Out of Doors - 18/07/2009

Badger baiting is on the increase. What is considered by many to be a barbaric and ancient sport is being practiced regularly in Scotland, despite the fact that it is illegal. We look at the reasons behind this. Concerns over the future of our food supplies if oil runs out has inspired the Highland People's Food Seedbank Project in Inverness. The aim is to collect enough seeds to set up a seedbank in preparation to feed 250,000 people living in the Highlands over ten years. The team hear more about the project. How do you normally get to the supermarket? We hear from one Deeside lady who makes a point of riding to her local shops on horseback on a weekly basis. Hawfinches are amongst Britain's most elusive and enigmatic wild birds. A study taking place at Scone Palace has shed new light on the birds through a tagging programme. Mark visits the gardens at Scone and discovers why their particular character is proving attractive to these birds. Anyone taking a walk along Jock's Road, an ancient route which takes you from Glen Callater near Braemar through to Glen Clova in the Angus Glens, can't fail to notice Davy's bourach, a charming little shelter maintained by the Forfar and District Walking Club. According to Jim Braid, a regular listener to Out of Doors, Davy was a fascinating character. Mark takes a wander up Glen Doll to see the shelter and find out about the man behind it. We hear from one lady who recently saw a big cat within a few miles of Aberdeen. Plus, we hear how big cat sightings are being recorded in Kintyre. Share any sightings with us. Email [email protected]. And finally, have you ever found yourself up a mountain, checked the map and noted that it's over 917 m, got very excited about the fact that you may have unwittingly climbed a Munro, only to find when you get home and consult your Munro book that it isn't listed? Having had this experience herself, Helen Needham discovers what constitutes a Munro with the Scottish Mountaineering Club.