardy cattle and sheep breeds, producing high-quality meat and supporting rural communities in some of our most challenging environments. Yet, feeding and nutrition in these landscapes can be complex, with variable forage quality, harsh weather and limited grazing options influencing

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34:55

Between a Rock Rose and a Hard Place

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/07/17

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Often overlooked and easily mistaken for its more common relatives, the Northern Brown Argus butterfly is a small but significant species found in parts of Scotland. Closely tied to very specific habitats and entirely dependent on the rock rose plant for survival, its presence is a clear indicator of healthy, species-rich

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35:21

Planting MOREwoods - The Woodland Trust

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/06/19

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.In this episode outreach adviser Charlie Owen from the Woodland Trust discusses the MOREwoods scheme set up by the Woodland Trust. The scheme is there to allow land owners to access partial funding and advice which may will lead to planting trees on their land. Set up in 2010 the MOREwoods Scheme has supported 3000 landowners

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28:27

Finding the Next Generation - The Scottish Land...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/05/08

Thrill of the Hill is back for season 6! Armed with a new team, new ideas and a range of new speakers, Alex takes on the hot topics impacting the farmed upland environment.Scotland has a vibrant and dynamic farming industry, merging traditional practices with new innovations, yet barriers and challenges to entering and exiting the industry remain. Established in 2019 in response to industry concerns over the lack of new entrants across the sectors, the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) offers a

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27:57

Staggeringly Good: Raising The Profile of Venison in...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/02/21

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills.Venison, an underappreciated meat in Scotland? Despite the abundance of deer in Scotland, farmed and wild, venison has never been a staple of the Scottish diet, certainly not in the same way as beef or lamb. Scottish Government reports that the amount of farmed venison in Scotland increased by around 4.9% on the last five year average, making up

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41:48

First Aid on Farm with Sean Magee

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2025/01/16

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills.We're all human, fragile and fallible, accidents can occur and mistakes can be made, people can be in danger, get hurt and when that happens, be in need of first aid. The National Farmers Union reports that despite accounting for only 1% of the working population, agriculture accounts for 20% of all deaths in the workplace. In this episode,

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41:27

Droning On

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2024/12/19

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills.Technology is always progressing, and the same is true in the uplands. New innovations mean it has never been easier to collect, measure and interpret data for the benefit of farming, nature and climate change. In this episode, Environmental Consultant, Jack Zuill discusses the potential for and realities of measuring nature, using a range of

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25:06

What's Good For The Goose...

Thrill Of The Hill ·

2024/11/22

Thrill of the Hill returns for season 5, with an exciting line-up on new and returning guest speakers and specialists in their fields and on their hills.Love them or hate them, geese are a recurring feature on farms across Scotland. Views differ on the benefits of having them, some see them as a pest species, others as a necessary component of a larger biodiversity network. In this episode we sit down with Rae Mackenzie for a broad discussion on geese and goose management in Scotland. We cover their

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