0:00:24 > 0:00:26Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30taking you to some of the remotest and most stunning parts of Scotland.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33In a moment, I'll be in search of the Moray Firth dolphins,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36but first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Euan takes delivery of some Black Rock hens,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43the best backyard egg layers...
0:00:43 > 0:00:46- Off to their new home, Eddie, thank you.- Thanking you.- Bye.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Nick creates another gourmet meal with wild food.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53We're going to be doing a nettle raviolo with langoustine sauce.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Sounds wonderful, Nick.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..and Sarah tries her hand at croquet.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59You're nearly there.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Oh, is that not officially through the hoop?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03No, no, it's got to clear the hoop.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Are you not being a bit petty?
0:01:09 > 0:01:13The Moray Firth is one of the most important areas in the UK
0:01:13 > 0:01:16for dolphins, porpoises and whales.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I took to the water with researchers from Aberdeen University
0:01:19 > 0:01:22to see how the dolphin population is faring.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43The bottlenose dolphins that live here in the Moray Firth
0:01:43 > 0:01:47are one of only two resident populations in the UK.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51There are thought to be around 200 in this particular colony,
0:01:51 > 0:01:52so I'm keeping my fingers crossed,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54in my gloves, that we'll see some today.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01What's unique about this particular population?
0:02:01 > 0:02:03They're the most northerly
0:02:03 > 0:02:06resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the world.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Erm, bottlenose dolphins tend to be a tropical species,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14so the dolphins here are out of their comfort zone in cold water.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17They're much bigger than their tropical counterparts.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20They're about three to four metres long, they've got much more blubber,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23much fatter, and a darker colour.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25How do you go about surveying them?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27We do a thing called photo identification.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30We actually go out and take pictures of the dorsal fins of the dolphins,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and this allows us to identify the individuals.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36They've got natural markings on their fins.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39They actually, when they're fighting or playing with each other,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42they make these things called nicks, bits missing from the fins,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and they also scratch the fins with their teeth.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Those natural markings are what allows us to identify them.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I've been doing this now for about seven years.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54For me, I guess, I know a lot of the animals and can recognise them
0:02:54 > 0:02:55on the water.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59The Moray Firth is a designated special area of conservation,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02which helps protect the dolphins.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06A recent report, commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09shows the dolphin population is stable, and may even be growing.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The dolphins may be doing well in the Firth, but for us,
0:03:14 > 0:03:15they were proving elusive.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19How often do you go out when you don't see any at all?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Fortunately, not very often.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24We tend to in the summer go about 20 to 25 trips,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and maybe one or two trips we won't see any animals.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Yeah...- OK.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32We've been out for an hour and a half. Guess how many we've seen?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35A big old zero.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Just as I was beginning to give up all hope,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49the dolphins finally put in an appearance.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Look, just in front of us, there.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Almost two hours on the water, hadn't seen a thing,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20then two appeared right beside the boat.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22We watched them for about 20 minutes,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25and as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared again.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27So, it's back to the field station with the camera
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and the photographs to try and identify them.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Barbara, is this the photograph from this afternoon?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Yes, that's the one. - You reckon you know who they are?
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Yes, I think... I know both the animals, fortunately.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49The first one is number 706, which is one called Traildink,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51which is one we've known since 1998.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Then the other dolphin is a juvenile, who's actually five years old,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and he's called Yoda.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00He has got nicks, so he's a little bit easier to spot.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02This is the first time we've seen Yoda this year,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05so that's great to know he still alive.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09He left his mum last year. They tend to stay with their mum three to six years.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's great to know that, even without his mum, he can survive.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Surveys indicate that the prospects for the dolphins are looking good,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20but there is no room for complacency.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24They're extremely vulnerable. If you look at international standards for marine mammals,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26large mammal populations,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28a population that's less than 250 animals
0:05:28 > 0:05:31is considered to be critically endangered.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34We've got around 195 bottlenose dolphins.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37They are still within that critically-endangered category,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41and that's because the population is smaller, and also isolated.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44We can't be complacent with these new findings.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46We still need to be really careful about what we do
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and make sure we take the dolphins into account.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Two years ago, Landward set about re-photographing Scotland
0:05:55 > 0:05:59to see how much the land had shaped and changed over the years.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Although we saw lots of evidence of man's influence on the landscape,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05we rarely saw man in the landscape.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But photographs can give us a real sense of how things
0:06:08 > 0:06:11have changed for the people who live and work in the countryside.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13So we sent Sarah to see
0:06:13 > 0:06:15how much things have changed in the last 100 years.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Last week, I recreated a 1931 photo of West Merkel stud farm.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Here on the north tip of Scotland, we are surrounded by water.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It's time to take a look at some old photos of Caithness
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and its fishing heritage.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37At one time, Wick was the herring capital of the world.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42This 1865 photo is from the impressive Johnston Collection,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46held at the Wick Heritage Museum.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49This is an incredible photograph, I can't take my eyes off it.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52It's obviously the fishing industry at its peak here?
0:06:52 > 0:06:58Yes, in 1865, there were around 1,100 boats fishing out of Wick.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02In the summer months, when the industry was at its peak,
0:07:02 > 0:07:07the population of the town swelled from around 3,000 to about 15,000.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- My goodness.- Wick was the premier herring port in the world.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14In the mid-1860s, Wick alone was producing
0:07:14 > 0:07:18something like 230,000 barrels in one year.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Another photo that I'm drawn to is one over here where the ladies,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23as usual, are hard at work!
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Yes... As usual, the women do all the hard work, indeed!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29They're gutting the herring at a rate of 30 to 40 fish a minute.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31That's a sustainable speed.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- 30 to 40?- 30 to 40 fish a minute.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- That's quite fast.- It's very fast.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40To look after the safety of fishermen, there were lifeboat stations
0:07:40 > 0:07:42all along the coast.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44The Sarah Austin was
0:07:44 > 0:07:49one of the last of the sail-powered lifeboats in action until 1929.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Its crew saved 63 lives.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00This old photograph was taken almost 100 years ago in 1915.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04There's no doubt that lifeboat rescue is very different these days.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09So, I've come to meet the crew of the Thurso lifeboat, 2012.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Boats nowadays are much more comfortable
0:08:19 > 0:08:20than they were in them days.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Even if you were in the cabin,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24it was swimming with water half of the time.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27There were leaks everywhere, coming flying about,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30but it's completely different nowadays.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33You could more or less go to sea in this boat in your slippers.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Well, I've got this old photo that we're going to try and recreate today
0:08:38 > 0:08:39with your team.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Yeah.- Yeah, things are pretty different.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Imagine trying to go in in a boat like that
0:08:44 > 0:08:47where you've got no much control, except for the oars and a sail.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It must have been pretty difficult.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Pretty hairy.- Pretty hairy, indeed. - Very brave man, those guys.- Yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57OK, boys. This is your moment. Give me a big smile.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Remember those three intrepid cyclists
0:09:05 > 0:09:08who set off from John O'Groats three weeks ago?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Well, I'm happy to say they made it to Land's End.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16They covered the 946 miles in 19 days,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and are looking as young as ever,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21as you can see from this photo they sent us.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And remember, the Landscape Project is still online.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30You can find old photographs to start you off on the BBC Scotland website.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Just click on the Landscape link.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Still to come, the sedate sport of croquet takes off in Ayrshire...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Some guys come along, have a day out with the family
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and meet other guys from the village.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Other people come here to thrash the competition.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49..and wild food gets a Michelin-starred makeover.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I'd never have thought the combination of nettles
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and langoustines would work as well as that.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Raising chickens in your back garden can be a great way of making sure
0:10:04 > 0:10:06you have a fresh egg for breakfast.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10But what type of hen guarantees a regular egg supply?
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Euan went to the Muirfield Hatchery in Ayrshire to find out about
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Scotland's most successful hybrid layer.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I've kept hens most of my adult life
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and they've always been rescue hens
0:10:23 > 0:10:24from battery farms.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26But hens have a limited life
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and recently, I had a visit from a pine marten.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34So I now have no hens, an empty henhouse
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and, more importantly, no eggs.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I want to stock my henhouse with good hardy laying hens,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46so I headed south to find out about the Black Rock,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49a hybrid hen developed by selectively breeding
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Rhode Island Reds with Barred Plymouth Rocks.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53So what have you got here?
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Black Rocks.- These ones? - That's these ones.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And the Rhode Island Reds, which are the brown ones.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And this is one of the Barred Plymouth Rocks.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09The breed was originally imported into Scotland
0:11:09 > 0:11:13by poultry breeder Peter Siddons, who kept hens all his life.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Today, his daughter Kate still keeps them in her garden.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20So how did your father first get involved with these?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22He heard that the Black Rock...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It was called the Black Rocket in South Africa.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27He heard that because of a problem
0:11:27 > 0:11:30with salmonella in the broiler sideline, that the government
0:11:30 > 0:11:34was going to insist that the whole bloodline was wiped out.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37So he had the parent stock, the whole bloodline,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39brought across to this country.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- All of them?- Yeah. - Quite a challenge.- Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I don't know how many there were. Several thousand anyway.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- And then we set about, what, preserving the breed here?- Yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52You must be quite proud of the legacy that your father left.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Yes, I am. Yes, he did a really good job.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58He bred a really nice, hardy, good laying outdoor bird.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- So you'd recommend them? - Yeah, I would.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Are they suited for the Scottish climate?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Yes, they've got really good, thick feathers
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- and they're waterproof. - Waterproof hens?- Waterproof hens.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10COCKEREL CALLS
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Peter finally retired at the ripe old age of 89,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16but not before he'd handed over responsibility
0:12:16 > 0:12:20for the Black Rocks to fellow breeder Eddie Lovett.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23When did you want to get involved in saving the breed?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Peter Siddons has reared them,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28bred them for the last 60-odd years.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Stuck with the real program
0:12:30 > 0:12:34of keeping the immunity systems right, didn't cut the sizes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38The drawbacks are they eat a little bit more food, but they live
0:12:38 > 0:12:42for six to eight years, and they'll lay for that length of time.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48The Muirfield Hatchery is the only official Black Rock supplier
0:12:48 > 0:12:50in the UK and demand is high.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53But Eddie is struggling to develop the business.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I've got orders there for 3,000 chicks a week.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I constantly get people phoning me up, "I want 1,000 chicks."
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Can't do it. Short of money, banks won't give us the money...
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- Where do we go?- But why is there such a demand for it?
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's just a bird that's been around for a long time.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16It survives in all weathers, all conditions,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and what more can you say? People just love them.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23What would you like to do here? Obviously you're very early stages.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- It's a bit rough and ready. - Yes, very rough and ready.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31The gale in January didn't help us. It certainly didn't help.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35I would hope that we'll have new sheds, a proper new incubator.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38At the moment we've got one of Peter's incubators,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40the only incubator we managed to save.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43They were 100-years-old, so it's a miracle we managed to save one.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It can take just short of 20,000 eggs
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and one day I'd love to see that full of eggs.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52And it will happen. It's just time and help
0:13:52 > 0:13:54from wherever sources I can get.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57What do you see as the potential for the breed?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Worldwide. There is no other Black Rock strain
0:14:00 > 0:14:02like this in the world.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Peter has a strain of birds
0:14:04 > 0:14:08that really should be classed as a rare breed.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- This is them, is it? - This is them.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14You've got good colour choices as well.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Bonny-looking birds, aren't they? - So you can name them all.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20You can have easy identification through colours.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Right, so two in each? OK, girls.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- Off to a new home. Eddie, Thank you. - Thank you, Euan.- Bye.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Well, here we are, finally home.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38They seem quite undisturbed by the journey.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Now these girls have spent all their life inside up until now,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45so I'm going to pop them in the henhouse for a couple of days,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50let them get used to it. And then we'll open the doors,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52let them have some grass and some feed,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and hopefully I'll get some eggs.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05If you have a comment about anything you see on the programme,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09or have a wonderful story to share with us,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11please drop us an email to:
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Now Nick and his sidekick Patrick McGlinchey are in the kitchen,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24creating spectacular dishes from foraged food.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Patrick McGlinchey has a passion for wild food.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32In the past, he's fed me earthworms,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35squirrel and brunt nettles.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37But no one knows the true potential
0:15:37 > 0:15:40of Scotland's wild larder better than him.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I earned a Michelin star cooking
0:15:44 > 0:15:48with the very best of Scotland's produce.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I want to combine our passions,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54blending fabulous Scottish produce with Patrick's wild foraged
0:15:54 > 0:15:58ingredients to create fantastically tasty dishes.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Is that all right?- I suppose so. Let's get started.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Earlier, Patrick foraged some nettles.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08My challenge is to use them to create something superb.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Today, we are going full-on cheffy.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19We're going to do a nettle raviolo with langoustine sauce.
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Sounds wonderful, Nick.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25I'm going to serve all that on a bed of wilted nettles,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27but we're going to start with the langoustine.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I have blanched the tails and they need to be shelled.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34So if you could just start off by...
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- Crack and then peel.- Crack and split.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41What I've done with the heads and the claws,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I've chopped them up and I'm going to saute them
0:16:44 > 0:16:47with a bit of olive oil in here to make the base for the sauce.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- So I'm going to turn this up. - Sounds complicated, Nick.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- It is quite complicated, but watch.- Watch and learn.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I was going to say that, but then I thought it was a bit condescending.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58No, that's fine, that's fine.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- Every day's a school day when I'm with you.- OK!
0:17:02 > 0:17:05After roasting the langoustine heads and claws for around ten minutes,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08we add celery, carrot, tomato,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10wild garlic, orange peel,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and fennel and coriander seeds.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18While the sauce is cooking, we can get on with pasta.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23We're using nettles that have been blanched and then squeezed dry.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27- Right, that's the pasta. How's the sauce coming on?- Wonderful, Nick.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29It's looking great and it's smelling even better.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33'Now it's time to add some dry white wine.'
0:17:33 > 0:17:36A high heat, boil off the alcohol, reduce that down
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and then we'll cover it with chicken stock, cook it for 25 minutes.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Then strain it into here, reduce it down,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44a little bit of cream, little bit of butter, job's a good 'un.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I'm going to do the raviolo filling now.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Ravioli is a folded over disc.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Raviolo is two discs, one on top of the other.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56- Oh, right.- This is a raviolo.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00So I made another thing.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I made some salmon mousse. I took some salmon fillet,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05blended it down, added a bit of egg white
0:18:05 > 0:18:08to it just to hold the whole thing together.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Then some cream and a bit of salt and pepper.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14The langoustine, I'm just going to cut them in half,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19and then we're going to mix them with the salmon mousse.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Then we'll use those to stuff the raviolos.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33After shaping and stuffing the pasta, it's time to strain
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and then finish off the sauce.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38So Patrick, the sauce is reduced down, it's really nice and thick now.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41So a little splash of cream.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45In that goes. Little bit of butter and then you just swirl the pan.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- OK?- Oh, yeah.- Make waves.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52It just thickens up really nice and you get that lovely, rich gloss on it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Mm-hm.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The raviolo is placed on a bed of sauteed nettles
0:18:57 > 0:19:01with a topping of herring roe caviar,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04then the rich sauce is spooned over.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07A pea shoot to garnish, and it's time to taste.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Wow.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Mm.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I would never have thought the combination of nettles
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and langoustine would work as well as that.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's very nice, Nick. It's magnifico.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Croquet is a sedate sport,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35generally played on immaculate lawns in front of stately homes
0:19:35 > 0:19:37in England, but that is all changing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42The sport is taking off in Ayrshire, and Sarah has been along for a game.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48The earliest known reference to croquet in Scotland
0:19:48 > 0:19:54is a rule booklet published in the mid-1860s for the Earl of Eglinton Castle.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58It became very popular among ladies like me because they were able
0:19:58 > 0:20:04to play it wearing these unsporty, and frankly quite cumbersome skirts.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07It was also always associated with the landed gentry
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and Alice in Wonderland, of course.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14But I'm told that croquet is currently enjoying a revival.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Meet the Dundonald Croquet Club, they are light years away
0:20:19 > 0:20:24from the old stuffy game played in Victorian times.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33The players are of all ages, and from all walks of life.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Started in the summer of 2002,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41I was at a barbecue with some friends, and Jamie brought along
0:20:41 > 0:20:44a croquet set, and we stuck with hoops in the grass and played it.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48We just used to meet up regularly throughout the summer,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52drink beer, eat beef and play croquet.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56So there was a serious social side to things.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59How many members do you have at the moment? How popular?
0:20:59 > 0:21:00This year, we have 104 members.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02We are the largest croquet club in Scotland.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Five years ago, we actually built
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and created our own lawn here just outside Dundonald.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12When it comes to a competition, does everyone take it seriously?
0:21:12 > 0:21:13Some do, some don't.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Some guys come along, have a day out with the family,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and meet other guys from the village and just enjoy it.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Others come here to thrash the competition.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29Well, I should put my money where my mouth is and give it a go, shouldn't I?
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Lucky I left the stilettos in the car...
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Basically you've got a mallet,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40just a lump of wood on the end of the stick.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44You've got a ball, six hoops, first player to get to four hoops.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46To get their ball through the hoop.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50You need to get your ball through the hoop in a certain order.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- That was a good shot. - You're just being sweet.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I like that, that looks good.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Now the object is to line yourself up into position
0:21:59 > 0:22:02so you can score through the hoop.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It is my shot, so what I would do, I cannot physically put
0:22:06 > 0:22:09the ball through from my position, so what I will do is just
0:22:09 > 0:22:14play into a straighter lie, and that gives me the chance to go through.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19But you might say, "I'll try and chap his ball out of the way."
0:22:21 > 0:22:22Nearly.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Your ball was out of the danger zone, I will go for it,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28score like that, then I'm on to the next hoop.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32That's a good shot. Perfect line.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38- You are nearly there.- Was that not officially through the hoop?
0:22:38 > 0:22:40That doesn't count, it has to clear the hoop.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43If it jams halfway, that doesn't count.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48- Are you not being a bit petty? - Rules are rules!
0:22:48 > 0:22:51'I thought this was just going to be a gentle game,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55'but Dundonald croquet Club have not only laid on a barbecue for me...'
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- Tails it is!- Brilliant!
0:22:57 > 0:23:01'There is a serious competition for me to enter.'
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Very warm welcome to Landward versus Dundonald Croquet Final.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Oh!
0:23:09 > 0:23:15Sarah takes the early lead, putting Landward ahead. Big shot.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Close, but no cigar. John Sneddon just short. Disappointing.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25It is up to George Steele, that is disappointing, big mistake. 1-1.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Nice shot from Sarah, blocking the Dundonald ball.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34It's Landward 1, Dundonald 2.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39George steps forward, stop them from scoring. It fails to do so.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Landward 1, Dundonald 3. Here we go.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46George has to do some serious action here.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We are back in the game.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50They certainly are back in, in quick succession,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52George Steele shows his metal.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57It is 3-3. It all comes down to the final hoop.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04George lays a clear shot. Is it through? What do the judges say?
0:24:06 > 0:24:11It is a miss. Sarah, excellent clearance. She has left it open.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17What have they got? They have got all they need to take the match.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Landward 3, Dundonald 4.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Sarah Mack lets us down.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28What I thought was going to be a genteel pastime
0:24:28 > 0:24:31to while away the afternoon was anything but.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35That was quite a fierce competition. The bad news is we lost.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40The good news is they made me an honorary member!
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Somehow I can't see croquet becoming our national sport.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Now, here is what is on next week.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I think we better get out of here before we become bog buddies.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Cat Cubie begins a new series
0:24:58 > 0:25:01exploring Scotland's rare plant areas.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And, we meet the artist inspired by nature.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I just think that I am going to try a stag made out of rhododendrons,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12petals and flowers.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19So, please join us for that if you can.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24At the same time next week, Friday night, 7.00pm, on BBC Two Scotland.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27From all the team here at the Ring of Brodgar on Orkney,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29thanks so much for your company.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Bye for now.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd