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