0:00:02 > 0:00:04Scotland is changing and growing.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07More than five million people now live and work here...
0:00:08 > 0:00:12..from the big cities to the Highlands and Islands.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15You think it's just a quiet backwater where practically nothing goes on,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17but it's not. People work very, very hard to make a living.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19It's not easy to make a living out here.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Life in the wilderness is being transformed by technology.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Far-flung communities are becoming better connected.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I've no idea how to fly this thing, but I've got an app!
0:00:30 > 0:00:31LAUGHTER
0:00:31 > 0:00:33And across Scotland,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36people are finding new ways to create their ideal home.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'm the only one that lives in a boat in my class.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So how does modern Scotland work?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47How does Scotland's infrastructure keep the country moving?
0:00:48 > 0:00:52How are Scotland's remotest communities facing the future,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56and how is home life in Scotland changing in the 21st century?
0:00:56 > 0:01:00This series goes to the heart of contemporary Scottish life
0:01:00 > 0:01:03to reveal how Scotland works.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Scotland is home to almost two and a half million households,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16an increase of 7% in the last decade.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19They all need somewhere to live.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25During the 20th Century, housing in Scotland experienced a revolution.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28People moved from the country to the city,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30tenements gave way to tower blocks,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and new towns sprang up across the central belt.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38But in 21st century Scotland,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41finding a home can still be a challenge.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So how are today's Scots tackling this problem?
0:01:44 > 0:01:48How are Scotland's most traditional kinds of properties
0:01:48 > 0:01:50being repurposed for the modern world?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54What goes into creating the ideal home of today?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This is Scotland at home.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18This is the stairs, which is our fire escape.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24This is basically a chute for your rubbish.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27'Lift going down.'
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There's 542 stairs if you're walking them.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Betty has been living in this flat on the top floor of a block
0:02:36 > 0:02:40in Aberdeen city centre since it was first built in 1978.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I would have been 38th here, and I came in, straight from new.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51And the reason I came is because I used to bide across the road,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and I like inner city living.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59This was actually slum clearance.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Like, it was tenement flats,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and then they cleared them and put the multies up.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Aberdeen has one of the highest concentrations
0:03:11 > 0:03:13of tower blocks in Scotland.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Most were built during the 1960s and '70s
0:03:16 > 0:03:19as a radical solution to the city's housing problems.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Most of the folk that I ken lived in the area,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and they wanted to come into the multi
0:03:28 > 0:03:30because it still gave them their inner city living.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33INTERVIEWER: And they were brand-new, brand spanking new.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34Brand spanking new.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37You'd to leave them for six months to see if they cracked or anything
0:03:37 > 0:03:40before you could even put wallpaper on your walls!
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Tower blocks like this one often get a bad press in Scotland.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47But Betty wouldn't live anywhere else.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53On a nice day, you've got all these clear views right across the city.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57You can see right up the coast,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and then this way takes you to the south.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Aberdeen's tower blocks
0:04:05 > 0:04:08are currently being refurbished by the council,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and becoming more sought-after than they have been in years.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16But the city, like much of Scotland, is still facing a housing shortage.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22Today, Aberdeen is one of the fastest-growing cities in Scotland.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's now home to over 228,000 people,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and the population is projected to grow by more than 25%
0:04:29 > 0:04:31over the next 20 years.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35All those people are going to need somewhere to live.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37So down the road,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41an ambitious plan is taking shape that could point to a solution.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47It harks back to an earlier housing innovation -
0:04:47 > 0:04:48the new town.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51In the '60s and '70s,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55new towns began to spring up across Scotland's central belt.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Livingston, East Kilbride, Cumbernauld -
0:04:57 > 0:05:00these were to be the communities of the future.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Since they were built,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Scotland's original new towns have had a mixed reputation.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16But today, ten miles south of Aberdeen,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19a new town for the 21st century is being born.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22It's called Chapelton,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24and it's largely the vision of one man -
0:05:24 > 0:05:26the landowner, the Duke of Fife.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30We actually have planning permission for 4,000 houses,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33but that's really only half the total, that's half the area.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37So ultimately we're looking at a masterplan of some 8,000 houses,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and I think that will take 40 years at least to build.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Chapelton is a development with a difference.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Many new housing estates in Scotland are built as add-ons
0:05:50 > 0:05:52to existing towns and cities.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55But Chapelton is an attempt
0:05:55 > 0:05:57to build a completely new community from scratch.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It has been modelled on traditional Scottish towns
0:06:02 > 0:06:04like Montrose and St Andrews.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07If it succeeds,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10this will be one of the first new towns of its kind in Scotland.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16In terms of the overall vision for Chapelton,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18it's actually very simple.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21We simply want to design a place that people feel happy living in.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23It really is as simple as that.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Each of these neighbourhoods will have a small centre,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28which will provide a limited range of services,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32but it may be the home to the primary school as well,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36and by creating that little hub there, people will walk up to it,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and in walking up to it, they'll bump into their neighbours,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41they'll talk to their neighbours, and that's part of forming a community.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43So what we're trying to achieve here
0:06:43 > 0:06:46is urban design that allows people to walk around,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49feel really comfortable in doing that, and the car moves through -
0:06:49 > 0:06:52you have to have cars - it's very important people can get their cars
0:06:52 > 0:06:55to where they work or where they want to shop or where they live.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It's very important that can happen but in a way that doesn't dominate.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02In one of the first streets to be completed,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Alistair Struthers and his family
0:07:04 > 0:07:07are getting ready to move into their new home.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13Through here - albeit it's a bit of a work in progress - is the kitchen.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14So we've got a dining space,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and we've got the kitchen at the other end,
0:07:16 > 0:07:18which is covered in boxes, dust, dirt,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and all the other things that come with construction.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24This is going to be our lounge.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26So this is where my wife and my...
