Glensaugh is having a busy end to the year. The day to day livestock business has settled into a winter routine. Almost all of our 2009 born lambs have now been sold and sheep numbers are approaching a seasonal low. Cows have been housed and are on a winter diet of straw and silage.

While things are quiet on the livestock front, we are actively engaged in our capital projects. The construction of our wind turbine has begun in earnest with the excavation of about 75 cubic metres of rock to accommodate the concrete base of the structure. The first concrete has been poured and the steel reinforcing “cage” is now under construction. The base should be poured before the holidays to allow curing in time for erection of the superstructure in mid January.

Life is full of deadlines. The advent of the SRDP grant scheme has turned 31st December into a significant date in the rural business calendar because under the SRDP regulations grant claims have to be lodged by this date. For us that means bringing our public access work to a hurried close, but with signage now in place we will be open for business early in the New Year.

Glensaugh will be on a holiday working rota for a fortnight from Monday 21 December while we all enjoy some well earned time off; business as usual from 4th January; a happy Christmas to all.