0:00:27 > 0:00:29Emerald-green forests...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..diamond-clear lochs...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38..sapphire-blue skies.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Dumfries & Galloway is a jewel in the lowlands of Scotland.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It is beautiful country
0:00:47 > 0:00:48and rightly renowned,
0:00:48 > 0:00:54but perhaps it's even better known for these, Belted Galloways.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I'll be meeting the farmer dedicating her life to them.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I sound like an idiot, romanticising the Belted Galloway cow,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05but they're just an absolute pleasure to work with.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Anita is on a totally different kind of safari.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10- Where?- Just at the gate.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- Oh, yeah.- Just coming through. - He's darting around.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Yeah. And very alone.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Tom is asking why this year is so tough for farmers.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The price that farmers get paid for much of what we eat and drink
0:01:21 > 0:01:23is unusually low at the moment.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It's not just hitting dairy.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Pig and arable businesses are feeling the pinch, too.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34So, what does this mean for farmers and the wider rural community?
0:01:34 > 0:01:39And Adam is here with our third and final nominee for this year's
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Countryfile Farming Hero.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45I consider it a great honour, not for myself personally,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47but for everyone in this area.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49It's the great thing that I feel about this community is that
0:01:49 > 0:01:52everyone wants to be involved and everyone wants to help out.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Rugged hills...
0:02:05 > 0:02:08..vast forests...
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and empty moorland.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Hundreds of square miles of wilderness.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18This is the Scottish border country of Dumfries & Galloway.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23We've come to Mochrum, in the south-west of the region.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26This is a very tough terrain.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31It's mostly made up of moorland with rocks and bogs, and winters here can
0:02:31 > 0:02:35be very harsh. It takes a special kind of animal
0:02:35 > 0:02:37to thrive in these conditions.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41But these Belted Galloways, well, they just lap it up.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47The Galloway is an ancient, hardy Scottish breed.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50The famous belted version,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51with its bright white hoop,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55is thought to have first appeared in the 18th century.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59It is said the white belt was deliberately
0:02:59 > 0:03:01bred into the plain-coloured Galloway
0:03:01 > 0:03:03so farmers could spot them at great distances,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and when you look at them, I have to say, it makes sense to me,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09you really can pick them out in faraway fields.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Today, Belted Galloways are known worldwide,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and few are as famous as this - the Mochrum herd.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The herd was established at the turn of the 20th century.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26That it rose to such prominence is thanks to the skills of one person,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29the legendary Lady Flora Stewart,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33who built up a strong belty herd in the 1960s.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And the descendants of that herd
0:03:36 > 0:03:38still roam the same land on the estate today,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43all under the watchful eye of belty fanatic Helen Ryman.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Helen and I are braving the weather,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51but these belties live out here all winter.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53When other breeds are tucked up in a nice warm barn,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Belted Galloways are out in the elements.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59But it's no hardship. These animals are built for it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01It's harsh terrain out here,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04particularly the higher ground that we've got.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It's wet and it can be cold, as we've got today.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Their coats are ideal for this.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11They've got a double-layer coat,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15so this kind of repels water and, under here is a, kind of, fine,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17softer hair, that keeps them warm.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18I see, so they've got two coats,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and that top one is just protecting them from the water.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Yes, it's this long fringe, keeps it out of their eyes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25They've got fluffy ears,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27keeps the water and wind out of their ears.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So, they're snug as a bug in a rug, really.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32You can feel the heat that is coming off the cows.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35They're fine. They're absolutely toasty.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39You started originally in sheep. Why the transition to belties?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41What brought you across?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44They're just interesting to work with.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47They're just lovely. Oh, I sound like an idiot,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51like, romanticising the Belted Galloway cow,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but they're just an absolute pleasure to work with.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's their character moreover than anything, but
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I think it's the way they can work intrinsically with the landscape.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02They are intelligent and you've got to give them
0:05:02 > 0:05:04the respect that they're due.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Yes.- But they can live and work out here.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07They don't need the sheds to go in,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09they don't need a lot of hard feeding.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12They can go out here and survive without man.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14They don't need us.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18And they do their bit for conservation, too.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22As they roam free, eating scrub and long grass,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25rare plants and wildlife flourish in their wake.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29They're taking what they need from the ground, but no more than that.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31And it's allowing native plants,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34such as wild orchids out here, to thrive.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36We have newts out here, which are thriving,
0:05:36 > 0:05:37we've got all manners of things.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39We've got adders kicking about there, as well.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And they're all living happily with each other.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43These girls are doing their job,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47they're looking after it for us. We're not doing the work.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53Living off rough pasture means that Belted Galloways are slower-growing
0:05:53 > 0:05:55than more intensively-farmed breeds.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59They're eating healthily, so the meat is consequently healthier.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01And it's less fat.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It's far leaner meat and it's far better for us, as well,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and it tastes better, too. Sorry!
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Sorry!
0:06:07 > 0:06:11When you know them all by name, as you do,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13and you have such fondness and affection,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14can you, sort of, deal with that side of it?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I'm terrible. I'm the worst farmer in the world!
0:06:17 > 0:06:18However, it has to be done,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and the way to ensure these girls' survival
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and any rare breed is by eating them, unfortunately.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26If there is a demand for their meat,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30if the people go out and ask for that particular meat,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34and natives are good, then it means we can farm them,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37it means that people will want to buy them and keep them on the land.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40If nobody wants to buy them and, unfortunately, eat them,
0:06:40 > 0:06:41these girls are out of a job.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It's these qualities that have made
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Belted Galloways so prized by farmers.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Bloodlines from Mochrum livestock
0:06:52 > 0:06:55have helped establish herds all over the world.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Testament to the skill of Lady Flora Stewart.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02She was evangelical about her belties,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05promoting them worldwide and breeding a string of show winners.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12She spent her time, her life, every waking minute that she had,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14she was thinking about these girls.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19But the legacy that she's left behind is quality cattle.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The belties are thriving and it's thanks to Miss Flora's work.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26There are now Belted Galloways all over the globe,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28from Australia to America.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31But the Mochrum herd here at Dumfries & Galloway
0:07:31 > 0:07:34remains one of the jewels in the crown.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37To me, in many ways, you're, kind of, the chosen one.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41You're the one that is now going to take this herd and, if you like,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43this breed, on. How does that feel?
