0:00:20 > 0:00:23Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25This week I'm on the south shores of Loch Ness
0:00:25 > 0:00:28where later in the programme a unique race takes place
0:00:28 > 0:00:31pitting men and women against horses.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34First, here's what else is coming up on Landward.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39As raptor killings hit the headlines,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Landward looks into the background to this awful story.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Since 1989, nearly 100 birds have been found in Scotland
0:00:46 > 0:00:49that have been confirmed as illegally poisoned.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Ewan reveals Scotland's newest long-distance trail
0:00:54 > 0:00:57in memory of one of the world's great conservationists.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02And Sarah is in the Forth estuary
0:01:02 > 0:01:06uncovering the secret history of our most unlikely street food.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I spotted one, maybe. Maybe.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18But first, I've been investigating the science that's transforming
0:01:18 > 0:01:20the breeding of our most iconic cattle.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Since the 19th century,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31the name Aberdeen Angus has been synonymous with quality beef.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The breed is hardy, they grow fast and the beef tastes good.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46That reputation was developed and maintained over the years
0:01:46 > 0:01:48because of careful selective breeding
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and here at the Stirling Bull Sales,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52you can see some of the best examples of the breed
0:01:52 > 0:01:54anywhere in the world.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Traditionally, breeding was seen as more of an art than a science,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07relying on a farmer's eye for a good beast.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Nowadays, technology, though, is starting to play a bigger role.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14If you were buying a car, you would look at the brochure
0:02:14 > 0:02:18for the engine sizes available and the fuel consumption figures.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Now, farmers can look at a similar table of stats
0:02:21 > 0:02:24about a bull's breeding potential,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27called Estimated Breeding Values, or EBVs,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and you'll find them on display in the cattle pen
0:02:30 > 0:02:31or in the sale catalogue.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38The Aberdeen Angus Breed Society is just one of the many that use EBVs.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The data can be used to predict a variety of attributes,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44from the size of a steak on a bull's male offspring,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47to the amount of milk produced by a female calf.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I've come to North Craigieford Farm in Aberdeenshire
0:02:53 > 0:02:56to meet Linda McKendrick, who runs a company
0:02:56 > 0:02:59specialising in scanning beef cattle.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02She's using an ultrasound scanner on 30 Aberdeen Angus
0:03:02 > 0:03:06to collect some of the raw data that feeds into the EBVs.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So, take me through the process. What are you actually doing, then?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13After I take his weight, I take a fat measurement.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Easy. Easy.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21I take a fat measurement, on both the rump and the rib eye.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26The data Linda collects about the amount of fat marbling and the depth
0:03:26 > 0:03:29of back fat will be used to build a database
0:03:29 > 0:03:31which will produce the EBV.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34When I'm looking at this,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38I can see the depth of the skin at the top of the screen, there.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It tells me at the side exactly what fat depth he's got.
0:03:42 > 0:03:440.46, which is 5.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Linda also has to take some more...delicate measurements
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and in this case, bigger is definitely better.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57The size of the scrotum can indicate increased fertility in a bull
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and provide information about any offspring the bull may have.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I sneak round the corner, as gentle as I am...
0:04:07 > 0:04:11..as gentle as I am, quite a few of the fellas don't like it.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15If they're pear shaped, you're always looking for the widest point.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20That's fine.
0:04:20 > 0:04:2241s. What a cracking set, eh?
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Rather him than me.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Now, there are concerns that some people are too reliant on EBVs.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33They don't tell you everything.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37For example, a breeding bull has to have strong legs.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It's an onerous job covering dozens of cows.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Not every bull's hindquarters can take it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47But there's no EBV that tells you how good their legs are.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51The stock manager here is Andrew Reid.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54He's won three breed championships at the Highland Show
0:04:54 > 0:04:59and he favours an experienced eye over statistics and measurements.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03But increasingly, he's meeting buyers who think otherwise.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Are people relying on these figures, or is this just an indicator
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- amongst lots of...? - Recently at the bull sales,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13you will get a lot of buyers coming to you who have very much
0:05:13 > 0:05:15looked at the figures and the catalogue
0:05:15 > 0:05:18before they came to the bull sales, and they will have some traits
0:05:18 > 0:05:19that they don't like
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and they will have highlighted it in their catalogues.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26It is quite evident there are people out there buying bulls on figures.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29And is that maybe not the right way to go?
