Episode 25 Landward

How low and a very warm welcome to Landward, shining a light on the

Scottish countryside during the dark days of winter. In a moment,

Sarah will be meeting the Farquharson, a family working

together to run an estate in Aberdeenshire. But here is what

else is going up: The modern face of tweed production.

It has to be hand-woven in the islands. We all weaving on power

looms here. You will see a different level of technology.

Curlers craving a Big Chill. If we have nine inches of ice, we can

play. And the cave that house a family of cannibals. They would go

up onto the road and waylaid travellers, murder them, steal from

The Finzean estate sits in stunning Royal Tayside. Unlike its

neighbours, the family who owned it really have to work hard to make it

pay. Sarah has been to meet the Farquharson family who really pride

themselves on what they produce on The what lands and Heather clad

hills of the Finzean estate can be found in the Feugh Valley at the

heart of Royal Deeside. The estate is the property of the Farquharson

family and has been so for 16 The estate covers several thousand

acres of farmland, Moore and Forest, which there Farquharsons run as a

family business. Like most estates these days, Finzean has had to

diversify to survive. The estate has got to stand on its own feet.

You cannot rely on selling off bits to keep it going. Everything has to

add up. We have had to adapt to the Times because 20 years ago, the

grouse was making it huge amounts of money for us in the days when

there were lots of grouse, but the numbers have dwindled drastically

over the last 20 years so we have had to look at other ways of making

money. With that the lucrative gross business gone, the estate has

to look for new sources of income. The conversion of an old steading

into a farm shop and tea room in 2006 meant the estate could cash in

on consumer demand for local food. The majority of food sold in the

shop and served in the tea room is sourced from the local area, and

much of it comes from the estate itself. We had the produce on the

estate - the beef, the Venice and, the pheasants and rabbits. But we

wanted to cut out the middleman and sell directly to the public and

that is why we have diversified and on into the farm shop to try to add

value to the estate produce. It has been a great way of diversifying.

The shop and tea room is managed by Kate and Catriona Farquharson, with

the help of the rest of the family. The this is a very modern approach

for the estate and it is great because it has become the heart of

the estate. People come in for coffee and learned a lot more about

the estate. They go away with some really good food, with no food

miles. The affinity the Farquharsons feel for the estate is

reflected in their family tree, which includes the renowned

Victorian landscape paper chase of Farquharson. -- painter Joseph

Farquharson. He painted throughout the summer but it is the iconic

paintings of sheep and snow he is famous for. He had a great affinity

for the area and the lovely thing is that we can still tell a lot of

the landscape is exactly as it was when he painted those scenes. It is

rather fun going for a walk and thinking that you can see where he

painted. Much of what he earned from his paintings went into the

estate. It went to do up a steading appreciative of what our ancestors

have done for the estate and handing it on to the next

generation. The history of the estate has been interwoven with the

history of the Farquharsons. The family is continuing that tradition

by making sure it is a viable business for the future. Look

around you today and it is just a wonderful place that we live in.

Every day is different - there is always something different going on

on the estate, and it is a pleasure to do the job. Estate management is

always all about handing on to the next generation, hopefully in a

Over the last few weeks, Nick has been showing us how to make the

most of our Christmas turkey. This week, he is using some of the

leftover meat to make a classic We are all living in difficult

economic times, this year more than ever. It is important to make the

most out of your turkey so I am going to show you how to make sure

that not one scrap of it goes to waste. This week, I am going to use

the stock and some of the leftovers to make a turkey and bacon risotto.

The ingredients for turkey risotto are some bacon - I have little

cubes of pancetta. Proper risotto rice. Some frozen peas, which have

been defrosted, the leftover turkey, some onion, garlic, mint, some

Parmesan and some called, diced butter. And, of course, the stock.

We start off with a little bit of light, blended olive oil. I am

going to fry the bacon. I think that turkey and bacon is a great

combination. When the bacon is nice and crispy, remove it with a

slotted spoon and a reserve it. We are going to add that back later on.

But keep that lovely full-flavoured oil in the pan, to cut the base for

the risotto. For the base of the risotto, I need some finely chopped

onion and a bit of crushed garlic. We are going to sweat sat down on

quite a low heat. While that is softening, I am going to chop a

clove of garlic and add that to the pan. When you make a risotto, it is

important to use the right kind of rice. I am using carnaroli, which I

think is the best types of. Once the onions and garlic have softened

down, add to the rice. -- of the best texture. Once the bottom of

the pan is dry and you can hear the rice rattling on the pan, add a

splash of dry white wine. I am going to cook the wind until it is

completely absorbed into the rice. The wine is an important background

flavour in any great risotto. Once the wind is fully absorb, add the

stock. If you saw the programme last week, you will have seen me

making the stock using turkey bones. If you missed it, the recipe is on

the Landward website. I have heeded the stock through and I think it is

important to add hot stock so that the risotto never goes off the boil.

-- heated. You add a little at a time and stir. In fact, the whole

process now becomes a bit of a stir-a-thon. As you stir the

risotto, you knock the grains of rice together and that releases the

starch from the outside, or which thickens the stock to give you a

lovely aren't just texture. 22 minutes from now until it is

finished. -- unctuous texture. As we approach the 20 minutes of

stirring mark, it is time to taste, to see what the texture is like. It

should not taste like a pudding rice but it should not be grainy

and leave dry, chalky bits in your mouth. A nice firm by turn. To

finish the risotto, I am going to add the butter and beads that in.

Once that starts to melt, it is time for the Parmesan. Once that is

fully emulsified and becomes glossy, we are going to answer the turkey

meat -- add up the turkey meat. A bit of chopped fresh it meant. The

risotto should have a lovely, yielding texture. You should be

able to tap the plate and the risottos spreads out on the plate.

And that is the turkey, bacon, pea and mint a risotto. If you want a

recipe for this, it is on the Landward website. Next week, I will

be making that Boxing Day favourite, Still to come: Curlers hoping for a

winter match in the outdoors. It was minus two and there were 330

rinnks from all over the world. I entered the cave of the cannibals.

Are you going to take me in? don't think so. I know what is in

there. The mills in the Borders have a

reputation for producing some of the finest tweed in the world. It

is seen as a traditional industry but, as I have been finding out,

21st century tweed his hi-tech and Tweed is a warmer, close woven

fabric that dates back over 200 years. Its uses have been numerous

and nowadays, it is every bit as home on the catwalks of Milan as it

is on the hills of Scotland. The name of tweed is attributed to a

mistake made by a London clerk in 1826. An invoice was being ridden

up for some 12 woven fabric known as tweel. His pen smudged and b the

word was and is written as tweed. The manufacturer like spinning so

much that this became known as tweed. The industry in Hawick is

all but gone now. Cheap manufacturing in the Far East

killed off an aging industry in the 1980s. But there is one knell that

has risen from the ashes. 12 years ago, Stephen Rendle and Alan

Cumming, both experienced and textile designers, joined forces

and to board the Lovat Mill. bought. Here was something I did

not want to see extinguished and we had to dust it off and make sure we

could get it going forward to another generation. It is difficult

because you have to train people and bring in new technology. You

are not changing the product at all but you are making sure it is

produced efficiently to modern standards, to fit the modern world

market. Who do you market to? Who is buying the product? Where our

heart is it is that we are weavers of estate tweeds. We cover the

country and we do some overseas, too. They are sometimes smaller

states with their own personal pattern or they can be Dukes and

landowners on a big scale. We have collections of designs that we show

to customers around the world. Half of what we weave here is exported.

How do you market the product? are a little bit strange. We do not

have a website. We do not go anywhere near a trade show. We have

a following, and people come to us by introduction, basically. If it

fits, we loved it and we will work together and do well. We have as

saying that you can't nail Delhi to the ceiling. If business is going

to happen, it is going to happen. - - jelly. But Mr Follows includes

many high-profile fashion labels and a number of celebrities.

Success has come up with their openness to innovate and modernise.

These state-of-the-art looms are as comfortable weaving traditional

twirls as they are Lycra and Kevlar, and design inspiration comes from

many sources. Occasionally, the content of ace wall -- small box

found in the attic. These are designer notebooks from the end of

the 19th century. What makes these books particularly unique is that

they are not just archives of patterns stuck down in books. There

are actually designer comments, as well. All of the details are

written down in terms of the manufacturing process are still

relevant today. We have computer aided design and that is a great

help, but at the end of the day, the information still has to be

written down and passed to the weavers. How does something like

this, which looks like graph paper, actually relate to what happens

downstairs? Each of these crosses represent one a thread and that

will either be lifted or dropped. Where there is a cross, the threat

is lifted. Going back to Egyptian days, over the last few thousands

of years, it is the same principle of weaving. Before I arrived today,

Alan put together some ideas for a Landward tweed. The final decision

now rests with me. This burnt orange is beautiful. The

blue is nice, but I think this lighter, organic feeling definitely

works for me. I think that is beautiful. What happens next?

have got to get that information into the loom. This design ticket

contains all of the information required to for Stewart to input

into the computer, which controls the loom. And off it goes. And so,

after more than 35 years broadcasting rural issues to the

nation, Landward finally has its If you have a comment about

anything you see in the programme - maybe a great story you want a

share - drop us an e-mail. Now, the weather here is a bit gloomy but

what about the prospects for this weekend? Here is the Landward

Hello. It will be a cold and crisp weekend across most parts of the

country. An icy weekend as well. We have a yellow warning from the Met

Office. For tomorrow morning, Saturday, we do have a feature

moving across Scotland from the north-west, introducing some

showers. The showers will be mainly in costal parts of the country. As

we head towards the afternoon, we will see a lot of dry and bright

conditions around. But even in the sunshine, temperatures will

struggle to get above two degrees. Further north, perhaps a little bit

cloudier. Some wintry showers falling as snow over higher ground.

Temperatures of three or four our degrees. We cannot rule out a snow

shower him that north-west Highlands. When speeds of 30 miles

an our. But they could gust at times to 50 mph. Elsewhere, some

good spells of sunshine in between the showers. There has been a lot

of snow around, but there will be strong north-westerly winds. But it

will be dry and bright in the main. Into Saturday evening, once again,

a widespread risk of ice. Some heavy showers across the north-west

of the country, turning wintry over the high ground and another cold

night. Temperatures freezing or below. Temperatures of-four or five.

For many of us, it will be a dry and bright day. But there will be a

lot of ice around. Next week, it will be turning wetter. The

temperature will start to rise as the rain moves in. The further

north and east you are, the drier and brighter it will be. The wind

will pick up as well from the south-west. As we move through the

week, there is a ridge of high pressure building. Some showers in

Western powers of the country. -- western parts of the country.

Temperatures increasing to seven or eight Celsius. Midweek, the wind

will be strong from the south-west. Showers in the West as well.

Last week, I visited Scotland's largest sea cave. This week, I am

going to Ayrshire to a cave that was famous for a family of

cannibals. The beach near the village of Ballantrae is a lovely

place to take a stroll. But in the 16th century, the paths of Bath the

speech were the location -- the Path's above the beach with the

location of a dark tale. Legend has it that a cave at the law that path

was the home to Sawney Bean and his family. He came from five and

brought his wife and family to live in the cave. The interbred and

became a plan. -- became a family. They used to go upon to the broad,

waylay travellers, murder them, cut the bodies up and bury the bodies

by them here. -- and brought to the bodies of back here where they were

smoked. This is the entrance to the cave. I have been in a few times

and I know what is in there. It is up to you to find out for yourself.

You might go in, but not everybody comes out. I got very scared there.

I am heading in. I do not like caves. I certainly do not like

Pickled body parts, I do not want The cave is supposed to extend for

two miles in that direction. Three generations of cannibals supposedly

lived in this Cava. With all the putrefy the body parts they had in

here, stored for winter, they must have smelt pretty right. I am

coming out now. -- smelt pretty bad. The loss of so many travellers it

was soon at not just by the locals. But in this account, it appeared

that more gruesome evidence washed up in the sure.

"The limbs were often cast up by the tide in several parts of the

country, to the astonishment and terror of all beholders, and others

who heard of it. Persons who have gone about their lawful occasions

fell so often into their hands, that it caused a general outcry in

the country round about. No person knowing what was become of their

friends or relations, if they were once seen by these merciless

According to legend, news of their Bean family finally reached the

ears of King James VI who sent boat trips to hunt them down.

gathered 2000 of them together and came to Ballantrae and rooted them

out. Some of them were killed in the fighting, but the rest were

taken to Edinburgh and hanged. But there is nothing in the Scottish

records that confirms that. records, so there could be

ancestors and relations. knowing south-west Scotland, there

are probably quite a few living It has been over 30 years in

Scotland's curlers have been able to hold a Grand Match. Could it

take place this winter? Curling is a uniquely Scottish sport. It is

thought to have originated in medieval times. It has been

exported since then. All over the world. It is played with two rinks.

The idea is to put your stones into the House as near to the Dolly as

you possibly can get it. biggest event in Scottish per link

is the Grand Match. -- Scottish curling. Traditionally held outside

on a loch, it attracts thousands. It would be played by two teams,

one from the north and the south. The dividing line is an imaginary

line between the 4th and the Clyde. The first Grand Match it took place

with 300 curlers in 1847. Censor them, the match has been a rare

event as weather conditions in need to be perfect for the game to go

ahead. Today, the last Grand Match It was held in February 1979 at the

Lake of Menteith. We had Canadians flying him to be there, it was a

great social occasion. Jim Paterson was one of the organisers of the

event. How many folk were on the ice? Several 1000 and about 10,000

spectators. Everybody enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a tremendous day.

The majority of curlers in Scotland will never have experienced a Grand

Match. But the Royal Caledonian Curling Club hope that this year

The club has 13,000 affiliated members, and 600 clubs across

Scotland. We have increased the number of juniors as well. Good.

Obviously, we are inside today. How often do you get outside? It is

whether dependant. -- whether it dependant. Some clubs will go out

every few years. That was better. What would it be like for them

curlers to get involved in a Grand Match? It would be brilliant. It is

looking like a once-in-a-lifetime experience now. Due to health and

safety concerns, it is no longer feasible to host the event at the

Lake of Menteith. If it is not going to be the Lake of Menteith,

and we do get the weather conditions, we would it be?

Piperdam. Battersea on the place. It is the right size. You need

about 28 acres bitter ordered. -- 28 acres to hold it. We had the ice

at Piperdam last year. We wish them well. I'm not sure if everyone is

wanting a much ice. Next week, Euan of makes his own

Christmas cheese. This is a Sandstinger, it takes about three

months to make. Nick finishes his Turkey.

The perfect spicy and adored. And we hold a carol concert in a