Episode 8 Landward

Landward, putting the spotlight on our great landscape, wildlife and

produce. In a moment, I will be setting off on the final part of my

journey between Barra and the Butt of Lewis. But, first, here is what

else is coming up on the programme. Nick visits the Royal Botanical

Gardens. Some of these are now extinct in the

wild. And, if it wasn't for collections like this, we might

never even have known that they existed.

Euan joins the Air Ambulance Service. OK? Yeah, you survived,

Euan. You know, closing your eyes is good advice. Yeah.

And we meet the rare ponies with a Greek heritage.

??VYAN They look after themselves all winter and then, come next

spring, the locals caught them again I'm on the final leg of my trip

through the Western Isles, on the increasingly popular cycle route

will cycle straight to Stornoway, where the ferry port is to the

mainland. But some will insist on cycling all the way to the northern

tip of the island, or the Butt of in the tiny township of Arnal, to

see a slice of Hebridean life, a black house. And it is as

Hebridean as peat fires and Bannock cakes. This one, at number 42 Arnal,

is almost exactly as it was when the last family moved out in 1966.

Marlene Macleod from Historic Scotland is here to show me round.

So tell me this - why is it called a black house, then? See over there?

In the 1900s, when the white houses were built, they had to

differentiate the two, so they called them the white houses and,

behind you, the black houses. that's a white house and that's a

black house? But what about the architectural significance of this

place? What's going on here? Well, the black house is double-walled

and, in the centre of the wall, they used the ash from the fire and the

peat dust and blue clay and mixed it together, compacted it and that was

their insulation. See could call it your cavity wall insulation of

today. Shall we have a look inside? Yes, come on. Shall we go that way?

The occupants of the black house shared the living space with their

livestock. People at one end, animals at the other. Now, I would

imagine it would be quite smelly in here. Well, yes, the cows, as you

can see over there, that's where the cows were and hens were there as

well. But, in 1886, with the new legislations coming about, that's

why the white house was built as it wasn't very good for animals and

humans to be in the same house. Right. They thought there was health

risks. So the white house had a byre attached to it? Yes, it was an

outside byre. It was actually completely separate from the

building, they weren't built attached, the way the black houses

were. This is the bedroom area of the black house and, as you can see,

there's the two box beds and each of the box beds would probably sleep

about four or five. Four or five?! My goodness, they're tiny. So it

might be all women in one and all men in the other. That's the kind of

thing it was. But the families all shared and there was another box bed

in the living area as well. That was traditionally Granny's bed because

it was in beside the fire and that's where the older person in the house

would sleep. That's a great heat. Now, the one thing you notice

straight away... There's no chimney. No. They didn't want a chimney

because the smoke actually helped seal the roof and, because all of

the roof materials are organic, that is what keeps it... Otherwise, if

there was no fire, the roof would cave in. The peat, when you look up

there, it turns into soot. And, every year, they would take off the

thatch above the fire, and they used the scrapings of soot and that was

used as a fertiliser for the potatoes. Oh, right.So everything

local traditions have never died. And this includes the cutting of

peat to use as fuel, which is traditionally done in the spring,

when the peat is often at its driest. I'm here to meet John D

right. How are you doing? I'm very well. How are you doing? I can shake

your hand. That's fine! They're not dirty, they're just mucky. Take me

through the process. How do you go about cutting it and can I give you

a hand here? This tool you are using here, is that a specific

peat-cutting tool? Yes, it is. It's specifically for peat stripping. He

puts it in, steps on here and that cuts it down, all the way down. Keep

going, keep going. That's it. Now take it forward a wee bit. And then

back, all the way. That's it. There we are. That's good. So what is this

tool called, John? I never got the name of it. It's called... It's

called a talisker. Talisker. Like the whisky? Yeah, same thing.Same

thing. There you go. Unfortunately, it doesn't taste quite as good.

how would this have worked in a crofting township, then? How would

the process have worked? They would have set six or eight men, working

the talisker. So two men here, two men here, two men here, at the

various levels. So, in one day, you could cover the whole family.

And this went all round the village. And you take your turns the help out

your neighbour? Exactly. Do more or less exactly the same thing every

time. Well, thanks to John and Marlene for a real taste of

traditional Hebridean life. Only a couple of miles to go now to

wind is at your back, the road is so flat most of the way that the bike

winds and horizontal rain can be just as common. So take all-weather

landscape is pristine and you'll see some of the best beaches in the

world. There's wildlife everywhere and the people are always welcoming.

So would I recommend cycling the Scotland. Earlier in the series, we

featured our top five iconic wild animals. Over the next four weeks,

Nick will be finding out about our has a collection of over 15,000

plant species, making it the second richest collection in the world. As

well as being one of Edinburgh's premier tourist attractions, the

garden is also a globally important of the Botanic Garden, the part the

public don't get to see very often. What happens in here? Well, we use

these plants for all sorts of different types of research and, in

this one house alone, we're doing research on pollination and on

evolution and many other things. In fact, all the plants outside are

also of research potential and could be used for research because they

are carefully recorded, we know where they've come from, who's

collected them and so on. But, like any museum or library, we specialise

in particular areas. So we don't try to grow every single plant in the

world. We couldn't, we'd get in a complete mess. What we do is we

specialise on particular groups of plants which are relevant, either

historically or from our research or, indeed, climactically. Now, in

world terms, where does the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden

figure? Well, we like to think we're pretty high up there. There are more

botanic gardens in the world than people might think. There are nearly

2,500 botanic gardens. Some botanic Gardens only specialise in plants

from their own country. But we have a global reach. Partly because of

our empire and colonial background. We've got a lot of historic material

but we are working in 44 different countries at the moment and we have

contacts with at least 80 different countries' and botanic gardens

around the world. So we are truly the Royal Botanic Garden also houses

the dead collection. There's a herbarium. It has over three million

preserved specimens. That is half of Dried flowers - why do we need to

collect dried flowers? Well, the thing is, the plants are pressed

flat and dried out and then they're stored in these cabinets. We have

about three million of them here, going back to the early 18th century

and some a little bit earlier, including plants collected by Darwin

on the Beagle. So quite historic as well. So this little dried flower,

that was actually collected by Darwin's expedition on the Beagle?

Yes, indeed. In 1831 to 1836, during that voyage. So there are some very

interesting historic collections here. But most of it is here to

support research. These plants are collected in the field by scientists

working in the countries that they specialise in or in a particular

plant group they specialise in. And it's not just the flowering planys

like the daisies and the lilies and the trees but also we work on mosses

and liverworts and lichens as well, so a whole range of the plant

kingdom. Sometimes when you try to describe a plant, you need to have

the flowers and the fruits and maybe look at the roots as well and the

shoots and leaves and, if you look at a plant out in the garden, at one

time of year, it's maybe only flowering. Another time of year,

it's only seeding. But the thing about having herbarium specimens is

you can have a group of specimens covering all the different stages of

growth, so you can get all of that information together and then

describe the size and shape and arrangement. Are you still

collecting and adding to it? Absolutely. This is work that's

required now more than ever before. And so one of the latest

conservation projects, called the Global Strategy for Plant

Conservation, the number one target is to recognise that we must have a

complete world checklists of all the known plants. We must know what's in

the world before we can ever hope to conserve it. And while there are

about 400,000 species of plants in the world, we think, there are more

being discovered all the time and places like botanic gardens are

cataloguing and listing plants, liverworts, lichens and mosses.

There still may be thousands out there to be discovered. And we must

find out what there is out there before it's all lost and it's too

late. Now, even little, small, seemingly insignificant things like

mosses and liverworts, they're very important to the environment, aren't

they? They are, absolutely. They are too easily neglected and overseen

but they are important in what we sometimes call ecosystem services,

making sure the water we drink and have is clean, making sure the air

we have is clean, stopping erosion and they lock up carbon as well, so

every species plays an important role. Even the smallest little

plants, they are all there and they glimpses of the present, the past

and even the future. And it's poignant to think that some of these

are now extinct in the wild. And, if it wasn't for collections like this,

we might never even have known that they existed. Next week, I'll be

finding out about the nation's fighting to save the rare Skyrian

ponies. Recent research has shown that they're unrelated to any other

horse and pony breeds that we have tested so far. So they constitute a

a vital service, getting sick and injured people from remote areas to

hospital as quickly as possible. Euan spend the day with one of their

crews to find out more about their Every year, thousands of people rely

on an air ambulance to get them to hospital fast and in remote, rural

areas, that airlift could be a matter of life or death. I will just

sit here for now. All right, nice and still. Today I am on a training

exercise with Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance. The latest addition to

front-line emergency services. Predictably, I am the casualty. Not

the most comfortable experience in the world(!) I know. Ready, steady,

roll. There you go. Get us the head blocks, please.

Here in Scotland, the government funds two helicopters and two

fixed-wing air ambulances based in Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen. But

this helicopter is funded entirely by charity. I think there is a limit

to the government funding, it is finite funding. It is not possible

to stretch that any further. So a charity comes in. They are 18

charity air ambulances in England. It works very well down there. It is

a coming together of the state-funded part and the

charity-funded part to provide more value and capacity across the

country. You OK in there, sir? Yep, as good

as it gets. Once we are up in the air we will get you sitting up a

bit. All ready?Yeah, I'm good. Fuel's come in, temperatures rising,

blades are turning... The helicopter crew is made up of

two paramedics and a pilot. Alex Holden is the paramedic charged with

looking after me on this flight. Do you know what you are going to be

doing when you get into the chopper? Yeah, we all have specific roles.

Obviously, starting with safety and then obviously navigation and once

we get to the patient it is patient care. And then arranging hospitals

that we are going to go to. Some of these hospitals we have never been

in before, so they will be new to us. Any further treatment that we

would need to give you, we would be giving you at the moment. Yeah.We

would be making radio communications with the hospital explaining what

was wrong with you, when we would be there and if you were needing any

further interventions once we got there. As well as that, we are

obviously planning navigation things such as how to get to hospital, if

there is any risks en route and... We take you in, drop you off, hand

you over to the doctors and then It has been identified that there

will be a rise over the next eight years so in demand on helicopter air

ambulances in Scotland. If the Inverness aircraft has gone north,

the Glasgow one has gone west to support the islands then we can

support the main part of mainland Scotland. We are looking at 450

hours flying in the first year, an average mission length of maybe an

hour to one hour 15 minutes and that works out to be affecting the lives

of over 300 people in year one. That is a hugely significant number.

Especially if you are on the That is us down now. Once we

shutdown we will get you out of the aircraft to get you back on your

feet, OK? It is fine after the initial

You know, now it is over it is fantastic, but it must be a real

daunting experience. It is quite disorientating, but now we are back

on the land it is quite relaxing. Just close your eyes. Keep them

close until you get to the end, OK? Closing your eyes is good advice.

is very rewarding. Being part of this operation with the charity and

the ambulance service coming together, it is really a new venture

for Scotland and a new challenge for everyone involved. It is exciting

times. It will take off and be successful and we will save lives.

Is he OK? Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance went live this week and I

think it is going to be a fantastic If you have a comment about anything

you see on the programme or have a wonderful story to share with us,

wonderful story to share with us, wonderful story to share with us,

drop us an e-mail The weather here in Glen Clova is

breezy and a bit overcast but what about the prospects for this weekend

and beyond? To find out here is Christopher Blanchett with the

morning. We have this thick cloud across the Hebrides. For the

mainland in the Northern Isles tomorrow it is dry and find with

blue skies and plenty of bright sunshine. It will feel pleasantly

sunshine. It will feel pleasantly warm. By the time you reach mid

afternoon it will feel quite pleasant.

Slightly cooler across the West calls across the island. 11 or 12

Celsius. Coming inland through part of Aberdeenshire and Perthshire it

will be around 19 or 12 Celsius. Lovely conditions on the hills and

for climbing. Winds will be light. Some chance of that workload and

outbreaks of rain. Similar for the eastern ranges. Fantastic

visibility. We have very clean air. Good conditions. For the seventh at

target. The wind is very light. Over towards the ease, there should be

smooth seas and good as ability. -- good visibility. That weather front

works its way inland overnight but it will fragment as it does so. As

we head through toward Sunday, that weather front continues to track its

way forward. It will bring brighter skies but it will still be dry also.

One or two spots of rain here and there. It should be dry and bright.

Temperatures around 15 or 16 Celsius. Foreman baby have this area

of low pressure working its way. The winds will strengthen and there will

be some heavy rain, particularly across the south-west. Temperatures

will drop down to 12 Celsius at best. For Tuesday and Wednesday that

area of low pressure tracks its way southwards. A number of showers will

be feeding and on that east to south-east wind. In between the

showers there are some bright skies to enjoy. Temperatures around 13 or

14 Celsius. On Wednesday it is a similar story with brighter skies

and a number of showers. Winds while the later and they are towards the

the later and they are towards the north-east.

An award-winning Jedburgh vet is behind a project to save a rare

breed of pony that originates in the Greek Islands. Sarah has been to

find out more about the ponies and to meet this year's foals.

The Skyrian horse is a breed native to the Greek island of Skyros. They

are one of the rarest breeds in the world and standing at an average of

nine to 11 hands high, they are also Outside Greece, the only breeding

programme for Skyrians is right here in Scotland. Borders vet Sheila

Brown is dedicated to preserving the diminutive breed. How rare are they?

They are on the Food and Agricultural Organisation

Critical-Maintained List, which means that globally we have less

than 120 breeding mares and stallions. And the only breeding

herd outside Greece is right here in Scotland. It is in Scotland, yes.

And currently it numbers 28 altogether. They look totally

different from any other horse or pony certainly that I have seen

anyway. Characterwise, they are so curious about people, they do not

shy away from people they do not know, they will come up and

introduce themselves to you. They are also so kind, very gentle and

very docile animals, which makes them so responsive and rewarding to

How these little horses came to be in Skyros is lost in the mists of

time. Legend has it that they pulled the chariot that took Achilles into

battle against Troy and that these tiny horses are the equines depicted

Up until mechanisation reached Skyros in the 1960s, the locals used

them for farming and for traction. They were brilliant tied up to

thresh and they used to go round and round in circles threshing the corn.

And then when they had finished, they would let them go and they

would look after themselves on the mountains of Skyros. They would look

after themselves all winter and then come next spring, next harvest time,

the locals caught them again and use them for farming and traction. But

then when they got machines to do that, that became unnecessary so

nobody bred them and their numbers fell. What are numbers like in

Greece at the moment? In Greece itself, only about 100-110 breeding

animals, throughout the whole of Over the last decade, the number of

Skyrian horses in Greece has increased as the importance of

preserving rare breeds is recognised and in Scotland, numbers are growing

too. Some of the original herd were brought here to the Campbell Estate

in Fife and our timing couldn't be more perfect because last night one

So, Catherine, we are pretty lucky today, aren't we, because you have

just had a recent addition? It is perfect timing, isn't it? Yes. This

one arrived on Saturday and the new little filly arrived yesterday

morning. So two new foals?Two new foals in the last few days and one

more to go. How big a herd do you have? Well, we just have the three

mares and the one stallion. We got the mares two years ago and the

stallion arrived this time last year. I suppose in terms of the

breeding herd generally, how important is it that we recognise

that this breed is very rare and preserve it? I think it is very

important with all breeds. Once you have discovered this rare breed,

yes, you have to try to keep them as pure as you can and spread them

around Scotland so that we get more Now, I understand you are on the

lookout for people to help keep the breed alive in this country, is that

right? That is correct. Because they are such a unique genotype. I mean,

recent research has shown that they are unrelated to any other horse and

pony breed that we have tested so far, so they constitute a unique

genetic resource and it beholds us to not let them get extinct at all.

Our aim is to promote and maintain them as much as possible. Now in

Scotland at the moment, we have breeders and keepers in Dumfries,

East Lothian, in Fife and Perthshire and recently in Argyll, but we have

very, very limited numbers. We have one breeding pair that we would like

to find a knowledgeable and experienced home for, someone to

help us join our breeding programme in Scotland. So you are basically

looking for someone to take on a pair of these ponies and look after

them? That's right and eventually as they get old enough to breed from

them and then to join us in keeping the numbers up to a satisfactory

With less than and 200 Skyrian horses left in the world, the breed

are in critical danger. So any increase in their herd numbers here

in Scotland will help to secure The rare and rather beautiful

Skyrian ponies and their Border saviour. Now, I've just got time to

tell you what's coming up on next weeks programme: Nick explores the

Royal Botanical Gardens. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

has started its own search for Scotland's top five plants.

We find out how sheep are helping to tackle the problem of giant hogweed.

The black-faced sheep because of the pigment in their skin was very rare

if not at all affected. And we meet the first of three

amateur weather forecasters. long do you actually spend each day

forecasting? Probably about six-plus hours! And you are still married?!

Yes, exactly. She's got a lot of So please join us for that and much