0:00:19 > 0:00:22Today I'm on a journey along the western fringes of Scotland,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25starting here at the head of Loch Fyne
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and finishing 83 miles south on Holy Isle.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37From Loch Fyne I head south to the port of Tarbert
0:00:37 > 0:00:39to get the ferry to the Isle of Arran.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42From Lochranza I'll be travelling on to Blackwaterfoot
0:00:42 > 0:00:45then exploring the mountainous Ard Bheinn.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Next I stop off at Kilmory before arriving at Lamlash
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and finishing my journey with another ferry trip to the Holy Isle.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Along the way I'll be looking back at the very best
0:00:57 > 0:01:01of the BBC's rural programmes from this part of the world.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03This is Country Tracks.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29For the first stop on my journey, I'm here to meet Tuggy Delap,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33local cattle farmer and purveyor of fine ales.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Farming is becoming an increasingly difficult business
0:01:36 > 0:01:40and to survive, many farmers are having to diversify.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43In 2002, Ben visited Tuggy on her farm
0:01:43 > 0:01:48to see how she was ringing in the changes.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52We know farmers are having a tough time and they're trying to diversify,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56but for some that means seeking refuge in drink.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58MUSIC: "Strange Brew" by Cream
0:01:58 > 0:02:00# Strange brew
0:02:02 > 0:02:05# Strange brew
0:02:06 > 0:02:09# Strange brew. #
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Loch Fyne is famous for its salmon and oysters
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and soon real ales could be added to the list.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- Cheers.- It's gorgeous.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21What made you decide to build a brewery on Loch Fyne?
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Well, Ben, look at the building.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It was crying out for us to do something with it.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27It was falling down.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The slates were flying off it and we decided that we had to rescue it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The boys were standing in front of the fire with pints in their hands
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and we looked at it and said, "We could always open a brewery".
0:02:37 > 0:02:41And just out of silly comments, funny things begin.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- Cheers.- It's gorgeous.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Now, Kenny, you're the brewer.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Can you just tell me what's going on in this room?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50This is the fermentation room we're standing in at the moment.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We keep this room around 20 to 22 degrees,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and the beer will ferment out within two to three days.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59From here, it goes next door into the conditioning room
0:02:59 > 0:03:03where it's kept in conditioning tanks for at least seven days.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06From there, it's casked or bottled.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Here they use a lighter malt for a paler ale
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and a crystal one for a darker brew.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- Cheers.- It's gorgeous.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19- Apart from the brewery, you're still a working farm, are you?- Yes, we are.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21We have a very nice arrangement with a neighbour
0:03:21 > 0:03:23who runs a black-faced sheep flock.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24They run sheep on our low ground
0:03:24 > 0:03:28because they have only high ground and not as much as we have.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32We also have a very, very large shed which we winter sheep in together.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33We have a small flock of sheep
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- and we have newly acquired a little herd of highland cows.- Wonderful.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Do the highland cows benefit from the brewery here?
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The highland cows were bought specifically because of the brewery because we have draft,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46the spent grain at the end of our process
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and we've landed up with this incredible supply of food
0:03:49 > 0:03:51that needs to be fed to somebody.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54We're not brewing enough times a week to have a very big herd,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57but, as the brewery grows, so will the herd.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Are you pleased with the results? - Yes, I am. The beer is very good.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I indulge myself in it. Yeah, it's good beer.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Already, orders have come in from Loch Fyne Oysters,
0:04:07 > 0:04:13the local pub, Oban and even as far as Edinburgh.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14So what's your output now?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Our output at the moment is once a week, which is not enough.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19We've got to that stage
0:04:19 > 0:04:22where we'd like to be brewing three times in ten days.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28There are now more than 400 micro-breweries across the country,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30many of them on small farms.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But whether they survive and prosper
0:04:32 > 0:04:36depends on one thing and one thing alone.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Taste.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42It's very nice. Nice, clean, crisp flavour.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I'm very pleased it's such a good local beer.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Cheers then. Good health.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49And as for me...
0:04:55 > 0:04:59'Seven years later, I'm here in this stunning weather-beaten landscape
0:04:59 > 0:05:01'to revisit Tuggy on her farm
0:05:01 > 0:05:06'and find out how the highland cattle and ale industry is faring.'
0:05:06 > 0:05:07How many have you got now?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Well, there are 14 here
0:05:09 > 0:05:11including two bullocks who should have gone to the butcher but...
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Isn't he going to be delicious?
0:05:14 > 0:05:15THEY LAUGH
0:05:15 > 0:05:19We've got 14 more slightly younger ones down there.
0:05:19 > 0:05:25- And then we've got 14 calves and seven bulls, so I've got 52.- Wow!
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- And we started with four and one heifer.- Incredible.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29And they're all still eating this?
0:05:29 > 0:05:33They eat this all year round. We have it fresh in the summer.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36In fact, this is fresh. This was brewed from yesterday's brew.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41- Tell me about the beer production cos it means you must have a lot of barley draft coming off?- Yes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44We've gone from two brews a week when Ben first came to visit us
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and now we're up to four and five brews a week.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's going really, really well. We're pleased with it.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- It's won lots of prizes.- Really? Tell me about those.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Oh, fantastic.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57We won one of the World Beer Awards last year with Avalanche
0:05:57 > 0:06:00which was a fantastic success we were pleased with.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02We won a gold medal at Peterborough,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04the second biggest beer festival in Britain.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Look at him coming across for a feed.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09What are the demands of having a bigger herd?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13How time consuming is that? Things like injections...
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Yes, we dose them regularly for liver and fluke like everybody else does.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- And we have to do Bluetongue, this new thing.- Right.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24With Bluetongue, they have to be done twice.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27They're going to be done again on Wednesday, four weeks apart.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32It's been eight years since you've been brewing and you haven't looked back since.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I'd love to take a picture of you and your cows basically.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I'm going to have a photography master class later,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40so I'm practising, Tuggy, so if you'll help me out and pose...
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Bisto won't come and pose for us. - Who's going to pose?
