0:00:24 > 0:00:26Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29putting Scotland's countryside in the spotlight.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32In a moment, Euan will be down the road from here near Alford
0:00:32 > 0:00:35for a spectacular wildlife display, but, first,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We begin a two-part series examining the work of the Crown Estate.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45We look after the assets held in the right of the Monarch
0:00:45 > 0:00:47for the benefit of the wider public.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It generates money for the wider good.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Nick is in Dundee to explore the city's reputation as
0:00:53 > 0:00:56the centre of the marmalade making universe.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59That smells absolutely incredible! I mean,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03how do the guys manage to not just gorge themselves on it!
0:01:03 > 0:01:04And the oak tree which inspired
0:01:04 > 0:01:07so many of Scotland's great fiddle tunes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09It's a very old tree, it's over 300 years old
0:01:09 > 0:01:12and it's really important to kind of value
0:01:12 > 0:01:14and celebrate the ancient trees that we have in Scotland.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31The north east of Scotland is one of the best places in Europe...
0:01:31 > 0:01:32ROOKS CAW
0:01:32 > 0:01:34..for rooks.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35ROOKS CAW
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Despite having just 0.1% of the European landmass,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49the north east of Scotland is home to 2% of the entire
0:01:49 > 0:01:50European population of rooks
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and that's around 20 times more than you would typically expect.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Thousands of rooks roost at this site near Alford in Aberdeenshire and,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06I'm told, as darkness begins to fall, they put on an impressive display.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'Ian Francis from the RSPB will be guiding me through the spectacle.'
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Why is the north east of Scotland so good for rooks?
0:02:18 > 0:02:20It's a combination of two things, really.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22One is the mixed agriculture.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26There's a real diversity in the farm landscape, of cereals
0:02:26 > 0:02:28and grassland, cattle,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30so there's food for rooks all year round.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34But not only that, it's got a lot of trees, a lot of plantations
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and tall shelterbelts scattered throughout the landscape,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40so instantly you've got suitable nesting habitat and
0:02:40 > 0:02:43for jackdaws, lots of old buildings and barns and so on as well,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46so it's got the perfect mixture of good nesting habitat,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48good feeding habitat all year round.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51But it's rooks we've come to look at mainly tonight.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54But you're talking of crows, talking of jackdaws. What's the difference?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Well, what we're going to look at tonight is a roost of rooks
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and jackdaws mixed together, thousands of them.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02Now they're very gregarious birds,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05they traditionally hang around together in big flocks.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08If you see an enormous flock of crows,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11they're going to be either rooks or jackdaws.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Carrion crows or hoodies, depending on how you term them,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16they tend to be much more solitary, although you can get them
0:03:16 > 0:03:18together in tens of birds,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21so a large group of "crows" is almost certainly going to be rooks.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25If they're small and going "Chack, chack, chack," then they're jackdaws
0:03:25 > 0:03:29and that's fundamentally the difference in identification terms.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31What are we hoping to see?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34What we're hoping to see is a big gathering of mixed rooks
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and jackdaws, several thousand birds, all arriving together
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and flying around advertising their roost and then
0:03:40 > 0:03:42dropping in with a great deal of noise and fuss and commotion.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46That's what we're hoping to see here tonight and I think the conditions
0:03:46 > 0:03:49are suitable so, with a bit of luck, we'll have a good sight tonight.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51You're sticking your neck on a block, are you?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I'm sticking my neck on the block. It's a traditional roost site
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and it's been used for 25, 30 years.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Tens of thousands of birds use this roost every winter,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03so it would be very unusual if they didn't use it tonight.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06However, what they do depends on the weather
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and a whole range of other conditions.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17Well, it's just after four o'clock and it's starting to get dark.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18And just over there,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22there's loads of birds starting to pile in beside the cattle over there.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Ian, what's going on?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28This is a favoured pre-roost gathering location for this roost.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It actually allows the birds to feed and get that last little
0:04:32 > 0:04:35bit of food in before they go in for the night, in a fairly safe place.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Often it's a short grass field with a good view all round
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and they can just gradually accumulate their numbers
0:04:41 > 0:04:43and carry on feeding till the last moment.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It's amazing. It's a noisy road and they seem quite relaxed about it all.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Yeah, it is amazing that these things can be going on when people
0:04:52 > 0:04:55are just going about their daily business. And not knowing
0:04:55 > 0:04:58it's going to happen. Not even knowing it's going to happen, yeah.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00ROOKS AND JACKDAWS CAW
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Well, it's just about 25 minutes past four,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05it's getting really dark, it's really cold.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's not perfect conditions, it's a bit cloudy,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11but you can clearly see the birds starting to pile in now.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Yeah, and what they're doing at the moment is kind of an advertising
0:05:14 > 0:05:17display where they effectively say to the rest of the rooks
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and jackdaws in the area, "This is where we're going to roost tonight.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21"Come and join us." And it's a real signal,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25a real stimulus for birds to pull in and start dropping into the wood.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34One of the functions of this gathering is,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36this roost gathering, is safety in numbers.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38So they stand more chance of spotting a predator
0:05:38 > 0:05:40rather than just roosting on their own.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It's kind of like a shoal of fish, it's really quite a fantastic.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44I'm sure that everyone would enjoy it.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46I can't see how you could not look at that
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and think that is just a fantastic sight.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52You can imagine if there was a really nice, rosy sunset,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54which there isn't tonight,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56it would be a great sight just against that kind of
0:05:56 > 0:05:57bright illuminated sky.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Well, that was truly incredible.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07The birds are starting to settle down now,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09but you can still hear them amongst the trees.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12And to think it's happening as the commuter traffic goes by.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15To think it's happening in the middle of winter,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and to think it's happening right in my own neighbourhood.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19Amazing.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29In this series, Nick has been tasting foods which will for ever be
0:06:29 > 0:06:32synonymous with specific places in Scotland.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35This week, he's in Dundee to find out
0:06:35 > 0:06:37about the city's marmalade heritage.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Mention Dundee and you think jute, jam, journalism...
0:06:48 > 0:06:49and marmalade?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54But why did a preserve made with exotic fruit from far away
0:06:54 > 0:06:58become synonymous with this industrial Scottish city?
0:06:58 > 0:07:03The story goes that in the 18th century, a ship carrying a cargo
0:07:03 > 0:07:08of Seville oranges took refuge from a storm, here in the port of Dundee.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11An enterprising local merchant bought some of the oranges
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and gave them to his wife, a certain Mrs Keeler,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and she turned them into a kind of orange jam
0:07:17 > 0:07:19and they called it marmalade.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Well, that's the story anyway.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29In reality, the Keelers adapted an already existing marmalade recipe,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32adding the characteristic orange rind.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36They opened their first factory here in Dundee in 1797,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and at their height they were producing over 1.5 million pots
0:07:39 > 0:07:42of marmalade a year, and it was enjoyed all around the world.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Marmalade is no longer made in the city of Dundee,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but it is still made just up the road in Arbroath.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Oh, I was expecting something altogether more industrial.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Well, that was one of the big decisions we made
0:07:58 > 0:07:59when we came to the factory.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Do we keep to the artisan method that we had before,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04or do we do something of a volume nature?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08We decided that the taste differential was so important
0:08:08 > 0:08:11that we had to keep to the authentic boiling method.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13That smells absolutely incredible.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17I mean, how do the guys manage not just to gorge themselves on it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It's that Seville orange... Oh!
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's real fresh orange, isn't it? Absolutely fabulous.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Boiling away, just like being at home, to be honest,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and making marmalade at home.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29So you've got lots and lots of these copper-bottomed pans. Yeah.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Where does the marmalade go from here?
0:08:31 > 0:08:34After here it goes to the filling section,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36so obviously we're going to check it in the laboratory
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and then we're going to move it on to the filling section,
0:08:39 > 0:08:40and we'll see that next.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Doing about 170 jars a minute.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59170 a minute? Yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05There's a little bit of that Willy Wonka chocolate factory thing.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Tell me a little bit about the process.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10When I bought the business, I learned very quickly
0:09:10 > 0:09:13that the copper-bottomed open pan created
0:09:13 > 0:09:14a different taste to the product.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And if we put really good-tasting ingredients in,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19we knew we made as good as a home-made marmalade.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Do you still use the Spanish Seville oranges?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Absolutely, and we use them fresh from Spain,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27and obviously that combination is just the secret.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So, why are you still in the northeast?
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Well, we have to be here for the heritage of course
0:09:31 > 0:09:36and Dundee postcode is still here in Arbroath, so this is a DD place.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38And, therefore, it's absolutely perfect for us
0:09:38 > 0:09:42to maintain the heritage and to maintain the skills of the people
0:09:42 > 0:09:45in this town, because we employ 150 people now.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46We're a very significant employer
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and we really value what they do for us.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Now, what about the marmalade itself? Where does it end up?
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Who are you selling it to?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Well, in the UK it's obviously going to the major supermarkets,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and then it goes around the world, from North America, which is
0:09:59 > 0:10:02one of our biggest customers, to Germany, but also in India,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Japan, Russia, Scandinavia.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06It's an amazing story.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Now, what about the future of Mackays marmalade?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Where's that going to go? Well, the future, I think, is good.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I'm really relieved that I'm running a heritage business,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17because technology won't change it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22It's not like the phone or the camera, the technology moves on.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24No, the food and the heritage
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and Dundee will always be in play,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30so we hope that the history of Dundee will be long
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and our marmalade-making here in Arbroath will be just as long.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Marmalade is something that is very close to my heart.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41It's what I have most mornings for breakfast on a piece of toast,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and I'm something of an aficionado, so...
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Wow.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49That is delicious.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's astonishing to think that there's a little glass of sunshine
0:10:52 > 0:10:57and Spain in this jar, along with that industrial past from Dundee.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Delicious.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Still to come, the Perthshire Oak in line for the award
0:11:05 > 0:11:07of European Tree of the Year.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Obviously, it's not the oldest tree in Scotland,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11it's not the biggest tree in Scotland,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14but what it does have is a fantastic story behind it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The Crown Estate is a body few people know much about.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Over the next two weeks, I'll be looking into the work
0:11:23 > 0:11:26of the Crown Estate in Scotland.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Next week, I'll be finding out about their role in managing the sea bed.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33This week, though, the story starts in Glenlivet.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Glenlivet Estate in the Highlands
0:11:42 > 0:11:46was bought by the Crown Estate in 1937.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51It comprises just over half of the 42,000 hectares of rural property
0:11:51 > 0:11:55owned and managed by the Crown Estate in Scotland.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59So, does that mean all this land is the property of the Queen,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00as many people think?
0:12:00 > 0:12:01Well, I have to admit,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I know absolutely nothing about the Crown Estate.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06But, thankfully, I know a man who does.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Alan, how are you? Good. Nice to meet you. Good to see you.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Now, you're the rural and coastal manager
0:12:13 > 0:12:16for Crown Estate in Scotland. What is the Crown Estate?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19We look after the assets held in the right of the monarch
0:12:19 > 0:12:21for the benefit of the wider public.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So all our net revenue surplus, all the money we make
0:12:24 > 0:12:28from managing the assets goes to government, to spend as they wish.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31So, it is all owned by the Queen? It's held in the right of the monarch,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34so it's held in the right of the Queen but, as I say,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37it generates money for the wider good.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Each year, we send a payment to Treasury
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and then it's distributed through whatever means they see fit.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48So, what are the elements that actually make up the Crown Estate?
0:12:48 > 0:12:49There's all sorts of pieces.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52In Scotland, we've got Glenlivet here today,
0:12:52 > 0:12:53a large estate in Morayshire,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56we've got three other rural estates in Scotland
0:12:56 > 0:12:59but we also look after the... It's half of the foreshore,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02or thereabouts, around Scotland and the sea bed as well,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06so it's a fairly diverse mix of assets. So, how do you go about generating profits?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09A lot of our income comes from rents from tenants and tenancy,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11so traditional farming tenancies,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13but also about creating new opportunities
0:13:13 > 0:13:16for small, local businesses to use the assets
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and the estates that we have, to generate opportunities for them.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31By law, the Crown Estate is required to maintain and enhance
0:13:31 > 0:13:34the value of the estate and its income.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Glenlivet Estate is perhaps the jewel in the Crown Estate's rural portfolio.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41So, how does all this pay for itself
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and generate income for the Treasury?
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Glenlivet's a really good example where we have a very good
0:13:48 > 0:13:51relationship with the different community bodies in the village.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54And, in particular, the recently-formed Development Trust.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57We work alongside them on a lot of different projects.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58And, from your point of view,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01is it important to have the community on your side,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03to have them buying into your plans and thoughts? Absolutely.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07You have to work with the community. As a land manager, we rent out most of our land.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We need successful partnerships and we need for them
0:14:10 > 0:14:14to succeed for us to succeed. So strengthening our relationships
0:14:14 > 0:14:17with the communities makes a big difference.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Working with them and letting them enjoy the assets that we have
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and the right uses for them that suit them.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Often, when we speak to people who live and work on estates,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29often the complaint is that the manager or the owner
0:14:29 > 0:14:31is absent and remote. Yeah.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35Is that something that could be levelled at Crown Estate?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Well, we don't have an owner living on site but what we do have
0:14:38 > 0:14:42is a ranger team, we have foresters, we have agents who look after
0:14:42 > 0:14:45the assets on our behalf and we have my team.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And we want to make sure we ARE on the ground and we DO know what's happening.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50So, I think we have to get the balance between
0:14:50 > 0:14:53knowing what's going on and working in partnership
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and actually letting people run their businesses and enjoy the area.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I'm on my way to meet Lindsay Robertson
0:15:04 > 0:15:07of the Glenlivet and Tomintoul Development Trust
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to find out how they interact with the Crown Estate.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14The Crown Estate were one of the key partners
0:15:14 > 0:15:17involved in the actual creation of the development trust.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19So, they came on board with the National Park
0:15:19 > 0:15:23to look at a strategy for regeneration for the local area.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Since then, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Moray Council,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28have all come on board to fund the project going forwards.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The Crown Estate put in office accommodation,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33which obviously is a key resource for us.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35How do you see your relationship with the Crown Estates
0:15:35 > 0:15:37developing over the years?
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I think it's fair to say that we are all focused
0:15:39 > 0:15:42on the same end objective. It's really about just looking
0:15:42 > 0:15:45at the projects which tick the boxes for both of us.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47So, renewables is a key one for the trust,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51in terms of how we can develop a more sustainable future
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and be self-funding rather than looking to
0:15:53 > 0:15:55grant funding all the time, so that's something
0:15:55 > 0:15:57we're looking at with the Crown Estate.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Looking at the whole estate and how we can work to develop
0:16:01 > 0:16:03a more vibrant economy for the area.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Another example of how the Crown Estate works with local communities
0:16:12 > 0:16:15is the invest made in a newly opened series
0:16:15 > 0:16:19of mountain bike trails on the Glenlivet Estate.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's managed by local businesswoman Diane Dunlop.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27We have a guesthouse down in Tomintoul, in the village.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31As a result of having that, we are on various community committees
0:16:31 > 0:16:34which the Crown is on as well.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'There was a tender out for an opportunity
0:16:36 > 0:16:40'to open up a coffee shop and a bike hire shop at the hub.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43'We tendered, and were very lucky to get it.'
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Thank you. I hope you enjoy it.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Tell me a bit more about the hub and what's happening here.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Well, this is at the centre of a fantastic new cycle track
0:16:52 > 0:16:54built by the Crown Estate
0:16:54 > 0:16:58to bring in lots of other people from all around the country,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01thereby growing our community as well.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05So, the hub is to offer a nice stop for something to drink,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09lovely eats and bike hire to go as well.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11How does the business model work?
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Well, obviously, we are tenants of the Crown
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and so we are paying a monthly rental to the Crown
0:17:17 > 0:17:20to do what they need to do with it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Improving tracks, improving the community,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25improving all the other projects that they do as well.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36We want to see them succeed because at the end of the day,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38if they're not doing well, we won't do well.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40So, it's a partnership approach.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Let's talk about Glenlivet Estate as a whole - is it viable?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47The estate is viable. It makes a profit,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49it turns over a good amount of money,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52but it's in a pretty remote, fragile area.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The economy here is challenged, so a lot of the work that we do
0:17:55 > 0:17:58is about trying to make it more viable.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee
0:18:00 > 0:18:03recently published a damning report on the Crown Estate
0:18:03 > 0:18:07saying that you weren't sort of transparent, necessarily,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and suggested that assets should maybe be transferred
0:18:10 > 0:18:12to communities to look after.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15How do you respond to that kind of criticism?
0:18:15 > 0:18:16I think this is a prime example.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Here, we work very closely with the trust, with community members,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23with Diane, with our other tenants and looking to deliver
0:18:23 > 0:18:27for the local community. You know, I think we've got to make sure
0:18:27 > 0:18:31estates like Glenlivet work for the wider community around them,
0:18:31 > 0:18:32the people who live and work on them
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and the people that come and enjoy them.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I think this is a great example of where we've worked collaboratively.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40We've invested, we've drawn down European funding and support
0:18:40 > 0:18:43from the National Park and from the council to actually
0:18:43 > 0:18:45deliver something that wouldn't have been possible
0:18:45 > 0:18:49had that collaboration not been there. There are always improvements that can be made,
0:18:49 > 0:18:50but we work very hard at that.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Next week, I'll be on the West Coast to find out
0:18:56 > 0:18:59how the Crown Estate manages the foreshore and the sea bed.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06If you have a comment about anything you see on the programme
0:19:06 > 0:19:08or have a story you'd like to share with us,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12then send us an e-mail to landward@bbc.co.uk.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19An ancient oak tree in Perthshire,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22under which many of Scotland's famous fiddle tunes were composed,
0:19:22 > 0:19:28will compete for the title, European Tree of the Year 2014.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30The oak is where 18th century fiddler Neil Gow
0:19:30 > 0:19:32wrote many of his tunes.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37So, we sent modern-day fiddler Paul Anderson to find out more.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40FIDDLE MUSIC
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Scotland's blessed with an unusually high number
0:19:47 > 0:19:49of heritage trees,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54those weird and wonderful trees with historic and cultural significance.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I'm off today to see one which means a great deal to me
0:19:57 > 0:19:58as a traditional musician.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06An elderly sessile oak sits at the river bank
0:20:06 > 0:20:10of the Tay near Inver, Dunkeld, and according to legend,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12some of Scotland's most famous fiddling music
0:20:12 > 0:20:14was composed under its branches.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20This is Neil Gow's Oak, and it's said to have inspired
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Scotland's most famous fiddler to create some of his finest works.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Now, it's been nominated in a European competition.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Rory, what's this tree been nominated for?
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Neil Gow's Oak's been nominated for European Tree of the Year,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38which is a Europe-wide celebration of trees
0:20:38 > 0:20:42which have got fantastic stories to tell.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45There's about 12 different countries taking part across Europe
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and I think that Scotland's got a real chance with Neil Gow's Oak.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Why, out of all the trees in Scotland,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53has this particular oak been nominated?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Obviously it's not the oldest tree in Scotland, nor the biggest tree,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59but what it does have is a fantastic story behind it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Born in 1727, Neil Gow was a weaver's son
0:21:05 > 0:21:06from the village of Inver.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09He was a largely self-taught musician and his reputation
0:21:09 > 0:21:12as a musical prodigy meant he was much in demand.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16He played all over Scotland, and in the grandest settings.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23The local legend goes that he would come and sit beneath
0:21:23 > 0:21:27this particular tree and compose the tunes that we know and love today.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Whether he was composing jigs, strathspeys or reels,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Neil Gow was often inspired by the landscape round about him,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40but he's perhaps best-known for his beautiful slow airs,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42many of which I play all over the world today,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and it would, perhaps, be rude not to play a wee tribute
0:21:45 > 0:21:46to the great man just now.
0:21:49 > 0:21:57MUSIC: "Neil Gow's Lament For His Second Wife" by Neil Gow
0:22:28 > 0:22:31The fourth Duke of Athol became Neil Gow's patron
0:22:31 > 0:22:33and is said to have spent time sitting across the Tay
0:22:33 > 0:22:37enjoying the music as it drifted across the water.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39FIDDLE MUSIC CONTINUES
0:22:46 > 0:22:48What's unique obviously about Neil Gow's Oak
0:22:48 > 0:22:50is the fantastic story that it has,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54but it's also a very old tree, over 300 years old
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and it's really important to kind of value and celebrate
0:22:57 > 0:23:00the ancient trees that we have in Scotland.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I think by doing that we can make it easier for people
0:23:03 > 0:23:05to have a real connection with them and to love them,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and it makes it so much easier to go on and protect them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35When can we look forward to the results of this competition?
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Voting starts on European Tree of the Year in February.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42So, we'll be asking as many people as possible in Scotland
0:23:42 > 0:23:45to get behind Neil Gow's Oak and hopefully,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47national pride will give us a good result.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51FIDDLE MUSIC CONTINUES
0:23:56 > 0:24:00This ancient, gnarly oak stands as a living memorial
0:24:00 > 0:24:02to one of our finest musicians,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and was the inspiration for some of our greatest music.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07To me, personally,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11it is a living link to Neil Gow, the father of Scottish fiddle music.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39And we wish the Perthshire oak all the very best of luck in 2014.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Now, I've just got time to tell you what's coming up on next week's programme.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45The role of the Crown Estate
0:24:45 > 0:24:47in managing the sea bed and foreshore...
0:24:47 > 0:24:49We've got ports and harbours,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52we've got general foreshore and rural areas,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55we've got moorings and aquaculture as well,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58so quite a big mix right across the breadths of Scotland.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03..and Nick is in Cullen to taste one of the finest soups in the world.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It's delicious, and I think Cullen skink really does deserve
0:25:06 > 0:25:11its place amongst the world's greatest soups.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Please join us for that and much more next week.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16From all of the Landward team here in Monymusk,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20thanks so much for your company. Bye for now.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd