:00:44. > :00:55.Highland Show 2014. Over the weekend, we are going to be bringing
:00:56. > :01:03.you two programmes. Over 170,000 people are expected to descend on
:01:04. > :01:16.Ingliston to see over 5,000 horses, cattle and sheep and so much more.
:01:17. > :01:28.There is so much to see and do over the weekend, so we are going to cram
:01:29. > :01:37.in as much of the show as possible. I am going to be meeting the
:01:38. > :01:44.president of the show to find out what is being done to save our
:01:45. > :01:58.rarest livestock breeds. And I will be finding out more about changes to
:01:59. > :02:03.the agricultural policy. I will be following the judging of the teddy
:02:04. > :02:10.bears in as much of the show as possible.
:02:11. > :02:16.I am going to of the world, and we will be investigating to giant
:02:17. > :02:21.president of the show to find out what is being done to poles and the
:02:22. > :02:24.Kirkennan Forest. Let's get to it. In the past, this show was held in
:02:25. > :02:26.different parts of the country every year. Since a move to the current
:02:27. > :02:27.permanent base of Ingliston, each of the Scottish regions has been
:02:28. > :02:29.promoted through the president for that year's show. This year, it is
:02:30. > :02:30.the turn of the Perth area, and Jamie Ramsay will stop
:02:31. > :02:32.interestingly, for the show, the Perth area includes fife and Angus.
:02:33. > :02:33.We are on our way to meet him at his ancestral home, Brechin Castle,
:02:34. > :02:35.which dates back to the 13th century. The castle sits in a 55,000
:02:36. > :02:39.acre estate, and I have come to find out what excites him most about the
:02:40. > :02:43.show and his residing rule. Perth and fife, a huge area to cover, so
:02:44. > :02:48.what is the key message that you want to get across? The key message
:02:49. > :02:58.is, we have got some wonderful agricultural land, and this year,
:02:59. > :03:01.with our message of from grade to the glass, it really provides the
:03:02. > :03:05.basic foundation for the Scottish whisky industry. What are your
:03:06. > :03:09.biggest challenges is to mark my biggest challenge is to encourage
:03:10. > :03:13.and support those who have come already and to make sure that people
:03:14. > :03:18.have a good experience and come back again, but of course, the show needs
:03:19. > :03:24.to renew itself every year, and so ideas are being brought forward,
:03:25. > :03:29.with 175,000 people coming and it quite important to keep that figure
:03:30. > :03:36.growing and growing. You going to beat the record for people
:03:37. > :03:41.attending? I hope we will. The president is based in a rather grand
:03:42. > :03:46.Ingliston house, so he should feel right at home. The sun is shining
:03:47. > :03:49.and it looks busy. How are things going? The weather forecast is great
:03:50. > :03:56.for the whole weekend and people are out early. We just worry people will
:03:57. > :04:00.get too hot. How are you finding your presidential duties?
:04:01. > :04:04.Fascinating. Children are learning to cook and learning about the
:04:05. > :04:08.countryside and doing experience -- experiments. You told me you were
:04:09. > :04:11.hard at work here, but I'd hear there is whisky tasting later on.
:04:12. > :04:21.There is, you better come and join us. I will. Thank you. One of the
:04:22. > :04:24.biggest attractions at the Royal Highland Show has to be the
:04:25. > :04:28.livestock, with the best beasts from all over the UK coming here to
:04:29. > :04:38.battle it out for the top prize. There is one Brad -- Brede that
:04:39. > :04:40.always pleases the -- there is one breed of
:04:41. > :04:48.always pleases the -- there is one sheep that pleases, and we are going
:04:49. > :04:56.to find out more about them. Eye have come to meet Eddie Henderson
:04:57. > :05:00.and his flock of Ryeland sheep, one of the oldest established breeds in
:05:01. > :05:09.the UK. We have got in total about 45. Tell me why you get into this in
:05:10. > :05:14.the first place. Was probably just to keep the grass down. I'd never
:05:15. > :05:21.realised it would drag us into showing sheep. The enjoyment from
:05:22. > :05:24.the Lawn Tennis Association, and meeting -- the Royal Highland Show,
:05:25. > :05:33.and meeting a diverse group of people. They are the teddy bears of
:05:34. > :05:39.the sheep world. How thought of her was there wool in the old days? It
:05:40. > :05:53.was a valuable commodity, so they judged a lot of it against the
:05:54. > :06:03.Ryeland. And what about... It almost disappeared. After the Second World
:06:04. > :06:08.War, it was down to less than 800, and now the breed has had a
:06:09. > :06:12.wonderful revival and has gone from strength to strength across the UK.
