0:00:26 > 0:00:28Think of a Scottish landscape
0:00:28 > 0:00:30and many people will picture the Highlands,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but there's more a gentle side to the country,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35that's just as captivating.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Dumfries and Galloway - green and glorious,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42but it's as rich in its culture as it is in countryside.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44And while I'm here, I'm going to be chatting to those
0:00:44 > 0:00:48behind one of the country's best up-and-coming art festivals
0:00:48 > 0:00:50and snooping around locations
0:00:50 > 0:00:53for big-budget movies.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Away from the festival, there's plenty more to see.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00This is about as far north as you can get to see
0:01:00 > 0:01:02one of our most amazing animals.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I don't know why I'm whispering. Soon as it gets dark,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06they make one heck of a racket!
0:01:06 > 0:01:08CROAKING
0:01:08 > 0:01:09I'm not the only one with a camera.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11John's joining us to launch
0:01:11 > 0:01:14the annual Countryfile photographic competition.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Our theme this year is Walk On The Wild Side
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and to give you some idea what we're looking for,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21my fellow judge, Chris Packham, is on a mission.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24His challenge - to take a walk on the wild side
0:01:24 > 0:01:27with a famous petrol head!
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Jeremy Clarkson is actually a rather keen birdwatcher
0:01:31 > 0:01:33and today, there's going to be no fast cars.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I'm getting a tour of Jeremy's farm
0:01:35 > 0:01:39to get some inspiration for this year's photographic competition.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42- Chris...- Hello.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45There's a car going down the B4026.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46I think it's a Subaru Forester.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Spoke too soon.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49And on Adam's Farm...
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I love buying new animals and today
0:01:52 > 0:01:54it's all about my county breed of pig,
0:01:54 > 0:01:55the Gloucestershire Old Spot.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I've got these piglets and their mum
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and I'm turning them out on to my farm for the very first time.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Mountains, countryside, moorland.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15And over 200 miles of coastline.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19People have been drawn
0:02:19 > 0:02:22to Dumfries and Galloway for centuries.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It's Scotland's most south-westerly region,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27bordering Cumbria and stretching to the Irish Sea.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I'm heading to Wigtown out on the coast.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35It's a place that's hit the big time in a rather surprising way.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40With under 1,000 residents, Wigtown isn't a big town,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42but it's of national importance.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Welcome to...
0:02:44 > 0:02:45..tell you what, read the sign!
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Amazingly, there are 15 book-related businesses here.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54But can this many sellers
0:02:54 > 0:02:56really co-exist in one town?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Shaun Bythell owns the aptly named The Book Shop.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03We all have different stocks.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05The whole sort of, theory of the book town
0:03:05 > 0:03:07is that you create a critical mass of shops
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and that they don't necessarily compete with each other,
0:03:10 > 0:03:11but they support each other
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and I think that seems to be how it works.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Having had a brief look around, Shaun, you've got books
0:03:21 > 0:03:22on every single topic.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Have you got any idea how many books are in this shop?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28We think we've got about 100,000.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32That's based on measuring the amount of shelving we've got
0:03:32 > 0:03:33and that comes to roughly a mile.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40So how did a small, relatively unknown place like Wigtown,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42become Scotland's national book town?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46In the late '80s and early '90s,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Wigtown had lost its major industry in the distillery and creamery
0:03:50 > 0:03:54in nearby Bladnoch, which meant there were lots of vacant houses
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and lots of properties because people had moved away.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00In 1996, there was an application process
0:04:00 > 0:04:03for becoming Scotland's national book town.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Wigtown applied and in 1997,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07we found out that we'd won.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Were there quite a few bookshops to start with?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12There were two bookshops -
0:04:12 > 0:04:14one bookshop and one book-related business.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Basically the rest stemmed from there.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Once we'd become Scotland's national book town
0:04:19 > 0:04:20more and more book businesses came.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24But it's not just books -
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Wigtown holds two art festivals a year,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29one now and another in the autumn.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Often the bookshops double up as venues.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36# I say that they had to... #
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Music plays a big part,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42with local artists like Zoe Bestel performing their own songs.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47# They say that they saw you
0:04:47 > 0:04:50# That they saw you
0:04:50 > 0:04:53# Kiss her again
0:04:53 > 0:04:55# Please say they're wrong
0:04:57 > 0:04:59# I guess it's goodbye. #
0:05:01 > 0:05:03That was beautiful!
0:05:03 > 0:05:07# 2,000 men from Galloway
0:05:07 > 0:05:10# Drowned in the waters of the icy Solway... #
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Out in the town square,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14The Cochranes are in full swing, performing a song
0:05:14 > 0:05:18they've written, inspired by Galloway's history.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19# Were never seen again. #
0:05:19 > 0:05:22The perfect backdrop to an already charming place.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I can see why Wigtown has just been announced
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Scotland's Most Creative Small Town 2012.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32HE SINGS
0:05:32 > 0:05:33The town's creative flair
0:05:33 > 0:05:37can be found in the most unusual of places.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Apparently, there's is a theatre in here somewhere.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I was told by those up on the High Street
0:05:44 > 0:05:47to ring the bell and all will become clear.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Right, here we go. "Pull (hard)."
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Don't know if I dare.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58BELL RINGS
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- Who is it?- Hello, my name's Matt.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I'm from Countryfile.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05I've been expecting you.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Please enter.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Thank you.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Now a private house,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12this used to be the Wigtown lock-up.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Its cells have remained largely unchanged.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18KEYS JANGLE
0:06:18 > 0:06:19Are we going in, or what?
0:06:19 > 0:06:20HE KNOCKS
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Mrs McNearney?- Yes, Mr McNearney?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I have a visitor here to see the prison.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28I'll bring him in.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Right, come away in.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The specially conceived play, based on historical records,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37shows two prisoners comparing sentences.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40That the women were held in these cells in the 1850s
0:06:40 > 0:06:43adds to the poignancy, and intensity, of the performance.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Ten days.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48You're in here for ten mair days.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53I stole some crays and I am in here for ten months.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55THEY SHOUT
0:06:55 > 0:06:57The play and its almost claustrophobic setting,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01certainly provide a powerful glimpse into Wigtown's past.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04This truly is a creative small town -
0:07:04 > 0:07:05but I'm not done yet,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08because later I'll be meeting a retired farmer
0:07:08 > 0:07:11who's also developed an artistic streak.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Right, while we're exploring Dumfries and Galloway,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Tom is down south,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19finding out about life on the farm in Somerset.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Fertile plains, shaped by generations
0:07:26 > 0:07:28of farming history.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33A tradition carried on today by small-scale farmers,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38making their first steps into this age-old industry.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42It's just before six in the morning and though I may be a bit bleary,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44life is beginning to stir here on Oxenford Farm.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48It's been like this pretty much at the start of every day
0:07:48 > 0:07:51since Dave Crabb and his family took on this tenant farm -
0:07:51 > 0:07:53the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Dave's a tenant on a county farm -
0:07:59 > 0:08:01council owned properties
0:08:01 > 0:08:04intended to rent to first-time farmers
0:08:04 > 0:08:07at more affordable rates than commercially-let land.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- Morning, Dave.- Morning, Tom. - You're looking bright and breezy!