0:07:26 > 0:07:28We've got a wee 11-week-old boy,
0:07:28 > 0:07:29so this is where he's going to grow up.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35We're going to be here probably for the next 40-odd years.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40I love the idea that this town can become
0:07:40 > 0:07:44whatever the people that are living in it want to make of it.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47It's a really exciting concept.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I've never been involved in it, and I know nobody else here has ever
0:07:49 > 0:07:54been involved in creating a whole new town, basically by ourselves.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58CHILDREN LAUGH
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Down the road, another family has already moved in.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Boomie and Hope Laqcoulia are originally from Nigeria.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09They came to Scotland 18 years ago and settled in Aberdeen.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But with a growing family, they needed more space.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And so when they heard about the plans for Chapelton,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20they decided to take a leap of faith and move here.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It met more than what we wanted. Yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It's, like, more than our expectation.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29It's lovely.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Lovely view.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32And for the first few weeks,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35it felt like we were staying in a holiday home or something like that!
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Yeah. Felt like we were in a hotel. Yeah!
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Most houses in Nigeria, you paint your houses yourself,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44whatever colours you want it to be, so they're quite colourful.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46So having different colours here, you're kind of like,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49"Oh, yeah, this is good." SHE LAUGHS
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Rather than everything looking all the same, you know,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54so all the houses are different.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56We stayed in Aberdeen...
0:08:56 > 0:08:57ten years in the same place,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59but we only really connected to one neighbour.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Yeah.
0:09:00 > 0:09:06Here, we've already connected to pretty much everybody you can see. SHE LAUGHS
0:09:11 > 0:09:12When it's completed,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Chapelton could have as many as seven distinct neighbourhoods.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Included in the plans are all the amenities
0:09:19 > 0:09:22that people in any other Scottish town would take for granted -
0:09:22 > 0:09:24shops, schools and office space.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And with so many young families moving in,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30one service is a top priority -
0:09:30 > 0:09:31the nursery.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35This is going to be our baby unit,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38which you can see is really nice and bright and light,
0:09:38 > 0:09:39and lots of low windows,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42so that the children can see outside onto the square,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and so that local people as they pass can see the children.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47It's great for the children and the local community
0:09:47 > 0:09:51to have that contact and be able to wave and see each other.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57In terms of population growth, it's been very exciting. We've already had a number of babies.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00We've had some twins, and I think certainly two other singletons.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02So it's very exciting seeing the prams going about.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08One of Chapelton's newest arrivals is baby Leone.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Her mum and dad moved here because they were drawn to the idea
0:10:12 > 0:10:14of being part of this pioneering community.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20A big part of the move to Chapelton was the feeling of community.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Already there seems to be a community vibe -
0:10:22 > 0:10:24the local coffee shop -
0:10:24 > 0:10:27you're getting to see the regulars there, and...
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Just walking down the street, everyone says hello,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and neighbours pass you by, and everyone's, you know...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37happy that everything's getting developed at the same time.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I can see the kids growing up here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Going out on their first dates...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And us walking with our walking sticks
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and our zimmer frames up the road!
0:10:46 > 0:10:48So I think we won't move again.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54The young families moving into Chapelton
0:10:54 > 0:10:58and planning to grow old there already see it as a home for life.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01But they can't know what the future will bring.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And as people get older, they're often faced with difficult choices
0:11:05 > 0:11:08about where and how they make their homes.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13For Scotland's ageing population, this is becoming a real challenge.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17By 2037, it's projected that the number of Scots
0:11:17 > 0:11:22aged over 75 will increase by 86%.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So how do we make homes for the elderly that really work?
0:11:29 > 0:11:30In modern Scotland,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33this is an issue that is inspiring some innovative solutions.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Peggy is 77.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Until a few months ago,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42she lived independently in the south of England in her home of 43 years -
0:11:42 > 0:11:45the place where she had raised her family.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But last year, Peggy's health deteriorated,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and she was struggling to cope on her own.
0:11:53 > 0:11:54On you get. Go on!
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So her son Robin persuaded her to come and live with him.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00This was a big wrench for Peggy,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03as it meant moving 600 miles north to Inverness-shire.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08When I first moved here, I was so down,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12because I'd left all my friends, all my lovely, lovely friends.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I am a very, very independent girl, and it was only out of desperation,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19because I knew I couldn't carry on the way I was.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23'At the moment, my mum is incredibly independent,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25'and she has been all her life.'
0:12:25 > 0:12:29And that's what we wanted, and she wanted -
0:12:29 > 0:12:32we'd spoken about this before - her to be independent.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36We came up with three options, and the options were really,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38she moves into a flat in Inverness,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42or she buys a house in the local village here, in Foyers,
0:12:42 > 0:12:47or we look at building something here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53In the end, Robin and Peggy agreed
0:12:53 > 0:12:56that the best option would be to build a new house for her
0:12:56 > 0:12:58on Robin's land.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00But this will be no traditional bungalow,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04which would be very expensive and time-consuming to build.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Instead, Peggy's new home will be delivered on the back of a lorry,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11ready-built and simply slotted into place.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17This factory in Ayrshire creates innovative housing
0:13:17 > 0:13:20for Scotland's rural areas.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Here, they build modular houses that can be transported
0:13:23 > 0:13:26anywhere in the country and simply assembled on site.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This is Peggy's wee house.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34The house at the moment has just been completed in its modules,
0:13:34 > 0:13:40and we're just starting to pack the house up, ready for transportation.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44This will be Peggy's front door,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and we can just head into the porch here.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This is the first and the smallest one of the modules.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59So this is us into the second module, which is the lounge,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and we've got a nice log-burning stove in here.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Step into this next module, into the kitchen,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and we've designed this kitchen specifically
0:14:09 > 0:14:12to suit Peggy's requirements.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And into the shower room here.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20We've sort of future-proofed this shower room
0:14:20 > 0:14:24particularly for Peggy, so that in the future,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28it's still going to be really easy for her to access.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It's really exciting to be moving this house today,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40because we're always building them onto customers' own plots,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42usually in quite rural areas,
0:14:42 > 0:14:47and each one comes with its own, kind of, logistical challenges.
