AND THERE you have it ... whisky is good for you!

Well at least it’s been proven to be good for cows and it has been shown that them eating the leftover draff product from whisky distilling, can reduce their gas emissions.

In trials carried out at the Roslin Institute, no less, the cows produced 10% less methane than those fed a more conventional diet.

It just goes to show you that the hot air etc that the distilleries’ end-product induces in humans, is not matched by bovines!

Got ma tractor runnin’

BIG GEORGE Lawrie set off on a gruelling round trip of 600 miles in a Massey Ferguson tractor this week on his fund-raising trip for RHET, the education arm of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).

As RHET’s chairman, there’s no one better to enjoy the comforts of MF’s finest and he’ll no doubt be singing along to some of his favourite 1970’s music as he tours the highways and byways.

An interesting stop on the tour, which is in celebration of the organisation’s 20th birthday, will be on Monday, where – if he has survived a night with the Carruth household in Bridge of Weir – he will be at Lochwinnoch Primary School. There, the Highland-coo-wrapped Massey, plus its iron-clad statue in the trailer, will meet some real Highland cows.

These will be in the charge of George’s cousin, Matt Auld, stocksman at Glasgow City Council for its Pollok fold of hairy coos. George said: “It’s probably the only thing that my wee cousin and I agree on – Highlanders are fabulous,” he told The Raider.

George will finish his run at the Royal Highland Showground and if you see him on his rounds, please donate generously and if you don’t see him, then donations can be made via this donation page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rhet20tractortour