Bugail Bywyd Gwyllt

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-Everyone wants to escape sometimes.

-Everyone wants peace and quiet.

-Even the Royal Family.

-Maybe them, more than most.

-And ever since Queen Victoria

-and Prince Albert...

-..bought this castle

-in Scotland in 1848...

-..this is the Royals'

-summer home - Balmoral.

-But Balmoral is more

-than just a castle.

-It's a huge estate which

-protects the area's wildlife.

-To run an estate this size,

-a large staff is needed.

-One of these

-is Glyn Jones from Anglesey.

-I like working on Balmoral a lot.

-I've come to know everyone here.

-I enjoy the work.

-Very often, when I drive home

-around five o'clock...

-..I listen to traffic reports

-about traffic jams on the M25.

-I always feel happy.

-All I have to worry about...

-..is that a deer might

-leap across the track.

-The Balmoral estate, in

-Aberdeenshire, northern Scotland...

-..is in the Cairngorms

-National Park.

-High in these mountains, the River

-Dee begins its journey to the sea.

-Albert might have been

-Victoria's first love...

-..but this part

-of Scotland was her second.

-Since buying Balmoral, the area

-has been called Royal Deeside.

-This is Easter Balmoral,

-the estate village.

-There are about 20 houses here.

-Most are homes of estate staff.

-Looking across,

-we can see the golf course.

-I think this is the fourth fairway.

-At the top of the golf course

-is Craigowan House...

-..where members of the Royal Family

-stay from time to time.

-The Queen is there

-usually at Easter.

-Over there, that's Craigowan Hill.

-There's Purchase Cairn, made

-of stones, on top of Craigowan.

-The Royal Family, in Queen

-Victoria's day, built the cairn.

-Queen Victoria and the children

-placed the foundation stones.

-Then, the estate staff built it.

-Prince Albert placed

-the stone on top of the cairn.

-Then, they had a party up there,

-a ceilidh, with a fiddler...

-..and a few drams of whisky.

-Down there is quite a large house.

-It's called Baile-na-Coille.

-It was built for John Brown...

-..one of the estate staff

-in Queen Victoria's day.

-These days, the Factor, the chap

-who runs the estate and my boss...

-..lives in Baile-na-Coille.

-John Brown was rather more

-than just a member of staff.

-He became a close friend

-of Victoria's.

-The story was told

-in a film 'Mrs Brown'...

-..with Billy Connolly

-and Judi Dench in the leading roles.

-They didn't win any Oscars, but

-there was one for Helen Mirren...

-..for the film 'The Queen' recently,

-also set in Balmoral.

-The estate is huge - 50,000 acres...

-..with seven mountains

-higher than Snowdon.

-Thousands of people

-come here to walk and climb.

-But tourism isn't the most

-important concern on the estate.

-It's caring for wildlife.

-Many species of rare birds, animals

-and plants are protected here.

-The Rangers

-who look after the land...

-..are wildlife shepherds, in a way.

-And Glyn is the Chief Ranger.

-After leaving school, I went

-to Imperial College, London...

-..and took a degree in Zoology.

-Then, I went to Bangor University

-to do a higher degree...

-..in Countryside Management.

-My first job was

-with the RSPB on Anglesey.

-Later, I moved to a post with

-the National Trust in Snowdonia.

-I worked there

-for four years as a warden.

-Then, I saw this job advertised.

-I've been here for

-just over four years now.

-The main attraction

-is the mountains.

-I like working on the mountains.

-Lochnagar, and the other mountains

-nearby, are very nice mountains.

-But since we are so far north...

-..the weather can be

-very challenging...

-..especially in the winter months.

-Do the roads also pose a challenge?

-Do the roads also pose a challenge?

-

-Yes, they are quite challenging.

-But once you've driven along them a

-couple of times, you get used to it.

-One of the main parts of my job

-is to monitor rare birds.

-There are all kinds of birds here.

