Killin The Farmers' Country Showdown

Across the country,

thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock...

Bring them up, Isabel. Well done.

Here they come.

Shake it, baby. Shake it.

..but there's one day each year...

Come on, girl. Up you go.

..when they get to leave the daily routine behind.

Yoo-hoo!

These are show days...

Welcome to the Pembrokeshire County Show.

..and they come together as a community...

Salute!

..to showcase the fruits of their labour...

Had a quick look at the competition, I am in with a chance.

..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...

Well done. Wahay!

It's show business, folks.

..and award-winning produce.

I got first!

And the last two jars.

There will be highs...

Yes, yes!

..and lows...

No! No, no, no.

..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.

No way!

More than half of Scotland's farmers are hill farmers.

Hey, girlies.

Their often-isolated glens are

spread across the breathtaking landscape of the Highlands.

Bring them up, Isabel. Well done.

There are very few farming options in this rugged environment.

The land is best suited to grazing livestock,

supporting over a million cows and six million sheep.

Today, we are meeting two neighbouring families

that work hard to make a living from these remote farms.

Come on!

The Campbells...

..and their cousins, the Taylors,

are getting ready to exhibit their prize animals

at this year's Killin Agricultural Fair.

That is absolutely... That's brilliant, that one.

It's their chance to show off their hard work to the community

and compete for top prizes.

Champion. Over there.

In the heart of Scotland, on the southern shores of Loch Tay,

is Succoth Farm, home to Neil and Eilidh Campbell and their family.

COWS MOO

Morning. Come on.

The farm has over 100 cattle and 2,000 sheep...

..and stretches over a vast 4,500 acres, as far as the eye can see.

The range of the farm is from this top over here

and then out onto the top of this hill

and then right round over the back here.

COW MOOS

Bring them up, Isabel. Well done.

46-year-old Neil wasn't born into this farming family.

He married into it, 17 years ago.

Come on!

Come on!

When we got married, Neil was an offshore engineer

and my father said, after we had been married a couple of years,

you know,

we could take over part of the business and run it as our own,

so we did that.

Eilidh's mother Helen also married into the farm

and her husband John

was one of the country's most renowned livestock farmers.

He was just such a good farmer and with the livestock, you know,

it's quite difficult to explain,

but he just had a feeling for everything.

Aye, that's just it. He was very passionate about what he did.

-Yeah.

-And, aye,

you just follow on from there,

and try and keep the thing going as normal.

With such a strong pedigree behind them,

they hope that daughters Isabel, Grace and Katie

will one day be the fourth generation to run the farm.

There's Granny and Grandpa winning the wool trophies

for their wool at the Glen Show.

And that's my dad judging at a show.

-What's the name of this sheep?

-She was called Spice Girl.

Spice Girl. See?

That was the championship that year.

Spice Girl.

Spice Girl.

Come on!

In some ways,

the daily routine of a hill farm is better than you might imagine.

The cows themselves don't... Once they're out here, then that's them,

they're out for the summer,

and we will leave them out here as long as the weather permits.

They don't receive any minerals in any form, really.

Everything is taken off the ground organically

and they have got the extensiveness to roam.

The cattle will spend as much of the year outdoors as possible.

The cows really kind of take care of themselves

at this time of year, really.

The downside to all this is when you need to bring them in.

Finding a herd which could be anywhere over a 4,500 acre farm

is a struggle for just two people.

-This one here, Isabel.

-What one?

-This one.

-Finding extra cowhands is even harder.

Labour is another challenge, really, nowadays.

There is no real sort of younger generation coming into this,

this industry.

For us to go out to the hill to get sheep in and that,

it requires quite a few men and dogs.

It sounds easy, but it's not.

COW MOOS

Just over a mile away is Dall Farm,

home to brothers Sandy and Willie Taylor,

who are also Eilidh's cousins.

It is a wet start for Willie today,

but nothing puts off this hardy farmer.

The cattle may live out in the hills,

but the farmers still need to keep a close eye on them,

in case of sickness or injury.

Just going along to check the cows, a couple of miles along the road.

Most of the cows come to summer grazing along the road here.

We certainly don't see all of the stock

because most of them are high out on the hill.

But we are just trying to see as much of the ones that we can,

make sure they're all...

Feet are going in the right direction

and they are all standing upright.

Though Willie does most of the farming,

his older brother Sandy has been a constant backup

since they took over the family business.

Grandfather came here in 1938 as a tenant farmer.

My father and his uncle, they were born here and brought up.

They took on the farm after that and it's carried on,

we are now the third generation and...

..hopefully, as I say, there's a fourth generation

to come forward after that.

Like the Campbells, Willie and Sandy

have a huge amount of land to manage.

Over 3,500 acres.

Today's challenge,

to bring a herd of cows and their calves

down to the lower slopes so they can graze on fresh pasture.

-Come on, then.

-Hey, girlies.

Come on.

But the protective mothers do not seem convinced.

-Come on, girls.

-Come on, then.

-Come on, lassies.

A treat is all it takes to get them moving.

Come on, girlies. Take your time.

How are you?

Reluctant cows aside, for Willie and Sandy,

this kind of farming life has all sorts of other challenges.

Being a bit slow this morning.

Actual hill farming itself is a dying tradition.

It is mainly because of the money that's not in it

and the younger people are not coming in.

There's always better options,

you know, then the city always attracts people, there's more jobs.

Certainly, definitely, this is what I wanted to do.

I can't really think why I would want to do it other than...

I wouldn't know how to do anything else, to be perfectly honest.

I'm just really sort of living the dream.

HE LAUGHS

But not making money at it, but living the dream.

Like so many of the hill farms,

the family have had to look towards other ways of making money.

Luckily, 25 years ago, Sandy saw an opportunity and rolled with it.

He now runs an agricultural haulage business,

transporting anything from livestock to tonnes of hay.

It's an ongoing struggle, if you like, I think,

all these businesses in the rural economy to survive.

None of us are making a huge profit.

We are just turning over money,

we see it for a wee while,

and then it goes back out just as fast as it comes in.

Like their cousins up the road,

Neil and Eilidh also believe

that the demands of hill farming are worth it.

Farming, it's pleasurable.

It's a very content life, really.

It's certainly, as a way of life,

it's quite nice to produce something at the end of the day

that you are proud of. So, really, yeah,

if you're producing something that you are happy with,

then it's as good a job as any to be in, you know?

-It's nice.

-She's kind of petted.

-A wee bit.

Aye, she's very quiet.

They are quite content beasts, like,

they're quite light handling them, they're...

Some of them have got names.

This is Lexie. This is Smurf.

Splicer. We handle them a bit as calves.

We go in about them quite a lot,

so it makes them quiet and it's an awful lot easier

if you can handle them like this,

because it makes your job a lot easier.

However, like many of their neighbours,

the Campbell family have had to diversify to survive.

You have got to be resourceful.

Especially nowadays, it's...

Because the future is really...

-Uncertain.

-You'd say it was unsettled or unstable, really.

What they came up with was a hydroelectric power scheme

to harness the abundant water sources around them.

It produces enough electricity for them to sell on.

So, really when it's raining, it used to be a real bad thing.

But now when it is raining,

there's always a slightly brighter side to it

in that the hydro is running.

With incredible resourcefulness,

both these families are working to secure their farm's futures.

Not always easy

when you are part of one the most isolated communities in the country.

The upcoming Killin Show

is a much-needed gathering for the people dotted around

these lochs and hills.

It is a rare chance to come together.

The show has been going since 1880.

The locals don't just come year after year,

they come generation after generation.

There's only two days to go.

Willie is concentrating on the business of farming...

Come on.

..leaving his wife, Sandra,

and their two girls

with the all-important business of show preparation.

On you go, Annie. Good girl.

That's it. How many are coming, Annie?

Are they coming?

With the chickens out of the way...

Come on, girlies.

..the girls can collect the eggs for competition.

Is there one in there, Blinks?

-Two.

-Two!

-Have you got it?

-That one is really hot.

Is it really hot?

-Yes.

-Why is it hot?

-Because it has just been laid.

It's just been laid, hasn't it?

There we go.

Back in the kitchen, their grandmother Margaret

has been busy too.

And do you want to maybe look through your eggs with Annie

and see if you can find six that look the same?

A lifelong veteran of the Killin Show,

she's helping with competition entries -

from baking to overseeing the decorative veg.

This is all going into the hall.

I mean, the hall is all laid out, there's...

A side of the hall with flowers,

vegetables, the baking, the preserves,

and then there's the handcrafts and children

and there is the community entries, these ones as well.

Because it is spectacular, when everything is in the hall.

-It's lovely.

-It's really nice.

We are not fiercely competitive,

but we enjoy competing it, at the Killin Show, just for the sake of,

the sake of keeping it going.

Just to support it, really.

It's not for any glory that we do it.

The other thing about it is, that it's not just for farmers.

Like, they do all the baking

and they do the children's handicrafts so...

Don't lick it, please.

So all of the village can take part,

it's not just for people who have got stock or livestock,

anybody can be part of it.

Up the road, their cousin Eilidh and her girls

have also had the mixing bowl out.

Just a few sprinkles on them.

Grace, these look good.

That's OK. When I was the girls' age too, I...

There was a similar sort of competition

with cake-baking and craft-making and drawings

so I always competed in them as well.

So, I think it's great

and it's great to see the girls now taking part in it.

While the womenfolk toil over their entries,

Willie has his own problems out on the hills.

He needs to check the welfare of his herd.

They have been grazing on the lower slopes

and Willie wants to make sure they are OK.

But first, he has to find them.

Come on, girlies.

Come on.

Come on.

Just like before, a bag of food is all it takes to lure them in.

All the cows here are...

..descendants of what I would class as my favourites in the past.

And then you get daughters of favourites

and granddaughters of favourites.

These two are actually cousins.

They don't look the same, but they are cousins.

This year's Killin Show is finally upon them.

The two families are ready and keen to prove

they have bred this year's champion,

along with the best bake, best veg and best eggs.

Neil and Eilidh know exactly which cattle they will be taking.

I think the beasts are looking very good today.

She's nice, that one, isn't she?

-She's a cracker.

-She's very clean looking.

I think we will take that cow, the heifer.

And the rest can go out. We'll take the calves.

The girls have their favourite too.

That black calf.

The black cow.

Hopefully we might bring some silverware home,

you just never know, do we?

I know, you never know.

It all depends on the day.

Over at Dall farm, Willie and Sandy are also in a competitive mood.

I would love to have the championship.

In our eyes, they've all got potential to be champions.

Yeah. They are as good calves as we have got this year, but...

Here's hoping the judge likes them on the day

and the calves behave themselves.

As with all livestock...

..they are very unpredictable.

Because winning can up the market value of their stock,

and the two farms are relatively close,

there is nothing wrong with a bit of industrial espionage.

If we look, can you see anything?

So my cousin's cattle are just...

I don't think we can see them, though,

they should be down in the fields there.

Oh, they are there, they are just a wee bit small, I think.

SHE LAUGHS

But, anyway, it's good to check out the competition, isn't it?

Yeah. Good girl.

It would be a great sense of achievement to beat Eilidh and Neil

at the show ring but at the end of the day, we will wait and see.

Come on, girls. Come on, boys.

Right.

Let's go. Come on, Gracie.

Wahay! We're off to the show, girls.

-Yay!

-Are we going to win some prizes?

THEY CHEER

The Killin show is over 130 years old

and will attract around 1,000 visitors today.

Despite its size,

this agricultural gathering is the essential glue

for the local farming community.

A lot of us don't meet up until this day, and...

..we do talk about what's happened in the past year.

For this one day, you get everyone together in the area.

Like every other year,

it is being held in the centre of the village at McLaren Hall.

Here, all the baking, craft, fruit, veg and flowers will be set up.

The livestock will be judged in a nearby field.

Competition is as fierce here as it would be in any other show

and prizes are much in demand.

It's early morning.

The village and hill-farming community are out in force.

No matter what the transport.

The weather is looking a wee bit dreich, as they say locally,

but not enough to dampen the spirits.

Willie has arrived early with his choice team, ready for the day.

He needs to get the heifer and her two calves into their show pen.

The young animals have never been off the hill before.

And there is a lot to see.

COW MOOS LOUDLY

But there is no sense of urgency

as Willie seems to be the only one here.

It's a bit quiet here,

I thought there might have been a bit more cattle stewards

helping me here today.

I am one of the cattle stewards so...

Today, the cattle will be judged by Roddy Kennedy,

who has been coming to the show for over 20 years.

You have got to look for a nice one, that's the thing.

It's got to catch your eye. It's the first impression.

They are a bit different from our local show,

which is 25 miles further east so...

..the cattle here will be more suited to their surroundings...

..so it's difficult.

As an experienced breeder himself,

Roddy understands that delicate relationship

between a farmer and his cows.

There's some cows you like, there's some you, oh,

she's just an annoying one, you know,

one with a different kind of temperament, things like that.

But we've all got our favourite cows,

quite a difficult thing to imagine,

but, yeah, we all have our favourites

and the favourites usually go to the show with their calves,

so, yeah, it's interesting.

They are more individuals than sheep.

Back over at the cattle pen, Neil and Eilidh have arrived.

With the help of cousin Willie, they get themselves sorted.

Like Willie, the big challenge for Neil today

is getting his young cows used to being around people.

COW MOOS LOUDLY

This is their first time. They just came in off the hill the other day.

Perhaps a gentle massage will help.

They're quite enjoying getting their backs scratched,

just a bit like yourself.

Gates are open and it's show time!

Good morning, everybody, welcome to Killin

and our District Agricultural Society Show.

As we say in our native tongue, ceud mile failte.

It means 100,000 welcomes.

Competition is the focus of the day...

..but there are lots of other distractions.

-ANNOUNCER:

-Now, folks, all those interested in the cattle judging,

could you make your way without haste to the judging ring,

as the judging is about to start.

Before it all kicks off, there is time for a bit of sprucing up.

But hill farmers don't go in for the salon sprays and hairdryers

like they do down south.

They're not the most hygienic animals,

..so we're just trying to...

..take the bulk of it off before the judging.

It's like a baby's bum, it's far easier to wipe it when it's fresh.

It's just the time of year where we all get together

and see what everybody else has got.

We talk about how the market price is and all the rest of it.

Och, aye.

Back at the pen, Neil, Willie and their neighbour, Hamish McDiarmid,

are ready for the Best Young Calf class.

It's a great pity about the weather,

but it's nice to have the cattle back at the show.

By the looks of the entries, mine might be about the smallest, but...

..size isn't always everything.

This is going to be quite a close class, this, I think,

because we're all up against each other in this class,

so let's see what happens here.

Eilidh and Neil have a very good chance with this one.

But, yeah, we'll wait a second or two to see how it goes.

Unlike other shows,

the farmers don't lead their cows round the ring.

These are relatively wild animals, not used to being led anywhere.

Judge Roddy is a man of few words and a master of observation.

First, second, third.

And he's called it.

To Neil and Eilidh's delight,

they've walked away with first prize.

Thanks very much, Roddy, that was the one that counted. Thanks, aye.

Thanks.

Cousin Willie is awarded the second.

A strong start for the clan.

That's a nice class.

That is absolutely... That's brilliant, that one.

That's definitely the class to win.

-That's brilliant.

-Delighted with that.

-Delighted about that one.

-That's fantastic.

-Yeah, chuffed.

It's nice to have been up against the other three boys

and to actually have beaten them, because their calves are excellent.

But something that we like to sell is breeding stock,

and that is breeding stock that we've just won first prize with,

so, yeah, absolutely delighted. We'll just get this calf back in.

While they get ready for the next one,

the vintage tractors are lining up.

It's worthwhile remembering

that these guys devote an awful lot of time

to keeping the tractors in working order

and restoring them where required.

These machines have been lovingly restored by local farmers,

the oldest one dating back to the mid-1940s.

It's been a busy morning, getting them down here, so early start.

We quite like having them come down in the parade and that

because everyone's made an effort to bring them,

they want to show them off, so what better way to show them off

than come down the main street with a parade?

And it just lets everyone see them, hear them,

see what they should be doing, you know?

So, aye, it is boys and toys.

HE LAUGHS

Well done, guys, with the tractors.

Now, next up we've got the terrier race.

That's always good for a laugh.

COWS MOO LOUDLY

Right, you can go and make some noise out there.

In the show ring, the cattle are poised

and ready to fight it out again.

Up against Willie again with a cow with a spring calf, so...

..it's exciting times.

Willie's cow really doesn't care what the judge thinks.

I'm not looking too confident in this class of winning anything.

I think I would be happy if I got second.

She might surprise me, but I don't think so.

Is this what you're up against?

These calves are older than ours but they are in some condition.

They should be complimented

on what they are turning out here, it's good.

First at the top, second, third.

Hamish McDiarmid's fine specimen of heifer and calf take this round.

Third prize that time, but...

..up against some big cows and calves.

Can't win them all, so it's all just part of the fun of the day.

Eilidh and Neil got third and we managed to get second, so...

..quite happy to get...

..a second in that class.

While the farmers grapple with their frisky livestock, up the road,

the serious judging has already taken place.

87-year-old Bunty MacGregor has been part of this show for over 65 years.

I've been here since I was married, really, you know?

So I just love it.

Yes, it's a lovely, warm, friendly village to live in.

Everybody's very kind, you know?

Like many in the village,

she has worked hard to keep the Killin Show going.

I'm one of the vice presidents.

There's a president and then three vice presidents,

so I'm one of the vice presidents.

Bunty also enters as much as she can.

In the handcraft section, I entered a pair of children's booties.

I got first for them, so I was delighted.

I put in my shortbread biscuits and got third for that.

I got first for my four roses, so that's about all.

SHE LAUGHS

Her daughter, Elizabeth, is following in her footsteps.

The baking, the flowers and the vegetables this year

have been absolutely exceptional.

I retained the baking cup this year,

I won it jointly with another lady.

And I have first prize for my soup.

Mushroom soup, some onions

and garlic and mushrooms in a pan

and some stock and that's it, basically.

It'll be a different flavour next year, yes.

Back in the ring, the hill farmers

only have to worry about their cattle.

These hillside calves have no intention of being told what to do.

There are a lot of opinionated calves in this ring,

but judge Roddy seems to be in control...

..and out of the chaos, he's found a winner.

This time, it's Willie.

I got a first in that, best young calf, so I'm well chuffed.

There is a second prize for Best Native Breed.

The heifer calf.

Neil and Eilidh are taking that one home.

That was a brilliant one, that. That's a bit of silverware there,

so that's brilliant.

That will keep my mother happy. Something to polish.

PIPES PLAY SCOTLAND THE BRAVE

As the pipes sing out Scotland the Brave,

a Highland Games favourite begins.

The tug o' war.

But this one is being fought between two families.

Ready? Take the strain.

-PARTICIPANTS:

-Heave! Heave!

Come on.

Keep pulling.

Dig in, dig in, dig in.

It's almost too exciting for some of the onlookers.

-ANNOUNCER:

-We want a good turnout for the family tug o' war.

It's the final round of the day.

Both the families have done really well across the competition.

We weren't expecting to come away with just as many rosettes

as we have now.

We're delighted that we're doing what we're...

..getting what we're getting here.

-It's nice.

-It's the much-coveted Champion class,

a chance to show off their best cow.

The heifer that won her class will be going out for the Championship.

We'll see how it goes.

Fingers crossed.

I've got the smallest one in this class at the minute.

I wouldn't think there would be a very strong chance

of getting the championship.

This prize is the big one.

Winning will give their stock real pedigree,

and up their market value.

Here we go, this is it.

This is for the championship.

If Eilidh could get it out of the pen, that would help.

You all right?

Oh.

Down you come. Down you come.

There's a girl. That's her. She's away now.

They're looking good, yeah.

We are all in now, so...

..crunch time.

See what happens.

It looks like he is looking at the fat stock bull, so...

It would be nice if he was looking at the females.

He'll maybe change his mind yet. You never know.

Could we have the cow down, could we?

Too many cows in the ring.

The judge whittles them down to the best pair.

One belongs to Hamish McDiarmid and the other to Willie.

For this year, at least, Neil and Eilidh are out of the running.

The judge takes one final look.

Champion. Reserve.

And this year's Championship goes to Hamish McDiarmid,

leaving Willie with Championship Reserve,

still quite a triumph.

Willie.

Nice calf.

-Well done.

-Well done.

Thank you very much.

That was good.

A lot better than expected.

I know, that's what we were saying.

It's fabulous.

-Well done!

-Was that good?

Yeah.

The show will continue on for the next couple of hours,

but it's the end of the day for the judging.

Time to get that silverware out.

Ladies and gentlemen, we'll come to the prize-giving

of the cattle here today.

The Best Young Calf goes to Dall.

Well done, Willie. Would you like the trophy?

Well done, you. It's a lovely calf.

The Best Native goes to Succoth, which is Neil and Eilidh Campbell.

Who's having it? You take it, Grace.

Well done, girls.

-Thanks very much.

-Well done, Neil.

Well done, Eilidh. OK, well done.

And our Reserve Champion today goes to Dall with their young calf.

Another trophy! Well done, you.

Thank you.

And the Overall Champion goes to Ben Lawers

with the older calf.

Hamish, that's Ben Lawers, Hamish McDiarmid.

That's better.

Well done, what a tremendous...

-Thanks very much.

-And that concludes the prize-giving.

I'd just like to thank all competitors today,

they've put on a good show of cattle, I think, and our judge,

Roddy Kennedy, and I hope he's enjoyed himself this year.

So thank you, Roddy, for coming up to judge them.

I think that will just about conclude it,

but thanks to everyone for spectating,

and I hope you've all had a good part of the show so far.

Well done.

Nearly every calf I brought got a rosette of some description.

It's a good feeling.

To come up against Willie and Hamish McDiarmid

and Willie Taylor there...

They've a lot of good stock between the two of them.

They've got a lot of good stock in.

So it gives us something to set our sights on, maybe, for next year.

And to have beaten them with the native...

With the in-calf heifer's great, really pleased.

-That was brilliant.

-Aye.

Yeah. Absolutely super.

SHE GIGGLES

The Killin Show is almost over for the year,

as this small, tight, industrious community

celebrate another great event.

That is absolutely, that's brilliant, that one.

Despite the weather, it's been a glorious day for all involved.

It's a great day out,

and it's lovely to meet all your friends from all over the area.

It's lovely.

The day, well, it has been a success, I hope.

The weather's not been the best,

but we haven't had any complaints as such,

so that's always a good sign that folk are happy.

For Willie and Sandy, all that effort has paid off.

Six years it has been the same,

Hamish McDiarmid has won this trophy.

1994 was the last year that we, the Taylors, won it, so...

No, it's quite good.

Yeah, I'm quite chuffed with winning that one.

Yeah. It's a nice trophy.

I've broken it.

And for Neil and Eilidh,

an armful of rosettes bodes well for the future.

This is the next generation of farmers here, so hopefully...

..maybe in 20 years' time, they'll be buying ice creams for their kids.

We all happy with the show?

-CHILDREN:

-Yeah!

Are we all going to win prizes next year?

-Are we going to win more prizes?

-CHILDREN:

-Yeah!

-Good.

-It's brilliant and it's lovely.

The sun has come out now at last.

It has been a great day.

We're so pleased we've gone home with a few prizes

and some silverware,

and it's fantastic to have done so well with the cattle.

So overall we're totally pleased.

We've had a lovely day out.