Episode 25 Landward

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward. It's hard to believe that

ten days from now is Christmas Eve. I'm on my way to Arran where later

in the programme, I'll meet another artisan beer producer. In a moment,

I'll be visiting a state of the art centre to train the next generation

of mariners. But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.

A day in the life of a busy rural airport. Some of the communities

are quite well and by providing this service, it enables them to

get easy access to the mainland. tell the story of a heroic but

little-known Aberdeenshire mountaineer.

Alexander Kellas was regarded by the mountaineering establishment as

the tormented hero of that year. -- top mountaineer. And bushman

Patrick McGlinchey takes us down to the woods. I am making a woodland

read for Christmas time and this will is just what I need. It can

take 20 years of training and experience to make it to the top of

the Maritime food chain. To become a Master in the merchant navy takes

a lot of dedication. But a new high-tech facility in Peterhead is

set to provide the right environment for the next generation

of mariners to learn. Peterhead is one of the busiest

harbours and Scotland. It services the fishing industry and the North

Sea of Ireland gas industry. Over the next few decades, many it of

the Mariners selling in and out of Peterhead will have been trained

here in the harbour. -- for oil and gas industry. An opportunity arose

to buy this building from Aberdeenshire council and to

refurbish it to relocate or training within the harbour. It is

the perfect location. What industries are you training

students to work in? We provide a route into fishing for 16-year-old

leaving school, and also for those fishermen who need to come back to

the train. We also trained for people wanting to going to the

merchant marine fleet. It makes perfect sense to have the Academy

in the harbour area, not just for the practical point of view but

from the learning point of view. This man is an unstuck at the

Academy. He believes the vocation of the building it is vital to the

learning experience of the students also up -- and at instructor close-

up we have everything on our doorstep. We can actually chart all

the votes coming in and out of the harbour. -- boats. There is a real

advantage to learning here? idea before was to get your nose

into the book and then pass the exam. Here, you can actually see it

and it is just phenomenal. It was previously just a case of sitting

in the room. These students are training to be merchant navy deck

hands. They have to start at the bottom and flair and seamanship

schools which have been around for centuries. This is the role

splicing class. It is great. It is good. I am earning a lot and that

is the main thing. What about this place being right in the harbour in

Peterhead? It makes a big difference. You can see ships

coming in and out. The academy will see in excess of 6000 students be

here alongside other expedients Mariners working towards senior

positions. They can hold their skills on this high-tech simulator.

The scenario we will go through today it is there will be a man

over boards. We have to go out and pick up the man overboard and

transfer him to the right spot. Push ahead, wait for it to respond

and try and stay and the Blue Badge and avoid the ground that! -- brown

bits. It is part of the mandatory training be have to do a simulator

course. We can simulate any type of shipboard weather conditions.

cannot actually see it, whereas it? It is to your left and that is you

now. He is now on board and you have to come alongside here, not

too quickly. The simulator is the place to make the mistakes thought

if mistakes are made here, it is easy to correct but there tends to

be a lot more paperwork involved at sea. Time to go out and get your

feet wet! This is another example of why the location of the Academy

is so vital to the learning experience. I am about to take

control of a fast rescue craft and the plan is to rescue a man

overboard. We are hoping to give these people at least enough to get

them started and make them more employable. What the companies are

getting is a person who is actually qualified in the survival and first

aid. The get all of that and escorts. -- in this course. Life on

the ocean wave may not be for everyone. The future of this

industry is in safe hands thanks to the education and training

available right here in Peterhead harbour.

Landward's resident forager and all round Bushman Patrick McGlinchey

has shown us a range of woodland skills over the last two weeks. In

the final part of his series he has a Christmas theme.

The kisses getting fat and the festive time is almost upon us. It

is the great joy to be back in the woodlands away from the hustle and

bustle of Christmas shopping. Today, I will be doing some Christmas

shopping of my own. Let's see what we can find.

This week, I am making a reef for Christmas time. -- wreath. This is

an incredible flexible Material and be back itself contains a natural

aspirin. This is weak IED, a claim or and a very aggressive growth.

Let's pull this down. You have to be very careful. Otherwise, you

might get head on the head with dead wood. Wonderful! I have my

will and my ID and one more thing to gather. -- my willow and my ivy.

Christmas would not be complete without some holly, and the little

sprig of it will give us some good luck. Remember to get permission

before you take anything from the woodlands. The first thing we have

to do is train this. We have to bend it around her knee and teach

it who is boss. You make it into a whip to create the eternal circle.

You can then spiralled the ivy around it. This is an incredible

vine. Even the darkest of winter will find some green on the trees

because of this. You can then bring the green into the home. We need a

little splash of colour from the holly. The slide that in and what a

difference that makes. This is the natural woodland wreath. You can

add in bottles and ribbons and so on but I like it simple.

Still to come, Alexander Kellas - a life in the mountains. At the age

of 40, he made his first trip to the Himalayas and for the next 10

years, he engaged in mass of expeditions which led to great

achievements. And the beers are on me. Very nice. It is weird because

the form is called but media is warm.

-- the beer. The Airport at Oban was established by the local

council back in 2008 to provide local lifeline services to the

islands. Since then, passenger numbers have steadily increased and

this year has been the busiest yet. Euan takes to the skies to find out

why. For the residents here, flying is a

way of life. The air service which is provided from Oban provides a

welcome boost to the local economy and serves as the vital link. The

scheduling is subsidised by Argyle and Bute Council. It is operated by

Hebridean the air services who won the contract last year. It is like

a bus service that is provided for the islands. It supports the

outlying communities and some of them are quite remote. By providing

this service, it enables them to get easy access to the mainland. We

have two flights per day and on Mondays and Wednesdays it will

allow it to Tiree. The pilot today has blown these routes for the last

six years. Today, we are flying from Oban on a round trip to Tiree.

I go through here if the weather is good enough. If the wind is to the

south, it is extremely rough so sometimes we go all the way around.

I used to see sea gulls a lot. They have moved on now. Since Hebridean

air services to Cover, it has opened up this amazing scenery.

are now making our first approach. To this numbers at the moment are

doing quite well. -- to rest. We get a number of people who come

just because they wanted quick trip around and then back to Oban. They

can want to visit friends and family on the islands. The get the

chance to go out there and they can also do a round-robin trip where

they fly out and get the ferry next day and come back to Oban. After

the Greek stock, it was time to take-off for one of the shortest

plane journeys and the world. -- the grief stop. This is a fantastic

little flight between the two Islands. You have the sun shining

down into the water and the colours are fabulous. It has really picked

up this year. One of the passengers on the flight is returning home

from America foreign visit to the mainland. -- for a medical visit.

People are realising you do not have to be away for to Bea days and

the plane can fly when the ferry cannot make it. You can see the

planning department and if you need to get away, it is a fantastic

addition to getting here and back. The new services may have have

helped the number of passengers using Oban by almost 50%, but

unlike some large airports, the staff can cope.

The team we have here have worked extraordinarily well and I think

everyone is proud of what they have achieved. Passenger numbers have

increased by 50% is testament to how good the service is doing. We

are looking at expanding on what we do here and are looking at more

If you have a comment about anything you see in the comment or

had a wonderful story to share with us, sent as an e-mail. The weather

here on Arran is horrendous but what about the prospects for this

weekend and beyond? To find out, here's Stav Danaos with the weather

It has been called with snow over the mountains but it looks like

over the next few days, we will see milder air pushing off the Atlantic.

It has been brought about by this area of low pressure which brought

some significance note to the hills and severe gales to Shetland and

Orkney. -- significant snow. Still producing storming weather but not

just of the mainland will see an improving picture through the

morning. Some bright as a -- brightness but some showers

affecting the western part. Temperatures of seven/eight Celsius

in central parts and southern parts of the country. Showers effect in

the Western Highlands and the Hebrides. Improvements in

temperatures as well but the best of temperatures... If you are

thinking of walking across western ranges, it will be more unsettled

and across eastern Rangers, the best of the conditions here, more

in the way of bright us with some sunshine as well but fairly fresh

to strong westerly winds and starting wet for the Cairngorms but

eventually it will turn drier and brighter into the afternoon. If you

are thinking of going across the south-west on a boat, a scattering

of showers with December -- with visibility poor. In the east, a

better picture, winds similar but choppier sees here and brighter

conditions. I think will have the East/West split on Saturday at the

end and drive across the East and for most parts overnight with

temperatures not falling to a low. On Sunday, areas of low pressure

across the north-west of the country, feeding in a run of south-

westerly air. It looks like many areas will be mild and showers

perfecting westerly areas. -- affecting. Into next week,

remaining unsettled with periods of rain interspersed with sunshine as

well. The next area of low pressure moves endearing Sunday into Monday

at producing some rain for a time in the west and south-west.

Temperatures around seven/eight Celsius so still on the mild side.

Tusa looking like the best day of next week and we will be in a ridge

of high pressure before this next weather system moves in so fine and

settled. Plenty of sunshine right across the board. Some showers

affecting Orkney and Shetland and the temperature of eight Celsius

with all the sunshine and light winds, it will feel pleasant. On

Wednesday the next weather system moves in with some snow on the

hills and eventually the rain will clear away. It turns and settled

The stunning landscape of Arran - this is one of my favourite places

to visit in Scotland and I come here every year and the beer is not

This is Arran brewery. They have won awards for their beers and have

We have now almost the Skye Brewery and we are hoping to grow 820

barrel plant and putting in more tanks into each of the breweries,

have taken over the Rosebank distillery building hoping to put

in a brewery as well as a bottle in building. It will help us to expand

but only in the export markets but also in the national market and we

will probably be able to do more supermarket sales as well. It is

quite unusual to have a woman involved with brewing. Is that a

sexist comment? It is not, it is a general conception, people think

that women don't like real ale and they are not interested in it but

there are lot of women real-ale drinkers and the merging with Skye

Brewery, I am excited because the head brewer is a woman and I was

excited at the concept of having another woman to chat about beer

things with. Talking about beer, it is time to drink some of it. But

something different - hot beer cocktails. We will heat at the

stove, put it in which is what happened in the mid- 17th century

in the coaching houses. People coming in from the cold outside

they would be given a hot ale. you heat it with a poker? Yes. We

are using oatmeal stout because the boats will surge and give it a

smoke flavour. You can add cinnamon or rump. We will use a cinema and

liqueur. Do not be shy it! -- we Oh! That is a winner from me! Good

gracious. Very, very nice. Do you want a taste yourself? Sadly, that

is the end of my little beer tasting odyssey but there are 61

other independent breweries in Scotland... I cannot even speak! 61

of the independent breweries, I should do another small tour. I

would be to the bus, but in the meantime I love this hot beer

cocktail for. Martini as the world over have a little known Aberdeen

share climber to thank for their ability to reach the high peaks --

mountaineers over the world. If it was not for one man, Hillary and

Tenzing may never have made it to Above the height of 6,000 metres,

the human body cannot survive due to shortage of oxygen. This

altitude is known as the death zone. It is standing in the way of the

people conquering the world's highest mountains for generations

but a little known scientist from Aberdeen thought otherwise. Back in

1920, Alexander Mitchell Kellas concluded that Mark Everest could

be conquered and without oxygen. He was the most experienced

mountaineer of his generation but disappeared from the pages of

history. He was regarded by the mountaineering establishment as one

of the top mountaineers of that era. And then after the war, he vanished.

Alexander Kellas was born in 1868 and raised here on Regent's key

where his father worked for the where his father worked for the

Aberdeen Harbour Board. The family prospered and they moved to the

West End of the city where he went to Aberdeen school. But it was from

here that his mother's family family home that he escaped and

started his mountaineering adventures. He came out to the

Cairngorms with his younger brother and that was in 1885 and you

remember in those days, there were not proper - a box and he spent

times walking huge distances -- there were not prepared guidebooks.

He was a very physically strong individual. He went to University

College London to do a chemistry degree and was a very good research

chemist but a better man to near. By the time he was 40, he had

explored the Scottish mountains, he had been to the Alps and been to

Norway and suddenly at the age of 40, he made his first visit to the

Wavertree and for the next 12 years, he went almost every year out to

the Wavertree and engaged in massive expeditions -- to the

Himalayas. Until 1920, Kellas visited the region seven times and

discovered at a remote tribe called the Sherpas and was the first

person to employ them as guides and porters of expeditions. It was

during these visits that he began to study how the human body copes

with high altitude. one of his interest was in high altitude

physiology and, if not the first, he was one of the first people to

study the effects of altitude on the human body, particularly the

lack of oxygen and the effects in the blood and breathing. Above a

certain height, the amount of oxygen you taking is reduced.

Around half or less at the summit and it is at sea level which can

lead to severe a oxygen lack or pulmonary oedema when you come

suffocate to death. Kellas' main contribution was that to argue that

the slower you acclimatise, the better you cope. He experimented

with his Sherpas as well and tested them and himself with carrying

weights are two different altitudes and tabulated all the results and

over distance at altitude, he discovered that a Sherpa would beat

a European at any altitude. He can take many things in his creditable

stop as the leading expert in his day on both the Himalayas and high-

altitude physiology, Kellas was invited to participate in one of

Getting to the summit of Everest was seen as a great national

objective. He had more experience in the Himalayas than anyone else

in the expedition and in fact, various people suggested that

Kellas be the leader of the expedition, such was his status at

the time. But becoming weak and exhausted by a previous expeditions,

Kellas died of heart failure after When Kellas died in 1921, there had

been probably eight peaks in the world over 20,000 ft climb and he

had climbed five of them. He had also climbed the highest mountain

it yet climbed in the world yet 40 measurements gave that record to

somebody else so he died not knowing that he has stood higher

The story of Alexander Mitchell Kellas, a man who deserves to be

better known. You will want to know what is coming up on the programme

next week. Sarah, Euan Nick and myself are

having a Christmas party on Royal Deeside. Join us as we try to

impress each other using local We have Caledonian pine cooked

salmon with a hand gathered sorrel sauce. The looks fantastic. Smoked

salmon Bellini and creme fraiche Until the slightly later time of

7:30pm next Friday night, from all the team here on a wet and