At Glensaugh autumn is well advanced. October was a predominantly dry month which allowed us to sell finished stock in good condition, but the month ended on a very wet note. While this is generally bad for livestock it introduced a useful element of stress into the cattle grazing experiment (WP 2.5). This experiment, where groups of cows are grazed in rotation round four plots is now entering its final phase and will end on 14 November, with the cows being sold the following week.

We have now pregnancy scanned our suckler cows and almost all are back in calf. An almost 100% record was spoiled by the “problem cases” which were scanned at the end. These are cows with “histories” and two of these will now be disposed of. Scanning is a useful tool and provides valuable information on which to base management decisions.

Our capital projects are moving forward in fits and starts. Woodland establishment has the best track record so far, and fencing of the new north belt is almost complete. The photograph shows the new fence, which encloses planting ground extending to around 10 hectares, and follows the original woodland boundary shown on the 1903 map. The area of standing timber is a remnant of the original wood which would have been too young to fell in 1917 (the year we think the rest of the timber was cut).

Rabbits are also well under control and the site will shortly be handed over to UPM Tilhill who will plant it early in 2010. The public access project is also running quietly in the background and signage has been drafted although not yet produced in hard copy. The wind turbine project, which has been held up by contractual issues, is about to progress into the construction phase. The turbine itself is under construction on Nova Scotia, and the base works contract has been let and men and machines should shortly be on site.

Finally our third SRDP application, which is for a biomass heating plant, is now back with the Forestry Commission and we are working towards committing this for assessment. Meanwhile two of the gas boilers which this is intended to replace have now been decommissioned and work on the renovation of Glensaugh Lodge is about to start.