³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

It is late autumn, and the breeding season has arrived. It is an important time - success or failure later in the year depends on the hard work farmers and their stock put in during these crucial months.

In Aberdeenshire, new entrant farmers Isla and George French wrangle their herd of semi-wild red deer closer to the farm to tackle one of the more difficult jobs as a deer farmer. The rutting season is here, and soon the stags will fight for dominance, so removing their antlers, painlessly, is a necessary but daunting task. Later, two new young bucks join the group, and the older stags begin to roar, signalling the beginning of the mating season.

In the Lake District, Matt and Murray prepare for a big shopping trip. Their new, bigger farm is in need of some top-quality breeding rams, or tups. Matt and Murray are heading to the Kelso Ram Sale – a one-stop shop for any farmer looking to expand their flock. Vet Dani is usually in charge of the purse strings, but the boys have been let loose and end up blowing the budget.

At the northernmost tip of the Scottish mainland in Armadale, Joyce Campbell is gathering her 600 ewes off the hills in preparation for tupping season. The farm's 6,000 acres are home to a number of peat bogs, and when the stubborn ewes decide to use a different route, they get stuck in the mud.

In the remote Stoer Peninsula, Helen and Graham take advantage of the unusually settled weather to take their small boat out to collect their creel pots. Later, Graham is worried about one of their piglets, Melon, and when he goes missing the following morning, Helen sets out on her morning rounds with a sense of dread.