:06:13. > :06:17.Are you going to be showing this year? You have had success in the
:06:18. > :06:23.past, are you confident going ahead? You are always confident before the
:06:24. > :06:28.show. Once you see the competition even perhaps have a rethink. It is
:06:29. > :06:33.the hands -- in the hands of the judges. Eddie and his sheep have
:06:34. > :06:39.travelled south and are taking part in five of the categories. Looking
:06:40. > :06:45.very nervous. It is ridiculous. We are showing sheep and I am getting
:06:46. > :06:52.butterflies. I hope this jacket is all made from Ryeland! Of course it
:06:53. > :06:56.is. Eddie is up against some stiff competition. It is looking good. The
:06:57. > :07:04.judge will have one more look and then decide. And after an agonising
:07:05. > :07:12.wait for Eddie, the judge makes her decision. And, it is first place.
:07:13. > :07:18.There he is, our champion. You must be very pleased. I am very pleased.
:07:19. > :07:24.To get a read, definitely worth all the hard work. Everyone has put in
:07:25. > :07:29.the same amount of effort and I am fortunate to come out the winner
:07:30. > :07:37.today. Thank you very much. Thank you. As well as showing the beasts
:07:38. > :07:40.and catching up on the gossip, the show gives farmers the chance to
:07:41. > :07:44.discuss the issues affecting the industry. The one topic on the lips
:07:45. > :07:49.of everyone was the announcement last week of the changes in the way
:07:50. > :07:55.the farms are going to be reset so that is the. Since we joined the
:07:56. > :08:00.European Community, British farmers have received targeted subsidies
:08:01. > :08:02.from the European taxpayer. Last Wednesday in Parliament, the Cabinet
:08:03. > :08:07.Secretary explained how the Scottish Government would implement the
:08:08. > :08:10.latest version of the European common agricultural policy. My
:08:11. > :08:18.objective is to ensure that these investments supports production, a
:08:19. > :08:22.rural economy and... How much farmers get will be based on the
:08:23. > :08:26.size of the farm and hope that the land is. The payments will be
:08:27. > :08:30.limited to ?400,000 per farm after staff costs. Sporting estates will
:08:31. > :08:37.not get any cash unless they can route they are generally farming. --
:08:38. > :08:44.proof. Payments will be made for -- per animal to encourage a healthy
:08:45. > :08:49.livestock sector, and Islanders will get extra money because of the
:08:50. > :08:54.additional costs they face. There will be some winners and losers.
:08:55. > :09:01.Here in the Northeast, farmers are expected to lose ?24 million by
:09:02. > :09:07.2019, while in the West, farmers are expected to gain some ?4.75 million.
:09:08. > :09:12.The recent changes are just the latest in the long and controversial
:09:13. > :09:18.history that began back in 1973, when we joined Europe. The gulf
:09:19. > :09:24.between Britain and Europe has shrunk. In signing the treaty,
:09:25. > :09:28.Edward Heath was also at signing us up to a European wide subsidy
:09:29. > :09:32.scheme, essentially a system where the taxpayers of Europe pay farmers
:09:33. > :09:37.to produce food in an attempt to keep prices at the tilt down. Over
:09:38. > :09:42.the years, farm subsidies have also been targeted at making farms more
:09:43. > :09:48.environmentally friendly. To get any money, a farmer has to meet certain
:09:49. > :09:52.green credentials. The scheme has always been controversial. Some
:09:53. > :09:58.people think that it costs too much, and others say that the... So will
:09:59. > :10:01.the most recent round of changes that make any difference of two
:10:02. > :10:09.Scottish farmers? By a meeting up with Nigel Miller from the
:10:10. > :10:13.national... What is your reaction to the changes? These are the biggest
:10:14. > :10:17.changes we have had in the last 30 years, I guess, and it is a very
:10:18. > :10:21.divided story, because we have got a reduced legit on the which is quite
:10:22. > :10:27.tough, but within our own industry, there are winners and losers. Some
:10:28. > :10:31.of the winners are deserved winners. These are businesses which were
:10:32. > :10:35.locked out by our old historic system and their new businesses or
:10:36. > :10:41.entrance or developing businesses. They will get onto a level playing
:10:42. > :10:46.field from year one in 2015. That is pretty good news. The converse of
:10:47. > :10:49.that is, with the reduced budget, moving away from historic support
:10:50. > :10:54.which is linked to restart production, we will see many moving
:10:55. > :10:58.away from productive farms and we are going to see big cuts. But there
:10:59. > :11:03.are benefits to this, and that they have changed the way that payments
:11:04. > :11:07.are targeted, so it is not just the headline thing of farmers being paid
:11:08. > :11:16.to do nothing. That is one of the real steps forward. A real effort to
:11:17. > :11:21.make sure that money goes to act as a farming. A step in the right
:11:22. > :11:25.direction? It is a tough deal, because we are looking at big budget
:11:26. > :11:29.cuts, so no-one is going to be dancing. There are some clever eggs
:11:30. > :11:33.and therefore the islands, special payments for beef, I think it is a
:11:34. > :11:39.really good compromise even the limits of the walls and the limits
:11:40. > :11:42.of the budget. The policy is complicated and expensive, but the
:11:43. > :11:46.reality is, many farmers would not survive without the subsidies that
:11:47. > :11:51.it brings, and the way this payments are targeted changes a very
:11:52. > :11:57.countryside around us, but it could take decades for the full impact to
:11:58. > :12:03.be assessed. It is a story we will follow with interest. On the nape of
:12:04. > :12:38.my programme, I will be looking into -- on the next programme,
:12:39. > :12:44.hi, how are you doing? Good to see you. You are getting show ready.
:12:45. > :12:51.Yes. This is Bonnie. She is going to the Landward this year. We went for
:12:52. > :12:57.Shetland, -- Royal Highland Show this year. We went for this agreed
:12:58. > :13:03.because there are fewer than 750 females left. Why have they fallen
:13:04. > :13:05.out of favour? Fashion? They would have been kept to produce milk for
:13:06. > :13:10.the House, for the have been kept to produce milk for
:13:11. > :13:15.the family, they would have produced the beef and it would have been
:13:16. > :13:22.preferred -- superb, and in some cases, they were used as draft
:13:23. > :13:27.animals. This breed is at category four, at risk, but they're thrifty
:13:28. > :13:31.and innocent nature is making them a popular choice for smallholders and
:13:32. > :13:38.numbers are growing. They are not very big, so they are not hugely
:13:39. > :13:40.intimidating. They are good for consummation reasons. They are
:13:41. > :13:49.versatile and they are not difficult to keep. She will be great at the
:13:50. > :13:57.Royal Highland Show show. You need to be firm. I'd need to be firm.
:13:58. > :14:04.Hello, Bonnie. How are you today? Is she coping with all of this noise?
:14:05. > :14:08.Just, I think. Time, you are a Chief Executive of the rare breed survival
:14:09. > :14:17.trust. Tell us about the rear in a multi-you have here today. We have
:14:18. > :14:22.all species represented here. -- grow the rare animals you have here
:14:23. > :14:28.today. Do they have a place in the commercial market? Yes, they are
:14:29. > :14:31.great for grazing orchids and dismiss tree plantations. If we had
:14:32. > :14:37.not kept them, we would not have been able to plant this Christmas
:14:38. > :14:41.tree plantations. Farm animal biodiversity is just as important as
:14:42. > :14:44.plant life diversity because they are all part of the same ecosystem
:14:45. > :14:49.and we need that biodiversity in there. Fantastic work being done,
:14:50. > :14:53.and there is no doubt that the rare breeds have a place, but I'd think
:14:54. > :14:57.most farmers would argue that for them to be attractive to farmers and
:14:58. > :15:02.smallholders than they have to have a commercial use. If you are coming
:15:03. > :15:06.to the Landward this weekend,, it's the Bonnie and her companions. --
:15:07. > :15:11.the Royal Highland Show this weekend, calm sea Bonnie and her
:15:12. > :15:17.companions. Every year there are displays of
:15:18. > :15:23.gravity defying pole climbing. The speed at which they ascended the
:15:24. > :15:32.poles is staggering. I am quite nervous now. I am far from happy!
