If this is the sort of tricks that N.T. are getting up to I think it's time that the Govt. looks to-ward money wasting ventures like this, not just for this site as I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, all these trusts are allocated money each year and if it's not used up in that financial year it's cut back the next, perhaps they might have been better off using the money for local employment, more keepers, gillies and organised stalking, at least that way they would be getting money back into their coffers, don't get me wrong, I know that scots pine are very slow growing and are important to the ecoculture, the perfect, and main food supplies for red squirrels, crossbills etc. which then goes back through the food chain, pine martins, wild cats, and dare I mention it, nesting places for raptors.
There's been a dearth lack of scots pine for over 3 centuries, yes, we'd all like to see more pines but at what expense, is it a case of "fences" will be a blot on the on the landscape, or as I said. "If we don't spend it this year we won't get it next".
And if you want to know why some one from the Midlands is going on about Scotland , Ive got a foot on each side of The Wall, born in England of Scottish parents and brought up in the central belt in Fife before returning back to England.
When all the deer are gone and all the grasses are gone because the deer are not there to graze them and the bracken and rhododendrons take over and the soil becomes crap some one will say. "Lets get some deer back", carts before horses never works...callie