WELL, there you have it ... you all have until May 1 to exercise some control over the burgeoning beaver population in Scotland. They will be declared a protected species after that.

The Raider should be able to report personally on the extensive damage done to woodlands beside the mighty Tay, this weekend and hopes that the thousands of trees that are literally ‘hingin’ by a thread’ because of damage by the rodents, don’t fall on his heid while fishing at Ballathie.

I’ll let you know – might be more chance of catching a beaver by the tail than a fish by the mouth.

For wagyu’s saké!

THE RAIDER was quaffing the odd saké and feasting on some wagyu nibbles this week in the official residence of the Consul General of Japan, in Edinburgh this week, to hear of plans by Japan to export wagyu beef to the UK.

Any feeling of being traitorous to our glorious home-bred beef industry was quickly dispelled by the news that Japan only plans to export about 50 tonnes of its eye-wateringly expensive and decadent pure-bred wagyu beef to the whole of the EU. At a starting point of £370 per kg for a grade A rib-eye joint, that’s not really going to make much of a dent in the wide spectrum of things.

However, with the tariff-free road opening up between Japan and the EU, there’s sure to be room for us to sell beef and lamb to them.

As for the beef. It is a totally different eating experience and totally delicious, but not one that you could put up with too regularly. It’s almost a ‘new’ product, though Europe’s largest wagyu herd does reside in Scotland.

The power of advertising

GETTING full ‘bangs for his bucks’ this week was Craig Finnie, of Finnie 4 x 4, in Aberdeen, who admits to making the odd faux pas in his adverts – just to check if anyone is reading them.

Last week’s back cover ad in The SF was a case in point. ‘1262 Kia Sorrento [sic] Singlecab toilet for sale....’ and he’s had no end of ribbing about it on social media and by phone. However, the point most people miss is that the power of advertising works – and knowing him, he was extracting the Michael in the first place. Just like the £39,995 pick-up truck in his previous ad!