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Give us a smile, Tuggy. There we go.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Excellent.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Four seasons in one day.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- That's what they say. - Incredible, isn't it?
0:07:05 > 0:07:09If we weren't still wet, I'd think we were still dreaming up on the hillside.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- This is brewing HQ where it all happens?- Yes, absolutely.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Our ten-barrel brew plant producing five times a week.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19We're doing 1,700 litres times five. It's a lot of beer going out.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It's been a struggle but worth every minute of it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Let me get a photo of you with your barrels of beer,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27cos that's the story here.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28The Tuggy success.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32- Oh, look at that.- Lovely smile.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- There it is.- Thank you so much for showing me around.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Listen, we've got some beer here. You'll have to take it with you.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- Awesome!- Lovely to see you. - With pleasure.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- It's just a wee sample.- Highlander.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Highlander, Avalanche, the one that won the World Beer.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48And that one won gold at Peterborough.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53- We've got five of them in bottle but you've only got two hands. - Brilliant. Thank you so much again.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Really good to see you. Excellent.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Lovely to meet Tuggy.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00What a spirited character
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and fantastic the brewery is doing so well.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06What an awesome start to the journey.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20My journey's well and truly underway and I've already got some local beer to show for it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23To tell the truth, the thing I really want to get stuck into is the seafood.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27After all, it's what this area is famous for.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I'm making my way south along the west side of Loch Fyne.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36When John Slattery visited these parts a couple of years ago,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40he was following the west coast Seafood Trail.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Fresh oysters. What better way to embark on a couple of days of a Seafood Trail
0:08:51 > 0:08:54than to see the product in its natural habitat?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Loch Fyne oysters, here, on the west coast of Scotland,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00is the biggest producer of oysters in the UK.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03And they're farmed on the principle of total sustainability.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Oysters are growing here in their entirely natural environment.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Although at the turn of the 19th century, they were fished out.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Early example of over-exploitation of stocks.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18But the shells were here when we first started farming oysters here 30 years ago.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21So we knew that they would grow here.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And when we're farming oysters like this, we're not putting anything in
0:09:24 > 0:09:28to the loch at all - they're not fed on anything
0:09:28 > 0:09:30They're just feeding off the loch itself.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32So there's no input at all...
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- So there's very little maintenance? - There's a fair bit of maintenance
0:09:35 > 0:09:38but we haven't changed this environment since we've come here.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43The oysters are processed and packaged to be sent all over the world.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46A million and a half oysters are sold from here every year.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48And just a short drive along the trail,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52I can have them prepared for me by experts.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09# Well, I'm waiting
0:10:09 > 0:10:12# Hey, I'm waiting
0:10:12 > 0:10:15# I'm waiting
0:10:15 > 0:10:17# Yes, I'm waiting... #
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Oh, here it comes.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22OK, John, here we go.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Right.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26What you've been waiting for.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Some people like Tabasco it you want a bit of a kick
0:10:29 > 0:10:32but to get the real taste you should have them as they are with a bit of lemon.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Go on, you try one first then.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Bit of lemon, oops. Sorry.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38There will be people watching this going, "Oh, my God!"
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- And other people going, "I'd love to be doing that."- Exactly.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Once you're hooked on oyster-eating, it's a real passion.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Just swoosh it on.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46You gonna chew it?
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Mmm. Fantastic.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Right, your turn.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56OK, so what... Which is the smallest?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58SHE LAUGHS
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- So loosen it up.- Loosen it up
0:11:00 > 0:11:02so it's loose off that muscle at the bottom.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- I'm shaking - I really am. - Right, there you go.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- OK.- So what do I do now?
0:11:07 > 0:11:11You put this end in your mouth and tip it back. Get the whole lot in.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13THEY LAUGH
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- And I've got to chew it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I'm going to chew it - I'm going to chew an oyster.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I'm shaking.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33HE LAUGHS
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Maybe it's an acquired taste.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- It's not that bad.- Well, thanks!
0:11:44 > 0:11:47It's actually not that bad.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It's really very good.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- Do you want to try some smoked salmon?- Go on, yeah. I think I might enjoy that a bit more.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57This one on the side is called a Bradan Rost. It's like a roasted salmon.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00That actually happened by accident here one day.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Someone turned the ovens up too high one day and came out with a...
0:12:03 > 0:12:07This sauce is quite nice. Oh, this is quite good.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Quite good?!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Loser. Winner, most definitely.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20I am told that this road actually becomes the Long And Winding Road
0:12:20 > 0:12:25and that eventually brings you to the Mull of Kintyre.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Get the connection there? Beatles, Wings, Paul McCartney?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30You know - the Long And Winding Road.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34# The long and winding road boom boom... #
0:12:36 > 0:12:39The trail runs alongside Loch Fyne.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43At 40 miles long, it's Scotland's longest sea loch.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56This is Tarbert.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It's a really pretty place, very picturesque.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It's a very good place to go to get a bite to eat.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Tarbert has been famous for fishing ever since Man first took to the waters to find food.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Appropriate then that the founder member of the Seafood Trail is based here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- Hello, Carol.- Hello. How are you? - Good.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Hi, how are you? Oh, Wow! Thank you very much.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19What have we got here?
0:13:19 > 0:13:23We've got Loch Fyne king scallops. Wonderful!
0:13:23 > 0:13:25They were brought in about an hour ago.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So what are the criteria to be a member of the Seafood Trail?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They have to be waterfront-based,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33primarily because the locations are so pretty,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36where we all are.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38They've got to be very close to the producers.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41This whole concept of food not having to travel very far
0:13:41 > 0:13:45is really important to all of us so we all source our fish locally.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47These, I'm have to try cos they look delicious.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- You have to. They are wonderful. - It doesn't look like fish.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53It doesn't. Scallops are a really meaty shellfish.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55There's so much of them and they're hugely meaty.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00The king scallops are quite unique to Loch Fyne. You don't get them anywhere like that.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It smells lovely, actually.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Mmm. Very crunchy, yeah.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Fabulous.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12God, they're really nice.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16One of the things that we all claim is that we don't do very much to our food except cook it.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19And sometimes we don't even do that so it's all about...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I know - I had oysters this morning.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Oysters, you don't cook at all. Scallops two minutes under a grill.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Lobster, 15 minutes in a boiling pot.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32So what you get the absolute taste of what it's meant to be. It's not hidden by anything.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's lovely.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- They're fabulous. - Cheers. Thank you very much.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41Cheers.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Day two of my Seafood Trail.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51And after eating so much fish yesterday,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54what better way to work up an appetite than to go fishing for lunch.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- Ally!- Hello!- John. How are you doing?
0:14:56 > 0:15:00- Not bad. Yourself?- I believe you're the man who's gonna get me lunch.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02- Say no more.- What shall we do?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Stick that on, cast off. We'll go and get it.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Will do.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- So how far are we going? - Just round the corner here.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- I won't go far.- OK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27A bit of a dance! There we go. Where is that?
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Can you take this grappling hook? - Right.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32And you'll see there's two bows.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- There's a big bow and a small bow. - Throw it?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- Throw it in between the two.- OK.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Look at that. What a pro!
0:15:43 > 0:15:46First time, Ally, first time.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Good man. Pull it up as fast as you can.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I'll get these out of the way.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- Oh! That's a little shark, is it? - Dogfish.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Dogfish.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02Off you go, boy.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06- He's a big fella, isn't he? This is a brown crab.- A brown crab.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08- A brown edible crab. - He's a big fella.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- Uh-oh!- Oh. There you go. - There we go.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- That's what we're after. - Look at him flapping.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- He's a big fella, is he?- Mmm.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- Female lobster. - How can you tell that?
0:16:26 > 0:16:29It's wide, its back.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- Oh, right.- See how wide it is. - Yeah, yeah.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34If you see a male against that, it's narrower.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I think I have enough there now. I think I've got my lunch.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40That lobster, I think, might be the...
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Piece de resistance.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Yeah, piece de...
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Ronnie, thank you for kitting me out. I'm all set.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50But I'm a bit lost what to do next with this fella so over to you.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53We picked him up about ten minutes ago from the fisherman
0:16:53 > 0:16:54down at Carsaig Pier.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00- We're going to put him in a pot of boiling water and create a little thermidor out of him.- OK.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04So the first thing we have to do is kill him in the most humane way possible
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and the best way to do that is get a knife in the cross
0:17:08 > 0:17:10just at the top of his head here.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And we'll give him a quick stab, as quickly as we can
0:17:13 > 0:17:15and straight into a pot of boiling water.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18So if I want to do that, it's not very nice but here we go.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Straight into water.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35This is a beautiful lobster. It really is.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38I fished that one myself.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39HE LAUGHS
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- OK, how much brandy? - I'll tell you when.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Yeah. One for the cooking and one for the chef.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03More in. More. More, more, more.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08You've got to test everything that you cook to get the right flavours, to know what it needs.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11To get the right seasoning, the right herbs, everything.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- This is where it starts to finish. - That's gorgeous.
0:18:17 > 0:18:23- I felt guilty about him being killed earlier but not... - The guilt goes, doesn't it?
0:18:23 > 0:18:24The guilt really does go.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26I'll just put this into the grill.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34This, I've been looking forward to.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It looks so good.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42- OK?- That is the business.- Good.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Fantastic! Yeah. "Can I"?!
0:18:45 > 0:18:47THEY LAUGH
0:18:47 > 0:18:50My fork was already in the lobster before you gave me an answer.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Aw, the taste off it is just...
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The sauce... The meat just has that real...
0:18:56 > 0:18:59You'd better get back. You've got lots of customers waiting for you.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I know my place, it's fine.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- Thanks again.- That's OK.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Got rid of him.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07HE LAUGHS
0:19:07 > 0:19:13So, what have I learned on my Seafood Trail? Well, I'm not terrified of oysters any more.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I've fallen for scallops.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19And after fishing, cooking and eating this lobster, I mean, what a finale.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I've only done a few of the stops on the Seafood Trail.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28There's 11 in total and you know, when it's this good, I don't think you can ever get sick of seafood.
0:19:31 > 0:19:37Back on my journey and I'm desperate to try some of this area's famous seafood, too.
0:19:39 > 0:19:45And leaving Loch Fyne behind, I think I may have found the perfect place
0:19:45 > 0:19:48to continue my quest for local food.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I've arrived at Tarbert to catch the ferry to the Isle of Arran
0:19:51 > 0:19:54but I've just got time to pick up some local fruits of the sea.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58- Hi, there.- How're you doing?
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Good, thank you. I believe that you have some local fresh seafood
0:20:01 > 0:20:03that I'm very keen to try.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I'll just put that down.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16There's a little bit of bacon with these just to give it...
0:20:16 > 0:20:20The fishermen used to have these for breakfast as they were catching them.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22King scallops and bacon.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26There you go, there's a bit of dressing on the side.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30And you've got a nice Tarbert style cold cocktail.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Make a nice seafood picnic, that, especially now the sun's out.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Now, I've never been to the Isle of Arran before
0:20:45 > 0:20:49so I'm just a bit excited about my first trip over there.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57The ferry from Tarbert to Lochranza takes just under an hour and a half.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And I've arranged to meet a local on board to give me an idea of what to expect.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Ian, I'm Joe. - Pleased to meet you, Joe. - Nice to meet you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We're heading to the Isle of Arran. You're a longstanding resident?
0:21:07 > 0:21:12- Yes. Very much so.- You've been there for how long?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14I've been back home for 21 years now.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I was born and bred on the island.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19One of the natives.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Then you went off and worked but you've been drawn back to the magic of Arran.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Very much so. It's the fact that it's just so unspoilt.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We're very fortunate that way. It's still much as it was.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32And there's not two days the same.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35People say, "Don't you get tired going round this island every day in the summertime?"
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- Never.- I'm very excited - it's my first time across there.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42What can I expect?
0:21:42 > 0:21:46You can expect what we call, "Scotland in miniature."
0:21:46 > 0:21:49You have the high mountains to the north
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and much softer landscapes to the south.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Population - round about 5,000.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Obviously, that increases many times over the summer period.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02What is it that brings the tourists? What will they come to Arran for?
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- They come for the golf. Seven golf courses.- Seven?- Yes.
0:22:06 > 0:22:13- Wow!- Hill-climbing, sailing and a lot of walking.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16They have a coastal walkway around the island which is all signposted
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and very popular again with the summer visitors.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- Can I get myself an Aran jumper here?- Oh, you won't get one in Arran.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- How come?- They are made in the Aran Islands - off the west coast of Ireland.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32- Ah!- And it's A-R-A-N and we're A-R-R-A-N.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- Got you.- So that's the difference between the two.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37So no chance to add to my wardrobe on this visit.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40You probably would but it wouldn't be made in Arran.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43If I was going to visit one place on Arran for a bit of food,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47to sample, what would you recommend?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Go to the island creamery down at Torrylinn.
0:22:50 > 0:22:57And you cannot eat Arran cheese without an Arran oatcake.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Oh, really? So these go really well with the Arran cheese?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Definitely. The two go together.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'It doesn't get much better. Sailing toward Arran
0:23:12 > 0:23:16'and savouring the foods that came from these very waters.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17'Perfect.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I really love islands. They're the most romantic of escapist places.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38And Arran doesn't disappoint. It's got the beauty of the Highlands
0:23:38 > 0:23:42and yet, a far-flung feel to things.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51In 1988, photographer Charlie Waite came to Arran to take landscape photos.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54And Country File followed his journey.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00The landscape is something that has appealed to everybody
0:24:00 > 0:24:03for thousands if not millions of years.
0:24:03 > 0:24:09And it is something that we are very emotionally involved with because after all, it is all we have.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13We want solitude and we want peace and we want romance.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and it usually involves the land and the shape of the land.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30People have been very complimentary
0:24:30 > 0:24:35and said that a Charlie Waite landscape is something very special and specific.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40and captures and image locked in some sort of time warp.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46and is perfect and tranquil and seems to come from another time.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51I would like to think that some of my photographs result,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54if you like, in a photograph
0:24:54 > 0:25:00that takes nature suspended in one of its most perfect performances.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16With landscape photography,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21as with any other understanding and appreciation of landscape,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24the impulse is obviously connected with the emotion.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29And in my case it's very much an emotional,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33in fact, also a spiritual, experience.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36It's really the product of waiting
0:25:36 > 0:25:42and being very involved with one's surroundings and one's environment,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and observing the pattern of light, the movement of clouds,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51the trace of the sun, the trace of shadows, and everything, really,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55that relates to where I am at that particular moment.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04At any one time I can find myself working on a number of projects,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07but at the moment I'm working in the Scottish Islands.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Arriving on the Island of Arran is no different to arriving anywhere else,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15be it an island, or the mainland. It's always a question of getting
0:26:15 > 0:26:20in the car and embarking on a sequence of reconnaissance, really.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Before starting off on any one of these trips, the important thing
0:26:44 > 0:26:47is to make sure that I've got a good collection of maps that are going
0:26:47 > 0:26:50to cover the whole area. That really is absolutely vital.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Also making sure all the equipment in clean and free from dust,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58and prior to any one of these trips, I usually do spend a good 20 minutes
0:26:58 > 0:27:02just cleaning lenses and making sure that I've got all the necessary
0:27:02 > 0:27:06paraphernalia that goes with the making of these photographs,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10which, surprisingly, isn't a great deal. Everybody assumes that
0:27:10 > 0:27:13landscape photographers have an enormous amount of equipment,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17but actually the cameras that I use are relatively simple.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Square formats, clockwork, and very reliable.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35One of the reasons that I'm drawn to any photograph is usually
0:27:35 > 0:27:39its simplicity more than its complications
0:27:39 > 0:27:43so if I see just, perhaps, a simple graphic shape,
0:27:43 > 0:27:49albeit in the form of a tree, or estuary, or rocks, or whatever,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53as long as there's not too many of these aspects and features
0:27:53 > 0:27:57in the landscape, I'm usually going to stop. More often than not
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I'll be able to arrange all the various elements in some sort of shape,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and organise them and usually they'll make a photograph.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12The standing stone on the West side of Arran has a lot of power for me,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and the only problem that I found with this was that
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I didn't want to minimize either of the two
0:28:18 > 0:28:22main elements in this photograph so it was a question of trying it
0:28:22 > 0:28:28first from close up to the stone, which rather reduced the mountain,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32so I then decided to withdraw, so to speak,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36and compress the stone against the mountain so that both
0:28:36 > 0:28:40of them had equal power and I think it worked very well.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48In my particular work, and the usage of a square format,
0:28:48 > 0:28:53the subject matter is important, especially in the foreground.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56So in this particular case it was a collection of stones,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00which in early evening produce quite long shadows,
0:29:00 > 0:29:05and they were all perfectly round, and in the centre,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09which is also a very important area, there was a rather placid water,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12which had a certain amount of reflection on it,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and in the far background, which is as important,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19there was a reasonably well-defined area of mainland.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24So all of these things, foreground, centre and background,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28are all things that have to be considered.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38My photography does provide me with a union, if you like,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42the camera acts as a channel for me to relate more to the landscape
0:29:42 > 0:29:46and I do feel rather a sense of loss when the photograph has been made,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50and I'm often rather reluctant to leave it, it's perhaps rather like
0:29:50 > 0:29:53saying goodbye to an old friend, even though, in many cases,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56the relationship might not have been very long,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00perhaps just a matter of hours, but it has been very intense.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05And when I pass one of these places again they seem rather distant to me
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and I don't think I would ever really be inclined to stop again.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12They'd just be a little niggling thought that perhaps
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I could have done it better.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Travelling down the west coast of Arran,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39I've arrived at a place called Blackwaterfooot.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44I'm keen to improve my photography, so I've come here to catch up
0:30:44 > 0:30:48with Charlie Waite, because after 20 years away, Charlie has chosen
0:30:48 > 0:30:53this bleakly beautiful place for his return to Arran.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- Charlie Waite, I presume? - Ah, hello, Joe.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Charlie, it's been 20 years since you were filmed here
0:31:01 > 0:31:04taking landscape photos, what have you been up to in that time?
0:31:04 > 0:31:09Well, carrying on and doing more of it! The main thing about it
0:31:09 > 0:31:11is that I'm constantly still making mistakes,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and I'm really more than happy to admit that.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18So endless errors, but perhaps less errors than there used to be.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21But within that time, things have been constantly changing,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25technology has come on leaps and bounds, have you kept pace with that
0:31:25 > 0:31:29or do you stick with what you knew back then and stay true to that?
0:31:29 > 0:31:35I still use film, but digital has arrived in the last 10 years,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39and it's thrilling! It's opened up photography for so many people,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43but sadly, I think it tends to allow people just to still
0:31:43 > 0:31:47snap, snap, snap, in the way they used to with a roll of 36,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51so they're not really being, dare I say it, discerning enough.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Digital is excellent, but one needs to be a little bit more scientific,
0:31:54 > 0:31:58define the objective, work out what image you're going to make.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59So not engaging...in the same way.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Not engaging, not engaging, and the key about photography
0:32:03 > 0:32:06is actually, really... I carry my little creative took here,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09really what it's about is what you're looking at,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13and whether the resulting image will awaken anything in anybody.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It's all too easy just to press the button
0:32:15 > 0:32:18and not really get involved with what you're photographing.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22I don't know if this will awaken anything but I've taken a few snaps
0:32:22 > 0:32:25on my route, on my journey. I don't know how it will fare
0:32:25 > 0:32:28with the water coming at us here, but I'll show you a few.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33Can you take landscape photographs on a, sort of, digital camera?
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Oh, yes, yes, yes, and yes again. You really can.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40You just have smaller area to work with,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43you just have to think a little bit more about what you're photographing
0:32:43 > 0:32:46and you have to really wait and not execute it casually.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49You and I could produce an image that's quite similar,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and it would be just as good on that, and as good on this.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- I've got my foreground!- You've got to have your foreground interest.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57A bit lower might have been better.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02Now we are very overcast today but we do have some interesting light
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- on this surface, it's shimmering there.- We do.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07What could we look at now on this little point and shoot?
0:33:07 > 0:33:11I would have thought the best thing one could do is get very muddy knees
0:33:11 > 0:33:13and get down very low, because one of the problems about
0:33:13 > 0:33:17landscape photography is, like all photography, it's two-dimensional.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21In order to mitigate that, you need to try and convey a sense of depth.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25If you can't convey a sense of depth then the thing will just look flat.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29One of the keys to convey this depth is a good, strong foreground,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33and here we have one. These lovely ripples, fantastic patterns,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and sweeping the viewer of the image right from the start
0:33:37 > 0:33:40so you introduce them to the very beginning of the picture.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Then they just travel through it and roam through it
0:33:43 > 0:33:46right up to the end of the picture, which is the sky.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- I've got to give this a go, OK? - This is rather a nice little pattern
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- it's a kind of star shape, here, just there.- Oh, yeah.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57You could incorporate a foreground like that, a detail of that,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01- straight down...- Not on top, you mean?- Absolutely straight down.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06Yes, and so you maybe photograph about there,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- and try and get no bald bits, like the top of my head.- Ha-ha!
0:34:10 > 0:34:14Try and not have that bit, that little bit of sand is a problem.
0:34:14 > 0:34:20If you can imagine, at some point this image is going to be big.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24The last time you saw it was in the back of that little screen,
0:34:24 > 0:34:30when it was really tiny, so any errors, any aberrations, are going to be noticeable.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And you can't say, as a photographer, "I didn't see that."
0:34:33 > 0:34:37- No excuses!- You can't say that, cos you're a seeing person, you know,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41you're a visual person. I think that's rather lovely, there.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44I think it's challenging us a bit, let's have a go.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50I wouldn't think of that necessarily as landscape, it's another thing
0:34:50 > 0:34:53in my mind, you think, "I've got to get the panoramic".
0:34:53 > 0:34:57- You do.- These little opportunities, little nuggets on the ground. - Yeah. Little details.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10It was really great to meet Charlie, and his insights on photography
0:35:10 > 0:35:13have certainly inspired me to keep persevering.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25As much as I like a country hike, on Country Tracks we like to mix up
0:35:25 > 0:35:28the modes of transport, so for the next leg of my journey,
0:35:28 > 0:35:34I'm back on four wheels but this time, very much off-road.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- Darryl, I'm Joe.- Are you well?- Very well, thank you, nice to meet you,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- and very excited about this, we're going quad biking!- Yeah!
0:35:42 > 0:35:43Excellent, what's the plan?
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- To go up there, basically.- Up there?
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Yeah, as we look at it now it doesn't look much,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53but once we get into the teeth of it you'll see how challenging it is!
0:35:53 > 0:35:56'This island is renowned for its rocky terrain,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59'and I want to get up into the hills and tackle it first hand.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03'Darryl Urquhart-Dixon, from the local quad bike centre,
0:36:03 > 0:36:06'has promised me an experience that he says, will blow my mind!'
0:36:08 > 0:36:11'I know I'm in safe hands as Darryl is a fully qualified
0:36:11 > 0:36:14'instructor and has permission to ride across this area.'
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- OK?- Yes!- Nice bit of easy riding now across the ridge line,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21just follow me, then we're going to hit a track, cut left,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and then we'll probably bomb up the track pretty quickly.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26- OK?- Let's do it!- Well done!
0:36:31 > 0:36:33We're climbing the slopes of Ard Bheinn,
0:36:33 > 0:36:34the highest point in a landscape
0:36:34 > 0:36:37created by the collapse of an ancient volcano.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40I really wanted to see Arran from a different perspective,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44and up here I certainly got that!
0:36:59 > 0:37:04- Wow! This is it! - Welcome to the summit of Ard Bheinn.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08- Thank you.- Well done, very good.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13That's incredible, that's absolutely amazing!
0:37:13 > 0:37:14It was an exhilarating ride up,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I don't think I stopped grinning all the way, and the views
0:37:17 > 0:37:21are just stunning, you feel like you could almost touch the clouds.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25What an incredible experience of Arran. Unbelievable!
0:37:33 > 0:37:38It's easy to see why Arran attracts so many tourists each year,
0:37:38 > 0:37:43but as the islands off Scotland seem to prosper, other areas can fare less well.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Adam Henson reported from Campbeltown, at the tip
0:37:46 > 0:37:50of the Mull of Kintyre, over on the mainland.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56Here in Scotland, we're just a few miles from the Northern Irish coast, and its tourist bonanza.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00But things are quite different here on the Kintyre peninsula.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05Kintyre stretches southwest down into the Irish Sea for some 30 miles.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09The Mull of Kintyre, immortalised in song by Paul McCartney,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11is at the tip of this stunning landscape,
0:38:11 > 0:38:15and from here on a clear day you can see the coast of Ireland.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18The area has a shared heritage with the North Antrim coast.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22In fact, some of the first inhabitants here were the Scotti,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26a tribe from Ireland, which colonised much of the west coast of Scotland.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32Campbeltown, situated at the head of a deep loch, is around 20 miles from the Mull,
0:38:32 > 0:38:37and is the largest community in the region, known locally as the "wee town".
0:38:37 > 0:38:40It was once a prosperous fishing port, a centre for coastal shipping,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43whisky distilling, and ship building.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47Sea transport was key to the town's success, but over time
0:38:47 > 0:38:54ferry links to Glasgow and Ireland stopped, and there was a decline in the town's fortunes.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Last year, around 85,000 people visited Ballycastle,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05compared to a mere fraction of that figure coming to Campbeltown.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Tourism is seen as the key to this town's future economy,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12but the lack of a ferry link is considered by many
0:39:12 > 0:39:15to be holding back the future regeneration of this area.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21The trouble with the local economy here, it's a closed economy,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26we're very dependant on single, large industries for employment.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30And when one of these industries has a hard time, closes factories,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34like happened with a clothing factory here couple of years back,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37it means a lot of people had to move away to find employment.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41But once we have that link, and we're able to develop tourism here,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44that gives us a much stronger, open economy.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Why aren't the tourists here? It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Yeah, it's certainly beautiful, and the tourists are here
0:39:50 > 0:39:54but they're not right here, there's maybe about, every year,
0:39:54 > 0:40:0050,000 tourists are travelling during the tourist season to Arran,
0:40:00 > 0:40:05which is just about five miles over there, and Islay, which is probably
0:40:05 > 0:40:08only about 20 miles in this direction over here,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12there's another 100,000 tourists a year going, these places
0:40:12 > 0:40:16have got two ferries on in the summertime to cope with the tourist trade.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20It triples the population in these islands during the summertime.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24So would a thriving tourist industry help Campbeltown, do you think?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28It certainly would, because the jobs that would result from it
0:40:28 > 0:40:32would be jobs in the community. And because it's linked to tourism,
0:40:32 > 0:40:37it's going to be a much more stable and long-term base for drawing the local economy in.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39At the turn of the century,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Campbeltown was a major tourist destination. A regular ship
0:40:42 > 0:40:47would bring visitors from Glasgow, and many built large homes here for weekend retreats.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The town was at the centre of Scotland's malt whisky production.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Springbank Whisky is world-renowned,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55and the distillery has been here since 1828.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Campbeltown was once known as the whisky capital of Scotland.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03In fact, in the early 1900s, there were 24 malt distilleries here.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06And what happened? Why did they all disappear?
0:41:06 > 0:41:07Well, the whisky distillery owners
0:41:07 > 0:41:11at one time in Campbeltown could see no end to the actual boom
0:41:11 > 0:41:14that they were experiencing and unfortunately
0:41:14 > 0:41:17they took a lot of very shortcuts when they were making the product
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and in fact they made a very bad whisky,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21and hence they fell out of favour.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23You go through lots of traditional methods, don't you?
0:41:23 > 0:41:27We are the only whisky distillery in Scotland actually
0:41:27 > 0:41:29that carries out 100% of the process
0:41:29 > 0:41:32to turn basically barley into bottles of whisky.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38So this is where you malt the barley.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Where we're standing just now is the traditional malt barns
0:41:41 > 0:41:44as we call them, the building where the malting is carried out.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47What the guys are doing now is taking the barley
0:41:47 > 0:41:49which has been germinated on this floor for five days
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and putting it down this hole in the floor
0:41:52 > 0:41:55where it's being taken to the kiln. And you can see the barley here.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57You can feel the heat in it.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01This is a typical malting variety called Optic.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- I grow that at home.- Oh, you do, yes?
0:42:03 > 0:42:06What you have to understand here is that we do malting
0:42:06 > 0:42:09and once we've finished the malting, which takes about us three months,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11we then go and mash and distil.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14So you don't actually see the whole process
0:42:14 > 0:42:15from start to finish at Springbank.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19We tend to do seasons of malting and seasons of distilling.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Well, there's plenty of barrels here, Frank.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Plenty of empty barrels out here
0:42:26 > 0:42:28but where we're actually heading for just now
0:42:28 > 0:42:31is one of the maturation warehouses.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34The store's here where we keep some of the barrels.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Full barrels, that is.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Well, we've seen part of and talked about the making of the whisky.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45This has got to be the good bit.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Good bit for you.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49This is an example of one of the bottles that we do.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53This is our ten-year-old Springbank, one of our most popular brands.
0:42:53 > 0:42:54So, you want a wee taste?
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Oh, yes, please.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57This is at 46% alcohol.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04I'm not a whisky drinker but this is delicious.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Mmm. We like to think so.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Just outside the town is Tangy wind farm.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15All the wind turbines here are made by Vestas
0:43:15 > 0:43:19who opened a factory in Campbeltown in 2001.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21It created much-needed jobs for the community
0:43:21 > 0:43:23that had recently experienced
0:43:23 > 0:43:26the closure of the Machrihanish airbase in 1997.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29220 jobs were lost and 170 more went
0:43:29 > 0:43:33when the shipbuilding yard closed in 1998.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35The town was in economic freefall.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38When I heard that the shipyard was closing,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40I was pretty keen to try and see
0:43:40 > 0:43:44if there was something we could do to salvage it.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47And it was through that, and through some publicity I got,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49that I was approached by Scottish Power
0:43:49 > 0:43:52to see if there was anything we could do with the yard
0:43:52 > 0:43:56in terms of the manufacture of wind turbine towers.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59As well as providing lots of employment to Campbeltown,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02what else has the wind turbine brought to the local community?
0:44:02 > 0:44:07For every person in Vestas there's almost one person in the town
0:44:07 > 0:44:11somewhere indirectly involved and employed.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15It's been a great success story, you know.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18With the government setting a target
0:44:18 > 0:44:22of 10% of our energy coming from renewable sources by 2010,
0:44:22 > 0:44:27the Vestas factory in Campbeltown could expand, creating many more jobs
0:44:27 > 0:44:30and bringing back the prosperity to the community.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Although speculation continues,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Campbeltown is still without its ferry.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41I started my journey today at the head of Loch Fyne,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43then travelled on to Tarbert
0:44:43 > 0:44:45On the ferry trip to the Isle of Arran
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I got some great tips from Ian Hendry
0:44:48 > 0:44:50then headed from Lochranza to Blackwaterfoot
0:44:50 > 0:44:52for my photography master class.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55I quad biked up to the heights of Ard Bheinn
0:44:55 > 0:44:57and now I've arrived in the little town
0:44:57 > 0:44:59'of Kilmory.'
0:44:59 > 0:45:01When I spoke to Ian on the ferry,
0:45:01 > 0:45:04he said there was one place I simply must visit.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08So I'm driving south to Kilmory to visit the island creamery.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27- Hi.- Hi, Joe, how are you?- How're you doing?- Not too bad, thank you.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Good, good. This looks fantastic!
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Yeah, this is a very hands-on traditional process
0:45:32 > 0:45:36so we'll let you see a bit and then you can maybe have a go.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39How long have you been here and doing this?
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Well, the creamery's been on the site since 1947.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44- Fantastic.- So we've been here quite a while.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46I can already see a particular colour to this cheese,
0:45:46 > 0:45:47even at this stage.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Yes, all the cheese we're making at the moment is red in colour,
0:45:51 > 0:45:55which is the annatto that we're adding to the milk
0:45:55 > 0:45:56that gives us that colouration.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59And what happens now? These guys are about to work it?
0:45:59 > 0:46:01We're draining off the whey at the moment
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and then they're gonna start to work the curd in the vat here.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07Just talk me briefly through the process.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Where's it coming from to get to this point?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12In the vats on the other side we'll fill in the milk.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14and then we add the starter into the milk.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18And then, once the vats are full, we'll add the rennet in
0:46:18 > 0:46:23and the rennet coagulates the milk to a blancmange-type substance.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25And then we start to cut that
0:46:25 > 0:46:28once the cheese-maker's checked that he's happy with the set.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31We then start to cut it. Once we start to cut it,
0:46:31 > 0:46:34very slowly at first and then we speed it up,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37we start to get the curds and whey at that point.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39From that point on you then want to scald the vat
0:46:39 > 0:46:41which is bring the temperature up
0:46:41 > 0:46:44from the fill temperature of 32 up to 40.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46And that's called cooking the curd.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48And that drives the moisture out
0:46:48 > 0:46:50and makes the small curd particles very firm.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51I feel like I'm in the way.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I'm gonna come round and let these guys do it.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57They've drained all the fluid, what you call the whey, is that right?
0:46:57 > 0:47:00Yeah, that's all the whey gone. Now we're left with the curd
0:47:00 > 0:47:03and that's what will become the cheese later on.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Fantastic. Is there something I can do? Can I get hands-on?
0:47:06 > 0:47:09- I'll come round... - We'll go round the other side.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12Paul makes it look a bit effortless but I can assure you it's not.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15I thought it would just fall apart but it's pretty firm stuff.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Yeah, the cheddaring process has actually started
0:47:18 > 0:47:20so that's what you're seeing.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23- Put your hands right under.- Hands under and flip it, there we go.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27What's so particular about this cheese? What make it special?
0:47:27 > 0:47:30I think part of it is because it's all made from local milk.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33100% Arran is what we say, right enough.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35And I think it's just the quality of the milk
0:47:35 > 0:47:38on the island that just makes it.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41I'm not keeping up here, am I? You've done all the other side?
0:47:41 > 0:47:43There we go.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45He makes it look so easy!
0:47:45 > 0:47:47HE LAUGHS
0:47:47 > 0:47:49It's years of practice!
0:47:49 > 0:47:52And then the next thing they'll do is they'll cut it up the middle.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56- And then they'll start to put them on top of each other.- Wow.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59So, yeah, if you just pile them up, yeah.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02This is also keeping the curd warm while you're doing that.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05It is lovely and warm, a nice temperature.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07And the idea is to retain the heat.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12- There you go.- Slap it on! Yay!
0:48:13 > 0:48:16This stuff won't be ready now for a few months yet.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18But can we fast-forward the process
0:48:18 > 0:48:20- so I can have a look at the finished product?- Yeah, sure,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24- we'll go through there and have a look through.- Excellent.- Follow me.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35- Ah-ha, the finished product.- Yes.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37Now, this is a Burns Truckle.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Why have you made a Burns cheese?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41It's to commemorate the 250th anniversary
0:48:41 > 0:48:43of the birth of Robert Burns.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Fantastic. And you're going to keep that going all year?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49We're going to keep it for the whole of the Homecoming year,
0:48:49 > 0:48:50which is 2009.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- Would you like to take one away with you?- I'd very much like to.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Try it and let us know how you get on.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58- Great. I'll look forward to that. Thanks, Alex.- OK, then.
0:49:18 > 0:49:19Well, here I am in Lamlash.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22It's the largest settlement on the island,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24but it's still a very beautiful and tranquil place.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28And you wouldn't know it today, but this used to be a naval base,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31sheltering the fleets during World War One and World War Two.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34And the name Lamlash originally derives from the name of a monk
0:49:34 > 0:49:37who spent some time across the bay in Holy Island.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Now, that's where I'm going next for the final leg of my journey,
0:49:40 > 0:49:41which I'm very excited about.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47My journey has taken me from Loch Fyne down to the port of Tarbert
0:49:47 > 0:49:49and over to the Isle of Arran.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52I travelled from Locharanza to Blackwaterfoot
0:49:52 > 0:49:55then scaled the volcanic slopes of Ard Bheinn.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58From Kilmory I headed up to Lamlash.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Now I'm ending my travels with another ferry trip,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03to the Holy Isle.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Great.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14John the skipper's just delivered some bad news for me.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I was hoping to have a picnic on the island, which I could still have,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21but the rule is no meat, no fish and no alcohol.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23So my Loch Fyne beers will have to stay here,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25John's agreed to look after them.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Just gonna leave them there on the boat. Pick 'em up on the way back.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Holy Isle has a rich spiritual history
0:50:33 > 0:50:36that stretches back to the 6th century.
0:50:36 > 0:50:42Since 1993, it's been run as a multi-faith centre for world peace,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45owned by the Buddhists of Samye Ling.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50I'm meeting Robert McKenna, who lives and works on the island.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53It's basically set up as retreat centre for people who want to come
0:50:53 > 0:51:00and, I suppose, be in a safe space just to...
0:51:00 > 0:51:03explore and develop and experience that sense of inner peace.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05And that's open to anyone?
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Absolutely anyone. That was the whole idea.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11The vision of the Lama who first got hold of the island
0:51:11 > 0:51:15was to have an inter-faith and in fact a no-faith centre
0:51:15 > 0:51:18so anybody and everybody, that was the whole idea,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21just a safe space to come and explore
0:51:21 > 0:51:24and to experience a sense of inner peace.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27The tranquillity and peace of the island lends itself to that
0:51:27 > 0:51:31but the course is also a gate towards that, you know?
0:51:31 > 0:51:33So there's courses for meditation, stuff like that?
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Meditation, Tai Chi, a whole range
0:51:36 > 0:51:39of different self-exploration courses
0:51:39 > 0:51:43and some really eminent teachers from all over the world.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45So, yeah, it's working.
0:51:45 > 0:51:46HE LAUGHS
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- It's quite an isolated place, isn't it?- It is, yes.
0:51:48 > 0:51:53I mean, as you know yourself, it's tricky to get over here sometimes.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Depending on what the weather's doing,
0:51:55 > 0:51:59it can change in five, ten minutes, so it happens, yes.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02What does that mean for the community here?
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Do you have to be quite self-sufficient?
0:52:05 > 0:52:08We're getting towards it. The whole idea is we're trying
0:52:08 > 0:52:11to be as sustainable and as ecologically sound as possible.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15So we are growing a lot of our own produce now
0:52:15 > 0:52:18and that's developing season by season.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21And that's a big part of the project, you know?
0:52:21 > 0:52:24To be sustainable. We're talking about wind turbines
0:52:24 > 0:52:28and, as I say, we're producing a lot of our own food.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29And hopefully we'll be,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32at some point in history, 100% self-sufficient.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- Right, so you've got a veggie garden.- Yeah, yeah.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39I've been picking up some food on my journey, some good local produce
0:52:39 > 0:52:40and hopefully I'll be able
0:52:40 > 0:52:44- to find a spot to have a bit of lunch here today.- Absolutely, yeah.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47Maybe I could have something to go with my cheese and crackers.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Of course. You can pick your own lunch, how's that?
0:52:50 > 0:52:53- Is that possible?- Yeah.- Fantastic! - It doesn't get any fresher!
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- So point me in the direction... - Through here is the gardens.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Let's go and have a look.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05- These are very well maintained, aren't they?- Oh, yeah, it's great.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Thanks for that. Got some lovely greenery for my lunch.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Doesn't get any better than that, I'll tell you.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29- What are you doing here?- I'm replacing these prayer flags.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33- As you can see, these prayer flags here.- Can I give you a hand?
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Yeah, can you just grab on to them? That'd be good,
0:53:36 > 0:53:38So, we're just going to take these down here
0:53:38 > 0:53:41and tie them on where the other ones are.
0:53:41 > 0:53:46What's the reason behind having these prayer flags up here?
0:53:46 > 0:53:48They are what they say they are - prayer flags.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50So they hold prayers, basically.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55The idea of them is that the message is carried in the wind, if you like.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57They're beautiful and they're obviously up for a while,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00these are a bit tattered and weather-beaten.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03The idea is that they last a year and the turn of the year,
0:54:03 > 0:54:07then they are replaced so it's a continuum of the peace
0:54:07 > 0:54:10and the message going out there.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14- And that message is written on these, isn't it?- Yes. I mean,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17this is going back 1,000s of years.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20And as they become frayed, the idea is that they drift away.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24And the message is carried in the wind, and that's how they work.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27So this peace and compassion will blow across
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- to Arran, the mainland, everywhere. - The world!- Yes!
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Thanks, Robert. I'm going to have a spot of lunch.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Okey-doke, enjoy yourself.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Holy Isle is simply fascinating.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43And it's a great place to take time
0:54:43 > 0:54:47and reflect on my experiences over the last couple of days.
0:54:47 > 0:54:52I've indulged in some great food, certainly had a taste of adventure,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55and, of course, there's this ever-present, stunning landscape.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58So join us next time for more Country Tracks.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd