The last signs of winter and Emerging Spring?

14^th March 2016

We are emerging from the wettest winter in ages. Our hill was sodden like a sponge cake and, with the wind some of our tree stakes and tubes were actually blown over!

Talking about the trees, well there has been phenomenal growth.

When planted, the saplings were just 6 inches tall. Now some, in particular the oaks are topping the 1 meter height of the growth tubes! We have had to rig up a collar of chicken wire to prevent them being damaged by the deer. And that brings me to another topic.

The culling season ended at the end of November, and so did the visits by the small group of deer that used to be a regular thrill for us and all our guests. We assumed the worst, not helped by the fact that a neighbour saw the stag’s body on the back of a truck. The story that went with this was that it had got its antlers caught in some electrified fencing and thus had to be shot. But I am happy to report that a small group of deer are nervously coming back onto the property.

There are signs of a change in the weather as our crocuses and daffodils are flowering and the sheep have returned to the hill getting ready for lambing.

We are also very pleased with the short video constructed by the Cuillin Collective for our website. We hope you are all enjoying it!

The feral cats we feed have attracted a third member. All are neutered.