0:00:02 > 0:00:06Across some of the most beautiful and remote landscapes of the British Isles...
0:00:06 > 0:00:10There's not many views like that. It's absolutely stunning.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Scotland's farmers work day and night...
0:00:12 > 0:00:14SHEEP BLEATS
0:00:14 > 0:00:15..producing our milk...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Come on.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18..and our meat.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Trying out new ideas...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Buffalo doesn't want to do something,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23you're going to find it very difficult.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Hey!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28..and striving to turn a profit in tough economic times.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30We're struggling, we're definitely struggling.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32A new rosette.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33Over the course of a year,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38six very different families let cameras onto their farms...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Everything that could have gone wrong there went wrong.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45The idea of lying on a beach, bliss!
0:00:45 > 0:00:46..to share their struggles...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49We have to get her out, or she's going to die.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50..and their triumphs.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- Thank you. - THEY LAUGH
0:00:52 > 0:00:55It's not about the pay cheque. It's about the lifestyle.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09It's autumn.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Nature is beginning to wind down.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19But for Scotland's farmers, the hard work never stops.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's one of the busiest times of the year.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24The days are getting shorter.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26We've still got 400 ewes to get off the hill.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30The cows are still to come in.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34There's just a whole lot of stuff around the farm we just need to get done.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Appin, on the west coast of Scotland.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50A rugged landscape of heather-clad hills, stretching for miles.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53To thrive on this rough upland terrain,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57you need hardy livestock and resilient farmers.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59What a nice day. Nice colours.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Sandra and David Coltart run a traditional hill farm.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07They keep cattle and sheep,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10that for much of the year roam freely over 3,000 acres.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Today, they're rounding up a group of ewes.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19The mating season, or tupping time, is fast approaching.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24So, the ewes need to be brought in off the hills for a health check.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Well, we're hoping that we're going to get our little puckle of sheep in.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31If the dogs do what they're told, that would be a bonus.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33DOG BARKS
0:02:33 > 0:02:35What are you barking at?
0:02:35 > 0:02:36- Stupid dog.- Silly dog.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Wait. Wait.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45September's been terrible, because we've had a lot of rain and mist,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47so when the weather does come good,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50then you've got a blitz the stuff you have to do and everyone wants to get things done.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54On a hill farm, livestock are truly free-range.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Farmers spend many hours rounding up their sheep.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58It's known as a gather.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01With so much ground to cover,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06the task would be impossible without the help of a farmer's best friend.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08David has Chance, and I have June.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Chance can be extremely stubborn when he wants to, but he's a very
0:03:13 > 0:03:15good dog, good stamina.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19June, she's a bit of a novice on the hill, but she's been used for trials
0:03:19 > 0:03:20and she's done quite well at trials.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24They're like our kids, these dogs, really, so, kind of silly,
0:03:24 > 0:03:25cos we don't have any kids, so...
0:03:25 > 0:03:27SHE LAUGHS
0:03:27 > 0:03:29These are the babies.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Working sheep in a field is one thing, but out on a
0:03:32 > 0:03:36hill, the dogs must first find the sheep -
0:03:36 > 0:03:38a skill that takes years to learn.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Some dogs will really only go out and get sheep if they can see them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45But our dogs have to learn to put their nose to the ground and keep
0:03:45 > 0:03:49casting out until it actually comes across the sheep.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Once you have a good hill dog, you never part with them,
0:03:52 > 0:03:53cos they get to know their job.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54You can fix your bike,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58you can replace your tractor and your car, but you cannot replace a good hill dog.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Look! That's her command to look for sheep.
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Look!
0:04:06 > 0:04:07A SHEEP BLEATS
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Chance and June have found the sheep.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Lie down, Chance. Now stay there.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Now Sandra and David need to deploy some human teamwork.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19San's going down here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I'm going up to this part up here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24And I'll go down on the ridge.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29San'll walk parallel with me and she'll keep an eye that I'm not going too
0:04:29 > 0:04:32far forward, because the sheep are quite prone at nipping back between us.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Chance, come on.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:04:43 > 0:04:44We've got this moor
0:04:44 > 0:04:46in the middle and mull in the background.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It's nice to see it, when you can see it, and it is a beautiful view.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Sandra's pushing the sheep from below.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57Just wait there!
0:04:57 > 0:04:59If they don't want to lose them,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02David will have to put down the camera and focus on his flock.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15In the south-west of Scotland,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18the Roan family has been raising and milking cows on these rolling
0:05:18 > 0:05:21coastal hills since 1898.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The sixth generation of this dairy dynasty,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30brothers Stuart and Steven Roan run two neighbouring farms with their dad Derek.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37We all work together.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39We're all running the dairy business,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42we're running it on two separate farms.
0:05:42 > 0:05:48They're close enough to share machinery, but yet far enough
0:05:48 > 0:05:52apart for each family to have their own space,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57do their own thing and make most of their own day-to-day decisions.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Steven and wife Tracey run their share of the family business from their
0:06:03 > 0:06:05farm, Boreland of Colvend.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And their children, Andrew, seven and Lucy, five,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13are already showing signs of keeping up the family tradition.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I would disappear for hours,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20and play on the farm with my sister and brother.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24It was a great upbringing. It was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Loved it. Total freedom.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29And so it's nice to know our kids have got the same.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35This is Andrew and Lucy's supposedly
0:06:35 > 0:06:37outdoor farm.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39SHE LAUGHS
0:06:39 > 0:06:41He's got some beef cows in there.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45He's got some dairy cows in this field!
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Andrew is, yeah, a born and bred farmer.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Better not stand on his hens.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52He's got some cockerels.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I think he gets Lucy, his sister, to come in and, like,
0:06:55 > 0:06:56be the gopher and help.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Oh, that's it. He rents fields out to Lucy, cos she has horses.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I can see some horses over here!
