Perth and Kinross Countryfile


Perth and Kinross

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MATT BAKER: The sparkling lochs and craggy mountains

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of Perth and Kinross.

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A gateway to the Highlands.

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I'm spending the day on a family farm.

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Nothing unusual in that, you might think.

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But the farmers here lead rather interesting double lives.

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In the next few weeks,

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Glen and Thomas Muirhead won't be delivering lambs,

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they'll be on the hunt for medals at the Winter Olympics.

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Charlotte's looking at the link between the landscape

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and traditional Scottish games.

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-Absolutely spot on.

-Yeah.

-Agreed?

-Agreed.

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SHE LAUGHS

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We're on call with our rural vets,

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where things are often a matter of life and death.

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There we go. It's coming.

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Should mountain hares be culled or not?

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Tom hears both sides of the argument.

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It's my job, it's my livelihood,

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it's my passion to manage these uplands,

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and it's a part of that management.

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And Adam's in Cornwall,

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where there's already a hint of spring in the area.

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-So, little lambs already.

-Yeah. A good three, four weeks old now.

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-Really looking well, aren't they?

-Yeah, they're doing well.

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This is the very heart of Scotland.

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Perth and Kinross.

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A vast area that stretches

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from the haunting Rannoch Moor in the West...

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..to the Firth of Tay in the East...

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..with the Cairngorms rising to the North.

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It's known locally as big tree country

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but here in Crieff it's not just about the big trees,

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there's big ambition here.

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The Scots have long been champions in the ancient game of curling,

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one of the world's oldest team sports.

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A favourite of Scottish farmers,

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they've been playing it on frozen lochs for at least 500 years,

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and in rural Crieff, that tradition

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and that hardy breed still reigns supreme.

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There can't be many farms in Britain that are run by a family

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of sporting legends, but the two brothers that I'm about to meet

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were pretty much born to curl.

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Lie down, Flo.

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The Muirhead name is legendary in the world of curling.

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Their dad, Gordon, is a world champion,

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and Eve, their sister,

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is one of Scotland's most prestigious curlers

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and captain of the women's Olympic team.

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Flo, that'll do. That'll do, Flo.

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Now Thomas and his older brother, Glen,

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are about to swap tractors for tracksuits

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in their first Winter Olympics,

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representing Britain as part of our curling team.

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Good girl.

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Obviously you're from this incredible family,

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as far as curling is concerned.

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Was there ever a choice

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of whether or not you were going to do this sport?

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I don't think it ever

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really became a thought, "Is this a choice or not?"

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-We just wanted to do it and that was... As simple as that.

-Yeah.

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Mum used to drag us round all the ice rinks

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as tiny, wee kids, to watch Dad compete.

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-Yeah?

-Yeah, so, from the moment we could step on the ice

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and hurl a stone, that's when we started.

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But I guess as far as the world's concerned,

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when another member of your family comes out there,

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everybody's like, "Oh, yeah, here we go, what have you got to offer?"

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Yeah, exactly. My sister has had a bit of success, obviously,

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so hopefully we can live up to what she's achieved.

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I was sitting watching the telly

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and just saw her face after she won that medal,

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and I think from that moment onwards my dream was set on trying to

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achieve what she has, or better, even.

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It's only been a year since Tom and Glen left the family farm

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to run their own business,

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but already they've built up a 1,400-strong flock

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of Texels and pedigree Scottish Blackface ewes.

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So these are all due to lamb, then, are they?

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Yeah, so these are due to lamb in about four weeks' time.

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Right. Four weeks' time,

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that's bad timing as far as the Winter Olympics are concerned.

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So we're actually going to be away for the lambing, so...

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So who's going to be looking after them?

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Well, we're very lucky that our dad and my girlfriend, Lucy,

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-are both able to step in and take over the reins.

-Yeah.

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And in general, then, how does the farming sit alongside your training?

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I mean, what is your usual training schedule for the week?

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Well, at the moment we're down to Stirling to the gym

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three times a week, and we'll be on ice training with the team

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and individually every day, actually, so, you know,

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we just have to tweak small things back at the farm to fit in.

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So, you know, the likes of lambing time, we'll put back a little bit

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later than normal, and we'll feed sheep either morning or

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when we get back at night, so generally that means doing

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things in the dark, but a set of good lights and we're all good.

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And, Thomas, it's a common thing within the team, isn't it?

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Because so many of you are farmers.

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Yeah, it's funny.

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All our team-mates go back to farming backgrounds.

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I think it's back when curling was played outside,

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everybody would meet in the evening when the local pond would be

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frozen over and they'd have a few whiskies and they'd all have

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a good laugh and have a game of curling against each other.

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I think it's really just progressed from there.

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Farmers in general are very competitive individuals,

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I find, so I think the drive to be good at a sport

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also comes from the farming background, too.

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They may be competitive, but I'm sure there won't be any whisky

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involved whilst these boys go for gold.

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How are you feeling, then, with the Olympics coming up?

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-It's only a few weeks away.

-Yeah, it's exciting.

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It's only three weeks and we'll be in Japan ready to go to South Korea.

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We've got everything in place that we want to have in place and we've

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done the hard work so let's just... Hopefully it all comes together.

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And how does it work from a team-mates perspective?

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You're working together on the farm

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and then you're out on the ice together.

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What's that relationship like?

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Challenging sometimes!

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Thomas thinks he's in charge and I think I'm in charge.

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Fair enough. Good point. Right, well, let's get some work done.

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Later, I'll swap the freezing farmyard for a state-of-the-art

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ice rink, when I join the rest of Team GB in their Olympic training.

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Now, here in Scotland, mountain hares are often culled

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to keep their numbers under control

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but there are calls to have it banned.

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Tom's up the road in the Cairngorms finding out more.

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And just to warn you, some of you may find parts of this distressing.

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If you go out spotting wildlife in Scotland,

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you might be lucky enough to catch a magical glimpse of a mountain hare.

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At this time of year, their coats have turned snowy white,

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giving them perfect camouflage against the winter landscape.

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But for some, they're a real problem.

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Grouse moors like this are a perfect habitat for the hares

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and that's an issue for gamekeepers,

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because the hares eat a lot of vegetation

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and also carry ticks which can harm the grouse.

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And that's why thousands of hares across Scotland are shot

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each year in organised culls like this one.

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Currently this is perfectly legal,

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but that's the heart of this argument.

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GUNSHOT

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The guns are going off all over the place

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and we've seen a couple hit down on this snowfield beneath me here

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and I have to say it's quite a tough watch.

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I'm conditioned to admire and cherish these animals as something

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beautiful and rarely seen

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and to watch them being killed in this way,

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yeah, feels quite challenging.

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This grouse moor is managed by Alex Jenkins, the head gamekeeper.

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We have a team of guns who's hopefully pushing the hares

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up from the bottom of the hill. We call them the walking guns.

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We have a team of standing guns as well who are based

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at the top of the hill, and the idea is to get the hares

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within a close range so that we can hopefully shoot a few.

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Three or four times a year, neighbouring gamekeepers

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from other grouse moors gather to help the cull here.

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And how often do they breed, hares?

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-How rapidly can they boom their population?

-Quite rapidly.

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They have a gestation period of about 50 days.

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They start breeding roughly about the end of February.

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They can breed two or three times in a year

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and a litter can be anything from one to six.

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-So they breed, well, like rabbits.

-Like rabbits, yeah.

