Trees, Permaculture and Hutting

Earlier this week Mark went along to Agriscot, a farm business event held at Ingliston just outside Edinburgh. He spoke to Bob Carruth from NFU Scotland about who attends and what the topics were up for debate.

Green woodworking involves making things out of unseasoned or unprocessed wood using only hand tools. It’s a method which appears to be growing in popularity as Rachel found out when she met green woodworker Aaron Sterritt near Forres.

Helen Needham visits James Reid of Tap O' Noth Farm to hear about his approach to farming. He uses a method called permaculture, which focuses on the harmonious integration of landscape and people

Mark is in Perthshire- Big Tree Country- exploring the Dunkeld Tree Trail as we mark National Tree Week.

And joining us live to tell us more about National Tree Week is Jon Stokes from The Tree Council who run the week and are marking 50 years of planting trees.

While he was at Agriscot Mark met Euan Bone from Glenkiln Farm on Arran whose family had just won the Champion of Champions award at the first-ever Scottish Agriculture Awards. He tells Mark about how important diversification has been to the farm.

Colourful beach huts were once a well known sight on East Lothian’s beaches. Sadly over the years many of them fell into disrepair. However, visitors now have a chance to see them in their heyday and discover the stories behind them at the Coastal Communities Museum in North Berwick. Rachel went along for a look.

Mark heads on a hutting adventure with author and BBC Alba presenter Peter MacQueen. Peter’s first book, The Art of Hutting: Living Off-Grid with the Highland Hutter, has just been published and he took Mark to meet his Dad at the family hut near Oban.