0:00:02 > 0:00:05Today on One Man and His Campervan, I'm in west Scotland,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09where I go hunting for my food, but I'm not sure if I can actually do the deed.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14- WHISPERS:- I've not decided whether or not I have the heart or the stomach to take that final shot.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15I feel like a merman!
0:00:15 > 0:00:21I reveal one of the more novel approaches to fishing - with rather mixed results.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And, as I host my first ever campervan dinner party,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31I'll be showing you that comfort is as important as the menu.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35It's great food, but I have to say, this chair is a little low.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51I've travelled over 1,500 miles, visiting the New Forest, Norfolk,
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Yorkshire, Northumberland and Angus on my journey to here.
0:01:00 > 0:01:07I'm here in the Trossachs, which is an area of Scotland known for its windy roads,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09as well as being the Highlands in miniature,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13which is pretty strange, because it doesn't look very miniature to me.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16The landscape is unbelievable. It's massive.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Big skies, big mountains, big lochs, it's very, very pretty indeed.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And whilst the local lambs look pretty free-range,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26there was a much wilder and rarer beast in these mountains,
0:01:26 > 0:01:31and hopefully it would form the centrepiece of my campervan dinner tonight.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Today's your lucky day, my pretty.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Not you.
0:01:36 > 0:01:42I'm about to do something today that I would never normally do,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45but I've got the opportunity, and I'm going to give it a go.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Today I'm going stalking for red deer.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Red deer are Britain's largest land mammal.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Although heavily protected, licensed game wardens are allowed to cull a number of stags a year
0:01:57 > 0:02:00to keep numbers at a sustainable level for the food available.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04I'm off to meet Alan
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and I'll leave this behind, because...
0:02:08 > 0:02:11apparently red deer can spot them a mile off.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16On tonight's menu, it's venison loin with a whisky sauce and garden veggies.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20So I was going into the hills to experience stalking first-hand.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25Alan Sneddon is a local farm manager who's licensed to shoot red deer.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27What are the chances for today?
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Well, at the moment we've got not a strong wind, but it's a sort of a north-east wind.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37- Yeah.- There are some stags, which I saw earlier, just across the brow of the hill.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Well, I'm in your capable hands.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41- Shall we head off?- We'll head off.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I firmly believe you should never eat anything you wouldn't be prepared to kill,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48but this is was really going to put my philosophy to the test.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Would I actually be able to shoot one of these magnificent creatures?
0:02:52 > 0:02:58- I mean, we cull on this estate roughly 30 to 35 deer a year.- OK.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- And that more or less keeps the population stable.- Right.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06Alan took me on a route that guaranteed we would always be downwind of the deer,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08which have an incredible sense of smell.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11As long as we stayed quiet, this would get us closer to them.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Once we establish where they are...
0:03:14 > 0:03:17we'll do the final stalk...
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- which is quite a stealthy... - Hands and knees?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's going to be hands and knees, yes.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- So we are going to get a bit grubby? - Possibly, yeah.
0:03:24 > 0:03:30We headed up towards the top of a ridge, behind which Alan hoped our deer would be.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34My campervan was now just a small dot on the landscape.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38So these deer now hopefully are directly above us,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- but on the other side of the hill. - OK.- OK?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42We'll just progress really slowly now,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- and see what we can see. - Fine. Let's go.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47The walk itself had been enjoyable,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50if a little arduous, but now the fun stopped.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56My heart was pumping as Alan talked about the gritty reality of the stalk, and dispatching a stag.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02With the equipment we're using, the deer will be well visible.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Your point of aim will be clear, and you should be absolutely steady before you take the shot.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11It's my job to make sure that the shot is taken as safely and as humanely as possible.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17- Yeah, OK. The last thing I want to do is do some damage and not... - No, exactly.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- Not do it properly.- Exactly, yeah.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24Now, Alan's confidence in my ability to handle a gun was not just blind faith.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27We'd met up the evening before for some shooting practice.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- Not a bad spot. - Beautiful spot, Martin.- Wow.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31Fantastic.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- And that looks like the target. - That certainly is.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40I'd had to prove to him, and myself, that if the situation arose,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45I could be trusted to dispatch a stag as swiftly and humanely as possible.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49So, if I can't hit that metal board, there's no hope for me?
0:04:49 > 0:04:53It's not the metal board I'm interested in, it's the dot in the middle of it.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I thought you might say that.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58We're using a pretty good rifle with a modern scope,
0:04:58 > 0:05:03and you'll be shooting from a rest, so very definitely achievable.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Right, OK. Well, we'll see, shall we? Yeah.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Raise the butt of the rifle up, and put it on your shoulder.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12The target was placed 100 yards away.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17I'm sort of half terrified and half extremely excited. It's...
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Now I'm no arms expert, but this was the biggest gun I'd ever seen.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26It's amazing, when you see it through the scope, how close you see.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Alan took me through the firing procedure with the gun unloaded.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38We donned our ear protectors - it was time to try a live round.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And then squeeze the trigger.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42GUNSHOT
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- Did I hit anything?- Yep. You're just slightly to the right.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47OK.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52I was close, but not close enough for Alan to be convinced to let me try on a stag.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55One last chance to prove myself.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56GUNSHOT
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- Well done.- Is that all right, is it? Look, I knocked it off!
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- You just cracked the top edge of the bull there.- OK.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- Wow, is that all right, is it? - Perfect.- Ah, ha ha ha! How exciting!
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Your first shot went slightly right and clipped the edge of the circle.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18- The second shot was slightly above, and your third just clipped it right here.- OK.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24But back at the hunt, as Alan left me with the gun
0:06:24 > 0:06:26while he crept up to have a look over the edge,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29yesterday's adrenalin had been replaced with a moral dilemma.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35- WHISPERS:- I still haven't decided whether or not I've got the heart or the stomach to take that final shot.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38You know, I've certainly got stomach to eat venison,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41so, you know, this is all part of the process,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and it's a part of the journey of that food.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And if it's not me, it's going to be somebody else.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Alan had spotted two deer on the other side of the valley,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and as we watched, another one stood up in the long grass.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58They were too far away to give us any chance of a successful stalk.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01However, Alan was convinced there were a couple of stags
0:07:01 > 0:07:04somewhere just below us, on our side of the valley.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10I was signalled by Alan to join him, and as we made our way along the ridge,
0:07:10 > 0:07:15we found ourselves very close to a female and her calf.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- WHISPERS:- We just spotted two red deer just above the tree line.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Alan motioned for me to be quiet, as he'd seen something else
0:07:22 > 0:07:26that was going to leave me with a choice I could really have done without.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31So, the dilemma is, I think there's two stags lying within 100 yards of us.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35But to the left of that, only 50 yards away...
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- a hind with her calf that's probably about a month old.- OK.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43So, you can either go and look at this wonderful sight, or we can...
0:07:43 > 0:07:46or we can actually go for the stag. I think we're so close now
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- that we either go and just look at the deer...- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51or we go and try and take a shot at a stag.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55OK. I think, er...
0:07:56 > 0:07:58I think it would be good to have a look.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Decision made. Naturalist Martin had triumphed over hunter Martin.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Will we have another chance?
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Difficult to tell. I think those deer are the deer we saw earlier this morning,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12that just moved, they were very settled.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- But they're very, very close.- OK.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And the mist is coming in now, too.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- Let's go and have a look.- Yeah.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The deer, of course, had not been informed of my decision
0:08:24 > 0:08:27to abandon plans to try and shoot them, and had fled.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34They can reach speeds of 40mph, so by the time we reached the top of the ridge, they were long gone.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36They have either saw us or heard us.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So close, 50 yards, and their senses are incredible.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40And they've just taken off.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43One hind gave a little bark, they've got an alarm bark,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and what I was seeing before, that I thought was a stag lying,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50was actually a hind that had just turned its head towards us.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52And I just saw it for a split second.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54There are two hinds and a young calf.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55- Pretty special to see...- Fantastic.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- ..a calf like that. - To get so close, as well.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It's not far at all.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05- The calf would have been 30 yards when we saw it initially.- Amazing.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09We'd been on the mountain for six hours when the mists suddenly began to roll in.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14It was time to make our way back down to the comfort and security of the campervan.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18As Alan warned me, conditions can turn treacherous in an instant up here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24As we carefully descended, we did get one final glimpse of a buck on top of a ridge.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29We'd come down the mountain empty-handed,
0:09:29 > 0:09:34but Alan had agreed to give me some venison meat from the farm to cook for tonight's dinner.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Well, it's a bit of a shame, but in fact, if we'd shot a stag,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40we couldn't have eaten it, could we?
0:09:40 > 0:09:44No, that's right. We generally hang them for about ten days anyway.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48So the one we got today would have still been in the larder for a couple of weeks.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So, what's to eat tonight? Have you got any that's been shot previously?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55I can sort you out with some venison, don't worry about that.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00- I tell you what, if you bring some venison, I'll cook.- Sounds like a deal.
0:10:04 > 0:10:10To be honest with you, I'm really quite pleased that we didn't come across any stags to shoot.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14But we did get some glimpses and it was worth going for that.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16But also, a fantastic walk.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Um...
0:10:18 > 0:10:24I'm going to park the van down by the side of the loch, and get out of these wet things.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Well, that was the plan anyway. The weather had closed in.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37The rain was getting worse, and the still loch that I'd passed this morning was now choppy.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40My God, check out the water.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44It's absolutely tipping it down, and I'm supposed to be camping in a field by the loch today.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48So I hope this rain stops, otherwise I could end up waking up...
0:10:48 > 0:10:50in three feet of water.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58On the way back, I raided the estate garden for some vegetables to go with Alan's venison.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01There would be no chance of using my bucket barbecue in this weather.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Time to put a positive, campervan spin on the situation.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Because the weather has drawn in, and it's absolutely tipping it down outside,
0:11:14 > 0:11:20it means I can hold my first dinner party in my new van, which is very exciting.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21Um...
0:11:21 > 0:11:23If maybe a little cramped.
0:11:23 > 0:11:29On tonight's menu, venison loin with a whisky sauce and fresh garden vegetables.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34But, chopping my parsley, I felt a splash of water on the back of my neck.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We are a bit short of space, so I've popped the top,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and I have noticed that we've sprung a little bit of a leak.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46So I'm hoping that Alan won't get too wet, because he's going to sit here.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47We won't mention it.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50Come in!
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Hello, sir. How are you doing? - How are you doing?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Nice to see you again. Come in out of the rain.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Yeah. There's a present for you.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Oh, look at that. Wonderful.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Fantastic. What we're going to do... I'm going to swap seats.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- Do you want to sit here? - Yeah, can do.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- And then I can cook easier from there.- No problem.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Well done.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14This is all like a bit of a game, really.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Because I've had such great weather on my travels,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20this is the first time that I've actually had the opportunity
0:12:20 > 0:12:23to invite a guest for dinner in the van.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25It's a privilege.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Well, let's hope so.- I'm glad I'm in here and not out there, anyway.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- Oh, it is miserable outside, isn't it?- It certainly is.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35But the campervan bistro atmosphere I'd tried to create was shattered
0:12:35 > 0:12:38when Alan spotted my socks drying over the stove.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43Yeah, hopefully they won't affect the food too much!
0:12:43 > 0:12:47They were literally...literally dripping after coming back.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I wrung them out, outside.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53The boots are under the van, because they're too wet. Full of newspaper.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I was sure Alan was relieved about that.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Time to get cooking.
0:12:59 > 0:13:05First of all, I flash-fried the venison in a drop of olive oil to seal in the juices.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- They look good, anyway, don't they? - Yeah, it's lovely.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- That's a piece of loin. - A piece of loin? Do you eat a lot of venison yourself?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I do, when I get the chance, yes.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's one of my favourite meats, actually.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20This particular animal has been hung for ten days.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Ten days. OK. Because the hanging obviously makes the flavour a lot stronger?
0:13:24 > 0:13:29It does. It also relaxes the meat, so it has a tenderising effect as well.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Yep.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34So, this animal... Did you shoot it?
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Yes, I did, yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- And you butcher it as well? - I do, yeah.- Yeah.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44After just four minutes, the succulent venison was cooked.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I put it to one side to let it rest,
0:13:46 > 0:13:52and had to hurry to saute the baby vegetables in the meat juices before the meat got cold.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54That's all just going in the same pan there?
