At the southern end of the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal lies the magnificent stone hillfort, Grianán of Aileach. Meticulously reconstructed in 1870, the view north from the fort’s 5m high ramparts – sitting like a crown atop Greenan mountain (244m) – features Loughs Swilly and Foyle.
In the panorama’s foreground lies Inch Island, also known as Inis na nOsirí, or Island of the Oysters. One of the pearls of the 3,200-acre island is undoubtedly Strahack Farm, its 350 acres managed by Boyd Bryce and his wife Bridie.
Boyd has farmed here for six decades, starting in his early teens, when he (thankfully) ignored his father’s well-intentioned advice to go seek his fortune elsewhere. He has no regrets about his career choice, nor any intention of quitting anytime soon. Boyd derives great satisfaction from managing his 400 mixed-breed commercial sheep flock and his near-100 acres of woodland, but also from the fruits of his decades-long commitment to restoring nature on his holding.
A thousand cuts
Always interested in hunting (Boyd is a founding member of Inch Gun Club), Boyd began to notice a fall-off in prey, like woodcock, decades ago, which he attributed to the gradual loss of habitat. In Boyd’s opinion “nobody set out to destroy nature”, believing instead that today’s declared biodiversity emergency is more a case of “death by a thousand cuts”. Boyd reckons that the best way to respond is by a thousand cures – taking lots of simple actions for nature over time.
Boyd.
This, in essence, is his restoration philosophy: inch by inch.
“If there is a scheme going, I’ll chase it,” says Boyd, “but if I do get the money, I’ll do the best I can with it.”
The results of his “use it, don’t abuse it” approach are staggering: through a combination of agri-environmental funding (from Donegal’s first REPS client to today’s NPWS Farm Plan Scheme), afforestation schemes, EIPs, collaborations with Birdwatch Ireland and others, he has created an extraordinary patchwork of interconnected habitats across his holding, while continuing to farm it profitably.
Nurturing nature
Boyd’s farm contains a diverse mix of land types, from shore to hilltop. The green land is neatly fenced and well grazed. A few arable fields have been recently reseeded with a wildflower mix as part of his NPWS farm plan. Many field margins have been supplemented by planting a variety of trees parallel to the original hedgerow, creating 3-4m wide linear woodlands. These are often strategically located to connect existing habitats, enabling mammals like red squirrels and pine martens to extend their range. Wildflower strips are also common.
The main woodland areas include conifers (mostly Sitka spruce) and, increasingly, broadleaved species. An oakwood planted in 1995 features a carpet of bluebells, while a 2019 plantation (embellished by the restoration of a stunning pond) is also thriving. When planting mixed-species woodlands, Boyd favours planting in clusters, believing “trees prefer their own kind for company”.
The shoreline area of the farm (on Lough Swilly) is designated as an SPA for breeding waders – lapwing and sand martins are regular visitors to the pond he created here four decades ago. To further improve wader prospects, Boyd uses targeted seasonal grazing, controls species like willow which provide cover for predators, and has added cleverly-designed, elevated nesting boxes.
Boyd and his wife Bridie.
Experts
Boyd has a healthy scepticism for so-called experts, citing plenty of examples where local knowledge trumped expert advice. Instead, Boyd engages as an equal with others, blending science with practice. He collaborates closely with NPWS’s Emmet Johnston in planning conservation works, with local archaeologist Kate Robb in exploring the farm’s rich cultural heritage and with neighbour, wildlife enthusiast and Rivers Trust officer Barry McLaughlin in recording the farm’s fauna. All of these, and others, form a wonderful local web of support centred around Boyd and the farm.
Boyd doesn’t claim to be an expert himself, and confesses to plenty of mistakes: like a walk on his farm, there have been plenty of “slips, trips and falls” en route. His efforts to control rushes sometimes ended with more rushes and less money, while a grey partridge reintroduction project – which saw over 200 grey partridge established in the wild on Inch Island – eventually failed as the chicks were gradually predated by cats, foxes and sparrowhawks.
Older now, Boyd doesn’t worry so much about “the boy up the road”. While he doesn’t preach to anyone, he does feel that every farm has areas which can be left to nature, areas which are only costing farmers to keep tidy. Strahack Farm is in super shape, Boyd doesn’t want it to go to “rack and ruin”, yet wildlife flourishes here – he even has long-eared owls nesting by the bedroom window.
In the same way as the restored Grianán of Aileach acts like a beacon to attract visitors, the restored habitats on Strahack Farm are a haven for wildlife, and act as an example for what can be achieved when farming and conservation experts collaborate over time, and with mutual respect.
