0:00:18 > 0:00:22Today I'm on a journey through the magnificent Highlands of Scotland.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Starting here, in Perthshire's Big Tree Country,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27and finishing at the beautiful Loch Katrine.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34From the Craigvinean Forest I head north
0:00:34 > 0:00:37to the historic village of Moulin
0:00:37 > 0:00:40and on to the picturesque town of Pitlochry.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43From there, I continue south-west to Loch Tay,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46stop off at Doune,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50before finishing on the waters of Loch Katrine.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55And along the way, I'll be looking back at the very best
0:00:55 > 0:00:59of the BBC's rural programmes from this part of the world.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01This is Country Tracks.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I'm starting my journey through this legendary landscape
0:01:07 > 0:01:12in one of Scotland's oldest managed forests, Craigvinean.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I'm meeting Charlie Taylor to find out more about Big Tree Country.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18- So we're in Big Tree Country? - Welcome to Perthshire.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20You're right in the heart of it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Fantastic. It looks so natural, but I'm led to believe
0:01:24 > 0:01:27- this is a man-made forest. - It is, but unlike many others
0:01:27 > 0:01:30this is quite an old forest, it was planted over...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32On the hill we're on, Craigvinean hill,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35it was planted by the Dukes of Atholl over 250 years ago.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38This side is managed by the Forest Commission of Scotland -
0:01:38 > 0:01:41the Atholl estate manage the other side of the glen,
0:01:41 > 0:01:42providing continuity.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48- Why did they plant a forest? - They were looking to improve the productivity of the estate back then.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52They introduced larch trees from the Alps in Europe in the 1750s.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54The first major planting was on this hill -
0:01:54 > 0:01:56they still have larch trees in this area.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It's part of a tradition of growing larch,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and they introduced conifers in this part of the world.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03I can see some snow on the hills behind us.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Are we in the Highlands here?
0:02:04 > 0:02:09We are on the cusp of the Highlands. This is the Highland Boundary Fault.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13We're almost sitting right on top of it as we look across the glen.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The Craigiebarns hill and the Craigvinean Hill
0:02:16 > 0:02:18are right on the boundary fault.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22There is a gap here, with the A9 going north, and the railway line,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25this is the main entrance to the Highlands in this part of the world.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28There is a river down there, I have seen a boat out there this morning.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- The River Tay, the biggest in Scotland.- This is a gateway, then?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33It's a gateway to the Big Tree Country
0:02:33 > 0:02:35but also to the whole of the Highlands.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38That makes this forest very important. It's a shop window,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- the first Forest you see as you come into the Highlands.- Excellent.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- Let's get into the forest, shall we? - Let's go.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57There is a wonderful smell of pine and fresh-cut timber in the air.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Have you been felling trees around this bit?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We've been felling out the overstorey.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06We're trying to allow the next generation of trees to come up
0:03:06 > 0:03:07under the existing ones.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10That's a practised called continuous cover foresting.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12It's relatively new in British terms.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It has been practised on the Continent for many generations.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18But we're just testing it out, and this is one of the test beds.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- The idea is that it keeps regenerating itself?- Yes.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Do you plant trees here now?
0:03:22 > 0:03:26No, we try and achieve the next generation by natural regeneration.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30The seeds come off the older trees and fall on the ground.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31So we've got to open up to allow
0:03:31 > 0:03:34the light to come in to let the young trees come away.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35How varied are these trees?
0:03:35 > 0:03:38To the untrained eye, it looks like lots of pines.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Coming through, behind us, we have got Sitka Spruce,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43from Northwest America,
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Norway Spruce, from Europe,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48further up, we have got Douglas Fir, from Northwest America,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50beyond that, Scots Pine, which is native.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05These forests were originally planted for productive reasons,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08but now we are trying to use them to deliver a wide range of benefits,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11not just for wildlife, but it is a very important recreation area.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- It is a very active forest in that respect.- It is.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18People come to enjoy the forest, to walk, cycle, or ride through it,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22but it's also producing timber, and this is all sustainable product,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24going into building timber,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26and it also employs local people in the forest.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- Fantastic. Let's explore a bit further.- Surely.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39'Deep in the forest is one tree which dominates the skyline.'
0:04:41 > 0:04:45One of the tallest trees in Britain, in fact in Europe.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It is a Douglas Fir, planted just over 150 years ago.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It's only about a quarter of a way through its life.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It's still a baby, this tree.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Come back in 150 years' time, this will be even bigger tree country.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Wow! That is phenomenal. It is some tree.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- It is huge.- Fantastic.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13You have got one final experience to enjoy before you leave.
0:05:13 > 0:05:20Lie back, relax and get to a real feel for how big these trees are
0:05:20 > 0:05:22from a different angle.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24That's fantastic, a cone specially carved out to lie on.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26It has a great quote from David Douglas,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28who found these trees in the first place.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31"One of the most striking object in nature."
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I'd better experience it for myself.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Enjoy your time. Nice to meet you. - Cheers, Charlie.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Wow, look at that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Look at that! This really is Big Tree Country.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It is strange to think that this forest
0:05:55 > 0:05:57which seems so natural is man-made.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It is not just forests that have been created.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02A few miles away there is a man-made loch -
0:06:02 > 0:06:05part of a huge power generating scheme back in the '30s.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07This is Loch Faskally.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Half a million people a year come to see it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13What is remarkable about the loch
0:06:13 > 0:06:15is that it didn't exist 60 years ago.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19It is part of an ambitious scheme to harness power from the glens.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Hydroelectricity uses running water to turn turbines.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34This movement creates electrical power.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It's Britain's oldest source of renewable electricity.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The mountains and rain in Scotland provide the ideal conditions
0:06:41 > 0:06:45for a network of hydropower stations including this one at Pitlochry.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Peter, Loch Faskally is totally man-made,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52but it looks like it was created by nature.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Yes, totally man-made, built between 1947 and 1950.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It actually dammed the River Tummel.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Prior to that, it was just a river flowing on its natural course.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08And it's part of quite a big system that makes electricity out of water.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It sits at the bottom of the Tummel Valley Hydro Scheme.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The water going through the station here
0:07:13 > 0:07:15may well go through five power stations
0:07:15 > 0:07:17on its way through the valley.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20How many homes does it produce electricity for?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22The output of the Tummel Valley
0:07:22 > 0:07:26would probably supply about a quarter of a million homes.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29People didn't want it, did they, when it was first talked about?
