Back
to SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage
Landward, a second excellent programme:
Friday 8th June, 7.00pm, BBC2 Scotland
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 10 Jun 07
©www.land-care.org.uk
The first of the new weekly series, Landward,
hosted by celebrity chef Nick Nairn, was recently reviewed on these
pages (1). The second programme, Friday 8th June,
was equally praiseworthy. Topics, highly relevant to the management
of Scotland's countryside, are dealt with in a commendably pragmatic
and balanced manner.
Nick Nairn's diction is clear, with its pleasing
and distinct Scottish accent. His genuine love of the Scottish countryside
shines through. He likes enjoying it to the full. There is a commendable
absence of hype.
The formula is that, within the space of 30 minutes,
a range of topics, based on different parts of the country, are
dealt with in an informative and concise manner. The dialogue, with
folk who have hands-on experience of working in the countryside,
is good. The photography is excellent.
Among the issues covered this week were:
Hare Coursing
The programme highlighted the alarming increase
in the illegal practice of chasing hares to the kill with dogs.
Typically, unscrupulous folk from the towns or cities come out to
farm land with a lurcher or two in the back of their vehicle. They
get to hear of where hares might be and go looking for suitable
fields. Such criminals have a tough reputation for violence, or
revengeful vandalism, should they be interfered with. Fortunately,
the police are taking a much greater interest in this particular
form of criminal activity.
The programme focussed on a farm near Aberdeen,
but hare coursing has been in evidence on Cultybraggan Farm, where
hares have been a spectacular feature, and on neighbouring farms.
It is understood that Tayside Police have brought successful convictions.
Neighbourhood watch, with prompt reporting to the police of any
suspicious activity, is often the key. In turn this depends on landowners
letting the police know in advance when legitimate shooting, or
other form of hunting, is to take place in circumstances that may
appear suspicious to the public.
Rubbish left by wild campers
Responsible access to the countryside, on which
the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is based and its accompanying
Scottish Outdoor Access Code, involves taking your litter home.
Human excrement should be buried with the help of a trowel. Four
years on from the Act, Landward had no difficulty in demonstrating
the large amounts of litter left by wild campers in the Loch Lomond
and Trossachs National Park.
Areas close to a popular camping area had become
a disgusting open toilet, with its stench and health hazard. Compared
to many other nations, the Brits are, in general, an untidy lot:
litter louts, no less. This can be seen all too readily in our towns
and cities, and even along the verges of our motorways. Penalties
for dropping litter seem seldom to be imposed. Vast sums of Council
Tax money is spent clearing it up. What chance then that visitors
to the countryside will behave any better?
It was politically disingenuous to suggest that
people given greater access to the countryside would improve their
behaviour. They haven't. The promised education of the populace
never happened. Countryside rangers, or access officers, tend to
work office hours. And much of their time apparently involves endless
meetings and paper work. Seldom are they seen on the land when recreational
access is being taken by the public.
As the dumping of litter is widespread, including
fly-tipping, it is hardly surprising that Cultybraggan Farm also
gets its share. The farm has a substantial number of rights of way,
one of which goes alongside the River Ruchill. The Lynn Pool is
a popular place for a picnic with young children bare foot in the
shallows, or on the shingle and grassy banks.The jagged edges of
the glass of a broken bottle could do serious injury to their feet,
as well as to the feet of adults, dogs, deer and other wildlife.
A dangerous bit of rubbish left by
thoughtless picnickers
at the Lynn Pool, River Ruchill at Comrie
(Photo ©Kimpton Graphics)
Rubbish left after a visit to the Lynn
Pool, River Ruchill.
Branches of trees had been cut to make fires, that left unsightly
scars.
In dry weather there must be a risk of fire spreading out of control
(Photo ©Kimpton Graphics)
The pages of the local newspaper, the Strathearn
Herald, have carried lurid descriptions of the anti social behaviour
of many of those who visit the shores of Loch Earn, in terms of
the debris they leave behind.
Preservation of rare breeds, exemplified by the Eriskay ponies
The pure bred Eriskay pony has an interesting
history (3). There are only about
only about 500 left in the world. The Landward programme featured
Donald and Mary McGillivary, who are well known breeders of Eriskay
ponies at Comrie. In earlier years Donald McGillivary was manager
at Cultybraggan Farm two owners back.
Crofter at Ardnamurchan
Crofting on the most westerly aspect of the Scottish
mainland looked idyllic in perfect weather. Presumably the major
problems that are related to crofting at the present time will be
discussed in a future programme. Seeing a mother and her young child
go among the ewes and cattle as they are fed contrasts with the
dangers of the urban equivalent doing the same. If the crofting
mother had breast fed her child, the child is likely to have some
acquired immunity to the local bugs.
Young entrants into farming
The Irish, and indeed other foreign nationals,
are buying up Scotland's land. It was stated that you can get four
times as much land for your money in Scotland as you can in Ireland.
The reason for this is attributed to the favourable tax system in
Ireland and the comparatively highly permissive planning laws in
Ireland. Moreover, Ireland has consistently taken good care of its
Rural Development Planning and funding: unlike in the UK where the
Labour Government has consistently neglected it, using it as a pawn
to try and gain political advantage in some other area.
This makes it very difficult for the young to
enter farming with any reasonable prospect of making a successful
career from it. The situation in the Scotland has been made even
worse by the crazy rules incorporated into the Agricultural Holding
(Scotland) Act 2003 (4).
The Land Agent interviewed in the Landward programme
advised that the young person should start by working on someone
else's farm, while also doing another job. When he or she has gathered
some capital, then the purchase of a farm or getting a farm tenancy
may be possible, but that he should also keep the other job to provide
the necessary cashflow. That might well be the reality, but does
it make sense? What other careers in the diversity of opportunities
currently open to the young would make such demands? Unless, of
course, the option is only for those with private funds and who
want to do some hobby farming on the side. Scarcely a way of maintaining
high quality professionalism in Scottish farming.
The need to revise the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
In addition to the problems mentioned above, farmers
and others who manage land are having to endure the damage done
by dogs that are poorly controlled. Such dogs may well annihilate
any efforts the farmer may make to conserve wildlife on his patch.
This is especially the case when farms are located in the close
vicinity of urban settlements, when their livestock are also likely
to be harassed. Good fields can become unsuitable for grazing.
The Landward programme also referred to the top
heavy bureaucracy that has grown up to ensure public access to virtually
all land, while failing to define adequately what "responsible
access" means. Central to this problem is the frequently profound
lack of practical knowledge that university graduates in "land
management" and "the environment" have. As one interviewee
on the programme stated:
"If only they asked the people on the
ground before they made their decisions, it could save themselves
a lot of bother".
Also clearly articulated was the recommendation
that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 needs to be revised. This
poorly drafted piece of largely unnecessary legislation, based more
on spite and envy than logic, is now seen to be causing the damage
that so many predicted (5, 6),
and for so little benefit.
A further casualty of the Act has been the loss
of trust in so-called "consultations" conducted by the
Scottish Executive or its Agencies (7, 8). Let
us hope that, now that the culprits have been dismissed at the recent
general election, the new Scottish Executive will act in a more
logical and trustworthy manner.
©www.land-ward.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2007). Nick
Nairn hosts new Landward programme on Scottish BBC TV
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 03 Jun 07,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
2. Landward (2007). Hare coursing
threats to farmers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/6732587.stm
3. Eriskay Pony Society (2007).
An account of the history and origins of the Eriskay pony
http://eriskaypony.com Click Here
to View
4. Irvine, James (2007). The future
for tenant farming in Scotland.
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 02 Feb 07,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
5. Mylius, Andrew (2001).
Access: the reality for farmers, landowners, foresters and all rural
residents.
LandCare Scotland, vol 1 pp3-18.
6. Linklater, Magnus (2003). Land law with head
in the clouds.
See LAND REFORM Homepage, filed 28 Jan 03, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
7. Irvine, James (2003). Analysis
of responses to SNH draft Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
See SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE Homepage, filed 29 Sep 03,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
8. Linklater, Magnus (2003). Fair play on land
reform swept away on a torrent of prejudice.
This article has been reproduced from Scotland on Sunday with the
kind permission of the Author and of the Newspaper.
See LAND REFORM Homepage, filed 20 Jan 03, www.land-care.org.uk
Click Here to View
9. Irvine, James (2003). Does SNH conduct itslef
as an honest broker, or as a political manipulator?
See SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE Homepage, filed 25 Oct 03,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
Finis
|
