We can see clearly now the rain has gone!! It has been a very wet month but finally the rain has gone and it is stunning. The roaring of the red deer rut in the mornings and evenings can be heard echoing around the hills above the cottages. The autumn array of colours are at their best.
Gathering the lambs for the sales
We are half way though gathering the hills for the lamb sales. We have 3000 breeding black face ewes so alot of tired sheep dogs this week!
We are bringing down the Carron flock next week which is a 6 mile trip down the old drovers road to Finchairn Farm. Alot of guests have joined the team to help bring them down. Many thanks to those who have been involved in the past!
We are just hoping for better prices this week as last week we averaged £26 a lamb…when you think what you pay in the supermarket!?
A happy ending – Ford, Lochgilphead
Nettle has now settled back into the Argyllshire wildness. We saw him last week while out walking with holiday cottage guests staying in Finchairn Farmhouse beside Loch Awe, he looked like he had wintered well. He has settled up in the woods behind Finchairn Cottage near to the Forestry Commission. This was taken last summer having his very last digestive biscuit before leaving him in his new enviroment.
A whopper brownie caught in the hill lochs!
A guest staying in The School House came for a weeks fishing in our 22 hill lochs. We keep the fishing only for guests staying in the cottages or in Ederline House. They caught over 50 between three of them on wednesday. The picture is one of the biggest they caught in the week. A stunning part of the estate to get away from all EU chaos!.
Red squirrel on the farm yard fence!
We have had alot of busy squirrels enjoying the sunny afternoons. Sadly only had my mobile not my SLR camera!
Nettle the Roe Deer Buck
In June this year we had to make a difficult decision to take on a young deer. While out on my usual walks around the estate taking pictures of the Ospreys I was followed by a new born roe deer kid. I managed to increase my speed and loose it but still in site to see it settle down by a tree stump. It is so important not to touch them if you are ever in the same situation as once the human scent can be picked up on the youngster the mother will not return! The last time we had to take on a Roe was about 30 years ago so it is very rare that they need help! When returning to the tree stump the next morning he was still there lying flat, empty and listless. I can only imagine it may have been a weak twin or one of a set of triplets abandoned as it was very small. Now five months on it is nearly fully grown and is running wild again round the estate. If he spots us from the woods going on a walk he loves to come as well and has been enjoyed at close hand by many guests staying on the estate. I hope now over the winter he will travel further a field and will be consumed into his natural world!
On the move!
We are about 3/4 of the way through lambing with not too many problems!
Website: https://www.ederline.com
A new addition!!
Mosi has been with us for four days now. She came from Katie Cropper at Shap in Cumbria. Both good working parents so I have no excuses! We will now have three in the team of Border Collies!
Training will start in 6 months time!!
The first Osprey has arrived at Ederline
The first osprey has arrived from Africa to Ederline today!! They have nested on Loch Ederline now for about 8 years with a good success rate. They have raised on average two young a year who have fledged and migrated back to Africa in the early autumn.
We are waiting for his mate to join him in the next few days. He will be busy nest repairing after all the winter storms. A wonderful site to see him back!
Website: http://www.
Fishing at Ederline.
Ederline Estate is a fishermans paradise! We have 22 hill lochs with wild brown trout and three lower land lochs with pike, roach, perch and char.
We have rowing boats on some of the lochs and electric out boards can be used. We also have sit on top Kayaks. There is also a fishing shop in Lochgilphead which has everything you would need.
On Loch Ederline we have a pair of nesting Ospreys which arrive from Africa in the spring. There is an abundance of other wildlife which have been spotted regularly whilst guests fish. A wonderful place to unwind and fish in peace and tranquility.
Website: http://www.fyne-tackle.com