Evening walks 1

East and Middle

Marsh lousewort and Bog asphodel

On the Point

Wood sage

Harebells, turf dyke, Black Park

Harebell and Thyme

Black Park

Sunset over Caliach Point

Greater birds foot trefoil 

Lady's bedstraw

Field below the house, Wigwam 2

Wigwam 2

Wigwam 2, Common spotted orchids

Pale butterwort

Lesser twayblade

Gale on the Sitheans

Tufted vetch and Red clover, Haunn

Farmer out standing in his field 

Noctilucent clouds 

From the air

Shian and Duill just before sunset

Morning light on grasses

Early morning shadows 

Grasses going to seed

The north coast

The Herdwicks 

Bringing the sheep in for shearing

Sheep in for shearing

A summer's evening droving

We sold our own cattle in October 2015.  This was a very sad day for Farmer and family.  Decisions as big as this take a lot of consideration, and we thought long and hard for many reasons. 

With the tendency of Mull winters to be mild stormy and wet, the ground can get water logged and the last thing one wants on the farm is a lot of heavy footed cattle stodging around on the fields causing poaching.  Our cattle were in-wintered for this reason - brought in to the big shed when the weather turned and let out again in the spring.  They thrived in this system as they had plenty of silage, hay and ration to eat and were sheltered from the worst weather of the year.  But it was an expensive way of doing it, and ultimately we had to stop.   

So economics coupled with the fact that we knew we would find other cattle to take part in our grazing regime meant we could confidently sell our own cattle but know that the biodiversity wouldn't be affected.  And that is what happened.  

The magic formula with JL's cows is that he takes them away in the late autumn/early winter when the weather turns, and brings them back in the summer when there is an abundance of grass.  

Last winter JL's cattle wintered near Dervaig and on a summer's evening in the middle of July, they left Dervaig and walked over to Treshnish, arriving just before midnight! 

Arriving at Treshnish in the dark, they spent the night in the hill park.  Next morning JL and Farmer walked them the last mile to Haunn where they were happily left in the field beyond Haunn. 

 

Flower survey on the Machair at Calgary

Spear thistle

Spear thistle and Lady's mantle

Harebells and sand 

Knotted pearlwort

Carline thistle

Hawkbits and sea

Forget me not

Yarrow

The Milk Clip

The Milk Clip took place over two days this year as RM was doing them on her own. 

There is quite a lot of preparation involved. Moving different groups of ewes and lambs into fields near the farm building.

Safe and sound behind Duill and Shian. 

The gathering team - Farmer, DG and JL. 

Let the shearing begin...

The day before RM arrives, Farmer and DG put all the hill ewes through the fank.  Their lambs are given treatments against Fly/Ticks and Worms.  

Shorn!