At the southern end of the Inishowen peninsula in Co Donegal lies the magnificent stone hillfort, Grianán of Aileach. Meticulously reconstructed in 1870, the view north from the fort’s 5m high ramparts – sitting like a crown atop Greenan mountain (244m) – features Loughs Swilly and Foyle.
In the panorama’s foreground lies Inch Island, also known as Inis na nOsirí, or Island of the Oysters. One of the pearls of the 3,200-acre island is undoubtedly Strahack Farm, its 350 acres managed by Boyd Bryce and his wife Bridie.
Boyd has farmed here for six decades, starting in his early teens, when he (thankfully) ignored his father’s well-intentioned advice to go seek his fortune elsewhere. He has no regrets about his career choice, nor any intention of quitting anytime soon. Boyd derives great satisfaction from managing his 400 mixed-breed commercial sheep flock and his near-100 acres of woodland, but also from the fruits of his decades-long commitment to restoring nature on his holding.
A thousand cuts
Always interested in hunting (Boyd is a founding member of Inch Gun Club), Boyd began to notice a fall-off in prey, like woodcock, decades ago, which he attributed to the gradual loss of habitat. In Boyd’s opinion “nobody set out to destroy nature”, believing instead that today’s declared biodiversity emergency is more a case of “death by a thousand cuts”. Boyd reckons that the best way to respond is by a thousand cures – taking lots of simple actions for nature over time.
Boyd.
This, in essence, is his restoration philosophy: inch by inch.
“If there is a scheme going, I’ll chase it,” says Boyd, “but if I do get the money, I’ll do the best I can with it.”
The results of his “use it, don’t abuse it” approach are staggering: through a combination of agri-environmental funding (from Donegal’s first REPS client to today’s NPWS Farm Plan Scheme), afforestation schemes, EIPs, collaborations with Birdwatch Ireland and others, he has created an extraordinary patchwork of interconnected habitats across his holding, while continuing to farm it profitably.
Nurturing nature
Boyd’s farm contains a diverse mix of land types, from shore to hilltop. The green land is neatly fenced and well grazed. A few arable fields have been recently reseeded with a wildflower mix as part of his NPWS farm plan. Many field margins have been supplemented by planting a variety of trees parallel to the original hedgerow, creating 3-4m wide linear woodlands. These are often strategically located to connect existing habitats, enabling mammals like red squirrels and pine martens to extend their range. Wildflower strips are also common.
The main woodland areas include conifers (mostly Sitka spruce) and, increasingly, broadleaved species. An oakwood planted in 1995 features a carpet of bluebells, while a 2019 plantation (embellished by the restoration of a stunning pond) is also thriving. When planting mixed-species woodlands, Boyd favours planting in clusters, believing “trees prefer their own kind for company”.
The shoreline area of the farm (on Lough Swilly) is designated as an SPA for breeding waders – lapwing and sand martins are regular visitors to the pond he created here four decades ago. To further improve wader prospects, Boyd uses targeted seasonal grazing, controls species like willow which provide cover for predators, and has added cleverly-designed, elevated nesting boxes.
Boyd and his wife Bridie.
Experts
Boyd has a healthy scepticism for so-called experts, citing plenty of examples where local knowledge trumped expert advice. Instead, Boyd engages as an equal with others, blending science with practice. He collaborates closely with NPWS’s Emmet Johnston in planning conservation works, with local archaeologist Kate Robb in exploring the farm’s rich cultural heritage and with neighbour, wildlife enthusiast and Rivers Trust officer Barry McLaughlin in recording the farm’s fauna. All of these, and others, form a wonderful local web of support centred around Boyd and the farm.
Boyd doesn’t claim to be an expert himself, and confesses to plenty of mistakes: like a walk on his farm, there have been plenty of “slips, trips and falls” en route. His efforts to control rushes sometimes ended with more rushes and less money, while a grey partridge reintroduction project – which saw over 200 grey partridge established in the wild on Inch Island – eventually failed as the chicks were gradually predated by cats, foxes and sparrowhawks.
Older now, Boyd doesn’t worry so much about “the boy up the road”. While he doesn’t preach to anyone, he does feel that every farm has areas which can be left to nature, areas which are only costing farmers to keep tidy. Strahack Farm is in super shape, Boyd doesn’t want it to go to “rack and ruin”, yet wildlife flourishes here – he even has long-eared owls nesting by the bedroom window.
In the same way as the restored Grianán of Aileach acts like a beacon to attract visitors, the restored habitats on Strahack Farm are a haven for wildlife, and act as an example for what can be achieved when farming and conservation experts collaborate over time, and with mutual respect.
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