0:00:19 > 0:00:23Hello, and a very warm welcome to a brand-new series of Landward.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26This week, I'm on the windswept slopes of Cairngorm
0:00:26 > 0:00:29where I'll be looking back at the winter we've just had,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and finding out about the development of skiing in Scotland.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Euan is on the trail of one of Scotland's most elusive animals.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Here's some tracks here, Euan. Two individuals by the look of it,
0:00:45 > 0:00:46running along this track.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48We have a Landward exclusive -
0:00:48 > 0:00:51sharing a controversial new publication
0:00:51 > 0:00:54comparing the economic benefit of forestry against farming.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01And we try to persuade the Edinburgh public to fall back in love
0:01:01 > 0:01:03with one of our greatest foods.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Just be very honest and take your time.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- That's really good, isn't it? - Yeah?- Yeah, lovely.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08You want to finish it off?
0:01:08 > 0:01:11No, it's all right, I'll finish this on the way down the road!
0:01:15 > 0:01:20But first, what a winter we've had - wet and windy.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24For once, they've had it much worse down south,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26with many areas underwater for months.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29For many of us, this winter has been striking
0:01:29 > 0:01:31because of the lack of snow.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The ground has stayed soft and very wet,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38which could cause major problems as we really get into lambing.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Here on Cairngorm there's lots of snow,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43meaning there's been a pretty good season.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47In fact, some of the centres over in the west are reporting
0:01:47 > 0:01:49the best snow for 20 years.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But with budget deals offering guaranteed holidays
0:01:52 > 0:01:55to the best snow conditions on the Continent,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58what does it take to compete in the snow business today?
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Running a ski centre in Scotland is a risky business.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I've been finding out about some of the early pioneers.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Back in 1892, a mountaineer called William Wilson Naismith
0:02:14 > 0:02:16headed up the Kilsyth Hills,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18strapped a pair of ash boards to his feet,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and, armed with a wooden pole, launched himself downwards.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And that was the birth of skiing in Scotland.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40From those early beginnings, skiing in Scotland has now grown
0:02:40 > 0:02:45into an industry worth £29 million a year.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Back in the early days, there were no tows,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50no cafes and no padded clothing.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54All those pioneering skiers needed was to be able to get to the snow.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59The first ski destination in Scotland was Ben Lawers,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02on the northern shore of Loch Tay.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05In the 1930s, there was no infrastructure,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07just a mountain and some snow.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12It would be 20 years before skiing became big business.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15By the 1950s, skiing was growing in popularity.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19People were becoming more mobile and wanted to ski further afield.
0:03:19 > 0:03:26Then, in 1955, the first fixed ski tow was built right here at Glencoe.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34NEWSREEL: Nowadays, they go up the easy way -
0:03:34 > 0:03:37the chairlift takes away all their backbreaking climb up.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44I'm taking a ride on the modern chairlift with Alan Baillie,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47now head of the ski patrol here at Glencoe.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51He's been skiing in Scotland for 50 years.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Nearly all people in those days, myself included,
0:03:54 > 0:04:00we took to skiing from climbing, so we were either rock climbers
0:04:00 > 0:04:05or hill walkers, and, well, this was another aspect of going to the hills.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The equipment obviously in those days and the type of skiing
0:04:09 > 0:04:12you would do, I would imagine being pretty different from today.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Pretty different from today.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18In those days, we were skiing on wee, narrow planks of wood, which...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It was completely different, lacing boots.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25And of course some of the clothing was pretty antique.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32With access into the hills becoming easier,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35the skiing movement really took off in the '60s and '70s
0:04:35 > 0:04:38when chairlift companies opened up all across the country,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and more than 100 ski clubs were formed.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Ed Rattray was one of the first members of the Aberdeen Ski Club.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The Aberdeen Ski Club, we bought hundreds of pairs of ex-Army skis,
0:04:57 > 0:05:04matched them up, and so forth, and the bus service was wonderful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:0920,000 people skiing on the Scottish mountains each weekend.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12It became an industry.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18As more and more people flocked to the newly created ski centres,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22it became clear that there was money to be made in the snow business.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24NEWSREEL: A unique holiday centre in the Highlands of Scotland,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28offering year-round facilities - that's the claim made for Aviemore.