-It's a marvellous place for birds.

-The habitat on Balmoral

-is very healthy.

-We have many birds of prey -

-all the kinds you'd expect to see.

-So, if you enjoy birds,

-it's a great place to work.

-There's an old house

-here in the trees.

-Queen Victoria had this house built

-after Prince Albert died.

-There are usually four black

-grouse cocks on the front lawn.

-Hopefully, I can creep up

-slowly towards the cocks...

-..so we can have

-a closer look at them.

-Yes, there is one on the lawn.

-There are two displaying now.

-These are cocks -

-they're showing off.

-There are hens here

-somewhere, watching.

-The hens are totally different.

-Their camouflage works much better.

-They watch what's happening...

-..decide which male they like...

-..then that cock will breed

-with all the hens in the wood.

-If you look carefully

-at the cocks...

-..you see a bit of red skin

-above their eyes.

-The size of that skin tells you

-how much testosterone that cock has.

-The bigger the piece of skin,

-the more testosterone they have.

-And the more testosterone there is,

-the more aggressive the cock is.

-We've planted some trees

-in front of the house.

-We haven't used wire fencing -

-we've put up wooden fences.

-The problem with wire fences is

-that the birds can't see the wire...

-..when the light isn't strong.

-So there's a problem, they fly

-into the wire and kill themselves.

-There are four, one has just

-flown off - so, five, in all.

-It's the first time

-I've seen five here.

-We're one up which is good.

-An important part of Glyn

-and the team's work...

-..is counting and monitoring

-rare birds every spring.

-But birds aren't always

-so easy to find.

-This is the season when

-the birds are starting to breed.

-It's the time we try to monitor and

-count the various species of bird.

-Black grouse, ptarmigan,

-capercaillie, birds of prey...

-..like peregrine falcons,

-eagles and ospreys, too.

-Can you see the cliffs?

-It sort of snakes around the curves

-and comes underneath the cliffs.

-Walk below the cliffs

-and stick to the track.

-There's a radio. It's on Channel 1.

-Just keep it on Channel 1.

-Press that to speak.

-I'll give you a shout

-later on this morning.

-OK.

-OK.

-

-Good luck. See you later.

-I've often lost people doing this.

-The place is so huge.

-You drop someone off and you think

-you know where they'll turn up.

-Sometimes, they're not there,

-and you have to search for them.

-Hopefully, everything will

-run smoothly this morning...

-..and we can pick everyone up

-quickly the end of the morning...

-..and go back to the office for tea.

-But I'm ready for the possibility

-that I'll have to drive around...

-..or go into the forest

-to look for them later.

-But there were no problems today.

-Everyone came back safely.

-Hi, Fraser. How did you get on?

-I think there's about

-four grey heron overall.

-There was one over by Craigdoyne,

-just as I was coming up the hill.

-I pushed the black cock into there.

-So I'll include the one

-I flushed in my count.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-

-OK, cheers.

-I spend about half my time

-in the office...

-..and the rest out on the mountain.

-I prefer to be out, but there's a

-also lot of paperwork with the job.

-Loads of papers to read, e-mails

-to answer, letters arriving daily...

-..from people asking about doing

-all kinds of things on the estate.

-It was about 7.30

-by the time we got to the site.

-What I like about

-the job is the variety.

-There's no typical day.

-You never know what will happen next

-on an estate like this.

-Throughout the seasons,

-the work varies too.

-If it's raining

-and not very nice outdoors...

-..I can come here, have a cup

-of tea and catch up on paperwork.

-When the weather improves, I go out.

-There's always something

-that needs attention outdoors.

-Yes, it's still spring.

-It's May, and it's still the season

-for counting and monitoring birds.

-But not on the lawn

-or in the forest, this time.

-Today, we're going

-to count ptarmigan...

-..high up on Lochnagar.

-Some of the lads are coming with us.

-It looks rather rough now...

-..and the forecast is

-for worse weather this afternoon.

-What happened to the idea of tea

-and paperwork in the office...

-..if the weather's bad?

-Ptarmigan are a kind of grouse which

-live on high mountainous ground.

-In this country,

-they're only found in Scotland.

-You won't usually find ptarmigan

-lower than 1,000 metres.

-So we have quite a walk

-before we can start counting.

-We've just arrived at the habitat

-where we'd expect to find ptarmigan.

-We've found ptarmigan droppings

-straightaway.

-There are quite a lot.

-I think what has happened is

-that a pair spent the night here.

-Five, seven, three, four.

-The main thing that tells me that

-these are ptarmigan droppings...

-..is the high altitude here

-at almost 900 metres.

-The other thing that tells me

-that it's ptarmigan...

-..is the droppings' bore diameter.

-Ptarmigan are smaller

-than red grouse.

-Enough droppings to show that

-they are around somewhere...

-..but the question is, where?

-So they carry on climbing

-in the hope the rare bird appears.

-At last...

-..there it is.

-Ptarmigan live on high mountains

-in several parts of the world.

-In Britain, they're only

-found on Scotland's high peaks.

-So they won't be spotted on Snowdon!

-It's extremely exposed up here.

-The wind is blowing at 50mph now.

-It's about minus 2 degrees,

-but in the wind...

-..it feels closer to minus 15.

-So we're going to turn back, and

-maybe come back up here next week...

-..when the weather is better.

-What about that cup of tea now?

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-At last, the snow has

-disappeared from the mountains...

-..and summer has arrived

-in Balmoral.

-But Glyn has no time to rest.

-The work continues but changes its

-nature as with every new season.

-Without the bad weather,

-which can last so long...

-..and make work difficult, animals

-and birds of all kinds appear.

-The owners of the castle and lands

-also appear in summer.

-The Royal Family experience the

-warmth and welcome of Balmoral...

-..in a welcoming party before

-they enjoy the estate's privacy...

-..for the rest of the holiday.

-There are two formal occasions

-when I meet The Queen.

-I have to meet her when she arrives

-at the start of her holiday...

-..in the Castle.

-We do what we call the 'line-up'.

-The heads of the various departments

-who work on the estate...

-..line up, and when she reaches the

-estate, she goes along the line...

-..shakes hands

-and chats with everyone.

-Then, she begins

-her stay in the Castle.

-At the end of her holiday...

-..we have what's called

-the Stalkers' Tea Party...

-..when we have a cup of tea

-with The Queen.

-Everyone also receives a book

-as a gift from her...

-..which she presents to us

-at the end of the party.

-That takes place at the end

-of her stay on the estate.

-I like working for the Royal Family.

-They look after the estate well.

-They also look after the staff well.

-When they are here, you see them out

-on the mountain and in the forest.

-It's nice to feel that your boss...

-..feels the same as you do

-about the countryside...

-..and wants to look after the estate

-in the most responsible way.

-Throughout the year, we try

-to monitor and control mink...

-..on the rivers.

-The problem with mink is that

-they eat water voles on the estate.

-Five years ago, we had over

-40 colonies of water voles here.

-Now we're down to about 3 colonies.

-One of the reasons for that

-is the mink moving in.

-Mink shouldn't be here.

-They were released from fur farms...

-..and they've spread

-all over the country now.

-They're a problem everywhere.

-We call this the 'minkraft'.

-This is the trap.

-The way it works is that

-the mink comes up the river.

-They climb up the side of the raft

-and go in through the tunnel...

-..down the other side -

-minks like going into tunnels.

-In the tunnel,

-there's soft, wet clay.

-As the mink goes through, we pick

-up the footprints on the clay.

-Once we find mink footprints,

-we start trapping in that area.

-After putting the trap down,

-we check it every day.

-Sometimes, we catch rats.

-We've caught wild cats

-a few times in these traps.

-If we find anything else,

-we release them at once.

-The trap doesn't kill the animal,

-it just catches it.

-If we catch mink, then

-obviously, we have to shoot it.

-The Royal Family come to Balmoral

-for private holidays...

-..for some peace from

-the paparazzi for two months.

-But only the Castle and gardens

-are closed when they are here.

-The paths and mountains they enjoy

-are open to everyone else too.

-During the year, the estate

-receives about 200,000 visitors...

-..mostly in summer.

-I'm a member of the

-Braemar Mountain Rescue Team.

-We get called out to search for

-people who haven't returned...

-..when they're expected -

-they are just 'overdue walkers'.

-Usually, they're just lost

-rather than injured.

-It's quite a difficult

-area to navigate.

-A lot of the mountains

-look exactly the same.

-Very often, people just lose their

-way, especially when mist descends.

-'Morning.

-The problem here is that we get

-a lot of people coming up Lochnagar.

-It's a very popular mountain.

-We think about 50,000 people

-climb to the summit annually.

-The impact of the walkers'

-footsteps on the land....

-..causes quite serious erosion.

-At the moment, the helicopter

-is transporting stones...

-..from here to where

-the path is being repaired.

-As you see, lots of bags

-have been filled with stones.

-130 bags have to be

-moved up to the site.

-The helicopter takes about 4 minutes

-to fly up and drop one bag...

-..so it'll take most of the day

-to fly the stones up.

-The helicopter costs

-over 500 per hour.

-It'll take about 8 hours today

-to move all the stones.

-We can move stones with

-tracked wheelbarrows or winches.

-But by using a helicopter...

-..we can move many

-more stones, much faster.

-I think the clouds look

-as if they're lifting.

-We'll keep going for a while longer.

-Erosion isn't just a problem

-in Balmoral and Scotland.

-It happens in Wales, and indeed,

-wherever there are many walkers...

-..footprints spoil the land.

-Although it's expensive,

-the solution is to work on paths...

-..not to keep people away.

-The work on the footpaths

-is very expensive.

-The work here costs about 60,000.

-This summer, four teams, spread over

-the estate, are repairing the paths.

-Looking after the paths

-is a small part of my work...

-..but this time of year,

-a lot is happening.

-Summer is the only time

-we can get lads to work up here.

-There's quite serious erosion here.

-Also, the growing season

-is very short up here...

-..so the grass and heather

-don't have time to grow back...

-..once it's been

-worn down by footprints.

-There's a lot of water and rain here

-which also cause erosion.

-One of the reasons I decided

-to come and work in Scotland...

-..was because there are

-so many birds of prey here.

-This estate is one

-of the best places to see them.

-There are eagles,

-peregrine falcons, ospreys.

-A great number of birds of prey

-nest on the estate every year.

-It's quite a good game to try

-to work out what's happening...

-..where they are,

-how many of them there are...

-..and how well they are doing.

-This is a very beautiful

-part of the estate.

-It's a remote site. It takes

-two hours to drive up here.

-I enjoy coming

-to this part of the estate.

-Any excuse, I'll come here.

-It reminds me of home,

-of Wales, with the slopes...

-..there's more grass here

-and less heather.

-I enjoy coming to this area.

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-Summer has come to an end.

-The tourists have gone home.

-The work ends for

-the hundred part-time staff...

-..who work in the Castle

-and gardens...

-..as the Royal Family leave their

-beautiful estate in Scotland...

-..and Royal Deeside.

-But fifty people continue to work

-on the estate throughout the year.

-Glyn is one of them, of course.

-We're trying to collect

-heather seed now...

-..the seed pods.

-We've closed one estate track.

-There's a lot of land without

-heather, so we've closed the track.

-This time of year, we spread

-heather seed on the track...

-..in the hope it'll start

-to grow in spring.

-They follow the track

-for another hour.

-Then, they walk until they reach

-6,000 feet where the seed is needed.

-No sign of snow or rain yet, but

-there's no telling with the weather.

-We got an 8-ton excavator

-for a month, in September.

-It pulled in the sides

-of the track, re-landscaped it...

-..and pulled in the vegetation.

-So, all this area has been

-re-turfed and landscaped.

-There are still loads of soil

-without any vegetation...

-..so we're trying to spread

-heather seed on the soil...

-..and hope they'll take root

-and start to grow in spring.

-The weather isn't too bad today.

-It's quite mild.

-But the wind is causing problems.

-It has also started to rain but rain

-will help seed to stick to the soil.

-We just hope that some of the seed

-will stick to the soil...

-..and not all blow away.

-But we have to do the work

-this week really...

-..or the seed will rot in the bags.

-Yes, the rain came.

-But, compared to Snowdonia,

-there isn't a lot annually.

-74 cms here, 508 cms in Snowdonia.

-We see red squirrels here very

-often and all over the estate.

-There are over 3,000 hectares

-of forest on the estate...

-..and there are squirrels

-in all the woods.

-Red squirrels are

-becoming very rare.

-There's a problem with

-grey squirrels moving in...

-..and taking over the red

-squirrels' territory.

-But these are this country's

-native squirrels.

-They should be here.

-The grey squirrels

-have come from America.

-In my eyes, red squirrels

-are much prettier really.

-Here, by the Visitors' Centre,

-we put out food...

-..so that the public can see them

-and get quite close to them.

-This is probably one of the best

-places in the country...

-..to see red squirrels.

-One of the main reasons

-I moved up to Scotland...

-..was so I could go out

-on the mountains in winter.

-When I lived down in Wales,

-I'd often travel up to Scotland...

-..to go out in snow, in winter.

-But, often by the time I came up

-here, the snow had melted...

-..with only mist and rain, and

-I'd have to drive all the way home.

-In the end, I decided the best way

-was to move up here to live.

-Then, I could go at any time.

-We'll go along that route, shall we?

-Looking at the snow, it's been

-coming over the top there.

-It'll be blowing into the gully.

-A lot will probably come down there

-today. Shall we head up there?

-Do you think there'll be anyone

-climbing up there today at all?

-No, conditions are not

-good enough for climbing.

-Part of the Rangers' work on the

-estate is to provide information...

-..about safety for people walking

-and climbing on the mountain.

-The weather can be severe

-during all the winter months.

-There are only two months a year...

-..we can guarantee there'll be

-no snow on the mountain.

-I've been up Lochangar in June in

-blizzard and white-out conditions.

-Avalanches can occur all winter,

-especially this time...

-..when the temperature

-can rise and the snow melts.

-Eventually, it'll fall

-off the mountain.

-Today, it's Category 3, which

-is 'considerable avalanche risk'.

-Often, we have no choice...

-..especially if someone has had

-an accident or is buried in snow...

-..or if we have to pick up an

-injured person from the mountain.

-We have to put ourselves in a

-situation where there's a chance...

-..that an avalanche could occur.

-One man was killed four years

-ago in an avalanche.

-Usually, you're not

-buried by the snow...

-..you're just pushed off

-the mountain - you fall down.

-Then, there's a chance you hit

-a rock or fall over a cliff.

-It can be quite serious up there.

-Although walking in snow

-is a hobby of Glyn's...

-..he isn't just out

-walking today - this is work.

-Here, look.

-It's still quite exposed here,

-so it's getting half blown off.

-This stuff, the snow you've got

-in your magnifying glass now...

-..is the real McCoy.

-By studying the snow carefully

-in winter, on a daily basis...

-..they can say what conditions are

-like higher up in the mountains.

-A warning can be put on the internet

-if an avalanche threatens.

-As the world gets warmer,

-the weather is changing.

-There is less snow

-and fewer people on the mountains.

-The quietest year, for climbing...

-Because of changeable conditions?

-Because of changeable conditions?

-

-..I can ever remember.

-Certainly on Lochnagar...

-..one of the jewels

-in the crown of Scottish climbing...

-..and yet it's been so quiet.

-Safeguarding, or protecting, is

-the message everywhere in Balmoral.

-Safeguarding the family

-which owns the estate...

-..and protecting

-the rich land and wildlife.

-There are rare plants here...

-..and all kinds of wild animals

-and birds in the forests...

-..and on the mountains.

-Many are hard to spot, but others

-are very evident on the estate.

-And everyone marvels at them.

-But although the deer are handsome,

-they can cause a lot of damage...

-..to the land and trees,

-if their numbers aren't controlled.

-And they are not controlled

-by being told to behave...

-..to avoid grazing on the heather

-and to keep away from the trees!

-There's only one way,

-unfortunately, to control them.

-"Welcome to the Balmoral, Lochnagar

-and Glen Clova Hillphone Service.

-"This message was recorded on

-Sunday, November 26th, at 8.00am.

-"Stag stalking has now finished

-in both hillphone areas.

-"However, hind stalking commenced

-from Monday, October the 23rd...

-"..throughout both hillphone areas.

-"Walkers are asked

-to remain on footpaths...

-"..on days when stalking

-is taking place.

-"For further information, please

-contact the Balmoral Ranger Service.

-"Thank you for using

-this hillphone service.

-"Enjoy your day on the hill. Please

-use this service again next year."

-In Victorian times, deer were shot

-as part of the excitement of hunts.

-Today, they are shot

-to protect the land and wildlife.

-But not much has changed

-in the methods used.

-Horses and guns.

-You want a closer look first?

-OK.

-They won't cross themselves.

-They won't cross themselves.

-

-If that's possible.

-They'll come up this side. We'll cut

-the fence and put them through here.

-It's a wee bit dangerous.

-Two of the stalkers

-are heading off to look for deer.

-We hope we'll find some

-half an hour further along this way.

-Two other stalkers are

-bringing six more horses...

-..from the other side of the estate.

-They have a 10-mile walk

-this morning before they arrive.

-We'll use the horses to carry

-the deer from the mountain...

-..after they've been shot.

-GUNSHOTS

-At this time of year, we've got

-about 3,000 red deer on the estate.

-We don't want any more than that

-because of the impact they have...

-..on the vegetation and the trees.

-So we count the deer twice a year...

-..we monitor the vegetation,

-then decide how many deer to shoot.

-This year,

-we have to shoot about 600.

-We shoot hinds all winter.

-By Christmas, we'll have shot

-most of them on this estate.

-Then, the lads go to shoot

-on other estates after Christmas.

-Hi, Arthur, Glyn and the camera crew

-are going to go back now, OK?

-I was suggesting could one of them

-bring one of your Land Rovers...

-..down to the loch deer gate?

-Without controlling the deer,

-there wouldn't be food for them all.

-Those left behind are healthy.

-Balmoral venison is

-of the highest quality...

-..and found in the country's

-best restaurants.

-If we head over there,

-we're not going to disturb anything?

-No, they're all up there.

-OK. Just round that way?

-Through that, and head on to there.

-It's a very good experience

-to live on Balmoral.

-Everyone's very nice here.

-There's a community feeling.

-We all work as a team

-and have the same goal...

-..to ensure the estate

-functions as well as possible.

-At the end of the day, you feel

-as if you've accomplished something.

-A lot of people have come here

-and thought they would work here...

-..for a short time,

-and they stay all their lives.

-So I don't know. Maybe

-I'll still be here in my old age.

-The work of a wildlife shepherd

-here on Balmoral never stops.

-Every season brings

-its own challenge.

-But it's more than a job for Glyn.

-He spends his leisure time here too.

-And it's a enduring pleasure

-to be on the slopes of Lochnagar.

-S4/C Subtitles by GWEAD

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