0:00:03 > 0:00:04Across some of the most beautiful
0:00:04 > 0:00:07and remote landscapes of the British Isles...
0:00:07 > 0:00:11It's not a bad office, is it? You know, look at it.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13..Scotland's farmers carve a living.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Everything has a time and a season. Nature doesn't stop.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- Breeding sheep and cattle... - There's a lot of old friends here.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24They've come to the end of their working life. Quite a sad day.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Wait a second!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..bringing new life into the world
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..and battling with the elements.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35HE WHISTLES
0:00:35 > 0:00:37They're all cute in their own way.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39And especially if they end up on your plate as a lamb chop, yum!
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Over a year, five very different families
0:00:45 > 0:00:47let cameras onto their farms...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Hell of a size of nuts on him.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52..and into their lives, to share their struggles...
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- I don't know why you want the forward.- Do you need to do this?
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..and their triumphs...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Look at my baby! He's alive!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..as they try and turn a profit in testing economic times.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08That's just depressing, that, really.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10There's cause for celebration...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Gorgeous!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14..and a time to reflect.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I feel sad that I haven't provided the next generation
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to carry on here.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20But it's never dull.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21Oh! Don't let him go!
0:01:22 > 0:01:24It's not a job, it's a way of life.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46It's winter in Scotland, bringing the cold and wet, and shorter days.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Christmas is just around the corner.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But there's no let-up for the farmers.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Winter for me is a busy time of the year.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's real long hours, dark days.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18With all the cows inside needing fed and bedded every day,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20cows come into calf,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22when everyone else is winding down for the Christmas holidays,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26farmers, we have to work 24/7 every day.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33In the north east of Scotland,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Martin Irvine breeds pedigree Limousins.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42His best bulls are auctioned as breeding stock,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43the rest he sells for meat.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Winter is one of the two big calving periods of the year
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and Martin's herd of 168 is growing in numbers every day.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Here we've got five cows with calves in here so,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's starting to look a bit like a creche.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04They all seem quite happy and healthy.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06The thing you have to watch for is just
0:03:06 > 0:03:08kind of bugs or pneumonias or...
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So try and keep it as well-bedded as we can and,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14if we can keep everything healthy, things thrive a lot better.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20A calf's best chance of a healthy start in life
0:03:20 > 0:03:22comes from its mother's first milk, colostrum.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Born with no resistance to disease,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29the colostrum passes on vital maternal antibodies.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33Making sure the calves are feeding
0:03:33 > 0:03:36in the first few hours of life is crucial.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41That's what you want to see. He's fine.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47All the calves in this creche are over 24 hours old and doing well.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The calf is eating nothing but milk, he's drinking milk from his mum
0:03:53 > 0:03:55so all that's in his diet is milk, milk, milk
0:03:55 > 0:03:57so, when it comes out the other end,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59it comes out nice and yellow and milky and it stinks!
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But it's healthy.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Smells bad but it's very healthy for the calf so, when you see a calf...
0:04:06 > 0:04:09..leaving that, it's a healthy sign for us that the calf's healthy
0:04:09 > 0:04:10and he's getting a lot of milk.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15In a different pen,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19one of Martin's other newborns hasn't had such a good start.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The calf of a ten-year-old cow, Bridget, was born yesterday.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28But his arrival was three weeks premature.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Most of the time if a cow calves early, about the eight months,
0:04:34 > 0:04:35they usually die, are born dead.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You can see he's small, he's tiny. He's got fuzzy hair and he's...
0:04:41 > 0:04:43His bones are kind of soft.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- This calf would be 15 kilos, Dad? - Yeah.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49A bit tiny, he's just tiny.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52He's half the weight of an average full-term calf
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and his chances of survival are slim.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58If he doesn't get strength, he'll just wither away and he'll die,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but because he was premature and we've showed him how,
0:05:01 > 0:05:02we've put the tit in his mouth,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04he's never actually learned how to do it himself.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07He has now just got the sense to get his tongue underneath it
0:05:07 > 0:05:08and kind of scoop into his mouth.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10In a week's time, he'll not know any difference
0:05:10 > 0:05:12but just need to get his strength up.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16And show him and learn him how to do the... Suck himself, really.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Scoop it up.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20- Got it?- He's got it.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23The tiny calf is feeding well
0:05:23 > 0:05:26but his very low weight is a big concern.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Martin needs to help him feed four times a day
0:05:28 > 0:05:30to get him strong enough to survive.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And there's another calf giving Martin cause for concern.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Jumbo is just 14 hours old and both he and Martin are still
0:05:46 > 0:05:49recovering from his almost disastrous birth last night.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54That was probably the worst calving you could have had,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55and still had a good result at the end.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59'As soon as we started pulling the calf,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'the umbilical cord was burst early.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'We had to get the calf out quick
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'so everything that could have went wrong pretty much went wrong.'
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Wait till the calf's turned.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11'Did not want to lose that calf.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13'Don't want to lose any calf.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14'Every calf, we put everything into it,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16'and I mean everything's
0:06:16 > 0:06:17'into saving that calf.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:19HE PUFFS
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Turn legs!
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It took Martin a terrifying eight minutes to get the calf
0:06:25 > 0:06:27to breathe properly.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Coming, it's coming!
0:06:29 > 0:06:34It was that close in losing Jumbo, literally that close.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41The relief of a live calf was all the greater
0:06:41 > 0:06:45because Jumbo's mother Duchess lost a calf last year.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47This time, there was a happy ending.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55This morning though, Jumbo is weak.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Martin's been feeding him powdered colostrum to keep him alive
0:07:01 > 0:07:04as he hasn't yet had the strength to suck from his mother's udder.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07All right, big man.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It's a funny thing, if you don't get the calf to suck
0:07:13 > 0:07:16in the first 12 hours, they kind of forget how to suck,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so what we're going to try and do is get some milk into his throat,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21then stick the teat into his mouth
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and hopefully, he'll start drawing and sucking.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25He is keen to stand but just the size of him,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28he hasn't got the strength to hold his own weight just yet.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Although Jumbo is big, about 60 kilos,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35double the normal weight for a new-born calf,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37he's floppy and listless.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42The small amount of colostrum he's taken should help
0:07:42 > 0:07:44kick-start his immune system.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46But Martin still needs to get him feeding from Duchess.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50This morning, they're trying him on her teat.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54So we've got Duchess, she's tied at the head, tied at the leg,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I don't fancy getting kicked. We'll keep her standing there.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04So he's a bit excited, he knows there's something here that he wants
0:08:04 > 0:08:06but he doesnae realise how to get to it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10See, that's what you're looking for,
0:08:10 > 0:08:11that's him looking for a teat.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18You want to kind of just put the tip in his mouth and he'll suck
0:08:18 > 0:08:21but the more you make him do something, the more he fights you,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23so you've got kind of let him do it himself
0:08:23 > 0:08:24and try and coax him into it.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Martin squeezes the creamy colostrum from Duchess's teat
0:08:36 > 0:08:37into Jumbo's mouth.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41But he still doesn't latch on.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44No success.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48I'll leave him for another couple of hours,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51he'll get a bit more hungrier and we'll try him again.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Jumbo needs Duchess's rich protein-packed first milk
0:08:56 > 0:08:58or he won't survive.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10In the hills of Western Scotland,
0:09:10 > 0:09:11winter is taking hold.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Sybil and George McPherson work two farms,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21one they own and one they rent.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Their land covers 15,000 acres of mountainous terrain...
0:09:28 > 0:09:32..where they keep 2,000 hardy black-faced sheep
0:09:32 > 0:09:33and 60 crossbreed cattle...
0:09:35 > 0:09:40..20 of which live outside all year round in all kinds of weather.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Gee-whiz!
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Look at it. It's sweeping across there, it's quite amazing.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56You can see the sheep hiding in there, in the lee of the wind.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Can you see them over there in the distance, in a wee group?
0:09:59 > 0:10:00They'll have found that somewhere
0:10:00 > 0:10:02where the wind isn't actually catching them,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and they're happy to stay in there, out of the wind today.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10We're so at the mercy of the weather when you farm in the hills,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13the weather really dictates exactly what you can or can't do.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16And especially at this time of year, when it can change very quickly.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Despite the weather, there's work to be done.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30All the fleeces they sheared this summer,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32two and a half tonnes in all,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34are packed and ready to be picked up today.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39They're at their rented farm
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and a haulage lorry is supposed to be on its way.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Hello?
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Hello, Linda.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Hi, it's Sybil here, just trying to get in touch about the wool.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I know that Frank said he was going to call, Linda,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58but our power's gone off and we've got no phone at home,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02so I thought I better, I better get in touch with you,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05just if you'd any idea what time he might be arriving.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08He said after lunch, it's just trying to get a time check.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I'd imagine him maybe not just running to timescale today
0:11:12 > 0:11:13with the weather.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The wool is tightly packed, around 70 fleeces in each white sack.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27And they've just acquired a few more unexpected additions,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30too late and now too wet for today's pick-up.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I've got here a fleece of a double-fleecer,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38a sheep which we found last week which had been away in the...
0:11:38 > 0:11:41In the thousands of hectares of ground which nobody farms.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44That's one of the problems we have with trying to manage our sheep
0:11:44 > 0:11:48that they do wander off into the wilderness, and this happens,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50that they're not taken in for shearing
0:11:50 > 0:11:51at the correct time of year.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53So we went round there for a round-up last week
0:11:53 > 0:11:54and found some of these old girls.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The weight and the volume of that wool would mean that that sheep
0:11:57 > 0:12:00would be unable to move about in the snow or even in the wet weather.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I mean, there's probably about
0:12:03 > 0:12:06perhaps ten kilos of weight in this fleece.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And then you can imagine the weight of carrying that about for a sheep
0:12:10 > 0:12:11is just phenomenal.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Poor old girl.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But I don't suppose she's enjoying it now that she hasn't got it
0:12:15 > 0:12:19to insulate her in the like of today, cos it is quite stormy now.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21It's seasonal...fun.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Blackface sheep are bred to survive this kind of weather
0:12:28 > 0:12:30and their fleeces reflect this.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33The wool is strong, coarse and durable.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The fleece was once the most valuable part of a sheep.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41But since the rise of man-made fabrics,
0:12:41 > 0:12:42the value of wool has plummeted.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Sybil and George will get paid around £2,500 for the whole lot.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52That's just 99 pence per kilo of wool.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57If we had to pay a shearer, we certainly wouldn't make money,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I mean, because I think the shearers are from 1 over £1.15
0:13:00 > 0:13:04to £1.30 or £1.50 for shearing them, so you wouldn't get your money back
0:13:04 > 0:13:07but then it's a job that's got to be done for welfare issues.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10But I mean, in Father's time, when he was farming,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the wool used to pay the shepherd's wage.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15There's no way it'd pay a shepherd's wage now.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18If I had a shepherd and offered him that,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- he wouldn't be here for very long. - HE LAUGHS
0:13:20 > 0:13:24COWS MOO
0:13:27 > 0:13:30What are you lot doing, you naughty little creatures?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Go on. Shh! Shh!
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Hello, Shirley.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41It's after one o'clock. The haulage lorry is apparently on its way.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45But the farmhouse is remote, deep in the countryside.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46For now, they must wait.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58At the Irvine's family farm,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01north of Aberdeen, Martin's had some bad news.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03COWS MOO
0:14:04 > 0:14:05There's a farmer's saying,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08where there's livestock, there's deadstock.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Bridget's tiny calf has been found dead.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15He was premature, he was three weeks premature and we dinnae ken
0:14:15 > 0:14:19if he was made up right inside, maybe not fully developed
0:14:19 > 0:14:24in his lungs or his stomach and he'd be three days old now.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27And Dad, we've colostrumed him, we've sucked him,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30we did everything we could for him
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and we weren't expecting him to die, we thought he'd be OK.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Dad put him under a heat lamp and he did kind of pick up.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39But obviously, something's not been right and he's away.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44You win some, you lose some. That's it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48We hate losing calves.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51It's a sad, sick feeling, cos when you're losing a calf,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54you're losing profit, you're losing money.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58But it's a lot more because you're putting so much into something,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00you want to get the reward back.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03So, definitely when we lose calves, we take it really to heart.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Martin's other new-born, Jumbo, seems to have turned a corner.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12He's started to feed from his mother
0:15:12 > 0:15:15but Martin's keen to keep an eye on how much milk he's getting.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So what we've got here is Jumbo, born two days ago
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and last night, we managed to get him onto his feet
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and get him sucking, so any chance we can, we'll catch the cow
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and make sure he fills his belly till he gets full strength.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Just had to fill his belly again this morning.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34But Martin has another issue to contend with.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37After losing her calf last year, Duchess,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40having no calf to suckle, developed mastitis in her udder.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44It's an inflammation caused by bacteria
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and can reduce the production of milk.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48It's flared up again.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50His mum's only got, she's got four teats,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53there's only two of them working, so she hasn't got a lot of milk.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Given Jumbo's size, Duchess may not be able to give him what he needs.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02It's still a perilous time.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07There's a fine line between him living and him dying,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10so just got to make sure to look after him now.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14It's another hurdle to overcome in Jumbo's first few days of life.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26150 miles away, on the other side of Scotland,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Sybil and George are about to get rid of over 2,000 sheared fleeces.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The haulage driver, Frank, is here with his lorry,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37an hour behind schedule.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Absolutely delighted that, at last, the wool is going.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46We need the space for hay coming in for feeding for the winter,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48so delighted that he's here.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53The wool is being taken to a Wool Marketing Board depot
0:16:53 > 0:16:55where it will be graded and then sold,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57mostly for making carpets and home insulation.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Getting a bit flatter. Eugh!
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Not many like that, mind.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Most farmers find wool an absolute bind,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13both to take it off and then to pack it and then to get it away,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17it's a...not many farmers get excited about wool.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- Right, what number?- Two, one...
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Two!
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Each bag weighs about 75 kilos.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33It's demanding physical work.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36That is one of the benefits of our job.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38There is physical exercise in it,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41that keeps you at kind of core fitness, isn't there?
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Oopsy!
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Is that a good position, darling?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50No, it's not a good position at all, George.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54You really shouldn't be snoozing on the job.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Sybil, now 55, was in her late twenties when her father died
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and she inherited the family farm.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05She ran it alone for two decades
0:18:05 > 0:18:08before she and George took it on together.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12When I was younger, I was physically much more energetic.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13Much more capable.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The enthusiasm of youth is a pleasant memory.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The thought of shearing the sheep again this summer,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27is something that kind of alarms me
0:18:27 > 0:18:29as I wonder how my back will keep up, but hey-ho.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37SHE PUFFS
0:18:38 > 0:18:42I try but it's, it is frustrating that as a woman,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44you're physically not as able.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It does frustrate me. But I will keep trying.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- You certainly try your hardest. - For sure, I will keep trying!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55The day you cart me off, I'll be trying.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17North-west of Argyll, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21a sudden fall of snow has transformed the landscape,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23just two weeks before Christmas.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30So I have got Murdy, Fran and Davy.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Mm-hm.- And us for Christmas.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35After 12 years of island life,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38former London barristers turned Scottish crofters
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Sandy and Ali Granville now take extremes of weather in their stride.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I'm just going to put as many clothes on as I can find.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Sandy keeps a flock of hardy blackface sheep.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Their mating, or tupping season, has recently ended
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and Sandy now wants to separate the rams or tups from the ewes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06The plan today is to round up the sheep from the hillside
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and shepherd them down to the holding pens for sorting.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It was completely white when I woke up this morning and it feels,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15it's actually very cold but it feels really warm
0:20:15 > 0:20:17because the wind's dropped.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20There's a little breeze but, but it's lovely.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Agh! Good dog.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Would you like to start moving them through?
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Yep.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'It does get harder as you get older, but then you get cleverer.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38'I used to be wading through the mud with a bale on my back
0:20:38 > 0:20:41'and now I don't carry bales any distance at all.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'It's always a great joy when the spring comes.'
0:20:46 > 0:20:50And you can stop going out with your balaclava on
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and your big jacket and your big gloves.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Come on then, this way! Whoop, whoop!
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Come on then, come on then! There's a good girl.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Ali takes the gentle touch with the animals.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Sandy is a bit more forthright.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Come on now! - HE WHISTLES
0:21:17 > 0:21:20He wants to drive the flock to the handling pens,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23which means walking them down a public road.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30It's only a few hundred metres but Sandy needs to be watchful.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Traffic is a hazard for livestock, even here on Lewis.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Doyle! Good, Doyle!
0:21:45 > 0:21:47That's the tricky bit of shepherding done now.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Now we're just walking up the moor,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52we've got loads of space and no-one's going to run us over.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Once in the pen, Sandy can separate his two rams
0:22:01 > 0:22:03from the rest of the flock.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Now that the ewes are hopefully pregnant, their job is done.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10Come here, you bugger.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12They can look forward to a good feed and rest
0:22:12 > 0:22:14after five weeks tupping on the hillside.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I'll go and get your mate, he's not stealing a march on you.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31They're the sort of rams that I like, they're native Lewis rams.
0:22:31 > 0:22:37Good quality Lewis rams, they, for the stock we need,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40we want that, that sort of native blood...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Produce, produce progeny that are going to be strong on the moor,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and I like the straightforward blackface faces.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Separating them was pretty straightforward
0:22:54 > 0:22:57but now he has to get them into the trailer.
0:23:19 > 0:23:20First one's always the easy one.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26This snowy ram wrangling is a world away from his life in London.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I always tried hard not to work at weekends but I was a rugby coach.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I used to train the...the youngsters.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42And some old skills still come in handy.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45It does help, doesn't it?
0:23:45 > 0:23:50It does help but I wouldn't want to tackle too many of these fellas
0:23:50 > 0:23:51out in open play, would you?
0:23:53 > 0:23:56There will come a time when, if one lives long enough,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58when one's just too old for all of this
0:23:58 > 0:24:00but I think we can stagger on for a while yet.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The rams will go to another island for the rest of the winter.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13The ewes will be sent back onto the moor.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And Sandy can relax with a well-earned drink.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20That is perhaps the one regret about being in Scotland.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24The beer is definitely not up to the standards I was used to.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26But other things are pretty good.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38December on the farm for me is a grim time of year.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40I absolutely loathe the winter.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I hate the long dark nights.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48I hate the fact that the weather is normally cold, wet, inclement
0:24:48 > 0:24:50and uncomfortable for outdoor animals.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55December, then through January, February,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57they are long, cold, hungry months.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04But off-loading their fleeces at this time of year is a relief.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The simple enjoyment of getting rid of the wool, you feel the pressure
0:25:07 > 0:25:09coming off, it's away again, that's another year done.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14It's taken an hour of nonstop work but they're almost finished.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Quick, George, we'll get him this time!
0:25:19 > 0:25:21HE LAUGHS
0:25:21 > 0:25:23No need for you to come in here, young man!
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- Picked a light one. - Too right, we did!
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- Aha, we're starting to see the end of it now.- Yep.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39These stupid muckle wellies, whilst very good at keeping your feet warm,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41don't make you very agile.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46The lorry is almost fully loaded,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48allowing George a moment of reflection.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I often ask George what he's thinking
0:25:56 > 0:25:59when he's looking into the distance, "What you thinking?"
0:25:59 > 0:26:02"Nothing." How can you possibly think about nothing?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Does something not always...- Just sit and listen to the puddle.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Does something not always churn on in your head?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Nah. You know me, Sybil.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15You listen to the puddle?
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Yeah.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- Feel depressed cos it's raining. - Nature's noises.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Nature's noises. There was a wee robin singing earlier.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- Quick, quick, quick, George! - GEORGE LAUGHS
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Ah, too slow.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Frank is an hour behind and keen to get away.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35You happy?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40How many is that anyway? Any idea at all?
0:26:40 > 0:26:41Not a clue.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Quite a lot of threes, isn't there? All threes out there.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46- Did you count them?- No!
0:26:47 > 0:26:49You're in charge!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Sybil and George don't have a record
0:26:51 > 0:26:53of the number of bags they've handed over.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57That is a very large faux pas, that we didn't count.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58He should have known what's on before.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02It's not the point, one is supposed to know.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04We'll have to fill in a piece of paper.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Another piece of paper, to say how many bags we've put.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10And we don't know.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Such was the excitement of getting it, we forgot to count it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17How long have we been doing this job? Lots of years.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Started today.- Hm? - Started today.- Started today!
0:27:25 > 0:27:27We haven't a Scooby.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31But now, Sybil has another concern.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34The farm's owner lives in the house next door
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and the lorry now heavily loaded with wool
0:27:36 > 0:27:40is parked in her driveway, next to her well-tended lawn.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Watch the grass.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51- George, though, is a little more relaxed.- Perfect, aye?
0:27:51 > 0:27:52No!
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Yeah, back you come, Frank, perfect. - No!
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- It's good so far.- Oh! This will not be popular.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- There's no other way you can do it. - Oh, no!
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Oh! Oh, dear.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Bye-bye, Frank!
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Bye-bye, George and Sybil.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28- Oh, dear.- Oh, dear!
0:28:30 > 0:28:34What can we do about this? Nothing much. Pat it smooth.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39With their landlady due back tomorrow, a desperate patch-up
0:28:39 > 0:28:41is the best they can do.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Pfft! Ugh!
0:28:45 > 0:28:47THEY LAUGH
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Come on, use your weight to your advantage, darling.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53I'm trying to use my weight to my advantage!
