Barwhillanty Blog… counting sheep!

It’s not just the abundant fresh air, indulgence of outdoor activities and rural quiet that ensures a good night’s sleep at Barwhillanty… we’ve been counting sheep too!
Our frisky flock, that’s 998 of them, have all been scanned and we now have count of how many lambs to expect… 1,941! Our sheep population will increase by almost 200%… that is a lot of new fleeces to appear in the spring! The majority of our ewes are Easycare; a breed that sheds its own wool. With the cost of wool being too low to generate profit, these hardy ladies are well adjusted to their environment and suffer few health problems… perfect for the wild weather that can excite Dumfries and Galloway.
From fleeces to forests, Barwhillanty Estate is currently pioneering a training programme, aiming to support local communities in providing skilled training in many aspects of rural life. Having teamed up with Graeme Hodgkinson, a proactive and passionate Forestry Industry Safety Accord (FISA) instructor, ‘Land Based Training’ has been born… with a vision to fill the void of practical forestry training that is both safe and of value to land management.
It is early days, but if we can even begin to fulfil our mission, bringing support to the local economy and industry of forestry, it is something Barwhillanty can be proud of. Furthermore, it would profit generations to come; a legacy we hope Oscar’s father, the late John Yerburgh, being a pioneer in forestry of his day, would have loved to see in support of the industry he was passionate about.
Keep dialled in to hear how ‘Land Based Training’ progresses… and remember Valentine’s Day is not too far away… we have plenty of rural romancing ideas for you to escape to…
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