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- It's like this every morning. - Is that right?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16How many cattle do you have here?
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I'm milking about 60 at the moment.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21This is you every morning,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and pretty much 365?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- I love it.- You love it?- I love it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It's just me. When I used to milk for somebody else,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29because I'm a first-generation farmer,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I always wanted me own farm.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Dave's run this place on his own
0:08:34 > 0:08:36for just over a decade -
0:08:36 > 0:08:39the slim margins mean he can't afford
0:08:39 > 0:08:41to hire any permanent help.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45County farms like Dave's
0:08:45 > 0:08:47rose to prominence between the World Wars,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50providing essential jobs and food production.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But they've proved a vital in-road
0:08:52 > 0:08:54into the industry since 1908,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58when it was made compulsory for councils to make land available
0:08:58 > 0:09:02to young people wanting to enter farming.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Now offering these farms is at the council's discretion
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and their numbers have dropped from around 32,000 at their peak
0:09:09 > 0:09:13to around 2,500 today.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16BACON SIZZLES
0:09:16 > 0:09:17EGGS CRACKLE
0:09:17 > 0:09:21That is one of the perks of getting up early. You get a decent breakfast.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22- Life wasn't always like this.- No.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27I'm the youngest of six, so we started off on a council estate.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29This is something I've always wanted to do.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Given that you didn't start in farming, how did you get into it?
0:09:32 > 0:09:33I knew the council farms were here.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36We actually sold our house to do this.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37We put everything on the line.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40How has it been? Has it been a good move?
0:09:40 > 0:09:41I am glad we done it.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43It is still hard,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45definitely got to work at it and be prepared to work.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48You can get people to do relief for you,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50but it's all a cost
0:09:50 > 0:09:52and the margins are pretty tight.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Although larger tenant farms are flourishing,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59life on many smaller holdings, like Dave's,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01is increasingly tough.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05The last 50 years has seen the amount of tenant land
0:10:05 > 0:10:07drop by a quarter.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And for those starting out with just 100 acres or so,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12changes in the way we farm today mean
0:10:12 > 0:10:14pressure is constantly building.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Average farm sizes have increased in recent years as
0:10:20 > 0:10:23we want cheap food and the supermarkets demand
0:10:23 > 0:10:27consistent supply, and for that bigger is seen as better.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32So it's tough for the smaller guys, but that isn't their only problem.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37The price of agricultural land is getting higher and higher.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40This puts pressure on tenant farmers hoping to move on
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and buy businesses of their own,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45but more urgently it's driving up rents,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50risking the future of many small farms already fighting for survival.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Well, we've seen some massive surges,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57in the last five years 138% increases in the land values.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Wow, that's more than doubling in a five year period.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01More than doubling in a five-year period.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03That is astonishing. What's driving that?
0:11:03 > 0:11:05A combination of factors, really.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I think increases or expected increases in soft commodity prices -
0:11:08 > 0:11:12in food - have given opportunities for more productive value -
0:11:12 > 0:11:17profit - but also capital security that land offers.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Land is often put in the class with gold for being a safe
0:11:20 > 0:11:23bet in difficult financial times.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24And what's happening to rents?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Well, rents are following the same trends.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30We're seeing increased activity in rent reviews
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and increases in the rents, up to 20-25%.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37So both farm size and sizable rent increases are working
0:11:37 > 0:11:39against those starting out on the land,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and if it's tough for people have only just got in,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45what hope is there for the farmers of tomorrow?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48OK, soil sample. You need a bag, one for you...
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Here on this agricultural course near Telford,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55students are learning the skills they need for a variety of jobs.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Off you go.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00But the Shropshire soil that they're testing today is a world away
0:12:00 > 0:12:02from where Rachel Lawson sees her future.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05My partner's actually in New Zealand at the minute
0:12:05 > 0:12:09so there's an opportunity there for a partnership
0:12:09 > 0:12:11together on a shared farming agreement.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Why do you feel you're having to go out to New Zealand rather
0:12:14 > 0:12:15than farming here?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The shared farming is just something that isn't really offered here.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's basically where new entrants or a farmer take
0:12:21 > 0:12:25a share on the costs of running the farm
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and then obviously take a share of the profits as well.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29So it's of more gradual approach to owning a farm,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31sort of one bite at a time.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Yeah, exactly. Here it's sort of, you find a farm to rent,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37you've got the cost of the rents,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40cost of improvements and it's just not viable.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42People can't lend the money that's required to do that.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Although Rachel may be heading abroad,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51our agricultural colleges are attracting more students than ever.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Some may find jobs in the wider industry,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but for those who want to take on a farm,
0:12:58 > 0:12:59there is a growing thread.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Later on I'll be finding out why after 12 years of hard graft,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10tenant farmer Dave Crabb may now lose everything.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23At the western tip of Dumfries and Galloway there's a peninsula
0:13:23 > 0:13:28shaped like a hammerhead, and known as the Rhins of Galloway.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It's dominated by its dramatic often wild and windswept coastline.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36This distant corner isn't on most people's tick list
0:13:36 > 0:13:38when it comes to visiting Scotland.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It's way off the beaten track. It's certainly new to me,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44but just look what we've been missing -
0:13:44 > 0:13:45a hidden gem.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52The harbour village of Portpatrick lies at the heart of the Rhins.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Just 21 miles from Ireland, the port was once an important passenger
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and trade route, ferrying 10,000 items of mail a day
0:14:00 > 0:14:02across the Irish Sea.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07But in the late 19th century a decision was taken to move the ferry
0:14:07 > 0:14:11service to the more sheltered port of Stranraer, a few miles to the north,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and the harbour here fell upon bad times.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Now local people have formed a charitable trust
0:14:17 > 0:14:22and bought the harbour themselves to put Portpatrick back on the map.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25So what are you going to do to the harbour, then?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29First of all, stop the dilapidation, conserve what we've got,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and then begin to improve the access for boats.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Dredging has already been done
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and on shore we want to provide
0:14:38 > 0:14:42toilet and shower facilities as a basic minimum for visiting yachts.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44The harbour, to Portpatrick,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48is like the village green to an English village.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53It's the core of the community and we want to make the best of it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59The whole community would benefit from an increase in tourism here.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Robert Campbell is a third generation Portpatrick fisherman.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07He's heading out to collect the daily catch, not just for market,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09but for his harbour-side restaurant, as well.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Well, thanks for letting me come with you, Robert.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15How many fisherman are there these days in this harbour?
0:15:15 > 0:15:16There's very few now.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I would say I'm the only one that's left, really,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23that's doing this lobster potting anyway, full time.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26In the heyday, in my father and my grandfather's day
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I would say there were 20 boats that'd work out of here.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33And how will these plans to bring new life to the harbour affect you,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35do you think?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I think it will be to the good of the village,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40the whole of the village.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Hopefully it'll mean more visitors looking to sample Robert's
0:15:43 > 0:15:45local crab and lobster
0:15:45 > 0:15:49which he captures in pots strung in lines and sunk beneath the cliffs.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51See if you can catch the buoy.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I'm going to try and catch the buoy.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59- Yep, you've got him.- Got it!
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Good man.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Well, I've caught something anyway!
0:16:04 > 0:16:05Like a lottery, really.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- You don't really know what to expect.- You don't know.- Whether you're going to win or not.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- We've got two small lobsters here. - Couple of babies.- That's good.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I'll just put them back in there but I'm finding now that there
0:16:15 > 0:16:18are more small lobsters than there ever has been,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and I've been fishing since a small boy in the '60s.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Why is that then?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Because of the depletion of the cod stocks.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29When they're at a plankton stage that is one of
0:16:29 > 0:16:31the favourite foods for a cod.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- And here's a big guy. - Perfect size.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Of course most people are not used to seeing a lobster this colour, are they?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- Those beautiful blue claws.- Yep, yep.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And a black back.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It'll be on the menu tonight then maybe.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Yeah, be on the menu. That's the morning catch,
0:16:47 > 0:16:48with the crab as well.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50There you go.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52With Robert's catch bound for the restaurant,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I'm off to discover what other wildlife there is
0:16:55 > 0:16:59to find along this dramatic stretch of coast.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03The Mull of Galloway is Scotland's very own Land's End
0:17:03 > 0:17:06but because it's so isolated, right now, I'm the only visitor.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10There's a fine light house and many seabirds on and RSPB reserve.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- Hello, Hannah. Good to see you. - Hello! Nice to meet you.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Well, you're obviously doing a survey,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20what particular birds are you looking at today on this windy cliff top?
0:17:20 > 0:17:22I'm doing the black guillemots today.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25About 95% of all of the black guillemots in the UK
0:17:25 > 0:17:29are found in Scotland so really quite a Scottish species.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And we call them Tysties in Scotland
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- rather than black guillemots. - Tysties?- Yes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Once you get your eye in you'll see the white wing spots that
0:17:37 > 0:17:38jump out at you.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Once you've got your binoculars on you'll see the little red legs
0:17:41 > 0:17:42paddling under the water as well.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I really see his red legs now.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Exactly. They're both up there now. - There's two down there now.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53'Unlike ordinary guillemots, Tysties are found in much smaller groups.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'Though there's plenty of action at this time of year.'
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Do they have a kind of courtship ritual, then?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01That's right, that's what they do have.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03They actually do a little dance where
0:18:03 > 0:18:06they swim around each other in quite a tight circle, facing each other.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10What about those two there? Is that courtship going on?
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Yeah, I think it is.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Sort of a half-courtship,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16they're not doing the fully circling around each other...
0:18:16 > 0:18:17They're not convinced yet!
0:18:17 > 0:18:20They're not completely convinced!
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Engaged but not married. - JOHN LAUGHS
0:18:23 > 0:18:26We like the little Tysties. We're proud of them in Scotland.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31'And it's easy to see why this photogenic little bird is
0:18:31 > 0:18:33'such a local favourite.'
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Well, this is a great place to launch this year's Countryfile
0:18:38 > 0:18:42photographic competition cos our theme is Walk On The Wild Side.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47We want your photos of wildlife, of wild scenery - even wild weather.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50And the best 12 pictures will make up the Countryfile
0:18:50 > 0:18:55calendar for 2013 which we'll be selling in aid of Children In Need.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59More details later and Matt is also going to be revealing just how
0:18:59 > 0:19:02much this year's calendar has raised.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06And let me tell you, it's exceeded our wildest expectations.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14From it's wild coast to its undulated hills and woodland,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Dumfries and Galloway is home to some other wildlife treasures.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23This is just the sort of place that makes you want to reach for your
0:19:23 > 0:19:26camera and perhaps take that winning photograph for our competition.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30There's birds, butterflies and not to mention red squirrels,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and they're all here thanks to the work of one man
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and a nature-loving local community.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41Retired-teacher Jim Ray set about transforming this site
0:19:41 > 0:19:42nearly 30 years ago
0:19:42 > 0:19:47and to day Eskrigg Nature Reserve is blooming with a huge
0:19:47 > 0:19:50variety of wildlife in a just seven-acre patch.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Hi, Ellie.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Wow, this is beautiful, this!
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Aye, it's superb, especially on a day like this.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Yeah, right! So how did you go about setting all this up?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00With a lot of help.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03In the mid '80s I was teaching Biology up at the local school
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and trying to teach youngsters about conservation
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and one of the children in my class told me about this place.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Wow. Gosh.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So it was all overgrown and silted up,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16but the potential was obvious from the beginning.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Eventually we decided we wanted to go ahead so I approached
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Sir Rupert who owns the land and we had a public meeting in Lockerbie.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Within two months we had the Lockerbie Wildlife Trust formed...
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Wow.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30And we haven't looked back since.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31It's such a range of habitats
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and you've got all the animals associated with each of them.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36We've go the moorland area,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- up there we get a whole range of butterflies.- Oh, great.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42We've got 16 different species so far.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- We've got little grebe nesting here a the moment. It's magic.- Fantastic.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Amazing work.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'The reserve's star attraction is a close-up view
0:20:51 > 0:20:55'of one of the reserve's native species, the red squirrel.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58'Thanks, in no small part, to Jim's daily feeding regime.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:02So how many squirrels do you think you have in this reserve?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Well, in the reserve we know there's at least 12 coming
0:21:05 > 0:21:07to the feeders at the moment,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10but I think there's probably an awful lot more.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12There's probably about 20 pairs in the woods round about.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Good healthy population.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Definitely.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'And it's not long before I spot one.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:21There's one pretty high up in this tree up ahead.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23It's thinking about going to the feeder.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25It's beautiful bright, bright ginger.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30'With reds having been muscled out by non-native grey squirrels
0:21:30 > 0:21:31'across much of the UK,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35'this little stronghold is a welcome haven.'
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The Scotch Pine is a natural habitat for the red squirrels
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and the estate have agreed to leave those.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- They've have for the past 20 years.- Great!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45And they're going to leave them for the foreseeable future.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- It's a good place to be a red squirrel round here, isn't it? - Oh, it's magic!
0:21:50 > 0:21:55It's not just the red squirrels who enjoy coming here of course.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Jim hosts regular teaching visits from local schools and nurseries.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03You put the net into the water and just move it backwards
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and forwards...
0:22:05 > 0:22:08With Jim's hands-on approach, community spirit is
0:22:08 > 0:22:12certainly alive and well in this corner of Dumfries and Galloway.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Oh! Look what I've got in here!
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Can you see something moving in the bottom of my net?
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- It's a lizard!- It's a newt.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Later I'll be on the hunt for a toad that you might expect to live
0:22:29 > 0:22:33in a pond like this but this species is more at home by the sea.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41I've been exploring Wigtown, Scotland's national book town.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45With creative folk at every turn,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49retired farmer-turned-photographer Fraser McCormack is no exception.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52He's exhibiting as part of the festival.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Oh, Fraser, these are good.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The black face, there. He's a bonny lad.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01You can't go wrong with a belted Galloway either.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Have you ever entered the Countryfile photographic competition?
0:23:04 > 0:23:05- Once.- You have?!- Yes.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- Have you? What did you enter? - That one there.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09- Which one?- The Holy Lynn.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Oh, this one.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13'What a great way to combine a passion for the countryside
0:23:13 > 0:23:16'with a love of photography.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Well, let me tell you,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Fraser is not the only one who's handy with a camera.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Our Countryfile calendar is made up from the best
0:23:24 > 0:23:26entries from our photographic competition,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and a big thank-you to everybody who bought last year's calendar.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33The pennies have been counted and you have raised an enormous...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41for Children In Need. Brilliant stuff.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43But now we want you to do it all over again
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and this year's theme is Walk On The Wild Side.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49In a moment to get you started, Jeremy Clarkson
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and Chris Packham will be finding inspiration everywhere.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Look, here are the bones of all of they prey
0:23:57 > 0:23:58that these birds have been eating.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Why don't we take a picture of this cos
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I think it would go very well as the July page of the calendar.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07And will the weather be picture perfect?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Find out with the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22As we found out earlier,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25life for small tenant farmers can be tough, but as Tom's been
0:24:25 > 0:24:30discovering there's now an even greater threat to their future.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37The hours are long and the profits can be slim, but many of these small
0:24:37 > 0:24:40scale farms and the farmers who run them are the future of the industry,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and there's still plenty of people, like Dave Crabb,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46who want to give it a go.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47So you got me up early milking, what's next?
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Well, I think these girls need a bit more grass, don't you?
0:24:51 > 0:24:52How does that happen?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54We'll give them a shout, shall we?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Come on, then!
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Come on!
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Come on, girls! Come on!
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Come on then!
0:25:00 > 0:25:02'Dave went from being born on a council estate
0:25:02 > 0:25:08'to living a lifelong dream by taking on the tenancy of this
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'115 acre council-owned farm just over a decade ago.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15'He put everything he owned on the line and has worked day
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'and night to build up a business and secure his family's future.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'But as cash becomes tight, councils are cutting back
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'and Dave stands to lose it all.'
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Somerset county council,
0:25:29 > 0:25:35their policy now is to sell off most of their county farms.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We can stay here to the end of our tenancy which is 2018.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42We've got the chance to buy it, with no discount,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46so we obviously can't do that.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47It's far too much money for us.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Is there no way at all you can scrape the money together
0:25:51 > 0:25:53to buy it? How much would it be roughly?
0:25:53 > 0:26:00Well, they valued it now, two years ago, at 1,085,000.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03So that's it, six years and you fear you'll be thrown off this farm?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Yes, simple answer's yes.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11This council in Somerset isn't the only one selling
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and many other small tenant farmers like Dave are facing
0:26:14 > 0:26:16a similar fate.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24In the last decade more than 1,000 council farms have been sold off
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and the advancing red on the map here shows the counties that have
0:26:27 > 0:26:31been doing the selling and there's no sign of the rate slowing down.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36Over the last 100 years county farms have been a new artery bringing
0:26:36 > 0:26:40fresh blood into farming and now at risk of being choked off.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45So where would that leave the farmers of tomorrow?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52'Nick Prince is a tenant on a small farm himself and has spent
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'the last 4 and a half years investigating county farms and their fate
0:26:56 > 0:26:57'for his PhD.'
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Why does it matter if we lose most of our county farms?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It's all about entry into farming.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The county farms are state accounts for round about 3% of the land
0:27:06 > 0:27:10area in England and Wales, what it provides is round about
0:27:10 > 0:27:14one third of the newly let equipped holdings in England.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Right, so of newly available farms they provide
0:27:18 > 0:27:20a third even though they're just 3% of the land area?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23That's right. They don't all go to new entrants, may of these are re-let
0:27:23 > 0:27:27to established county farm tenants, but the percentage of equipped
0:27:27 > 0:27:30holdings that it provides is quite significant to the industry.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36In Somerset the county council have earmarked two thirds of farms for closure.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So why are you selling off so many farms in Somerset?
0:27:41 > 0:27:45We've always been selling farms and suddenly it's become very urgent.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49We face huge government cuts which we've absorbed over the last
0:27:49 > 0:27:51couple of years.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Our debt costs us £100,000 per day to service as it is.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56£100,000 a day?
0:27:56 > 0:28:00£100,000 a day on debt and that is capital debt that's built up
0:28:00 > 0:28:03so if I need to build a new school, repair some roads,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I unfortunately need to realise assets to balance the books.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So selling places like this really does help to keep the social
0:28:10 > 0:28:12services of Somerset alive?
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Absolutely. It keeps the whole fabric going.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17What we have here is a very small number of farmers
0:28:17 > 0:28:19carrying a huge subsidy from the county.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Do you think it's rather short-sighted though selling off the farms?
0:28:23 > 0:28:24It's the only option I've got.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30The sell-offs in Somerset have generated over £10,000,000 so far,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33adding much more to the council's coffers in the short term
0:28:33 > 0:28:35than renting this land would have done.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40This site of silent farms about to go under the hammer
0:28:40 > 0:28:44is repeated across much of the country.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Though some councils, like Staffordshire
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and Cheshire East, are deciding to invest.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55They believe that county farms are an integral part of our
0:28:55 > 0:29:00rural society, and if you lose them, THAT risks unravelling.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05But that's little solace to people like Dave Crabb who's
0:29:05 > 0:29:09dream of farming is facing a very rude awakening.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12If you have to move on, what will you do?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Well, I could probably go back and work for somebody else.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18Doing what?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Well, I can milk cows. I can drive lorries.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25And if you're driving a lorry past this farm when it's not yours anymore,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27what are you going to be thinking?
0:29:27 > 0:29:28I won't be very happy!
0:29:31 > 0:29:35With so many of these county farms being sold off, where is that
0:29:35 > 0:29:40next generation of keen recruits going to get that first step up?
0:29:45 > 0:29:48To inspire you to enter this year's Countryfile photographic
0:29:48 > 0:29:51competition, we asked someone who lives life in the fast lane to
0:29:51 > 0:29:54go for a walk on the wild side with one of our judges.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Brace yourself as Chris Packham takes Jeremy Clarkson off-road.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15That for sure is the delicate and beautiful trill of the skylark.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20So this is not the sort of place you'd expect to happen across
0:30:20 > 0:30:22a Mr J Clarkson.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Ooh, yes.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27But when Top Gear's man isn't burning rubber,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31this Oxfordshire farm is his home.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33But how's he going to respond
0:30:33 > 0:30:35when I test the mettle of his inner countryman?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46You see, Jeremy's lured us here to get some inspiration
0:30:46 > 0:30:48for our photo competition.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52We're after shots of all things wild.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59The theme for this year's competition is a walk on the wild side.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01So let's find Jeremy and get cracking.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- Jeremy.- How are you? - Yeah, all right, actually.- Good.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08I'm on Countryfile!
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I know. It's heresy.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12- It isn't.- Come on then. Why isn't it? You've bought a farm.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- What's that all about?- Look at it.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17- I know but...- But look at that.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Which would you rather have, some money in a bank or that?
0:31:20 > 0:31:21Are you going to farm it?
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- Absolutely.- Do you know anything about farming?- Absolutely nothing.
0:31:25 > 0:31:26Have you got any initial plans?
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- Yes. Employ a man who knows about farming.- Excellent.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30- That sounds like a good plan.- Yes.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34But in terms of farming, are you planning to do that
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- with wildlife in mind?- Oh, God yes.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39No, absolutely. Definitely. 100%.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41I want to get more butterflies.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I want to get many, many, many more birds, many more.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I want to do a hell of a lot to make it look nice
0:31:47 > 0:31:48and to make wildlife come.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Has this always been lurking beneath the surface?- I'm a country boy.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I was born in the countryside.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56So it's only natural that I want to enjoy it now...
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- But one might argue... - ..in the autumn of my years.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Well, all right. Early winter.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08'Well, it's time to take the old boy on the hunt for our first wild photo
0:32:08 > 0:32:12'and straight away I can see some cracking subjects.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16'Never neglect the obvious.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18'And if you know where to look,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21'there's a mini beast under every leaf, right up my street.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25'But will Jeremy see it that way?'
0:32:25 > 0:32:30Nettles are a remarkable plant when it comes to invertebrate...
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I'm losing you, aren't I? Invertebrate biodiversity.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35What you've done is you've hit on
0:32:35 > 0:32:37two of the things I'm not interested in in life.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40I'm not interested in nettles and I'm not interested in insects.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42You see, I really like nettles.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46They can change their shape in order to maximise their capacity
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- to capture light. - What it's actually doing is
0:32:49 > 0:32:51- killing everything that lives underneath it...- Exactly.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- ..in its shadow. - It's a fantastic competitor.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Right. Roundup is what's needed here. Gallons of it.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00Nice pond.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03I know you're not interested in insects,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05but there's some nice insects down here.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Pond skaters, ferocious little predators.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12They look good in macro too.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16There's not enough light today, but I've got some good ones in the past.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- They're not very interesting. - They're beautiful little things.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Not really, not compared to a mallard.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29I always like using water if I can when it comes to taking photographs
0:33:29 > 0:33:32because the reflective qualities of it are really nice.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36'But in truth, Jeremy's pond isn't inspiring either of us today.'
0:33:40 > 0:33:42I tell you what I have got,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45I've got some are owl boxes which might have barn owls in them.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46That sounds good.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Look, look, look. Look at that!
0:33:55 > 0:33:56Wow.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57Superb.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Superb.
0:34:00 > 0:34:01What about that?!
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Did you get a picture?
0:34:03 > 0:34:07- Oh, photo... No.- Should have taken... - They were too quick!
0:34:07 > 0:34:10But look, you can see they've been here for some time
0:34:10 > 0:34:12because all of their pellets are here. Look at that!
0:34:12 > 0:34:13Don't pick things up.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17You've done it with the nettles, no need to do it with that.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20But this is fascinating, a little pellet like this.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22You say pellet, but I've got another word in my head.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- No! This comes out through the mouth. - That's vomit.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- This is the regurgitated... - Vomited mouse?
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Look. Here are the bones of all of the prey
0:34:30 > 0:34:32that these birds have been eating, OK?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Why don't we take a picture of this
0:34:34 > 0:34:38cos I think it would go very well as the July page of the calendar.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Put your hand out. I need a receptacle.- No, you don't.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Look, go on. There's the jaw bone, the lower jaw of a mouse.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47We can use that in November.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49- There's his eye. - Here's another lower jawbone.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Take that home and put that on the shelf, keep that safe, hey?
0:34:57 > 0:34:58Sometimes when I'm driving a Ferrari
0:34:58 > 0:35:00a little bit too fast while shouting,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03I think I earn my living in a silly way,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05but I think you've probably topped me.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07What you're saying is, and this is a good point,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- is I need to actually encourage the voles...- Exactly.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14- ..in order to make sure that my owl boxes are all full of owls.- Exactly.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19'Now, if Jeremy really fancies himself as a wildlife champion,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23'then it's farmland birds that really need his help.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26'On a neighbouring farm, they've put out some bird feeders,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29'so we're looking out for corn buntings and tree sparrows.'
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- Ford Focus.- 'Or are we?'
0:35:34 > 0:35:36Land-Rover, 90.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42'But to catch the birds on-camera, I need a hide and true to form,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45'Jeremy's supplied me with...a car.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48'It's actually not a bad idea.'
0:35:51 > 0:35:56I'm happy in the very comfortable hide that you've provided for me.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Although, I would like to try a Ferrari hide.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I've not been using one of those recently. Could that be arranged?
0:36:02 > 0:36:05No. I don't think they do green ones.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10'But sitting quietly doesn't seem to be Jeremy's strongest point.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:14You haven't got the RSPB commemorative set of spoons then?
0:36:14 > 0:36:16I've got no RSPB cutlery.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21- What vintage are these? - 1970s. '69, '70.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22'69, '70?!
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- I've got a Wildlife Trust ashtray...- Have you?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33..with a badger on it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I still think though that my RSPB cutlery
0:36:36 > 0:36:41- trumps your World Wildlife Fund mug.- Yeah.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45- Have you got any photographs at all?- Not yet.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53'A whole hour sat in the back of Jeremy Clarkson's car
0:36:53 > 0:36:56'and this fuzzy Yellowhammer is all I have to show for it.'
0:36:57 > 0:36:59I haven't got too many pictures,
0:36:59 > 0:37:04but I really hope that we've inspired you to get out into the countryside,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06take a walk on the wild side of that
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and get some classic photographs.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11I've just seen a swan!
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Just across the border on his farm in Gloucestershire,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Adam's got his work cut out tending to his many animals.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28With 2,000 ewes and lambs and a large herd of cattle,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30there's never a quiet moment.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And today, it's the pigs and chickens in need of his attention.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43First thing in the morning, one of the jobs is to let the chickens out.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48I bought these hens back in March as laying hens.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51And back then, they were only young and hadn't started laying.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Now they have. What I wanted
0:37:53 > 0:37:56were hens that lay three different coloured eggs
0:37:56 > 0:37:58and it's working well.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I've got the Leghorn. It lays a white egg.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Then the Fenton Blue lays a sort of bluey-green egg.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08And then the Speckles that lay these brown eggs.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11So the projects going really well
0:38:11 > 0:38:14and a hen should lay in the region of 300 eggs each a year.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18So out of my 18 hens, I'll have about 5,500 eggs.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20It's brilliant. You're lovely, aren't you?
0:38:27 > 0:38:31With some of our chickens, we incubate the eggs
0:38:31 > 0:38:34and hatch them out to sell to other poultry enthusiasts.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38And here in the incubator, when you warm up a fertilised egg,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42it takes 21 days before the chick starts to hatch.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45In this one, you can see it's started to chip around
0:38:45 > 0:38:47the edge of the egg to hatch out.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50And there's its little beak pecking away.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56Next to it is another one that's nearly out and its struggling away.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58It's doing very well.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00I'll just give it a little hand
0:39:00 > 0:39:04cos there's a bit of egg stuck on its head.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07There. It was stuck to your head, mate, wasn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11And then the bit on the other end is where the yolk sack is
0:39:11 > 0:39:15and that's fed the chick that's been growing inside the egg.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I won't pull that bit off, I'll just let that dry off naturally.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Pop you back in, keep you warm.
0:39:22 > 0:39:23There you go.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30'While the chickens are relatively easy to breed from,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32'my pigs take slightly more planning.'
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Some of my Gloucester Old Spot sows are getting a bit old now,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41so I'm introducing a bit of youth into the herd.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45This is a young gilt, a young female, that we've bred ourselves.
0:39:45 > 0:39:51I'm introducing her to the boar, the male, just here for the first time.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55There's already one sow in here and there sometimes a bit of squabbling.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00He's asserting his authority and chasing her around
0:40:00 > 0:40:02and pushing her around a bit saying, "I'm the boss,"
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and she's moving away from him.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Pigs come into season, ready to accept the boar every three weeks.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I'm not sure whether she's in season or not,
0:40:11 > 0:40:14although there does look like love might be in the air.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17In fact, here we go. He's going to mate with her now.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22That means piglets in three months, three weeks and three days,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25but I'm getting a bit behind with my Gloucester old spot breeding
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and what I could really do with is some piglets now.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38A few weeks ago I put my name down on a young Gloucestershire
0:40:38 > 0:40:40old spot sow who was pregnant.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42She's now had her piglets and she's ready to be collected,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44so I'm heading off to Broom's Green
0:40:44 > 0:40:46which is just up the road in Gloucestershire.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49The sow and piglets belong to an old family friend,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Charles Martel, who farms in the shadow of May Hill.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- Charles.- Hi, Adam. - Great to see you again.- And you.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- It's always a beautiful spot, isn't it?- Lovely, yeah.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02He's passionate about all things Gloucester.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Like me, he keeps Gloucestershire old spot pigs.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10And Gloucester cows that graze the orchards.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14He even uses their milk to make some pretty smelly cheese.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17But it's his sow and piglets that I'm really keen to see.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- There she is. She's lovely. - This is Dolly.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26With pigs, if the mother's name's Dolly the daughter's Dolly,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30so there's the mother there next-door, her mother.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- Come on, old girl. Come on.- What's that?
0:41:33 > 0:41:36This is a whey from the cheesemaking today,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38quite warm and they love it.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Pigs and whey - they were made for each other.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43She's got eight strong piglets there, they look lovely.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46They're not bad so I thought... I was watching the television,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49your programme, and you had a Gloucester spot with four piglets
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and I rung up your father, I said, "What's this boy getting up to?
0:41:52 > 0:41:55"You can't have a Gloucester spot with only four piglets."
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- I said, "I've got one here." He said, "OK," and...- Here I am.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Fantastic.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01I see you've got a young Gloucester cow, freshly calved.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Yes, yes, he's just come in for the day to get mothered up to a calf
0:42:05 > 0:42:07and the rest are all out in the field.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10As you know, they're one of my favourites too.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- Any chance we can have a look at yours?- Yeah, let's go have a look.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18Back in 1972, the Gloucester cows were close to extinction
0:42:18 > 0:42:20with only 68 left in the world.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Charles worked closely with people like my dad to help preserve
0:42:23 > 0:42:27this breed and now there are over 700 females.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Now, I breed Gloucesters at home and we sell the beef
0:42:31 > 0:42:33and we obviously keep females in the herd,
0:42:33 > 0:42:34but you're all about the milk.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Yes, milk because to me the Gloucester cow is the breed that's
0:42:38 > 0:42:41used for cheesemaking for double Gloucester and single Gloucester,
0:42:41 > 0:42:42and other varieties.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46And the Stinking Bishop cheese is one that's very famous.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- Tell me about that one. - That links to the orchards.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I wanted something that connected the cattle to the orchards,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54to bring the whole picture of the farm together.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59And around us here, you can see a perry pear tree
0:42:59 > 0:43:02and Stinking Bishop is the name of a perry pear and we wash
0:43:02 > 0:43:07the cheese in perry, which gives it, the Stinking Bishop, its smell.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- We'd better go and taste some, shouldn't we?- Yep, good idea.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16I'm not normally a fan of stinky cheese, but I'll give it a go.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19This looks incredible in here, Charles. What are you doing here?
0:43:19 > 0:43:22This old building, in about 1650, was built as a distillery
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and we distil mashed pears fermented and make a spirit,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28so it all links to everything on the farm.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33- Pears, cattle, cheese, pigs - it all works.- It all links.- Lovely.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- These are your cheeses. - Which I know you hate,
0:43:36 > 0:43:37but you said you'd never tried it.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41I haven't. What puts me off is the smell. I can smell it already.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44But John Craven told me, "Don't be put off by the smell."
0:43:44 > 0:43:48It's one of his favourite cheeses. So I've got to taste it.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52We'll have a go. It's very squidgy, you see? I won't give you much.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Just have what I want.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59- Have a taste of that.- OK.- If you're going to be sick, there's the door.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01It's quite stinky.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09I'm very pleasantly surprised.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14I was half expecting to have to spit that out. It tastes lovely.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I wouldn't mind a bit more actually. It's really good. I'm a convert.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Good.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22But I'm not here to eat cheese.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Time to get those noisy youngsters loaded up.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31And the sow goes in quietly without a fuss.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Good old girl.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Back on my farm, the piglets get introduced to their new home.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Well, the sow and her piglets have settled in really nicely.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55The little piglets have ventured outside now and already they're
0:44:55 > 0:44:58moving the soil around with their little noses and rootling about.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01They're having just a lovely time.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04One of them feeding from its mum while she's stood up.
0:45:04 > 0:45:05It's a great sight,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and amazingly there's another little piglet over there,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11an Iron Age, with a Shetland lamb next to it.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14It looks like the lamb's giving the piglet a bit of hassle
0:45:14 > 0:45:16and now all the other lambs have come over
0:45:16 > 0:45:19like a big gang of teenagers, "What's going on here?"
0:45:19 > 0:45:23It never ceases to amaze me the sights you see on the farm.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Next week, I'm on the hunt for a new stock bull
0:45:26 > 0:45:29to introduce to my herd of Irish Moiled cows.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38On Dumfries and Galloway's north Solway coast,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42miles of sand dune and salt marsh.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44I've come to the RSPB reserve at Mersehead,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47but I'm not here for the birdlife.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50Sometimes you find the most interesting sites
0:45:50 > 0:45:53in the most unassuming places.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56This I suppose might look like a bit of a building site,
0:45:56 > 0:46:01but it's actually a carefully created habitat for a special local resident.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Let's take a look.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Oh!
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Natterjack toads!
0:46:09 > 0:46:12The natterjack, with its distinctive yellow stripe,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15is the UK's only sand-loving amphibian.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19It's found in just a few coastal areas nationwide.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22I'm joining licensed toad handler Ben Mitchell to see
0:46:22 > 0:46:24if we can catch up with this year's residents.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28- Have you got any here? - I do, just underneath this one here.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32- As chance would have it. - Are you able to bring it out?
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Let's have a close look.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36I must say, much smaller than I thought.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40They are, yes. They're much smaller than common toads.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42There's that stripe, the yellow stripe that
0:46:42 > 0:46:46- you told us to look out for.- Yes, their little go faster stripe.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49So you can see that they're little wrigglers trying to get away.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- Yeah, yeah.- They're very much the cheetahs of the amphibian world,
0:46:53 > 0:46:57so they're very quick on their feet. They don't jump,
0:46:57 > 0:46:58they're very much runners.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02OK. So what is this work that you've been doing here to encourage them?
0:47:02 > 0:47:06We reintroduced them into here back in 1999.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10These are artificial breeding pools that we manage for them.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Better put this one back, shall we? It's a cracker.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19It's the breeding season and when the sun goes down,
0:47:19 > 0:47:21the natterjacks come out to play.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24We're hoping to hear their distinctive din.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27The natterjack toad has a mating call that can be heard
0:47:27 > 0:47:30over half a mile away, which is why it's been dubbed
0:47:30 > 0:47:31the loudest amphibian in Europe.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34The male will inflate its throat sack
0:47:34 > 0:47:38and call to the females that it's time for action.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40It's just warm enough for them tonight,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43so Ben's trying to get them into the mood with a recorded version.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45NATTERJACK CALL PLAYS
0:47:48 > 0:47:51NATTERJACKS CROAKING
0:47:51 > 0:47:55- Is that them there?- Yeah, that's them there.- Oh, my God! That's amazing!
0:47:55 > 0:48:00They're just over the corner there.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03They just like the sound of their own voice.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06Treading carefully, we're off to see
0:48:06 > 0:48:11if we can find the source of this tropical sounding chorus.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14- There's one right there. - You're kidding!
0:48:17 > 0:48:19You have got some luck on your side.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23You found that right in all this darkness, that's incredible.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27It's a female. She is desperate to get in there. Join the party.
0:48:27 > 0:48:31It's hard to get close up to the calling males,
0:48:31 > 0:48:33but turning off the lights does the trick.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36NATTERJACKS CROAKING
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- (It's quite loud that one.- Yes.)
0:48:40 > 0:48:43With the mating call louder than ever, it sounds like the future
0:48:43 > 0:48:48of these natterjacks will be secure for another year at least.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52I must say, sitting here listening to this chorus of natterjacks,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55such a rare animal, it's quite special, isn't it?
0:48:55 > 0:48:58- It is, it is. It's a real little moment.- It's a treat.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04These toads would make a perfect subject for this year's
0:49:04 > 0:49:07photographic competition, themed a walk on the wild side.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11If you want to enter, here's John with all the details.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Our competition isn't open to professionals
0:49:21 > 0:49:24and entries must not have won any other competitions,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27because what we're looking for is original work.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31You can enter up to four photos
0:49:31 > 0:49:33which must have been taken in the UK.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Please write your name, address and a daytime
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and evening phone number on the back of each photo
0:49:39 > 0:49:41with a note of where it was taken.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44And then all you have to do is send your entries to...
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Whoever takes the winning photo as voted for by Countryfile viewers
0:49:58 > 0:50:02can choose from a range of the latest photographic equipment
0:50:02 > 0:50:06to the value of £1,000 and the person who takes the picture
0:50:06 > 0:50:11the judges like best gets to pick equipment to the value of £500.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14The full terms and conditions are on our website where you'll also
0:50:14 > 0:50:19find details of the BBC's code of conduct for competitions.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21The closing date is Friday, 22nd July
0:50:21 > 0:50:26and I'm sorry but we can't return any entries, so the best of luck.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30In a moment, Matt will be retracing the steps,
0:50:30 > 0:50:3439 of them in fact, to discover the part the landscape
0:50:34 > 0:50:36played in the film of John Buchan's famous novel,
0:50:36 > 0:50:40but first here's the Countryfile weather forecast for the week ahead.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13We've been taking in the beauty of Dumfries and Galloway,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16finding out about some of its wildlife, as well as its creative streak.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21But there's also a more sinister chapter in its past.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22Oh, God!
0:53:28 > 0:53:33The 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man was largely filmed in these parts.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38Local towns and scenery were used to create the fictional Summerisle
0:53:38 > 0:53:40where the action takes place,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43but the landscape itself took centre stage
0:53:43 > 0:53:47in one of our greatest spy thrillers, The 39 Steps.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52Made in 1978, it starred Robert Powell.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55The film tells the story of Hannay,
0:53:55 > 0:53:59who's framed for murder and goes on the run in rural Scotland.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03Hannay said, "I fixed on Galloway as the best place to go.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07"It was the nearest wild part of Scotland and was not over-thick with population."
0:54:07 > 0:54:13The film's a version of this classic 1915 novel, The 39 Steps, by John Buchan,
0:54:13 > 0:54:17and this castle was part of the film set.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18ALL: Post Office!
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Morton Castle was used for a key scene in the film.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Bill Cunningham was employed as a local consultant.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28- Bill, how are you doing on this blustery day?- Cold.
0:54:28 > 0:54:34- Indeed! Taking shelter in this phenomenal building. - Absolutely, yes.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36- How old is this, then?- 14th century. - Is it really?
0:54:36 > 0:54:41Replaced an earlier 12th century building, and this is the great hall,
0:54:41 > 0:54:42or what's left of it.
0:54:42 > 0:54:47How important was it for the producers to get the locations absolutely spot-on?
0:54:47 > 0:54:51They say in the production notes here that, er...
0:54:51 > 0:54:54"They have selected their Scottish locations in the precise situations
0:54:54 > 0:54:58"described so visually by Buchan 64 years ago.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01"And this area of Scotland has spots that haven't changed one iota
0:55:01 > 0:55:02"during all those years."
0:55:02 > 0:55:06- Well, in a kind of a way, that's still the case...- Yeah, yeah.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09..because although Dumfries and Galloway is often called "the quiet country",
0:55:09 > 0:55:11it's very much an unspoiled landscape.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19Now you experienced this landscape first hand in the case of The 39 Steps
0:55:19 > 0:55:21because you were Robert Powell's stand-in.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25- Not quite.- Right.- I was his stand-in for camera set-ups,
0:55:25 > 0:55:29- but I didn't do a double-act for him.- Oh, right, I just had this image...
0:55:29 > 0:55:33- Did you do any of the running? - A little bit of running for camera settings.- Right.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37Did you run further than him cos it seems that's all that he did when he got here...
0:55:37 > 0:55:42He did an awful lot of running, not entirely himself, but he did a lot of it.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45He had a lot of heavy clothing in disguise, running over the moor,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48being shot at by Russian spies.
0:55:48 > 0:55:53That was great fun when there were explosions going on round about. It was terrific.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Well, it's not just Robert Powell who loves to run about these parts.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Here come the Morton Milers who were certainly inspired by the film.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Ladies, how are you doing? Can I stop you?
0:56:09 > 0:56:11- Hi there.- How's everything? - Fine, fine.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13You're quick. I was planning on meeting you
0:56:13 > 0:56:15up at the top of the hill but you've run all the way down.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- You've got to be quick to catch us! - So you are the Morton Milers.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- How long have you all been running together?- Oh, about four years now.
0:56:21 > 0:56:27- Four years?- Yeah.- Good. It must get the old heart racing, up round these hills.- Oh, it does.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31We sometimes go up over the hill and on the rough moorland and it gets your pace going.
0:56:31 > 0:56:36- OK, and how many Morton Miles have you done today?- Er, this morning, I did about 10.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41- Oh, did you?- Up from Langrigg, yes. - Oh, my word!- That was my morning run, this morning.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44What's this I hear about the Mini Morton Milers?
0:56:44 > 0:56:47All our youngsters meet on a Friday and we take them for a run.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- We doing training...- Up and around in the hills?- Yeah, in the hills.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53They love it round the loch.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56You're not even out of breath. It's incredible, you lot. I can't believe it.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59It's tremendous. Listen, I won't keep you any longer.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I'll let you go, but it's been lovely to see you all anyway.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05- Happy running.- Thank you.- See you later.- Bye!- All the very best.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Well, that's all we've got time for
0:57:11 > 0:57:12from Dumfries and Galloway.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Don't forget - all the details of how to enter
0:57:14 > 0:57:17our Countryfile photographic competition are on our website.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21Next week, Ellie will be on the mighty River Humber, going with the flow
0:57:21 > 0:57:25as we look back at some of our favourite Countryfile moments with a watery theme.
0:57:25 > 0:57:26Hope you can join us then.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd