February’s issue of Scottish Field is out now…

THE latest issue of Scottish Field magazine is on sale now, both in shops and online. Inside our February edition, Galloway farmers David and Wilma Finlay share the story of how they became “The Ethical Dairy”. “It’s a tale of triumph over adversity, which is enough to put even the most difficult of times into…

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The Farmer’s Son lands Selfridges deal

THE Farmer’s Son, the Fife-based haggis and black pudding maker, has secured a deal to supply Selfridges department store in London. The company, which uses 100-year-old family recipes for its products, was founded by Pete Mitchell and his family. “I am delighted that Selfridges London has chosen to stock our award-winning products,” said Mitchell. “This…

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Famous farming faces sing ‘Silent Night’

A HOST of famous farming faces have recorded a version of Christmas favourite “Silent Night” to raise spirits this winter. Organisers from the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) wanted to raise awareness of the potential for loneliness within the Scottish agricultural community. Recording the carol is part of the RSABI’s #KeepTalking campaign to encourage…

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‘Festival of Farming’ gets underway

THE Royal Highland Education Trust’s (RHET’s) “Festival of Farming” has begun. More than 3,000 school pupils are due to visit Scotland’s farms over the next fortnight. Alistair Marshall, chairman of the RHET, said: “Our ‘Festival of Farming’ will run from 7 to 18 November and, during this time, we will have a designated webpage where…

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Schools news round-up: Glenalmond, Belhaven Hill, and more

Peter Ranscombe rounds-up the latest news from Scotland’s schools. GLENALMOND College in Perthshire has unveiled a countryside management course accredited by the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC). The school is the first in Scotland to offer the BTEC qualification, which could lead to jobs in farming, land management, or surveying. As well as gaining…

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Scots take gold at British Farming Awards

SCOTTISH farmers and rural businesses won some of the biggest prizes at last night’s British Farming Awards. More than 800 farmers and their advisors gathered at The Vox venue in Birmingham for a ceremony hosted by television presenter Patrick Kielty. Emma Gray and Ewan Irvine took gold in both the “small or medium diversification of…

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SRUC milkshakes bring all the farmers to the show

STUDENTS from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) handed out nearly 3,500 free milkshakes and conducted more than 1,200 steak taste tests during last week’s Royal Highland Show. Thousands of guests visited the SRUC’s pavilion during the show’s four days. Eileen Wall, professor of integrative livestock genetics and head of research at SRUC, supervised 1,209 steak taste…

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Royal Highland Show sells out two days

THE Royal Highland Show has sold all its tickets for Friday and Saturday. The show, which begins on Thursday, is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. It will be the first time crowds have been allowed to attend the show at Ingliston on the edge of Edinburgh since 2019 due to the pandemic. Director operations…

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‘Estates that Educate’ boosts rural skills

NEARLY 800 children are learning about living and working in the countryside as part of the “Estates that Educate” programme. Primary and secondary school pupils in the Angus Glens, Grampian, the Southern Uplands, Speyside, Strathdearn, and Tayside are receiving five consecutive weeks of moorland education. Topics covered include deer management, cooking game, renewable energy, and…

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Broad support for discussions on lynx in Scotland

There is sufficient appetite from a diverse cross-sector of rural stakeholders to examine whether potential barriers to a trial reintroduction of Eurasian lynx to Scotland can be overcome. That’s according to the first detailed study into the social feasibility of the species’ return. The research, commissioned by the Lynx to Scotland project, spent a year…

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