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Just in the same pan. I'm going to try and use the juices from the venison to make a little bit of a...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02to help steam the veg.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05But also...
0:14:05 > 0:14:07create a little bit of a sauce as well.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11The thing about using great quality meat and really fresh ingredients
0:14:11 > 0:14:13is just to be as simple as possible.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16There's no point in mucking around with it too much,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19because you don't want to mess around with the flavours too much.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Now, get some of this pak choi in, the last thing.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- It smells great. - It does smell nice, doesn't it?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30This is where we hope the pak choi does in fact wilt down a little bit.
0:14:30 > 0:14:36It was now time to add the secret ingredient - Scottish olive oil, or whisky to you and I.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40And while that's reducing, time to slice the venison,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45which was crisp on the outside and beautifully pink in the middle.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Now, being a campervan, there isn't a separate dining area,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52but with Alan's help, I erected the stowaway table, and voila,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55we were now in the campervan dining room and ready to eat.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59There you go, sir.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It looks wonderful.
0:15:03 > 0:15:09The pouring rain and howling wind outside was but a distant memory as we tucked into my campervan venison
0:15:09 > 0:15:14with baby carrots, courgettes and pak choi in a whisky jus.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- Are you getting any of that whisky? - I can definitely taste it.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Those carrots are so sweet. It's lovely.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Of course, a dinner party can't be judged just by what's on the plate.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33It's great food, but I have to say that eating for the first time,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36my first dinner party, if you like, in the van...
0:15:36 > 0:15:39this chair's a little low.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41I feel like I'm having to reach up like a small child,
0:15:41 > 0:15:47but it doesn't, obviously, have any effect on the flavour of the food.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53Still to come, I reveal what must be one of the most unusual methods of fishing known to man.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57And then you put flippers on your feet and you sit in this and you kick with your feet.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03And the heat is on with my dish of traditional Scottish oatmeal-rolled brown trout.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07This is where you want smelly-vision!
0:16:10 > 0:16:14The rivers that feed the loch had swelled significantly during the night,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17forcing me into some swift campervan relocation.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22At about two o'clock in the morning, when I was cosy in my sleeping bag,
0:16:22 > 0:16:28the rain started getting heavier and heavier and heavier, and it was battering down on the roof.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34And I decided I couldn't stay because I was worried I would wake up in a sea of water in the morning.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38So I got up, in me sleeping bag, drove the van across the field
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and parked up here, where I know it's safe.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I'm still really wet from yesterday.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48I've had my socks drying over the stove and I might have burned them a bit,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50but at least they'll be dry.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54My coat's hanging up, which is part of the great things about being in a campervan,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58but the brilliant thing about it is at least I'm not in a tent.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night to find yourself in a flooded field
0:17:02 > 0:17:07in a tent with nowhere to go, but go and sit either in the car or sit it out until the morning?
0:17:07 > 0:17:11In my campervan, I might be a bit damp, but I'm happy.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21After a quick breakfast, I fled the boggy field back to the comparative safety of the road.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Today, I'm heading west to Loch Drunkie, a brilliant name.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29There, I'm hoping to do some fishing.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33If I get lucky, I shall be cooking up a traditional Scottish dish,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37which is brown trout, rolled in oatmeal.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42With this road surface threatening to loosen my fillings, it was time for a campervan tip.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Well, I've pulled off onto the road to Loch Drunkie
0:17:45 > 0:17:51and the surface is terrible and, as you can probably hear, it's a bit of a bone shaker.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Everything's rattling away.
0:17:52 > 0:17:58The secret to driving these roads, you either drive really fast or you drive really slow.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I think I'll go for slow.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Luckily, it wasn't much further.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09By the loch, I met Roger Draper, a keen angler with an interesting take on fishing. Hello.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11- Hello. Well done.- You must be Roger.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13- Martin, well done.- How are you?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Very well. Nice to meet you. - Yeah, nice to meet you too.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- Now, you're taking me fishing.- Yes.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20- That doesn't look like normal fishing.- No.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22It's slightly unusual, called a float tube.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- OK.- And we sit in it and we go out into the water
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and float around like a big armchair. You'll love it.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33For an armchair sportsman like me, this could be my finest hour.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36So, I'm wearing some of the gear you're going to need.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40You put flippers on your feet and then you sit in this and you kick with your feet.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43You don't need oars, you don't need paddles, you don't need an engine.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46It's just you, your flippers, your wet suit and your waders.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48What sort of fish are we looking for?