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Not at all.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34It was the ruination of the tourist industry in Pitlochry, all of that.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37When you look at it now, it is the exact opposite.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41We have about 500,000 people cross the dam each year.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Hundreds of men from around Britain, Ireland and post-war Europe
0:07:46 > 0:07:49were recruited to build the Hydro network.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It was just one piece of a giant jigsaw
0:07:51 > 0:07:54to bring electrical power to the Highlands.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59What was it like on site when the dam was being constructed?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Well, it was all heavy work.
0:08:02 > 0:08:08You didn't have the technical plant and transport.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13Although we had massive cranes and that type of thing on site.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It was, well, just heavy work.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Back-breaking?- Yes.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21But you came away with more than just wages.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Ah, well, I took a bride away from here.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27It was happy days. Very happy days.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It didn't turn out so happily for all who worked on the scheme.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Conditions were dangerous
0:08:33 > 0:08:36and health and safety legislation was less rigorous.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41This arch commemorates some of those who died building the Hydro network.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45When Pitlochry power station was built on the River Tummel,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49one of the main considerations was how to continue to allow salmon
0:08:49 > 0:08:51to travel upstream to their spawning grounds.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Having a great big dam in the way can pose a bit of an obstacle.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Engineers came up with a unique way around the problem -
0:08:59 > 0:09:00a fish ladder.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Here it is. Alistair, how does it work?
0:09:03 > 0:09:09It works on the principle that adult salmon trying to get upstream
0:09:09 > 0:09:12to their spawning grounds, follow a directional flow.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The engineers devised a scheme where they could
0:09:16 > 0:09:22allow the fish past a 55-foot high obstacle
0:09:22 > 0:09:25by creating 34 pools.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27How do they get up the steps?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29They swim through the steps.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33There is a metre diameter orifice between each of the steps
0:09:33 > 0:09:38so that the fish find their way through, pulled upstream,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42if you like, by the flow that's flowing down.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46We have a fish counter that enables us to determine how many fish
0:09:46 > 0:09:50actively migrate through here annually.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54This year, we have counted more than 7,000 fish.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58The Hydro network was completed 50 years ago,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and transformed the face of the Highlands.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03New power stations, dams, tunnels, even new lochs
0:10:03 > 0:10:05provided electricity for the first time
0:10:05 > 0:10:08to the remotest parts of Scotland.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It was a remarkable piece of engineering.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14So, Peter, this turbine has not been worked on since it was built.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19Correct. The turbine was built in about 1950.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25This is the first time it has been stripped to this extent since.
0:10:25 > 0:10:32The generator above our heads has been rewound once in all that time.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38So the technology is the same as it is today, it hasn't advanced much?
0:10:38 > 0:10:39It hasn't.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Is there a positive future for hydropower?- Absolutely.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44The drive for renewables
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and government targets for renewable energy,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48very positive future for hydro.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53It has served us well for the last 50 years and I see no reason
0:10:53 > 0:10:57why power stations like this should not continue for the next 50 years.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59The concrete may not be very pretty,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03but it's a testimony to the people who built the Hydro network,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06that what was seen as a threat to local tourism
0:11:06 > 0:11:10is now a cornerstone of Britain's green energy supply.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13The Hydro Dam, like the Craigvinean Forest has been successful
0:11:13 > 0:11:16in attracting tourists into this part of Scotland.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Of course what draws many people to the country is the rich history.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25My journey into the Highlands now takes me from the Craigvinean Forest
0:11:25 > 0:11:27through the village of Moulin.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33The village stands at an ancient Scottish way point.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Historically important Highland routes AND people
0:11:36 > 0:11:38passed through Moulin.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Legend has it that in 1306, Robert the Bruce
0:11:40 > 0:11:42retreated through this very village.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44He was a great Scots hero
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and I will be finding out more about him as well as
0:11:48 > 0:11:52some other historical figures with links to this part of the world.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10The River Tummel starts its life 60 miles to the west of Pitlochry,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12on the windswept Rannoch Moor.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It runs east, passing through numerous lochs
0:12:15 > 0:12:18until it reaches the main stem of the River Tay.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23It seems pretty placid here,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27but further downstream, things get decidedly more rapid.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30As Michaela Strachan found out back in 2005.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Perthshire in Scotland is a beautiful place to visit.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38There is loads of different things you can do here.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41If you're into wildlife, there is a great variety.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45You can spot the osprey, see the majestic red deer,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47check out the cheeky red squirrels
0:12:47 > 0:12:50or if you're really lucky, catch a glimpse of a capercaillie.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55If you want something less sedentary, Perthshire has that too,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57because it is home to some of the most thrilling
0:12:57 > 0:13:02and exciting adventure sports to be found anywhere in the British Isles.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20- Peter, why have adventure sports taken off recently?- Well, I think,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23people are working in stressful jobs, they're busy.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Come the weekend, they want to do something more
0:13:25 > 0:13:29adventurous than go to the pub or a club like they did in the past.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Are we getting more sporty?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33We are in the sense that they want an experience.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Hopefully we're introducing them to something they like,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39and they are coming back two or three times a year.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Are people diversifying from agriculture to tourism?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yes, we work with business partners.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48A lot have used their old buildings and made bunkhouses,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52self-catering bunkhouses and have customers staying at weekends.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53Some run activities on the farm.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So we do team-building games, corporate games -
0:13:56 > 0:13:58the landscape they'd used for farming,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00they're now using for adventure sports.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Lots of B&Bs are being converted from old buildings,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05so accommodation's doing well.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Some farmers are going into restaurants
0:14:07 > 0:14:10where customers are going after they've had a hard day with us
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- to get a good meal on the farm. - What adventure sports do you do?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Predominantly white-water rafting,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17that's what we have most coming to do.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19We do that 12 months of the year.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23We do canyoning, spending time sliding down waterfalls,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25jumping off cliffs into canyons. We climb.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27We do mountaineering, abseiling.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And the newest thing that we've brought in from New Zealand
0:14:30 > 0:14:31is called river bugging.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34River bugging. Being a fan of wildlife and of water,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36sounds like the one for me!
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Now, when Peter said "bugging,"
0:14:39 > 0:14:42this wasn't quite what I had in mind.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'The bugs are like huge inflatable ladybirds
0:14:45 > 0:14:47'without the spots.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'The River Tummel is one of the few places in Europe
0:14:50 > 0:14:52'where you can learn the art
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'under the full guidance of qualified instructors.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Just before we jump on the river and cause some carnage,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02I'll introduce you to Si, who'll be with us, and Sanu.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05The bug, think of it as a nice, easy armchair.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07You're going to sit back in it.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11You've all sussed out the lap-belt that goes across over your waist.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13When you fall out, if they flip upside down...
0:15:13 > 0:15:17just remember where this red handle is - right in front of you.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19That's the first thing you want to go for.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Don't ever try to stand up.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24If you're in moving water and you try to stand up,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and maybe your fin gets caught under a rock,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29the water will keep pushing you forwards,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32so your head's between your legs before you know it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37How fast is it? It looks fairly tame. It gets faster as you go down.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40That's the idea. We start off with some fairly tame water,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and you can't see round the corner yet, but there's our first rapid,
0:15:43 > 0:15:44called The Narrows.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I think we've kind of delayed it enough, actually having a go,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- so...- Let's go and do it! High five!
0:15:55 > 0:15:59I thought it would be quite a sedate ride down the river.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I didn't realise it would involve going off four-foot high waterfalls
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and things like that.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Four-foot high waterfalls?! No-one's told me that!
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- So you are the only other first-time bugger.- I am a rank amateur.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- Are you up for this?- I am, I am.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It was also described to me as a sedate ride
0:16:17 > 0:16:20in an armchair down the river. But look at that.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- They are taking the mickey! - I think so.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- Do you think you're going to go in?- I hope so.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I want to come out with my hair dry. What a girly thing to say!
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'I was in fact the only girly on this ride.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39'But as far as the others were concerned,
0:16:39 > 0:16:40'I was just one of the boys.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44'A few more delaying tactics while we splashed about a bit,
0:16:44 > 0:16:45'and then we were off.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50'It was time to bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns
0:16:50 > 0:16:52'and keep my fingers crossed
0:16:52 > 0:16:53'that I wouldn't drown.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59'From a safe distance, it was actually quite good fun watching
0:16:59 > 0:17:01'the others take a good dunking,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03'especially the instructor!
0:17:05 > 0:17:09'That slightly frozen smile is because of the cold water,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'not fright, as some of you might think.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'And look at that hair! So far, so good!'
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Yes! Still dry!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23'I thought I was doing pretty well for a first-timer,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'but my fellow first-time bugger was, well,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'having a few problems.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:39'But he certainly wasn't the only one to do a ladybird turnover.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46'Look at that technique! Arms and legs everywhere!'
0:17:54 > 0:17:55How am I doing so far?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Fantastic. Second hardest rapid on the river and your hair is still dry.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01One more down there,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- and hopefully we will see you taking a big swim on that one.- Thanks(!)
0:18:05 > 0:18:07The boys'll be happy.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I've noticed a lot of the boys have got their hair wet!
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'The next rapids were a few hundred yards down the Tummel - enough time
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'for people to reflect on what they were letting themselves in for.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'Mind you, even if you wanted to bail out,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22'it would have been difficult to escape!
0:18:31 > 0:18:35'Ooh, there's that smile again!
0:18:35 > 0:18:38'Whoa, that's what you call a proper rapid!
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'These big rapids are actually quite dangerous,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'although I've been assured by the instructors
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'that no-one has seriously damaged themselves - yet.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57'It is a long way down. And it's a bumpy ride!
0:19:00 > 0:19:01'Looking a little worried now.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'I mean, I might actually get my hair wet on this one.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08'But there was no turning back.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15'The first bit was quite easy. But then - oh, my word!
0:19:18 > 0:19:21'But I managed to stay in.'
0:19:24 > 0:19:27# Baby, I'm ready to go... #
0:19:27 > 0:19:30'Disappointed by the fact that my hair was still reasonably dry,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32'the boys gave me another challenge.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35'And I never like to turn down a challenge.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41'You've got to be joking! I hate heights!
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'But I'm not going to wimp out now.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- JOE:- From the village of Moulin,
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I head across to the picturesque Victorian town of Pitlochry.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55It's a town which was made fashionable as a tourist resort
0:19:55 > 0:20:00when it found favour with Queen Victoria, who visited in 1842.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The arrival of the railway in 1836 confirmed it
0:20:03 > 0:20:06as one of the premier mountain resorts of the day.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12But the thing that caught my eye when I was reading up on this area
0:20:12 > 0:20:15is that this bridge marks the end of the Rob Roy Way.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17For the rest of my journey,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21I'll be following a route across Rob Roy country.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25The Rob Roy Way is a 79-mile unofficial walk
0:20:25 > 0:20:29linking Drymen in the south-west with Pitlochry.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31The walk brings together a lot of the places
0:20:31 > 0:20:34associated with the famous folk hero, Rob Roy.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Most walkers start in Drymen and go to Pitlochry
0:20:37 > 0:20:39to keep the weather behind them.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43But for my sins, I am going against the flow and starting at the end.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Rob Roy - it's a name which rolls off the tongue.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50The image is of a hero outlaw.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52But who was the real Rob Roy?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And why is there a path cross the Highlands named in his honour?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I've got the Sir Walter Scott version of the Rob Roy story,
0:20:59 > 0:21:00but it's a novel.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04What I really need is some local knowledge.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10I am meeting local tour guide Sally Spaven who moved here 25 years ago
0:21:10 > 0:21:12after marrying a Scotsman.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I have heard that Robert the Bruce passed by near here,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and yet, this is the end of the Rob Roy Way.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21I'm conscious of not confusing my Scottish heroes.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Can you untangle it for me? Who was Rob Roy?
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Rob Roy MacGregor - and that means "Red Roy" in Gaelic -
0:21:29 > 0:21:31was a well-known cattle trader.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36He took cattle from the farms in the north
0:21:36 > 0:21:38down to the cattle trysts in central Scotland.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Unfortunately for Rob Roy,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44he borrowed £1,000 from the Duke of Montrose,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46and one of his associates made off with it,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50so because of that, he was outlawed by the government,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and had to go into hiding,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and was proscribed for a number of years.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57It was that time in his life that was romanticised
0:21:57 > 0:21:59by Sir Walter Scott in his novel.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I have been reading about it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05He came up here to plead his cause with the Duke of Atholl
0:22:05 > 0:22:06in the local court,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and was arrested and put in jail, just a few miles from here,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13from where he managed to escape.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15How long was he an outlaw for?
0:22:15 > 0:22:19It was for about 10 years.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Is it right people refer to him as the Scottish Robin Hood?
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Yes, I think because of Sir Walter Scott's romanticising of his story,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31he was seen as someone who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34While he was an outlaw, who was he fighting against?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Against the government.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40The government at the time consisted of the Duke of Atholl,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- and the Duke of Argyll. - That's cleared that up.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Rob Roy, done. Now tell me about Robert the Bruce.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Well, he is possibly one of our most famous Scottish kings.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55He passed through the area in 1306 after the Battle of Methven,
0:22:55 > 0:22:56but if you come with me,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- we'll go and have find more about him.- Great.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Robert the Bruce was one of his generation's famous warriors
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and became one of Scotland's greatest kings.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12He is remembered most for leading Scotland
0:23:12 > 0:23:14during the Wars of Scottish Independence
0:23:14 > 0:23:16against the kingdom of England.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20We are driving a few minutes down the road to visit a place
0:23:20 > 0:23:22that Robert the Bruce knew only too well.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29So, here we are, Joe, what do you think of this place?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Isn't it beautiful?- It looks very nice. The sun's just gone in,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34but it's still gorgeous.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38This is the Queen's View, and it is named, we think, legend has it,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41after Isabella, the wife of Robert the Bruce.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45- So this was his hideout?- Yes. He hid here.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49There was a crannog in the middle of the loch here,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52where Robert the Bruce was trying to get to
0:23:52 > 0:23:54to escape further down the valley.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00He actually hid in woods just at the far end of Loch Tummel here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03And he was trying to escape away down the valley, beyond Schiehallion,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08you can see with the snow on there, and down towards Loch Rannoch,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11which takes you across and over to Loch Tay.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14But it was his wife it was named after, possibly.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Possibly. It's like a lot of Scottish myths and legends -
0:24:17 > 0:24:22some people think she did come here, I personally am not so sure.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26The myths and legends are great for business.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29There is a real sense of celebrating it here in Scotland.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34I think Sir Walter Scott was responsible for the beginning of this...tourism, as we call it now.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39His romantic version of Rob Roy MacGregor set the standard.
0:24:39 > 0:24:46In fact the very first tourist day trips went through the Trossachs, after Rob Roy came out.
0:24:46 > 0:24:52- Today, the Rob Roy Way is even popular with Hollywood films. It's all in there.- It is, yes.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Two of the biggest films that have been made in this area were
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Rob Roy with Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and Mrs Brown with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The scenery is all set. It's beautiful.
0:25:12 > 0:25:18It's fascinating how the legends of Scotland's past are still being told and retold.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Pressing further into Rob Roy country, I could feel the land around me alive with history.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39So far, my journey has taken me from the Craigvinean Forest through the historic village of Moulin
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and on to the town of Pitlochry.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Now I've arrived at the beautiful Loch Tay.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Loch Tay is a narrow loch, around 14 miles in length.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04It's the sixth largest loch in Scotland and is over 150 metres deep.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Like most Scottish lochs, its waters are steeped in history.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13You see that island, it's actually a crannog, the remains of an ancient man-made settlement.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19From the surface most crannogs look like uninteresting mounds of stone.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26But these islands were constructed as far back as 3,000BC and lived in as recently as the 17th century.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I'm meeting Gavin Leighton at the Scottish Crannog Centre
0:26:30 > 0:26:33where they've recreated one using the findings
0:26:33 > 0:26:38from an archaeological site here on the shores of Loch Tay.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Gavin, this crannog looks spectacular from the shore but what exactly were crannogs?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Primarily built as a defensive homestead,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47obviously a status symbol as well.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52We can tell from the excavation work that our people were farmers.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55So it was a farm house, it was a farming family.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58What's the significance of them being on water and not on the land?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Much more easy to defend from the water. You've got access for trade,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05for people passing through. You've got a vantage point.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10You can see both ends of the loch. So quite a few advantages from being on the water.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Is it a localised thing, is it a Loch Tay phenomenon?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Not at all. You'll find crannogs throughout the UK.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20You find them in Ireland, obviously in Scotland and there's one or two in Wales.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23This loch has 18 crannogs in it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26There are roughly 30,000 lochs in Scotland
0:27:26 > 0:27:30and almost every loch that you drive past, if you see a small stone island quite close to the shore,
0:27:30 > 0:27:35- there's a very high chance there's one of these structures below the stone mounds.- Wow.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39- Here, you've basically recreated one, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45This is as exact as it can be from the old bank crannog. They've taken all their findings from underwater.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50The divers have gone down and pulled back mounds and mounds of materials and found the timbers.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54A lot of them were still standing out of the bed of the loch.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57So they could get an idea of the shape of the structure.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Then obviously build from that, they can take it up. Large portions of the floor were left,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05parts of the walls, sections of roof and stuff like that as well. So, yeah...
0:28:05 > 0:28:07So it is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Getting this underwater archaeology to bring it alive.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Exactly, it is a jigsaw puzzle.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Does water not deteriorate the wood?
0:28:15 > 0:28:21Because there is little light and very little oxygen, it goes into an anaerobic state.
0:28:21 > 0:28:28We found very small cherry stones that still had pieces of flesh on them after 2,500 years.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31There was a dish with four holes in the bottom of it.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36They analysed the material around the side of a dish and found it to be animal.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41We are quite sure it was butter or cheese from the Iron Age still in the dish.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Butter or cheese, that is staggering.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47- So it is a massive treasure trove. Perfectly preserved.- Certainly is.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49It seems incredible that the icy waters
0:28:49 > 0:28:55in the lochs around Scotland could preserve minute details so well.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00In crannogs, we have a key to the secrets of the past.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04These buildings aren't just robust, they are surprisingly warm and comfortable.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08But for the next leg of my adventure I'm leaving the crannog comfort zone
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and opting for the full wilderness experience.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18I am wild camping next to a loch in the Scottish Highlands.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22I feel like it is one of those experiences I have just got to try.
0:29:24 > 0:29:32Well, ever since 2005, you have had the right to wild camp in Scotland, unlike the rest of the UK.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35You have to obey common sense.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39You can't pitch your tent in a field of cows or anything like that.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44But look at this fantastic view. It's the perfect place to do it,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and I have got permission from the landowner to pitch my tent right here.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03It's not the best of conditions. I've got a feeling this is going to
0:30:03 > 0:30:06blow away as soon as I get the poles in, but we'll see what happens.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It's going to be quite a blustery night.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19I think this is going to be a thorough test for this tent.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Some good, strong Loch Tay weather.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31This is crazy, it's actually windy inside the tent.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35I'm not sure my pitch is going to stand up to this buffering all night long.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40All I can do is snuggle up in my sleeping bag. I've got a hat here
0:30:40 > 0:30:43to keep me warm and I've got a head torch in case anything goes wrong.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Hopefully, I'll still be here in the morning.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50All I can do now is try to get some sleep.
0:30:53 > 0:30:59I tell you what, the wind is so strong, it's impossible to sleep.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04It's 4:20am,
0:31:04 > 0:31:09it sounds like someone's got a vacuum cleaner and they're hoovering my ears.
0:31:09 > 0:31:15And the tent - well, the tent is just being lifted right up.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19It feels like it's about to take off any minute.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36What a night.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38That was incredible.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41At least it's not really raining.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45But I think I chose the most exposed point on Loch Tay.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Boy, did I feel it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51One of the most important things to remember when wild camping
0:31:51 > 0:31:56is to leave the campsite exactly as you found it,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00leaving nothing but your footprints behind.
0:32:00 > 0:32:07In 2005, Ben Fogle was here at Loch Tay and actually did a stretch of the same journey that I'm doing.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09But he was on two wheels.
0:32:09 > 0:32:15# Oh, you'll tak' the high road and I'll tak' the low road
0:32:15 > 0:32:21# And I'll be in Scotland afore ye... #
0:32:21 > 0:32:26Well, today, I'm taking both, because I'm following the Highland-Lowland trail.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29And I'm already in Scotland - in Perthshire.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32# ..the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond... #
0:32:32 > 0:32:36My journey begins here at Dochart Falls in Killin.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Route 7 is actually 60 miles long,
0:32:39 > 0:32:43of which I'm going to be doing 25 miles, from here to Callander,
0:32:43 > 0:32:46which will take me across the beautiful Trossachs mountain range.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50This area is steeped in early Christian history and it's said that
0:32:50 > 0:32:55an early Irish missionary called St Fillan came and preached on these very rocks and blessed
0:32:55 > 0:32:59some stones in the water that were said to have healing powers.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I can't get over how beautiful this place is.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04And this is only the beginning.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14The beauty of this trip is that very little is on public roads.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19It's mostly along purpose-built cycle tracks, so there's no traffic to worry about.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25In fact, this part of the route used to be the Caledonian East-West railway line.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- Hi, there.- Morning.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32Built at the turn of the 19th century, it closed in 1964.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34The track has now been given a new lease of life.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39This is Glen Ogle, the link between the Highlands and the Lowlands.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43This path was actually an old railway line, but it's even been used by Roman legions.
0:33:43 > 0:33:49And Queen Victoria dubbed it, "Scotland's very own Khyber Pass."
0:33:49 > 0:33:55All of these mountains you can see around me have just gone to make Scotland's first National Park.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58And I'm off to meet a ranger who's going to tell me a little bit more.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06I believe it's only the second country not to have had
0:34:06 > 0:34:09a National Park in the world, so it's quite special.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It's the first one in Scotland, it's quite special to us.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14So why was this area chosen to be the first National Park?
0:34:14 > 0:34:19Because it's about an hour's drive from most of the central belt
0:34:19 > 0:34:22of Scotland, which has 70% of Scotland's population.
0:34:22 > 0:34:28It's always been the traditional place that folk from Glasgow came out to come and enjoy at the weekend.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32It's an area where you can go from Highland to Lowland in one day.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34The flora and fauna is as spectacular as any.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38And I'm sure as you saw, going around every bend, there's a new surprise.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42And at Kilmahog, you're actually crossing the Highland Boundary Fault,
0:34:42 > 0:34:47which is basically a fault line that runs from Arran all the way up to Stonehaven, near Aberdeen.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51And it's basically the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57And it defined not only geology, but also defined the cultural heritage of the two areas.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01So you're crossing through eons of history and different cultures.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15'This has to be the most spectacular part of the route.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19'It's brilliant to know that all that engineering that went into
0:35:19 > 0:35:22'the building of the railway can be used by people again.'
0:35:22 > 0:35:23Hi, there.
0:35:24 > 0:35:31So this is a spectacular setting for a cycle ride, how far could I actually go if I kept going?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34You're about halfway between Inverness and Glasgow.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37If you want to continue, you can go all the way to Dover, Land's End,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39it's part of a national cycle network.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42So do you plan to extend this specific cycle route here?
0:35:42 > 0:35:48There are strong plans to continue southwards and eastwards into Stirling,
0:35:48 > 0:35:53and perhaps westwards to the west coast and to link in with the West Highland Way.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Gosh, so big plans. Do a lot of people use this cycle route?
0:35:57 > 0:36:00It is a very busy section of the cycle route network.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03It avoids the busy A35 down there.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07And it's all year round. Whenever I've been going past,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10or in the course of my work, there's always people here.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- Depending on the weather, obviously. - I'm sure.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17I'm very envious of your job, that you get to cycle all day along places like this.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19It's not all the time I'm cycling.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22There is a lot of work to do - fences, drainage,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25boundaries and dealing with all the landowners all the way through.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- Then people like me come along and enjoy it! - Yep, that's the way it should be.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40This is one of the few parts of the journey that actually takes in a country road.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44But it's worth it, because this is Rob Roy country.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48And he's buried here, at Balquhidder Church.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Rob Roy MacGregor is perhaps Scotland's greatest hero - a Jacobite who led his clan
0:36:53 > 0:36:57in defiance against the English landowning aristocracy.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01He lost his home and his land, becoming an outlaw.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04To this day, people argue as to whether he was a cattle thief or a Robin Hood.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08I can't believe I'm standing in front of Rob Roy's grave.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12And the amazing thing about this church is not only is it home to his grave,
0:37:12 > 0:37:19and about a zillion midges, but it's also home to some of the earliest Bibles in Scottish history.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22The originals are too valuable to be kept here.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28These are copies of the first Bibles written in the native Scottish language back in 1680.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33Except they made a mistake and used Irish Gaelic, so they had to be translated all over again.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Believe it or not, this stone here is supposed to date from the 7th century.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But the thing that I find most amazing about this church
0:37:40 > 0:37:46is this book that was written by the Reverend Mr Kirk in the 1600s, who was the Minister of this church.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51And it's called The Secret Commonwealth Of Elves, Fauns And Fairies.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57And it's said that when he died, he was spirited away by fairies, which I find totally bonkers.
0:37:57 > 0:38:05Time for me to be spirited away, because I've still got half my journey to do.
0:38:05 > 0:38:12Soon, I'm back on quiet woodland tracks, which make for really easy cycling and some great views.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21They're perfect for any age or ability, you don't need to go into training to do this route.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Wow.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33That's Loch Earn down there.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37And this, in case you hadn't noticed, is Scotch mist.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Well, I'm nearing my journey's end. I've crossed into the Lowlands and
0:38:44 > 0:38:47have reached Kilmahog and there's just one more thing I have to do.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51You can't come to Scotland without getting a kilt.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Hello.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56- Hello.- Hi, there.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57I'm looking for a kilt, actually.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Oh, well, sorry, we don't actually do them here.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Go to the Kilmahog Mill, ask for Maybel, she'll measure you.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06She'll measure your inside leg for it as well.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I'll leave you to your noisy machine, thank you.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11OK, thank you.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15- I have to give you a measurement first.- OK.- I've got to measure you.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Now a hip measurement.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Do you have a tartan to wear?
0:39:24 > 0:39:25I don't know!
0:39:25 > 0:39:27You're able to wear the MacDonald tartan...
0:39:27 > 0:39:32- So there is a tartan I can wear? - There is a tartan for you to wear through the mother line.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34- And this is it.- That's your tartan.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38- Oh, wow, Mum did a good job choosing a nice one!- She did indeed!
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- Lovely leg you've got.- Thank you.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Well, I don't mind being your dresser!
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- Da-da!- Beautiful, isn't it?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55I don't know if I can continue on my cycle ride wearing this.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Why not?
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- I'm not wearing any pants. - That's what a true Scotsman should wear - nothing!
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Well, sadly, that's the end of my trip.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17You'll find that you can hire bicycles all over the place.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22But you might have noticed one thing about my trip. And I'll give you a few clues.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33It was all downhill. Which means if you're lucky,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37you'll get someone to help you take your bike back up the hill.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- JOE:- From a very blustery Loch Tay,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I'm heading south towards the quaint village of Doune.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55I've come here on the trail of one of Britain's biggest birds of prey.
0:40:57 > 0:41:03In 1996, after a 130-year absence, red kite were reintroduced into these parts.
0:41:03 > 0:41:09And I've come to the only place in Scotland where you can see these beautiful wild birds being fed.
0:41:09 > 0:41:16The red kite became extinct in Scotland in the late-19th century due primarily to human persecution
0:41:16 > 0:41:20by sporting estates and the taxidermy trade.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25Between 1989 and 2005, a joint RSPB and Scottish National Heritage
0:41:25 > 0:41:30project was undertaken to reintroduce red kites to Scotland.
0:41:30 > 0:41:36Birds were brought in from as far afield as East Germany, Sweden and Spain.
0:41:36 > 0:41:42Argaty Farm was chosen to release the birds, as it offered a perfect environment for the red kites.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Word soon spread and the farm were overrun by visitors wanting to see the birds.
0:41:47 > 0:41:53The solution - a viewing point for visitors, leaving the birds in peace and quiet.
0:41:53 > 0:41:59I'm meeting ranger Mike McDonnell to experience these beautiful raptors first hand.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Mike, how successful has the reintroduction of kites been in this area?
0:42:03 > 0:42:06It's been a real success.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10In 1998, we had our first five chicks to hatch in the wild.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13They were the first in 118 years.
0:42:13 > 0:42:19And then if you think of the last summer, we had 78 chicks, so having to pinch yourself a little bit.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Big numbers, aren't they? We have seen quite a few here today.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27They seem to kind of group in the air and then all come down together, is that right?
0:42:27 > 0:42:34Kites are generally a social forager, you'll find, I suppose like the British equivalent of a vulture.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And quite often, they will hunt together or forage together.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40If one spots food, they'll call and call.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45And as soon as one goes, it's safety in numbers, they all tend to dive down like you've seen today.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It has been very successful here, what sort of impact
0:42:48 > 0:42:51has that success had on the farm and the local area here?
0:42:51 > 0:42:57It has been quite useful for the farm, obviously, having a nice diversification.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03The problem we had was that although the site was kept top secret, the cat got out of the bag.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08When you've got so many kites in the air, like you've seen today, you can't hide that for long.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Everyone wanted to see the kites.
0:43:10 > 0:43:16So it's just a way for people to enjoy the kites and also to bring a bit of extra money for the farm.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18And what is it you're feeding them there?
0:43:18 > 0:43:22It's game-dealer scraps. So bits of rabbit, bits of pheasant, venison,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25just bits they come across themselves in the wild naturally.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27So these are still wild birds, aren't they?
0:43:27 > 0:43:30You're not just feeding them... It's just ducking there.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Very much so. I mean, we just put the food out once a day.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35The kites tend to gather up in the afternoon.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38They've had all day to forage for themselves.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43- Did you see that tail?- Yes.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48Well, we've got some quite good numbers out there, so red kites are doing well here.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50How are they doing in other parts of the UK?
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Generally, throughout Britain, the kites are doing really quite well.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58The population now is approximately about 1,000 pairs and we are actually
0:43:58 > 0:44:03donating chicks from this area at the moment to a new site which started two years ago
0:44:03 > 0:44:08on the outskirts of Aberdeen, so that became the fourth site in Scotland.
0:44:08 > 0:44:13So rather than bringing birds in from Europe, like with the original reintroductions,
0:44:13 > 0:44:17we'll get a few chicks from here, a few from there, mix them up and pop them
0:44:17 > 0:44:20into a new location to try and speed the whole process up.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24So you're using the eggs, it's kind of a self-sustaining programme now.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28The growth in numbers here shows there is huge potential for that across the UK.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Yeah. One day, we'll have kites all throughout Britain.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36- If you think, they used to be in the streets of London.- Really?
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Yeah, kites will be everywhere.
0:44:38 > 0:44:45The spectacle of these birds is proving popular, with 6,000 people visiting here last year.
0:44:45 > 0:44:50But there is another airborne Highland resident whose presence could work against Scottish tourism.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54Miriam O'Reilly reported for Countryfile.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58- MIRIAM:- There are 37 different types of midge in Scotland.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01They're tiny, with a wingspan of just 1.4mm,
0:45:01 > 0:45:06but they are increasing problem which scientists are in a race to solve.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08I wouldn't be wearing a hat like this if I didn't have to.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Midges may be tiny, but they're very irritating,
0:45:12 > 0:45:13and they have a nasty bite.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18At this time of year, there are around 10 million midges to every acre of land.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21They're unpleasant for people, and they're very costly for the tourism industry.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29The Highlands of Scotland are breathtaking in their beauty.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32The Scottish Tourism Board has no problem drawing in the tourists.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35But the lush green hills and wide expanses of open water
0:45:35 > 0:45:41breed billions of midges, and they like to have their presence felt.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43- Have you been affected by the midges?- Yes.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46- Badly?- Last night in the tent, covered in them.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48Even with repellent on.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50They've pretty much eaten me alive.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55They didn't get me when I went to Australia, but they seem to like me at the minute.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58- Did you hear about the midges in Scotland? - Yes.- Of course!
0:45:58 > 0:46:03We have lots of medicine against them with us, but we didn't need them yet.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- You've really been eaten by the midges.- Yes.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- But is it putting you off having a good time?- Oh, no, not at all.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Midges can detect you from up to 100 metres.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19A swarm of midges can deliver 3,000 bites an hour.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21It's the female that does the biting,
0:46:21 > 0:46:25and she can land on the skin and suck blood for up to four minutes.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31We're not getting any reports that they're losing business
0:46:31 > 0:46:34or people are not coming to Scotland because of the midge.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36It's a factor, it's part of the experience.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40It's not one of their best experiences, I have to say, but it's not turning people away.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42But it can be a dreadful experience.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45You can be eaten alive by those midges at certain times of the day.
0:46:45 > 0:46:50Yeah, I've experienced it myself out in the hills or out walking.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52It's not an issue that is turning business away.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56For heaven's sake, Scotland has got so much to offer.
0:46:56 > 0:46:57It's part of the experience.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01It can be fairly unhappy at times, but Scotland is growing as
0:47:01 > 0:47:06a destination for outdoor pursuits, so we've got a growth product here.
0:47:06 > 0:47:12Putting up with midges on holiday is one thing, but it's not only the tourists who suffer.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17Forestry workers have to wear protective clothing, and often can't work because of midge attacks.
0:47:17 > 0:47:23Obviously, you try and avoid doing jobs where there are a lot of midges, but you can't always do that.
0:47:23 > 0:47:29I've actually seen them that bad that people are actually physically sick,
0:47:29 > 0:47:34where they get in your eyes, in your nose, everywhere you can think about.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38They can be actually quite...distressing.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43Do people ever have to be pulled off the job because it's impossible to work?
0:47:43 > 0:47:45Occasionally. It's not that we lose work time out of it -
0:47:45 > 0:47:47they'll change what they do.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51They may be moved to an inside job, or they move to a site where there's
0:47:51 > 0:47:55a bit more of a breeze and they're not going to suffer from the midges.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00The worst we've seen is when we've had visitors to the area and they're not aware of
0:48:00 > 0:48:04the midges and they set up their campsite and their stoves
0:48:04 > 0:48:08and everything, the midges descend on the site and they just abandon it,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11leaving their sleeping bags, tent and all the food and everything.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16A recent survey of first-time visitors to the Highlands
0:48:16 > 0:48:20found 62% were put off returning because of the midges.
0:48:20 > 0:48:2586% of people said they'd warn their friends about the problem.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30The loss to the tourism industry is running into tens of millions of pounds.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33Finding a solution is potentially a big money-spinner.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36The midge population has grown in Scotland because
0:48:36 > 0:48:40mass deforestation has increased their preferred boggy habitats.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43They've evolved so quickly, they have few predators, except man.
