The Real Monarch of the Glen.

[Angus Og]

The Real Monarch of the Glen. BBC Scotland Mon 7 Jul, 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm 30mins

BBC
Paul's Big Idea

In 2003, multi-millionaire Paul Lister bought a 23,000-acre traditional Highland sporting estate in Sutherland. His idea: to return Alladale to the animals that roamed here centuries ago. Paul's controversial plan aims to turn Alladale into the largest enclosed reserve in Europe.

The estate's staff are preparing for Paul's return. He has only 24 hours until he leaves for Sweden to search for moose. Lodge Manager Isla is responsible for keeping the guests, and Paul, happy. Her husband, Hugh Fullerton-Smith is the Estate's General Manager. He runs the place when Paul is at home in London. Innes and David are Alladale's rangers. Their job is to cull the herds of red deer, part of the shooting business that has sustained the estate for the last 200 years. Now everything is about to change. The first animals are arriving: wild boar. In the nearby village of Ardgay, Paul is planning to open his own retail empire.

There are only three weeks to go before opening day. Highland safaris are on the horizon. But there's trouble with the fence Paul has started to erect and an inspection team from Scottish Natural Heritage arrives to investigate.

 

[Angus Og]

Looks like this is a series on next week.

 

[fishy1]

At first, I was in favour of this, until I learned he planned to keep out walkers and make it basically a safari park for the rich.

 

[alpha_centaur]

At first, I was in favour of this, until I learned he planned to keep out walkers and make it basically a safari park for the rich.

Seconded. When did he get the exclusion of the right to roam for the area?

 

[spamel]

I'd like to think that the fence will allow the area to be re-wilded and the animals to learn that that is a safe place, and so that they don't run amok around the highlands, with the idea being to take the fence down one day and then the forest can naturally expand over time. Unfortunately, this probably isn't the intention, and it is an exploitation of peoples' want to see something new and exciting. If it is intentional or not is an unknown, but to get my support 100 percent, he'd need to make it known that in five or ten years time, the fence comes down and people would be able to freely roam amongst the animals and woodland.

 

[NatG]

i just watched it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00cgqll

i don't like the idea, he's basically taken a huge chunk of the highlands and turned it into his own personal playground, i0ntroduced species that went extinct hundreds of years ago into a habitat to which they are not used and not suited.

plus i just don't like the bloke

 

[spamel]

Well, it seems that us English are getting the opportunity to watch this as of this Friday. 7 pm on BBC2. No idea if it was any good in the end as I didn't do the iPlayer thing. Can our Scottish brothers and sisters warn us whether it is worth it for the animals and scenery, or is it one of those Big Brother type embarressing things?