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Had quite a few that have got away,

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slipped through the gap just up there.

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In the end, you're shooting hares

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in order to keep the grouse shooting business viable.

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I would say it's a 50-50 split between grazing pressure on the hill

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and as a method to control tick numbers.

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And the ticks carry louping ill,

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which can cause an 80% mortality in red grouse chicks.

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You're shooting one animal

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so you can make money from shooting another.

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It makes the estate viable. It provides the employment that's here.

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I'm not going to make two bones about that.

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Grouse shooting is what keeps the five of us

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who work on this estate in a job,

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and it's rural employment in very remote areas.

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So, yes. Yes, we are.

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It won't surprise you to hear

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that shooting hares is not popular with everyone.

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Gamekeepers say shoots like this only take place

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when hare numbers are high, and they keep records locally.

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But here's the problem -

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there's no up-to-date scientific figure on hare populations.

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The latest estimate is more than 20 years old

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and put it anywhere between 175,000 and half a million.

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And for some, that's the real issue.

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In fact, look, we've got some tracks here.

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-That looks like mountain hare tracks to me.

-Slightly longer foot.

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-Yeah, that's right.

-Wow.

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In another part of the Cairngorms, I'm meeting Harry Huyton from

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the animal welfare charity OneKind, who are worried about hare numbers.

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They're not very well monitored.

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We have very poor data as to exactly how they're doing,

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so we can't conclude whether they're declining or not.

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But we do know that they are locally vastly reduced

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in certain parts of the Highlands.

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Just to spell it out, you're not saying there's necessarily

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a national decline, but you're worried in certain areas they

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could be moving towards elimination?

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There might be a national decline, we just don't have the data.

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The argument doesn't stop there.

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There's serious animal welfare concerns as well.

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You're seeing a lot of hares being killed, you know, in just one hunt.

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I think injury rates could be quite high

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and we just don't know enough about them.

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There's no standards that are being followed here.

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It's not regulated or monitored in any way

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so, yes, it is potentially cruel.

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And he disputes gamekeepers' claims

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that the cull protects the landscape and reduces ticks.

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There's just no evidence that killing mountain hares

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means there's more red grouse.

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Should we be managing these vast moors

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just so there are as many red grouse as possible,

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even if that means having to eradicate, you know, locally,

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native species like the mountain hare?

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Now the charity is calling on the Scottish Government

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to ban hare shooting.

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Isn't your campaign really underpinned by the fact that

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they're cuddly, you know, bunnies are lovely, hares are lovely?

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They are lovely. They're beautiful. Of course they are.

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But, no, this is about protecting a native species.

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It's indigenous to the Highlands

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and it's being killed in enormous numbers for spurious reasons.

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Back on the moors, they're loading the hares into a chilled store.

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They'll all be sold for meat,

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which Alex Jenkins says shows the respect gamekeepers have for hares

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both in life and death.

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I love them. I think they're fantastic animals.

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I think they deserve the utmost respect.

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You know, we can have some serious weather here and they thrive.

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And that admiration and respect, for you,

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is compatible with shooting them?

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Yes. Erm...

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It's my job, it's my livelihood,

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it's my passion to manage these uplands

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and it's a part of that management.

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We'd never want to see the day where we shoot the last hare.

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The interests of people and the interests of wildlife

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often bring them into conflict,

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and managing this in a way that allows both to thrive

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is a constant battle.

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The Scottish Government is facing two widely differing opinions.

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Shooting organisations who say they need to control hare numbers,

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and animal welfare groups claiming that's cruel

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and threatens local extinction.

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So what's the way forward?

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That's what I'll be looking at later.

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-CHARLOTTE SMITH:

-Scotland's a place steeped in ancient traditions

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and local customs, many of which are tied to the landscape.

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And nothing says Caledonian culture more than Highland games.

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Every summer, the most prestigious event in the country is held

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here in Crieff - the Scottish Heavyweight Championships.

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Stone, metal and wood, thrown for distance, height and style.

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But this year they need a brand-new caber.

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There's long been a link between the land

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and traditional sports here in Scotland.

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I've come to the Drummond Estate in search of the perfect tree.

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Now, there are a lot of trees on this estate

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but only one is worthy of becoming the new caber

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to be tossed at this year's Highland games.

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The games began more than 1,000 years ago when chieftains sought

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the strongest, fastest and fittest to represent their clan -

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contests of power and skill that continue to this day

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in a festival of sport, music, dancing

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and, of course, caber tossing.

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To find the raw materials for this year's new caber,

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I'm heading beyond the castle gardens and into the forest

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with Ian Stewart, the chairman of the Crieff Highland Gathering.

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Ian, tell me about the games.

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Because a lot of the things that happen in Highland games

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are actually to do with the land, aren't they?

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It all comes from nature.

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Exactly. It's all about... As far as the caber's concerned,

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it's all about a tree.

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We tend to use a Scots pine. Every year it's always a Scots pine.

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And that brings us to why we're here,

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cos you're in need of a new caber.

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We are. We've always been at the forefront at Crieff

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of new ideas for the games circuit.

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But we developed, back in 1994, what we term a challenge caber -

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longer, heavier.

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And, of course,

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it carried with it the biggest caber prize in the world, of £1,000.

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But only the top three heavyweight champions

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are allowed to try their luck with it.

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That prize remained unclaimed until last year when our Scottish

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heavyweight champion, Scott Rider, managed the perfect throw.

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And, of course, that's why we're here today,

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is that we feel a new tree, a new caber,

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longer and heavier still, will be the challenge that's required.

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Choosing the more challenging challenge caber

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is forester Norman O'Neill.

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David Taylor's the joiner who will turn it from trunk to caber.

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They are also both directors of the Crieff Gathering,

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so they know what they're looking for.

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So, Norman, why this one? What makes this tree "cabery"?

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The old challenge caber was 20 foot and 3 inches

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and so what we're looking for here is to start off

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by trying to identify one that's about 22 feet long.

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The last one was a challenge, this is going to be a bigger challenge.

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-No question.

-That's the name of the game.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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-David, you're going to turn the tree into a caber.

-I am.

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We're going to take probably a good inch and a half off this

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so it'll come down to about 8.5 inches at the heavy end,

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and it'll be tapered up to 3.5 inches at the light end,

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which is the end, obviously, the guys have in their hands.

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-So all we've got to do now is fell it.

-That's it, yeah.

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Let's go stand somewhere else.

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Yeah, there it goes.

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Whoa.

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SHE LAUGHS

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One caber.

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But the skill in choosing a caber

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is nothing in comparison with tossing it.

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If anyone's got the remotest chance of teaching me,

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it's local champion David Colthart.

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I wouldn't place any bets just yet -

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I can't even move the old challenge caber.

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This one is... It's ridiculous.

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My eye's drawn to this little tiddly one here. What's that?

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That'll be a nice one to practise on to start with to get the technique.

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-What's the secret here?

-You need a lot of strength, obviously,

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but also a lot of skill to toss it over.

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So not necessarily the strongest guy can toss a caber,

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it's the one with the most technique, skill and timing.

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-Can anyone do it?

-Anybody can try.

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SHE LAUGHS

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Run in a straight line and then flick it end over end.

0:18:220:18:25

-Oh!

-If you lose control, just let it go so it doesn't hurt you.

-OK!

0:18:270:18:30

Flick it over. Just throw it over.

0:18:310:18:33

-There you go.

-Ooh!

-Perfect.

0:18:350:18:36

-VOICEOVER:

-Surprisingly, not bad for a first attempt.

0:18:360:18:38

-So, miraculously, that's landed pointing that way.

-Yeah.

0:18:380:18:42

-Does that matter?

-That's perfect, yeah.

0:18:420:18:44

What you do is toss it in an imaginary clock face,

0:18:440:18:46

so 12 o'clock is straight away from you and that's perfect.

0:18:460:18:50

What you do is if it goes to the side a little bit,

0:18:500:18:52

he'll judge it in minutes past one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock.

0:18:520:18:55

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

0:18:550:18:57

Comfortable. You run forward...

0:18:570:18:59

Wibble, wibble, wibble, wibble.

0:18:590:19:01

Spot-on. Perfect.

0:19:030:19:05

-Oh.

-Oh.

-That's the worst one I've done.

0:19:060:19:08

Don't look, don't look, don't look. Don't look.

0:19:080:19:10

Despite that one, I'm feeling brave, or foolish, enough

0:19:100:19:13

to challenge David.

0:19:130:19:14

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first inaugural

0:19:140:19:17

Countryfile Caber Tossing Championship.

0:19:170:19:20

Dressed in their judging finery,

0:19:210:19:24

Ian, David and Norman are back to adjudicate.

0:19:240:19:28

I really am underdressed for this, aren't I?

0:19:280:19:30

Who's in the lead currently?

0:19:490:19:51

Currently you're leading at 12:05. David was at 12:07.

0:19:510:19:55

Yeah, that's a perfect throw. Absolutely spot-on.

0:20:060:20:09

So is that it, game over?

0:20:090:20:11

No, no. You can still draw.

0:20:110:20:13

Oh, that was a good throw.

0:20:130:20:16

Yes, I have to say that's another perfect throw. Absolutely spot-on.

0:20:260:20:29

-Agreed?

-Agreed.

0:20:290:20:31

-SHE LAUGHS

-Yes!

0:20:310:20:33

-VOICEOVER:

-With one perfect throw each, it's a tie.

0:20:330:20:36

I am ridiculously chuffed, actually.

0:20:370:20:39

-ADAM HENSON:

-In a series of special films, we're spending time

0:20:470:20:50

with a team of rural vets and seeing what it takes to look

0:20:500:20:53

after our livestock in the harshest of months, winter.

0:20:530:20:57

It never happens...

0:20:570:20:58

The practice is based in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

0:20:590:21:02

It's one of the largest in the country, with around 40 vets

0:21:020:21:05

providing care to all creatures great and small.

0:21:050:21:08

Wahey.

0:21:080:21:09

We'll track the trials and tribulations,

0:21:110:21:13

through the blood, sweat and tears...

0:21:130:21:16

There's something not quite right here today.

0:21:160:21:19

..to see what it takes to be a country vet.

0:21:190:21:22

And just to let you know,

0:21:250:21:27

some of what they do isn't for the faint-hearted.

0:21:270:21:29

Angela is an equine vet who's been called out to an emergency.

0:21:370:21:41

One of Annie Jenkins' two beloved horses,

0:21:410:21:43

30-year-old thoroughbred Morrow,

0:21:430:21:45

has rolled over in the field and can't get up.

0:21:450:21:48

Elderly horses, they go down for a roll

0:21:500:21:52

and then they can't get back up because they're stiff or sore.

0:21:520:21:55

I discovered him sort of late morning

0:21:560:22:00

and because he's quite old he was obviously getting weaker

0:22:000:22:03

all the time, and he just couldn't get up.

0:22:030:22:07

We tried pulling him up with rope

0:22:070:22:10

but nobody was strong enough.

0:22:100:22:12

We needed a little bit of extra expertise.

0:22:120:22:14

We got him on his feet not very long ago

0:22:160:22:18

but he got his feet caught in the rug and I can't get him...

0:22:180:22:23

The clips are on the underneath of his shoulders.

0:22:230:22:25

You're very helpful. He's a good boy. I know. You're so helpful.

0:22:280:22:32

One thing that Morrow hated the most was the dogs going

0:22:320:22:34

anywhere near his nose and so we got the Labradors out

0:22:340:22:37

and tried to get them to annoy him a little bit to try and get him

0:22:370:22:41

fighting, see if we could get him up, and it did actually help.

0:22:410:22:44

Come on, then.

0:22:450:22:47

If I can try and get him up...

0:22:470:22:49

Good boy.

0:22:510:22:53

It's quite time sensitive.

0:22:530:22:54

If a horse is down for a very long time, then you're unlikely

0:22:540:22:57

to ever get them up again.

0:22:570:22:59

SHE CLICKS HER TONGUE

0:22:590:23:00

Come on, Morrow.

0:23:000:23:03

-Are you OK there?

-Yeah.

0:23:030:23:04

Good boy. Stay like that.

0:23:060:23:08

Good boy, good boy, good boy.

0:23:080:23:10

Good lad!

0:23:100:23:11

Good boy.

0:23:110:23:14

Good lad.

0:23:140:23:16

Well done.

0:23:160:23:18

-OK, we'll just try and get the...

-Get the rug off.

0:23:200:23:24

He's been down for a couple of hours

0:23:240:23:26

so he might be a bit staggery on his feet.

0:23:260:23:29

-Good boy.

-Goodness me.

0:23:290:23:32

-Good lad.

-What a silly thing to do.

0:23:320:23:34

-He's leaning a bit towards Angela.

-Yeah, he is. Good boy.

0:23:340:23:37

He was a bit stiff and sore, a bit pottery,

0:23:370:23:40

but once he got walking, he seemed to do really well.

0:23:400:23:44

It was really lovely to be able to get him up.

0:23:440:23:46

His owners were thrilled.

0:23:460:23:48

Poor Morrow. If we hadn't been able to get him up before it got dark

0:23:480:23:52

it would have been unlikely that we would have got him up at all.

0:23:520:23:55

Once a horse is recumbent for, you know, a long period of time,

0:23:550:23:59

because of the weight of them,

0:23:590:24:00

it sort of puts a lot of pressure on their blood vessels

0:24:000:24:03

and their nerves and they get what we call myopathies and neuropathies

0:24:030:24:06

and then they can't move their legs even if they wanted to.

0:24:060:24:09

..Good lad.

0:24:090:24:10

He's quite bright now, and we can see what he's like in the morning

0:24:140:24:17

and perhaps go from there because he's...

0:24:170:24:21

He seems very pleased with himself now he's up, doesn't he?

0:24:210:24:23

Being able to give a horse another chance is really...

0:24:250:24:27

Well, it's quite emotional, really,

0:24:270:24:30

and really gets the hairs on the back of your neck going.

0:24:300:24:33

I love him to bits.

0:24:330:24:34

I've had him for nearly 19 years so he's part of our family, really,

0:24:340:24:38

so I would have been...

0:24:380:24:40

Well, I WILL be heartbroken when he goes, but it's luckily not today.

0:24:400:24:43

Emergencies can happen at any time.

0:24:520:24:54

The vets on night shift have received a call from James Smith,

0:24:540:24:58

a farmer who's worried about a cow and her unborn calf.

0:24:580:25:01

Georgie is newly qualified, and is learning the ropes

0:25:020:25:05

from seasoned practitioner Will, who we met last week.

0:25:050:25:09

When it's a calving, we need to get there as soon as possible

0:25:090:25:11

because that greatly increases our chance of getting a live calf.

0:25:110:25:14

She'd been calving throughout the day but

0:25:160:25:17

she hadn't really got on with it so the farmer was just getting

0:25:170:25:20

a bit worried and wanted us to check her out and make sure

0:25:200:25:22

she was OK.

0:25:220:25:24

..All right. All right.

0:25:240:25:25

Normally they don't need any assistance and the odd one

0:25:270:25:29

that needs a little help, I can do that,

0:25:290:25:31

but on this occasion we needed to call the vets and we probably would

0:25:310:25:35

only call them for maybe 1 in 50, maybe even 1 in 100 calvings.

0:25:350:25:40

So it's quite a rarity for us to have to call them out.

0:25:400:25:43

I'd agree. It's not twisted.

0:25:480:25:50

One of the things we were a bit worried about was a twisted uterus,

0:25:500:25:53

where the uterus can twist all the way round

0:25:530:25:56

and it basically makes it look like a corkscrew

0:25:560:25:59

and doesn't open up to allow the calf to come out,

0:25:590:26:02

but it all does feel quite straight there

0:26:020:26:04

so I don't think that's something to worry about.

0:26:040:26:07

So you've just got a head rope on it now so hopefully that will help

0:26:070:26:11

in trying to reposition the calf so we can get it out more easily.

0:26:110:26:15

You basically want a calf to be diving out,

0:26:150:26:18

so feet first, head coming up like this.

0:26:180:26:21

-If we just have a little pull first.

-Yeah.

0:26:210:26:24

-So if I grab the feet and you grab the head.

-Yeah.

0:26:240:26:28

Once we've got all the ropes attached, it is a case of

0:26:280:26:30

trying to get the calf out as quickly as you can but also

0:26:300:26:33

being aware that it's a lot of soft tissue that you have to stretch.

0:26:330:26:36

It's trying to do it as quickly you can without damaging the cow.

0:26:360:26:39

It's quite physically hard work

0:26:460:26:48

so you normally get a bit of a sweat on trying to pull them out.

0:26:480:26:51

Quite handy to have someone like Will there as well

0:26:510:26:54

to help lift the calf up.

0:26:540:26:55

Cos she's quite a deep cow it's just sat right over the edge and we've

0:26:550:26:59

got to try and pull the calf over this cliff, basically, haven't we?

0:26:590:27:02

I think...

0:27:020:27:04

I think we'll have to start doing it with the jack, I think cos...

0:27:040:27:07

..we're not quite having the effect I was hoping.

0:27:070:27:09

The general rule is you shouldn't really put any more force

0:27:110:27:14

than two people pulling.

0:27:140:27:17

Certainly with the jacks you can put a lot more force than that.

0:27:170:27:20

You've just got to be very careful

0:27:230:27:24

and judge how much tension you're putting through the jack.

0:27:240:27:28

If the calf isn't moving, it could be that the shoulders

0:27:280:27:31

of the calf are against the bony pelvis of the cow,

0:27:310:27:34

and if it's bone on bone we're not going to win

0:27:340:27:36

so you need to stop straightaway.

0:27:360:27:38

It's quite a big calf, I think.

0:27:400:27:42

There we go. It's coming.

0:27:440:27:46

There we go.

0:27:540:27:55

That's it.

0:28:040:28:05

It's a case of getting the calf out as quickly as we can

0:28:050:28:08

and getting it breathing as quickly as we can.

0:28:080:28:10

Just stand him.

0:28:100:28:11

So we put them in this position,

0:28:190:28:20

cos you want to have them upright so they don't have more pressure

0:28:200:28:23

on one side of the lungs than the other.

0:28:230:28:25

It's a position that allows the lungs to expand the easiest

0:28:250:28:27

and get them breathing. Doesn't look the most comfortable

0:28:270:28:30

but it's supposed to be the most effective so... Good.

0:28:300:28:35

It's nice to see a live calf come out.

0:28:350:28:37

It's breathing OK, which is good. It's a nice, big calf as well.

0:28:370:28:42

Quite pleased it's gone well.

0:28:430:28:45

Right.

0:28:450:28:47

I'm quite lucky cos I'm a new grad vet,

0:28:480:28:51

so I'm kind of on call but I always have backup with people,

0:28:510:28:54

so it's really nice to be able to come to a call like this

0:28:540:28:57

and have someone like Will that's there to kind of show you the ropes.

0:28:570:29:01

I can be a bit of control freak

0:29:010:29:03

so sorry if I take over a bit too much sometimes.

0:29:030:29:06

The farmer's happy, calf's alive, cow's happy, we're happy,

0:29:100:29:14

so, yeah, it's all good.

0:29:140:29:15

But, as a vet, witnessing the arrival of new life

0:29:200:29:23

goes hand-in-hand with saying goodbye to old friends.

0:29:230:29:28

The next day, Angela, the equine vet, had a difficult decision to

0:29:280:29:32

make about Morrow, who once again was unable to get up on his feet.

0:29:320:29:36

Annie called me and I went over

0:29:360:29:38

and we had a discussion about the fact that it was likely to recur.

0:29:380:29:42

It was a horrible situation to be in

0:29:440:29:46

but we both decided that the best thing

0:29:460:29:47

would be to put Morrow to sleep.

0:29:470:29:49

He lay there, we sedated him and he didn't know anything about it.

0:29:510:29:55

He went really peacefully on a beautiful day.

0:29:550:29:57

Morrow was well looked after and, at 30, he had lived a long life.

0:29:590:30:03

He'll leave his owners with some special memories.

0:30:030:30:06

Next week we follow a cow that's just calved

0:30:090:30:12

and needs an emergency procedure...

0:30:120:30:14

All right, girl. Nearly there.

0:30:140:30:16

..and Ben does an inside job for Emma and her prize-winning chicken.

0:30:180:30:22

They usually end up seeing them during their lunch break,

0:30:220:30:24

so I annoy them usually at that time.

0:30:240:30:27

Earlier we heard how gamekeepers shoot mountain hares to help

0:30:330:30:37

manage the land here in Scotland.

0:30:370:30:39

But it's an activity that divides opinion.

0:30:390:30:42

So what's the way forward? Here's Tom.

0:30:420:30:44

Mountain hares are a hugely admired and hardy native species,

0:30:510:30:55

yet in parts of Scotland each year in the open season

0:30:550:30:59

thousands are shot in organised culls.

0:30:590:31:02

But it's controversial.

0:31:040:31:06

Gamekeepers say it's necessary to reduce overgrazing

0:31:060:31:09

and protect the grouse business,

0:31:090:31:11

but many wildlife campaigners would like to see it banned.

0:31:110:31:14

The thing is, no-one really knows how many mountain hares there are

0:31:180:31:22

and whether they're thriving or at risk.

0:31:220:31:25

Now conservation groups, estate owners and gamekeepers

0:31:250:31:29

are joining forces to get a better understanding of hare numbers.

0:31:290:31:32

-Hi there, Scott.

-Hi, how are you doing?

0:31:340:31:37

This looks like a curious occupation.

0:31:370:31:38

So what are you actually up to here?

0:31:380:31:40

So we're counting hare pellets

0:31:400:31:42

and I'll just show you one.

0:31:420:31:44

In this landscape, the approach needs to be simple.

0:31:450:31:48

Dr Scott Newey from the independent research organisation

0:31:480:31:51

the James Hutton Institute

0:31:510:31:53

has come up with a straightforward way to monitor numbers.

0:31:530:31:57

OK, glamorous job. So how does it work?

0:31:570:31:59

So we have a number of these plots set up over the area.

0:31:590:32:02

We're interested in mountain hare populations, and we mark each plot

0:32:020:32:07

and then we simply go along and we use a circular plot

0:32:070:32:12

and we simply go round and we count...

0:32:120:32:14

So I should be picking up all these within the radius of that string.

0:32:140:32:18

Exactly, yeah. And then put them outside of the plot

0:32:180:32:22

and we count it all and remove it.

0:32:220:32:25

And how does this then translate

0:32:250:32:28

into a calculation of how many are here?

0:32:280:32:31

So we've done a lot of live trapping work on some of these sites

0:32:310:32:33

and from the information we get from the live trapping we can get

0:32:330:32:38

some very good estimates of how many hares there are on this area.

0:32:380:32:42

But if you know from where you've done that,

0:32:420:32:45

the ratio of poo to live hares,

0:32:450:32:47

then you can just use counting pellets as a proxy for that

0:32:470:32:49

-in a much bigger area.

-That's exactly it, yeah.

0:32:490:32:52

-It's an indication of how many there are.

-Ah! That is cunning.

0:32:520:32:54

What we wanted was a standardised method that was very simple,

0:32:540:32:57

easy to carry out. You don't need any fancy equipment.

0:32:570:33:01

One of the real advantages of methods like this

0:33:010:33:04

is they can be applied at a very small scale,

0:33:040:33:06

down to a few square kilometres,

0:33:060:33:07

or they can be scaled up to cover very, very large areas.

0:33:070:33:10

So assuming this is robust, which it looks like it's going to be,

0:33:100:33:13

are there going to be lots of hare poo counters across Scotland?

0:33:130:33:15

Who knows? We need to see, and we're working with our project partners

0:33:150:33:19

now to see how we roll this out through different landowners

0:33:190:33:23

and conservation organisations,

0:33:230:33:24

and anyone with an interest in mountain hares.

0:33:240:33:26

It's hoped dung sampling,

0:33:280:33:29

coupled with some night-time torchlight counting,

0:33:290:33:33

will be rolled out for full pilot tests soon

0:33:330:33:36

and could feed into a wider Scottish Government-sponsored

0:33:360:33:39

review of moorland management.

0:33:390:33:41

Eileen Stewart is from Scottish Natural Heritage,

0:33:420:33:45

which advises the government on wildlife.

0:33:450:33:47

What is all this data feeding into?

0:33:490:33:52

It's part of us just getting a really good picture of what's

0:33:520:33:55

happening with mountain hares, cos they're such an important species.

0:33:550:33:59

Everybody wants to see the populations remain healthy

0:33:590:34:01

and widespread across Scotland,

0:34:010:34:03

but it also will allow us to make better decisions about

0:34:030:34:07

what management is appropriate at a local and a national level.

0:34:070:34:11

And when will you have a result that will give people clarity

0:34:110:34:14

over whether they should be shooting or not?

0:34:140:34:16

So, estates can use this on their own land

0:34:160:34:19

so they can get a good kind of indication of the populations,

0:34:190:34:23

whether they're going up or down,

0:34:230:34:24

and that'll help inform their own management,

0:34:240:34:26

and we hope to collect and gather all this data,

0:34:260:34:29

and over a number of years it'll start to build up a much better

0:34:290:34:32

picture of what happens at a regional and national level.

0:34:320:34:36

Even with this science, those calling for a ban

0:34:360:34:38

are still likely to question the ethics of culling hares.

0:34:380:34:42

But for those making the decisions,

0:34:420:34:43

this could be essential information

0:34:430:34:45

because the Scottish Government says there's not enough evidence,

0:34:450:34:49

and Scottish Natural Heritage agrees.

0:34:490:34:52

Is there a population crisis as far as you can see for hares?

0:34:520:34:56

The evidence doesn't show that.

0:34:560:34:58

There are some studies in the north-east which indicate

0:34:580:35:01

some localised declines, which are a cause of concern,

0:35:010:35:04

but this additional monitoring, we hope, will allow us to examine

0:35:040:35:08

that much more closely, and be sure there aren't any problems.

0:35:080:35:13

Scotland is very much kind of selling itself on tourism

0:35:130:35:16

and the beauty of the natural environment.

0:35:160:35:18

Do you think that goes with shooting hares?

0:35:180:35:21

Well, people come to the country for a whole load of different reasons.

0:35:210:35:24

People come because they like walking

0:35:240:35:26

and enjoying the countryside,

0:35:260:35:27

but people do come and pay because they enjoy the sport of shooting

0:35:270:35:31

deer, shooting grouse, so it is part of our wider cultural heritage.

0:35:310:35:36

Like it or not, game shooting does contribute

0:35:380:35:41

to the Scottish rural economy.

0:35:410:35:44

The shooting of a creature as magnificent and attractive

0:35:440:35:48

as a mountain hare, primarily just to create a habitat

0:35:480:35:51

for shooting something else, may seem a little hard to swallow,

0:35:510:35:56

but the new science should give us reassurance over

0:35:560:35:59

whether that activity is a threat

0:35:590:36:02

to the wider population of hares or not.

0:36:020:36:05

Come on, then. There you go.

0:36:090:36:12

There's some breakfast for you.

0:36:140:36:16

Now, here in Perthshire, lambing is still a way off.

0:36:160:36:18

With an icy outlook head of the Olympics,

0:36:180:36:20

it's all still feeling rather wintry

0:36:200:36:22

but Adam has been down in Cornwall

0:36:220:36:24

where there's a hint of spring in the area.

0:36:240:36:27

I'm 600 miles south of Perthshire, near Penzance in Cornwall,

0:36:340:36:38

where the warmer temperatures have given sheep farmers here

0:36:380:36:41

a bit of a head start over their Scottish counterparts.

0:36:410:36:44

It can be quite tricky to make money out of sheep,

0:36:450:36:48

and although the price of lamb's OK at the moment,

0:36:480:36:50

the cost of production isn't getting any cheaper,

0:36:500:36:53

so if it's profit you're after

0:36:530:36:54

then you really need to be on top of your game

0:36:540:36:56

and thinking outside the box, and the great advantage of

0:36:560:36:59

being down here in Cornwall is a mild climate.

0:36:590:37:02

Neither Ryan Came-Johnson nor Steve Penberthy

0:37:070:37:10

come from farming backgrounds.

0:37:100:37:12

But just 18 months ago they decided to start to farm sheep commercially

0:37:120:37:17

and, since then, flock numbers have been steadily on the rise.

0:37:170:37:20

-Hi, gents.

-Hey, Adam.

-Adam.

-Hi. Good to meet you.

-Steve.

-Hi, Steve.

0:37:240:37:28

-And this is Ryan.

-Hi, Ryan.

-Nice to meet you.

-So, little lambs already.

0:37:280:37:31

Yeah, these were born first of December.

0:37:310:37:34

So a good three, four weeks old now.

0:37:340:37:35

-Really looking well, aren't they?

-Yeah, they're doing well.

0:37:350:37:38

-And mainly Dorsets?

-Yeah, Dorsets and Dorset crosses.

0:37:380:37:41

Just a small flock that we lamb early.

0:37:410:37:44

So that breed can lamb

0:37:440:37:45

much earlier than most traditional breeds, can't they?

0:37:450:37:47

Yeah, they'll lamb out of season, pretty much any time of the year.

0:37:470:37:51

So you've got your early lambs

0:37:510:37:52

and then you've got other flocks as well.

0:37:520:37:54

Yeah, we've got just a small number of Dorsets here

0:37:540:37:57

but we lamb around 70 pedigree Lleyns in February

0:37:570:38:01

and then just over 200 Highlanders lamb outdoors in April.

0:38:010:38:06

Goodness me. Gluttons for punishment. Endless lambing.

0:38:060:38:09

-Three times a year, yes.

-Do you want to put that one down?

0:38:090:38:11

-Looks like he's getting heavy.

-He is heavy.

0:38:110:38:13

What a lovely lamb. And what's the plan with this flock now, then?

0:38:130:38:17

Well, they're coming up for a month old now so we've had some rough

0:38:170:38:21

weather but today's looking a little bit better so I think we're going to

0:38:210:38:25

get them outside, get them out in the fields and eating some grass.

0:38:250:38:28

Come on, then, girls.

0:38:290:38:31

WHISTLING

0:38:310:38:33

-Come on.

-Nice and steady, aren't they?

-Yeah. No rush.

0:38:380:38:40

The milder climate and grass that grows all year round

0:38:440:38:47

means a longer growing season for Steve and Ryan's lambs.

0:38:470:38:50

With these sheep settled,

0:38:570:38:58

Steve and I are off to check the flock that will lamb next...

0:38:580:39:01

..the Lleyns.

0:39:060:39:07

Even though there's plenty of grass, Steve's keen to

0:39:110:39:14

make sure his pregnant ewes don't lack the nutrition they need.

0:39:140:39:17

-They're smart looking Lleyns, aren't they?

-They're not looking too bad.

0:39:240:39:27

-How many have you got?

-There's about 70 here.

0:39:270:39:29

You got a few other bits and bobs in here.

0:39:290:39:31

Yeah, there's a few mixed ewes as well

0:39:310:39:32

but the majority of them are Lleyns.

0:39:320:39:34

And when are they due to lamb?

0:39:340:39:36

So they're due to lamb in the next three weeks.

0:39:360:39:38

-Are they? So they're getting close.

-Really close now, yeah.

0:39:380:39:40

Will you lamb them in or out?

0:39:400:39:41

They'll be lambed indoors cos February isn't the best

0:39:410:39:44

-time of year to be lambing outdoors.

-No. Sure. Wet down here.

0:39:440:39:47

-Yeah, definitely.

-So are you mainly a grass fed system?

0:39:470:39:50

Yes, so all our lamb is reared completely from grass.

0:39:500:39:53

Although this time of year we just need to give the ewes a little

0:39:530:39:57

supplement just to aid them cos they're so heavily in lamb.

0:39:570:40:00

Yeah. That's what you've got here.

0:40:000:40:01

That's what we've got in the back now.

0:40:010:40:03

So we've got some mineral buckets for them here.

0:40:030:40:05

Particularly this time of year?

0:40:050:40:06

Yeah, so this time of year, cos of the daylight hours being

0:40:060:40:09

so short, the grass isn't full of sugar as it would be in the summer,

0:40:090:40:12

so we just put these buckets out, aid them up to lambing, really.

0:40:120:40:15

And when the ewes are so heavily pregnant like this,

0:40:150:40:18

all the essential vitamins and minerals here,

0:40:180:40:20

-important to get it into them, isn't it?

-Exactly, yeah.

0:40:200:40:22

-And then it'll be passed onto the lambs.

-Yeah.

0:40:220:40:24

Let's get them out. Just dump them out on the grass?

0:40:240:40:26

-Yeah, just pop them out. Come on, girls.

-Here we are, girls.

0:40:260:40:29

-Got a treat for you.

-Come on.

0:40:290:40:31

They seem to really love that, don't they?

0:40:330:40:35

Whilst we've been checking the Lleyns, Ryan's rounded up

0:40:420:40:45

the flock of Highlanders so they can be pregnancy scanned.

0:40:450:40:48

Two.

0:40:500:40:51

One.

0:40:540:40:55

John is a professional sheep scanner.

0:41:000:41:03

He's using ultrasound to detect the number of foetuses

0:41:030:41:06

present in the pregnant ewes.

0:41:060:41:08

One.

0:41:080:41:10

It's vital information

0:41:100:41:11

for Steve and Ryan to be able to plan the year ahead.

0:41:110:41:14

So, scanning, is that an exciting time?

0:41:160:41:18

It's exciting but nervous at the same time, cos what

0:41:180:41:21

they're scanning for now is going to be what lambs we have born in April.

0:41:210:41:26

-Yeah, sure.

-So if we've got empty ewes they're not productive.

0:41:260:41:30

-Yeah, it's all about your crop of lambs next year.

-Exactly, yeah.

0:41:300:41:33

They're perfect, actually, aren't they?

0:41:330:41:35

This flock has been loaned to Steve and Ryan

0:41:350:41:37

by an enterprising farmer in Devon

0:41:370:41:39

who's keen to help first-time farmers build their businesses.

0:41:390:41:42

They're lovely looking sheep, Ryan.

0:41:440:41:45

I haven't been up close to Highlanders before.

0:41:450:41:47

Yeah, we're really pleased with these. They're doing really well.

0:41:470:41:50

It's a scheme that works really well for us.

0:41:500:41:52

So he provides you with the sheep and then what does he get out of it?

0:41:520:41:55

He provides us with 100 ewe lambs initially, and then over

0:41:550:41:59

a five-year period we return to him a percentage of the lambs, so he

0:41:590:42:03

gets ewe lambs back and we get some breeding ewes to get started with.

0:42:030:42:07

Brilliant. So you don't have to have the expensive outlay to start with.

0:42:070:42:10

-Exactly.

-That's a good idea, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:42:100:42:13

You know, some people would say you've got three different breeds,

0:42:130:42:16

lambing at different times of year with grazing on outlying farms,

0:42:160:42:19

that would be a bit complicated, but you seem to be coping with it.

0:42:190:42:22

Yeah, we seem to work it very well. We try and keep the flocks together

0:42:220:42:25

so we're not moving small numbers of sheep around all the time.

0:42:250:42:27

And here we are in the winter, and it's quite mild, isn't it?

0:42:270:42:30

-I can almost hear the grass growing.

-Exactly.

-Lovely.

0:42:300:42:34

Come on, girls. Come on.

0:42:340:42:36

Before we let the ewes out to enjoy it,

0:42:380:42:40

we need to find out how many lambs they're expecting.

0:42:400:42:43

One.

0:42:430:42:45

A 100% flock reading would mean an average of one lamb per ewe.

0:42:460:42:51

One.

0:42:530:42:54

A 200% reading would be ideal,

0:42:540:42:56

but anything more than that could spell trouble.

0:42:560:42:59

There's just not enough milk to go round.

0:42:590:43:02

Brilliant. Job's done.

0:43:020:43:04

-All done.

-Very speedy, sir. So what's the results on the screen?

0:43:040:43:08

Very good, considering they all lambed as ewe lambs last year.

0:43:080:43:12

-Total percent, 177.

-Yeah, pretty good. What's that made up of?

0:43:120:43:16

That was three empties, 21 singles,

0:43:160:43:19

70 twins and only four triplets.

0:43:190:43:21

-The more twins you get, the better.

-Brilliant. Pleased with that, gents?

0:43:210:43:25

Yeah, pleased with that.

0:43:250:43:26

It's a good number for us to be lambing outdoors.

0:43:260:43:28

You've achieved a lot, haven't you? And quite excited about the future?

0:43:280:43:31

Yeah, definitely.

0:43:310:43:33

We've got a successful scanning, we'll have a lot of lambs

0:43:330:43:36

on the ground next year, hopefully, so, yeah, we're very excited.

0:43:360:43:38

Plenty to sell through the restaurants and in your box scheme.

0:43:380:43:41

-Yeah, looking for a lot more customers this year.

-Well done.

0:43:410:43:44

It's great to see you getting on so well. Good luck in the future.

0:43:440:43:46

-Thanks, Adam.

-Thank you, Adam.

0:43:460:43:48

I suspect you got another 20 farms to go to, John, have you?

0:43:480:43:50

-Certainly have.

-All right. Nice one.

0:43:500:43:52

The farming community has come together

0:43:580:44:00

and rallied around to help Steve and Ryan get a foothold in farming,

0:44:000:44:04

and we're looking to celebrate people like that.

0:44:040:44:07

If you know of a farmer or someone working in the industry

0:44:070:44:10

who deserves recognition, there's still time to nominate them

0:44:100:44:13

for the Countryfile Farming Hero 2018.

0:44:130:44:17

All the details are on our website with the terms and conditions.

0:44:170:44:20

But don't hang about, as entries close at midnight tomorrow evening.

0:44:200:44:24

Remember, if you're watching on demand,

0:44:250:44:27

nominations may have already closed.

0:44:270:44:29

-CHARLOTTE SMITH:

-The banks of Loch Tay,

0:44:360:44:38

where sleeping Munros tower over glistening waters.

0:44:380:44:42

It's a rich landscape straddling the Highlands and Lowlands.

0:44:420:44:46

Today I'm going to get a real taste of it.

0:44:460:44:49

I've come to see a woman who makes chocolates.

0:44:500:44:53

Now, she uses the natural flavours that she finds

0:44:530:44:56

right here on her doorstep,

0:44:560:44:58

and the idea is to create a magical taste of this, the scenery.

0:44:580:45:02

Charlotte Flower laid down roots here nearly 20 years ago.

0:45:060:45:09

Inspired by the surroundings,

0:45:090:45:11

she decided she not only wanted to work in the landscape but with it.

0:45:110:45:16

And with a background in forestry and ecology,

0:45:160:45:18

finding wild flavours was second nature.

0:45:180:45:21

I've always been a forager,

0:45:210:45:23

always had a keen interest in the environment and nature.

0:45:230:45:26

And plants - I really love plants.

0:45:260:45:29

I've always loved chocolate so you could quite naturally say,

0:45:290:45:33

"Well, it's just a bringing of the two together."

0:45:330:45:35

That was the starting point for me.

0:45:350:45:37

I learnt how to make chocolate, and tested out anything and everything.

0:45:370:45:42

Scots pine, wild garlic, nettles, herbs and gorse have all

0:45:430:45:48

found their way into Charlotte's chocolate boxes, bars and bites -

0:45:480:45:52

all seasonal, all local.

0:45:520:45:55

Winter is a lovely time of year in Highland Perthshire

0:45:550:45:59

because you just see the bare bones of the place.

0:45:590:46:01

Finding flavours is a little bit more challenging

0:46:010:46:04

because everything is becoming more dormant

0:46:040:46:07

but I can then focus in on some of my favourite flavours.

0:46:070:46:11

Hardy plants like rosemary that we can pick green still,

0:46:110:46:15

juniper berries,

0:46:150:46:16

and things that I've gathered in the autumn,

0:46:160:46:19

so things like sea buckthorn, which is a fabulous berry,

0:46:190:46:24

and full of vitamin C, so extremely good for you through winter.

0:46:240:46:29

So, hang on, are you arguing that actually I could say,

0:46:290:46:31

-"I'm only eating this chocolate to ward off a cold"?

-Yes. Absolutely.

0:46:310:46:36

It's a good argument.

0:46:360:46:37

No, I love it. Really, I love it.

0:46:380:46:40

-VOICEOVER:

-Well, in that case,

0:46:430:46:45

time for a health giving lochside picnic.

0:46:450:46:48

This is my kind of medicine.

0:46:480:46:50

Wow.

0:46:510:46:52

-If you're going to eat a view...

-Absolutely.

0:46:540:46:56

-..this is a good one to start with.

-To start with, yes. No, absolutely.

0:46:560:47:00

And even better, dip it in chocolate before you eat it.

0:47:000:47:03

This isn't what I was expecting. This is posh chocolate.

0:47:050:47:08

Chocolate is an extraordinary food

0:47:080:47:10

and it deserves respect and so it always needs to look its best.

0:47:100:47:14

-Can I eat this one?

-Yeah.

0:47:140:47:15

-Elderflower.

-Yes. Yes.

0:47:170:47:20

-Can I go for that one next?

-Yeah, go for that one.

0:47:200:47:23

It tastes earthy.

0:47:230:47:24

This is going to sound stupid, but it tastes green.

0:47:260:47:29

-It's this one. This is the...

-No!

-Yeah, Scots pine.

0:47:290:47:33

-Really?

-Mm.

0:47:330:47:35

-So it's got a freshness to it.

-Mm!

0:47:350:47:38

I use the young spring shoot and it's full of sap

0:47:380:47:40

and it's got the most amazing fresh taste.

0:47:400:47:43

-I haven't got a clue what that is.

-It's rosemary.

-Is it?

0:47:450:47:48

-And all these flavours are from right here.

-Here.

0:47:480:47:53

Literally here where we're sitting or on the hillsides around.

0:47:530:47:57

The sea buckthorn, I picked that in East Lothian.

0:47:570:48:00

The berries have got this gorgeous, bright colour.

0:48:000:48:02

The flavour is... I don't know, it's sort of tropical.

0:48:020:48:06

It's gorgeous. I mean, it's truly gorgeous.

0:48:060:48:09

That's one of my favourites, especially in winter,

0:48:090:48:11

cos it just tastes like sunshine.

0:48:110:48:15

I try everything.

0:48:150:48:17

If it's got flavour and I like it,

0:48:170:48:19

I will...stick it in cream

0:48:190:48:22

-and see if it works.

-THEY LAUGH

0:48:220:48:24

-VOICEOVER:

-Having eaten most of Charlotte's chocolate supply,

0:48:260:48:29

it seems only fair I help her whip up a new batch.

0:48:290:48:32

Charlotte, what are we going to make?

0:48:330:48:35

-We're going to make a ganache cream and chocolate.

-Great.

0:48:350:48:39

Two things that separately on their own are individually fantastic,

0:48:390:48:44

but when you combine them together

0:48:440:48:46

they turn into something unbelievable.

0:48:460:48:48

We're going to make a lovely juniper ganache,

0:48:480:48:50

and these are from local juniper woodland.

0:48:500:48:53

All foragers are very careful about their impact

0:48:530:48:56

of their foraging on the ecology.

0:48:560:48:59

Scottish juniper is a limited resource,

0:48:590:49:01

so Charlotte's only picked a handful of berries.

0:49:010:49:03

So these are precious. Precious bit of ingredient.

0:49:040:49:07

They are, actually. They are precious, yeah.

0:49:070:49:09

-I'm just really conscious I must not mess this up.

-You're not going to.

0:49:090:49:12

It's very, very difficult to mess it up, to be honest.

0:49:120:49:15

-We're going to crush these a little bit.

-Oh, right, OK.

0:49:150:49:18

The juniper infused cream is added to the chocolate

0:49:210:49:24

to make a silky smooth ganache.

0:49:240:49:27

And there you have it - one truly Scottish treat.

0:49:270:49:31

So is the weather going to be as sweet

0:49:310:49:32

and nearly perfect as my chocolates?

0:49:320:49:35

Here's the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.

0:49:350:49:38

I've been spending the day

0:50:110:50:12

with sheep farming brothers Thomas and Glen Muirhead

0:50:120:50:15

and, for most, a flock of 1,400 sheep would be work enough.

0:50:150:50:19

Well, now I'm about to experience their other life,

0:50:200:50:22

which is a world away from this farm, as Olympic hopefuls.

0:50:220:50:26

These lads are from a family of curling legends.

0:50:300:50:33

Their sister, Eve, is a world champion, as is their dad, Gordon,

0:50:330:50:37

so all eyes will be on them for next month's Winter Games.

0:50:370:50:42

Our curling teams have long been

0:50:420:50:43

some of the most successful Olympic medal winners.

0:50:430:50:46

And this is where they train -

0:50:480:50:50

the UK's first National Curling Academy.

0:50:500:50:54

It's a place that's built to honour and build upon the curling prowess

0:50:540:50:58

in this area, and before this facility existed our British curlers

0:50:580:51:02

would just have to dodge ice skaters on the ice rink,

0:51:020:51:04

or pray for icy winters and frozen ponds like the good old days.

0:51:040:51:08

And this is curling Team GB in action,

0:51:130:51:16

training hard for their first Olympics.

0:51:160:51:19

Joining the Muirheads on the team is Kyle Waddell.

0:51:190:51:22

He's also from farming stock.

0:51:220:51:24

And there's another pair of brothers - Cammy and Kyle Smith.

0:51:240:51:28

He's the team captain.

0:51:280:51:31

Guess what they do for a living.

0:51:310:51:32

Yeah, they work on the family farm in Perth with their dad,

0:51:320:51:35

David, who's yet another curling world champion.

0:51:350:51:38

-Finished for now?

-That's the session done for today.

0:51:400:51:42

-How did it go in general? Was it all right?

-Yeah, it was good.

0:51:420:51:45

-Good session?

-Good team session today.

-Yeah?

0:51:450:51:47

I've got these walking boots on and it's not that slippy,

0:51:470:51:49

actually, but you've got some special things underneath.

0:51:490:51:52

-So that's what you're going to use here.

-Oh, I see. Right.

0:51:520:51:55

-So that goes on your...

-Oh, yeah, that's a lot slippier, that is. OK.

0:51:550:51:58

-Just show me the position first of all.

-OK.

0:51:580:52:00

Just so we know what we are aiming for.

0:52:000:52:01

So your right foot in the hack like this.

0:52:010:52:04

-Left foot on here.

-Yeah.

0:52:040:52:06

You bring your hips up, bring your left foot back

0:52:060:52:10

and then push out of the hack.

0:52:100:52:12

-Yeah, that's it.

-That's it.

0:52:150:52:17

-Perfect. That's the one.

-No' bad!

0:52:170:52:20

It's going straight. It's quite... It's going right.

0:52:210:52:25

Too hard. Right, so that was obviously too heavy, then.

0:52:250:52:27

VOICEOVER: There is so much to get your head around.

0:52:270:52:29

It's gone, I've put a bit too much curl on there. Far too much left.

0:52:340:52:38

So it was still too much weight, wasn't it?

0:52:380:52:40

-Still a little bit too much weight, yeah.

-Right, OK.

0:52:400:52:43

This is the one, number three.

0:52:430:52:45

That's not bad. Your line was really good on that one. Looking good.

0:52:480:52:51

It's looking good, aye.

0:52:510:52:53

It's going to go. It's going to go.

0:52:530:52:55

-Yes!

-Good shot.

0:52:550:52:57

-Good work, chaps.

-Perfect.

0:52:570:53:00

Get in. Happy with that.

0:53:000:53:02

VOICEOVER: The sweepers are critical to the way the stone travels.

0:53:040:53:08

So, you're effectively kind of melting the ice...?

0:53:080:53:11

Yeah, you create friction and it creates a tiny film of water

0:53:110:53:14

on top of the ice, and that just allows the stone

0:53:140:53:17

to just travel further.

0:53:170:53:18

You want to try and get your stroke the width of the stone,

0:53:190:53:22

and as fast as you can

0:53:220:53:24

and leaning down as hard as you can, basically.

0:53:240:53:27

So it's like that.

0:53:270:53:29

And obviously the key is to try and keep up with the stone,

0:53:290:53:31

-keep up with each other.

-That's it, yes.

0:53:310:53:33

Put the right amount of...

0:53:330:53:34

-Yeah, so it's very technical at this end, too.

-Yeah.

0:53:340:53:36

So he's thrown this a little light so we need to try and sweep this.

0:53:420:53:45

You need to go, boys.

0:53:450:53:47

That's it. You're doing good.

0:53:470:53:49

-Come on!

-Keep it going.

0:53:510:53:53

VOICEOVER: Even sweeping the farmyard

0:53:530:53:55

can't prepare any farmer for this.

0:53:550:53:58

Whoa!

0:53:580:53:59

I'll tell you what, that gets the old...

0:53:590:54:01

-It makes you light-headed, doesn't it?

-A wee bit.

0:54:010:54:04

-That's good...

-VOICEOVER: One more go.

0:54:040:54:07

We're not far away, if we can manage to keep it going...

0:54:070:54:10

-Come on, we can have this.

-We've got it.

-This is it.

0:54:100:54:12

Oh, it's moving! Oh!

0:54:120:54:15

The yellows have it! The yellows have it.

0:54:150:54:18

-Oh, hello.

-Hello.

-How are you doing?

-A moment of triumph.

-Oh, my word.

0:54:180:54:22

-Come and meet our Olympic curling team.

-Good evening.

0:54:220:54:26

Thank you so much. And we'll be watching closely.

0:54:260:54:28

All the very best at the Winter Olympics.

0:54:280:54:30

And I hear that you've found out

0:54:300:54:32

that you're a bit of a champion at something.

0:54:320:54:34

I am. I am officially a champion caber tosser.

0:54:340:54:37

Thank you. I'm not quite an Olympian yet, guys.

0:54:390:54:41

-Is that your medal?

-This is a present. I got your present.

0:54:410:54:44

What is it? Chocolate...

0:54:440:54:46

-There were more. Can't think what happened to them.

-There we are.

0:54:460:54:49

Actually, I'm going to give that to the team.

0:54:490:54:51

You can share that. There you go.

0:54:510:54:53

Find a knife and cut it up. That's all we've got time for this week.

0:54:530:54:56

Actually, next week there's going to be more ice involved

0:54:560:54:59

in our celebration of the seasons, our winter special.

0:54:590:55:01

But that's it from us.

0:55:010:55:02

-Going to teach me how to do this now, then?

-Yeah, yeah, I will.

0:55:020:55:05

Right, let's get you the right shoes.

0:55:050:55:06

It's clearly going to make all the difference, yeah.

0:55:060:55:09

Bye-bye!

0:55:090:55:10

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