Episode 16 Landward

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward, the show that takes you

to parts of Scotland are the programmes ignore. In a moment,

Euan embarked on its five-day journey to visit three of the Small

Isles, but first, here is what else is coming up on the programme. --

the Perthshire business is harvesting the benefits of working

together. Working in collaboration is more effective. We get to market

more quickly. Andy Torbet goes on a helter-skelter snorkel ride on a

river. It is great fun but you are moving so fast, it is hard to

appreciate what you are passing through. I will be learning some

traditional woodland skills. good thing I guess about this is if

you slip it goes between your legs and not into your leg. The last

thing you want is that metal Over the next three programmes will

be charting Euan's progress as he battles wind and tide to visit Muck,

Eigg and Coll in five days. He will meet islanders to discover the

challenges of -- of remote working In the last series I sailed between

some of the harbours on the Moray Firth in my yacht, Josephine. I had

such a nice time doing it I decided to let the Landward crew come back

on board, this time on the west coast. My challenge is to sail to

three unique islands, but these are tricky waters to navigate and the

weather can be unpredictable. We're in Arisaig Bay at the moment and

the plan is to go to the island of Eigg, then Muck, Ben Coll. We will

meet the folks who make the community tick. The weather is

getting worse. It is come here but there are high winds, so it could

be fun. On the boat was me a director Fiona and cameraman David.

Neither have done much sailing before so why will be doing most of

the hard work myself. -- I will be doing most of the hard work myself.

I have never left here on a boat before. Arisaig is one of the

trickiest harbours on the west coast, as you will see. It is a

twisting, turning, very little water. A scary place to navigate.

What we are looking for is some of the navigation marks. You can see

the poles sticking up. This is really shallow, you can have

navigation buoys you have to hit. We are using the GPS as a back-up.

It is filling me with confidence because there is a black-and-white

line that shows the way I came in and I did not hit anything. I'm

going to try to go on the way out. But you can never trust a GPS

On dry land they call it a GPS. Coast Guard, this is your Josephine,

over. Josephine, go ahead. We are just leaving Arisaig bait and we

have hit a rock and we are keeled over. Over. What has happened, we

were talking about it being the scariest harbour on the west coast

and it has come to pass. There is another yacht coming in, we are

mid-Channel. We move to the side a bit and we hit a rock, well and

truly. As the tide goes out we go further over. Not the greatest

start to our trip. There's not much we can do about it. All we can do

is wait for the tide to turn and as it comes in we should refloat of

the rock. At the moment it is still going out. We are not taking on any

water. The do you know the boat is fine? Before the lifeboat can

arrive, Graham from Arisaig Marina does. We get filming from a

different angle. Doesn't it look We have just slid off the rock. I

have got an anchor out. We are going to try and bulletin on the

anchor. The lifeboat was on standby, over. What is happening now is we

have slid off the rock. The cavalry have arrived. There isn't insured

boat committed Chequers out. We will get checked out, there is no

Aman going to see if there is a problem. We were and fortunate. We

cleared the rock on the edge of the Channel. -- we were and fortunate.

This gets a lot of people, the shifting sandbank. We are not alone

then? No. After refloating on the incoming tide we made our way back

to Arisaig and that our own power. I later find out the rock which it

was very well known locally. It is called the Priest Rock but nobody

bothered to put it on the chart. It is the moment of truth. How much

damage did that well up cause? -- did that Wallop cause? It has taken

a bit off. My heart is dumping a bit, to be honest, but we got away

with it. -- thumping. Just slightly less than we left was originally. -

- Can we left with originally. So no major damage and we were able to

leave the next morning, on the first leg of the tricked up Eigg

and you can see if we made it next time. -- the trip to Eigg.

So far we have looked at the woodland hobby of hutting and found

out the attraction of owning your own private ward. This week I am

back amongst the trees to learn In recent years the creation of

recreational woodland has become commonplace. People have

rediscovered the benefits of spending time in our nation's

forests. The Helmsdale woodlanders on a newly formed community group

that want to get hands-on to help manage their local woods. What man

and Greenwood instructor Mike Ellis has arranged a course to teach them

the skills they need -- this would man. There are elements of woodland

management, charcoal making, the use of tools to develop skills to

make Gates, tour handles. I am going to learn something today?

are indeed, we will meet the woodlanders now. Excellent, let's

do it. What are you getting me to do here? Some of the basics of

scaring off. You are taking half an inch off the surface? The good

thing about this is if you slip it goes between your legs, not into

your leg. The last thing you want is that metal connecting with your

The woodlanders harvest the would they use for their green wood

crafts locally. There is an area of woodland which at one time was

productive. They used a lot of the produce to supply the local fishing

industry. That woodland, along with many others, is now neglected and

really it is a question of getting in there, restoring the woodland,

helping the woodland and helping to keep alive some of the skills used

for thousands of years in Scotland. What is all this about you? What

are you getting from it? Getting out doors, looking at the trees,

starting to learn how to get the best out of them and maybe carving

something like this, possibly doing sculpture. It is tactile, that is

the beauty. It is beautiful to feel. The whole idea of traditional

woodworking, what attracts you? is natural, clean, sustainable.

What do you hope to achieve at the end of the course? Perhaps at TP.

Now you have had a go, we will go to the next stage, which is using

the draw knife, to get a smoother surface on it. We're going to

gently start to create a flatter surface. There you go. The thing

about working with wood when it is green, it is tactile. You work with

the wood as opposed to against it. Mike, what potentially could this

be used for? It is down to your imagination. Whatever your

requirements are. You could use it as a component for timber framing.

You could use it as part of a gate, fencing. You could cut its smaller

and start making are still out of it. The Helmsdale woodlanders have

taken their first tentative steps towards managing their local

woodland in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way and

they are learning would work skills as they go along come which I can

Still to come, we take on the white water robbed the Linn of Dee.

one of the most exciting and river dives anywhere in the UK. Euan

learns how to change a wheel. do you feel about the fact these

skills are dying? Well, they are Cold-pressed rapeseed oil S B

Robert Scott and's Greek food success stories in recent years but

healthy alternative to olive-oil has been taken to a new level

thanks to the collaboration between three purse should businesses. The

golden fields of oilseed rape are a common sight across Scotland in

spring and summer. In the past the oilseed was sold for basic cooking

oil. But oil that is extracted from the seed using heat and chemicals,

an industrial process. But a couple of years ago a few clever

individuals realised they had a product which could challenge the

market dominance of olive oil in terms of being a luxury cooking oil

Our cold-pressed technique is a simple process. We take the seat

and press it wants. You get the premium will out, it contains the

flavour and quality. Mark Bush was one of the first people in Scotland

to adopt the cold pressing technique for oilseed rape. He runs

his operation from a couple of converted lorry trailers on a farm

near Madderty in pasture force -- in Perthshire. The seed is

harvested. We put it into a one-ton containers. It is fed up into the

press Adam Werritty is crushed against a ball in a chamber, so you

get the quality and the oil coming out. The debris has sent out for

capital field. Recapture the oil, filter it, but it into a container

ready for bottling. This year the company has turned 35 tonnes of oil

seed rape into cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Next year they hope

to double production to 70 tonnes, which will make just under 30,000

litres of oil. How have you convinced the devotees of extra

virgin olive oil that this is the oil to choose? It is an alternative

to olive oil. It has a far lighter taste. Olive oil can be quite heavy

on the palate, leaves a residue at the back of the palate. This is

lighter. OK, shall we taste? Please Very nice. Very snooze. It is very

smooth, very delicate on the palate. Quite nutty, lovely, delicious.

That is from the cold pressing we The oil may have been an overnight

success story winning multiple accolades that the Scottish Food &

Drink Awards, but Mark Bush was not resting on his laurels. He decided

to add further value to the product. The idea came while selling the oil

at Perth Farmers' Market. A fellow stallholder was David Burberry of

Dalchonzie Fruit Farm near Comrie. He had diversified from pure fruit

into a range of fruit base chutneys and vinegars. I met Mark through

the farmers' market and fairly quickly we could see a natural

collaboration between oil and vinegar, it is as obvious as that.