:15:33. > :15:39.Almost as impressive was Euan's attempt to climb the pole in 2006.
:15:40. > :15:43.But there is something slightly different this year. The poles that
:15:44. > :15:47.have stood tall for the past seven years have been replaced with new
:15:48. > :15:56.Douglas fir trees from Kirkennan Forest near Castle Douglas. The
:15:57. > :16:01.trees were felled last month, then transported to Ingliston on very
:16:02. > :16:08.large trucks. We were there to see the new poles being installed. It is
:16:09. > :16:11.at last ten, the poles are on-site, just being lifted onto the
:16:12. > :16:15.countryside area by this massive crane, time for me to move out of
:16:16. > :16:20.the way. The man in charge is Graeme Hodgson. Why was it decided to
:16:21. > :16:24.change the existing poles? The existing ones have had their life
:16:25. > :16:29.span of five years. The decision was taken last year to renew them. This
:16:30. > :16:36.is the third set from memory that we have done, so we have been doing it
:16:37. > :16:39.at least 15 years. It looks like a fairly major engineering operation
:16:40. > :16:44.just to get them on guys, how did you choose the trees you are going
:16:45. > :16:51.to use? These ones came courtesy of Scottish Woodlands, and Kirkennan
:16:52. > :16:55.Estate donated the poles. This is from a harvesting site. We selected
:16:56. > :17:01.a few. At over 100 feet, they are difficult to get down on one piece.
:17:02. > :17:06.These are poles four and five at the we selected. Though you actually
:17:07. > :17:10.took out six to make sure you got to exactly the same? I guess that is
:17:11. > :17:14.important. The diameters have to be the same for the competition. We
:17:15. > :17:22.cannot have one poles slightly different from the other. We have to
:17:23. > :17:26.make sure the goal in the holes. And they are preprepared? They have been
:17:27. > :17:31.cleaned and everything has been tidied up. The sockets are ready we
:17:32. > :17:36.just -- and we just have to trim them off. Then hopefully they will
:17:37. > :17:46.fit. So you have a couple of hours of work to do. So I can have a cup
:17:47. > :17:51.of tea! I will leave you to it. Several hours and a cup of tea
:17:52. > :18:00.later, the poles are up and in place. Despite the weather. It has
:18:01. > :18:05.gone very well, they are doing a good 14 feet, we are pleased. The
:18:06. > :18:10.weather has slowed things up. It has deteriorated this afternoon. But
:18:11. > :18:13.that is what we put up with. How long will these be therefore with
:18:14. > :18:19.Macs iMac hopefully, a good five years. And they are both easy to
:18:20. > :18:26.climb with Mac we have one that will be very good. I think it will get a
:18:27. > :18:29.fast time. Join us on Sunday when Sarah and I will be wearing these on
:18:30. > :18:31.our legs and going head-to-head, to see who can get to the top first.
:18:32. > :18:44.Looking forward to it? No, actually. Here in the food hall, there is a
:18:45. > :18:54.wonderful array of fabulous Scottish produce, all proudly boasting its
:18:55. > :19:02.locality. And a select few stand alongside products like champagne,
:19:03. > :19:10.Palm and and camembert. -- Parma ham. Patrick is a consultant with
:19:11. > :19:13.the Scottish rural college, --. Sun it is there to protect the origins
:19:14. > :19:18.and authenticity of traditional products. It can be protected by
:19:19. > :19:25.geography but also by recipe. What comfort does it give to producers
:19:26. > :19:29.together protected status? It protects them from inferior product
:19:30. > :19:32.labelling themselves. It gives them a seal of approval that you are
:19:33. > :19:38.trying the genuine thing. Are there many protected food statuses in
:19:39. > :19:42.Scotland? Sun we have Scotch lamb and Scotch beef, but it goes wider
:19:43. > :19:51.than that, we now have salmon, Orkney Cheddar, we now have a full
:19:52. > :19:55.basket of products. At the show this year, it has been alleged that
:19:56. > :19:58.Ayrshire potatoes had been given a protected food name. So what does
:19:59. > :20:06.this mean from the growers from that area? What makes these Ayrshire
:20:07. > :20:12.potatoes so special? They are young and fresh, mostly grown on a coastal
:20:13. > :20:20.strip, on sandy soil, which gives them an earthy flavour, with the
:20:21. > :20:24.Gulf Stream close to the sea, just a different special flavour. What is
:20:25. > :20:28.the season for Ayrshire potatoes? Mostly from May to the end of July.
:20:29. > :20:33.After that, they become just a standard potato. It is these fresh,
:20:34. > :20:39.young potato that gives you that taste. It is just the once in the --
:20:40. > :20:45.once a year treat. What is the protected name application giving
:20:46. > :20:48.you with Mac security, it gives us a marketplace for a special product
:20:49. > :20:55.that has been produced for 150 years on the Ayrshire coast. Getting the
:20:56. > :20:58.protected status means an enhanced profile for the producer and for the
:20:59. > :21:03.consumer it is a guarantee of an authentic product from a particular
:21:04. > :21:07.location. Join me on Sunday as I looked at another iconic Scottish
:21:08. > :21:13.food that is celebrating ten years of protected status.
:21:14. > :21:16.It is a great showcase for Scotland's food producers but too
:21:17. > :21:21.often, the food consumed by showgoers and stallholders is not
:21:22. > :21:27.always reflected the best of Scotland's bridge larder. In fact,
:21:28. > :21:37.it often has C difficile it is all about to change. -- in fact, it
:21:38. > :21:42.often has.... There is now a code for the catering on the Shogun, the
:21:43. > :21:44.idea being the food they sell is responsibly sourced, of high quality
:21:45. > :21:50.and all the beef and lamb is produced in Scotland. The aim is
:21:51. > :22:01.that the Royal Highland Show is setting the catering standards in
:22:02. > :22:07.Scotland for years to come. We are buying lay -- we are buying in
:22:08. > :22:10.minute Lanark... They have been catering for over 30 years and
:22:11. > :22:15.Gilbert Thomson has embraced the ideas behind the food charter. I am
:22:16. > :22:22.joining him to find out about how he sources his food. How are you
:22:23. > :22:28.doing? Just seeing how it is all going. What impact as this food
:22:29. > :22:33.charter had on your business? Obviously, the Royal Highland Show
:22:34. > :22:39.decided they want to charter. On each unit for each operation,
:22:40. > :22:42.whether it is a market here or mobile catering, it is stated where
:22:43. > :22:46.the beef was weird, when it was purchased, and that will be
:22:47. > :22:50.advertised to give the public the chance to see that it is local
:22:51. > :22:55.produce and it is Scottish produce. This year, most of the meat has been
:22:56. > :22:59.reared in Stirlingshire or Lanarkshire. In previous years, it
:23:00. > :23:05.has been Scottish will stop but it does not always be the case that we
:23:06. > :23:09.knew where exactly it was from. If a villain complies with this, I am
:23:10. > :23:15.sure the opportunity to Purchase locally produced produce will be
:23:16. > :23:19.great for the whole industry. Show organisers have worked with all 37
:23:20. > :23:25.food traders to make sure the food charter is working. The charter was
:23:26. > :23:29.a response to increasing demand for high-quality local food, and was
:23:30. > :23:34.partly the brainchild of Laura Stuart, who works for the soil
:23:35. > :23:38.Association Scotland. First of all, wide eg initiate this charter? I
:23:39. > :23:43.just completed a scholarship for Nuffield, thanks to the Royal hound
:23:44. > :23:46.society, and one of my recommendations was, I have looked
:23:47. > :23:51.at mainstream food around the world and I felt they needed to look in
:23:52. > :23:55.their backyard and the opportunities they had here. So, the food
:23:56. > :24:00.previously at the Royal Highland Show was not up to scratch? It has
:24:01. > :24:03.not been consistently good in terms of quality or provenance or
:24:04. > :24:08.sustainability. It has a lot of headroom to improve. We are all here
:24:09. > :24:12.because we are proud of Scottish farming. What struck me about the
:24:13. > :24:18.charter was that it was raising the standard, there was beef, lamb, but
:24:19. > :24:24.there was no pork. Where is the port? There is port, there are hog
:24:25. > :24:28.roasts. They all Scottish. This is the first year the charter has been
:24:29. > :24:31.there, the caterers have had it for a few months. It is difficult to
:24:32. > :24:36.find the supplies they need. In subsequent years, pork will be
:24:37. > :24:41.available in a Scottish supply chain. I hope people coming to the
:24:42. > :24:44.premier agricultural show in Scotland will be able to connect
:24:45. > :24:48.excellence in farming with excellence in food. It is a shift in
:24:49. > :24:53.culture we are looking for and I think the Show are tried to do their
:24:54. > :25:01.bit. -- are trying. These are one of the
:25:02. > :25:05.great spectacles of the great -- of the Show and the classes are
:25:06. > :25:11.dominated by the Clydesdales. Scotland's very own native breed of
:25:12. > :25:15.heavy horse. Enter Ron and Tim, horses who have travelled up from
:25:16. > :25:19.Kim Butcher to compete under harness was originally from France, they
:25:20. > :25:23.have been bred for their strength, intelligence and willingness to
:25:24. > :25:29.work. But will they be able to beat -- we be able to beat the
:25:30. > :25:37.Clydesdales on their own turf? David, hello. This is Tim? He is a
:25:38. > :25:47.seven-year-old gelding. Lovely black-and-white. What is special?
:25:48. > :25:50.They are a very clever horse. They have a high intelligence level, but
:25:51. > :25:55.they have a lot of action and presence. If we are going to compete
:25:56. > :26:00.with forces like the Clydesdale and the Shire, we need a big, upstanding
:26:01. > :26:06.horse. It is difficult from Scotland and win against such good horses.
:26:07. > :26:13.Are you just here to make up the numbers?, no I am here to win. The
:26:14. > :26:19.first class is the heavy horse turnout. This is it, Tim is in
:26:20. > :26:27.harness and looking absolutely fantastic. I am going to go to the
:26:28. > :26:28.main arena to see if we can this horse can defeat one of the
:26:29. > :26:46.Clydesdales. It is David's turn and Tim is in the
:26:47. > :26:54.ring, stepping beautifully, look at that action. Magnificent beast.
:26:55. > :26:55.Difficult task facing David, some of the Clydesdales are looking
:26:56. > :27:09.fantastic. Well, the dream scenario, David has
:27:10. > :27:15.been pulled out first. I did not think he was going to do it. Well
:27:16. > :27:18.done, sir. Are you a happy man? Unbelievable. It is the best thing
:27:19. > :27:30.to win in your life. I am emotional!
:27:31. > :27:38.After a hard day trip sing around the Show and filming, a little like
:27:39. > :27:42.freshman is always in order. If you enjoy a quality pint of ale, it is
:27:43. > :27:46.worth making your way to the back of the Shogun, because here, nestling
:27:47. > :27:52.beside the dual carriageway, is the real ale tent.
:27:53. > :28:02.All the ills served here are from small-scale producers who make their
:28:03. > :28:07.beers in a sustainable way. Light, refreshing, after days of...
:28:08. > :28:17.Elderflower? If you don't fancy beer, the also serve gin. Do you
:28:18. > :28:23.fancy some? I would love some. You know I don't like beer, where is
:28:24. > :28:28.mine? That is yours. We have a show to finish! We will be working hard
:28:29. > :28:32.to bring you a second helping of Landward. We will be back on Sunday
:28:33. > :28:40.night with all the highlights from a busy weekend. If you can, come down
:28:41. > :28:46.to Ingliston because there is lots to do. So, for the moment, cheers!