0:14:49 > 0:14:56Once we get up to Inverness, it's quite a tight turn into the site,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59so we've created a space in the field opposite to let
0:14:59 > 0:15:04the lorries turn in and access the site to get Peggy's house in place.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Loaded up, the convoy of trucks that will deliver Peggy's house sets off.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15It's 200 miles from the factory to the building plot.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21But once they arrive, the house will only take a couple of days to assemble.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30But making a home is about more than just four walls and a roof,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34it's about finding a place to live that fits our personalities
0:15:34 > 0:15:36and our lives.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Glasgow-based interior designer, Margo Paton, has been
0:15:39 > 0:15:44helping clients to create the homes of their dreams for over 20 years.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48It's her job to get to the heart of what makes a house a home for each of them.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51People invest such a lot in their homes,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54not only financially but emotionally.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It colours how they feel about their lives, their home.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Quite often we feel like counsellors, yeah,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02because people do come and they tell you so much about their lives
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and they tell you a lot of personal stuff.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08It's all information that you use to build up a picture
0:16:08 > 0:16:12of who that person is and how they would like to live.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18One of Margo's longest-standing clients is Trish.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Trish and her family have lived in this house in Killearn for 42 years.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26She and her husband raised their three children here.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Two of them even got married here.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32And over that time, Trish has never stopped improving and perfecting her home.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I get great pleasure in doing things with the house.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I just love placing things.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I think placing an ornament or something...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45You don't plonk it down, you actually
0:16:45 > 0:16:48make some movement with it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50I don't like things in straight lines.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Something about straight lines I don't like.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56When I go into my daughters' houses,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00you know, my son-in-laws say to their wives,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03"Has your mother been in?"
0:17:03 > 0:17:05because they find that the photograph frames are all
0:17:05 > 0:17:07gathered together in little groups.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13But for Trish, home is about far more than arranging ornaments.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Its rooms and objects are alive with memories and feelings.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19This one in particular.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22My son used to call it "the good room".
0:17:22 > 0:17:24You know, I used to have to say to them,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26"You have to knock before you come in here
0:17:26 > 0:17:29"and you have to remember the password."
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But they never did, they used to barge in here.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I remember when I was growing up,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40in my mum and dad's good room, as I would...
0:17:40 > 0:17:43we were never allowed in at all.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48All these little nests of tables - I remember Mum and Dad using them
0:17:48 > 0:17:53for their martinis a lot so, yeah,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I just quite like this room because it's got so much
0:17:56 > 0:18:02I remember of my younger days and, well, my husband's younger days.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But now, Trish has come to a difficult decision -
0:18:05 > 0:18:09it's time for her and her husband to leave this house and move on.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12You know, it's a large garden here.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16I know my husband likes doing the garden,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21but for him I think it would be quite good to have a smaller garden.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23But also, driving now -
0:18:23 > 0:18:25especially night-time driving -
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I'm just fed up with driving out here.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I just think it would be nicer to be near my family.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34So Trish has enlisted Margo,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38who designed much of the interior of her house over the years,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40to help her create a new home,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42where she will feel as happy as she does there.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46It will be a close collaboration.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Well, she has ideas and I have ideas.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53I have a strong sense of style I think, and Margo realises that
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and that's why... Doesn't try to, you know,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59"You've got to do it my way."
0:18:59 > 0:19:00That's what I like about her.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05She has my say, she'll hear me out and we'll compromise.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11But one thing isn't open to negotiation -
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Trisha's precious heirlooms, which connect her to her past.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I'm taking everything, everything from...
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I'll find a room for it anyway.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25For Margo, designing a new home like this is a sensitive job
0:19:25 > 0:19:28They've lived in that house for so long.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31They have so much emotional investment in that home
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and, you know, they close the door and they leave that behind,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and it's about trying to recreate that for them in a new home
0:19:39 > 0:19:42with a new environment, a new neighbourhood -
0:19:42 > 0:19:45just a completely different feel.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49So when they walk through the door of that home they think, "Yeah, I'm home."
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Hi. Hello.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Today, Margo is meeting Trish to discuss how some of her
0:19:53 > 0:19:56most valued pieces will fit into her new house.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59So what we'll do is we'll accommodate as much as possible of
0:19:59 > 0:20:02your really precious stuff in the drawing room.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And it's just a different configuration of rooms,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08so you can have all those lovely pieces that you've treasured for all those years...
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Because you change your house, you don't want to put everything back
0:20:11 > 0:20:14in a similar... No, you don't. No. ..format.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Your homes are always family homes, aren't they?
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Yeah. I'll be very sad, I think.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Emotional when the time comes to actually pack up and leave,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I'm sure my husband will feel the same.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Well, I presume my husband's coming with me but...
0:20:32 > 0:20:34I'm sure he will but...
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Yeah, I'm being positive about it.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I really think it's another...
0:20:41 > 0:20:45..another thing in my life that I'm going to enjoy.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It's a new phase, isn't it? A new phase. A new decade.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Whatever you like to call it. Exactly.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And my youngest granddaughter - she's now four -
0:20:54 > 0:20:56came running up to me and said,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59"Grandma, we're 59 steps away from you."
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Trish is lucky to have found her perfect house
0:21:04 > 0:21:07just down the road from her children and grandchildren.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11For many Scots, especially younger families,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14finding somewhere to live is a real challenge.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19New homes are being built in Scotland.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The latest figures show that construction began
0:21:21 > 0:21:24on more than 15,000 new houses last year.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The question is - will this be enough to keep up with demand
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and will they be affordable?
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Frustrated by the difficulties of getting on the housing ladder,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42some Scots are choosing to bypass the market altogether
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and make their homes on the water.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47It's a different way of life.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I see all the seasons.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59And get to know all the local people that are walking by with their dogs
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and the different variety of people that live on the canal.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Scotland has 137 miles of canals,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and today it's estimated that over 100 people
0:22:12 > 0:22:14make their homes on these waterways.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18That might not sound like much, but the numbers are rising
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and there are now 13 sites across Scotland
0:22:20 > 0:22:23where people can permanently moor their houseboats.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Retired printer, Davie Brown and his dog, Brody,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31have been living on their boat, The Methil, for the past 10 years.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34He's certainly getting himself all spruced up.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Davie was bitten by the bug while volunteering on a local charity barge,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and he's never looked back.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46He's currently moored on the Forth And Clyde Canal at Auchinstarry,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48just to the northeast of Glasgow.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52But should he fancy a change of scene,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55he can simply sail away, taking his home with him.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's refreshing. Certainly the cobwebs don't grow on you.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04There's always something happening round about me.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08It's either swans or even people walking by.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Permission to come aboard?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Permission to come aboard?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14'This is the stern of the boat,'
0:23:14 > 0:23:17which is basically the mark of a sleeping area.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20This is my bed and that's his bed.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Is that good?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Every window's a picture as you go along.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41What a place to go. This is heaven.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Heaven.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49A bit chilly this morning, eh?
