The last couple of days have passed in a daze. Been busy walking every inch of the Island trying to count deer and assess the population with a thought to the cull figure. We are under pressure by the Red Deer Commission to manage the herd ie: show we are culling deer/keeping the numbers down to sustainable levels. But Rona is a bit different because we introduced the deer and in effect it is a new ‘deer forest’. So it is an unknown.

However the weathers been really seasonal with blue skies and frosty days. The sunrises have been stunning. That has been the best thing, it is good to be out in the nature on days like this.

Sunrise over Applecross

We’ve seen lots of deer, quite a few very good stags. All seem to be in tip top condition but try getting close to them in these conditions, crunching frost/calm perfectly clear. All in the deers favour. So until to-day the deer have been winning.

The day starts with an early breakfast, still dark outside then out in it and walking into the wind. We walk until lunchtime then head back to the Lodge. In the afternoon we get up to date with the ‘normal’ work, that is the cladding of the genny shed, feeding sheep/deer and a million other things.

The cladding’s On

While we are working on the genny shed we have an audience and a call to feed the sheep usually bring the ‘audience’ down from their gallery.

The Audience

Julie likes the sheep nuts!!!!

Mark Feeding Julie

Normally we would go off last thing to look for some ‘cull’ hinds but we did manage to get two this morning and my apprentice Mark did well. But every night this week the sunset has been quite exquisite, so here’s an old one because we didn’t have to shoot off to Dry Harbour tonight.

Sunset over Torridon