This Farming Life returns with Mull and Appin farmers in spotlight
THIS Farming Life returns to BBC 2 on Wednesday (September 6) for a second series, with three new episodes airing each week for four weeks.
And this series will see two local farming families highlighted, from Mull and from Appin.
On the isle of Mull, committed new-entrant farmers Janet and Alastair Taylor rent a small farm where they keep 140 sheep, 20 Highland cattle, ducks a goose and nine dogs.
Five years ago they started their farm from scratch with little to no money. For them it has been a struggle constantly juggling the benefits of cash incomes from paid contract work on other farms against the need to spend time building their own farm into a profitable enterprise.
In Appin hill farmers Sandra and David Colthart keep 540 blackface sheep and 45 cross breed cattle that for much of the year roam freely over 3237 acres of stunning Scottish hillside.
This very traditional method of farming poorer land – which relies on scale rather than quality – means lots of hiking! With their animals spread over such a large area even a basic sheep dosing requires heading out with the dogs to spend up to up to six hours gathering the sheep off the hills.
Luckily Sandra breeds pedigree Border Collies and Highland Ponies so there’s always a dog or three to help out.
This series will also feature a dairy farm and Scotland’s first buffalo farm.