0:48:43 > 0:48:49The potential threat to future tourism is putting pressure on scientists to find an answer.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52This is the Midgeater.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55And we can see what it's been catching overnight.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02There's a bag there of about a million midges.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04The bottom is full of it.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06How long did it take to catch all those?
0:49:06 > 0:49:08That's been running since
0:49:08 > 0:49:12- about the same time yesterday, so about 24 hours.- How does it work?
0:49:12 > 0:49:16The trap mimics something the midge would want to blood feed from -
0:49:16 > 0:49:18you or I, or a cow or a deer.
0:49:18 > 0:49:24It burns propane gas to produce carbon dioxide which is the main midge attractant in our breath.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29You can feel warm CO2 coming out of the top of the trap. As it comes out,
0:49:29 > 0:49:34it goes over a sachet of, effectively, essence of cow.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39- It's a by-product of cow digestion. - Smells of mushrooms.- It does.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45That enhances the catch. Midges fly towards the trap and get sucked in here into the collecting bag.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50For those who want to get out into the wide-open spaces, the team has come up with a way
0:49:50 > 0:49:54of forecasting where midges swarm.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57It's like the pollen forecast. It gives information
0:49:57 > 0:50:02about the likely risk of midge attack in any area across Scotland
0:50:02 > 0:50:05on a scale of 1, which is no problem at all,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07to 5, which is a high risk of midge attacks.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11The midge problem is uppermost in the minds of the developers.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16The owners of this luxury holiday complex on the banks of Loch Lomond
0:50:16 > 0:50:19plan to spend £35,000 a year on ways of defeating the midge.
0:50:19 > 0:50:26Last year, 17 million people made overnight trips to Scotland, spending £4.2 billion.
0:50:26 > 0:50:27With so much of money at stake,
0:50:27 > 0:50:34new resorts include ways of combating midges at the construction stage.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38Customers and our chairman both complained about them to me.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Getting him satisfied was one thing,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43but getting the customer satisfied was far more important.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48- As well as technology, you're using nature to combat the midges.- Yes.
0:50:48 > 0:50:56We're encouraging bats who eat the midges. We have bat boxes all round the site here.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59This is a great resort, we've put a lot of money into it,
0:50:59 > 0:51:05It would be madness not to consider not to consider doing something about the midges.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10At last week's international congress of parasitology in Glasgow,
0:51:10 > 0:51:17scientists from Aberdeen revealed how the human smell could be manipulated to repel midges.
0:51:17 > 0:51:23Some people are very attractive to midges, others not at all.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27We wanted to find out why some people aren't bitten by midges.
0:51:27 > 0:51:35- Why aren't some people bitten?- Out of the 400 or so compounds that we give off all the time from our skin,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39there are about 30 that the midges recognise as being a host.
0:51:39 > 0:51:47Of those, there are about 8 are different in people that are not attractive to midges.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51- So it's all down to odour? - It's all to do with odour.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55Midges and other biting insects are driven by the smell of their hosts,
0:51:55 > 0:52:01that is how they find their hosts. Now we have defined the difference between
0:52:01 > 0:52:07attractive people and non-attractive people to these biting flies, we have the key to creating a new repellent.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12Scientists are examining plant life for a solution.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16The Indian neem tree is harmful to insects and has been found to repel the midge.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Even if the midge lands,
0:52:18 > 0:52:23it cannot bear to insert its proboscis through the skin.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27- It doesn't like the smell?- It doesn't like the smell or the taste.
0:52:28 > 0:52:35Some say midges are the guardians of the wilderness. They've been in Scotland for about 8,000 years.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37They're an essential part of the ecosystem.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41You don't get used to them, you just learn to live with them.
0:52:41 > 0:52:47If you could really find the solution, you could possibly be a very rich person.
0:52:47 > 0:52:54The West Coast is still one of the most popular destinations and fully booked is proof of the pudding.
0:52:56 > 0:53:03Tourism in Scotland is in a healthy state, but finding a way of enabling people and midges
0:53:03 > 0:53:08to live comfortably alongside each other would open up the Highlands even more,
0:53:08 > 0:53:12allowing everyone to enjoy this spectacular beauty
0:53:12 > 0:53:15without having to run for cover.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19- JOE:- Research into ways of protecting ourselves from midges goes on
0:53:19 > 0:53:23with an ever-increasing number of products available on the market.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30I'm now heading to my final destination - Loch Katrine,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34deep in the heart of the Trossachs National Park.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37My travels have taken me from the Craigvinean Forest
0:53:37 > 0:53:40in the north through the picturesque town of Pitlochry,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43where I joined the Rob Roy Way, and on to the shores of Loch Tay.
0:53:43 > 0:53:48I stopped at Doune, before heading for journey's end at Loch Katrine.
0:53:49 > 0:53:55Loch Katrine winds for eight miles through some extraordinarily beautiful landscape.
0:53:55 > 0:54:00The word Katrine comes from the Gaelic for "Highland robber,"
0:54:00 > 0:54:04and of course the most notorious outlaw of that kind was Rob Roy MacGregor.
0:54:04 > 0:54:09His clan came from these hills, and in fact, he was born on these very shores.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15The loch and the hills that fringe it were the heartland of Rob's territory.
0:54:15 > 0:54:21He knew these waters well, and the secret paths and byways surrounding them.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25But Loch Katrine is also famous for its association with another man,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28the author of my copy of the Rob Roy novel, Sir Walter Scott.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33This boat I'm on is called the Lady Of The Lake, named after his famous poem.
0:54:33 > 0:54:38It was not only set here, but in fact, he started writing while he was here on holiday with his family.
0:54:38 > 0:54:45The poem was so popular that it sold thousands of copies in the months after it was published.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Scott's romantic novels and poems were hugely successful.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53In addition to immortalising their subjects, they turned the Highlands
0:54:53 > 0:54:59into a tourist destination, with thousands drawn here to see this magical place for themselves.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02It's been a blustery trip at times,
0:55:02 > 0:55:04but it's been the most fantastic journey
0:55:04 > 0:55:09through the breathtaking and rugged scenery that is the Highlands.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd