Episode 6 Landward

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward. The essential guide to

the great Scottish countryside. In a moment I will undertake an epic

cycle journey from Bara Bo the Butt of Lewis. But first, here is what

else is coming up. Ewan is at a sale of rare breed livestock.

is what we call a fun day, we have two a year. We call it a family day.

I take the ride of my life in a vintage Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.

want to go as slow as I can to make it last as long as possible.

Nick cooks for some discerning schoolchildren. Stir-fried rice,

lots of veggies. And a nice bit of barbecued pork. I am about to

undertake one of the most stunning and potentially challenging,

because of the weather, cycle rides in Scotland. One that is becoming

increasingly popular with cycle tourists. It is the Outer Hebrides

or the Western Isles, south to north. The trip should start in

Bara over there, but as you can see, the weather has turned and the

ferry is cancelled so we are going for an Eriskay start. You have to

be flexible. The good news is that Eriskay, South Lewis, Benbecula and

North Lewis are all joined by causeways so I have a good couple

of days' cycling as we head up north. Once you add Harris and

Lewis to that journey, it is roughly 130 miles long. And many

people take four days to complete it. It is a maze of lochs, inlets

and islands to explore. And you might be pleased to know, it is

mainly pretty flat. Along the way, I will be getting to know some of

the history, characters and landscapes that make up this

remarkable place. Most people travel from south to north because

prevailing winds are from the south-west. But there are a lot of

local differences. Today, it is gale-force and gusting from all

over the place. My first stop is North Glendale in South Uist to

find out about a remarkable American woman who undertook this

exact same cycle ride back in 1926. It was a journey from which she

never fully returned because she fell in love with these musical

islands and the tradition of Gaelic song and folklore. But she

continued to study right until her death at the age of 101 on the

island of Canna. I am here to meet Paul McCallum, he knew Margaret

well and the incredible musical legacy that she left the island.

Good to see you, Paul. I came to know Margaret because she used to

come back to Uist to holiday. And she always came back to the village

where she was happiest, it is fair to say. She always said that her

guardian angel guided her. She was in the hotel and she was invited to

Christmas dinner by Donald Ferguson's two cousins, the kitchen

scullery maids. And she wanted to hear Gaelic singing so she asked

them to sing for her. She was so enthralled by their voices, she

asked would they teach her the songs and they said yes, if you

come to live with us. How long did she stay here? Four years.So quite

a decent lesson! And she went on to record the Gaelic singing and

traditions and folklore. How important was that record? It was

of paramount importance to any scholar or musician interested in

the tradition of the islands. Because what she did was she noted

down the music. It was notation, unlike others, who used wax

cylinders and things. So she made people sing 10, 12, 14 times until

she got it exactly right.! SINGING. She always said the collection

belongs to North Glendale. She never looked upon it as her own.

Her collection is a true record of Great stuff, thank you very much.

That was really great, thank you. It is good to know that the

tradition of music and song that Margaret Fay Shaw found here in the

1920s is still alive and strong. Largely thanks to her work as an

archivist. Next week my journey Scotland's meat promotion body,

Quality Meat Scotland, has launched a campaign to get more

schoolchildren interested in food and where it comes from. Over three

weeks, Nick is visiting schools to This week, I am visiting Inverclyde

Academy in Greenock. In the second part of my mission to familiarise

Scotland's schoolchildren with the raw ingredients of cooking. I want

to teach kids about where the food they eat comes from. And by

learning how to cook, they can take control of their own diet. And, of

course, make some delicious dishes. I will be joining Jennifer

Robertson from Quality Meat Scotland again, who is doing

economic classes around the country to explain to kids the nutritional

facts about meat. How are we doing? The dish we are going to make,

stir-fried rice, lots of veggies in there and a nice bit of barbecued

pork and we're going to make a nice, tangy sauce to go with that. We

have to cook the rice and I'm using basmati rice and that is a really

light, fragrant rice. When cooking basmati rice, you want lots of

water and not much rice and it is really important the water is

boiling as I add the rice. So it does not stick together. While the

rice is cooking, we are going to chop up some of the veg that is

going to go into the stir-fry. James, cut off the end. Cut right

down the middle. Beautiful work, and then cut again all the way down

and then into quarters. We cut like this. And we try to get all the

slices the same thickness. James on the courgettes, we have Tony on red

peppers. Kirsty, you're going to cut the mushrooms into wedges. I

think this is a really good time to start talking about pork. Char sui

is delicious and this is how you make it. Do you know what piece of

pork this is? I would be very impressed if you did. Neck?Sorry?

Very close. It is the shoulder. When it is raw it doesn't look so

great but shoulder is a braising, long, slow cooking meat so the

marinade is kind of a barbecue marinade. Chilli powder, five spice,

some salt. Some freshly ground black pepper. So build it up, lots

and lots of flavours in here. And then we have this dark, thick,

sticky barbecue marinade. So, we're going to take this away and stick

it in the fridge for two days. Jennifer is magic. And it is by the

magic of Jennifer and TV, this is what it looks like after it has

been marinated for two days. And then roast it in a low oven, about

140 degrees centigrade, for about 1.5 to 2 hours. We need that little

bit of pork chopped up. Okay, here is how we are going to do it. Red

peppers, they take the longest time to cook. Finally, sliced courgette,

another handful in here, mushrooms. Once we have a little bit of colour

into the veg, we can start to add the finely chopped things, the

aromatics, like the chilli and the garlic and red onion. But we don't

add them at the start, if you add them straight away, they will burn.

Once we get the colour on the outside, a couple of minutes, we

can add the char sui. This is barbecued pork, beautifully chopped

up, thank you very much, guys. Next thing you're going to add is the

rice. I need a volunteer to keep this going. Do you want to come in

and keep stirring this? Whatever you do, don't stop stirring as we

add more soy sauce. Soy is quite salty. A little bit of soy sauce in

there. We have salty and sour. And then add some sweetness. Honey. And

finally, coriander. And in that goes. Fantastic, you have done a

brilliant job. Okay, I just want to finish this off. The chef gets all

the credit! Okay, who fancies a bit of a test? Okay, everybody. Well,

you want to start? Have a go and tell me what you think. Okay. If

you don't like it, don't say anything! It's good.Good. Okay.

Try a bit of the barbecued pork. That's it. Really good, okay.

Really good. Can I ask, if the guys don't have the time for two days to

marinade, what could they do instead using the same flavours,

what could they do instead? could use thinner pieces of pork or

you could buy in the butchers, a lot of butchers will have their own

barbecued pork. And barbecue pork has become very trendy. Very street

food kind of stuff. This is very of the moment. This kind of barbecued

pork kind of thing, but you could substitute it just for a nice piece

of pork. And if you won the pools, you could use pork fillet. Good,

Still to come, I get a taste of the high life in a classic car rally

across Scotland. I am about to go out in one of the most expensive

convoys ever to be seen on the roads of Highland Perthshire. The

interest in native rare breeds is growing. With more and more farmers

rearing cattle and sheep that for years were out of fashion. To gauge

how popular the sector has become, Ewan went along to a rare breed

This spring sale of rare and minority breeds here at Thainstone

is the biggest event of its kind in Scotland. And with four auctions

going on simultaneously, it is a smallholder's heaven. It is what we

call a fun day. We have two a year with the rare breeds but we have

introduced an extra poultry sale in March just to cope. We call it a

fun day, a family day. And it has grown over the years? We started 15

years ago and it has grown, today we will trade about 1500 to 8000

lots. Poultry, rare breeds, it has grown a bit over the years. If you

look at some of the consignments today, Airdrie, the Glasgow area,

it is a wide area and I think the youngest would be seven and the

oldest 77. What are the rules of coming off the street and buying

some of the breeds? To have cattle or sheep you have to have a holder

number. And with the poultry, basically if you have a back garden

or a shed, it's OK. No rules. your money and take them away?

Absolutely, yes. I don't have room for cattle or sheep in my back

garden. But I do have room for a couple more hens. I am heading for

the poultry section. But first, I need some expert advice. It is a

good place for beginners to come along. They maybe don't want to buy

the first couple of times here but they come along to see what is

available, talk to the people who are breeding and selling. For hens

that lay eggs, what should you be looking for? You never want to keep

one hen because that is not a natural way for hens to live so I

will say to people, buy at least three and if one dies, you have

time to get a replacement. If you're living in a built-up area,

don't buy a cockerel if you want to stay with friends with your

neighbours. Do you want white or blue eggs or brown eggs? Pretty

hens and brown eggs. Pretty hens and brown eggs, I would go for

something like a Maran. There are different age classes. What should

you be going for? If I was buying at a place like this, I would be

looking for poulets. Hens would come to lay at 22 to 24 weeks. At

14 weeks, you have a wait but you know they are young hens rather

than old broilers. What kind of money are we talking about?

Anywhere between �10 and �30 per bird, depending on what you are

buying and how many people want to buy your bird. What are these?They

are Marans. They have that cuckoo marking on the feathers. These are

quite pretty. Bluebells, they are a hybrid. They will lay very well,

but just beige eggs. Similarly them. That's a boy, you don't want that.

It would be easy to get it wrong in here. Yes.And get carried away?

Yes, that is very easy. One of the things is, before you start, find

out how much you are going to pay. And then double it? Probably!To

say it is confusing is to put it mildly. We have had some really

good advice and I have narrowed it down. We have the pretty ones, the

Bluebells, the grey ones, the Marans, which are not as pretty but

probably lay a better egg. I have my paddle and I'm going to see

which is the best. Marans. �10? �20? �30. �35? �35. 149. The rare

breeds auction here at Thainstone is a major event in the

smallholding calendar and with literally thousands of poultry and

animals being sold, it is a great day out with the family. And

tomorrow morning, brown eggs. Who's If you have any comments on

anything you see on the programme or have a wonderful story to share

with us, please drop us an email... The weather here at the Mills

Observatory in Dundee is absolutely stunning. But will it stay for the

weekend and beyond? Here's Christopher with the weather

It was a disappointing day across most of the country today and there

is no real improvement over the next five days. We have low

pressure tomorrow towards the north-west, this band of rain

across western parts to start things, damp and Cloudy and Cloudy

across the East but brighter skies and in that rain, a transfers

further east. Although fragmenting. By afternoon, it is a case of

frequent showers, brighter skies in between and temperatures

disappointing. And fairly breezy in the south, pushing those showers

through. Further north, the windows lighter so the showers could be

heavy but they will be with you for some time. Fairly cool across

Shetland. If hill walking or climbing, across the north-west it

starts wet but improves by the afternoon with brighter skies and

further south we hold on to that rain and cloud and hill fog across

the Galloway hills. Generally OK across the north-east, bright by

the afternoon but showers in the south and fairly cloudy and damp.

Inshore waters... And towards the And further north, towards Shetland,

we start with easterly wind. That'll be a cyclonic. And moderate

visibility. Into the evening, the showers fade away and it is

generally dry thanks to this ridge of high pressure settling things

down and overnight lows of around five - seven degrees. That high

pressure means that on Sunday morning, it is looking OK to start

the day, dry and bright across eastern parts but notice, waiting

in the wings, and other weather front bringing more rain. For the

second half of the weekend, dry and bright but wet in the west and

through the day, that rain makes its way further eastwards. And that

low pressure continues towards the new working week. Feeding more

showers and look at the source of that there, from the Arctic, so

rather chilly on Monday. Perhaps some wintry showers over the hills

and mountains and an heavier showers we could see some sleet.

Temperatures at nine or 10 degrees. Tuesday, no pressure sitting

towards the north-west, feeding in more showery rain and notice those

tight isobars. Temperatures, 10 or 12 degrees but in that rain,

feeling cooler. By Wednesday, hopefully that low-pressure pulling

away but it could be a frosty start. Sunshine and showers, temperatures

at 11 or 12 and the wind hopefully If you own a classic vintage car,

it in the garage rather than take it out on our congested and

increasingly potholed roads. But owners are bringing their cars to

Scotland, to tour through our spectacular scenery. I was given

the chance to join a rally in a On Landward we drive tens of

thousands of miles every year, bringing you stories from every

nook and cranny of Scotland. So when I was told I was doing a

driving item, I have to admit, I wasn't the most enthusiastic. Then

I discovered I would be getting a ride in a 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver

Ghost. My mood improved no end. My driver for the day is Blair Bonar-

Campbell, a 22-year-old student who inherited the car from his

grandfather when he was just 10. The car is just over here. Tell me

about this beautiful car? I got the car when my grandfather died. She

is a 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. With a Barker body and torpedo

style. She was originally ordered for John Sainsbury, who placed the

order in 1921. We presume it went off to India under the Maharaja's

ownership. It was purchased by us in 1975. My grandfather has toured

all around the world. Do you think you share your grandfather's

passion for vintage cars? I think it is one of those things that is

either in your blood or not. I would clean this car and he would

take me out in it. He would take it for the papers, just to give it a

run because that is what they deserve. Her name is Ermintrude.

She has a very similar personality to that of the flatulent cow from

The Magic Roundabout. So we got a lot of backfires. It's just

personality. It's brilliant. Shall Today, we are joining a unique

rally of classic cars. We are meeting them and travelling for

lunch. It is all part of a new tourism venture for the mega-rich

around the world. What we are trying to do is give owners of

these kind of cars unique experiences but we are also trying

to illustrate and showcase the best of Scotland as well, while we are

at it. For example, we're going to Drummond Castle, which is a

privately owned castle and estate. You cannot go in there. What we try

to do is create unique experiences for people. But they really have to

come with us to do that. I couldn't come along in my Ford Fiesta. It's

a pretty exclusive group? It is exclusive, yes, but it is nothing

to do with values and you certainly don't have to be hugely wealthy. We

try to encourage the classics, Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins, that

kind of thing and we have a pre- 1973 rule where the cars have to be

built before 1973, which to my mind, constitute a classic. Is it a

playground for the super-rich? can be. It is certainly not what we

are setting out to do. If you're super-rich and you want a really

high-quality, expensive experience, they do exist here. The thing about

attracting foreign visitors, are you hoping for them to bring their

vehicles over to this country? Absolutely, yes. Usually, if the

people have cars like that and are used to touring them, then they're

used to shipping the cars around as well. Some of the hardier ones will

drive but most of them will put them on a plane or a specialist

lorry, a shipping company, as well. Time to hit the road and I'm about

to go out in one of the most expensive and exclusive convoys

ever to be seen on the roads of Highland Perthshire. Shall we?

Don't stall, now! It's not so much how many miles to the gallon as how

20 miles with the top down, light rain. Bracing, I think, would

And while everyone else goes to have a slap of lunch in the big

house, this is a marvellous opportunity to look at these

wonderful cars. And Raymond Gray from the business is here. What is

your favourite on display today? guess the one we're standing next

to, this Porsche, it is a stunning automobile. What is it about this

one in particular? I like German build, personally. I guess it is

that and I love the whole styling of the whole car. It is nice but I

have a thing about this, it feels like a 1970s skateboard. This

little kick-tail. No, I think the lines are just beautiful. The

colour, it is just a glorious machine. Now, it is all very well

looking at this car is but it's more about sitting in them. Can I

drive one? Go on, then.My goodness! That smells beautiful.

1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Two- tone, as you can see. This is just

a beautiful thing. I will go as slow as I possibly can to make it

last as long as possible! A little trip to Edinburgh. He is having

lunch just now. How will he now? Apart from the fuel consumption.

You could say that all this is an ostentatious display of wealth and

that would be hard to argue with. But these cars were built with a

pride, a passion, a care and a love. And they are much more than just

getting from A to B, it is about the celebration of the journey. If

those people in there having that rather expensive lunch weren't

dedicated to their preservation, they might be lost forever. And

that, in my opinion, would be a Before I get back into our rather

dull crew car, just time to tell you what is coming up on next

week's programme. Sarah will be hearing about the revival in the

fortunes of longhorn cattle. When you see them in the parks, they

look like something from a bygone era. But with modern commercial

qualities, and that is really important. Ewan explores a

collection of photographs of rural life. It tells us a million stories.

And now we have the images to go with it, and that is very special.

And my epic cycle through the Western Isles continues. I will be

visiting a very special but fragile habitat found only in this part of

Scotland, it is called macher. So please join us for that and much,