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Aye, there's some horses.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I'm not always that happy with the horses on the farm.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I mainly put them in fields away from the farm.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I like cows more than sheep and horses.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Andrew is about to put his passion into practice,
0:07:21 > 0:07:26as the whole family gears up for the South West Scotland Dairy Show.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28We'll work out what class Andrew's in.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Tracey is the show secretary.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34She helps to organise the event.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39But it's also a chance for the family to compete and show off their best animals.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40BUZZING
0:07:40 > 0:07:44This year, Andrew will be competing with three-month-old calf Bliss.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Dad Steven is getting her ready for the big event.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51At the moment, I've left...
0:07:52 > 0:07:54..the hair on her topline
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and also I've left the belly here on the calf.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02It's just helping to make the calf look as deep as possible.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Steven's also sprucing up his own prize hopeful,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10three-year-old pedigree Holstein Peachy.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15She's got quite a bit of venation in her udder,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17especially up the back of her udder.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21And you're looking for her udder to be well attached,
0:08:21 > 0:08:22this centre ligament.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25You want a good strong ligament for the attachment.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28That would point to the cow going to last a long time.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30COW MOOS
0:08:32 > 0:08:37You have to be quite a strong-willed person to do farming and to
0:08:37 > 0:08:39work with your husband full-time!
0:08:39 > 0:08:41But it's good, it's good.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42It's a nice way of life.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46SHAVER BUZZES
0:08:48 > 0:08:50So, we're just shaving her udder with really fine clippers,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54to make the veins show up as much as possible.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00She's got a good frame. She's got a good, deep, open body.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04She is looking quite good there.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07You never talk so fondly about me as you do about your cows!
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It's not just about looks.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's how you handle your cow in the ring.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Hold on tight.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19And with nearly 23st of boisterous heifer to handle,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22it's nowhere near as easy as it looks.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23You need a good strong arm.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24You need to...
0:09:25 > 0:09:28..put a bit of sort of weight, a bit of tension on the rope, just to...
0:09:30 > 0:09:31..keep her head up.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Hold on tight. That's it. On you go.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- You take her now.- No, you're fine. On you go.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36Look, I can't do the big bump.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Right, I'll take her when she goes to the step.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- Can you take her?- That's it.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42COW MOOS
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It's great from my point of view that Andrew is showing an interest.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I mean, obviously, it's not to say that he's definitely going to farm when
0:09:54 > 0:09:58he's older, but it's certainly, at the moment, it definitely looks that way.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It means all the work that
0:10:00 > 0:10:04my grandfather and father put in and the work that I'm putting in,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06that's all sort of carrying on.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10No, that's very important to us as a farming family.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16He's come on a lot.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20He had a wee wobble last night, but Steven gave him a pep talk,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24just about having his confidence and I think it's really helped.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Hopefully, it'll be all right on the night, as the saying goes.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You've got a little dirty nose.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Back across, Sandra.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49In Argyll, some misbehaving sheep are threatening the smooth running
0:10:49 > 0:10:50of David and Sandra's gather.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Domino effect. The ones just out of sight of us
0:10:55 > 0:10:59will start moving and the ones that see them will start moving and go forward.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The sheep are still scattered all over the hillside.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05They're not daft.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08There's ones down here that are trying to get into the
0:11:08 > 0:11:11trees, so hopefully Chance will see them and will turn them back round.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14The dogs are doing their jobs perfectly.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Chance, that'll do.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19And after 27 years together,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23David and Canadian-born Sandra are an efficient team.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Just wait there a moment, Sandra.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31The couple met at a pub when Sandra was in Scotland visiting relatives.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38I remember the thing that struck me the most about David, when he gave me
0:11:38 > 0:11:41a ride back down to the croft that night,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45he had this little diary in the console of his car,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47so I jokingly said,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50"Oh, what's this? A little diary full of women?"
0:11:50 > 0:11:52And he picked it up, and he said, "No, it's all my lambing dates."
0:11:52 > 0:11:55And I was like, "Oh, that's so sweet!"
0:11:55 > 0:11:57So I was like, "Oh, I think I kind of like this guy.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- "He's not like anybody I've ever met before." - SHE LAUGHS
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Lie down, Chance. Lie down!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06They seem to be mostly here, hopefully.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So, we'll just go down and take them into the yard.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Lie down!- Good girl.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Once in the fank, or handling pen,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the job is to separate the older ewes from the younger ones.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- You just tell me what you want me to do, that's what you always do anyway.- Exactly.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26The older ewes will be sent off for sale.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32The remaining sheep are next year's breeding ewes, so they're given an
0:12:32 > 0:12:35extra dose of nutrients to get them in tiptop shape for tupping.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39There's your vitamins for the year.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Have that rammed down your throat.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42It's a slow release. It sits in their stomach.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48The sheep are marked in a process called keeling.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It helps identify at a distance which farm the sheep belong to.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54This is the messiest job on the farm.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Putting the stock mark on.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59And if you're short of lipstick(!)
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Yeah. - SANDRA LAUGHS
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- Do you want us to put a wee bit of lipstick on you?- Yeah!
0:13:04 > 0:13:08People think sheep are stupid, but they're actually really smart.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And they know people's faces as well, yeah.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16When I'm in a field and I've got sheep that have been training a bit with my dogs,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'll go out and the sheep will run up and they'll look straight up into my face.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22They recognise me and they feel safe with me, cos they know I'll
0:13:22 > 0:13:24never let anything happen to them.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I never allow my dogs to grip them or be rough with them.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Come on, girls.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30So, yeah, they're very smart.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35The girls are keen to get back to the hills.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Take your time. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52They're meant to take their time.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05In the Highlands, in the far north-east of Scotland...
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Beautiful tatties.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12..autumn is harvest time for crofters Robin and Penny Calvert.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Well, we've been married 40 years just about now and so,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20we've been doing this sort of thing off and on,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22depending on what else we've been doing,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24right the way through.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's one of the things that's always given us a little pleasure.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30You know, getting our own food out of the ground.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Well, we have our ups and downs.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34- We do argue.- No, we don't!
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- Yes, we do!- No, we don't!
0:14:37 > 0:14:38There you go!
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Robin and Penny moved here 25 years ago,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49taking on a disused croft -
0:14:49 > 0:14:53a type of smallholding unique to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Watch out!
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Through sheer hard graft,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03they've turned 110 acres of rough land
0:15:03 > 0:15:05into a fully working croft that now
0:15:05 > 0:15:07supplies them with most of their food
0:15:07 > 0:15:11and helps support a small butchery business that sells meat and pies.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Their main source of income is from their 23 Highland cattle.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Grab that gate, then, when they come through.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23The Highlanders thrive outside.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25A lot of folk will say with the Highlands,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27you just put them on rough ground and they'll do well.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29They don't. They survive.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31If you treat Highlanders well and look after them,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33and give them plenty of grub during the winter and things,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35they do very nicely indeed.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36Come on, in you go.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Grab that gate, pet. You need a lot of hands in a job like this, really.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Ideally. Whoa!
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Brandy, get back.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Come on. Unfortunately, being single-handed crofting, with my wife,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49who's not as able as she used to be - I mean, she does what she can -
0:15:49 > 0:15:53it can be quite tricky. Come on.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56That's it, Pen, well done. Right, that's fine.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Right, that's them.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00OK, I've got to go down and get the rest now.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02HE WHISTLES
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Today, Robin's gathering in the herd, known as a fold,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08for a routine TB test.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09HE WHISTLES
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Bovine TB, or tuberculosis, is a
0:16:14 > 0:16:17contagious and potentially deadly disease,
0:16:17 > 0:16:18though it's rare in Scotland.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21HE SHOUTS
0:16:23 > 0:16:26The TB tests are basically a public health requirement. I suppose,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30basically, it's a government insurance that we pay for.
0:16:30 > 0:16:31HE CHUCKLES
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Ho!
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Free-range Highland cattle like Robin's usually rub along well together.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Ginger, you're a horrible thing.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Come on, get off.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43But when put together in close quarters,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47they'll fight to establish a pecking order, bullying the weakest,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49like 15-year-old Misey.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Hey, come on.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Come on, Misey. Misey, Misey, come on.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58Problem over.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02They don't like her.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04And they seem to be bullying her a bit in there,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07so be as well to just keep them apart from each other at the
0:17:07 > 0:17:09moment. Right,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I'd better go and find the vet and we'll see what's happening.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Local vet Paul Morrison will be taking on the task of TB testing...
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- Whoa!- ..cautiously!
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Testing these things with horns, it's not the easiest!
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Pecking order going on here.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Highlands are nice in the field, but working with them's hard work.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33You're never quite sure when one's going to poke you in the back!
0:17:35 > 0:17:38You've got to keep your wits about you all the time when you're
0:17:38 > 0:17:39handling cattle like this.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Whoa!
0:17:41 > 0:17:42That'll do. We've got one.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47A bit wary that I'm coming in here now.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51First, they need to get them into the race, or cattle restraint.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Go on, you can do it. You can do it. Go on.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Get your head through.- Getting four-feet-wide horns through a
0:17:57 > 0:18:0020-inch restraint requires a bit of skill.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03No, it's going to be a rope job.
0:18:04 > 0:18:10Let's see if we can get one antler through. I think the rest will come.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Come on.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14She's through, Paul.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Oh, Paul. Grab the lock!
0:18:18 > 0:18:20She's done it. Has she closed it?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- Yeah.- Not quite.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24It's done. Is it?
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Whisht, whisht!
0:18:25 > 0:18:30We're going to just inject a tiny amount of tuberculin today and we
0:18:30 > 0:18:34come back in three days' time and just see if there's been a reaction to it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Go on, Mary. Out you go. No, not backwards, you daft cow!
0:18:37 > 0:18:39That way.
0:18:39 > 0:18:40Come on.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Poor old Misey is the last in.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Come on, Misey. You can do it. I know you've had a tough morning, but
0:18:47 > 0:18:50you can do it. Get up there. Come on, up you go.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Up you go.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53There's a girl. Come on.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55There's a girl.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59There you go. Perfection!
0:18:59 > 0:19:02She's actually got to the stage, she's a total pain, this cow.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04You bring everybody else up from the wood,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07you've got to spend half an hour going looking for her.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Why have you still got her? Sentimental?
0:19:10 > 0:19:11I'm not going to answer that!
0:19:11 > 0:19:13HE LAUGHS
0:19:13 > 0:19:16She's one of the first ones we had and she doesn't owe me a penny
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and she's been a good old cow, you know.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21What do we do with her? You know, she's here till she's finished.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Come on, out you go.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Good girl.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Go on, you geriatric ruin!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Have you time for a coffee?