0:23:49 > 0:23:51A wee bit of a nip in the air.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57They're all nice houses but
0:23:57 > 0:24:01they're still four walls and nothing moves.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06All you do, you either look at pictures or you look at a television
0:24:06 > 0:24:11but on this thing I've got... the world's moving round about you.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Hold on, I'm going to have to press a horn here for this fisherman.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So are you ready? I'm going to peep.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25There's the bridge in front of me now.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It's a nice day.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Even on a cold day, get out here on a crisp morning
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and you feel the ice breaking underneath the bow of the boat
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and you hear that tish, tish, tish, smack.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41Then you get a bow wave and you can see that, if it's frozen completely,
0:24:41 > 0:24:46you see the ice just rising up and down and then you get the crack.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It's just something you can never do with a house.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Obviously, my health, you know, I'm not getting any younger,
0:24:59 > 0:25:04but until the day that I can't lift my legs up on to that bow,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I'll be on a boat.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10It's not just retired people like Davie
0:25:10 > 0:25:13who find canal living irresistible.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15For some young families in search of a home,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18living on the water is a surprisingly practical solution.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Although it can still be hard work.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25I think we just thought...
0:25:28 > 0:25:30..we'd just be, kind of, boating
0:25:30 > 0:25:35and hanging out on a boat and having fun.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I don't think we really had any clue how much work it would be.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I don't know whether we would have bought this particular boat
0:25:43 > 0:25:45if we...quite understood.
0:25:47 > 0:25:4911 years ago, Kirsty and Mark
0:25:49 > 0:25:51swapped solid ground for a floating home.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Since then, they've had two children
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and the family now lives on this 100-year-old Dutch barge.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05One night, I think we were struggling, newly married,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09trying to get on the housing ladder, all the rest of it...
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Living in a flat in Glasgow. And came up with this crazy plan
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and nobody really talked...
0:26:14 > 0:26:16us out of it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And we came here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22We just loved the surrounding area and all the bike paths
0:26:22 > 0:26:26and the canoe club and the climbing and the walks...
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and everything...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31We just thought that there was so much to do here for kids, that we
0:26:31 > 0:26:33thought it would be a great place to have a family.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39And for the kids, Ethan and Orla, who have never known anything else,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42having a boat for a home seems perfectly natural.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I think I like it here better than a house.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48INTERVIEWER: What do you think it is that's...
0:26:50 > 0:26:52..better here than a house?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Well, you get to move about and...
0:26:56 > 0:26:58..you don't really get to do that in a house.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Everyone in my class lives in a house.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I'm the only one that lives in a boat in my class.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16The amazing outside space that we have, for me,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20totally outweighs the disadvantages of having little inside space.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I just think, as long as they're together, you can kind of trust them
0:27:23 > 0:27:27to go out and play and they've got such a huge area to play in.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31And there's generally people about and neighbours who are out
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and about - because it's kind of an outdoor life -
0:27:34 > 0:27:37that there's always someone around to look out for them.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I think they do have more independence than
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I would probably allow them if they lived in a street.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50INTERVIEWER: Would you ever yearn for four walls and
0:27:50 > 0:27:52the central heating and double glazing?
0:27:52 > 0:27:54I don't think I could do that now.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59I think...I would have to get my land legs again.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01SHE CHUCKLES
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I know it sounds weird, but I think I would feel claustrophobic in a house
0:28:05 > 0:28:08because it would take some getting used to,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11just being rooted in one place.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14For me, our home is within the boat but it's also all of this.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And I think I would feel quite contained
0:28:17 > 0:28:20if I had a house with a little garden.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24I don't think...I would last long.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28And when I'm older, if I can afford it,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30I would like to have a canal boat.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35What kind would you like?
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Same kind as this one.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Canal living might work for these Scots, but it's not for everyone.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50And back on dry land, property and the ground it's built on,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52is getting more expensive all the time.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56In the past decade, house prices in Scotland have increased by 35%
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and they're projected to keep rising.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04The average price of a Scottish house is now ?170,000.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08And if you want to build your own house, as people in other
0:29:08 > 0:29:11European countries often do,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14the price of land is even more prohibitive.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17This is just as true for Scotland's rural areas
0:29:17 > 0:29:19as it is for towns and cities.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24Here, most land has historically been owned by relatively few people
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and building plots for new homes are still in short supply.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Across the Highlands and Islands, the lack of housing is
0:29:31 > 0:29:35forcing some locals into a more modest type of accommodation.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38One that can have its own advantages.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42I have a very, very, very tiny council tax.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46The biggest thing's, possibly... in the winter is the gas...
0:29:46 > 0:29:49you go through just keeping the place warm.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53I have a generator for electricity that I charge
0:29:53 > 0:29:55batteries in the caravan.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58The winter is maybe more expensive
0:29:58 > 0:30:01but in the summer it costs you virtually nothing.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Ian has been living in this caravan on the Isle of Mull
0:30:04 > 0:30:06for the past year.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10High rents on the island and a lack of availability in the area
0:30:10 > 0:30:13meant that this was the best option for him.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16And he found that it actually suited him pretty well.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25I'm out working most days all day, so it's really a place to sleep
0:30:25 > 0:30:29and rest, and just relax
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and be warm and dry.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34It fills all those needs, really.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39I don't have lots of hot water for things like showers...
0:30:40 > 0:30:44..but I have means for dealing with that.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I can go to Tobermory for a shower and things like that.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49I don't have television but I can read.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53I can play music. I can...
0:30:53 > 0:30:54It, it...
0:30:54 > 0:30:57It's a dry, warm place, roof over the head
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and that's everything really.
0:30:59 > 0:31:00It's all you need.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02HE CHUCKLES
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Ian's housing situation is by no means unique
0:31:04 > 0:31:05in this part of Scotland.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08It is a big problem.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Even for people coming to work here, it's always a problem getting
0:31:11 > 0:31:13somewhere to live.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18And rental accommodation is not that cheap either.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20It's an ageing population...
0:31:20 > 0:31:23but there's no houses available for young people
0:31:23 > 0:31:27to live and the community's in danger of dying.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32But for Ian, there's an obvious solution - freeing up more
0:31:32 > 0:31:34private land for house building.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37If necessary, by compelling owners to sell.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40I'm very radical about it, I have to say.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45I think major, major land reform is needed in this country.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49It makes me very angry the way some of the land is treated.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51I know estates that are running really well
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and do a lot for local people.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58But the ones that aren't, I don't think there should be any sympathy
0:31:58 > 0:32:00with them...
0:32:00 > 0:32:03I have no sympathy for them at all, basically.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05There's land not getting used the way it should get used.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Why can't some of this land be used for young people to come back to the
0:32:09 > 0:32:12land and get the chance to build something and create something?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Create businesses and...
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Erm...
0:32:17 > 0:32:20So I want to see more land brought into the hands of the people
0:32:20 > 0:32:21big time.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24Change is coming.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Since 2003, when the first Scottish Land Reform Bill was
0:32:28 > 0:32:30passed by Parliament,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32communities have had the right to buy land
0:32:32 > 0:32:34under certain circumstances.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Since then, 500,000 acres have passed into community ownership
0:32:38 > 0:32:40across the country.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Here on Mull, Ian is set to benefit from one such scheme.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48There's been nine crofts set up through the community
0:32:48 > 0:32:53and that in itself is potential for nine people to have homes.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Ultimately, this community land buy-out will give Ian
0:32:59 > 0:33:01the chance to build a permanent house
0:33:01 > 0:33:05and develop his own croft in this corner of Mull he calls home.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11Four hectares altogether, which is around about ten acres.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14It goes into the trees there where there would be
0:33:14 > 0:33:17the potential... The hope to build
0:33:17 > 0:33:21a house - or somewhere to live in there.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25In many ways it's been a dream of mine to see
0:33:25 > 0:33:27people back on the land
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and just community and crofting.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32It's maybe a far-fetched dream
0:33:32 > 0:33:35but if anything it's the only way
0:33:35 > 0:33:37that's going to get people back
0:33:37 > 0:33:41because buying houses and plots of land
0:33:41 > 0:33:43are just unreachable for young people
0:33:43 > 0:33:46the way the economy's going.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Some form of land tenure with security
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and the potential to build a home and make a life
0:33:54 > 0:33:59and make something off the land where they're just producing
0:33:59 > 0:34:03their own meat and vegetables - and living off the land more.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09It would be a wonderful thing for the future.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13It's a step-by-step process. It's a long-term project, definitely.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15HE CHUCKLES
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Ian's new home will be a modern version of that traditional
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Scottish house - the crofter's cottage.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28But it will be more than just a roof over his head.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31He'll be resettling this remote corner of Scotland
0:34:31 > 0:34:33and bringing life back into it.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37He'll grow vegetables and raise animals on the land,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40much as previous generations did.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44So his connection to this place, and to its past, runs deep.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55In Inverness-shire, Peggy has been trying to put down new roots
0:34:55 > 0:34:59after moving from the south of England to be near her son, Robin.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03So now, Peggy is getting a brand-new house of her own,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05delivered on the back of a lorry.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Today it will be assembled on-site,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11assuming they can squeeze it down the track.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13This one here, it's going to certainly be different
0:35:13 > 0:35:16going up that road because the road's not very wide as it is
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and there's a foot over either side,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21so hopefully there's no damage on any of the hedges or bushes.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24INTERVIEWER: So it's a bit of a precarious job, then?
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Aye, this one here's a bit more ropey, aye!
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Maybe have to do a wee bit of tree surgery.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31HE CHUCKLES
0:35:31 > 0:35:34The fact that this house has been pre-built in the factory
0:35:34 > 0:35:38makes it extremely quick and cost-effective to put together.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41When all five sections are assembled, Peggy will have
0:35:41 > 0:35:46her own two-bedroom home, carefully configured to suit her needs.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48The way the house is designed is that if her mobility
0:35:48 > 0:35:53and things start going downhill, she can still stay in it.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Low-access showers, ramps up to the doors and everything.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01So if her care needs increase in the future, the building will be there
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and it's designed to allow us to provide that as well.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09So what do you think? It's all coming on nicely.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Have you been peeking out the window?
0:36:11 > 0:36:12I have.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16I saw the first bit and I thought, "Not very big."
0:36:16 > 0:36:17But there's more to come.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22SHE CHUCKLES
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I wave to everybody as they go by.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34All five sections of the house are now on-site.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38There's just one last problem for the team to overcome.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Our biggest concern in any of these builds is the weather
0:36:43 > 0:36:45because the separate sections are sealed at the moment -
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and weather-proofed -
0:36:47 > 0:36:52but to put it together we have got to take that seal off.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55INTERVIEWER: So if you get loads of rain like there was in the night,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57are you hammered?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59We will be, yeah.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01It means we can't really...
0:37:02 > 0:37:05We could certainly get the house in place
0:37:05 > 0:37:07but we can't break the seals on it
0:37:07 > 0:37:11because it would just...possibly ruin the house.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19As the builders press on,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Peggy can see her new home take shape right before her eyes.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Moving in will mark a new chapter in her life
0:37:25 > 0:37:29and allow her to keep her independence.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31And I couldn't expect Robin
0:37:31 > 0:37:34and Christiana to be there at my beck and call.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39My house back home, it was lovely. I'd been there 40 years.
0:37:39 > 0:37:44It's a long time and I think that was half my problem.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48But now I've got that to look forward to - here I come!
0:37:48 > 0:37:50SHE LAUGHS
0:37:53 > 0:37:55When I saw them actually lifting the thing off,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57I went, "My house! My house!"
0:37:57 > 0:38:00SHE LAUGHS
0:38:00 > 0:38:01Yeah, so...
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Huge excitement?
0:38:03 > 0:38:04Oh, it is. Beautiful.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09With the rain starting to clear,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Peggy's house is finally nearing completion.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Well, that looks like that's the final unit in.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So that will be the two bedrooms going in and I would imagine
0:38:22 > 0:38:26once that's done, they'll shunt things around, push it all together.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Get the porch in and then hopefully we'll have an idea
0:38:30 > 0:38:34of how the thing's going to look but at the moment it's looking great.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38So there you go, what do you think of that?
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Is that it? Yeah.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42I shall be pleased to see when it's all out.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Oh, yeah. Well, that's the bit... Oh, yeah.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47The roof obviously needs to go on.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49No, it's lovely. Lovely with the trees.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Yeah, it is. Yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54It sort of fills in quite nicely. You've got the trees all around.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Beautiful, Robin. Thank you. Beautiful.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00The house is there. We can look after her.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03We can keep an eye on her. Keeps the family group together.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06It's the right thing to do for your family if you can.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Roots are important for most people's sense of home.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16We feel attached, not just to a building,
0:39:16 > 0:39:20but to it's place in the world and even its history.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24And one iconic type of Scottish home is famous for its romantic,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27historical associations - the castle.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33But in 21st century Scotland, does anybody actually live in one?
0:39:35 > 0:39:40It was built by my great-great-great grandfather exactly 200 years ago,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43in the same year as the Battle of Waterloo.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47This is Castle Forbes in Aberdeenshire,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50home to the current Lord Forbes and his wife.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53The land it's built on has been in the family
0:39:53 > 0:39:56since the early 15th century, and since then,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59generations of Forbes have called this place home.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05That's my grandmother at the bottom, who was the last member
0:40:05 > 0:40:09of the family to live here before we moved in.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I know she hoped that it would pass on to me one day,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16but I could never see how I could possibly cope with it.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20In the end, her wish has come true and that gives me
0:40:20 > 0:40:26a lot of pleasure, actually, that I managed to keep it going.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31But in the modern world, castle living doesn't come cheap
0:40:31 > 0:40:34and keeping this place alive as a real home,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37rather than a museum or a ruin, has been a huge challenge.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44I was fortunate in that shortly after my grandmother died,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47the oil business started up in Aberdeen
0:40:47 > 0:40:52and I formed a company that serviced the oilrigs.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58And that really gave us the wherewithal to
0:40:58 > 0:41:04take the decision to move in here and do it up slowly.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Lady Forbes is just as committed to castle living as her husband.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12She runs a perfumery business on the estate
0:41:12 > 0:41:14that helps to pay for its upkeep.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18You don't think of it as living in a castle, it's just
0:41:18 > 0:41:20living in a normal home, normal house.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Sometimes rooms are bigger, sometimes rooms are smaller.
0:41:25 > 0:41:32It's one of the few, if not only place around here that's
0:41:32 > 0:41:37still lived in by the family that built it.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42I could very easily move out in the winter to somewhere a bit warmer,
0:41:42 > 0:41:47but, um... That's chicken. That's not the way it works.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Then you'd come back and then everything would be...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I couldn't do that. I just have to live in one place.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57A house like this one, with deep roots in Scotland's past,
0:41:57 > 0:42:00speaks volumes about how domestic life has changed over
0:42:00 > 0:42:04the centuries, because while it was built for the upper-class,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08it would have been home to a good number of more humble folk as well.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10When the house was actually built,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12there would have been an army of servants.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16In fact I've got the details when it was actually let
0:42:16 > 0:42:20during my great-great grandfather's time
0:42:20 > 0:42:24and it was talking about space for up to 18 servants.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28And with its long history, Castle Forbes has also become
0:42:28 > 0:42:32a repository for some unusual objects from another age.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Now, this is quite an interesting piece of ironmongery.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39It's called a scold's mask or a scold's bridle
0:42:39 > 0:42:44and it was specifically designed to put on ladies
0:42:44 > 0:42:47if they became too talkative after dinner.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51It goes over your head and that goes into your mouth
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and it does make it very difficult to talk.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56And they could be padlocked at the back, you see?
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I think every big house in Scotland really needs one.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04But above all, it's the deep sense of family history that gives
0:43:04 > 0:43:08this home its significance for the current owners.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11These rooms have seen generations of Forbes grow up
0:43:11 > 0:43:14and played host to some important guests.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20When someone comes and stays, they write their name in it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22It has gone from...
0:43:23 > 0:43:27..1919 until today.
0:43:28 > 0:43:29Mr Chamberlain...
0:43:31 > 0:43:32..with his fish.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40That's Queen Mother with Malcolm's grandparents.
0:43:42 > 0:43:441935.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Baden Powell, outside the house.
0:43:51 > 0:43:52Malcolm as a little boy.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Lord and Lady Forbes do still receive visitors here,
0:44:01 > 0:44:04some of whom have an historical connection.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Today, a few Australian members of the extended family
0:44:07 > 0:44:10have dropped in for a look around.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14This two-handed sword belonged to Black Arthur, who was the younger
0:44:14 > 0:44:20son of the eighth Lord Forbes and he was around at the time when we had a
0:44:20 > 0:44:25lot of feuding with the Gordon Clan, particularly, and also the Leslies.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Our last name is Forbes, so we came to have a look at a bit of our heritage, obviously
0:44:29 > 0:44:33from the complete opposite part of the world, so it's just been really good to
0:44:33 > 0:44:37come here and see some of the more of the historical aspects of it.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41We don't have that much history in Australia... Well, that dates back
0:44:41 > 0:44:43this far. So to come somewhere that's 200 yeas old,
0:44:43 > 0:44:45yeah, it's pretty exciting.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49There we are. Lovely, thank you. Thank YOU.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51It's pretty surprising actually.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53We've been to a few castles on our trip so far
0:44:53 > 0:44:56and this is completely different.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59It's definitely more of a home than your average castle.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03All the other ones are very touristy now, but this has much more of a homely feel.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Yeah, it's been really nice.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12So long as we can cope with it, we'll stay here.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18But there may come a day when we find getting upstairs to bed
0:45:18 > 0:45:20a bit more difficult than we do at the moment.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26If Lord and Lady Forbes ever do put their castle on the market,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29they probably won't have trouble selling.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Luxury Scottish property is booming.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37Wealthy buyers from around the world are drawn to Scotland's romantic history.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39They also see it as a safe investment.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44In London, fashion designer, former Versace model
0:45:44 > 0:45:49and Russian princess, Olga Roh, is showing her latest collection.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50Thank you very much.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53# From Russia with love
0:45:56 > 0:46:00# I fly to you... #
0:46:00 > 0:46:04'Olga has always been a fan of Scottish style and fabrics,
0:46:04 > 0:46:08'and she often incorporates Scottish elements into her collections.'
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Some like it hot! Like Marilyn Monroe.
0:46:11 > 0:46:16# I've travelled the world... #
0:46:16 > 0:46:18The colours, the combinations...
0:46:18 > 0:46:21It's not directly Scotland, I would say, but you can make
0:46:21 > 0:46:25your own Scotland out of real Scotland, and I made MY Scotland.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27I feel very comfortable there.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30It's a very fashionable place and very famous for tweeds.
0:46:30 > 0:46:36Winter tweeds or very heavy tweeds, wonderful quality of cashmere.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Recently, Olga and her millionaire husband decided the time had
0:46:42 > 0:46:45come to make a deeper connection to the land they loved.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49So they bought a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire.
0:46:49 > 0:46:54I was never expecting myself to go and buy a castle.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58So it's my husband, of course, the brain behind the story.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01He was always attracted by Scotland.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03It was maybe a boy's dream.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06It's like a love story. When you love somebody, it's the same.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09You just start to love. Not because it belongs to you,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12because I always say it doesn't belong to me,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16a place never can belong to somebody, you belong to the place.
0:47:16 > 0:47:17So I belong to castle now.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26Olga's daughter Nicole is helping her to plan the renovation.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34I could see myself...not living here,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37but spending perhaps the milder months of the year here.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Somehow, in this house, I see every room becoming a comfortable
0:47:43 > 0:47:50little sofa room, like a drawing room, with settees and fireplaces.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56It's going to take a lot of work, but their vision of castle life is
0:47:56 > 0:48:00spurring them on to create a living home out of this crumbling ruin.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Ah, this is definitely a grand room here.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08It's got lovely high ceilings.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10I suppose it could be a bedroom.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's got nice views.
0:48:22 > 0:48:23What's this room?
0:48:23 > 0:48:26This is by far the dirtiest room of all.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31It's been host to many pigeons, but they're going to get kicked out,
0:48:31 > 0:48:33unfortunately, because we're moving in.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38It's a panoramic view.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Castles like this one are perhaps Scotland's
0:48:45 > 0:48:46most iconic type of house.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51There's a more modest, but just as distinctive,
0:48:51 > 0:48:53form of Scottish domestic architecture that's also
0:48:53 > 0:48:56being revived for 21st-century living.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59The tenement flat.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Tenements are a defining feature, not just of Glasgow,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04but most of Scotland's cities.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07They come in all shapes and sizes,
0:49:07 > 0:49:09from modest flats to much grander properties
0:49:09 > 0:49:13originally built for the more affluent end of the market.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16Today, tenements like these are still highly prized
0:49:16 > 0:49:18and they aren't just nice places to live.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24If, like many Scots, you find yourself working from home,
0:49:24 > 0:49:26you'll have plenty of space.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31So, should you decide to start a business staging live gigs
0:49:31 > 0:49:32for your own online TV channel,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34you won't even need to leave the house.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Music promoter, Chae Houston, was brought up in this handsome
0:49:41 > 0:49:44tenement flat in the West End of Glasgow.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Now his folks have flown the nest,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50he shares his three-bedroom home with his brother
0:49:50 > 0:49:52and fellow music aficionado, Jamie.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57One day, preparing to shoot some videos for the bands
0:49:57 > 0:50:00they were working with, the boys were stuck for a location.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02We were just sitting around in this room.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04We were looking at the bay window
0:50:04 > 0:50:06and we though, it kind of looks like a wee stage.
0:50:06 > 0:50:07Let's do maybe a gig in here.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09We were like, "Oh, right, maybe we could film it".
0:50:09 > 0:50:11And I thought, we'll just call it Tenement TV
0:50:11 > 0:50:14and let's do a wee session, get a couple of bands up.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15So we got a few up.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21And so Chae's business, a music website based in his home, was born.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25This song is called Getaway.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32The website started to get a lot of views.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34Started getting some touring bands. Lots of interest.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39It's a great buzz having the sessions, parties here.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43We've had quite a few influential people up here. Some massive bands.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48And also just the kind of vibe of the whole flat.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50It's a really old-school flat and when all the bands come up,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53walk up the close, walk through into the big, kind of long hall,
0:50:53 > 0:50:55they all go, "Wow."
0:50:55 > 0:50:57These American bands that we've had up,
0:50:57 > 0:50:58like Cage The Elephant and stuff,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00they're like, "What an amazing place, man."
0:51:00 > 0:51:05They've never seen places like this. Big flats with these big windows.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Since recording their first band five years ago,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Tenement TV has grown into Scotland's largest
0:51:11 > 0:51:12online music platform,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15with over three million hits since its launch.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17Some of the bands who have played here
0:51:17 > 0:51:21have gone on to have top-ten hits and even get to number one.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Everything that's happened has came from this flat.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Everything we've spoke about or tried to create has
0:51:27 > 0:51:30happened in here, based around this in this building.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34I think it's a very good hub for creatives to come in,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38like-minded people to come and just work alongside us.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Today, the team is shooting a session with another
0:51:41 > 0:51:43up-and-coming act from Glasgow.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45These guys that are up today, Atom Tree,
0:51:45 > 0:51:48they've just recently got signed to Morse Code Management, the guys
0:51:48 > 0:51:52who used to look after Paolo Nutini and various acts like that.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54They've got a couple of label interest,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56agent interest at the moment.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59Living room. It's where you guys can make some noise.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02The guys have been about for a couple of years now and that's them
0:52:02 > 0:52:03really starting to take off,
0:52:03 > 0:52:06so it's great to see local bands kind of doing this kind of thing.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08# You can fool me once
0:52:10 > 0:52:12# You can blind me twice... #
0:52:14 > 0:52:16I'd always kind of followed it on YouTube.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18They do a lot of massive bands
0:52:18 > 0:52:21and when he kind of asked us to do it, we were well up for it.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24We thought it was definitely worth the trip home.
0:52:24 > 0:52:29And the fact it's in a tenement, as well, it's cool, really cool.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34# I don't care if I die when I'm this high... #
0:52:34 > 0:52:36But there's always been one potential downside
0:52:36 > 0:52:38to tenement living -
0:52:38 > 0:52:39noisy neighbours.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43So how have the other residents on the stair reacted to the racket?
0:52:44 > 0:52:47We have had a few upset neighbours before, but it's nothing that...
0:52:47 > 0:52:50You just explain the situation and then a week later
0:52:50 > 0:52:53they find out they've had a number-one band
0:52:53 > 0:52:55above their living room.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57# All right. #
0:52:59 > 0:53:04But living next to a TV studio isn't everyone's vision of an ideal home.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Trish and her husband Sandy are heading into Glasgow to see
0:53:11 > 0:53:13how work on their new house is progressing.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Moving from the country to the city after more than 40 years
0:53:19 > 0:53:21will be a big change for them.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23But they have decided it's for the best.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25It's the sensible thing to do.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29There are closer access to facilities for shopping
0:53:29 > 0:53:30and restaurants.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34And as we get older, particularly in the wintertime,
0:53:34 > 0:53:42the commute from Glasgow out to Killearn becomes more difficult.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45I think we're both dubious about having neighbours
0:53:45 > 0:53:49because we haven't had neighbours for so long and living so close.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Then again, it has its advantages.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56Having neighbours if anything happens to any of us.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02The new house is a Victorian terrace in the West End
0:54:02 > 0:54:04which is currently being gutted
0:54:04 > 0:54:07and remodelled to Trish's specifications.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Oh, dear. What have we done?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14SHE LAUGHS
0:54:14 > 0:54:16That in there is the kitchen.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20This used to be the dining room.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Decided to obviously make it...
0:54:22 > 0:54:24We like open-plan living.
0:54:24 > 0:54:25..open-plan living.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28So this is, in fact, one of the smaller houses
0:54:28 > 0:54:30in this area of Glasgow.
0:54:30 > 0:54:35Other ones are four storeys and they were built with families
0:54:35 > 0:54:37and substantial staff in mind.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40So we're trying to bring them up to the 21st century.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Hi. Hello! Hi, hi, hi.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47Interior designer, Margo, hasn't seen inside the house
0:54:47 > 0:54:48since work started.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Amazing. I know. Golly, what a difference.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55It's gone through a big transformation.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57With construction work well underway,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01this is starting to resemble the home Trish and Margo have designed.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04This is going to be my gym.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06I'm going to pop my weight machine there
0:55:06 > 0:55:08and then my...
0:55:08 > 0:55:11All my other equipment here.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13That's my garden room.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18That's all obviously coming out because that's the dumbwaiter
0:55:18 > 0:55:22and I'll get a different worktop.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25It won't be long before Trish can start filling it with
0:55:25 > 0:55:28the objects that are so close to her heart.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30I had to get one of each of my children!
0:55:30 > 0:55:33THEY LAUGH Otherwise I'll forget!
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Obviously, this shelving are not going to be...
0:55:37 > 0:55:40No, I don't think so. You like to be different. It has to be a bit asymmetric.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Because I don't like everything in a straight line. You don't, no.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47But you do have, you've got a lot of photographs,
0:55:47 > 0:55:49but you've also got a lot of other objects
0:55:49 > 0:55:52that you want to incorporate into this room, yeah? Mm-hm.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55So, yeah, I think that would work really well in here.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Do you think you'll talk Sandy into it? To enjoying it?
0:55:58 > 0:56:00I'm sure I will.
0:56:00 > 0:56:05But, you know, if he doesn't come, I'll be here.
0:56:05 > 0:56:06I'm sure he will.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Men don't like moving. Men don't like change.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18For one other lady, the hassle of moving is finally over.
0:56:18 > 0:56:23Peggy's modular house is finished and she has a new home of her own.
0:56:23 > 0:56:24What are you making of it?
0:56:24 > 0:56:27How are you finding it since you're moved in, then?
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Oh, especially since I've moved in here, lovely.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33Definitely. There's nothing like your own place, is there?
0:56:33 > 0:56:35I would've liked to have stayed where I was,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37but it was impossible.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39I couldn't. No way.
0:56:39 > 0:56:40But that's all part of it, isn't it?
0:56:40 > 0:56:43We all get old, I'm afraid.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46For Peggy's son, Robin,
0:56:46 > 0:56:51the new ready-built house has proved the ideal solution for her and him.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Mum's always been independent, really independent,
0:56:54 > 0:56:59and it was quite difficult to get her out of where she was before.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Now she's in the house, I think she realises just how great it is
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and she's now beginning to comment on how friendly everyone is
0:57:06 > 0:57:11and how beautiful the area is, so I think she's seeing the benefit.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15She can get on with her life without interference with us,
0:57:15 > 0:57:17apart from when she really needs it.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25You know, they show you all these plans.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28And you think, "Oh, yeah. Looks all right, yeah."
0:57:28 > 0:57:31Until you actually see it like it is now,
0:57:31 > 0:57:34you realise how nice it is.
0:57:34 > 0:57:35It's nice to have the two bedrooms.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40You could have a studio flat, a one bedroom,
0:57:40 > 0:57:42but I'm glad I went for the two.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46The idea is my friends will come by.
0:57:46 > 0:57:51A studio place would be so small, whereas, you know, this is perfect.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58And when you're living in it day-to-day
0:57:58 > 0:58:00and waking up and seeing the nice view out of your...
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Oh, it's lovely. Lovely!
0:58:02 > 0:58:05Seeing the birds flying around.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07I can't wait to leave the door open a bit.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09But it's too cold at the moment.
0:59:33 > 0:59:35I want a nice, bold stripe.
0:59:35 > 0:59:36Lace, lace, lace...
0:59:36 > 0:59:38Oh, the haberdashery is amazing.