At the Edge

Grouse shooting, sheep farming and predator control are all deeply embedded in the fabric of the British countryside. These practices, like many forms of land and wildlife management, are defended – in part at least – by tradition. But what does tradition really mean? In this episode, we explore why tradition carries such weight, whether it should be challenged, and how many of the practices we cu...

At first glance, Scotland’s ‘deer problem’ appears to be an ecological issue: too many hungry mouths putting pressure on already depleted woodlands and peatlands. Beneath the surface, however, debates over deer numbers, deer impacts and deer economics, reflect a much deeper ideological divide about what the Scottish uplands are for, and who gets to shape their future. The deer problem, in other wo...

Britain’s woodlands and grasslands were once shaped by vast herds of wild cattle — the now-extinct aurochs. But in a Dutch laboratory, scientists have brought these powerful herbivores back to life — in part at least. Tauros cattle share 95% of their DNA with the aurochs and have been bred to restore the natural grazing processes long lost from Europe’s ecosystems. Now roaming in increasing number...

Wild boar are making a quiet comeback — not just in our landscapes, but in our conversations too. Attempts to hold boar captive in farms have repeatedly failed and today, pockets of these prolific digging machines can be found across the south of England and several parts of Scotland. Fans point to their ecological benefits – their rootling turns over the soil and their wallowing creates mini wetl...

“People like you don’t understand the countryside.” It’s a sentence that ends conversations before they even begin. When it comes to disagreements on issues such as hunting, farming, rural tradition or rewilding, most of us don’t start with facts – we start with identity. Town vs country. Left vs right. Tradition vs change. Lines get drawn. Sides get chosen and suddenly, it’s not about the issue a...

In August 2025, a farmer from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, claimed that sea eagles had taken five of his Shetland pony foals. Whether this happened—or could happen at all—remains unproven, but the incident ignited a media storm and brought a key question back into focus: How do we balance nature recovery with the needs of rural livelihoods? In Episode #3 of At the Edge , Peter Cairns explores t...

Almost wherever they roam, wolves attract controversy. Today, Europe is home to more wolves than at any point in modern history, and although the UK remains a wolf-free zone, their growing presence on the Continent provides a valuable window into our own willingness to embrace a wildlife comeback. In Episode #2 of At the Edge , Peter Cairns speaks to author Adam Weymouth and journalist Annick Hus,...

The UK has lost more of its wildlife than almost any other country. So, for some, the return of sea eagles, beavers, wild boar and pine martens is a rare and uplifting conservation triumph. For others, this wildlife resurgence represents a threat to rural livelihoods and an erosion of countryside traditions. So, how much wild are we willing to live with? And who gets to decide? In Episode #1 of At...

Across the UK, sea eagles, beavers, wildcats and wild boar are all staging a comeback. Calls for the return of lynx grow louder each year. But as wildlife rebounds, it’s confronted by a society that has long forgotten how to live alongside wild nature – and isn’t sure it wants to try. Join Peter Cairns , host of At the Edge , as he explores the fault lines that divide opinion over nature’s place i...