0:29:04 > 0:29:07At the Irvines' farm, it's feeding time for the Limousins.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Martin's family started specialising in breeding pedigree cattle
0:29:13 > 0:29:1530 years ago.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20One of their key aims is to raise and sell a superstar bull.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25Three years ago, Martin sold one animal for £30,000.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Keeping standards up means life and death decisions.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36With our farming system, we obviously have to pick out animals
0:29:36 > 0:29:38which are not good enough for breeding
0:29:38 > 0:29:39which then go for slaughter.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46Of the 35 bull calves born this year, around 70% will be nurtured,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50given top-quality feed and sold as breeding bulls.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53The others will go to the slaughterhouse.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58About a year old, they're picked out and if they're going for slaughter,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02the bulls would be about 14 to 16 months, heifers about the same age.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Which is not so hard picking them out because you haven't spent
0:30:06 > 0:30:09much time with them, but when you've had a cow you've had for
0:30:09 > 0:30:13nine, ten, maybe 14 years and she's been on the farm breeding
0:30:13 > 0:30:16and breeding well, comes a point when she's past it,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19she's done her time and she's bred what she can bred
0:30:19 > 0:30:21and it's just time for her to go,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23that's the harder decisions we have to make.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27But running a successful business involves these difficult decisions.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37Over 60 calves have been born this year, and Jumbo,
0:30:37 > 0:30:38one of the youngest,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41is still not getting enough milk from his mother, Duchess.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49So, Martin has a plan.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52So who we've got here is Bridget
0:30:52 > 0:30:54and Bridget is the cow who had the premature calf,
0:30:54 > 0:31:00so what we're going to try and do is have Jumbo suck both cows
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and eventually we'll try and get him onto Bridget,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05cos she's got a full four quarters,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07she's got plenty of milk
0:31:07 > 0:31:09and she'll have enough milk to bring up Jumbo.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11She is kind of keen on him,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13she is kind of licking him and taking him on
0:31:13 > 0:31:15so hopefully, it'll be an easy transfer.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17But we'll make use of her.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Martin tries to guide Jumbo without forcing him
0:31:32 > 0:31:33but will he take milk from a surrogate?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59One more try and he gets it.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06She seems quite happy with him, which is good.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09She's got plenty of milk and it'll let him thrive on.
0:32:14 > 0:32:15So even though she's lost her calf,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17we're still going to make use of her.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Cows like Bridget are expected to produce and rear a calf every year.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25That's about 12 calves in a lifetime.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33It costs Martin around £800 a year to feed and look after one cow,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35so they must all earn their keep.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Martin has made a decision about five-year-old Duchess.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44The fact is she has not got enough milk
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and I need a cow to work for herself and she can't work for herself.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Even though she can produce calves and probably very good calves,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54if she hasn't got enough milk to look after a calf,
0:32:54 > 0:32:55it's not worth keeping.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58So, she'll just go away, into the food chain
0:32:58 > 0:33:00and I've got plenty of heifers coming out to take her place,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03which is a shame but I need a cow to look after herself.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06So, that'll be that.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13She's a really good cow. She's nice nature and...
0:33:13 > 0:33:16But it is a business, it's nae just a hobby as much, as nice as
0:33:16 > 0:33:18it would be a hobby, this kind of job,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21it's got to be a business as well, so you have to sell things,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23you can't keep everything.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Duchess went for slaughter two weeks later.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45In the far north of Scotland, near Inverness,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48large-scale sheep farmer John Scott runs three farms.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57John's expanded the family business
0:33:57 > 0:34:00since he joined his father in partnership
0:34:00 > 0:34:04and increased the original flock of 800 sheep to over 4,000.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- PUFFS AND WHISTLES - Up!
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Today, he's gathering up 28 young rams to take them to one of his
0:34:17 > 0:34:19rented farms for tupping duties.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Is that the right way? Yeah, it is the right way round, isn't it? Yeah.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37I always get confused.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43So what we're doing just now is we're getting rams ready for...
0:34:43 > 0:34:46To take to the farm we've got in Sutherland,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50and there's a big bunch of Cheviot ewes up there ready for them.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Just teenagers, going for three weeks of fun,
0:34:52 > 0:34:53up in the wilds of Sutherland.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56They'll soon realise that going in a box at this time of year
0:34:56 > 0:34:57isn't the end of the world.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59There's actually good things at the end of it, so...
0:35:06 > 0:35:09John's rented farm at West Garty in Sutherland
0:35:09 > 0:35:12is 34 miles away on the east coast.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17The 2,600 acres here gives John additional grazing
0:35:17 > 0:35:19for his expanding collection of livestock.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Come on, boys!
0:35:30 > 0:35:32HE WHISTLES
0:35:32 > 0:35:34It'll be a wee bit if a shock to their system,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38these guys were born in April, and this is their first season working.
0:35:40 > 0:35:41We'll put them out for 17 days
0:35:41 > 0:35:45and then we'll put in some more experienced rams.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49That's the plan here. So they'll be in for 17 days.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51More experienced rams for 17 days
0:35:51 > 0:35:53and then that's the rams'll be brought back in.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05When John took on the tenancy here two years ago,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07it was in a neglected state.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13A farm that's in poor heart is a bit like a big ship,
0:36:13 > 0:36:14it takes quite a while to turn it round
0:36:14 > 0:36:16and get it going the right way.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18So getting the soil right, getting the grass right.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21This is, it may look quite lush and green just now but really,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23the grass quality here isn't good, it's old.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27This is our third season with the rams going out so,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30next spring will be our third lambing and things
0:36:30 > 0:36:31are gradually starting to improve
0:36:31 > 0:36:34and the farm is becoming more profitable.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40One of my primary objectives is to take the business on
0:36:40 > 0:36:43and leave it in a better condition than I found it.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45Never tired of that view.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53John, like his father, is keen to keep the legacy of farming alive.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Dad did the same, he really improved Fearn.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Fearn needed an awful lot of work and infrastructure and he's done,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03done that in his time and it's now my time to try and
0:37:03 > 0:37:07develop things and grow things for the next...
0:37:07 > 0:37:08generation, I suppose.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12But I'm also fully driven anyway.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16I like, I like the thought of trying to farm on a bigger scale and
0:37:16 > 0:37:19does quite a lot for me and enjoy it, I enjoy the challenge
0:37:19 > 0:37:21of going into a new farm and working out what works,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24what doesn't work and seeing it improve.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I mean, this place has improved no end in two years,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29and it'll continue to do so, I'm sure.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44It's wonderful when the sun's shining and the skies are blue,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46but it can be a tough place to farm.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Just keep going.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08East of Inverness, at the Irvines' farm, an important Christmas sale
0:38:08 > 0:38:11is looming for Martin and fiancee Mel.
0:38:11 > 0:38:12Feel the burn.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15Hang on, put it down.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18They have a bull they need to sell.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23OK, I've got Ironhide here, and he was unsold in October
0:38:23 > 0:38:27in the Stirling sales, and what we've got tomorrow
0:38:27 > 0:38:29is a sale, it's Christmas Classic Aberdeen,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32and there's a small selection of bulls up for offer for sale,
0:38:32 > 0:38:37so we're going to try him, and hopefully get him sold tomorrow.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40It's not the best time of year to be selling bulls but Ironhide's here,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44it's pretty much do or die so, to get him sold tomorrow, it'll be OK.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45If we don't get him sold tomorrow,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48it's only really going to go in one way
0:38:48 > 0:38:50and that's the wrong way for him, really.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54The wrong way means just one thing.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55- Burgers!- Burgers.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Ironhide was fed and reared to reach his physical peak at 19 months old.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Now 21 months, he's more difficult to sell.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13We've done as much as we can.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Buyers are nae there, so there's not much else,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18we've done everything we can for him.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21He's done as much as he can for us, so it's pretty much do or die.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Martin banked on Ironhide selling at
0:39:24 > 0:39:26the Stirling bull sale in October.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33His form was excellent. Muscular, well proportioned, moving well.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Ahead of the sale, he came first in class
0:39:38 > 0:39:39in a judging round for Limousins.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43You could nae get a better start.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45This should have improved Martin's chances of getting a good price
0:39:45 > 0:39:48in the auction, so his confidence was high.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51We should be getting 5,000, 6,000 for Ironhide.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Worst-case scenario, we'd get 4,000.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56But despite his winner's rosette,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Ironhide even failed to make Martin's reserve price.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08That's just depressing, that, really.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17The Aberdeen Christmas Classic is the last sheep and cattle auction
0:40:17 > 0:40:21of the year, so this is Ironhide's last chance.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25So we've have made it to Aberdeen in one piece.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27So we've got the pen ready, we're just going to head back to the pen.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Just going to... We're just going to head back to the pen,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36give him a blow-dry and a bit of tidy-up.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49That's just what you like to see, get in the pen and start eating.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52So he'll just relax, chill out. Perfect.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59The Christmas Classic is a two-day event
0:40:59 > 0:41:01with around 500 animals for sale.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06The sales in the spring are busier,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10but as Ironhide is almost past his best, he won't sustain his form.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Today, the signs of attracting a buyer are good.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18There is a bit of buzz going about the place,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20everybody's busy dressing up the bulls,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22great atmosphere and there's actually a couple of buyers
0:41:22 > 0:41:24going about, which is a good feeling.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26The bull himself is looking the part.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I've looked at the competition, he's looking quite strong.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33So if the judge, judging goes well and we get a ticket,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35it'll help for a sale later on this afternoon.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Like the previous sale, there's a judging round ahead of the auction
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and a red rosette should help Ironhide's prospects
0:41:44 > 0:41:45of fetching a good price.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49So, both bull and owner need to look their best.
0:41:51 > 0:41:52It's all about presentation.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55Right.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58THEY LAUGH
0:41:58 > 0:42:00SHE SPITS AND SPRAYS
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Best-case scenario, we get first, Limousin champion and then go on
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and compete against the other breeds for overall champion.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09Just get some prize money.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14It's Martin's turn to go into the show ring.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16This is where the butterflies start to kick in now.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28There are only five bulls in this round.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Most of the judges are looking for good muscle definition, size,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35length, smooth movement.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37But each has their own preferences.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46All the owners want their bulls to look their best.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48That means standing square
0:42:48 > 0:42:50with a foot in every corner.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52This posture shows their physique
0:42:52 > 0:42:53off to best effect.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Ironhide has other ideas.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58Stand.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02Stand.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Stand! Stand.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Martin must keep Ironhide in position for a tense 60 seconds.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33He's being a bit of a pest, he's nae standing right,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36he's looking a bit stupid, which is not helping.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40If he would just calm down, he's a wee bit unsettled.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44More interested in looking at anything else rather than
0:43:44 > 0:43:45what he should be doing.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47HE CLICKS
0:43:47 > 0:43:49The judge is going to look at the last bull,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51we're going to parade around and he'll place us first to fifth.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Finally, the judge makes up his mind.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12First prize goes elsewhere.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Then second...
0:44:19 > 0:44:20..third...
0:44:22 > 0:44:23..and even fourth.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26That's judging for you.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34And fifth goes to the Anside, Ironhide,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36from Anside Pedigree Livestock.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39That couldn't have went any worse if I tried, really.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43So they are the winners. Strong cast of bulls, I'm sure you will agree.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49It never went to plan, ended up getting last,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51which I was not expecting, I thought I'd be second at the worst.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56OK, the bull's got his faults, he's not the best walker but body wise,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58he's got a great body.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01But the judge obviously wasn't a fan of bad walking,
0:45:01 > 0:45:02that's why I was last.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05I don't agree with him. I think he should have been further up
0:45:05 > 0:45:06but it's one man's opinion.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09The big moment's this afternoon itself so hopefully,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13we'll get better luck there than we did in the show ring. Hopefully.
0:45:15 > 0:45:212,000 merit, £2,000. 2,000 merit, 2,000 merit, 2,000, £2,000.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Up in the sale ring, there is a brisk trade.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28At 2,000 merit, 2,000 best.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Ironhide might yet get a buyer.
0:45:31 > 0:45:362,400 merit, 2,400. 2,400 merit...
0:45:36 > 0:45:39But an hour later, as his class is called into the ring,
0:45:39 > 0:45:40there's no sign of him.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47What's happened is we're just away to sell the bull,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Mel's taken him out the pen and I've got to see him walking,
0:45:50 > 0:45:52and he's feeling the back leg.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54And he was feeling the back leg, like injury, a bit of lame
0:45:54 > 0:45:57in the back leg and he was limping a little bit in judging
0:45:57 > 0:45:59and they were noticing it but I wasn't noticing it
0:45:59 > 0:46:02because I was carrying the bull in the ring.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04And it's not until Mel took the bull into the pen just now,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and it's obvious, really obvious that he's lame.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11For a breeding bull, a lame back leg is a disaster.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15They need to be vigorous and agile to mount the female during mating.
0:46:15 > 0:46:20That bull could give Martin's family and everyone a bad reputation,
0:46:20 > 0:46:22that Anside.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25So you're better off cutting your losses,
0:46:25 > 0:46:26still having a good reputation
0:46:26 > 0:46:29and just getting on with it and get over it.
0:46:29 > 0:46:30So that's what we're going to do.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Pulled him out the sale, we'll take him home
0:46:33 > 0:46:38and I imagine he'll head one way now, which is food chain...
0:46:39 > 0:46:45Which is a shame, but nice bull but we're just going to cut our losses
0:46:45 > 0:46:48and he'll be on somebody's plate pretty soon but it's just reality,
0:46:48 > 0:46:49that's what happens.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52We'll get over it, farming's like that, you have your ups and downs
0:46:52 > 0:46:55and today's a bit of a down day but we'll get on with it.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57- Bugger. - HE LAUGHS
0:46:57 > 0:47:00- It's a shame.- That's farming for you.- Yeah.- It's a gamble.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- It's a gamble.- Everything's a gamble in farming.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07This gamble, sadly, hasn't paid off.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11This fine animal, raised from birth by Martin,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14was sold for £1,600 for slaughter ten days later.
0:47:33 > 0:47:38North of Inverness, John Scott and wife Fiona are about to experience
0:47:38 > 0:47:40a parental Christmas rite of passage.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44The school panto. This year, it's Aladdin.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Your programmes are on the seat.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53- Has John paid, no? - No, he said you would pay.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59The village school that their three younger children attend
0:47:59 > 0:48:01is where John went 35 years ago.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07A lot of memories, yeah. Aye, it's, it's just huge.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Still the same floor. Those are the benches we used.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13But, yeah, no, it's a good little school,
0:48:13 > 0:48:14really good community school.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Oldest daughter Izzy has a lead role as Princess Jasmine.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Lexie is a gem and six-year-old Archie
0:48:23 > 0:48:26has a non-speaking role as a rat.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32I'm a little bit nervous for Izzy, actually. Hope I don't put her off.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37MUSIC PLAYS
0:48:41 > 0:48:45# So, it certainly seemed to me
0:48:46 > 0:48:49# You needed some company
0:48:50 > 0:48:55# It's truly been a pleasure so far!
0:48:57 > 0:48:59- ALL:- # Bangers and mash
0:48:59 > 0:49:00# Carrots and peas
0:49:00 > 0:49:03# Need one another like a cracker needs cheese
0:49:04 > 0:49:06# Bacon and eggs
0:49:06 > 0:49:08# Strawberries and cream
0:49:08 > 0:49:11# Some things go together perfectly
0:49:13 > 0:49:16# Some things go together perfectly. #
0:49:16 > 0:49:19APPLAUSE
0:49:22 > 0:49:24They all sang really, really well.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28Like, quite often, some of them you can hear singing but not all of them
0:49:28 > 0:49:30but they were all getting stuck in, which was good.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33Izzy!
0:49:33 > 0:49:35That was quite special.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Just proud of the kids, proud of the school,
0:49:37 > 0:49:38proud of our friends' kids.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42Simply a tremendous, just a tremendous afternoon, really good.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45I am in the Christmas spirit now, so I can't wait.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46Bring it on, brilliant.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Work continues at the Irvines' farm.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02And there's good news.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06Jumbo is continuing to feed well from his foster mother Bridget,
0:50:06 > 0:50:08so it's time for a christening.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12We'll just make this calf official.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15So we've got his tags here
0:50:15 > 0:50:17and we've got Jumbo,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19which I think is pretty well named for the size of the calf.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24He is a bit of a Jumbo, so I would say every calf we have,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27we'll try and pick a name for it and I think this is well picked.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32Right, chief, I'm sorry.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Just cos the way he's come into this world and everything like that,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37you will hope he turns into something special.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Ugh! Ay-ay-ay!
0:50:54 > 0:50:55That better?
0:50:57 > 0:50:58So, there we go.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05Martin has added 65 calves to his herd this year.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08But few have had such a memorable and momentous start.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12If you spend a lot of time with something,
0:51:12 > 0:51:13you do grow fond of things.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Martin is always looking for his next superstar bull.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Jumbo certainly has the build to make it big.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40It's almost Christmas.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53After a year of hard work, the farmers take a bit of time out
0:51:53 > 0:51:54to prepare for the break.
0:51:55 > 0:52:00- Star!- Star.- Nooo!- He seems quite happy.- No, he doesn't.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03On Lewis, Sandy wants to look his best.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Off we go.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07This is Christmas coming and I've
0:52:07 > 0:52:09got to have my Christmas haircut.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11- At the Scotts...- I'll supervise.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13I'll tell you left a bit, right a bit.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15..preparations are well in hand.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19So, Mum, tell me what you're doing.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22I am making dauphinoise tatties.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27I'm going to give this bread a bit of kneading.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Ali's over at the table, making a start on her mince pies.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35The ham, mmmmm! Honey glazing.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Tasty ham!
0:52:39 > 0:52:40Masterpiece.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50In Argyll, things are a little less festive.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56I can't, I cannot believe, that I have been so lazy
0:52:56 > 0:53:01and so procrastinating to have fallen to this again.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03That Christmas has sneaked up on me
0:53:03 > 0:53:05and I haven't done what I should have done.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07I don't know where the year went.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09It really is pathetic and I feel
0:53:09 > 0:53:14particularly downhearted about it this year, I really do.
0:53:14 > 0:53:15I'm really sorry.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17HE CHUCKLES
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Come Christmas Eve, there's still farm work to be done.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28All the animals are ready for bed. I've got my chickens here with me
0:53:28 > 0:53:33and we had a lot of lightning last night but it's looking pretty good
0:53:33 > 0:53:37tonight so I've put Samson's rug on, so he can go out tonight with luck.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41And this is one of the lovely places to be when it's windy
0:53:41 > 0:53:44and wild outside and all the animals are settled in at night.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46And something quite nice about them
0:53:46 > 0:53:48all being warm and snuggled in at Christmas.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58And on Christmas Day, the stockings must wait.
0:53:58 > 0:54:03So it's Christmas morning, it's half past, half past seven
0:54:03 > 0:54:05and it's just starting to come light.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09So what we're doing is we're heading out the farm, we'll feed the cows.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Right, better make a start now.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16It's just after eight o'clock,
0:54:16 > 0:54:17about time things were getting fed.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Looks like it's going to be a nice sunrise this morning.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26There's the view out of the cattle shed first thing. So peaceful.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30- What are we doing today?- Hello!
0:54:33 > 0:54:36- COWS MOO - Morning, ladies. It's Christmas day!
0:54:40 > 0:54:41Christmas breakfast for the boys.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46One of the great things about Christmas morning is that there is
0:54:46 > 0:54:47nobody else about.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49It's just me, cattle, the dogs, sheep.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54But at the Irvines' calf creche,
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Mel and Martin are in for a nasty surprise.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- We've come over to the farm... - COWS MOO
0:55:01 > 0:55:03..to an absolute disaster on Christmas Day.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10A dead baby and an unhappy mummy.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20These cows know that something's died.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29This is Jeeves.
0:55:29 > 0:55:30He was fine last night
0:55:30 > 0:55:32so something's obviously happened last night.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37He could have been laid on, kicked, anything and there's nothing obvious
0:55:37 > 0:55:39at all that's wrong with him.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42So, a good start to Christmas, not really.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48Losing calves is very hard because we've waited nine months for this
0:55:48 > 0:55:53little calf to be born and you lose it or it dies and yeah,
0:55:53 > 0:55:58it's really sad but we just have to get on with things and...and we do.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04John Scott's day is proving more uplifting.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10That's the first field fed, first field of sheep fed this morning,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13ewe lambs, I've another four to do and then go inside
0:56:13 > 0:56:15to warm up a little bit and then I've got to nip over
0:56:15 > 0:56:18to the other farm at Nigg and feed the cows over there.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Up at the highest point on the farm just now.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27Sun's just coming up nice and beautiful.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29Lot of seagulls around this morning, don't know why,
0:56:29 > 0:56:31maybe a storm coming, not quite sure.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39- SYBIL:- Merry Christmas, George.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43Merry Christmas, Sybil. Merry Christmas, sheeps.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46Bleugh!
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Oooooh, fancy!
0:56:53 > 0:56:56OK, I'll open one! Yay!
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Ooh, ooh, smells expensive.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Grrr!
0:57:03 > 0:57:06- JOHN:- Archie, you having a good day so far?- Yeah.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08- SANDY:- That's the venison ham.
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Mm! Christmas meat!
0:57:10 > 0:57:13- Merry Christmas!- Yay!
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- Go! - POPPING
0:57:18 > 0:57:22There is, as ever, always one more job to be done.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28- JOHN:- Some people may think that, you know, it's a bit hard
0:57:28 > 0:57:32having to work at Christmas Day but when you get scenery like this
0:57:32 > 0:57:36every day of your life, it's just pretty special.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37Wouldn't change it for the world.
0:57:39 > 0:57:40Hey, Kay?
0:57:46 > 0:57:50Next time, the new year brings more wild weather for Sandy.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Just about the worst storm we've had for ten years.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Good few tiles off the roof.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Martin and Mel scan their pregnant ewes ahead of the lambing season.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09Ideally, twins in every ewe.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13Just for the fact a ewe's got two teats, two lambs,
0:58:13 > 0:58:14matches out pretty perfect.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17- Three!- Oh, no, really, John?
0:58:17 > 0:58:18Triplet!
0:58:18 > 0:58:23And one of John's bulls fails to make the grade at an important sale.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27That's like the long walk of shame. All the way back with a red dot.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30Delighted that you guys are here to capture the moment(!)