0:19:34 > 0:19:35No, probably not, no. Thanks anyway.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Okey doke. Right, we'll leave you to it. If you want to wash
0:19:38 > 0:19:40your boots, there's a bin just by the kitchen window.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Okey dokey. Thanks, Paul.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43All right, cheers.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Thanks a lot. Right, we'll just have a tidy up here.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49The TB results should come back in three days.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Move back, move back.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Now if the result, for whatever
0:19:55 > 0:19:58reason, proves positive, in other words,
0:19:58 > 0:19:59we've got
0:19:59 > 0:20:01a problem within the fold, that
0:20:01 > 0:20:04triggers all sorts of horrible things
0:20:04 > 0:20:07that we don't want to discuss at this point.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I'm not expecting it, but if by chance we did have a problem within
0:20:11 > 0:20:13the fold, that would put us into complete shutdown.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43On the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47new-entrant farmers Janet and Alastair Taylor are trying to stay
0:20:47 > 0:20:49on top of the endless list of autumn tasks.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55So in the autumn, it can be quite a busy time for us.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58We've got lambs to go to sale,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01so there's a lot to do and it's quite a high-pressure time to get
0:21:01 > 0:21:03ready for the year ahead.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Janet and Alastair rent a 700-acre farm on the south of the island,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10where they rear sheep and a handful of cattle.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15The couple were hired hands before taking on their own farm five years
0:21:15 > 0:21:22ago. They started with nothing - no farm, no animals and no cash.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27We went to the bank for all of our money, but we managed to agree
0:21:27 > 0:21:29great deals with local farmers and
0:21:29 > 0:21:34friends for buying stock, so that really saved us.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38It was, it was really hard and it nearly broke Janet and I,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42not as a couple, but just broke our spirits and our passion for farming.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45SHE CALLS OUT
0:21:45 > 0:21:51So many tears, so much heartache, so much trouble, but we got there,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54we got there.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Today, they're bringing in the lambs to get them ready to sell.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Helping them are four of their nine dogs.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Sit down!
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We used to have a running joke that every time someone suggested we had
0:22:07 > 0:22:09kids, we got another dog!
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Lie down.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16But now that's getting out of hand, so we'd better stop buying dogs!
0:22:16 > 0:22:19And just like kids, not all the dogs are well-behaved.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21SHE SHOUTS
0:22:21 > 0:22:23SHE WHISTLES
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Come here!
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Come here!
0:22:27 > 0:22:29You!
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Janet and Alastair depend on paid contract work and subsidies to make
0:22:35 > 0:22:36ends meet.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40But the annual lamb sale is the only time they can make money from their
0:22:40 > 0:22:43livestock. So it's time for a makeover.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48We'll put them into the U-bend.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50We'll see if there's any dirty tails.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55They run the lambs through a curved handling pen, also known as a race.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Sheep are easier to manage and move when they can't see ahead of them.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02These ones are actually all all right,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05cos their tails are completely dried up,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07so it's all dry shit that's on it.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I'm just going to tidy it up a wee bit so it doesn't look quite so bad.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14A tail trim needs a steady hand.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19This one that should be worried about it -
0:23:19 > 0:23:21I don't want it slipping - cut it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Shaping her, making her look pretty!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34You're disappearing. You stop jumping.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36I don't know if you can make this arse look pretty!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Eating too many curries, boy!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Eugh!
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Right, done.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Now will be the job of sorting them out into their different lots.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59These six-month-old lambs, known as store lambs,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02will be sold on to other farmers to be fattened up for meat.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06When they go to auction, they'll be sold in batches,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08ideally of equal size.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14The idea is that you're putting in the best lambs all in together and
0:24:14 > 0:24:17the slightly poorer lambs all in together.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Nice, big lambs, we want the buyers to see the nice, big lambs,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25not be drawn to the little lambs that don't quite fit in the group.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28This pen down here, looking at it, is almost the small pen.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30For every lamb that doesn't make the grade,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34there's another who's upwardly mobile.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Come, boy. Come on, you're getting promoted.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Janet and Alastair's hopes for profit ride on one group.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44This is our top-drawer.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47This is the one that hopefully makes the most amount of money per head,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51so it's very important to us. This is the only point that this
0:24:51 > 0:24:55farm actually produces any money from for us, is when we sell the lambs.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's...really frightening...
0:24:59 > 0:25:02actually, because a bad sale is
0:25:02 > 0:25:05really bad. It affects everything.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It affects everything for the next year.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Over six months of hard work has gone into getting their lambs to
0:25:11 > 0:25:15this point. But they still have to get their sheep off the island.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Now the couple have to hope the weather and the markets are on their side.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Back down in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35dairy farmers the Roans are also hoping their hard work will pay off.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I think I'm being over-adventurous trying to fit this in the car.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44It's the South West Scotland Dairy Show and team Roan is mobilising.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49Yeah, it's quite nerve-racking and certainly competitive.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It's always a sort of step into the unknown,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54when you take an animal to a show.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04The dairy show is held every autumn in Castle Douglas.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It's a local event
0:26:06 > 0:26:08where farmers come together to show off their best cows.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Three-year-old Peachey and young calf Bliss are getting their final
0:26:14 > 0:26:18touches before they take to the stage.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23It's something I very much enjoy, getting your stock ready for a show.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's not just about producing milk.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We're trying to breed a herd of cows that we're really proud of.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31It's a bit of a shop window, if you like.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34To show other farmers the type of stock that you're breeding.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The cattle aren't the only ones to scrub up well.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45Grandad Derek is here to make sure dairy show traditions are kept up in
0:26:45 > 0:26:47- style.- Holstein cattle,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51the handlers dress up in white, the way Brook is here.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And the way Steven's got below his boiler suit now and Andrew's got his
0:26:55 > 0:26:58whites on. White is not the most practical colour,
0:26:58 > 0:27:03but it looks really smart. Let's see what that's like.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- That about right?- Perfect!
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Perfect.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12It's something that's always nice to see at the shows, is the youngsters
0:27:12 > 0:27:16taking calves. I took some calves to shows when I was young as well,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20something I always remember and something that probably started off
0:27:20 > 0:27:22my interest in that side of things.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29You're always a bit apprehensive till you see how things are going,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31but it's obviously... You're quite proud to see them doing it.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It's time for Andrew to go into the ring.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41- ANNOUNCER:- This is the junior calf class, heifer calf - to be born in 2016.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48So we have two classes, the junior, and the senior.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50The judge is looking for form,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53cleanliness and grooming in the calf
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and good showmanship from the handler.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59But the young calf is playing up.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08ANDREW SOBS
0:28:08 > 0:28:11It's OK, it's OK. We'll get it again. Are you OK? We'll get it.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13You OK? Good boy. Come on, you're doing really well.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Come on. You come with me. Come with me.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17My heart kind of went, there!
0:28:18 > 0:28:22- Did you bump your elbow. I could hear it in the middle of the ring. - You're OK.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Good boy.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26It'll be good now. You keep a tight hold.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Good boy.- Yeah,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- but it'll just run away again. - It won't. You just remember.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32It's going to run away again.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36No, it won't. If you're confident, remember, confidence.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40A pep talk from Dad and Andrew's back in the game.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43The boy's doing well.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48I don't think he looks very happy, though.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51He got a wee fright, but you know, he's got to learn.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53So, yeah, OK. I think I'm OK.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01The calf's just playing up a wee bit.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04He'll get there, though, hopefully.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08I just told him to make sure the calf knows that he's the boss.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13The judge has made his final decision.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Andrew takes third place.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Well done, Andrew.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- I'll help you. Come on.- You go with Daddy.- Come with me.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Considering he got quite a nasty knock,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49I think he's done remarkably well and it was a big class, so do you know...
0:29:49 > 0:29:51No, I'm pretty proud of him.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54You did so well.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Did you get a wee bump?
0:29:56 > 0:29:59You're so brave.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01What did we get? What's that?
0:30:01 > 0:30:05You've got £20. And what are we going to spend that on?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- Tractors!- Tractors!
0:30:09 > 0:30:14And to top it all, Steven seals team Roan's success with first
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- place for Peachey.- First place just shows a tremendous ring presence and
0:30:18 > 0:30:21cleanness throughout and cleaner through her neck, cleaner right down
0:30:21 > 0:30:24through her brisket. Showing great youthfulness in her udder.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26The udder shaving paid off.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32That makes it a bit more worthwhile when you're sort of standing higher
0:30:32 > 0:30:34up the class. No, it's really good.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36I'm just fair chuffed.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Autumn is a time when farmers take advantage of the last good weather,
0:30:46 > 0:30:47to prepare for winter.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54And in Argyll, hill farmer David has a rather fragrant task to undertake.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01The cattle will soon need to come in,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04but while they're out enjoying the last of the warm weather,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07David can access the empty sheds...
0:31:07 > 0:31:09and what lies beneath.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12Slurry.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17Each pen has a set number of cows and all the dung that is produced
0:31:17 > 0:31:20from them falls in below the slats into a ten-foot tank below.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27And that agitator just mixes it up into a kind of soup-like substance
0:31:27 > 0:31:30that is easy to put out in the fields.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34The slurry from last year has settled at the bottom of the tank
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and needs to be mixed up before being spread on the fields,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40which sounds harmless, but is far from it.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45When the agitation is going on, it produces hydrogen sulphide,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47which is a very dangerous gas,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50especially when we first start mixing it at the start of the season,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53when it's been settled for a while, so I have a gas detector,
0:31:53 > 0:31:58which I wear and that protects me from getting overcome with the gas.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Very fragrant!
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I'm not allowed into the house without actually stripping all the
0:32:06 > 0:32:08stuff down - because I stink!
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Once the slurry has been mixed,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17it becomes a natural fertiliser to put on fields.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19A job that needs good weather...
0:32:21 > 0:32:22..and a thumping soundtrack!
0:32:24 > 0:32:26MUSIC PLAYS: Highway To Hell by AC/DC
0:32:41 > 0:32:44The slurry is like a kind of high-powered nutrition that just
0:32:44 > 0:32:46kind of gives the grass a shot in the arm,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50just to give it a last wee boost before the frost starts.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54It's nice and dry.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57The ground conditions are good and hopefully,
0:32:57 > 0:33:0040 or 50 loads may well go out over the next few days.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Just having fun, enjoying the radio, bombing along!
0:33:08 > 0:33:10While David gets spreading...
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Hey, buddy.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17..sheepdog trainer Sandra is trying out five-month-old puppy, Snip.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19We'll shut that over.
0:33:19 > 0:33:20DOGS BARK LOUDLY
0:33:20 > 0:33:22I think they're a bit jealous.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Snip is her youngest collie, but Sandra has high hopes he'll have a
0:33:27 > 0:33:29stellar career as a sheepdog.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34His great-great-grandfather Snip was one of my first dogs and one of the
0:33:34 > 0:33:38best dogs I've ever had, so I decided I would like to have another one like that,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42so I'm hoping that he's going to live up to his name.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Well, so far, he seems to be
0:33:43 > 0:33:46doing OK.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48Some pups will really make a mess,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51they'll run through the sheep and take a hold with their teeth and
0:33:51 > 0:33:54pull chunks of wool out and scatter the sheep all over the field.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55They think it's great fun.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Good boy!
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Good boy!
0:34:01 > 0:34:04See, I can't put any commands on him, because he doesn't know anything.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06His instincts are just
0:34:06 > 0:34:08keep the sheep to the handler...
0:34:09 > 0:34:13...basically. Good boy.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16That's how his grandfather, his great-grandfather started out as well.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20It can take up to four years for a sheepdog to reach its prime.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Get to the end of this rope. Come here!
0:34:24 > 0:34:28I've been training sheepdogs for about 25 years now.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Lots of things can go wrong when you take them out to sheep for the first
0:34:31 > 0:34:34time, they won't listen to you at all.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38It's a job that needs patience, commitment and a sense of humour.
0:34:38 > 0:34:39There we go.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41That was fun. Oh!
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Yep! That was my fault.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Slippery rope. Come here, come here.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Come here.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Oh, no! That's awful!
0:34:57 > 0:34:59This is where the fun starts!
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Catch him!
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Stand on his rope. I've got you!
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Right. Good boy.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12The rope was slippery. Slipped right out of my hand.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13He's wanting to go again.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16He's basically showing that
0:35:16 > 0:35:19he wants to go around and keep them together,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22which is good and he's balancing them to me,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24which is also good.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Oh, he's a good lad!
0:35:29 > 0:35:32He's so cute.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35If he's anything like his great-great-grandfather, well,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38he was a good trial dog and I did quite well with him, so...
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Here's hoping that he's going to follow in his paw prints, basically.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44His paw steps!
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Over. Over.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Over. Good girl.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55Right, I want one.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00150 miles away in the far north,
0:36:00 > 0:36:05Highland crofter Robin is having better luck with his trusty sidekick Meg.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Right, on you go. On you go.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09On you go. Good girl.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Hold it there, hold it there. Right,
0:36:11 > 0:36:15that's immobilised now and then we'll turn her over.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Have a look at her feet.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24There's no two ways about it.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Half the reason I've got these on here this year is just to keep the dog happy,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31because without her sheep, she wouldn't have an awful lot to do, you know,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33apart from the cattle.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35Leave it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's been three days since Robin's cattle had their TB test.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44The results have come in.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Well, it's Friday afternoon.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49We've had the vet out again this morning.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55We had a, fortunately, a clear TB test.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57No problems there. So we're all quite happy with that.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Now both he and Penny can concentrate on gearing up for the winter ahead.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Absolutely fabulous day.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08First real hard frost we've had.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Getting all that Scotch mist coming up Loch Fleet there.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Over the years, Robin's worked hard to clear and improve his 110 acres.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27But he's also kept around 40 acres as woodland, which makes the croft
0:37:27 > 0:37:29more self-sufficient.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Right, this is just making use of fallen birch timber and this was a
0:37:33 > 0:37:36big tree that came down a few weeks ago.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And this will be used for putting on the Rayburn at home.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41This stuff has kept us going for...
0:37:42 > 0:37:46..24, 25 years now in bits and pieces,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48various Rayburns, keeping them going and...
0:37:48 > 0:37:50it's an excellent fuel.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53And it's there for the use.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55It's part of the croft economy, as far as we're concerned.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57It's saving us having to buy the stuff in.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I mean, that's what? Half an hour's cutting there.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03That'll keep us going for about four days, which gives us
0:38:03 > 0:38:06all our heating,
0:38:06 > 0:38:11all our hot water and the majority of the cooking.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26It's called crofting.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30You either take on crofting the whole hog or you just don't do it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36We've created everything that we've got here.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Started with it just being a patch of nettles
0:38:41 > 0:38:43and rushes.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46There weren't any fences. All the fences were due to be replaced,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49so Robin has actually put in every single fence.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53He's built the gates
0:38:53 > 0:38:56and he's built the gates to fit the contours of the hill.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58He's done that with all the gates.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02They all fit exactly, so he's quite a precision artist.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12We moved into the house in
0:39:12 > 0:39:171992 and we came over here just before Christmas.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19And it was snowing,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22then we got into the house
0:39:22 > 0:39:25to find that the water was frozen.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28There was no electric, there was no telephone and so,
0:39:28 > 0:39:34we cooked stews on the peat fire and sat on the sofa and it was just
0:39:34 > 0:39:39delightful. We had plenty of candles and we didn't care a bit!
0:39:39 > 0:39:40And it was like that for three days.
0:39:42 > 0:39:4625 years of hard work have gone into turning disused land into the
0:39:46 > 0:39:48productive croft they have today.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Right, tea break.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57But six years ago, Penny began to struggle with the workload.
0:39:58 > 0:40:04We're getting there. I actually gave up my teaching back in 2011.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09My work was getting slower and slower and I had to just call a halt.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I hadn't worked out, I hadn't even thought about Parkinson's then and
0:40:12 > 0:40:15it was another three years before it was diagnosed.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21But I was getting really tired then, so I just had to stop.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I think if you've got something wrong with you,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29you've just got to grin and bear it, work out what your limits are.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32And just get on with it.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38I've still got my motivation and motability.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I sleep a lot.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47I have to take a 40-minute kip after lunch,
0:40:47 > 0:40:52but I can usually recharge and it's a funny thing that if you feel like
0:40:52 > 0:40:55putting your feet up,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59the best way around that is to go for a walk or unload some timber,
0:40:59 > 0:41:03because it's the circulation which is slowing your body down,
0:41:03 > 0:41:07so you keep the circulation going, and you feel a lot better.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11While Parkinson's is incurable,
0:41:11 > 0:41:16for now, staying active is key for Penny, which is just as well,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19as work on a croft never stops.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22I've got the hens to feed and turn out their water.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And the doorstep cleaned, because it's got pen muck on it.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Never leave a rake upside down.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I know, to the detriment of my face!
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Over on the Isle of Mull,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51it's a big day for new farmers Janet and Alastair,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53who are on their way to sell their lambs.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Luckily, the weather is on their side and the ferry is on time.
0:42:01 > 0:42:07On board, 59 sale lambs, three dogs and two nervous farmers.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09At least we're lucky, Janet,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11cos there's no point stressing about whether or not we're going to get
0:42:11 > 0:42:15good prices, cos by now, it's too late. We're going today and that's it.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Because we live on the island here,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24and it costs so much in time and money to go off the island,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26when we go to the sale,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28there's no choice other than sell the lambs.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38AUCTIONEER SHOUTS BIDS
0:42:40 > 0:42:42They reach Dalmally auction in good time,
0:42:42 > 0:42:46giving Alastair the chance to suss out any potential competition.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52When you look around, ours look less bedraggled.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57I'm really happy with the way they're looking.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Having had them in overnight and the last day,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03they're looking very fluffy and very dry,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06so it makes them look fuller and they stuffed themselves with silage
0:43:06 > 0:43:09last night, so they're still looking reasonably full this morning.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17A buzz at the ringside is what every seller hopes for.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21The lamb prices have been in a slump for the last two years and today,
0:43:21 > 0:43:22trade is slow.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Once they factor in the costs of raising the lambs and getting them
0:43:27 > 0:43:30to market, they'll need an average
0:43:30 > 0:43:33of £35 per sheep to make even a small profit.
0:43:36 > 0:43:3919.50 for them three in the rings.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- How much? - £19.50.- £19.50.
0:43:47 > 0:43:48Trade's not great.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59In the south-west,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03the rosettes and show whites are packed away and it's back to
0:44:03 > 0:44:08business for dairy farmers the Roan family.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Come on!
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Come on.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Their dairy cows need milking and today it's Tracey's turn to
0:44:18 > 0:44:20round them up.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Go on, girls. In you go. Come on.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31I always remember when Steven trained me -
0:44:31 > 0:44:32he said, "If you remember anything,
0:44:32 > 0:44:36"always remember to put your milk pipe across into the tank."
0:44:37 > 0:44:40This is what basically carries the milk through
0:44:40 > 0:44:44into here. If I didn't put this over, the milk
0:44:44 > 0:44:47would just run out into the ground, and that would be it gone
0:44:47 > 0:44:50and yeah, that would be disastrous.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Major, major...
0:44:52 > 0:44:54What could he do, sack me?!
0:44:57 > 0:44:58I might get a break if he did!
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Get a wee holiday!
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Right, let's rock and roll!
0:45:11 > 0:45:12Everything is run on a vacuum.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15It's like a Hoover. It needs suction.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17So think like a breast pump, basically!
0:45:17 > 0:45:22It takes on average three and a half hours to milk the entire herd
0:45:22 > 0:45:24twice a day, every day.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Cows are just like us women, we're just kind of built the same.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30We all come in different shapes and sizes and we produce milk.
0:45:31 > 0:45:37Pedigree Holsteins can produce up to 8,500 litres of milk a year.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40That's 41 pints a day per cow.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43It's these girls that keep our bread and butter,
0:45:43 > 0:45:47keep our roof over our heads, so, like, if we didn't have these girls,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49we wouldn't have what we have.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Steven is checking the afternoon's takings.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Tonight, there was 2,165 kilos.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07That was off of 167 cows.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09So it's probably fairly average.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13Once the cows are shut in during the day, they'll produce more milk.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17It's intensive work,
0:46:17 > 0:46:21especially when the most the family will make is 2p per litre.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Milk prices have hit farmers hard.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27Half of British dairy farmers have gone out of business in the past
0:46:27 > 0:46:2915 years.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31The milk price is a huge thing for us.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34It is a worry.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37It does annoy me when you see the price of a two-litre jug and you think,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40"That's just giving it away."
0:46:40 > 0:46:44You need to be resilient to be a dairy farmer these days, and I suppose you
0:46:44 > 0:46:47need to be, in a way, you need to be quite brave.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Going forward, I think, it's basically probably going to be boom or bust.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Are we ready to go?
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- We are.- Aye, the second pen first, if that's all right.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Further north, at Dalmally auction,
0:47:10 > 0:47:14a decent profit is also on the minds of new farmers Janet and Alastair.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19It's their only chance this year to bring in cash for their farm and
0:47:19 > 0:47:22their sale lambs are next in the ring.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25- Janet.- Yes? - Ticket.- Thank you.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Trade is down today, so Alastair deploys a cunning strategy.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33I've sent Janet into the ring, cos she's smaller,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36so she makes the lambs look bigger.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38- Thank you.- That's OK.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44To make any money today, they'll need an average of £35 per lamb.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Thank you.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56It's one of the sad states of farming that, you know, one sale can
0:47:56 > 0:47:59just make or break you with regards to making money for it.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05We're just having to hope for the best.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17Their first batch go for just £30 each.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19It's not a good start.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35The second batch manage £32 each, slightly better,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38but everything now rests on their top-draw lambs.
0:48:38 > 0:48:4341. At £41. At £41.
0:48:43 > 0:48:4741, 41. 41. At 42.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49At 43, at 44,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53at 44. Six, seven, eight.
0:48:53 > 0:48:5948. 50. It's 50. £48.50.
0:49:02 > 0:49:0548.50...
0:49:07 > 0:49:11They go for £48.50 each, a good price...
0:49:11 > 0:49:15giving them a total profit of just under £2,000.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19I'm quite a pessimist and I like to think if I average £35,
0:49:19 > 0:49:23then I'm doing all right but our average there was 38,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26so that's not too bad.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29We're not going to go home and open the champagne, but...
0:49:29 > 0:49:32We can definitely afford the new trailer.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- We can get the new trailer, yeah. - The bale trailer. Some feeding.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38- A bit of Tesco's shopping.- Yeah, next one's to get some shopping.
0:49:43 > 0:49:48What's important to us is having a good, happy life and not be rich.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06In the far north,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Highland crofter Robin's also busy trying to boost his finances.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14We did get dirty today.
0:50:14 > 0:50:19To bring in extra money, they sell croft-reared meat and home-made pies.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Crofts, per se, were never, ever meant to be a living.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27They were never meant to be a livelihood.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29You go back into the history of crofting...
0:50:29 > 0:50:34But everybody that has a croft has a different source of income one way
0:50:34 > 0:50:36or another.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37This is beautiful meat.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Like Janet and Alastair,
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Robin used to sell lambs at auction but struggled to make a profit.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51If we put it through the ring, as a live animal,
0:50:51 > 0:50:53you're probably looking at
0:50:53 > 0:50:56anywhere between £40 and £60 at today's prices,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59depending on just how the markets are going.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02Doing this is where we add a tremendous amount of value into them.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04It's about added value. You know,
0:51:04 > 0:51:08it's getting the maximum return out of the animals that we possibly can.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12The croft makes approximately three times more per lamb by selling their
0:51:12 > 0:51:14animals as butchered meat.
0:51:14 > 0:51:19To do that, Robin built his own cutting room and taught himself butchery.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23Doing what we're doing, producing completely birth-to-plate,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26is very good for the produce.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31But everything we produce on here has got two purposes.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33It's either towards self-sufficiency -
0:51:33 > 0:51:35and I hate that expression,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39cos it really does scream sort of Good Life,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41woolly-back stuff which we are absolutely not into.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44There's too much work in here for that.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47But we do really believe very,
0:51:47 > 0:51:52very strongly in making the croft wash its face as far as it can.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55We're making a living, we're paying the bills,
0:51:55 > 0:51:59but we're never going to get rich from it, you know.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00Right.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03We need a smoke and we need a cup of tea, I think.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Yes?
0:52:05 > 0:52:07While the butchery helps the croft pay for itself,
0:52:07 > 0:52:11it also allows Penny to step back from farming duties.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16You're being a sook. You're being an absolute sook, aren't you?
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Go on, on your chair.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Is that a pot-full of coffee on there, Penny?
0:52:21 > 0:52:24- No, but it could be.- That sounds like a good idea to me, that.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Are you needing a snooze, or are you dithering?
0:52:27 > 0:52:29I just did too much this morning.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32OK. Have you taken your pills?
0:52:32 > 0:52:33I will do in half an hour.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Have you tried taking about ten at once, to see what happens?
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Well, the problem is,
0:52:40 > 0:52:44your body gets used to them, and then they run out of their efficacy.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47Yeah, but you could have a lot of fun on the way past, couldn't you?
0:52:47 > 0:52:48LAUGHTER
0:52:48 > 0:52:52I've never met a sort of hyperactive Parkinson patient, you know!
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Here you are.
0:52:57 > 0:52:58Taste.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Not much wrong with those at all.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15Back down in the south-west,
0:53:15 > 0:53:19the day's milking is finally over for the Roans, but work never stops
0:53:19 > 0:53:21on a dairy farm.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Steven is in the barn, preparing for some new arrivals.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32This is what we would call the calving pen or the
0:53:32 > 0:53:34maternity ward, if you like.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41Ideally, you like to just get a constant sort of stream of
0:53:41 > 0:53:46pregnancies in your cows, so that you're getting cows calving all the time.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51As cows don't produce milk until they calve,
0:53:51 > 0:53:54the Roans depend on this constant cycle of pregnancies.
0:53:56 > 0:54:01Little heifer calves, they're the sort of lifeblood of the farm.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03They're the future, future generation.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06They'll all be milking animals in two years' time.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15You know they're healthy enough if you see them skipping about like that.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23I just basically love working with cows.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25It's my hobby as well as my job.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36There's no clocking off in farming,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39especially when it comes to pregnant cows.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41It's almost nine in the evening
0:54:41 > 0:54:45and Tracey's concerned about first-time mum Daisy.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51COW BELLOWS
0:54:51 > 0:54:54The feet are out, so, yeah, it's imminent.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59She wasn't really progressing, but now, there's two feet there,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03so I'm just going to check that the head's definitely there as well,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05just to make sure it's been presented the correct way.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16This is her first calf. It's just a heifer.
0:55:17 > 0:55:22So there's never as much room when they're just a first-time.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25The head's there OK.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29Heifers are young cows that haven't had their first calf.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33They're much more likely to suffer complications than mature cows.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36The skill is to know when to help.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40Intervene too soon and it could harm the cow's ability to calve in the
0:55:40 > 0:55:43- future.- I would rather just leave her half an hour,
0:55:43 > 0:55:46just... There's a fair chance, if we leave her in peace,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49she might just calve herself.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Steven goes to check on the other cows while Tracey stays behind to
0:55:54 > 0:55:55keep an eye on the labour.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Oh, she's laid down, look.
0:56:01 > 0:56:06There, you can see, like, she's like laid down and she's like pressing,
0:56:06 > 0:56:10so I think, as we have contractions, so she's starting to get there.
0:56:10 > 0:56:14She'll just be a bit unsure, because it is her first.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16She doesn't really know what's happening.
0:56:16 > 0:56:17There's no antenatal classes!
0:56:17 > 0:56:19LAUGHTER
0:56:19 > 0:56:20No gas and air or anything.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22COW BELLOWS
0:56:24 > 0:56:26That's a good sign.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33Sounds worse than it is.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Oh, I think that'll be the head.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42SHE BELLOWS
0:56:47 > 0:56:49Come on.
0:56:50 > 0:56:51It's a red and white.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55Come on.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58That's a girl, oh...
0:56:58 > 0:57:00There we go.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Come on.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10Every farmer wants a healthy calf, but for dairy farmers,
0:57:10 > 0:57:15the added hope is it's a girl that will go on to join the milking herd.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17It's a heifer! Yes!
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Ideal. Welcome to the world, eh!
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Good girl.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25Well done, lass.
0:57:25 > 0:57:26There you go, there's your baby.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34Phew, that was a success.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38You just needed a wee hand, didn't you?
0:57:39 > 0:57:41That's good.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46Oh, it is quite a good end to a long day.
0:57:46 > 0:57:47It's a really good end.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04Next time...
0:58:04 > 0:58:05GUNSHOT
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Alastair has set his sights on honing new skills for the farm.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Then you can see deer in everything.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18It's man versus very stubborn beast for buffalo farmer Stevie.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22The more you fight them, the more they go against you.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26And our old friends Mel and Martin introduce their new addition.
0:58:26 > 0:58:28Oh, she'll definitely be a sheep girl!
0:58:28 > 0:58:30Definitely.
0:58:30 > 0:58:31BABY CRIES OUT
0:58:31 > 0:58:32See?!