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I'm not going to say. It's not for me to say
0:05:31 > 0:05:34because at the end of the day, it's for everyone to do their own thing.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But back at the sales, what are the others saying?
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I think the younger generation are looking at EBVs
0:05:43 > 0:05:45before they actually look at the animal,
0:05:45 > 0:05:46which I think is a danger zone.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51I always look at the bull first and then look at the EBVs after that
0:05:51 > 0:05:52and mix-and-match the two.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You can't look at it as the full package.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You've got to look at it as an aid.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00You've got to go and study the actual bull itself
0:06:00 > 0:06:03and more importantly, if you can, go back and look at
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- the lines that they've come from. - If you were buying a bottle of wine,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09you wouldn't buy one with no label on, would you?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So science and technology are playing
0:06:15 > 0:06:18an increasingly important role in the breeding process.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22But no matter how they develop, they'll never fully replace
0:06:22 > 0:06:25experience and an eye for a good beast.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Now, from a very modern beef story
0:06:30 > 0:06:33to a long-lost Edinburgh fishing industry.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Forget haddock and chips.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40A few hundred years ago, the capital was once the UK centre
0:06:40 > 0:06:42of the oyster industry.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47The Forth was so abundant in oysters that they were an everyday food.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Sarah's been finding out about the secret history
0:06:50 > 0:06:53of this luxurious shellfish.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Thank you.- Enjoy.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59These days, oysters are seen as a luxury treat,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04served in a nice restaurant like this, maybe with a glass of fizz.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But there was a time, however, when here in Edinburgh,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09oysters were cheap and plentiful,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12a common street food for the masses.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22In the 18th century, huge oyster beds covered 50 square miles
0:07:22 > 0:07:24in the Firth of Forth.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Every year when the oysters came into season in autumn,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32the men from the Forth fishing villages
0:07:32 > 0:07:36from Newhaven to Cockenzie sailed out to dredge the beds.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The people of Edinburgh were ready for their catch.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Fisher lassies carried baskets of their oysters up to sell
0:07:45 > 0:07:48on Edinburgh streets
0:07:48 > 0:07:49and the most famous of them all
0:07:49 > 0:07:53were the colourfully-dressed Newhaven fishwives...
0:07:54 > 0:07:58..famous for both their beauty and their sales banter.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05The oysters were also sold in lively taverns
0:08:05 > 0:08:10where the normal rules of polite society were abandoned.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Every class of society mixed
0:08:12 > 0:08:15just to get their hands on the lushest bivalve.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Genteel ladies socialised with the lowliest of labourers.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26But by the beginning of the 20th century,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29the oyster beds of the Firth had been decimated,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31fished out of existence.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Across at the other side of the Forth, and in terrible weather,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I've met Professor Chris Smout.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45We've come to take a look at an old harbour
0:08:45 > 0:08:49that was a key location in the story of the oysters' demise.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- But you can see traces of the harbour on the shore, here.- OK.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And it was quite a small one and a completely secret one.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- A completely secret harbour?- Yes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Tell me the role this harbour played.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Well, when they caught the oysters,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08very many of them were very small oysters
0:09:08 > 0:09:11which were not allowed to be exported.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But the market abroad was for very small oysters,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17which they wanted to take as breeding stock.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22This secret harbour was the centre of an illegal trade.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Tiny Forth oysters were smuggled out to reseed other oyster beds
0:09:27 > 0:09:31in England and abroad that had already been overfished.
0:09:31 > 0:09:37You are taking out 30 million oysters a year from these beds.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41The consumption of London was about 700 million oysters a year.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Just think of that! 700 million oysters.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It's hard to comprehend, that sort of number.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52And the market was huge. I mean, you've got more than 100 boats
0:09:52 > 0:09:54as late as the 1860s.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58At the time when this harbour was being used, more than 100...
0:09:58 > 0:10:02- So if you'd been looking out, you'd have seen boats everywhere? - Yes. And they were little boats.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06They had a crew of three, at that time.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Five earlier on, but three at this time.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13And they dredged the oysters up with something that looks a little bit
0:10:13 > 0:10:16like an agricultural harrow.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19There were repeated attempts by various bodies to stop overfishing,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22but ultimately, they all failed.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26By the early 20th century, there were no oysters left on the Forth.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32A century on, you can still find evidence of the oyster beds.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39I'm told that if we look closely, we might find some old oyster shells
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- from the original beds. What are the chances?- Absolutely every chance, cos they're all over the place.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I don't think we'll walk very far before we spot some.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'Dr Janet Brown is a shellfish scientist.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'She believes native oysters could be reintroduced to the Forth.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Ooh!- Spotted one, maybe. Maybe.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Is this one?- Yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- Oh, wow!- Old shells.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- That's incredible. - They're quite large.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10At the moment, there are no immediate plans to re-establish
0:11:10 > 0:11:15oyster reefs in the Forth. But Janet remains hopeful.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18We shouldn't ignore the fact that the shellfish has an important role
0:11:18 > 0:11:22in providing a habitat, and if you have a reef,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26then you've got hiding places for young lobsters, young crabs,
0:11:26 > 0:11:31young fish and other benefits that we've lost.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Another good reason to bring back the oyster beds. Roll on the day.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Now, from extinct oysters on the Forth
0:11:42 > 0:11:45to the increasing threat facing birds of prey.
0:11:50 > 0:11:5112 rare red kites
0:11:51 > 0:11:55and four buzzards have now been found dead on the Black Isle.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59It's not often that wildlife makes the national news headlines.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02..the Highlands represents the worst poisoning incident
0:12:02 > 0:12:04of its type in Scotland...
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Over the past month, 14 red kites
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and five buzzards have been found dead on the Black Isle.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13This is the largest case of mass poisoning ever recorded.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Over the last 25 years,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21the red kite has been reintroduced at various sites across the country.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24I'm at the Tollie Red Kite Visitor Centre near Dingwall
0:12:24 > 0:12:26where I'm hoping to see the birds in action.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- This is the way to the feeding station.- OK.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Brian Etheridge is the red kite officer on the Black Isle.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39He's been involved in red kite reintroduction for 25 years.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46In 2007, Landward filmed him ringing chicks as part of the project.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Some of these birds are now dead.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56You're clearly angry, but there must be a tremendous
0:12:56 > 0:12:59amount of sadness as well at this sort of unnecessary killing.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Absolutely. Really sad about it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05It's been very depressing because all the birds have been...not found
0:13:05 > 0:13:09at one time - it's been virtually every day, there's another one found.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13I've got to go along and identify the species for the police,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and often these birds are ringed and I'm the person that's marked them
0:13:17 > 0:13:19when they were young birds.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I'll have been there when they've only been a few weeks old.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I'm there many years later to pick up their body and identify them.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30What's the reaction been from the general public in this area?
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Very supportive. They're absolutely appalled, like I am.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36They can't understand it either.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Now, this, here, is the table you normally feed them at.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Are we going to see some today, do you think?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Are there plenty around, still?
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Well, obviously, there's a lot less than there was a month ago.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Yes, we should see birds here later,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55but probably not in the numbers we would have seen.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04The food has been out for about half an hour now.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Expect to see lots of kites. So far, just one.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Historically, like many birds of prey,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16red kites were sometimes persecuted by gamekeepers and farmers
0:14:16 > 0:14:18who thought they took game.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21As scavenger feeders, red kites are also susceptible
0:14:21 > 0:14:25to poisoned food laid out for other animals, like rats -
0:14:25 > 0:14:28feeding habits that make this a hard crime to solve.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32This is really difficult to investigate.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Unlike a buzzard or a crow that will come in
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and eat where the food is, the kite swoops in, takes the food away -
0:14:37 > 0:14:41to a tree top, for example - and if it's poisoned meat,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43that's where they die, and that can be kilometres away
0:14:43 > 0:14:45from the poison source.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Since the reintroductions began a quarter of a century ago,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the RSPB have been comparing how populations have grown
0:14:53 > 0:14:55in different locations.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Duncan Orr-Ewing is the head of species management for the RSPB.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03We have two populations of red kites,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06one on the Black Isle, one in the South of England.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The same number of birds were reintroduced at the same time,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14yet the story is so different in both areas.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Here, we have a population of red kites that stands and has stood
0:15:18 > 0:15:21for the past ten years, about 50 to 60 breeding pairs.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25In the South of England, the population is ten times that.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Why do you think that is, then?
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The difference can be largely explained by different prevailing
0:15:31 > 0:15:34levels of illegal persecution of birds of prey,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37particularly illegal poisoning.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Since reintroductions of red kites began in Scotland in 1989,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45nearly 100 birds have been found in Scotland that have been confirmed
0:15:45 > 0:15:47as illegally poisoned.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50There are probably many more that have died out there
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and have not been found.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57It remains a mystery why raptors on the Black Isle are being killed,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and the police investigation is continuing.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03A reward in excess of £25,000 is on offer
0:16:03 > 0:16:06for information leading to a conviction,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10and police want to speak to anyone who may know who is responsible.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So, if you can help at all, please get in touch.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Details on our website.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Many years ago, a young man by the name of John Muir
0:16:26 > 0:16:30left his home here in Dunbar to embark upon possibly
0:16:30 > 0:16:32his greatest ever adventure.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37He travelled 134 miles across Central Scotland
0:16:37 > 0:16:41until he reached the Clyde, and that's where he and his family
0:16:41 > 0:16:43caught the boat to America.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49That young Scots boy went on to become one of the founding fathers
0:16:49 > 0:16:51of the conservation movement,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54yet he never forgot his Dunbar roots.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00There can be no doubt that the writings of John Muir
0:17:00 > 0:17:03developed a relationship between human culture
0:17:03 > 0:17:07and wild nature, and to celebrate his achievements
0:17:07 > 0:17:10and his works, the newly extended John Muir Way
0:17:10 > 0:17:13allows all of us to enjoy all of this.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20The newly extended route follows Muir's original steps
0:17:20 > 0:17:23from the North Sea to the Firth of Clyde.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Walkers, cyclists and horse riders will pass through
0:17:26 > 0:17:29some of Scotland's best natural landscapes,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32including here at the Dalmeny Estate,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34where my bike and I caught up with one of the men
0:17:34 > 0:17:37behind the extension, Keith Geddes.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41So, what was his contribution?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Major contribution, and the route gives you a clue,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47from Dunbar, his birthplace, through to Loch Lomond,
0:17:47 > 0:17:51the Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first National Park.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Of course, he's perhaps best known for being
0:17:53 > 0:17:56one of the fathers of the American national park movement,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58so he was a major figure in America
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and, indeed, he's a major figure throughout the world these days.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- But not massively known in Scotland yet.- Not yet.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06SNH did a survey last year
0:18:06 > 0:18:09where they found that 23% of Scots knew of John Muir,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12but they knew mainly of John Muir in terms of the country park
0:18:12 > 0:18:16or the John Muir Trust. They didn't know a lot about John Muir himself
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and, hopefully, this new route will help change that.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22The route itself, why? What's the point of it?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Essentially, what we're saying is, this route goes through
0:18:25 > 0:18:29parts of Scotland that round about 2.5, 3 million people live
0:18:29 > 0:18:31within close proximity of the route,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and it's a real opportunity for them to start to engage with nature
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and maybe to start to engage with John Muir.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So it's nature on your doorstep.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The footfall of two gardening poets, American Andrew Schelling
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and Gerry Loose from Helensburgh
0:18:47 > 0:18:50will declare the way open this Monday.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Along the route, they'll be making poems and sowing seeds
0:18:53 > 0:18:56native to both Scotland and America.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I asked Gerry why he was doing it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The driving force for me is to celebrate what he did
0:19:03 > 0:19:07in some small way in Scotland, and to have a bit of fun along the way.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09You're also planting seeds.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- You've got some there.- I've got some seeds here.- Show me your seeds
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- and tell me why. - These seeds and trees represent trees
0:19:16 > 0:19:20that he would have known here in Scotland, his home country,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23native Scottish trees, like... This is yew, for example.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27And trees that he came across and admired hugely
0:19:27 > 0:19:31because they were so damned big and so damn unusual to a Scotsman.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- And you're just planting these at random along the way?- No.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38- Tossing a sequoia to one side as you walk!- Well, if I could...
0:19:38 > 0:19:41We're doing other things.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Also, poetry as well.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- Yeah, poetry.- You've got a really old, battered book.- Yes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- This is my John Muir satchel.- The Kilmarnock Edition, Robert Burns.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52So what's the connection with John Muir?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56The connection is he travelled with a copy of Burns's poetry.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58There's any number of poems,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but I think of the Epistle To Davie,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05because Scotland is not always the most clement of climates,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I thought this was kind of pertinent.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13While winds frae off Ben-Lomond blaw
0:20:13 > 0:20:15An' bar the doors wi' driving snaw
0:20:15 > 0:20:18An' hing us owre the ingle
0:20:18 > 0:20:20I set me down to pass the time
0:20:20 > 0:20:22An' spin a verse or twa o' rhyme
0:20:22 > 0:20:25In hamely, westlin jingle
0:20:25 > 0:20:28While frosty winds blaw in the drift...
0:20:29 > 0:20:34You can walk, cycle or ride the new John Muir Way,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and the extended route opens this week.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Poetry isn't obligatory.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47We're always keen to hear what you have to say on Landward,
0:20:47 > 0:20:53so why not send us your ideas for future programmes to...
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0:21:05 > 0:21:08Adventure races are growing in popularity
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and last Sunday, here on the banks of Loch Ness,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15an epic challenge took place from Whitebridge to Drummond Farm
0:21:15 > 0:21:19near Dores, one of the newest events on the calendar.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26These folks here are registering for a race.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Nothing unusual about that, but they're competing against
0:21:29 > 0:21:32not only each other but other people on horseback
0:21:32 > 0:21:35over 16 miles. It's going to be tough,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39it's going to be sore...and I don't think they'll be smiling at the end.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Three of you, quite clearly, are athletic people
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but you're taking on a horse today, people on horseback. Why?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Well, always looking for new challenges.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And I quite like horses.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53We just fancied the challenge, and Mark's a runner,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Kerry and I both ride, so we thought we'll go for it,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58but I'm not sure.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Could man win today?
0:22:00 > 0:22:01I don't think so.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Last year, a man who looked like a very good runner got beaten,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07so unless there's anyone of that standard here, it'll be difficult.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- OK. Enjoy today.- Thanks very much. - Have a great time.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Three, two, one, go!
0:22:13 > 0:22:17The course is just over 16 miles cross-country.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20The runners go first, but it's no great advantage.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24It's a time trial, and the horses will soon be hot on their heels.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It's called Man V Horse,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and a few days before the event, I went to meet its organiser,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Candy Cameron.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40I thought I was going to find out a bit more about the course,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43but there was more in store than I'd bargained for.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47OK, Candy, so you're suggesting that I run part of this course?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Well, this is the easiest part of the course, the easiest bit of hill.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- That's about 400ft of rise on... - It's a nice, steady climb.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56It's really not too bad going.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- And they carry on up here, do they?- Yes.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- And it's nice going underfoot, look. - Lovely(!)- Perfect.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04If you're on a horse, yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06'So it seems I'll be running
0:23:06 > 0:23:08'a short section of this unusual endurance race
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'just for fun...apparently.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:14I think you've got about 2, 2½ miles to run altogether.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16But most of it's downhill.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Apart from that bit, which is very much uphill.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22When I first think of man versus horse,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I'll say straightaway horse is going to win.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27So how do you go about setting a course that gives the man,
0:23:27 > 0:23:28or woman for that matter, a chance?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31We weren't trying to make a level playing field.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35The men are much, much quicker going up and down the steep hills.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The horses really only catch them on the flat on good going,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41- and go past them. - So it's all about terrain?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44You set the course in such a way that there's lots of steep bits,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47tricky bits for the horses to go over, and man is supposedly faster.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- Much faster down the steep hills. - Really?!
0:23:50 > 0:23:52We're about an hour into the race
0:23:52 > 0:23:54and normally, at this stage, we'd expect to see
0:23:54 > 0:23:57a mixture of humans and horses.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59But so far, it's only humans.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02This is the third year this event has taken place.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05In the first two years, the horse won.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Maybe this year man can turn the tables.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Then, dashing from the woods, this guy makes an appearance.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And if his pace is anything to go by,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20it's going to be just as tough a challenge this year.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Here comes the first horse.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25What happens now is the horse will get a vet check
0:24:25 > 0:24:28to see if the heart rate's OK, and this is the bit I'm going to run,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32this next section, which is about 2½ miles with a bit of a climb.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Idea is to give us a sense of just how tough this is for both
0:24:35 > 0:24:37the runners and the riders.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So I get my running shoes on.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43The horse gets a quick cool-down and we're all good to go.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And here we go. Up this hill straightaway.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48I'll be filming with this camera.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50See you later. Bye.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00HE PANTS
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Well, I'm going flat-out here,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21but it's obviously not fast enough.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25And away they go.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I'm just going to have to step up a gear.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And eventually, the relentless ascent eases into
0:25:35 > 0:25:38more even ground, as we pass through some forest,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41but with this mist, it is a bit spooky.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Strange noises...
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Don't like it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Now here's the twisty, windy stuff.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54If what Candy told me is true, I should make up some ground here.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57This section here - S-bends -
0:25:57 > 0:26:02I'd imagine horses would have to walk slowly down here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Riders would dismount.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08In fact, we'll just see, shall we?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10HE PANTS
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Hmm.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Not exactly what I'd been hoping for.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26All this and camerawork too!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Half an hour of very hard running and I'm exhausted,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but the end is coming into sight.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I've just run about 2, 2½ miles,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41and you get a real sense of the changing terrain
0:26:41 > 0:26:43from that kind of forest road
0:26:43 > 0:26:45up to the gravelly part on the top
0:26:45 > 0:26:50and then the spinning sort of S-bend descent. Tough, definitely tough,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53for both runner and rider.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57I'm getting in the car and going to the finish for some CAKE!
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Right, let's do it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01That's bloody miserable.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06So, I didn't get a place because I didn't do the whole course,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but I'm happy to say, this year, for the first time ever,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12the race is won by a human.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It's pretty tough.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Yeah. It was a long way
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and I was beginning to cramp up at the end,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and I wish I'd stopped earlier.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I'd like to ask Alec Keith to come up,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27as the fastest and the first man to beat the horse.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Well done.- Thank you very much.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Thank you.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36And, for the record, horses took second and third places.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Now, for the most important part of the day...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Some people say you can judge the quality of a race
0:27:43 > 0:27:45by the size of the spread on offer afterwards.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50If that's the case, then this is one of the best races in the world.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I'll have one of these wee boys here, I reckon.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54Mmm...mmm.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01On next week's programme - we'll discover the strategy
0:28:01 > 0:28:05for combating one of our most unlikely imports...
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and I get to sample one of the world's rarest whiskies.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Oh, my God.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12That's incredible.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17So join us for that and much more at the same time next week,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Friday night, seven o'clock, on BBC Two Scotland.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24In the meantime, from all the Landward team here at Loch Ness,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26thank you so much for your company. Bye for now.