Episode 10 Landward

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward, your essential guide on

what's happening in the Scottish countryside. In a moment, I'll be

joining a research project looking at behaviour of ravens. Here's

what's coming up. The photo of dolphins that scooped an

international award. I moved up to the North East coast, saw the

dolphins and fell in love right away. I went off on a dolphin

journey which has been going for 20 years. We meet a university

professor with a passion for weather statistics. Former

colleagues in Cambridge said, you're moving to Scotland, the

weather must be terrible there - raining all the time. I realised

there was a huge ignorance. Sarah meets a commercial goat farmer.

just wondered why no-one did it in Scotland. I told my friends at

In recent years, the number of ravens in Scotland has been on the

increase. At the same time, there has been a call to issue more

licences to cull ravens that attack young livestock. I joined the

raptor study group as they set out on a project to discover more about

Steeped in myth and folklore, the raven is a fascinating bird. It's

the largest member of the crow family and arguably the most

Today, I'm at a secret location in the Trossachs, where members of the

Scottish raptor study group are hoping to tag some raven chicks.

Getting to the nest is not going to The raven is protected under the

Wildlife and Countryside Act and numbers are steadily increasing.

There are now an estimated 12,000 pairs of ravens in the UK but,

surprisingly little is known about We've got two ravens. There you go.

Quite big birds. They are quite big, aren't they? Take me through the

process. What are you hoping to learn from this survey? We're

hoping to find out how long these birds live, where they move, how

their productivity is faring. Basically, we want to look at the

longevity of these birds. Are they causing an issue - are they causing

a problem within the wider countryside? Obviously, people see

the raven's success as not a good thing. Ravens are the ultimate

opportunists and will take a meal wherever they can find it. The

majority of time, they feed on carrion. Sometimes their prey will

bring them into direct conflict There's one that's been done by the

ravens. Had her eye pecked out.At birth. Quite often, six, seven

ravens at one sheep as it's lambing. If you're unfortunate enough not to

be there at the time, this is the result. This is the result.It's

not uncommon to find seven, eight, nine on the one sheep. On one

occasion, there were actually 14 ravens on the one sheep. You have

no chance with that number. Absolutely no chance. This is only

one lamb. There have been several others. Is it worse this year than

it has been in previous years? the worst I've known. I've been

lambing for a long time now. It's by far the worst I've ever had.

With raven numbers on the increase, incidents like that could become

more common. Farmers will be left with little option but to apply for

There is a facility for farmers that are suffering agricultural

damage and can prove it to get licenses from Scottish Natural

Heritage for lethal control. But, rightly, you had to use nonlethal

methods before you use the lethal tool. The raven population is

actually doing pretty well. The population has increased by around

60% in the last 15 years. Not good news for everyone. There are some

less happy about more ravens being around. The raven causes

controversy in some places, particularly with farmers. What we

also need to remember is that the raven population is recovering.

This bird retreated back to the West through human persecution and

is now gradually returning to its former haunts in the east of the

Despite its macabre reputation, the raven's quick wit and intelligence

makes it one of our most iconic birds. Finding out as much about

them through projects like this is We'd like to get some evidence-

based research. If we're going to be issuing licences to control

these birds, then we really need to know, are they having an impact on

the countryside? Are they having an If you go to most countries in

Europe, the raven is a fairly common species and it should be

rightly a common species here as well. They're a really difficult

bird to actually study, to find out the impact they can cause.

Hopefully, over the next coming As a nation, we are obsessed with

the weather. Some more so than others. Over three weeks, BBC

Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston will be even meeting

amateur meteorologists to find out I'm here in Dundee to meet a

professor of bioinformatics, who What is bioinformatics and how does

it relate to weather? In biology, we're generating huge amounts of

data now. Probably the best known of these is things like the human

genome project, sequencing DNA. In the human, we have maybe 3 billion

letters in one human genome. The problem is how to manage that data

and make predictions from it. That's essentially what we do in

bioinformatics. It's not just genome sequences, it's all kinds of

data and biology. How does it relate to weather? In terms of

weather, it doesn't at all. Not directly. Except in as far as its

data. I guess my interest is always in collecting and analysing data.

How did you become interested in selecting weather statistics?

real inspiration was moving to Scotland and moving to Dundee.

Former colleagues in Cambridge said, you've moved to Scotland, the

weather must be terrible there, raining all the time. I realised

there was this huge ignorance. I wanted to point them at something

and they say, what's the weather like? Just look. What we decided to

do was pick a date earlier this year when there was some extreme

weather in the area and take a look at my forecast for 22nd of March

and compare it to the data that Geoff's collated for the Dundee

Some wintry showers in the East, particularly up to Angus and the

north-east but quite a different story in the north-west. A lot of

dry weather, even some brightness coming through and also for the

Bitterly cold everywhere in that strong to gale force south-easterly

So, time to find out how accurate my forecast was for 22nd March.

Let's have a look. OK. So, I looked first at temperature. Temperature

was quite moderate. We looked at the solar radiation. Again, that

didn't change very much. So, not much in terms of sunshine or

temperature but my forecast did show high winds. We get to 21st,

maybe a few high wind gusts but then 22nd it really goes crazy.

We've got very high wind speeds. it was an unusual day. Around this

period of March was much windier than it's been at that period for

Next week, I'm going to be meeting a man who grew up in the tropics of

Australia, where the extreme Still to come: Nick finds out about

herbal remedies at the Royal And the Aberdeenshire couple

promoting the qualities of goat meat. After studying it, it proved

The Scottish Nature Photography Awards are open to anyone from

around the globe, as long as the images were taken here in Scotland.

For the first time, the award has been won by a home-grown

Capturing an amazing image of the landscape or natural environment is

about being in the right place at the right time and having a lot of

patience. Scotland's diverse environment has a lot to offer the

photographer. If you're lucky - really lucky - you can get an image

Three years ago, a photographic competition was launched to

celebrate nature, wildlife and And the most recent winners have

It's the Scottish Nature Photography Awards. Anyone can

enter. It is open to amateurs and professional photographers from

What makes a good entry? Sometimes it's simplicity. A local knowledge

sometimes, when you're judging the images. There's always a picture

that stands out. You keep going back to that time and again. The

more you look at it, the more This year, the winner of the

wildlife category and overall winner of the Nature Photographer

He can usually be found looking for his subjects here, on the Moray

Charlie... Morning, Euan, how are you? Tell me about your award-

winning photograph? What was it? was very lucky. I was out with my

friends from Aberdeen University on the very last survey boat trip of

the year. We had sea conditions which are more like the Maldives

and the north-east of Scotland. This one young dolphin was

surfacing beside the boat - very close - and I was able to track the

dolphin under water for quite a distance and actually get it just

Here we are, low tide. Probably the best place to see dolphins. What's

the chances? We actually have a dolphin just surfaced just now.

So, what makes this place so good for dolphins? Well, we're actually

right at the end of a peninsular. This peninsular drops off. There's

a big, deep shelf out there. Where these dolphins are at the moment,

you may be looking at about 40-odd feet. Tell me about your work with

the dolphins? What do you do? many years, I was consultant to a

marine charity called the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. I'm

now field officer. I am always out and about photographing dolphins in

the water or here. Maybe along at Spey Bay. Are you looking for

pretty shots of dolphins or something more specific? First of

all, I need to take shots of the dorsal fins. They are unique to

each animal. We have a catalogue of recognisable dolphins. How did you

get involved with this? A long time ago, I moved up to the north-east

coast and I immediately saw the dolphins. I fell in love right away

and I had to know more about them. I went off on this dolphin journey

which has been going on for 20 years. Right behind us. Is that

Scoop? Yes, that's him. The way he's moving at the surface. Also,

Zephyr is getting a fish as well. We've actually got one of the

dolphins there. It's got the tail of the fish sticking out of its

mouth. My heart is beating that bit faster, not just because I'm

carrying gear like this. Every time I see a dolphin, I start getting

really switched on. I want to know who I'm looking at, what condition

are you in? Are you hunting? Are you feeding? Is your baby OK? You

get caught up in this big soap What was it about Charlie's image

that grab you? It was that moment in time. It was just super. All the

judges loved it. It was one of these moments where we all wished

we were there. It was fantastic. The more we looked at it, the more

detail we saw. Every time you looked through the shortlist of the

overall category winners, it was an outstanding image. It was fantastic.

There will be an exhibition of the photographs entered in the awards

at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre in July. If you have

anything to say about the programme or have a great story you want to

share with us, please get in contact with us. Now, the weather

here on the banks of the silvery Tay is nice, but a bit overcast.

What about the forecast for the Spring and may have been one of the

coldest on record, up but the recent weather has made up for it.

It has been dry and bright with warm spells of sunshine and that is

how it will stay. There will be plenty of dry and bright weather.

There will be some cloud tomorrow and some missed, but that will burn

off and we will see good spells of sunshine. By the middle of the

afternoon, lots of sunshine across the country. There will be some

cloud over the borders that might produce some light showers. It is

looking good across the central belt. Thicker cloud over it in

learned Aberdeenshire. Some cloud possible for the Highlands. Through

the rest of the afternoon, we might have if you like showers over

higher ground, but overnight it will be try it with clear spells.

It will feel similar to recent nights in that it will be mild for

most of us do with their be little wind. Into the weekend and there is

that area of high pressure, anchored across us. It will not

budge throughout Saturday and Sunday. A fine weekend that will be

settled and dry. Good spells of sunshine. Way you do have the Sun

it will feel pretty warm. That is certainly the case on Saturday.

Slightly cooler around the coast, but apart from that, temperatures

in the high teens and low twenties. A similar picture for Sunday. Then

maybe the odd shower, but for most of us it will not spot what will be

another lovely day. The best of the sunshine in the West. Next week and

the area of high pressure will still dominate. This low in the

Atlantic will try to work its way up, but we will hold on to the dry

conditions on Monday. Good spells of sunshine and very little in the

wake of wind. Temperatures up to 21 Celsius in the West. Tuesday brings

a change. This area of low pressure will get its act together. There

will be a slight freshening it in the south easterly wind. For most

of us it will stay dry and settled In the third part of his series on

the work of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, Nick learns

about some weird and wonderful herbal remedies.

The roots of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh were well and

truly embedded in the ancient practice of herbal medicine when it

was founded as a Physic Garden in the 17th century. Herbology draws

together several connected branches of botanical science to investigate

the remarkable therapeutic qualities of plants. But I am also

hoping they have some culinary use as well. So, Catharine, this is a

wild corner of the garden, but are there things in here that of

particular interest to you? Absolutely. We bring our students

into this particular corner to gather the wild native herbs, which

she would necessarily find in an abundance elsewhere in the

Britannic. It is verdant. What things will we find? We have our

most potent green herbs here. They are ripe for the picking. It is the

perfect time of the year to put them into medicines and use them in

culinary dishes as well. This nettle is a natural antihistamine.

If you suffer from hay fever, you make lots of nettle tea for

yourself. It is a superb preventative medicine against that.

I recognise this. This is wood sorrell. Another lovely little

woodland floor covering plant. Taste a little piece. It is quite

sour. It really is.But it has a lemon flavour to it. Anything else

I can eat? There is an even more intriguing plant I would like to

show you. Catherine, why am I it waist deep in a bog? Well, because

we want to talk about this particular beautiful aquatic plant

called bog bean. There is a lovely Gaelic tradition in Scotland. This

herb is prepared by boiling it for eight hours. It is a bitter tonic

and helps the body to cleanse and detox. Super for this time of year.

Would you like to take some? Once I get out of the water. This is going

to improve my liver? It will generally make you feel energised

and cleansed from within. That is minging! It is pretty bad, but

incredibly good for you. Really?! Is it true that things that taste

as buyer as that of good for you? That is generally the case in

herbal medicine. I feel so much better already. I am off for a cup

of tea. Next week, I will be finding out how the Botanic Garden

is helping conserve the world's Goat meat has never been

particularly popular in Scotland, but one young Aberdeenshire couple

are convinced they can create a market for it. They have

established a goatherd and they are about to start serving the meat to

the public. Sarah went along to see Goat is a staple protein in many

parts of the world, including Africa, South America and Asia. But

it has never really caught on in the UK, apart from in fine dining

restaurants. Victoria and Adam are hoping that if they can get Scots

to try the meat, they will be converted, especially as goat meat

is lower in calories and saturated fats than beef and lamb. It would

be fair to say you are the first goat farmer I have met. Where did

the idea come from? I had to find a dissertation topic at college and I

read about someone down south rearing goat meat and I wondered

why no-one in Scotland was doing it. People laughed at me, but I ended

up doing it. It was not just Victoria's peers who sceptical

about the business. Her partner Adam had his doubts. I was on the

bandwagon like everyone else. Farmer's son, thinking you just did

cattle and pigs. But after getting involved with Victoria's

dissertation, it seemed viable. was her idea, but you kick-started

it. It was her 21st and I thought I have to get her something that was

different. I thought about jewellery and then I thought I am

Adam and Vicky have got big plans for the business and so far, the

breeding operation is going well. This little cutie was born this

We cross the different breeds, so you get the milk factor and the

meat factor, which is South African How easy are they to keep? Good

grass and clover is necessary for cattle, but the goats don't mind

what they have. We have quite a lot of views on our website and

although we have not got any meat to sell yet, people have left their

details so that we can get back to them. A shop in London has asked us

to send down a carcass. The first of Victoria and Adam's goats has

been cut. We've left the bone in on the shoulder. We did the legs and

the two racks of lamb. You mean goat? Yes. I will be cooking it as

lamb, but because of the fat content, cooking times will vary.

It will be an experiment. You are going to be cooking some for me and

I hope it will be tasty. So do I. We have got a lot of companies

asking if we can give them a constant supply of meat, so that

will be the next area that we look at - continuity. We will have to

build up our breeding stock. We need more nannies and hope to get

that continuity for supply. first ever goat meat. Right, boys

and girls, before we delve in, explain how healthy the meat is.

Compared to lamb and pork and beef, it is lower in calories, low in

sodium as well. It is high in fibre and iron. Forks at the ready. It is

a first for me, and you guys? That is surprisingly good. It is

tasty. I did not think I would like it, but it is actually very nice. I

will have another bit. Good luck with the Scottish Goat Meat Company

and thank you for talking to us. Sarah there with an Aberdeenshire

couple looking to re-educate our palate. Now, I've just got time to

tell you what's on the menu next week. As midsummer approaches, I go

in search of the perfect sunset. is pleasant enough, but it is not

spectacular. I prefer it a little bit more dramatic. The Scottish

invention that protects plants and crops from slugs and snails.

Obviously, if you are not going to eradicate them the only other way

is prevention. And conserving Scotland's native bee population.

What kind of bee will we need in the future? We need to have as big

diversity of bee as possible. Please join us for that if you can,