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I try not to think about it too much,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48because my main aim is to look after the girls, first and foremost.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50But then, you can't help but think about,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52"Oh, what Miss Flora did",
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and if I could do half of that, I'd be...I'd be amazed.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56I mean, she did a great job.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Falling dairy prices have been headline news for months, now.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10But it's not just the price of milk that's been causing problems,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12as Tom has been finding out.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23For thousands of years,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27our landscape has been shaped by farmers and farming.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Today, almost three quarters of land in the UK
0:08:31 > 0:08:35is devoted to agriculture of one sort or another.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41And, after two bumper harvests,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44with productivity and efficiency on the up,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47you might think that everything in the garden is rosy.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48But it isn't.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Matt Bland's family have been farming this land in Cumbria
0:08:59 > 0:09:01for four generations.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06He's devoted his life to the dairy industry,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10investing both time and money, but now,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14like so many of his fellow farmers across the country,
0:09:14 > 0:09:15he's selling up and getting out.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Morning, Matt. Oh, that's better.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Clean enough, today, I think. So, what are you up to this morning?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Just washing a bit of machinery off.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28We're having a farm sale in May.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Does that feel a bit odd?
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Yeah, well, this time of year, usually,
0:09:31 > 0:09:32we'd be putting fertiliser on,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36get the fields ready for spring, for the cows going out.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Why are you selling up?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Just with the way of the milk prices, you know.
0:09:40 > 0:09:4518 months ago, it were 32p and today, we're 17.5p.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49We did a six-month cash flow, and, yeah,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51we had to go to a bank and asked to borrow
0:09:51 > 0:09:54X amount of thousands of pounds.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- I mean, you say thousands... - Hundreds.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- Is it hundreds of thousands? Really? - Yeah. Hundreds of thousands.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02I mean, my wife sat down a couple of nights and talked,
0:10:02 > 0:10:03"Well, you know, you have to pay it back".
0:10:03 > 0:10:06We've just decided enough was enough.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Matt considered switching to beef or sheep farming,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11but they're not doing well, either.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16Now, all but 70 of his herd of 280 cows have gone, and very soon,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19most of his land will go, too.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23He's keeping just a few acres, to start a new business in tourism,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and a few sheep for his children.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28CALF MOOS
0:10:28 > 0:10:32He'll hang onto the house and the farm buildings, too.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34How weird is that going to seem, walking round here,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36seeing the buildings here, but without any livestock,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38without any farming action?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41It'll be very quiet. We've always had livestock here, all along.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Everyone says, "How are you going to manage?"
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And what's your answer?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Well, we don't know, yet.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It's going to be very hard.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It will be hard for Matt's family, too.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01He has a wife and three children,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and farming permeates every part of their lives.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09How big a change is this going to be for you?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11It's going to be a very big change for us all,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and I'm quite concerned what the future will be.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17But I do feel that we can't carry on flogging a dead horse,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20we can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24It upsets me that the kids love farming...
0:11:25 > 0:11:27..and they've never known anything else,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30but I can't burden it onto them and put them through the stress and the
0:11:30 > 0:11:33worry that myself and Matt have gone through over the last ten years.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37What are you going to be doing on the day of the sale?
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Well, I'll be here. We'll all be involved as a family,
0:11:39 > 0:11:40but it will be a hard day.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43No matter how painful it is, you'll see it through.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Yes, definitely.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's the end of a long tradition for the Bland family,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but this story is not just played out on dairy farms.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55For the first time in years,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59this state of affairs is mirrored in much of the industry.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Right now, across the board,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07prices seem to be heading in one direction - downhill.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Just as dairy farmers hoped the price of milk had hit rock bottom,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14it dropped again,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and I recently reported on how falling land prices
0:12:18 > 0:12:20are affecting the sheep business.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Beef prices are down, pig prices are down,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26even arable has been struggling.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Just about the only sector that is doing OK is poultry.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41So, what's making 2016 such a bleak year for UK farmers?
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Economic analyst Sean Rickard has a wealth of experience
0:12:45 > 0:12:48of the farming industry, and the perfect storm
0:12:48 > 0:12:50that is currently hitting it.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54What's the combination of factors which is
0:12:54 > 0:12:56causing quite a few farmers to struggle right now?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Well, on the demand side, there's been a slowdown in demand.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00China has slowed down,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Russia is banning imports from the EU,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05and there has been an expansion in
0:13:05 > 0:13:09production because there were higher prices a couple of years ago,
0:13:09 > 0:13:10and as a result of this,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14we have supply going up at a time when demand is coming down.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Just a small difference, but it makes a great deal of difference
0:13:17 > 0:13:18in the prices farmers receive.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Do you think we're going to see any kind of uptake
0:13:21 > 0:13:23in some of these prices, maybe later this year?
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Yes, I do. I think we're just about at the bottom now,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28or over the next two or three months,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and I would expect 2017 to be a lot better.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31As things pick up, of course,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35it will be because a lot of farmers have ceased production.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37I'm sorry, but that is the way,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39that is the nature of business in farming.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Farmers go out, there is a recovery,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and the farmers that remain then enjoy
0:13:45 > 0:13:48higher prices for a time, until they over-expand production,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and then they all fall again, and we're back into the same cycle.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54So, for the surviving farmers to thrive,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56they actually NEED some to go to the wall?
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I'm afraid that is the reality - and it always has been.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04For Matt Bland and his family,
0:14:04 > 0:14:09this perfect storm spells the end of a way of life.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Next month, their land will be sold off and, for them,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15farming will become a thing of the past.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Agriculture is at the heart of the rural economy and society,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23so it's not just farmers and their families that are suffering.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Later on, I'll be looking at the wider impact of this devastating
0:14:27 > 0:14:29combination of circumstances.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- ANITA:- This wild expanse of hills and lochs,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45castles and rich pasture is the Threave Estate Nature Reserve
0:14:45 > 0:14:47in Dumfries and Galloway.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53That impressive-looking ruin is Threave Castle,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57built some 650 years ago by the third Earl of Douglas,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59also known as Archibald the Grim.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01The Grim Earl has long gone.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Today, Threave is run by the National Trust for Scotland
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and is home to some of Britain's most treasured wildlife,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11like the red kite and the osprey.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14This place might be rich in wildlife,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17but it doesn't guarantee you're going to see anything, even by day.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I'm incredibly fortunate to see these birds of prey,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26but wildlife by night?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29No chance. Or is there?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Keith Kirk reckons there is.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36He's a wildlife ranger and photographer,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40who uses the latest night-vision cameras to see wildlife after dark.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- Hello there.- Hello!
0:15:42 > 0:15:44- How you doing?- Fine. - Good to see you, Keith.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46- Hi!- Hi there. - So this is the nightmobile?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48This is the nightmobile, yes.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51And I've been told that there's lots of wildlife around here.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54At night-time, you'll see a lot of creatures that you wouldn't normally
0:15:54 > 0:15:56see during the day. The animals feel quite safe,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00but because we're looking at them through night-imaging devices,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02then we can see a lot more of the interaction
0:16:02 > 0:16:04between the animals themselves.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Using knowledge gained over his 35 years as a ranger,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Keith knows exactly where to look.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14The night-vision cameras do the rest.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23See, that's just going over the bridge,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- you can see the heat up here.- Yup.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27And the field, the dark is the grass,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29so that's a completely open field.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31You know, any creature in that, it would pick it up instantly.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34OK. Let's see, is there anything in this field?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- There, there, there! - Yeah.- It's a herd of deer.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45You're seeing that in a black-and-white vision,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48but if you open the window and look outside, it is black dark.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50You cannot see your hand in front of your face.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53How close are they to the vehicle?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56That camera is wide angle, so they're not that far away.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58It feels like a real privilege
0:16:58 > 0:17:00to have this view of their world, really.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- To know there are probably over 50 deer...- Yeah.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06..just hanging out, doing what's deer do as night.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- Yeah, yeah, just out of the window.- Incredible.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10We'll park up now and we'll head off into the night,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and see what we can find using the thermal cameras.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Fantastic. My first-ever night-time safari walk.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Yeah, and hopefully not your last. - SHE CHUCKLES
0:17:20 > 0:17:23There is one creature, in particular, I'm hoping to see.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27And with Keith's special cameras in hand, I'm feeling pretty confident.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It is pitch-black out here.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32It is very dark tonight.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I've never seen so many stars in the UK.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37It's spectacular.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- It really is.- We're right on the edge of the dark sky park here,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and yeah, some nights, the sky is unbelievable.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Let's go and see what we can find.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Let's see if all those carrots I've been eating have worked or not.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51'Conditions are perfect, and we don't have to wait long.'
0:17:51 > 0:17:57- Put it up to your eye.- Yeah. Oh, yeah! There they are. Are they deer?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- They're roe deer.- Amazing.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It's bizarre when you take your eye away from the lens,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04you still can't see anything.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05- OK.- And...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Is that?- Oh, yeah!
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- That's amazing! - See, that's giving you
0:18:09 > 0:18:11more definition round the animals.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14You switch it into black, you get more of the outline of the animal.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- Oh, that's amazing. - And that's all I do,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- we don't want to keep disturbing them.- No.- So we'll move off.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- We'll leave them alone.- Yeah.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27'A good spot, but not what I'm after.'
0:18:30 > 0:18:33If you look across, you'll see the castle, now.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Oh, yes.- It looks a bit different from during the day.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38I didn't realise we were there.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Yeah, yeah. That's it. Well, this is a very cold night.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Normally, when we get to here,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45this is one of the best places to view bats.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48'It may be too cold for bats,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'but other creatures are beginning to stir.'
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And you'll see, now, this is something that's
0:18:55 > 0:18:58just come out of hibernation. They can cover a big area.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59Some people say about up to 2km.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01He's... He's on the go!
0:19:01 > 0:19:03His little back legs are going for it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Yeah.- Oh, how cute!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Yeah. Let's go and have a quick look...
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- Shall we try?- Yeah, before he disappears for the night.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15When you approach a hedgehog like that, when it coils up,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20it depends on how threatened it feels what it does with its spines.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23They can crisscross their spines or they can put them straight up.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- Yeah.- Straight up means, "Yeah, I'm extremely worried,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29"whatever's going to be against me here."
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Crisscrossed, they are less threatened.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- Shall we see what this one's doing? - Very difficult to say.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Straight up?- No, no, it's still...
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- Oh, he's...- See, no, he's quite happy. He's off.- He's off.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45'Hedgehogs are a rare sight these days, so that was a treat.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47'But still not what I'm hoping to see.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:49What have you got there?
0:19:49 > 0:19:50'Could this be it?'
0:19:52 > 0:19:53A mouse.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- Where?- Just at the gate.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- Oh, yeah! - See, it's coming through underneath.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58He's darting around.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Yeah, mice never stay still for very long.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04They're great. Some people tell us it's the highlight of their tour,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- seeing mice darting about.- It is very special to see a little mouse.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08Oh, I love mice.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- Great.- That was great.- That was brilliant.- Glad we saw that.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Me, too. Well done spotting that, Keith.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20All that felt like a real adventure.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Magical. I mean, trying to navigate through the fields and the path,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I couldn't actually see where my feet were,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28but because of this fantastic technology,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I was able to see all of that nocturnal wildlife
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and get a glimpse into a rare world.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Who'd have thought it? Under this starry, starry sky.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39That was really magical.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Now, a few months back, Sean was in the Peak District,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44helping out with the restoration of one of the area's
0:20:44 > 0:20:46most historic buildings.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57The Dark Peak,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01whose age-old gritstone has been worked by man for centuries.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And look at that! It takes raw power to get at it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18In this quarry near Bakewell,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21massive lumps of gritstone are cut to size by giant saws.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The stone is prized for its qualities
0:21:26 > 0:21:29as a building material throughout the land.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Here in Derbyshire, it's seen in many farms and houses,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and it's throwing a lifeline to some old buildings.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Like this one. Haddon Hall, one of the Dark Peak's crowning glories.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49It's one of the finest examples of a medieval manor house in existence.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52But time has taken its toll.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53It's been here for centuries.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It's made from this hard, grey limestone
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and this sandy-coloured gritstone.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02And it sits directly on the limestone bedrock.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05This is, quite literally, the foundation of the building.
0:22:07 > 0:22:101,000 years of habitation has left its mark.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The soft gritstone, shaped by its occupants.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The exposed stone at the mercy of the elements.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24The building fell badly into disrepair in the 1700s and 1800s,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and it wasn't until the 20th century that restoration began in earnest.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Jo Walker is the current head steward.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37- Hi, Jo. Lovely to meet you.- Hello, Sean. Lovely to meet you, too.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Wow, this is a wonderful place. As soon as you arrive here,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42you get a real sense that it is steeped in history.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Still, when you look at it, it's remarkable
0:22:45 > 0:22:47that it is kept in such a good state.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It's a good, solid building.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51There was quite a lot of restoration in the 1920s,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but, unfortunately, some of that's backfired,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57because the technique at that time was to shore things up
0:22:57 > 0:23:00with concrete and cement, which is quite a hard material,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03compared to the sandstone and the limestone
0:23:03 > 0:23:04of which the house is built,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and now we are having to redo those areas.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10So, a black mark for the restorers of the 1920s?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Yes, but only a tiny black mark, I think, don't you?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16But a big tick to the medieval builders of this place?
0:23:16 > 0:23:17A big tick to the medieval builders
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and a big tick to the restoration that we are doing now.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21And it is a big job, isn't it?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- There's lots to do.- It's a huge job.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26As you look around, there is crumbling bits
0:23:26 > 0:23:28left, right and centre.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29And we are in the middle of this
0:23:29 > 0:23:33big 30-year programme that's going to restore all of this,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35get it back to how we want it,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and give us a house for another 1,000 years.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Will people in 100 years' time look back and say,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- "You didn't quite do that right"?- I hope not!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45That would be absolutely terrible!
0:23:45 > 0:23:46I'm sure you're doing a wonderful job!
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The hard mortar they used in the 1920s restoration
0:23:50 > 0:23:55has been trapping water, causing the gritstone to deteriorate rapidly.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Now, it's being replaced with mortar made to the original medieval
0:24:00 > 0:24:04recipes and the decayed stone is being replaced with stone from
0:24:04 > 0:24:06the quarry up the road.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Mark Eaton is in charge of the new restoration.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Hi, Mark. You look busy.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- Can I disturb you?- Hi, of course you can. That's fine. Yeah.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16How long have you been working here for?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- For the last 27 years. - 27 years!- On and off.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Yeah. Yeah.- That's a massive project!- Yeah, it is. It is.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23One of the first things I did was working on
0:24:23 > 0:24:25the clock tower to the chapel. The octagonal tower,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28we took that down to its sill course.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Reason being, because the erosion to the stonework
0:24:30 > 0:24:33started to get structural, so we had to address that.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And one of the things I do remember from that is,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38when I was taking it down,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42finding in the joints between the stones, oyster shells that were
0:24:42 > 0:24:45used as sort of gap filling.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47So, oyster shells from the 1400s?
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Yeah, so, freshwater oysters.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I managed to gather about a bucketful.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54That's amazing! So whoever lived here was dining out on oysters?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57They did very well. Yeah. Yeah.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02All the stone that can be replaced is being replaced.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But there is some stone that's irreplaceable.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Haddon's famous gargoyles are bearing up,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11but it's a constant battle to keep the elements at bay.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Time for me to do my bit.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20So, Mark, we've made it up to one of the gargoyles.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- Mm-hm.- What have we got to do here?
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Right. What I'd like to do here is actually take off this moss,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28because this moss harbours the water,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31keeps the water in, doesn't let it dry out.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33You can see. It's keeping it really moist, isn't it?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35It is, yeah. So, if you'd like to use this one.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- Ooh.- There we are. Use this end here.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39All right. OK. And just scrape?
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Yeah, so we're just going to lift it off.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Oh, it comes off very easily, doesn't it?- Yeah. Yeah.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45There we are.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49So what's unique about the gargoyles here at Haddon Hall?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Back then, more so with church work as well,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53it was to ward off the evil spirits,
0:25:53 > 0:25:59because on churches, you've got more dragons and ferocious beasts.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02This isn't a ferocious beast.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05No, no, this is slightly different, here. This is more comical, here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08These are gargoyles of some of the people that worked here,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and the different trades, crafts, stonemasons.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14So this could be John... John the gargoyle builder?
0:26:14 > 0:26:18John the gargoyle builder, yeah! Yeah, he's got a cleaver here.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Maybe John the butcher, possibly.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- Yeah.- They're not a pretty bunch, are they, some of them?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- They're not, no, no.- There's one over there and it's a guy...
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Is it pulling a face or... holding his mouth, in some way?
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Yeah, he's got... If you can see,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32he's actually got a bandage over the top of his head,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and around under his jaw and he's pulling his mouth to one side.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And it's pretty much like he's got severe toothache.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Oh, right.- Yeah. Yeah. They're faring very well, really.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Cleaning this moss off helps us look and just see what is happening
0:26:46 > 0:26:49to the stonework. And it's in good condition.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52The work here is ongoing.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56There's still plenty of stone to cut, mortar to point,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59windows to replace...
0:26:59 > 0:27:01And, I dare say, gargoyles to clean.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12A perfect storm of low prices, late payments
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and increasing debt has created a very real crisis
0:27:16 > 0:27:18on many farms across the UK.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Now the ripples are affecting the entire rural community,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25as Tom's been finding out.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29There's a whole supply chain that relies
0:27:29 > 0:27:34on the financial health of farming. Seed, feed, fertiliser, and...
0:27:34 > 0:27:36farm machinery.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Robert Davies has been selling new and used farm machinery here
0:27:43 > 0:27:45in Shropshire for almost 30 years.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47- Good morning, Robert.- Morning, Tom.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I see you've got plenty in the yard.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- Yeah, more than I'd like, to be honest.- Really?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56'Recently, he's seen a dramatic fall in demand,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59'and his yard is packed with machines looking for a buyer.'
0:28:00 > 0:28:03How tough is it at the moment?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05It's the toughest I've known our industry,
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- probably since I started in business.- Really?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I got my secretary to look up some figures yesterday.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16From March 2015 through to yesterday,
0:28:16 > 0:28:22sales in almost every sector that I sell into
0:28:22 > 0:28:25have dropped by 40 to 50%.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27In terms of what's around us here, can you give me an example
0:28:27 > 0:28:29of something you would expect to have shifted,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31but is hanging around in the yard?
0:28:31 > 0:28:36Most dairy farmers are using these giant food mixers, and basically,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40the dairy farmer has just put his cheque book to one side and said,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42"No, we'll manage with what we've got."
0:28:42 > 0:28:45And normally, I would like to carry two to three.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47I think there's 13 there this morning.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49And each one roughly goes for...?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Well, they're about £10,000 a piece.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Wow. So there's at least £100,000 worth of machinery sitting there
0:28:54 > 0:28:56- that's not in your bank account. - There is.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Cash. This is it, it's cashflow.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05And if there is no cash flowing through farms
0:29:05 > 0:29:07and rural businesses, like Robert's,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10the knock-on effects are felt throughout the countryside.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Just down the road here in Kinnerly,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18this village is one of the lucky ones.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21It still has a pub, but only just.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25The community had to take it over last October,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and it won't reopen till later this year.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32But the shop's still functioning, and it even has a post office.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Still, the worry is that the financial problems
0:29:37 > 0:29:41affecting farmers will filter through to places like this.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42"..plight of the industry".
0:29:42 > 0:29:44That rather tells the story.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Hi, Andrew.- All right. - I'll take that,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- The Farmers' Guardian, thank you very much.- Yeah.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Charles Smith is from the Farming Community Network,
0:29:56 > 0:30:01a charity that works directly with farmers facing difficult times.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04- Charles.- Hi, Tom.- Nice to see you. Thanks for coming out.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07What stresses are you seeing throughout the rural community?
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Well, there's absolutely no doubt that the poor cashflows in farming
0:30:11 > 0:30:14are having an impact across the whole of the countryside.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Farmers are the life and soul of rural communities,
0:30:16 > 0:30:21and when they are struggling, the whole community struggles, I think.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23What are you seeing in terms of the volume of calls
0:30:23 > 0:30:25that are coming into you?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Well, sadly, it's increased dramatically
0:30:27 > 0:30:28over the last three months.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32We are running at about three times normal volume of calls for this time
0:30:32 > 0:30:35of year. Farmers and their families are really desperate at the moment.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38And what kind of range of things are they ringing up and saying?
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Principally, finance.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43But seldom is it only financial -
0:30:43 > 0:30:45there are often other issues involved, as well.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49So, relationship difficulties, physical health issues,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52because they're working really hard to try and make ends meet,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54but also mental wellbeing issues, as well.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Depression is really prevalent at the moment,
0:30:57 > 0:30:58and if uncared for,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00sadly, that can lead to suicide, as well.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03If I were a steelworker, I might be watching this thinking,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06don't I deserve the same level of help and sympathy?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Well, I think they do, actually,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12because they have been part of producing the country's wealth
0:31:12 > 0:31:17over centuries, and they're facing devastation to their lives, as well.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19And it is true that we should care for them,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23but food is a fundamental for every one of us in the country,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and if we don't have a viable farming industry,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29then we risk not having a safe and secure supply of food,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and that would impact on absolutely everybody in the country.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38So is there any light at the end of the tunnel for those struggling on?
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Sean Rickard thinks there is,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43but there are some hard lessons to be learned along the way.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I think the best thing we can say to anyone,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49whether they're in food or any business,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52is focus on becoming very efficient.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Focus on becoming very productive.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Get your costs down.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Observe your market,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00and make sure that you are supplying what the market needs.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02That is the surest way to survive.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04There are many small farming businesses
0:32:04 > 0:32:07that are hanging on by their fingertips.
0:32:07 > 0:32:08I feel very sorry for them,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11but we should remember that, in this country here,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14we have many very successful farmers. They are innovative,
0:32:14 > 0:32:18they provide the basis for a very efficient, world-class,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21competitive food industry in this country.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25And we should not overlook that when we talk about crisis.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28We have, in this industry, the means of becoming world beaters.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Without a jump in farm gate prices,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36the message for farmers seems to be adapt to survive.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38And, if you really can't do that,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40bite the bullet and get out.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Easy to say, maybe,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47but an anguished decision for anyone with farming in the blood.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58Once, long ago, every acre of this landscape would have been forested.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Juniper, aspen, rowan and willow, as far as the eye could see.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06But man and agriculture have changed all that.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09The land was given over to grazing.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Trees were felled, scrub cleared,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14it became completely different to how it once was.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15But here things are changing.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23These are the volunteers of the Cree Valley Community Woodlands Trust
0:33:23 > 0:33:24in Dumfries and Galloway.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27They're growing saplings, to plant in the high places
0:33:27 > 0:33:29of Galloway's Forest Park,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32as part of a major Forestry Commission product.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I'm meeting one of the trustees, Paul Collin, to find out more.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39- Hi, Paul.- Hello, Anita.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- Good to see you.- How are you doing? - Very well, thank you.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44What is the project, what's the plan here?
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Well, it all stems from native woodland.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Native broadleaved woodland used to cover about 80% of the UK.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Most of our wildlife is derived from that,
0:33:54 > 0:33:55so these habitats still hold
0:33:55 > 0:33:59huge numbers of insects, fungi and plants.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Cuttings are taken from native trees growing in the wild.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06They're potted and grown at various nurseries around the country.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08So, what's growing here?
0:34:08 > 0:34:10These are Salix lapponum, or downy willow.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13This is a montane woodland scrub.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14And what's montane woodland scrub?
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- What makes it different?- Well, trees only grow up to a certain level,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19and once you get higher up the hill,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22the exposure rate - the amount of frost, the amount of snow -
0:34:22 > 0:34:25means that the trees start becoming quite stunted and small.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27And true woodland can't really grow up there.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30But there are some specialist species that occur
0:34:30 > 0:34:32which are adapted to that high altitude
0:34:32 > 0:34:34and also Arctic situations.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36And they are referred to as montane species.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40So this plan is to plant these up and put them back on the hill
0:34:40 > 0:34:44and try and recreate some of that montane woodland scrub.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45How big's the project?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47What's the size of the area that you're covering?
0:34:47 > 0:34:51At the moment, Forestry Commission are looking at planting 300 hectares
0:34:51 > 0:34:55in one block. They hope to complete by 2017
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and they're using plants grown by our volunteers
0:34:57 > 0:34:58here at the Cree Valley.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01If the project is successful,
0:35:01 > 0:35:06it will be rolled out over a further 4,500 hectares.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09That's around 11,000 acres of mountain landscape.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11So what's the plan for these?
0:35:11 > 0:35:13They grow here, and then what?
0:35:13 > 0:35:15These are cuttings which have just been potted up.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17And then where... Where's their next destination?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20They stay here for a year and then they're going up onto the hills
0:35:20 > 0:35:21above Loch Trool.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23So I suppose I need to get up there?
0:35:23 > 0:35:25If you're going to see the project, that's where you go.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28On a day like today, it's going to be interesting out there.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32- Are you going to join me? - I think I'll give that one a miss! - THEY LAUGH
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Now, as part of the BBC's Food And Farming Awards,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41we asked you to nominate your farming heroes.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43And you did.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46We've heard hundreds of stories of people going out of their way
0:35:46 > 0:35:48to make the countryside a better place.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Adam and Charlotte have whittled down the nominations,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53and here's their final contender.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03We're heading to a fairly remote corner of the UK.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06This is the ferry to the Kintyre Peninsula.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08And we're heading to meet the third of our finalists
0:36:08 > 0:36:12for the Countryfile Farming Heroes award, who's a sheep farmer.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15And we'll find out why the ferry connection is so important
0:36:15 > 0:36:18- to the local community. - And how he is a central character.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Our search started earlier this year,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27when we asked you to tell us about your farming heroes.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29You sent in hundreds of nominations.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33That's where us two - the judges - step in.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Charlotte Smith, a familiar Countryfile face,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39and a presenter on Radio Four's Farming Today programme.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42And yours truly, Adam Henson,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46arable and livestock producer, and Countryfile's roving farmer.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50We've sifted through the nominations
0:36:50 > 0:36:52and selected three finalists to visit.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55It was a tough task, because they were all heroes.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59We've already been to Cumbria to meet a team of heroes -
0:36:59 > 0:37:02the young farmers who helped the people of Carlisle
0:37:02 > 0:37:04during December's floods.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06There's the young farmers' cavalry!
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- From my mother, thank you very much. - LAUGHTER
0:37:10 > 0:37:14And to Herefordshire, to meet an individual hero, Julia Evans,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16who set up a care farm to help vulnerable teenagers.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Why do I do it? It's incredibly rewarding.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23I'm very proud of a lot of our youngsters.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Now we're in Scotland, to meet our third finalist, John Armour,
0:37:27 > 0:37:28a community hero.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33So, Adam, I've heard John is in this one, in here.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34- In a radio station?- Yeah.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39You're listening to Argyle FM 106.5, 107.1 and 107.7.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44John helped launch this local radio station, but that's just the start.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47He's a central character in the Kintyre community,
0:37:47 > 0:37:51always on hand to help others, with energy and generosity.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57So our third and final nominee is a stalwart of Campbeltown -
0:37:57 > 0:37:59John Armour.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- Hello, gents.- Hello Adam, hi, Charlotte.- Sorry to interrupt.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04You must be big John.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07I'm big John, and this is wee John.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08LAUGHTER
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Now, I was told you were a shepherd.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12- What are you doing in here?- Well...
0:38:12 > 0:38:13HE CHUCKLES
0:38:13 > 0:38:16..that's my sort of job, but this is my bolthole.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19This is where I get away from the farm, to talk about farming.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Now, then, John, can I come out to your farm with you and have a look
0:38:23 > 0:38:25round, and I'll leave Charlotte here? She's the expert radio host.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Now I get to be in charge!
0:38:27 > 0:38:29So what's he really like, big John?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Big John, well, he's a great guy.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34He's a very busy chap, very, very busy.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35He seems to be involved in every...
0:38:36 > 0:38:39..part of the community. He's a real pillar of the community.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43And you need people like John to just get things going?
0:38:43 > 0:38:46He brings it all together. He's one of the voices everyone knows,
0:38:46 > 0:38:47not just from doing the radio,
0:38:47 > 0:38:51he's also the secretary of the local Kintyre Agricultural Society,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54which is pretty much a full-time job on its own.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56And all the farmers know John from that.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00When he's not helping out others,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03John's real work is the tough job of rearing sheep
0:39:03 > 0:39:06on the family's 500-acre farm, high above the town.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10As a busy man, John has got lots of willing help
0:39:10 > 0:39:12from friends and family.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15This is a stunningly beautiful farm, isn't it?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- How long have you lived here? - I've been here all my life.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Now, you're known as Big John.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23You're on the radio and you're involved with the local agriculture.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24- Everybody seems to know you.- Yes.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26How do you find the time to do all these things?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Because I've got great folk round about me.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30My family, absolutely fantastic.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32And lots of other people who are willing to muck in
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and allow me to do the things that I do.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Now, Campbeltown is very remote, isn't it?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40How important is that sense of community?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Community spirit is very, very essential because...
0:39:44 > 0:39:47..over the years, I've had many campaigns here,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51for a kidney dialysis machine, school closure campaigns,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and it brings everyone together.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58We had a serious snowfall, as well, in 2013,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00where we were cut off for five days.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03And everyone just came together, as they always do.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07We all worked together, and that's why I feel Kintyre and Campbeltown
0:40:07 > 0:40:09is a fantastic place to live.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13John was nominated by another farmer,
0:40:13 > 0:40:14his old friend Marianne Mitchell.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19She farms beef cattle 300 miles south in Somerset.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22So Charlotte's catching up with her by video call.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I have to say, when I read the nomination,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28I just assumed he was retired.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31And a lot older than he actually is.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33How does he find the time?
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Just run me through what he does for this place.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Right, well, one of the biggest things is the community radio.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Helping set that up and get sponsorship and built it up
0:40:45 > 0:40:48to what it is today, and being one of the presenters,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51and he presents the farming programme and sports programme
0:40:51 > 0:40:54and the ceilidh and the Blast From The Past...
0:40:55 > 0:41:00But John also does the Kintyre Agricultural Society,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03so he's a bit of a voice for the farming community, as well.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05And not only that,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08he brings those who are not in agriculture in
0:41:08 > 0:41:11to see the animals and the ploughing and the shows,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13and just gets everybody involved.
0:41:13 > 0:41:19Cos he's also involved in amateur dramatics, the ferry campaign,
0:41:19 > 0:41:20the local school...?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Yup. And the Young Farmers' clubs and the Scouts,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and...basically, anybody who wants a hand,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29John's going to give them a hand.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31So, for you, he's a Countryfile hero?
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Absolutely. Through and through.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39And there's one big local issue that really needed a helping hand.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41To end the feeling of isolation,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43John led a battle to get the first-ever car ferry service
0:41:43 > 0:41:46between Kintyre and the Scottish West Coast...
0:41:47 > 0:41:49..putting Campbeltown back on the map.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54We're almost an island, but we have one road in and one road out.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Campbeltown is about as far away as you can get in the British mainland
0:41:58 > 0:42:01for a train station. So, we've nothing like that,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03that other towns of a comparable size have.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06So this is why we campaigned for it,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08to get a ferry to come into Campbeltown.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Thanks to that campaign,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14there's now a summer service linking Campbeltown to Ardrossan.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18It's been a huge boost to business and tourism,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22as Charlotte's been hearing from campsite owner Ewan Macdonald.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26You're on a peninsula here, so why is a ferry so important?
0:42:27 > 0:42:30For many folk that visit us, they've heard about us,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32they know what's here and what we are all about,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35but, yeah, it's just been too far for them to come.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39So, how instrumental was John, then, in getting all this going?
0:42:39 > 0:42:43John was great. John is just one of these characters
0:42:43 > 0:42:46that doesn't give up when he's got a bone!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49People listen to him, people like him.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51He's very approachable.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- Obviously very persuasive, we know now! - LAUGHTER
0:42:55 > 0:42:57He is an asset to the community, I think.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01So what was it like, then,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03when you found out that you were nominated
0:43:03 > 0:43:05as a Countryfile farming hero?
0:43:05 > 0:43:08It was a complete shock, to be perfectly honest.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10I really thought somebody was having a wind-up with me.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13It took me quite a few minutes to realise this was true,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16but...I consider it a great honour.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Not for myself, personally,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23but for everyone in this area, that are so willing to help out
0:43:23 > 0:43:26in any event. That's the great thing I feel about this community,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28is that everyone wants to be involved,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30and everyone wants to help out.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Our visit to Kintyre has shown how John's community spirit
0:43:36 > 0:43:39is pivotal to life here.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43His determination to get things done and willingness to be involved
0:43:43 > 0:43:46makes him a worthy finalist in our search for a farming hero.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51Well, Charlotte, this really isn't going to be easy, is it?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53- Coming up with our winner? - It really isn't.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55I mean, we've got John in Campbeltown,
0:43:55 > 0:43:57who's pretty much involved with everything.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00And then Julia, down south, who takes on these teenagers,
0:44:00 > 0:44:02and, well, changes lives, I think, really.
0:44:02 > 0:44:07Yeah, she does, and then, of course, the young farmers up in Cumbria,
0:44:07 > 0:44:08who helped out in a crisis.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- It's not going to be easy.- So how are we going to decide, then?
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Well, I think we sit down over a pint and have a long chat.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Maybe whisky, you know, we are in Scotland.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- HE LAUGHS - That's a good point!
0:44:25 > 0:44:27I'm here at Mochrum Castle in Dumfries and Galloway,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31visiting the historic herd of Belted Galloway cattle.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34The Mochrum herd is known all over the world,
0:44:34 > 0:44:37thanks largely to the legendary breeder, Lady Flora Stewart.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39She was passionate about the animals,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42and took great pride in showing them.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46It's a tradition that's being continued by current herd manager,
0:44:46 > 0:44:47Helen Ryman.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50Helen's got two prize specimens she's showing this summer.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53- That's Lilac III.- Lilac?
0:44:54 > 0:44:56- And this is Lila. - Lila and Lilac.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Right, so, just gently...
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Just give her a good tug, and she'll come with you.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05After a winter out in the mud and rain,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Lila and Lilac are not looking their best.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11What's needed is a bit of farmyard pampering.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13But they seem reluctant.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- The fact they're leaving their food is their biggest turmoil.- Yeah!
0:45:16 > 0:45:18If I was dragged away at dinner time,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21I'd have something to say about it, as well!
0:45:21 > 0:45:22Helen's going to show me
0:45:22 > 0:45:26the kind of preparation that happens on show days.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28These ladies are soon to give birth,
0:45:28 > 0:45:29but as soon as they get their figures back,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32they'll be strutting their stuff in the show ring.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36- There you go.- Right, got the tools. - Here's a set for you.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38One of those, one of those.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43OK. Can you just point out to me what it is that the judges will be
0:45:43 > 0:45:46looking for when you take these to show?
0:45:46 > 0:45:47She's got a good belt on her.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49It's not too broad,
0:45:49 > 0:45:51it doesn't go beyond here, and it's not too far forward.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53Oh, I see. So it's nicely contained.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- Almost like a saddle there, isn't it?- It's nice.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57A good, meaty cow.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00She's got a lot of meat on her, and she's not fed.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03This is just... She looks after herself by herself.
0:46:03 > 0:46:04So, she's got plenty of butcher's...
0:46:05 > 0:46:09- ..cuts on her, as well, which is good.- Oh, OK!- Sorry.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11- Yeah.- You come to her front,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14she's got a nice broad muzzle here, and it's not too long down here.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17That's what I find really attractive - how broad that is,
0:46:17 > 0:46:18and the shaggy hair.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- It's lovely.- It's great.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22A broad head means they've got more brains in there, as well.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25That's the theory. Well, in my books, anyhow!
0:46:26 > 0:46:29If only it was an intelligence test.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34But to become a show winner, Lila really needs some beauty treatment.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36So, what would you do to prepare her?
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Just start brushing her out.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40We can start at the front, work your way back.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44I try to keep one hand on them at all times, and then you can...
0:46:44 > 0:46:46You've always got a point of contact with them.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48- Yeah.- So you can move about.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51And just brush her out. Get all the...
0:46:51 > 0:46:53It's just getting rid of some of the muck and some of the hair?
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- And lifting the dead hair off her, as well.- Yeah, OK.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Now, this is all about showing them, isn't it,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01because Mochrum Castle's actually a very private place,
0:47:01 > 0:47:02- it's not open to the public.- Uh-huh.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06But you are making sure the Mochrum herd are in the public eye.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08It's just a good advert for the breed.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11If you take these out to shows, and the public get to see them,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13they get to see what you're talking about,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17and they learn more about the environment and farming as well,
0:47:17 > 0:47:18so it covers a lot of bases, and it's...
0:47:20 > 0:47:21..good fun, as well.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Look at all that! Isn't that amazing?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29We have the best bird nests anywhere,
0:47:29 > 0:47:31because the little birds will take that off,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34and they'll have black and white nests, and it's lovely.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43- Gosh, it's a proper salon, isn't it?- Oh, it's lovely.
0:47:43 > 0:47:44I'm jealous.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Going anywhere nice on holiday this year?
0:47:47 > 0:47:48Really?
0:47:48 > 0:47:49Oh, Highland Show!
0:47:50 > 0:47:54Well, we've got Lila and Lilac looking fit for the show ring,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56but will they behave on the catwalk?
0:47:57 > 0:48:00So, it's one thing having them looking great,
0:48:00 > 0:48:01but then you've got to show them off.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03How important is halter training?
0:48:03 > 0:48:05Well, it's important for the fact
0:48:05 > 0:48:07that you want them to walk well in the ring.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09You don't get judged on how they walk,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11but it shows them off to a better advantage
0:48:11 > 0:48:15if you can have them under control but walking freely,
0:48:15 > 0:48:17their, kind of, head's up, they've relaxed,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19and it's anything that you can do to attract the judge's eye
0:48:19 > 0:48:21for the right reasons.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Helen needs her ladies as docile as a dog on a lead,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28so her best belties need to be happy wearing a halter.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32As far as they're concerned, they're going on a wee walk with their pal,
0:48:32 > 0:48:34and they're going to get a wee treat at the end of it,
0:48:34 > 0:48:35and they're happy with that.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38They actually thoroughly enjoy the attention, they really do.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40I mean, they lap it up!
0:48:41 > 0:48:44- Also they look blinking good in the halter as well.- Yeah.- Eye-catching.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Helen makes it look easy.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50As for me, I'm not sure who's halter training who.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- She's teaching you how to walk! - Yeah. Here we go. SHE LAUGHS
0:48:54 > 0:48:56She's leading me round the corner again.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59She's showing me off. I don't know what the judges would make of me,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01but she's obviously very proud to be here with me.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Is that right?
0:49:03 > 0:49:05- She's just a show-off.- OK.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06THEY LAUGH
0:49:06 > 0:49:08That's fortunate.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Whether these belties catch the judges' eye or not,
0:49:11 > 0:49:15the Mochrum herd and the breed are today firmly in the limelight,
0:49:15 > 0:49:18thanks to the hard work of Lady Flora Stewart
0:49:18 > 0:49:21and those who followed in her footsteps.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44We're in Dumfries and Galloway, the lowlands of Scotland.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49Famed for its castle, its dark skies and its landscapes.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Here in the Galloway Forest Park,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55there's a major conservation project underway.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Native trees are being returned to the high acres.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Species like juniper, rowan and sessile oak
0:50:02 > 0:50:05are being grown from cuttings taken in the wild.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13My job will be to plant these...
0:50:13 > 0:50:14up there.
0:50:14 > 0:50:19But before then, I'm meeting expert ecologist Dr Peter Hopkin,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22to learn more about the kinds of trees that thrive at altitude.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Well, we're looking here at a spread of willows.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31The Salix lapponum or downy willow, which is...
0:50:31 > 0:50:35There's more downy willow growing in this mountain range here
0:50:35 > 0:50:37than probably many other parts of Scotland.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40It's a very local species and rare species,
0:50:40 > 0:50:42and so, as a project,
0:50:42 > 0:50:44we're saving it for the future.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47This is my favourite.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50I've always liked the juniper since I lived in the Hebrides.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53This is a lovely species, an evergreen species.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55And you'll like it, I'm sure.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56It smells just like gin.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58SHE LAUGHS
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Is it that obvious? You know me well, Peter.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02- It does!- It's gorgeous.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05- That's lovely. - It's a really tough plant.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08It's tough because it's close to the ground.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12It can withstand extremes of temperature and high wind,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16and of course, often, flames from the burning of the moor
0:51:16 > 0:51:18will blow over the top of it, as well.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20It demonstrates wonderfully
0:51:20 > 0:51:22how it's going to look up on the mountain, but...
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- Oh, you wait and see!- I think... They can't put it off any longer.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28I'm going to have to get up there, aren't I, Peter?
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Oh, yes, yes. It's quite a climb.
0:51:30 > 0:51:31Right, where's the car?
0:51:31 > 0:51:33THEY LAUGH
0:51:33 > 0:51:37It takes a good half an hour in a 4x4 to get up the mountain.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40The team at the top are already hard at it.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Expert plantsman James Short is in charge.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- Hi, James.- Hi, Anita. SHE CHUCKLES
0:51:45 > 0:51:48- Is this what you call extreme gardening?- It is, yeah.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50- This is incredible. - It is pretty extreme.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52It is, isn't it, especially on a day like today.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- Is it dreich, is this the Scottish term, dreich?- It IS dreich.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57So, I've seen the saplings down in the polytunnel.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00I've seen the finished product you want to look like.
0:52:00 > 0:52:01Tell me what you're doing up here.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03I've just been doing a bit of planting.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05The guys here have been doing some screefing,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08where they take the turf away, and then we just plant the trees.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10And how many have you planted so far?
0:52:10 > 0:52:14On this site, there's over 100,000 in the ground now.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- 100,000?- Yeah.- Brilliant.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Shall I have a try with that? That looks like a great instrument.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Down here, just, yep, that's it.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Right down at the footplate and then push it backwards and forwards.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- Like that.- Yes.- And then twist it round with both hands.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29Yes!
0:52:29 > 0:52:32- That's it. - This is so satisfying, isn't it? THEY LAUGH
0:52:32 > 0:52:34Ready for one of the saplings to go in.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36In you go. Good luck, sapling!
0:52:36 > 0:52:38And we'll pat you down.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40How many more have you got to do?
0:52:40 > 0:52:42There's about 40,000 to go in still, so...
0:52:42 > 0:52:4440,000? Better crack on, then, hadn't we?
0:52:44 > 0:52:47- 40,000.- There's a few to do(!) - Right, let's keep going!
0:52:57 > 0:52:58I love it!
0:52:58 > 0:52:59SHE LAUGHS
0:53:04 > 0:53:08So how long do you expect before we'll see these develop into...
0:53:08 > 0:53:10- ..little willows? - In about ten years' time,
0:53:10 > 0:53:14you'll start to see some mounds appear, little trees appearing.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17So if I came back here in about 100, 200 years' time,
0:53:17 > 0:53:19- the landscape would be very different.- It would, indeed, yeah.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22There'd be lots of little trees everywhere.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25And, yeah, lots of downy willow and juniper, as well.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Lots of hardcore, downy willow.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31- Very hardcore.- Like you, James!
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Well, I don't know about that!
0:53:34 > 0:53:35Yeah. Maybe not.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39I think so. Only 40,000 left to do!
0:53:39 > 0:53:40THEY LAUGH
0:53:41 > 0:53:43- It'll soon be tea-time. - THEY LAUGH
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- Anita!- Joe! You made it up the mountain!
0:53:49 > 0:53:51What are the chances of finding you in all the mist?
0:53:51 > 0:53:52- Here we are.- Quite special, isn't it?
0:53:52 > 0:53:54What a soggy pair we are, eh?
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Oh, I know, but don't worry, warm-hearted, warm-hearted!
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- This looks good.- There's a lot more to do, don't you worry.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01You've come at just the right time.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03That is it from Dumfries & Galloway.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05We've had a spectacular time here, despite the weather.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Yes! And join us next week, when we'll be celebrating the life
0:54:08 > 0:54:10and work of one William Shakespeare,
0:54:10 > 0:54:11400 years after his death.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- DAME JUDI DENCH: - "This royal throne of kings,
0:54:17 > 0:54:18"this sceptred isle.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22"This blessed plot."
0:54:24 > 0:54:27You can feel this place in Shakespeare's writings.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35How about this, then?
0:54:35 > 0:54:37- Oh, my word.- Isn't it wonderful?
0:54:41 > 0:54:45- BILL PATERSON:- "All hail Macbeth. Thou shalt be king hereafter."
0:54:50 > 0:54:54So, Joe, there's 40,000 to do, so we'll be here for a while.
0:54:54 > 0:54:55- Join us next week.- Take care.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- Right, so, in? - Yep. Backwards and forwards.