The Hill & Mountain Research Centre, with its team of systems-scale researchers, is based at Kirkton and Auchtertyre Farms, a 2200 ha Highland estate near Crianlarich in the west Highlands of Scotland.
The site is set within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and ranges from high quality and productive grazing to high altitude (over 1000 metres above sea level) semi-natural habitats of high conservation value.
Our work aims to seek economically, environmentally and socially sustainable land management systems in the context of international, national and local land use policies, with an emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Current interests focus upon:
- Developing precision livestock farming approaches
- Evaluation of the public goods associated with upland land use systems
- Bio-economic modelling of livestock in upland environmentss
- Genetic based livestock breeding programmes
- Maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity
- Assessment and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
- Developing innovative agro-forestry systems