0:05:31 > 0:05:3530 years later, there was a new kid on the block
0:05:35 > 0:05:37that gave the industry a further boost.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42A big change is of course snowboarding.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45And in actual fact, for some... For a while there,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I would have said that snowboarders kept the skiing going here.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54Snowboarders are slightly mad and they seem to be prepared
0:05:54 > 0:05:58to put up with conditions that more sensible skiers
0:05:58 > 0:05:59would call it a day.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03This season looks like it'll stretch well into April and even beyond.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Provisional figures for the season indicate
0:06:06 > 0:06:09the five Scottish ski centres are on track to equal
0:06:09 > 0:06:13last year's figure of 291,000 skiing days.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18With each skier estimated to spend £100,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21the industry looks to have a healthy future.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24As long as it continues to snow.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28When you consider it's just over 100 years
0:06:28 > 0:06:31since William Wilson Naismith strapped those wooden boards
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and hurled himself down the Kilsyth Hills,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Scottish skiing has come a long way.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43From the snow-covered tops of the Highlands
0:06:43 > 0:06:46to Euan in the Lowlands of Dumfries & Galloway.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51This is Eskdalemuir, an area of Dumfries and Galloway
0:06:51 > 0:06:53that sits to the north-east of Lockerbie.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58The area that I'm driving through at the moment
0:06:58 > 0:07:00was once an upland sheep farm.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05And it's now part of 50,000 acres of commercial forestry.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09The area is also subject to the specially commissioned report
0:07:09 > 0:07:12that has been exclusively revealed to Landward.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18The study analyses how much forestry is worth to the rural economy
0:07:18 > 0:07:21compared specifically to sheep farming.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27The research was prepared by an independent consultant
0:07:27 > 0:07:31working for Scotland's Rural College, but it was commissioned by ConFor,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35the body which represents the timber industry.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So I want to find out for myself what the findings mean -
0:07:38 > 0:07:41just how does forestry compare to farming?
0:07:43 > 0:07:48This report suggests that both rural Scotland and Scotland's farmers
0:07:48 > 0:07:51could benefit by turning away from sheep and towards forestry.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58In Eskdalemuir, the research suggests that
0:07:58 > 0:08:03farming puts £3.5 million into the local economy,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06compared to the £7 million spent by forestry.
0:08:06 > 0:08:12And that before subsidies, sheep farming loses over £400,000,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17while forestry generates a profit of just over £3 million.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Stuart Goodall is the Chief Executive of ConFor.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The report they commissioned only looks at Eskdalemuir,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31so do these figures apply to Scotland more widely?
0:08:31 > 0:08:34It's not something you could simply replicate everywhere,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38but what it does say is that that margin is so great that surely it
0:08:38 > 0:08:43must be a viable option for a farmer in many parts of Scotland to look
0:08:43 > 0:08:46at integrating forestry into their farm as an economic opportunity.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48What about jobs?
0:08:48 > 0:08:51If you look at the forest we're in just now,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54we've got a 1,000-hectare forest which is being harvested
0:08:54 > 0:08:58in different sections at a time, replanted,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01and the managers here are saying that they can support
0:09:01 > 0:09:05about eight, ten, possibly twelve full-time jobs
0:09:05 > 0:09:06on an ongoing basis.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08That's an awful lot more than it would be
0:09:08 > 0:09:10if it was under sheep farming.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11They're higher-paid jobs,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and what the report says is that those jobs
0:09:14 > 0:09:16are putting twice as much money into the local economy
0:09:16 > 0:09:18than a farming job would.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Which has got to be good for local people, as well.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28But that's not something John Tullie agrees with.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31He farms near Hawick in the Borders with his son, Andrew.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33All around them, farms have been planted up.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39If you look at the map here, obviously the existing forestry,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41long-standing Craik Forest and Eskdalemuir -
0:09:41 > 0:09:44large blocks of forestry that were planted back in the '60s.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The highlighted stuff that I filled in recently
0:09:47 > 0:09:50are farms that have gone in the last few years.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So these are farms that are actually now in forestry?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- They're now in forestry. - Wow, that's quite a lot, isn't it?
0:09:55 > 0:10:00Yeah, and that's what's happening. We're getting blanket forestry.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04It does nothing for the local community.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07One of the arguments is that it's actually going to be the same number
0:10:07 > 0:10:10of jobs, it will just be forestry jobs as opposed to sheep jobs.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Yes, but they're not local jobs.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Forestry crews move all over the country.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19There was a crew cutting trees down up here who came from Aberdeenshire.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22So, it's not... There are very few local jobs -
0:10:22 > 0:10:24people that are actually living in the community,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27forming part of the community, spending their money locally.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32You get a community spirit when everybody's got the same interests,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36a common feeling, we're losing a lot of that.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Come on. Come on, girls, come on.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48'Nigel Miller is president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'He is also a sheep farmer.'
0:10:51 > 0:10:53The figures, to me, just don't add up.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57They seem to be very extreme and maybe slightly taken out of context.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01The reality is that farms are the base of the community,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05they continually drive money into, I suppose, small villages.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08They also give employment every day of the year,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and that's pretty important if we want to actually see a lively
0:11:11 > 0:11:13or a living countryside.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Yeah, but the figures, you look at the figures,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18why should we stick with sheep farming when forestry,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22potentially, could be a major contributor to the Scottish economy?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I think forestry does contribute to the Scottish economy,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and I think we would recognise there is going to be planting
0:11:29 > 0:11:31to make sure that that cycle goes on.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33We've got some pretty big processing plants,
0:11:33 > 0:11:38but in reality it's a small player compared to agriculture.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Agriculture is the base of our biggest manufacturing industry -
0:11:41 > 0:11:42food and drink.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And we have big targets there to increase, by billions,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- our reach in world markets. - How do you square the two?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52You're saying that food and drink is a really important part
0:11:52 > 0:11:55of the Scottish economy, the figures suggesting that forestry
0:11:55 > 0:11:58could be a potentially massive part of the Scottish economy,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01do we have enough space for both of them to coexist?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Well, I think in many ways these aspirations,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07you know, are a car crash, the reality is we can't have both.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10If we are really interested in being a food producer,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13we've actually got to try and look at realistic forestry targets.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I've lived in and worked in Scotland's traditional farming area
0:12:18 > 0:12:21all my life, and I know how important farming is for our food supply
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and our communities.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25But I also have a degree in forestry,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29and the benefits of increased planting are undeniable.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31For me, it's a real dilemma,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and just one of the issues we'll be exploring in this series.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Now, remember Landward is your show,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43and we'd like to hear about the people, the places and the topics
0:12:43 > 0:12:46that you want to see on the programme. Send your ideas to...
0:12:50 > 0:12:52And now you can also go online
0:12:52 > 0:12:56to get the Landward five-day weather forecast at...
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And now I'm off to Edinburgh to give Nick a hand.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Across the series, we'll be sourcing the finest Scottish food
0:13:13 > 0:13:15from producers across the country.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20And cooking up their best offerings in our new Landward street food van.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I'll be Nick's not-so-glamorous assistant.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25We'll also be giving passers-by here in Edinburgh
0:13:25 > 0:13:26a taste of what we make.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And if there's one Scottish product that really needs to be championed,
0:13:35 > 0:13:40it's lamb. Because the rest of the UK eats 70% more than we do.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And ours is great.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Lambing season is in full swing for many farmers right now.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Most of the lambs born this spring will be sold for meat
0:13:49 > 0:13:51in autumn this year.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56But traditional breeds like blackface lamb take longer to mature -
0:13:56 > 0:13:59their meat is still succulent when they're a year old.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Today, we'll be preparing chops from last year's crop of blackie lambs.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08The lambs were reared by the McFadyen family in Perthshire.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Some of these sheep are going to market tomorrow.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14What are you looking for?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Well, we'll go through them all, handle them all,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19make sure that they've enough cover on them, enough flesh on them.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Nae point in selling things that have just got bones on them.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23They've got to have enough flesh.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Nice and slow. Whoa.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31So, George, sheep are the most intelligent four-legged creatures
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- on the planet, or not? Discuss. - Discuss?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Right, sheep have a lot of wit and intelligence.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41They just use it against you, Nick, that's the trouble.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42Right.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50I am a huge fan of the eating qualities of blackface lamb.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56Do you have any reason why blackface sheep taste so good?
0:14:57 > 0:14:58They're a wee bit older,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02so they've taken more time to absorb all the natural flavours
0:15:02 > 0:15:05that they've grown over in the past six or seven months on the hills,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09where they've got a wide diversification of natural pasture -
0:15:09 > 0:15:12a nibble of heather, a wee bite of strange herbs.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15But to get them finished and to get the flavour that we like,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18we've got to feed them hard in the last couple of months.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21So the ones that are ready for market get a wee spray.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Just a wee spray. Oh, it's a good lamb there.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Even with hands like that, I can hardly get over...
0:15:30 > 0:15:34I just like to feel them over their loin, which is where the chops are.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- That's a good lamb there. - This one?- This one, aye.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39When you put your hand on them,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42you'll feel if they're not ready, their backbone will come up.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Now, your butcher's kindly given me a couple of saddles
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and I'm going to take them into the heart of Edinburgh,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51onto Princes Street, and let the passers-by taste them.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55- What sort of reaction do you think I'm going to get?- I don't think they'll know what's hit them.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58They'll not have tasted anything as good as that.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Traditionally, we don't eat much lamb,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04as it is seen as being more expensive than chicken or pork,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08and it has a reputation for being a wee bit fatty.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10You've got these lovely little lamb chops.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12They're almost like little lollipops.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15What better way to challenge those perceptions
0:16:15 > 0:16:18than letting the people of Edinburgh taste Nick's lamb chops?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22OK, so, little bit of olive oil, bit of salt and pepper,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24some thyme and some garlic, onto a hot grill
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and we're just going to cook these until they're crispy on the outside.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31We'll keep them a little bit pink on the inside.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- I think lamb needs to be left a little pink. A leg of lamb can have...- It smells great.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- Oh, fantastic. - ..a long, slow cooking, yeah.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40There we go.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45A lovely bit of juicy fat in there.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47They smell so good. Really fantastic.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Now, the resting time for these is about three or four minutes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54We cook them for three or four minutes, we rest them for three or four minutes.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Let's see if we're not the only ones that love a bit of lamb.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04- Let's show them what they've been missing.- Absolutely.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- Can I interest you in some lamb chops?- No, thank you.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- I don't eat meat, thank you. - You don't eat meat? OK.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Give it a go, and...
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Could I interest you in some lamb chops?- No, it's OK.- No?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Exceptional.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- Can I interest you in some lamb chops?- No.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21So, it would appear that lamb's not very popular.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Just be very honest and take your time.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28- I love lamb chops.- Fire in. Have a wee taste of these boys.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Yeah.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- What do you think of that? - Mmm, very nice.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- Do you like?- Beautiful. - That's really good, isn't it?- Yeah?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- Yeah, that's lovely. - Definitely lamb.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Are you a vegetarian?- I'm sorry. - What about you?- Yeah.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- You're a vegetarian, too? - Yeah, sorry.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51I shouldn't ask you questions with your mouth full, should I?
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I've got one as well, they're delicious.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Do you want to finish it off?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57It's all right, I'll finish this on the way down the road!
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Nick, I've got rid of all mine.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03I've still got two left,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I seem to have found every vegetarian in Edinburgh.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09It's quite incredible, cos some of the people I said, "Would you like a lamb chop?"
0:18:09 > 0:18:10They were going, "Oh, no, not lamb!"
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It's amazing that a lot of people in Scotland
0:18:13 > 0:18:14are just not into it at all.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'Well, it seems some of the Edinburgh public are going to need
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'a little more persuasion to eat more Scotch lamb.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:24'And we'll be celebrating more of Scotland's best producers
0:18:24 > 0:18:25'across the series.'
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Next week, I'll be cooking ceviche scallops -
0:18:29 > 0:18:33that's raw scallops cured with lime juice, chilli and coriander.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- Raw?- Raw.- I look forward to that. I think.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Now, from Edinburgh, we're off to Glenmore Forest in the Cairngorms
0:18:48 > 0:18:50where Euan is looking for pine martens.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Once common in woods across the UK, pine martens were driven
0:18:57 > 0:19:01almost to extinction after being trapped and shot by gamekeepers.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Today, pine martens are protected by the full force of the law
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and numbers are slowly increasing.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Here at the Glenmore Forest Park near Aviemore,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13the population is thriving.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I'm meeting Kenny Kortland, who's in charge of a Forestry Commission
0:19:21 > 0:19:23project to study the behaviour of pine martens,
0:19:23 > 0:19:29with the long-term aim of reintroducing them to England.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Pine martens, what happened?
0:19:31 > 0:19:32Well, a couple of hundred years ago,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35the forests in Scotland had largely disappeared
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and there was a lot of illegal persecution,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41so their population shrank back to a wee fragment on the West Coast.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And you're tagging them at the moment, why?
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Well, we want to learn about how to manage the forest to help them,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50we want to learn more about where they rear their young
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and where they sleep, because we don't understand that very well.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55We have to protect them from forestry operations.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- But they are here?- Definitely here, there's probably at least 20 animals in this forest.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04'And it's not long before we spot signs that the martens are nearby.'
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Here's some tracks. You can see they've been along this track.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08These are pine marten tracks?
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Yeah, these are marten tracks. Two individuals, by the look of it,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- running along this track, and they commute along these tracks really frequently.- So they're quite big?
0:20:17 > 0:20:20They're pretty big, yeah. Like a slender domestic cat.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21Just trotting along the track here?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Absolutely, yeah - it's easier to walk along,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25just like the way we use tracks.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- You've got some traps out here?- Yeah, we've got ten traps in the forests
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and we're trying to catch them, so we'll go and check one out.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35'To help the pine marten population thrive,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37'Kenny and his team need to know more about them.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41'But first we have to catch them using a series of cage traps
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'set into areas that they are likely to run through.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- It's pretty well camouflaged, isn't it?- Yeah, absolutely,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- we cover the traps with moss. - So, the moment of truth.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Yeah, we've got an animal in there, so that's great.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'Many people go their whole lives without seeing a pine marten,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'but today is my lucky day.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Is this a dangerous operation?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's not dangerous, but it's a wee bit tricky.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And there we have a pine marten.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12We've got to get the animal from this cage trap into this sack, Euan,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and that's the tricky bit. You can see she's...
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It looks like a female, because of the size.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20She's pulled in all this material to make a wee bed.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- You've got to have a licence to do this, haven't you?- Absolutely.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26You can help us, but you can't hold the animal.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So the idea is to put this on the end here.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35'The Forestry Commission are hoping to tag ten pine martens
0:21:35 > 0:21:39'as part of the project, but putting a collar on a predator like this
0:21:39 > 0:21:40'is a tricky business.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:42That's perfect.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46'One mistake with teeth as sharp as these
0:21:46 > 0:21:49'could result in a very nasty bite.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:57So the idea now is just to get her into the corner,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59so just gently feel for...
0:21:59 > 0:22:01what's the front end and what's the back.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- So you're going to tag it today? - Yes, going to tag it right now.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07This is the tricky bit.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Just gently hold her.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12There we go.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Yeah.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Wow.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21The colour of that. It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- It looks remarkably unfazed.- Yeah.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28That's the good thing about working with martens,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30is that once you get hold of them,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and I'm not really holding her tightly,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35I'm just preventing her from moving her head round and biting me,
0:22:35 > 0:22:36they're quite calm.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38And I can feel her heart rate slowing down now.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40So is this quite new technology, then?
0:22:40 > 0:22:45Yes, it's the latest generation of GPS tags, so the tag can...
0:22:45 > 0:22:47We've got them set to work for eight months,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and they take a fix every hour, so we get a vast amount of data.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53And we'll know exactly where she lives
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and what sort of habitat she is using.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57And what's the long-term aim for this?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The long-term aim is, animals might be taken to England,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and there's certainly plenty of habitat down there for them.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04So they were widespread in England at one point?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Absolutely, and then they were persecuted a few centuries ago
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and became extinct in England.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And the work we are doing here could help them in England
0:23:12 > 0:23:13if they wanted to reintroduce them,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16because they'll probably want to track the animals,
0:23:16 > 0:23:17if they release any, so this is kind of
0:23:17 > 0:23:19a forerunner to that, potentially.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Quite exciting potential, isn't it? - Absolutely, yes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24The collar may look big, but research has shown
0:23:24 > 0:23:28that the pine martens adapt quickly to the extra weight.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The data it collects should reveal fascinating details
0:23:32 > 0:23:36about how the pine martens survive and how they hunt their prey,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39mostly small animals like squirrels and nice.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47This has been really amazing.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49They're beautiful animals at the best of times,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52but right up close, it is just awesome.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Beautiful wee eyes, and those teeth, just an incredible animal.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And hopefully, we'll come back in the autumn and recatch it,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and learn some valuable data to help it survive
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and possibly even make it down to England.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06So, very gently...
0:24:06 > 0:24:08We're going to put her back in the wild.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14OK, my dear.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25And there she goes.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Earlier in the programme,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I found out about the development of skiing in Scotland,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40and I'm now off to meet someone who was involved in setting up
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Glencoe, Cairngorm and Nevis Range ski centres.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47She's also a climber, an author, a canoeist,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and in the truest sense of the word, an adventurer.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Now in her eighties, Myrtle Simpson, who was born in Hampshire,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01lives in the shadow of the Cairngorms.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04One of the pioneers of Scottish skiing,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08she eventually became chair of the Scottish National Ski Council.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11As a young woman, she started work as a radiographer
0:25:11 > 0:25:14at the Belford Hospital in Fort William.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16She didn't have much money to live,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19so she camped at the foot of Ben Nevis.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23People in Fort William, they thought I was pretty odd.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Radiographers didn't get much cash, so anyway, I camped.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Had a good tent, and a Primus,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and I'd get up early and wash my face in the hospital
0:25:33 > 0:25:35before the patients came along, and it was just magic.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Myrtle then set herself up as a mountain guide on Ben Nevis,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43but soon, she aspired to higher peaks,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48and travelled to Peru, where she made some notable first ascents.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49Oh, we climbed the highest peak.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52That's the Huascaran. 22,000 feet.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56We saw the sun on the summit. Magic, magic hill, and thought,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59"Well, we've got a week left. Let's give it a go."
0:25:59 > 0:26:04So we just went for it, just the three of us, carrying our own stuff.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06When she returned from Peru,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Myrtle married her fellow climber Hugh.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Their next destination, the Arctic.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16And then I found I was pregnant.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Baby, last thing I wanted,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22but it never occurred to me that I wouldn't go too.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- So we took the young baby with us. - What age?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28He was six weeks.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31What were people saying about you taking a six-week-old baby
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- to the Arctic?- Well, the Lapps thought it perfectly natural.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37What about here, though? Did anyone make comments about it?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Yes, a lot of people said why didn't I leave the baby at home,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44but I thought I didn't want to do that.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51How did you balance family life with your spirit of adventure?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Well, we always took the kids.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I mean, one of the problems was the equipment.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01None of the shops sold equipment.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06I had to make their anoraks and things like that.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Kids just love the outdoors.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It's been an outdoor life all the way,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18from skiing across Greenland to expeditions to China.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22In later life, she spent more time at home, acting as a consultant
0:27:22 > 0:27:25to some of Scotland's growing number of ski centres.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28A lot of people would look at your life
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and the stories you have from it
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and say that it's remarkable and pioneering.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35How do you react to those kind of...
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Oh, I don't think people really think that. They think...
0:27:38 > 0:27:41"Nutter." You know. "That's a nutcase."
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I love to go to somewhere new, and whenever I go,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49I like to know where I am.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54We have to have a sense of place, and if you've got that,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57you want to go and push over the boundaries and look over the horizon.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01A remarkable woman, and one of the people we have to thank
0:28:01 > 0:28:05for the vibrant mountain sports industry we have in Scotland.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14On next week's programme,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19could scallop ranching become as successful as salmon farming?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21And is it time to stop
0:28:21 > 0:28:24the controversial culling of mountain hares?
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Please join us next week
0:28:26 > 0:28:30at the slightly later time of 7:30 on BBC 2 Scotland.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34In the meantime, from all of us here in the hills,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36let's hope the snow sticks around.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Thanks for your company. Bye for now.