0:00:20 > 0:00:24Today's Landward is looking at one of Scotland's most famous
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and challenging rivers - the mighty Spey.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Renowned for its salmon fishing, whisky industry and wildlife,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37the Spey is vital to the local economy.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40We'll be exploring its past, its future,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and asking if it can survive a major threat from the present.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48We'll also be finding out about how the waters of the Spey have shaped
0:00:48 > 0:00:52the environment and the lives of the people who live along its banks.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The river begins its 100-mile journey at Loch Spey,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59ten miles south of Fort Augustus.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02From here it winds its way to Spey Bay,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04where it empties into the Moray Firth.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Flowing from the Monadhliath Mountains to the fertile
0:01:07 > 0:01:10flood plains of the river delta, the Spey is known by anglers
0:01:10 > 0:01:15around the world for the quality of its trout and salmon fishing.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17It's famous for whisky too.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Nearly half of all Scotch whisky is produced on its banks,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and is worth millions of pounds to the local economy.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30The river is also home to a wide range of wildlife, which makes it
0:01:30 > 0:01:32a Special Area of Conservation.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36And we'll be exploring some of this rich wildlife and history
0:01:36 > 0:01:39later in the programme, as Euan goes in search of
0:01:39 > 0:01:42one of the river's most iconic species.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46We are in the right area, so I'm confident we should find some soo...
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Ah, here we go.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Sarah finds out about the Spey's most devastating flood.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The height of the water would have been as high as the bridge?
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Towards the top of that arch there.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02And I will be experiencing first-hand why the Spey is
0:02:02 > 0:02:05one of the most popular rivers in Scotland for canoeists.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Whoo!
0:02:15 > 0:02:19But, first, Euan is near the head of the Spey to find out what impact
0:02:19 > 0:02:22the amount of water diverted from the river
0:02:22 > 0:02:25for industry and energy could have downstream.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32From its beginnings high in the mountains,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36the Spey and its many tributaries create a catchment which amounts to
0:02:36 > 0:02:40a massive 36,500 kilometres of waterways.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45The Spey may be famous the world over for its salmon fishing
0:02:45 > 0:02:49but it's also a major resource for hydroelectric power generation,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and dams like this one on the Spey near Laggan
0:02:52 > 0:02:55are responsible for massive amounts of renewable energy.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01At the moment there are two main hydro schemes, both diverting water
0:03:01 > 0:03:04out of the catchment area.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08The dam here at Laggan diverts water to power an aluminium plant
0:03:08 > 0:03:11at Fort William, and Scottish and Southern Energy takes
0:03:11 > 0:03:15the water from the Spey tributaries the Tromie and the Truim
0:03:15 > 0:03:19for its hydro scheme in Loch Tummel. That water ends up in the Tay.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27This is renewable energy generation on a massive scale.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Great stuff, but, with up to half the water being
0:03:30 > 0:03:34extracted from this part of the Spey, the effects are obvious.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Without extraction I'd be up to my waist in water because,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40quite simply, what you do at the upper part of the river
0:03:40 > 0:03:42has an impact further down.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Research commissioned by the Spey Fishery Board suggests
0:03:49 > 0:03:52taking out so much water from the Spey catchment is having
0:03:52 > 0:03:55an adverse effect on the ecology of the river.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I'm meeting up with the director, Roger Knight,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and his dog Rannoch on the banks of the River Truim to find out more.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08What we have here is a diversion by Scottish and Southern Energy
0:04:08 > 0:04:10taking water from the Spey catchment
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and over into the Tay catchment in order to generate hydroelectricity.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- So this is water that would be going down the Spey.- Absolutely.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Yes, it is.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21To help compensate for that diversion,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- they provide a small compensation flow here.- It's not much, is it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- No.- That doesn't look like it's going to fill up a whole Spey river.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31It's not much in comparison to the volumes of water being taken away.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- And there's other areas, it's not just this one.- It's not.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41Currently almost 20% of the average annual flow of the River Spey
0:04:41 > 0:04:44is abstracted or diverted out of the catchment.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And, if we look at the upper one third of the Spey catchment,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52up to almost half of the flows in that area are diverted,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55transferred out of the catchment.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57'And there's probably more to come.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01'Increased industry, house building and the re-watering
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'of the River Garry will all mean removal of water from the Spey.'
0:05:06 > 0:05:09What's the potential problem with this?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Because it's a bit of a cliche but this is the lifeblood of the Spey.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15This is tens of thousands of people, there are communities,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- there are people that depend on this river for their jobs.- Yes, it is.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Apart from the distilling industry,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24we have a significant salmon-fishing industry here
0:05:24 > 0:05:28that generates some £15 million per year for the local economy.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31That's money that is going to hotels, bed and breakfasts,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33shops, local businesses.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Instead of looking at these licensed abstractions
0:05:36 > 0:05:38on an individual case-by-case basis,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42we've been encouraging the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
0:05:42 > 0:05:45to look holistically at the cumulative impact that
0:05:45 > 0:05:49all of these abstractions are having on the Spey catchment as a whole.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Could you not be accused of scaremongering? You're just trying to protect it for the toffs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56No, I don't think we are, because the river can only sustain
0:05:56 > 0:05:58a certain amount of abstraction,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02beyond which you start to have an adverse impact on the ecology
0:06:02 > 0:06:07and on the environment, and I think we've now reached that point.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10We asked the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
0:06:10 > 0:06:13if they think there's a problem. They told us...
0:06:18 > 0:06:21"Any additional requirement to abstract water from the River Spey
0:06:21 > 0:06:25"would need to go through a formal licensing process,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29"as part of which SEPA would carry out a full environmental assessment."
0:06:37 > 0:06:40This is a massive story.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I fully accept the needs for renewable power generation
0:06:43 > 0:06:46in this country but earlier this year I was asked
0:06:46 > 0:06:48to open the salmon fishing on the Spey
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and I can see the potential impact on the livelihoods
0:06:51 > 0:06:54of the tens of thousands of people that depend on this river.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The Spey is the lifeblood of communities
0:06:57 > 0:07:01that stretch 157 kilometres from the mountains to the sea.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Like many stories we cover on Landward, this is a finite resource,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11and you can only take for so long before it will have an impact.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Whether we've reached that stage yet is up to the planning authorities.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23While Euan has been learning what effect a lack of water could have,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Sarah has been finding out what happened when there was too much.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33On the 3rd of August 1829, the north-east of Scotland
0:07:33 > 0:07:37witnessed one of the most catastrophic floods ever recorded.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41For two whole days a mighty storm raged.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44At least eight people lost their lives
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and nearly 300 families were left destitute.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52The flood went down in history as the Muckle Spate,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55the likes of which had never been seen before.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59As the water thundered downstream it swept away homes, businesses,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03livestock and even many of the sturdy granite bridges
0:08:03 > 0:08:04that crossed the river.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Today one of the most visible reminders of the flood
0:08:12 > 0:08:13is here at Carrbridge -
0:08:13 > 0:08:18the iconic ruined bridge over the Dulnain, a tributary of the Spey.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22On August 2nd there was a really big storm brewing in the north Atlantic...
0:08:22 > 0:08:27'I'm here to meet Professor Alan Werrity from the University of Dundee,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'a geographer who has studied this historic event.'
0:08:32 > 0:08:35What happened here? What happened to this bridge?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39This is a bridge that goes back to 1717,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42so it had been around for nearly a hundred years or so.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46As you can see from what remains of it, it just about survived.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The wings of the bridge, according to a contemporary account,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- were taken out. - And so most of it was swept away?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Most of it was swept down the River Dulnain.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58So, just to give us an impression,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02the height of the water would have been as high as the bridge?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I imagine it would have been towards the top of that arch there.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Towards the top of the arch?- Yes. - That's incredible.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I mean, people locally must have never seen the likes before.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15They thought this was an act of God and some of them
0:09:15 > 0:09:19who were good Presbyterians thought it was because of their sinfulness.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Such was the impact of the floods,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29they were immortalised in the art and poetry of the era.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36This poem, The Muckle Spate, was written by David Grant in 1851.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42An' then for fouran'twenty hoors There followed a doonfa'
0:09:42 > 0:09:44The like o' which, sin' Noah's flood
0:09:44 > 0:09:45The warl' never saw.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52How badly were people affected by this?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56The contemporary accounts tell us
0:09:56 > 0:09:59that as many as 300 families were rendered destitute,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02particularly in the catchment covered by the River Findhorn.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05There were eight people who died.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Many bridges were taken out.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Farms down on the valley floor would have been swept away.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14The livestock would have drowned, the fields flattened.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17The level of destitution for the people
0:10:17 > 0:10:20living in this area would have been really severe.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And we estimate that it's perhaps a flood that would occur
0:10:23 > 0:10:26on average once every 500 years.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It really was the big one, the Muckle Spate.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The Spey is the fastest-flowing river in Scotland,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37but the scale of the flood can best be seen here
0:10:37 > 0:10:42at Randolph's Leap, where the rivers Findhorn and Divvy meet.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45This was the extreme centre of the storm.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51We're beside the Findhorn and the Divvy rivers.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55How high would the water have been during the Muckle Spate here?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59We know that here the river came up to about 50ft above normal.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And just over there's a flood stone which marks the precise level.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Let's go and have a look.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07How significant is this stone?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10This stone is hugely helpful to us as scientists
0:11:10 > 0:11:13because knowing the height the river came to...
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- There's some writing on it. What does it say?- It says here,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22"Findhorn and Divvy joined here in flood. August 3rd and 4th, 1829."
0:11:22 > 0:11:23And this is important
0:11:23 > 0:11:26because from this I've been able to calculate the peak of the flood
0:11:26 > 0:11:28and the flow associated with it
0:11:28 > 0:11:32and that value has helped design the flood defences for Forres.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Professor Werrity's research into the 1829 flood
0:11:37 > 0:11:41has contributed to Moray Council's recent decision to invest in
0:11:41 > 0:11:44a massive flood alleviation scheme.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Over a thousand homes and businesses in Forres
0:11:47 > 0:11:51will be protected from any future flood on this scale.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Are we still at risk of flooding increasing?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Flood risk is increasing and will increase given climate change.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02The challenge is how to live with flooding.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06We can defend many places like we are defending Forres at the moment,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08but that's not available for everyone.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10We have to have other measures
0:12:10 > 0:12:14and one of the most important is flood warning.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Not available of course in 1829, we can now at least advise people
0:12:18 > 0:12:21two or three or more hours before a flood that it's going to happen
0:12:21 > 0:12:26and hopefully they can then begin to take sensible precautionary measures.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Is it likely to ever happen again?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Because it happened once, it can happen again.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The real challenge is working out when.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I think the likelihood of it happening again
0:12:37 > 0:12:40is going to be higher now than it was in 1829.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47A spate on the Spey is not something I want to experience,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50especially as I'm about to take to the river in a canoe.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57The River Spey is one of the classic descents for canoeists.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01The sheer beauty of the scenery makes it an absolute pleasure
0:13:01 > 0:13:03to meander gently down the stream.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I'm also told that there are some rapids to contend with.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- How you doing?- I'm good, thanks. How are you?- Excellent.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- Is this my taxi?- This is your taxi. - Fantastic.- And no fare.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I'm keen to find out more about the river and its wildlife
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and David Craig has kindly offered to be my guide.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29He's a passionate authority on canoeing on the river. He should be.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32As well as being the Scottish Canoe Association's Spey advisor,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36he's descended the river 140 times.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42She's different every time. Every day she's different.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44The Spey is definitely a lady.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's probably one of the rivers that's most paddled,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49it's an ideal touring river.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53What sort of things should I expect to see on the trip?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Bird life on the Spey is absolutely fantastic.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01For example, goldeneye, which are quite rare in Scotland,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03they're quite prolific on the Spey.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07In fact, we've just had a goldeneye flying past us as we speak.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- They make that curious, throaty kind of noise.- Yeah.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17And then herons. Fish all the way down the river.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Even the fishermen don't mind herons too much
0:14:20 > 0:14:22because they tend to catch things like eels and frogs.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26You've got the other very expert fisher, you've got the osprey.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Osprey in Loch Insh, and then all the way down the Spey we now see osprey,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33because they're also on the increase.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I've done a wee bit of paddling before,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38do you have to be experienced to come out on the Spey, would you say?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Eh... You need to be a proficient paddler.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45A lot of people who come out on my trips are complete beginners.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49The Spey starts off fairly gently, we've got bits like we're on just now
0:14:49 > 0:14:50where it's nice and calm.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And this gives you lots of time to practise strokes.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58The Spey has some pretty successful and important fishing beats.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01How do you make sure you're not upsetting fishermen,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04or do you make sure you're not upsetting fishermen?
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I think it's based on respect.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11And I think if river users respect each other then
0:15:11 > 0:15:15things are actually fine, we can have a harmony.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17As far as the fishermen are concerned,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20there's a protocol to follow. So we when we approach a fisherman,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22we try and attract their attention.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26The fishermen request that we whistle and then they should acknowledge
0:15:26 > 0:15:32our presence and request us to pass on whichever side they prefer.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Canoeing on the Spey has something for everyone.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Ambling is great, but in Dave's safe hands,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I'm ready to ramp it up a bit and try some white water.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52But the first boiling water Dave has in mind is for a cup of tea.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57He needs to give me some pointers before we hit the rapids.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We're going to head onto these rapids now.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02What should I be thinking about before taking them on?
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Just remember in the Spey there are no big rapids,
0:16:05 > 0:16:06this is a grade two rapid.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Slightly more technical, it's got a few more rocks to avoid.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11You're having to steer the boat down.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12When you get to grade three,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15then you need a good bit of technical expertise.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Grade five is something you might class as a danger to life.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- Right.- The main thing we have to avoid is broadsiding on a rock.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Because if we broadside, one side of the boat rises up
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and then the top side fills.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32And then up comes what I call the Black Hand of the Spey,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and that can pull you over.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35If anything, we back paddle.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36And if you do hit anything,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39we hit it gently and we hit it with the front of the boat.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41There is a chance we could swim.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43There's always a chance you could swim.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Yes, I always say to my clients, capsizing is a possibility.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51So all I have to do is listen to what you're saying,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53do exactly what you say and we should stay nice and dry?
0:16:53 > 0:16:54Absolutely.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Hello!- Hi.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Once we've passed this big rock here we're going to start swinging right.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Whoa, that's bumpy.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23HE CHEERS
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Whoa!
0:17:32 > 0:17:34There's some waves there. Look at that!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37I got wet there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Taking in the river from its bank,
0:17:54 > 0:17:59even flying over to get a sense of its scale is nothing compared to
0:17:59 > 0:18:02experiencing it from the water itself.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It's beautiful, at times exhilarating, mostly tranquil
0:18:06 > 0:18:08and alive with wildlife.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11That was a wonderful, wonderful experience.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And we've stopped.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20While I take a breather, Euan is finding out about
0:18:20 > 0:18:24the future for one of the Spey's most precious inhabitants.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Freshwater pearls have long been a favourite of royalty.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32They can be found in the crown of the Honours of Scotland,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Scotland's crown jewels.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37But in recent years the mussels that produce the pearls
0:18:37 > 0:18:40have become an endangered species worldwide.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Today Scotland is the last remaining stronghold of
0:18:45 > 0:18:47the freshwater pearl mussel.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And up to half of the global population that remains
0:18:51 > 0:18:52can be found in Scottish rivers.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And the Spey is supposed to be the jewel in the crown.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01The pearl mussel population in the Spey was last surveyed
0:19:01 > 0:19:05over a decade ago, so Scottish Natural Heritage have commissioned
0:19:05 > 0:19:09new research to find out how these populations are faring.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11I'm joining ecologist Peter Cosgrove,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13who's conducting the survey.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15What are you doing?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Well, I'm looking for freshwater pearl mussels.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- But I'm not finding very many. - What's the problem?
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Well, this area used to be absolutely full of pearl mussels.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Ten years ago there would be maybe two or three thousand
0:19:27 > 0:19:30along this little section here. And I've found four so far today.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34The problem has been a major expansion of a non-native weed
0:19:34 > 0:19:38called ranunculus, which was accidentally introduced into the Spey.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And it's now choking all the mussels beds.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It likes the same habitat that the mussels are in.
0:19:43 > 0:19:49It's just carpeted with this and then the roots trap sand, silt and mud
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and then that swamps and sits on top of the mussels and the mussels die.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58The freshwater pearl mussel is now a protected species and while
0:19:58 > 0:20:01the threat from illegal pearl fishing has significantly reduced,
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Peter Cosgrove has been working to help increase the mussel population.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I'm going to take you to a site where we've been doing some
0:20:09 > 0:20:11conservation work on them.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- OK. Can't see any there.- No.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17At a secret location on a tributary of the Spey,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Peter reintroduced the mussel ten years ago.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24It's one of only three introduction sites in Scotland.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27With the population of the main river obviously in decline,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30this habitat is vital for the future of the species,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33but they are difficult to spot.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36This is good habitat cos it's nice and stable.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Is that one there?
0:20:40 > 0:20:41No, that's stone.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44This could be a long process.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48We're in the right area, so I'm confident we should find some soon...
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Ah, here we go. Excellent.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I don't know if you can see, there's three mussels,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56but unfortunately there's two dead shells as well.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- Is that another one up there? - Let me have a look.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Yes, there is.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Is that a bad sign?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Well, it's not great.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11It is disappointing to find three dead in this area.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But there are live mussels here, so there's nothing with the water.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Pearl mussels can live for up to 100 years
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and their population in the tributary is increasing.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28This is a live freshwater pearl mussel. Quite a heavy beast.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- That feels like lead.- Yeah, it does.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35It's very dense compared to one that you get in the sea.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- This way?- Just put it back down on the riverbed where it came from.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42And they all settle themselves back in within three or four hours.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44These were put in ten years ago.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46The population's doing OK.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50There's one sitting nicely up there, filtering away.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53So there's nothing catastrophic happened to the population.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Despite the dead shells,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59the majority of this reintroduced population is in good shape,
0:21:59 > 0:22:01but they still need to reproduce
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and mussels don't make it easy for themselves.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08The larvae of the pearl mussel need to attach themselves to
0:22:08 > 0:22:09the gills of salmon or trout,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12where they stay for several months at a time,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15before dropping off upstream and settling on the river bed.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20You would have thought it was a strategy guaranteed
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- to send them to extinction. - Absolutely.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27It's a bit of a bad evolutionary angle to require a species itself
0:22:27 > 0:22:30that's endangered as part of your life cycle.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33It's like being a parasite on a tiger, that's a bad evolutionary move
0:22:33 > 0:22:36if you require another threatened species then.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39This is why the odds are stacked against pearl mussels
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and why having a healthy river
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and healthy fish stocks is critically important to this species.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- So it looks like it can be done. - Absolutely. It can be done.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50We've done it in other places
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and young mussels are coming back through.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And we've been trying to do that because a lot of nature conservation
0:22:55 > 0:22:58is talking about depressing stories.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And there is a depressing story about the decline of this species,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04but we can actually do relatively cost effective small conservation
0:23:04 > 0:23:06work that makes big differences.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So the reintroduction programme has been about doing that,
0:23:09 > 0:23:10about making a difference.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It is difficult to restore lost populations
0:23:13 > 0:23:15of these complex creatures,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18but for the freshwater mussel on the Spey,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20the future's just that little bit brighter.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Over the centuries, for the people who live along its banks,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31the Spey has been more than just a river.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It's been a centre for industry and a channel for communication.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I've come to the mouth of the Spey to find out about
0:23:37 > 0:23:40one of its most ancient forms of transport.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48The village of Kingston on the mouth of the River Spey was once
0:23:48 > 0:23:50a thriving centre for ship building.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Timber from the forests around Aviemore
0:23:52 > 0:23:57and Aberlour were rafted down the river to create wooden-hulled ships
0:23:57 > 0:23:58that were sent all over the world.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04In its heyday Kingston had seven shipyards,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06one of them beside that white house,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and they would launch their ships from there down into the river.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Today, very little remains of that once thriving industry,
0:24:13 > 0:24:19except one tiny little boat found in a loft nearby over a century ago.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26Elgin Museum house the only surviving original Spey coracle
0:24:26 > 0:24:27or currach.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I'm here to see Jane Tryville to find out more.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- What are we actually looking at here?- We're looking at a currach,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41but it's a replica of an original currach,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44in fact the last surviving Spey currach
0:24:44 > 0:24:47that we have here in the Elgin Museum.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The circular currach is made usually of woven willow
0:24:52 > 0:24:54with an animal skin stretched over the wooden frame.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58What were they actually used for on the Spey?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02They were used for ferrying, for carrying people on the river,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04for fishing.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Later on in the 18th century they were used with the timber trade.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It's quite extraordinary that these currachs were used on
0:25:14 > 0:25:16the Spey for hundreds of years,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19but to me they look incredibly difficult to control.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Just how difficult I'm about to find out by having a go in one.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Jane Wilkinson teaches people how to make currachs
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and she's brought along one of her modern-day creations to show me.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Jane, the first thing I notice about this
0:25:36 > 0:25:38is that it's quite different from the one in the museum.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Yeah, it's more of an oval shape, this one.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43The ones in the museum are a circular shape
0:25:43 > 0:25:47which is the Spey currach, it's like a flat saucer.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51This one is a basket with a canvas stretched over it
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and stitched on and coated in bitumen paint.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- How stable is it?- Moderately stable.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02That means not very.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It's a little bit different from a canoe or a kayak.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08What you have to do is get your weight very much in the centre
0:26:08 > 0:26:11and you have to brace your feet at the corner points here.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And then you're doing a figure of eight or a sculling motion
0:26:14 > 0:26:18with the paddle and that just draws you along. It was very steady.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23They were used for fishing in rivers in Wales and in Scotland.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27And on the Spey the circular currach was used for
0:26:27 > 0:26:29floating logs down to Spey Bay
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and if the logs got jammed then the person who was in control of
0:26:32 > 0:26:35the currach would stand up and they would unblock the log jam.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- They would stand up? - They were experts at this.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41You will be an expert in precisely ten minutes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Ten minutes seems a bit optimistic,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49but with the help of Jane's daughter Derry to steady the ship,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- I'm going to give it a go. - That's it.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Now find the centre point.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- I presume we go down on our knees here.- Yeah.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Oh, my goodness me.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Easy now. Thank you. And this is not a traditional paddle?
0:27:07 > 0:27:11No, this is a canoe paddle. But it works just fine.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15We've got a hold of the rope. Away you go. A nice sculling motion.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Not too wide with the figure of eight. That's great.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21And away you go.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22He's off down the Spey.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I've managed to turn because it's windy.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It's a very strange experience.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It's like kneeling in a peanut shell,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37not the most comfortable experience I've ever had.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's actually OK.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Then it starts being windy and suddenly it's not OK.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It's hard to believe that people used to steer timber logs down
0:27:48 > 0:27:52the river in a wee boat like this, but apparently they did.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Well, just before I get pretty soggy,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I've just got time to tell you
0:28:00 > 0:28:02what's coming up on next week's programme.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08We look at the health of seal populations around the coast.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- Pretty impressive, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's the biggest site on the east coast of Scotland for grey seals.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And we're at the stunning Dawyck Botanic Garden
0:28:18 > 0:28:21where they are reinstating a hydro scheme
0:28:21 > 0:28:23first used in Victorian times.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27So please join us for that and much,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30much more at the same time next week,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Friday night, 7:30 on BBC Two Scotland.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Now I've just got to get back to the bank.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38I may be some time.