0:00:02 > 0:00:04Scotland is changing.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07The population has never been higher.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10More than five million people live and work here.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The country is more diverse,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18with more people speaking Polish than Gaelic at home.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22The ethnic mix is richer than ever.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27I find myself speaking with words like "wee."
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Scotland's industries are evolving and digital businesses booming.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Engineering and old industries are being replaced by the new.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The growth and the jobs and the amazing new stuff is here.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43More than two million foreign visitors a year
0:00:43 > 0:00:45are boosting the Scottish economy.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You can swim with dolphins all over the world.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50This is where you get to swim with monsters.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Wonderful!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55So how does modern Scotland work?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59What does it mean to be Scottish in 2015?
0:00:59 > 0:01:01How are Scotland's jobs and industries
0:01:01 > 0:01:03competing on a global stage?
0:01:03 > 0:01:05How do others see us?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10This series goes to the heart of contemporary Scottish life
0:01:10 > 0:01:12to reveal...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Scotland has one of the most recognisable brands in the world.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29It's romantic and seductive.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And it's worth billions to the Scottish economy each year.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Scotland's iconic attractions
0:01:37 > 0:01:40draw millions of tourists from across the globe.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Scottish branding boosts exports to record levels.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Whisky is now worth £135 every second.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00When they take that sip and they smell the peat
0:02:00 > 0:02:03or they smell the heather, somehow that transports them
0:02:03 > 0:02:05to a country which they may have never visited,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08but which exists somewhere in their mind.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12So what is the secret to brand Scotland's global appeal?
0:02:15 > 0:02:19How is the image of Scotland being updated for the 21st century?
0:02:19 > 0:02:22What happens when Scotland meets the world?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Edinburgh, 7am.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The start of another week for tour guide Mike Disbury.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Mike takes personal pride in welcoming foreign visitors to Scotland.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42For many, it will be their first time in the country.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46People who have virtually no connection to Scotland at all
0:02:46 > 0:02:51quite often leave here with what I think is a little bit of the heart
0:02:51 > 0:02:55belonging to Scotland in a strange sort of way, you know?
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Mike is one small cog in Scotland's huge tourism machine.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Dozens of coach companies operate from this Edinburgh depot alone.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05So many different companies,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Heart of Scotland and all the big coach companies,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11turn up here in August in particular.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14You can't move in here, it's full of coaches from all over Europe,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17all departing here.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Mike has been a driver and guide for over a decade.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24He's become familiar with the preconceptions that visitors have
0:03:24 > 0:03:26when they arrive in Scotland.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31I had an American women who came to Edinburgh and she was like...
0:03:31 > 0:03:35AS AMERICAN: "Oh, my God, I mean, I knew they were castles in Scotland,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37"but I didn't know, like, everyone lived in a castle."
0:03:37 > 0:03:40She just sees the stone buildings and goes,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43"Everybody's living in, like, a castle." You know?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47I think it is, it's that sense of history,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49it weighs quite heavy on people when they get here.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52They know that Scotland's been around for a long time.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It is a fairly ancient country.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59In a 2013 survey, American news channel CNN
0:03:59 > 0:04:03named Scotland the number one tourist destination in the world.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Almost two and a half million foreigners visit Scotland each year.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Add in tourists from within Scotland and the rest of the UK,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and that goes up to 15 million.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And they all need somewhere to stay.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Edinburgh has almost 13,000 hotel bedrooms.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Hostels like this one cater for the thrifty traveller.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Mike's tours are aimed at this niche market.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28The international backpacker.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Morning, guys.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Put anything big in the back, guys.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Take out anything you'll need for the day.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Cameras, sunscreen, that kind of thing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Today, Mike is driving this group all the way to Skye.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It is the first leg of a three-day round trip.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Right, guys.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So we're just going to leave the world's greatest city,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59which is Edinburgh just here, and we'll go over the Firth of Forth,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01you can see the Forth coming in here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06We'll go through the Kingdom of Fife, around the fair city of Perth.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Soon as we get north of Perth, we'll get into the Highlands.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12When we get to Loch Ness, don't know if any of you want to take
0:05:12 > 0:05:15the Loch Ness challenge today to go for a swim in Loch Ness.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18The water is the same temperature all year.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's always seven degrees Celsius, so you'll be fine, like.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23So, all excited?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- ALL:- Yes.- All right! Choo-choo! Let's go.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Mike's passengers are a truly international group.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They come from China, Chile, the Netherlands,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38New Zealand and the USA.
0:05:41 > 0:05:462014 was a record-breaking year for foreign tourists visiting Scotland.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Americans were the most numerous, with the Germans coming in second.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57Ireland, Sweden, Canada and Poland were also in the top ten.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And visitors from China increased as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Most of Mike's passengers are seeing Scotland for the first time.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09So his route will take in as many Scottish icons as possible.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15All right, guys, just approaching the Firth of Forth just now.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19We're going to go over...
0:06:19 > 0:06:23one of the world's most impressive suspension bridges,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26finished in 1964, the Forth Road Bridge.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29It's absolutely nothing compared to the bridge that stands
0:06:29 > 0:06:32next to it, which is just called the Forth Bridge,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35because it's the original bridge over here.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It carries the trains over.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42So that is arguably the greatest bridge built in the history
0:06:42 > 0:06:46of the world, just cos at 1890, that really is quite incredible.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53So Scotland is attracting ever more foreign visitors to our shores.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Scots are also hard at work
0:06:56 > 0:07:00exporting the taste of Scotland across the globe.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And there's one product that defines Scotland above all others -
0:07:04 > 0:07:05whisky.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Scotch is one of the most famous products on earth.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17For billions of people, Scotland and whisky are inextricably linked.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Global sales are booming.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It's shipped to 200 countries.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Annual exports are worth £4 billion.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The single most valuable market is America...
0:07:35 > 0:07:38..currently worth 330 million a year.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Georgie Bell is a brand ambassador
0:07:44 > 0:07:47for the biggest Scotch whisky producer, Diageo.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53She has come to WhiskyFest New York to launch a new product,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57a single malt from the Mortlach distillery on Speyside.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01# I want to be a part of it New York, New York... #
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It's a chance for me to do a malt liquor seminar, introduce people
0:08:05 > 0:08:09to the new range, cos we've just launched here in the United States.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13# They are longing to stray... #
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Hundreds of American whisky fans have gathered here
0:08:16 > 0:08:20to taste 350 whiskies from across the globe.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Whisky producers from all corners of Scotland are here to create
0:08:23 > 0:08:27a buzz around their newest brands.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Scotch still inspires an intense devotion
0:08:29 > 0:08:31that other whiskies struggle to match.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35For these aficionados,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39its appeal is as much about a romantic idea of Scotland
0:08:39 > 0:08:41as it is about taste.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44People love snippets of information on the history
0:08:44 > 0:08:45and the distillery,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49the little intricacies in every single different distillery
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and how each different distillery has its own spirit and character.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57The image of whisky is changing slowly.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Slowly but surely and you do sometimes get,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06or I do sometimes get a little bit of a quizzical look
0:09:06 > 0:09:10as to, "Is she lost? What is she doing here?
0:09:10 > 0:09:14"Why is that young, little, not really traditional looking
0:09:14 > 0:09:18"whisky girl standing in front of me?"
0:09:18 > 0:09:24# Oh, New York... #
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Whisky expert Steve Broom has given talks about Scotch
0:09:27 > 0:09:29all around the world.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32He is also attending the WhiskyFest.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Even he is sometimes surprised by the global fame
0:09:36 > 0:09:38of Scotland's national drink.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42It was when I was in Tunisia that I first realised how interlinked
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Scotch and Scotland were, because people were asking me
0:09:45 > 0:09:47where I was from and I was going, "Ecosse,"
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and they were going, "Never heard of it."
0:09:49 > 0:09:53And after about a week of this and getting increasingly frustrated,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56I suddenly went, I went, "You know, Scotch whisky."
0:09:56 > 0:09:59They went, "Ah, Scotch Land!"
0:10:00 > 0:10:03And it's something that I think we tend to forget in Scotland,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07we don't realise how important this is to people,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11how people identify with Scotland through that drink in a glass,
0:10:11 > 0:10:12that when they take that sip
0:10:12 > 0:10:16and they smell the peat or they smell the heather, they smell the honey,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19they smell the fruits, that somehow that transports them
0:10:19 > 0:10:21to a country which they may have never visited
0:10:21 > 0:10:24but which exists somewhere in their minds.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30Today, Scotland isn't just exporting whisky,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33it's also exporting know-how,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37skills passed down from generation to generation of distillers
0:10:37 > 0:10:39for more than 200 years.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40How are you?
0:10:40 > 0:10:45This Taiwanese distiller has begun making its own style of whisky
0:10:45 > 0:10:48using traditional Scottish techniques and equipment.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Our chairman, Mr Lee, he's a whisky aficionado himself
0:10:53 > 0:10:58and he loved whisky, so initially it was Scotch that he was drinking,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but then, you know, he wanted to have his own distillery
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and that's why we set up our own distillery,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07but most of the equipment is from Scotland
0:11:07 > 0:11:12and it's a distillery making whisky the Scottish way,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14except that it's produced in Taiwan.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16That's right, with the heat of Taiwan.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19So Taiwanese culture then becomes important for your whisky.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Yes, that's right. Since day one, we have noticed
0:11:22 > 0:11:26that because of the heat, our whisky matures differently
0:11:26 > 0:11:29with more pronounced fruitiness,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31subtropical fruitiness in the whisky.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- Scotland and Taiwan working together. - That's right.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Scotch blends were the first global brands.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Scotch was the first global spirit. America was incredibly important.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44They became more important during Prohibition
0:11:44 > 0:11:48because we opened our order books when the Irish closed theirs,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50so Mr Capone got Scotch,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55and look, there's 114 distilleries operational in Scotland at the moment
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and they all do something just a little bit different
0:11:58 > 0:12:01from their neighbour to make something that's singular,
0:12:01 > 0:12:02something that's individual,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05something that speaks of its place on the Earth,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and a specific spot on this small, slightly damp country
0:12:09 > 0:12:12in the far north-west of Europe, and that's what people love about it.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20In Scotland, whisky distilling is now a huge hi-tech industry.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It supports over 35,000 UK jobs.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Scotland has more than 100 distilleries.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Most are owned by big companies.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But the international market is now so buoyant
0:12:38 > 0:12:42that small-scale micro-distillers are getting in on the action.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50They're taking whisky back to its roots - on the farm.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55One of the newest on the block is Daftmill in Fife.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00Distilling, like farming, is a centuries-old tradition.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Can you see that up there?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04The datestone?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Is that when you first came there?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Yeah, that's when we started this.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Farmer Francis Cuthbert has been growing barley used for whisky
0:13:14 > 0:13:16for over 20 years.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Now he's gone into the whisky business for himself.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23We're growing malting barley for making whisky,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26but we sold the barley on to other distillers
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and when the lorry left the farm road end,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31we never really knew where it went.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35So now we have full traceability from field to bottle.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's pretty much the same as what farmers did 200 years ago.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46How do you know when it's ready?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50The kernels - well, it will change colour, it will go golden.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And the little peas of grain will be quite hard.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56If you burst them at the moment,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00they're still at the milky or soft dough stage.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05If you bite it and it cracks, then it's dry enough.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Francis built his distillery on the farm.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Compared to most in Scotland, it's tiny.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Distilling is a long game.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Three years in, Francis has yet to bottle a single drop.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23But he's confident he can produce a spirit that will appeal
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to whisky connoisseurs worldwide.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Many things influence the taste.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The water we use, the barley we use, the yeast types we use,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34and probably most importantly are the type of cask we use.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38These are bourbon barrels. They've come from Kentucky.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Because trees are grown in different bits of the forest
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and on different sides of the hill,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45each cask matures the whisky slightly differently
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and whether it's in the bottom of the warehouse or the top of the warehouse
0:14:48 > 0:14:52affects it, so the whisky in every cask tastes slightly different.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The big companies blend them all together
0:14:55 > 0:14:58to make a very consistent product.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03We might bottle individual casks that are very different, so that you can
0:15:03 > 0:15:07have several different whiskies and you can celebrate the difference.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And he's hopeful that his long-term investment will pay off.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Exports of Scotch went up by more than 80% over the last decade.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23It seems the world can't get enough of uisge beatha, the water of life.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27We're in the middle of a whisky bubble, if you like.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Whisky is the hot thing worldwide.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Sales have increased rapidly.
0:15:33 > 0:15:39Some of the big companies have been caught with low levels of stock.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42They're terrified that they can't meet demand,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44so everyone is ramping up production.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48There is a great deal of interest coming from overseas,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51especially Northern Europe and America.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Even before its product hits the market, this newcomer is generating
0:15:57 > 0:16:00a lot of interest among whisky buffs from all over the world.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Some even travel to see it for themselves.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06There's somebody from Moscow,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Switzerland, San Francisco,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Pittsburgh, Berlin, Denmark...
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Most of the visitors are into whiskies.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18They are into visiting distilleries.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22They are whisky geeks, if you like.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So they tend to be very knowledgeable.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Once people get the bug, they become very obsessive about it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Francis is in no hurry to bottle his first batch.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It has to be ready, and that takes time.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42He isn't trying to compete on volume, but on quality.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47How do we compare? Our nearest neighbour, Cameron Bridge,
0:16:47 > 0:16:51is doing over 100 million litres a year now of pure alcohol.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55We aim to do 20,000 litres of pure alcohol.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Before they upgraded, I reckoned it would take us 11 years
0:16:59 > 0:17:04to produce what they produce in a day. Now it'll take much longer.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Francis' micro-distillery may be dwarfed by the big players in Scotch
0:17:10 > 0:17:14but this scarcity could make its whisky all the more exclusive.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Scotch whisky gets its unique character from the climate,
0:17:20 > 0:17:21soil and water.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29When you drink it, you really are imbibing a little bit of Scotland.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Much of Scotland's other world-famous food and drink
0:17:32 > 0:17:35uses Scottishness as a selling point.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Salmon, oatcakes, haggis,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42even teacakes are all clearly branded as coming from Scotland,
0:17:42 > 0:17:47and the world can't seem to get enough of the taste of Scotland.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50In the past decade, exports of Scottish food and drink
0:17:50 > 0:17:53have increased by over 50%.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Annually, Scotland exports £500 million worth of fish and seafood
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and £100 million worth of livestock,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06although exports of haggis to America are still banned
0:18:06 > 0:18:10thanks to a US law that prohibits the consumption of sheep lungs.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15All this global demand is keeping producers very busy.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16From farm to factory,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20even Scotland's most traditional foods are going hi-tech.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28In a field outside Cupar in Fife
0:18:28 > 0:18:31stands this enormous Scottish porridge factory.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37This £50 million facility produces porridge for the whole world.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Many of the oats are grown locally by farmers like John Hutcheson.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So in this shed we have about 550 tonnes,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52which represents the whole of the 2014 harvest.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58These oats are processed into porridge
0:18:58 > 0:19:00on an automated computerised production line.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07SHOUTED OVER MACHINE NOISE:
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This is one of our high-speed filling lines.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24We have four of these lines.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Three of them fill at 900 sachets a minute.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31So this particular line, the sachets are all joined together,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35then cut up into the individual sachets,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39which are then transferred through to this part of the line,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42which then puts them into cardboard cartons,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45at this product, ten at a time,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and then these cartons are then weighed,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52put through an X-ray machine to check for any foreign bodies,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54and then they go up through a spiral,
0:19:54 > 0:19:58they're transferred along to what we call the case packer.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Six cartons are then put into a cardboard case,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04which is then transferred along,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and then goes up a spiral conveyor to an auto-palletiser.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12So over the next 12 months,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17our estimate is that we'll make 750 million sachets of porridge,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and overall in total combination of porridge through the year,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23that this product and our other products will make
0:20:23 > 0:20:2580,000 tonnes of porridge oats.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32And finally, the taste test.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Now, this is the quality or sensory
0:20:35 > 0:20:38that we do six times in a 24-hour period.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41We need to ensure that what we have here is
0:20:41 > 0:20:43what we want to go out the door.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Looks good, tastes good.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Global demand for porridge is rising.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57And in recent years, a huge new market has opened up.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Shipments of porridge oats to the Middle East and North Africa
0:21:03 > 0:21:04have grown by 25%,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08where they form a key part of a Muslim diet during Ramadan.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Because oats are easy to digest and release their energy slowly,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18it turns out they're the perfect food to eat after fasting all day.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27And it's not just porridge manufacturers who are finding
0:21:27 > 0:21:31untapped international markets for Scotland's natural bounty.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Seaweed is one of Scotland's most abundant wild plants.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49From the Western Isles to the beaches of Fife,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53it thrives in clear, cold Scottish waters.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56One of our most popular seaweeds is this beastie here,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Laminaria digitata,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02sometimes referred to as kombu or kobu from the Japanese word "happy".
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The amino acids, the proteins that lie within that leaf,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09come out to the surface and enhance the taste of all food,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12so this will go in a miso soup, for instance, or you can bake with it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15If you put it in a lemon cake, you won't taste the seaweed,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18but you'll just feel a deeper taste note of the lemon.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20And it grows all around us.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Fiona Houston and her business partner, Rory MacPhee, aim to turn
0:22:25 > 0:22:29their love of Scottish seaweed into a profitable export business.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35For centuries, seaweed was a staple food among the coastal population.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39This has been traditionally eaten in Scotland and Ireland for centuries.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44We found some old documents from medieval, from the seventh century,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48where they found that when they were valuing a croft,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52that a rock, a big rock with dulse growing on it
0:22:52 > 0:22:55was valued as much as a cow,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57so it's full of iron and all sorts of nutrients
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and it's really, really tasty.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02What we're trying to do is export it around the world.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05We're not so concerned about trying to convert people who think
0:23:05 > 0:23:08we're crazy, cos there's all sorts of places all over the world where
0:23:08 > 0:23:10seaweed is eaten on a daily basis.
0:23:12 > 0:23:18I'm a real believer that Scotland can build big markets in south-east Asia
0:23:18 > 0:23:22based upon just this incredibly clean, pure sea we've got,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and seaweed likes cold water,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and we've got cold water in Scotland, believe you me.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Exporting Scottish seaweed to Asia
0:23:32 > 0:23:35might sound like an unlikely business proposition.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40This stuff isn't obviously part of Scotland's global brand,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43but the market in the Far East is huge.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Japan is one of the biggest consumers of seaweed.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Since the Fukushima nuclear accident
0:23:50 > 0:23:52they are importing more due to safety fears.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57And Rory sees a deeper affinity between Scotland and Japan.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02The fascinating thing is, the cultures,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06the Gaelic culture and the Japanese culture, totally distinct
0:24:06 > 0:24:09but they share a love of the sea,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and seafood, and actually, we're both island races
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and the way that the sea kind of works around Japan
0:24:17 > 0:24:21and around the Western Isles is kind of the same.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Eating seaweed, working with seaweed,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26it's like hands across the ocean in friendship.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32The UK market for Scottish seaweed could also be significant.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It's all about educating the consumer.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Mmm! Look at that! That's interesting.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Mmm! Right, let's get down and see what we've got.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48OK, now, what we're looking at, guys,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50is this wonderful seaweed called bladderwrack,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53so I'm going to cut you off each a little bit
0:24:53 > 0:24:56and you're going to nibble on it.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Close your eyes, close your eyes and nibble. I'll go first.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- It's not great but it's not bad, is it?- No.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06What do you think, Callum?
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I think it's not that bad either.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Strictly speaking, this wild seaweed belongs to the Queen.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The Crown Estate owns most of Scotland's coastal seabed.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22To legally harvest it, Rory and Fiona had to obtain a licence.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39So the next stage of their business plan will see them start to farm seaweed on an industrial scale
0:25:39 > 0:25:42at a state-of-the-art facility by Loch Fyne.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49What we're doing is using a natural resource in a sustainable way,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52and that is what Scotland is really good at,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56that's what all our fantastic food and drink companies are doing,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59they're building businesses with the environment in mind
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and that's really important.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Once it's processed, packed and ready to go,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10this seaweed needs to be dispatched to markets abroad.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Scotland's transport and distribution system
0:26:14 > 0:26:19handles over £15 billion worth of international exports every year.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Food and drink counts for around a third of this.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28All those products - whisky, porridge, seaweed
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and everything else - have to be packaged and loaded into containers
0:26:32 > 0:26:34before they can be shipped out of the country.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39The same goes for Scotland's other major exports like timber, chemicals
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- and even recycled waste.- I don't think a lot of people appreciate
0:26:43 > 0:26:45when they're on the motorway or the car,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47when they see a lorry going by with a container,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51where that container has actually came from or where it's going to.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Scotland's biggest container port, Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01handles over 150,000 of these containers every year.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08Lifting these huge metal boxes from shore to ship takes a steady hand
0:27:08 > 0:27:10and a head for heights.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13The biggest are 45 feet long.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Each must be placed in exactly the right spot
0:27:16 > 0:27:19to avoid destabilising the load.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23The staff here work 24/7, shipping Scottish products around the world.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I've a rough idea of where they're going because of the plan I've got.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29It tells me, kind of, because we get different cargo
0:27:29 > 0:27:33that goes on different ships, so going to different ports,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36so we're here to ensure that they're loaded in the correct places.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Yeah, it could be anything from whisky to rice to anything,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43potatoes - there's umpteen things, I believe, that's in these containers.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46This port only handles containers,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50but the last few years have seen an upsurge in a different kind
0:27:50 > 0:27:53of high-value cargo being imported into Scotland by ship.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Tourists.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Scotland's iconic brand attracts millions of visitors
0:28:02 > 0:28:03from all over the world.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07The romance of Scottish history and culture draws them here
0:28:07 > 0:28:09to experience Scotland for themselves.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12They arrive by air, rail, road
0:28:12 > 0:28:13and, increasingly, by sea.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Cruises into Scotland are booming.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25390,000 passengers now dock here each year.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32From Lerwick to Leith, Scotland's ports have never been so busy.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37Disembarking this volume of visitors is a huge operation.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40There's 647 passengers on board.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I'll get back to you just as soon as I'm clear here
0:28:42 > 0:28:45but there's a lot happening round about here just now.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48David Briggs is port agent at Leith's cruise liner terminal.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54This ship was booked in in September 2012,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58so there's a tremendous amount of effort goes into all this.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Today's ship, the Azamara Journey, has come from Denmark.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04BAGPIPES PLAY "SINGIN' IN THE RAIN"
0:29:04 > 0:29:08It will spend just 24 hours here before sailing north.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15The world-famous Scottish weather
0:29:15 > 0:29:18is making a special effort to welcome its passengers.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20What a yucky day.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24I've probably got a smudge in my mascara now.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Do you know, I play for them all.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29It's a really busy time at the moment.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Had four cruise liners in on Friday.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Leith can handle ships up to 210 metres long.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It's just three miles from Edinburgh Castle,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43but this probably isn't the image of Scotland
0:29:43 > 0:29:46these visitors have been dreaming of.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48A lot of the foreign visitors
0:29:48 > 0:29:50who have perhaps never been in Scotland before,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54who are really excited and thrilled to be here,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58you know, some of them do expect that when the ship berths,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01that they're maybe at the foot of the castle,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04so they expect to maybe step off the ship and maybe just meander
0:30:04 > 0:30:07through the terminal, then they'll climb up the stairs to the castle.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14There's no time to wait for the rain to clear, it's straight onto
0:30:14 > 0:30:18the waiting coaches for a whirlwind three-hour tour of the capital.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Now we're heading up Leith Walk.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Lovely rainy Scotland.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28We have a saying here that...
0:30:28 > 0:30:31more rain means more whisky,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33so don't complain too much.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Edinburgh is Scotland's number-one tourist destination.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43In the UK, it's second only to London.
0:30:46 > 0:30:503.7 million visitors spend a night here each year.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56For the modern tourist who wants to experience
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Scotland in a single afternoon, this is the place to be.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04It's got hills, a castle...
0:31:04 > 0:31:08bagpipers and acres of tartan.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14The cruise passengers are whisked straight to one of the city's
0:31:14 > 0:31:16top attractions - Edinburgh Castle.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Where are you guys from?
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- Apple Valley, California.- Oh. - High desert.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31What's your first impression of Scotland?
0:31:36 > 0:31:38The shopping and the tartans and the bagpipes.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Can't forget the bagpipes.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44For visitors like these with only a few hours
0:31:44 > 0:31:46to experience what Scotland has to offer,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50shopping becomes a way of taking a bit of the country home with them.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Tourists spend over a billion pounds in the city every year.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00The ancient Royal Mile has become a strip of souvenir shops...
0:32:01 > 0:32:04..but not everyone welcomes this tartan invasion.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Heritage groups have called for it to be controlled.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11They worry it turns Edinburgh's historic heart
0:32:11 > 0:32:14into a travesty of Scottishness.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16The traders would disagree.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18While tourists keep coming,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Scotland's brand is there to be exploited.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Right across the country from Edinburgh to the far north,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32tourist spending is a big part of Scotland's economy.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37In the Highlands, where other jobs are scarce,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40tourism is now a key source of income for thousands of people.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Luckily, many visitors find the lure of the Highlands irresistible.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Scotland's hills and glens are world renowned for their beauty...
0:32:54 > 0:32:57..and one of its 30,000 lochs is perhaps
0:32:57 > 0:32:59the best-known stretch of water on Earth.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Backpacker tour-guide Mike has taken a detour on the way to Skye
0:33:04 > 0:33:09so his passengers can meet the famous resident of Loch Ness.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Perhaps the most famous bit of freshwater in the world
0:33:12 > 0:33:15and it's got a monster in it, what more do you want?
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Loch Ness contains more water than all the lakes
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and rivers in England and Wales combined.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Just like haggis and all those kilts,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28it defines Scotland in the eyes of the world.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Mike's passengers have flown thousands of miles for this...
0:33:35 > 0:33:37..who could resist a dip?
0:33:44 > 0:33:47You can swim with dolphins all over the world but...
0:33:47 > 0:33:49this is where you get to swim with monsters.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52There's not many places in the world you can say that.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I made eye contact with him. Yes, I did.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06He left quickly.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Nice one.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19Loch Ness, like Scotland's romantic castles, glens and islands,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22is both a real place and a kind of mythical destination.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Warm you up in moments.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Oh, yeah, thank you.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Wonderful.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33It's a lifelong dream. I can now die happy.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35When do my testicles come back?
0:34:35 > 0:34:38That's what I mean, in about a week you'll get them back.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41In a globalised world, these iconic attractions,
0:34:41 > 0:34:45which exist nowhere else on Earth, are ever more valuable.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Whisky and Loch Ness, how Scottish do you want it?
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Swimming in the icy-cold water.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58For one Edinburgh family in particular,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02selling Scottishness has become big business.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05At the top of the Royal Mile's tourist strip
0:35:05 > 0:35:09just below the castle, is the Tartan Weaving Mill.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Here, tourists flock to see the iconic cloth
0:35:12 > 0:35:13being made before their eyes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19BAGPIPES PLAY
0:35:19 > 0:35:21Naturally, it also sells bagpipes.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34In charge of this tartan emporium is 27-year-old Bana Singh Gold.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38So this is a basic practise chanter
0:35:38 > 0:35:41and I'll show you how it works, yeah?
0:35:41 > 0:35:45HE PLAYS AMAZING GRACE
0:35:58 > 0:36:00That's that.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Bana's dad is Surinder Singh.
0:36:07 > 0:36:1025 years ago, Surinder opened his first of many
0:36:10 > 0:36:12souvenir shops in Edinburgh.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16We've got about 15 to 20 shops on the Royal Mile
0:36:16 > 0:36:20and every kind of shop has got a different kind of...a look to it.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Like we do... We have got John Morrison's Kiltmakers
0:36:23 > 0:36:25that do bespoke kilts,
0:36:25 > 0:36:30made to measure with the actual... You know, the real quality materials.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33And everything in that shop's made in Scotland
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and the other shops which is like the souvenir side,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39like if you want a cheap Jimmy hat or key rings
0:36:39 > 0:36:45and all the kind of touristy kind of merchandise.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Now Bana has taken over the family's flagship store.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51I know the heritage, I know the culture,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I know the tartans, I could name probably 500 tartans just...
0:36:55 > 0:36:57People say, "What tartan's that?"
0:36:57 > 0:37:00And I'll go, "Oh, that's that." And if I'm abroad or here
0:37:00 > 0:37:03or there, I can say, "Oh, that's the Campbell or that's the Mackay
0:37:03 > 0:37:07"or you're from the Ferguson clan" or whatever it might be, you know?
0:37:07 > 0:37:10So people look at me and say, "Wow, how do you know that?"
0:37:10 > 0:37:14And I'm like, "I have been working in the Scottish tourism
0:37:14 > 0:37:18"and tartan industry since I was 13-year-old, you know,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20"so it just comes natural now."
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Bana's customers come from all over the world.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26He needs to cater to all their different national tastes.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Basically when an English person comes in our shop,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32the only thing they're going to buy is shortbread cos
0:37:32 > 0:37:36they don't want anything that says Scotland all written on it, mostly.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38This is one of our capes
0:37:38 > 0:37:40and this is a new size that we've actually created and that's
0:37:40 > 0:37:44just for the Chinese customers that are a little bit shorter.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48But the shop's main attraction are its hundreds of different tartans.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Visitors are fascinated by tartan's family associations,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56so Bana and his family have designed their own.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00A lot of Scottish people who haven't got a clan can actually wear it
0:38:00 > 0:38:01and still be a part of Scotland.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Just like us, really.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05That's what... It kind of came...
0:38:05 > 0:38:09We never had our own tartan, because obviously we're Sikh.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11And then we thought, "Right, let's make our own tartan
0:38:11 > 0:38:15"and it can be a part of us, and we've done something for Scotland."
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Scotland's ethnic minority population
0:38:20 > 0:38:23has been growing since the 1960s.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24But, in previous eras,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27far more people were leaving Scotland than arriving.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Beginning in the 18th century,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34millions of Scots left for all corners of the British Empire,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36attracted by the promise of adventure,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38or in search of a better life.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44This process exported Scottishness all around the world.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46BAGPIPES PLAY
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Today, one of Scotland's most iconic annual events,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, reflects this Scottish diaspora.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59The Tattoo was first staged in Edinburgh in 1950.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05Since then, the live show has been seen by over 30 million people.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Originally a show for massed pipes and drums,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13today's Tattoo features acts from across the globe.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Each summer, over 75,000 foreign visitors buy tickets.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22The worldwide TV audience is 100 million.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26It's Scotland's biggest global stage.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Here, the image of Scottishness is projected to the world.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33PIPES AND DRUMS PLAY A MARCHING BEAT
0:39:33 > 0:39:36FIREWORKS CRACKLE
0:39:41 > 0:39:44In charge of this huge logistical operation
0:39:44 > 0:39:48is CEO Brigadier David Allfrey.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50We've never turned off a show.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52It doesn't matter what the weather does, we crack on,
0:39:52 > 0:39:54and the cast are extraordinary.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56If the weather is a bit...sporting,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58they just soak it up without complaint.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's very much part of the show.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02In fact, some of our overseas contributors don't wear very much,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06so it is really very cold and sometimes a little bit wet.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Rehearsals bring together performers from more than a dozen countries.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Thanks to the Scots who left in previous centuries,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26many of these visitors have strong ties to Scotland.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- We're feeling naughty... - THEY LAUGH
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Well, many of us have a Scottish heritage.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I have Scottish blood in me. I'm a Maxwell.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42My surname's Maxwell, so I come from the Maxwell clan. So...
0:40:43 > 0:40:45It's eight generations.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49My ancestor, Thomas Maxwell, who left here on a ship...
0:40:50 > 0:40:55..in the 1820s, and arrived in New Zealand in the 1820s.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58We were complaining about the long flight, 44 hours,
0:40:58 > 0:41:05so to put our journey and their journey into context, it's, um...
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Trying to imagine what they went through, going by sea -
0:41:09 > 0:41:15there was no GPS or anything like that at that time, but it's...
0:41:15 > 0:41:18really, really, um...
0:41:18 > 0:41:21exciting and a very happy time for me
0:41:21 > 0:41:26and lots of our other members that have that Scottish ancestry.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29When the...
0:41:29 > 0:41:34the Scottish traders married into our Maori race
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and populated New Zealand.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44So the Tattoo has gone global.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48But to say it represents modern, multiethnic Scotland
0:41:48 > 0:41:50would be a stretch.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Its core appeal is still the massed pipes and drums
0:41:53 > 0:41:54of the Highland Regiments.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58This image of Scotland, as a land of kilted warriors,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02is something that global storytellers and audiences
0:42:02 > 0:42:03can't seem to resist.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10The archetype, from Braveheart to Pixar's heroine in Brave,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12just won't go away.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Probably because it's worth big bucks.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22Today, a new screen version of Scotland's romantic Jacobite era
0:42:22 > 0:42:25is being produced for the world market.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29OK, nice and quiet the floor, guys. Still everywhere.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31This multimillion dollar Hollywood production
0:42:31 > 0:42:34is based in a brand-new film studio
0:42:34 > 0:42:36in a disused electronics factory in Cumbernauld.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42So this is our prop department.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46And this is equally the size of any studio prop house
0:42:46 > 0:42:47in the United States.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50This is A Stage, this is our largest sound stage.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52It has that highest ceiling,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54we've brought in soundproofing for the entire thing.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58We've added the entire grid system and put in electrical.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Soundproof walls - did these big airlock double doors.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Ronald D Moore is one of America's
0:43:06 > 0:43:08most successful television producers.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10He is the man behind the acclaimed reboot
0:43:10 > 0:43:13of the sci-fi show Battlestar Galactica.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Looking for his next hit,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18he has turned to a Scottish historical drama
0:43:18 > 0:43:20about a time-travelling nurse
0:43:20 > 0:43:23who finds herself in the 18th-century Highlands.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28He's confident that this image of Scotland still sells.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30With a budget of £50 million,
0:43:30 > 0:43:35Outlander is the most expensive production ever filmed here.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Here we go.- Still!
0:43:37 > 0:43:40It's expected to be seen by a huge worldwide audience.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Shooting in Scotland itself was a key part of the process.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49We never seriously scouted any other country other than Scotland
0:43:49 > 0:43:52so, right from the beginning, we said,
0:43:52 > 0:43:54"It is about this place, we should try to take advantage of it,"
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and we knew that a lot of Scotland had not been shot -
0:43:57 > 0:43:59if ever, or at least in many years.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01So we'd have a lot of interesting backgrounds and landscapes
0:44:01 > 0:44:03that the audience wasn't used to seeing.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05And I like the weather, personally.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07I live in Los Angeles, and LA is a desert -
0:44:07 > 0:44:10you're not supposed to live there, in my opinion, and it's too hot.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14And you come here and it's actually kind of pleasant and it rains
0:44:14 > 0:44:16and it's moist and it's not dry heat, you know?
0:44:16 > 0:44:19So I enjoy the people and the weather the most.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25In pursuit of authenticity, Outlander's largely Scottish crew
0:44:25 > 0:44:29were challenged to shoot in some extreme conditions.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32One of our directors, who is from Hollywood,
0:44:32 > 0:44:34has commented that some of the locations
0:44:34 > 0:44:37and some of the scenes that we've shot that Hollywood crews
0:44:37 > 0:44:40wouldn't have managed it and she was astounded that we'd made it through
0:44:40 > 0:44:43some of the rain and the mud and the bad weather
0:44:43 > 0:44:45and the tough conditions.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47So, apart from toughness aside,
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Scotland does have a lot of talent here
0:44:51 > 0:44:55and this show definitely goes to prove that Scotland can
0:44:55 > 0:44:59work at the highest levels within the film and television business.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02We were aware of all the Scottish pieces from Brigadoon to
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Braveheart and Rob Roy and there's a great romance,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09almost mysticism, to Scotland in the popular imagination,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12at least in the States, and we wanted to cut against that.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14We wanted to make this piece more real,
0:45:14 > 0:45:16give it a sense of authenticity
0:45:16 > 0:45:19so that the audience believe that they are really on this
0:45:19 > 0:45:20journey with Claire,
0:45:20 > 0:45:23that when she travelled back in time that they were going to a real
0:45:23 > 0:45:27place, so we kind of deliberately set out to sort of not do a lot of things
0:45:27 > 0:45:30that other productions have done when they've tried to portray Scotland.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32I believe that you have secrets...
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Since it started airing in the States, this series has been
0:45:35 > 0:45:39inspiring viewers to write in with enquiries about Scotland.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Visit Scotland has started organising tours of the locations.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51One aspect above all seems to have sparked the audience's imagination.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Some of the dialogue is in Gaelic without subtitles.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Gaelic consultant Adhamh O Broin has been teaching the cast how to
0:46:00 > 0:46:03speak an historically accurate version of the language.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05HE SPEAKS GAELIC
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Good. You've got that dead vowel again.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Foghlam. Foghlam.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14There's a sort of huge burst of worldwide interest
0:46:14 > 0:46:17in the language and culture extending past the whisky
0:46:17 > 0:46:21and the bagpipes and extending much closer to the heart of where
0:46:21 > 0:46:23this culture comes from.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27Even though it is a work of fiction for the screen, the producers take
0:46:27 > 0:46:30the idea of authenticity with the Scottish culture extremely
0:46:30 > 0:46:33seriously and that when people get interested in it,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35they should get interested in something that they can visit
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Scotland and then touch that living vein, you know,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43with the soul of Scotland running through it rather than just buying
0:46:43 > 0:46:48a bunch of stuff, sticking it in a bag and jumping on the plane home.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52You know, they can take a real piece of Scotland home in their hearts
0:46:52 > 0:46:55now because they've known what to look for when they came here.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Giving visitors a sense of the reality behind Scotland's romantic
0:47:05 > 0:47:09image is something that tour guide Mike also feels passionate about.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15His tour has arrived at Eilean Donan Castle on Lochalsh.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Of all Scotland's thousands of castles,
0:47:19 > 0:47:23this is perhaps the most iconic and most photographed.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28It is quite important on our tours because it's such an iconic castle.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30People have seen it,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32travelled far around the world, seen it on postcards and things.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35They may not know it's called Eilean Donan but a lot of people
0:47:35 > 0:47:37when they see this for the first time, they go,
0:47:37 > 0:47:42"Oh, I've seen that in postcards in Edinburgh" or wherever they are.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Eilean Donan has become the definitive Highland stronghold.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48But this castle isn't all it seems.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51The original medieval fortress on the site
0:47:51 > 0:47:54was almost completely destroyed in 1719
0:47:54 > 0:47:56and was later rebuilt in the 20th century.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00A lot of people argue that it's quite fake
0:48:00 > 0:48:04but I'd just argue it's a restored castle rather than a fake castle.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Mike tries to explain to all his passengers that the true story
0:48:09 > 0:48:13of Scotland is more complex than the legend and more interesting.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19I suppose it is important that the real history of places is
0:48:19 > 0:48:23conveyed to people as well and that this is a place that things
0:48:23 > 0:48:26happened and I think they get a lot more out of that.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29It's the stories that we tell
0:48:29 > 0:48:33and adding something more mystical into the landscape or making
0:48:33 > 0:48:35it matter more, I think,
0:48:35 > 0:48:40that can make someone like Scotland a lot or love it.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43It can make that difference.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Scotland's landscape can sometimes seem like a theme park
0:48:46 > 0:48:49but understanding that real people live
0:48:49 > 0:48:53and work here gives these visitors a richer sense of the country.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59As they finally approach the Isle of Skye, Mike takes time to
0:48:59 > 0:49:04relate a local tale of a battle for freedom from the more recent past.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09It's been a few years since the tolls have been taken off
0:49:09 > 0:49:14but it was about £25 one-way and it was just so expensive,
0:49:14 > 0:49:18the bridge, that people would pay in 1p pieces
0:49:18 > 0:49:22and people have criminal records for refusing to pay the tolls
0:49:22 > 0:49:26and it was the Scottish government that ended up buying the bridge
0:49:26 > 0:49:30and freeing it of tolls so it's just like all other roads
0:49:30 > 0:49:31and bridges in Scotland.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36The Skye Bridge is now free which still pleases me to this very day.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43And now the exciting bit.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Are you ready? Here we go.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48We're going to land on the Isle of Skye.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51So, guys, welcome to the Isle of Skye.
0:49:51 > 0:49:52APPLAUSE
0:49:52 > 0:49:54Whoo-hoo!
0:49:54 > 0:49:59Nah. That wasn't too enthusiastic. Let's do a really enthusiastic one.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Welcome to the Isle of Skye!
0:50:01 > 0:50:03CHEERING
0:50:04 > 0:50:09The village of Kyleakin will be their resting place for the night.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12They've driven 270 miles today and taken in the Forth Bridge,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Loch Ness, and Scotland's most famous castle.
0:50:17 > 0:50:22I'll see you in the pub. If not, 9:00 here. Yeah, fantastic, good stuff.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28There's time for one more hit of Scotland before bed -
0:50:28 > 0:50:33the local pub and their encounter with the national dish.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35- How is the haggis?- Yes, I like it.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45He think it's better than that food.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Do you know what's in it?
0:50:49 > 0:50:52- LAUGHTER - No.
0:50:52 > 0:50:53What's in it?
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Yeah. What's in it? Tell us.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00The intestines of a sheep.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Oh. It's OK.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08The pub's owner, Willie Park,
0:51:08 > 0:51:13and many local people here rely on these visitors for their livelihood.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Tourism is hugely important.
0:51:17 > 0:51:22Lots of businesses would not be here if it wasn't for tourism.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28But this meeting of people from all over the world, here
0:51:28 > 0:51:33in a small corner of the Highlands, is about more than just money.
0:51:33 > 0:51:40They enhance the experience for the staff and the local people.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44It's part of the social fabric of this village, actually.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48People all around the world would almost give their hind teeth
0:51:48 > 0:51:52to have a culture or a national dress like Scotland has.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56It's recognised throughout the world and I think we should embrace that,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
0:51:59 > 0:52:05I do understand the shortbread tin image of Scotland is something
0:52:05 > 0:52:08that's maybe not something we should be pushing all the way
0:52:08 > 0:52:13but it's certainly part of us and we shouldn't shy away from it, I think.
0:52:14 > 0:52:15No!
0:52:15 > 0:52:19For Mike's tourists too, immersing themselves in Scotland,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23even for one day, has given the romantic image of the country depth.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28You think of the kilts and the bagpipes, the stereotypical
0:52:28 > 0:52:33and the Braveheart, but I didn't know anything about true Scotland.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37When I got here, I just instantly fell in love with the country
0:52:37 > 0:52:43because the people are just so nice, they're very proud
0:52:43 > 0:52:46and they should be, should be very proud of everything here.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49I think it's vitally important that when they arrive here,
0:52:49 > 0:52:54we don't just give them the Disneyworld image of Scotland,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57we give them a bit more and we realise this is a working, living
0:52:57 > 0:53:00place that means so much to the people who are here
0:53:00 > 0:53:06in the modern day, not just from whatever's happened in the past.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10So Scotland still has one of the most seductive brands
0:53:10 > 0:53:11of any country in the world.
0:53:11 > 0:53:16It's founded on the romance of the Scottish landscape and history.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21But it also plays a key role in the modern 21st century nation
0:53:21 > 0:53:24because Brand Scotland is the foundation of hi-tech industries
0:53:24 > 0:53:26and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30And tonight, in Edinburgh,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34the brand is about to get another massive global boost.
0:53:34 > 0:53:35Up at the castle esplanade,
0:53:35 > 0:53:39the Tattoo is swinging into action for another evening.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42But tonight's performance is no ordinary event.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48It is being filmed for a huge worldwide TV audience.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Producer, Brigadier David Allfrey
0:53:53 > 0:53:57rallies the troops for what promises to be a blustery show.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58We need to hang on to our bits tonight.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00I think it's going to be a bit draughty.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03'Who's here from Australia tonight?'
0:54:03 > 0:54:07- CHEERING - 'Ah, good on you. Welcome to you!'
0:54:07 > 0:54:09The audience seems undaunted by the weather.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11It's a sell-out crowd.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15The performers have been braving wind and rain all week,
0:54:15 > 0:54:16but the show must go on.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20- Are you all dried out after yesterday?- Just about.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Because that was damn wet, wasn't it?
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Well done, everybody.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28The brigadier has never allowed bad weather to cancel a performance.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31He's not about to start tonight.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33So, ready for a bit of a blowy night?
0:54:33 > 0:54:34- Yes, sir.- Yeah? It is going to be.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37We want to be hanging on to kilts and plaids and everything else.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Otherwise the audience will get a little more than they bargained for.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42Well done. Well done, everybody.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45PIPE BAND PLAYING
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Each show has a live audience of almost 9,000 people.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Many will have travelled thousands of miles to be here.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57The dancers, drummers and pipers
0:54:57 > 0:55:00are ready to give them a Scottish spectacle they'll never forget.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03You, presumably, are all going to be wonderful again?
0:55:03 > 0:55:07- Are you going to be all right in wind in this?- It's cold tonight.- It is.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Please take care, particularly between shows.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- Are you all right with the "a pointe" at the beginning?- Yeah, we're good.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13Brilliant. Really.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22Isn't it the way? Always late.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26Up in the control room, Brigadier Allfrey monitors the images
0:55:26 > 0:55:29that are being filmed and beamed across the world.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31We're at the moment talking to Doordarshan,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33the Indian state broadcaster,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37who has an audience of 500 million, so...
0:55:37 > 0:55:42if those combine with channels that are in China, we are chasing -
0:55:42 > 0:55:46and I hope this doesn't feel or sound arrogant -
0:55:46 > 0:55:49we are chasing a one billion television audience.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52Which is very important to us. And this is all part of that story.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57With a potential TV audience of a billion people,
0:55:57 > 0:56:01the show needs to defy the elements and go off with a bang.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Once the massed pipes and drums swing into action,
0:56:15 > 0:56:18the Scottish weather doesn't stand a chance.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21APPLAUSE
0:56:24 > 0:56:28This is Scotland being projected onto a massive global stage.
0:56:32 > 0:56:37And the audience during this...will spontaneously clap,
0:56:37 > 0:56:39not just at the end.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42They're clapping now, because this is so good.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45DISTANT APPLAUSE Look at that. Almost on cue.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- WOMAN:- This won't be the last Tattoo, will it?- This one?
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Absolutely not. 65 years, ready for another 65.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02And when you see stuff like this, this is just phenomenal.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07HE HUMS ALONG
0:57:07 > 0:57:10And then there's a thistle to end.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12You know, iconically Scottish.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Da-DUM. And ends on the beat. Lovely.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17APPLAUSE Just very, very good.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22With its modern mix of nationalities,
0:57:22 > 0:57:26the Tattoo reflects the impact Scotland has made on the world,
0:57:26 > 0:57:28and the world's influence on Scotland.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34But at heart, it remains a classic Scottish spectacle.
0:57:34 > 0:57:39Its worldwide TV appeal proves that Scotland's romantic global image,
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Brand Scotland, is as strong as ever.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Maybe some of those far-flung television viewers
0:57:46 > 0:57:48will decide to visit for themselves.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54Next time, how is the face of Scotland changing?
0:57:54 > 0:57:56We do see ourselves as Asian Scots.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59And I think that the lines between cultures
0:57:59 > 0:58:02become a little bit less distinguished.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05Which is really nice.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07How do we live in the 21st century?
0:58:07 > 0:58:09CHEERING
0:58:09 > 0:58:14I'm just thrilled that I've got the health to be able to do this.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17And who are the people that call themselves Scots?
0:58:19 > 0:58:22- Welcome to Scotland. - Welcome to the world!
0:58:22 > 0:58:23Welcome to the world.