Walkhighlands self-catering advertising members, Somerset and Carolyne Charrington have been crowned Britains best wildlife farmers after a close-run public vote.
The annual RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award celebrates the fantastic work farmers are already doing for wildlife, with a top prize of £1,000 for the very best. The Charringtons who run a 750ha upland livestock farm at Treshnish on the Isle of Mull have taken to heart the need to manage the land in tune with nature whilst ensuring it provides a sustainable business. Their farm lies on some of the most spectacular coastal scenery on Mull and the Charringtons have encouraged responsible access.
The Charringtons said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen as the winners of the Nature of Farming Award. It’s a huge boost to our confidence and proves that what we are doing in terms of farming, conservation and sustainability is working.”
Alongside careful grazing, Somerset and Carolyne have created and restored key habitats including native woodland, wetland, peat bog and moorland. The wildlife on the farm includes field gentians, corncrakes, otters, more than 300 species of moth and butterfly, and 10 species of dragonfly.
For details of the walk at Treshnish see Walkhighlands. Treshnish is a working farm with grazing animals and unfenced cliffs, therefore walkers must keep dogs under tight control at all times in accordance with the Scottish Access Code. For other Isle of Mull walks see the Walkhighlands website.