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Round & About |
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Rusko Estate
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This beautiful Estate is approximately
6 miles long and 3 miles wide and is set in the heart
of the River Fleet glen. The whole area is full of fascinating
wildlife, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish
Wildlife Trust have reserves adjacent to Rusko and the
mountain wilderness of the Galloway Forest Park and
the Merrick stretches away to the north. The whole Estate
is very hilly, going from 100 feet above sea level at
Rusko House to 1000 feet at the top of Kenlum hill.
The River Fleet, a very attractive spate river, makes
the boundary on the east side with a track running
beside
it all the way from Nether Rusko to the Pool of Ness.
Loch Ornockenoch lies in the centre of the southern
part
with a lovely old drove road linking it to Upper
Rusko - both make wonderful walks. Rusko House (where
the tennis court, Garden Cottage and wildlife garden
are situated)
is a large 18th century mansion house set in an informal
garden of magnificent rhododendrons and lovely mature
trees. |
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Rusko Farms |
There are 3 farms on the Estate, one
of which is tenanted. The land is mostly moorland with
some better grazing beside the river. We farm 1,175
sheep and 90 cattle with some silage, hay, rape and
other feed crops. The meat produced is prime Scottish
beef and lamb produced as naturally as possible and
the land is farmed within the Environmentally Sensitive
Area scheme.
On the hills we have the indigenous Blackface sheep
and on the lower land we grow Greyface x Texel lambs.
The cattle are Aberdeen Angus x on the lower land and
Galloway x Shorthorn (Blue-grey) on the hill and they
are all crossed with our Charolais and Simmental bulls.
Lambing starts in early March and calving takes place
in Spring
and Autumn. Our tenant has a famous herd of pure-bred
Galloway cattle. |
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| Rusko House |
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Upper Rusko and Cairnsmore |
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Nether Rusko &
Carstramon Wood |
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Feeding pet lambs |
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Pool of Ness, River
Flee |
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