0:18:48 > 0:18:50We're going to be fishing for brown trout.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55We're going to try two different ways of fishing for them, fly-fishing and bait fishing.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57There are other fish in here, pike and perch,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01but brown trout is what we want and that's what we're going to try and target today.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10I was beginning to suspect that the film crew might have paid Roger to humiliate me.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Well, that's the funniest-looking fishing kit I've ever seen.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21I feel like a merman.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26As you know from my previous fishing experience in Devon, I am a terrible fisherman.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Anything that makes my endeavours more comfortable had to be a good thing.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It was time to push off.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- How do you steer this thing? - Just work your feet.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43You paddle more with one foot and you'll go around.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Roger gave me a crash course in fly-fishing and away I went.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50It's like the most...
0:19:50 > 0:19:52bonkers thing...
0:19:55 > 0:19:56..I've ever done.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I haven't caught a fish yet, and I've only caught myself so far.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04It may look rather relaxing, but I was feeling the pressure.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10If we didn't catch any fish, there wouldn't be anything to eat later. And I'd promised to cook for Roger.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Roger told me to look for ripples on the surface,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18a sure sign there were fish close by.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The great advantage of this floating chair
0:20:22 > 0:20:24is that you can glide gently through the water,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29getting to places where it's impossible to cast from the bank.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Well, that's the theory anyway.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Roger had told me to tease the fly across the water.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I ended up whipping it with the line.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40No wonder the fish were avoiding me!
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I've got to get better at this casting.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50If I don't catch anything, it looks like it's going to be pasta for tea again.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Like on all my other fishing trips.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58But then all thoughts of another bowl of campervan pasta disappeared.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Roger had a bite!
0:21:00 > 0:21:04You see it? That's about plate size.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It's a wee brown trout.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Beautiful. Martin, we've got dinner!
0:21:11 > 0:21:14A couple more of them and we'll have a feast!
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Beautiful spots. A typical little Scottish...
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Whoops. Where did I put that dried pasta?
0:21:24 > 0:21:25He's away!
0:21:28 > 0:21:30We'll get another one.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35I abandoned the fly-fishing in favour of a normal rod and line, but still had no success.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Luckily, Roger was doing a bit better.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40That's what it's all about.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- Let's have a look. That could well be dinner.- That's definitely dinner.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46We're going to gut him and then we'll scrape the scales off
0:21:46 > 0:21:52and we'll roll him in oatmeal and fry him in a bit of butter, a bit of oil.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And a quick fry and he's going to taste delicious.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02We had our dinner, but no fishing trip is complete without telling the tale of the one that got away.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07I had one on and I got it to within about two metres of the end of my line,
0:22:07 > 0:22:12and then, of course, my inability to land fish got the better of me.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16By now, I'd given up hope of ever catching anything.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19So I made the paddle of shame back to the campervan.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I've been chasing them round this bit for the last hour.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Not far to go now, you'll probably start feeling the bottom soon.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Ever the optimist, I kept my line in the water, just in case.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Nearly back to shore, I was already thinking about how to make one fish
0:22:34 > 0:22:39stretch between two for dinner when, suddenly, there was a tug on my line.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41OK, Roger, do you want to get...
0:22:42 > 0:22:47With dinner literally hanging on the line, I feared I'd lose this fish as I tried to reel him in.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50I'm beached now.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54I'd crashed into the bank, which gave me an idea.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- Shall I just beach him?- I think so.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It might not have been a textbook landing,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06but 30 years of hurt just disappeared, I was now a proper fisherman.
0:23:06 > 0:23:12I'm pretty happy to have caught and landed an actual fish.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17It's been amazing, being out on the water, and even better for bringing home...
0:23:17 > 0:23:20even though he's not huge...
0:23:20 > 0:23:24my very own Scottish brown trout.