He quite quickly put together a vast redressing, which I would say

was quite good. It shows the potential. -- A Matt Sprake

dressing. It turned the potential into it a product that would sell

required input from an expert. The former exited chef at Gleneagles,

and the Hamer, was running a luxury outside catering company called

Wild Thyme, from premises on the outskirts of Comrie. Mark was

saying the infantry stage of developing his dressing, I got in

golf -- I got involved in that, to look at the recipe. Basically with

Dalchonzie Fruit Farm producing jellies and vinegars it made sense

to look at trying to develop a range of dressings. I came up with

the recipes. We messed around with flavours, vinegars, jellies, we

narrowed it round -- down to the range of four. Scotland food and

drink, the body task with growing sector, has stressed the importance

of business is collaborating to add value to their products. What is

happening here seems a pretty good model. Working in collaboration is

far more effective. It helps us get to market quicker than we would

have. If I had taken the project on myself. We got up to about 5,000

units in the first year. We doubled that in the second and I think we

are on target to do 25,000 units this year and clearly there is a

lot of potential to take it further. The results of our opportunities

out there but we haven't tapped into -- there is lots of

opportunities. We can develop the range to increase the choice of

dressings. Successful business collaborations are a bit like salad

dressing. You take three people with different skills of products,

bring them together and with a bit of a shake, you have a brand new

Delicious! If you have a comment about

anything you see on the programme or have a wonderful story, e-mail

us at: This week I am in North West Sutherland in Kinlochbervie where

the weather is warm. But what about the prospects for this week, the

After a two-day's dry mild conditions, a change in the next

few days. Starting with the pressure shock tomorrow. This

pressure will be influence over the next few days. On Saturday morning,

our start across the North West as the rain makes its way inland

towards the Borders. We will have some mild air, so mid-afternoon

tomorrow around 4pm, temperatures 13, 14 degrees. But it will

deteriorate. Around the Moray Firth we could see temperatures up to 17

ahead of the rain. It will be an improving picture. If you are out

and about this weekend, the western ranges and Hills will be worked for

tomorrow. In the east, it will be dry to start with brightness

possible although the rain will be Reigate -- arriving later. On the

water, across the south-west we can expect force five from a southerly

direction. In the East, once again a force five it later. Moderate

visibility. Rain in the afternoon. The second half of the afternoon it

into the evening, a second whether fund shows its hand. Cooler

conditions come in behind the second front. Looking at the

pressure chart for Sunday, low- pressure moving eastwards. We will

introduce a south-westerly flow feeding showers into western parts

of the country. Our way from here, drier and brighter conditions. Much

cooler. That is the general theme for the next few days. Turning

colder and we can see why that is by taking a look at the pressure

chart for Monday. We will start to see more of a westerly flow so a

cooler source region for the winds. Showers merging at times to form

longer periods of rain. Not a pleasant day to stop the week. On

Tuesday, low pressure is moving further East and we will see a

north-westerly airflow. Some of those showers will be turning

wintry, snow over the hills. Further East and West, temperatures

10 or 11 with the drier, brighter conditions. By Wednesday some of

the wintry showers will be down to low levels. Only affecting the

highest of the road, but away from In the final part off Andy Torbet's

guide to snorkelling Scotland, he takes us down a fast-flowing river

This week, and just outside Braemar on the banks of the River Dee. I

will be exploring, Linn of Dee one of the most exciting and

exhilarating river dives anywhere in the UK. This is the Linn of Dee,

and narrowing in the rock, the full force of the river comes through.

The rock is very tough and has been here for thousands of years, but

this is the relentless power. The first major feature you come to is

the washing machine. You can see why it gets that name. The water is

thundering around in a circle. I am going to start at my journey just

to the left-arm side of it. The water is strong today, and I don't

recommend you jump in unless you That is probably the most energetic

I have ever seen Linn of Dee. It is great fun, but you are moving so

fast it is hard to appreciate what you are passing through. But it

opens out and it slows down. We will head downstream and see what

These big circular pools are caused by massive eddies in the water,

constantly scuppering the rock. The water is a beautiful brown colour.

Under the water, there are lots more of the circular features, like

this one which has been formed by small pebbles constantly spraying

around, scouring the rock. This stretch is home to many species of

fish like trout, salmon and eel. The Linn of Dee became famous a

long time ago as a famous spot for Queen Victoria. I doubt she would

have been snorkelling! It is a fantastic way and easy way to see

our wildlife and geology and history. That's it from the series,

I hope you have enjoyed it. With the decline of horse-drawn

transport, there are few left. Euan has been to five to see how to

change a wheel the old fashioned way. -- Fife.

Before the First World War, this would have been a vital part of

village life, making and repairing all kinds of carts and wagons, just

like this one. But with the demise of horse-drawn transport, a very

few wheelwright remain in business. Ian Grant is one of only a handful

of craftsmen, keeping these traditional skills alive. How does

what you're doing now differ from what a wheelwright would have done

200 years ago? Very little. The methods are basically the same. The

only thing that is different is the machines used to produce the end

product. It makes the job a whole lot easier. The traditional market

of horse drawn farm and trade vehicles had all but dried up by

the 1960s. Since then, if you men left work on restoration of vintage

vehicles used for shows and displays. What are you working on

at the moment? This is the haberdasher's van. I saw one of the

same type in Reading. And I had no measuring tape, all I had was a

sheet of paper and I size myself against it and took the sizes from

that. In the past, the wheelwright would have had an apprentice who

would have been working at this job for up to five years. But he does

not have that luxury, he has made. What are we doing? We are going to

put the tyres on these wheels. Grab the top one, when it is on and

bedded down, we will apply the water. That is it. Offer it on. To

produce a wheel, you are looking at around �800 a wheel. I can

generally make the two wheels in the space of about five days.

all about speed? It is all about speed.

The workshop has my name on it, and that means more than anything to me.

If it is not right, don't let it go. I do strongly feel skills like

these should then be discarded. This is what I'm trying to achieve,

keep the thing alive as long as possible. How is it looking? It is

looking good. You must get a great feeling out of that when it works?

Most of the time, Euan. That was hard work and a little bit

dangerous. The bad news is, there And the skills we have used here

today making this we'll have changed very little over the last

100 years. But let me tell you, it is a labour of love. Another six

inches. I love what I do, I genuinely love

my work. Before I even started this job, I saw it finished in my mind's

eye and knew exactly where I was going. I do think to myself, what

is going to happen when I go? There is no monument. But this

haberdasher's van will go for another 200 years if it is looked

after. What do you feel about the fact these skills are dying? Well,

it isn't half Killing Me! I am so glad we don't have to do

that when we get a puncture. Now I have time to tell you what is on

next week's Landward. I need some slippery characters in

need of a helping hand. They are so small, but they will be

going to Bermuda to spawn. Euan is going to Eigg. Tim Brabants

just in front of us. And, tackling Scotland's tic

problem. We used the tick mops on the hill. They jump on to them, and