Enough with the subsidies for pointless sheep farming!

I’m sick to death of seeing vast swathes of the Highlands, perfectly good for rewilding or even dense forestry, churned over for sheep that mostly end up as expensive mince. We’re subsidising an industry that is actively detrimental to biodiversity and carbon capture, all for a product we frankly don’t need much of. It’s a pastoral idyll for the wealthy landowners, but a climate disaster for the rest of us.

We need to phase out direct subsidies for sheep farming on land that isn't economically viable for anything else. Instead, those funds should be redirected to incentivise genuine rewilding projects and tree planting on a massive scale. Think about it – carbon sinks, increased biodiversity, more natural habitats. It’s a no-brainer, and frankly, it’s embarrassing how far behind the rest of Europe we are on this.

This isn't about banning farming, it's about smart farming.