0:23:24 > 0:23:30All that was left to do was get out of our waders, open the van and let the cooking commence.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I've had a glorious day.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I've done some fun things in my life and that was one of the funnest.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I didn't just like it. I absolutely loved it.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41And Roger's fish, slightly bigger than mine.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44My fish, slightly smaller than Roger's.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Anyway, he's putting the fishing gear away and I'm going to get on with gutting these.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53Fantastic as it is to be by the lake side, there are millions upon millions of midges around.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55So, I do it quickly...
0:23:56 > 0:23:58..and then we're going to cook them...
0:23:58 > 0:24:01away from the van to stop the van stinking.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Some people are squeamish about doing this, but I don't mind it at all.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08And if I do it by the lake side,
0:24:08 > 0:24:14then we're making use of everything by giving the little fishes some supper, too.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18After gutting and washing the fish, they were ready for cooking.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It has been a long time since I actually caught a fish.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25So I've got you to thank for that.
0:24:25 > 0:24:32We're just rolling them in oatmeal, which is the traditional Scottish way of doing things.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- This is the way my mother did it. - Good coverage.
0:24:35 > 0:24:41I'd got some porridge oats from my campervan staples cupboard and ground them up to coat the fish.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45They would help protect the skin from burning and keep all the fish oils locked inside.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I'm looking forward to this.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52In case you were wondering whether or not I was turning this into a romantic meal,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- obviously, we're trying to do our best with the midge candles. - Of course.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Ah, yes, the midges.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02No Scottish campervan cook-up in the wild would be complete without them.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- These midges would drive you insane, wouldn't they?- They sure would.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10People will try and camp here and then head for the hills.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11No, they're impossible.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15- We're being driven mad here now, aren't we?- We are a bit.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21It seemed that every hungry midge for miles around had decided to pay us a visit.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Battling on, I was about to start frying the trout
0:25:24 > 0:25:27in a half-and-half mixture of butter and vegetable oil.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- You can spoon some butter into the middle of them.- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- How long would your mother have given these?- You've got to get them cooked properly.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37A few minutes a side.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42They're starting to smell absolutely beautiful.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Oh yes, I'm getting that.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I tell you what, Roger, would you mind keeping your eye on those for a second?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- I'm going to sort out some couscous to have with it.- Lovely.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56This is where you want smelly vision!
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- How are they doing? - Just keeping them just nice.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Perfect. What do you think? Does it taste better when you catch it yourself?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Catch it, cook it and eat it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Absolutely. Fantastic.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Fresh as...fresh as can be.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18On the campervan hob, I had fried up courgettes,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23peppers, onions and toasted some almonds to add to the couscous.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Nearly there. - Almost there.- I can't wait.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29They're looking very good. Here we go, Roger.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Look at that.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35- After about five minutes each side, the trout were ready.- Yum.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40My brown trout rolled in oatmeal had turned out a treat.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The traditional oatmeal coating had helped to hold the skin together.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50But what would Roger think? Would it be a taste of home?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Look at that. You've cooked that perfectly.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Oh! Mm!
0:27:00 > 0:27:02I can't express how good that is.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It's sweet.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Firm. Perfect.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09- It's such a delicate taste, isn't it?- A delicate flavour.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13A sweet flavour and you don't really need to muck about with it, do you?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16No, I don't think you need seasoning, do you?
0:27:16 > 0:27:22No, I don't think. I think it's just simple, as usual, is best.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Not only that...
0:27:25 > 0:27:28but I caught this myself!
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Here is to our new friendship. - Indeed.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33To your health! Cheers.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I've realised one of my life's ambitions today.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I was a bit worried that my visit to the Trossachs would end with...
0:27:42 > 0:27:44..catching nothing, but actually...
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- I'm quite glad it's the fish and not the stag.- OK.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Well, there's not a lot left on my fish is there?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54And yours was bigger than mine, but we won't talk about that.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Sitting by the shore of Loch Drunkie,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01we fought off the midges and finished off our delicious, freshly-caught dinner.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05It was the perfect ending to my campervan adventure in Scotland.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Next time, my van and I are in the glorious Cumbrian Fells.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Hey, look at that. That's stunning.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20I set my van the ultimate driving challenge.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22We're getting there. Come on!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26With a bit of help, I reveal the secrets of sausage making.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28That's a real camper banger.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33And I'll be showing you how local wild berries can brighten up a clotted cream tea.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Mm!
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk