Episode 5 Landward

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.

This week, we're all about Scottish icons -

the animals, the produce and the places.

Later in the programme, I'll be joining a unique whisky tour

and be sampling a very rare whisky indeed.

In a moment, Euan looks into the latest drive to produce more venison.

But first, here's what else is coming up on Landward.

We join the campaign to save Scotland's most iconic dog.

They are so devoted to their owners. Mary, Queen of Scots,

had one actually under her skirt when she was beheaded.

And Sarah investigates why the road through the Great Glen

could be grinding to a halt.

The skyline is one we designed ourselves

because we knew we had jobs like this, trees this size, to deal with.

For a country that is famous for its red deer population,

it's surprising how much venison we import from abroad.

To cut down on those imports, the Scottish Government

is encouraging farmers to consider diversifying into venison.

The Monarch of the Glen is a potent image of Scotland.

The meat is lean, sustainably produced.

No wonder it's growing in popularity.

Venison was once found only in posh butcher's and game larders,

but these days it's readily available

in supermarkets and convenience stores.

But despite the fact that large areas of Scotland

are virtually overrun with red deer, to meet increased demand,

we're importing over 1,000 tonnes every year

from places like New Zealand, Poland, Spain,

all marked as if they were from Scotland,

but this one, for example, says on the back,

"Due to a shortage of deer in the UK, we select from New Zealand farms."

This one uses material from Ireland and New Zealand.

In fact, every one of these packets

shopped at random from a nearby supermarket contain foreign meat.

So, if the rest of the world can produce venison, why can't we?

The simple fact is there isn't enough wild venison

and there aren't enough deer farms.

To meet demand, the Venison Advisory Group

has an ambitious target of setting up 400 more deer farms in Scotland

over the next ten years.

I've come to Culquoich in West Aberdeenshire,

which has been selected as a demonstration farm.

Today, they'll be hosting an event for anyone interested in seeing

what it takes to produce venison.

I caught up with deer farmer Ali Loder before the crowds arrived.

So, how long have you been farming deer?

We've been doing it for 10 years here. This is our 10th year.

-And what was the attraction?

-Well, they're beautiful animals.

They're easy to look after.

And there's a great market for the venison.

Come on, then. Come on!

The market's grown a lot over the last few years.

We're seeing a huge demand for venison that we can't really keep up with.

-That's why we need more deer farmers coming into the business.

-So, are you expanding your operation?

We've expanded just about every year since we started deer farming.

How difficult is it to farm deer?

Because they look as though they'd be difficult.

-They're an alien species for most farmers.

-They're easier than you think.

The key is obviously to have a good fence because if you just have

an ordinary fence, they'll go for a walkabout.

They're a little bit more nervous than, say, sheep or cattle.

And they're a bit more flighty, so their response would be

to run away a bit quicker if they get a fright.

But as an animal to manage and to handle, they're very easy.

It's not a problem. I do it on my own quite often.

Those considering joining the Scottish deer farming revolution,

alongside some new-starters in the industry,

are out in force today, as 80 farmers, landowners and land managers

have made the journey to see Ali's operation first-hand.

The mood is overwhelmingly positive.

We're still very much in the learning process.

We're getting our first deer calf crop next month

and we want to be a farm that very much does best practice.

And the deer farming community is very small.

So, actually today is also a day to network with other people

who've taken the same step that we have.

So was it the ease of farming them

or the huge profits involved that attracted you?

A bit of both, potentially,

but, no, mainly the ease of management, really.

I'm looking after them myself at the moment

and I wouldn't be able to do that if it was cattle.

I think it's got a big future. I think the demand for venison is steadily increasing.

It's a healthy product, a lean product.

I think it's a sensible thing to be involved in.

But the question remains, why can't the demands for venison

be met from the wild deer population of Scotland?

After all, controlling some populations on estates

is a major headache for landowners.

Well, with me is Dick Playfair of the Scottish Venison Partnership.

Dick, why don't you just go and cull some more?

Um, well, in practice we can't do that because we've seen

the cull drop over the last five years from 69,000 to about 57,000.

And we're probably at the right level now. I mean,

people will tell you there are too many deer in the wild. For red deer, that's probably not the case.

But is there a demand for wild venison from the Scottish hills?

There's a demand for all venison, whether it's wild or farmed.

But the fact is, if you're getting venison from the farm,

you get a consistent product, all killed at the same age,

all of the same quality.

And that really is what a lot of the retailers are looking for now

and that's why we're still importing from New Zealand.

New Zealand dominates this market. Other countries, Spain, Poland,

are getting involved as well. Are we going to be left behind?

To be blatantly frank, we are left behind now

and we're playing catch-up.

And we're talking about trying to increase our production

by another 1,200 tonnes by 2020.

Now, in real terms, that's 22,000 animals,

which is a lot of big farms.

I've spoken to many farmers over the years in Scotland, and some

of them are really struggling to make a decent living from cattle or sheep.

They're constantly being told to diversify,

but the countryside can only have so many farm shops or fish ponds.

But this could have the serious potential

to change farmers' lives in Scotland forever.

And later in the programme, Nick will be cooking

some farmed venison in the Landward street-food van.

But will the people of Glasgow know what it is?

-Is it some type of beef? No?

-Not beef, no.

-No?

Now, if you're travelling along the A82 from Glasgow to Inverness

this summer, you can expect to face some delays.

For once, it isn't roadworks.

Sarah's been investigating

the reason behind the cones and traffic lights.

Welcome to the A82, one of Scotland's great iconic roads.

It may not quite have the ring of Route 66,

but this is one of Scotland's most stunning and challenging roads.

It winds its way from Glasgow to Inverness,

taking in some of the most spectacular scenery along the way.

The first 20 miles take you along the shores of Loch Lomond,

before heading north through Glencoe, past Ben Nevis and into Lochaber.

But the trouble comes when it reaches here in the Great Glen.

Many years ago, these steep slopes would have been almost bare,

but now they're covered in acre after acre of mature forest.

They need to be felled before they fall and block the road.

But that is easier said than done.

I'm meeting Alex MacLeod of the Forestry Commission,

to find out just what the problems are.

We need to fell these trees because they've reached maturity.

And if we don't fell them, then, as the years go by,

the risk of them blowing down during a storm event increases.

We have a huge site here.

Can you give us an idea of the scale of the project?

The scale of the project in terms of geographical area

runs from Glencoe up to Drumnadrochit in the Great Glen.

There's over 100,000 cubic metres of timber to be harvested in that area.

And there's over 30,000 cubic metres of very large Douglas fir

that was planted in the early 1920s, so it's a fair job of work.

Now, I know a lot of fancy equipment is needed to carry out this operation, so I'm keen to see it.

-So can we go and have a look?

-We'll go and have a look, yes.

Callum Duffy has more than 20 years in the forestry business

and tough jobs like this one are his speciality.

-Hey, Callum.

-Hey. How are we doing?

How are you doing? Good to meet you.

-I hear this is where we're heading.

-Yes, indeed.

That's where we're going.

-I take it the only way to get there is by foot.

-Only way is by foot.

-Are you a foot man?

-I am.

-Piggyback later?

-No way.

-Come on, then.

SHE PANTS

Callum, that's quite a walk - or in my case, crawl - to work.

-Yeah. We're not even halfway yet.

-We're not even halfway?

-No.

-How many times do you do that a day?

Just once a day, to be honest.

You know, let's say we're only halfway, but we walk up.

-But the view is worth it.

-The view is definitely worth it.

It's incredible.

What sort of equipment are you using?

-Because I assume that a harvester can't operate here.

-No, no.

We're standing on probably about 85% slope at the moment,

so harvesters only go up to 45%, maybe a bit more.

CHAIN SAW BUZZES

The steepness of the incline means that the trees

have to be felled by hand.

Callum's team then use a specialist piece of kit called a skyline

to get the trees safely down the hill.

It's one of only two machines of its kind operating in Scotland.

The skyline is one we designed ourselves.

We've taken a lot of ideas from previous machines

that we've had, and made something that is what we have now,

which is probably very fit for purpose.

We knew we had jobs like this, trees this size, to deal with.

So I take it you've got a good head for heights.

Yeah, you've got to have a good head for heights, yeah.

It's definitely an advantage.

It's incredible to see the skyline operating,

but what's more impressive is that all this has been felled

by just a few men and their chain saws,

and this is going to be the story all the way along the A82.

This is a big job.

It could take up to 15 years to clear these forests,

and we'll be lucky

if it doesn't disrupt a bit of traffic along the way.

There is good news.

Once these trees are gone, there will be no more like them.

Native species like oak and birch will be replanted,

so there won't be need for work on this epic scale ever again.

Earlier in the programme, Euan visited Culquoich in Aberdeenshire

to see how farmed venison

can satisfy the Scottish demand for the meat.

Now, Nick's made his way to Glasgow

to give the public the chance to taste it,

and for the next few weeks in Buchanan Street,

in the heart of the city, he'll have a new helper.

I have recruited the glamorous Sarah as my assistant.

Thank you very much, Nick.

And of course, later on,

Nick and I are going to be hitting the streets

to find out what these guys out here

think of what you're cooking, which is...

-Venison!

-Venison, fantastic.

This is red deer, and it's farmed red deer.

What I'd like to know is can people actually recognise

the taste of venison?

So what we're going to do is sear it over here.

-But first, of course, we have to season it.

-Yes.

-You'll be familiar with the process of seasoning?

-I do.

-I know salt and pepper.

-If you'd like to do the pepper, I'll do the salt.

-Brilliant.

-You always season just at the last minute before you cook it.

-Let's go.

What we're going to do is get a little bit of olive oil on top of the venison.

Venison is an incredibly healthy meat.

Less cholesterol than chicken, and it's a really distinct flavour.

It is very gamey, isn't it? I think people will recognise that.

I think they'll spot the fact that it is quite gamey.

Well, I don't know, because this is farmed venison.

And farmed venison has a different lifestyle to wild venison.

Different diet, and therefore has a different flavour. It's a bit milder.

You've seasoned, you've put some oil on, and we're searing. But how long for?

Until it's ready.

-Hilarious.

-Which is the facetious answer.

But a piece of venison this size

is going to take approximately seven to eight minutes to cook.

And I'm going to leave it quite pink on the inside.

Because venison is so lean, it doesn't like to be overcooked,

because it's got very little fat in it.

It dries out if you overcook it. So it needs really to be served medium rare.

Would you like to take the core temperature of this piece of venison?

-41.

-41. 40...

-That's medium rare. Let's have that guy off, OK?

I don't eat venison that often, but it does look really good.

This is the saddle, the loin of venison.

If it was beef, it would be sirloin.

It's best just kept fried like this, seared like this, kept medium rare.

-That's room temperature.

-That's OK, I'm just checking.

So what happens is that during the cooking process,

the fibres of the meat shrink, and it squeezes in like this,

squeezing all the juices in towards the centre.

If you take that off of there now, and you cut into that now,

all of the juices will get squeezed out.

You will see blood coming out,

and you would lose the flavour, and you'd lose the succulence.

The meat would be dry and flavourless.

So that's why we leave it to sit after comes off the grill.

-Sit for at least the same amount of time as we cooked it.

-To rest.

-So...

-Right.

-Lovely piece of roast venison....

Time to slice.

But can the good citizens of Glasgow

tell us what this is just by the taste?

Mmm.

-That is delicious. Yummy, succulent.

-I agree.

That is absolutely delicious.

But I'm not sure people will be able to tell what it is.

-Well, shall we see?

-There is only one way.

-Let's do it, baby.

Let's do it. OK. Take it to the good citizens of Glasgow.

-You all look so worried.

-Can you tell me what animal it comes from?

-I thought it was beef.

-BOTH: You thought it was beef?

Is it...? Is it some type of beef?

-I think it would be kangaroo or something.

-Steak?

Is it mutton?

-No, it's not mutton.

-Is it not just beef?

I know what it is because I had it last week.

-You had it last week? What is it?

-Venison.

-Venison!

-Venison.

-So you're a man with a...?

-No, my mum made it.

-Your mum made it?

-That was steak.

-I say venison as well.

You say venison?

-Or was it just because he said venison?

-I heard you earlier on.

ALL LAUGH

I was impressed. A lot of people liked it.

But only one person actually knew what it was.

Yeah, only one person.

-But everyone liked the flavour.

-Yeah.

I think farm venison has got a really bright future in Scotland.

I know it does, probably. Let's have a wee taste.

We'll be back here again in Buchanan Street next week,

and we'll be trying to find out - can people can tell the difference

between ordinary pork sausages and wild boar sausages?

-Can I tempt you?

-Yes, you can.

-DOUGIE:

-Now, after Sarah's washed up Nick's dishes,

we sent her across the country to investigate

why one of Scotland's most iconic breeds of dog

is facing an uncertain future.

-SARAH:

-Back in the 19th century,

the story of Greyfriars Bobby made the Skye terrier world famous.

The story goes that when Bobby's owner died,

the faithful terrier spent the rest of its life guarding his grave.

Whilst the story of Bobby's 13-year vigil

here at Greyfriars churchyard may not be entirely true,

the breed's reputation for loyalty caught the public imagination.

They became very trendy during Victorian times,

but sadly today, they are one of the rarest breeds in the world.

I'm visiting the annual Scottish Breeds Show,

featuring native dogs such as the golden retriever,

Scottish deerhound, and the Skye terrier.

The Skye is the oldest terrier breed in Scotland,

and dates back to at least the 14th century.

They were originally bred to control vermin,

but soon became the height of fashion

due to some very high-profile owners.

Gail Marshall is the owner of this Skye terrier, Wolfie,

and she is also branch secretary of the Skye Terrier Club.

-Are you show ready?

-Not quite. We're getting there. We're getting there.

-So this is a Skye terrier?

-Yes. This is a cream...

Well, he's probably going to end up silver,

but you get cream, silver and blacks.

How rare are they these days?

Very, very rare. They are critically endangered.

-Really critically endangered.

-Why are there so few left?

An awful lot of people are now going for your labradoodle type breeds.

They've become fashionable.

I mean, at one stage, there were Skye terriers

in every close mouth in Scotland.

I believe there is a bit of a royal connection as well.

Yes, very much so.

If you go right, right back, Mary Queen of Scots had one

actually under her skirt when she was beheaded.

They've got such fabulous temperaments,

and they're so devoted to their owners.

And Queen Victoria was a big fan as well, wasn't she?

Yes, she had a kennel full.

You can see them in some of Landseer's paintings.

-What makes a good Skye terrier?

-The three Ls.

They've got to be long, they've got to be low to ground - short legs -

and they've got to have a very level topline.

They must have a good head structure.

Must have correct bite,

and there is just something about them.

When they flow around the ring, they should flow.

They should really motor around the ring.

There are 29 Skye terriers entered into the show,

and competitors come from far and wide.

Professional dog breeder and groomer Sarah Richardson

has travelled all the way from South Wales.

How much work goes into getting them ready for showtime?

Not as much as you would imagine.

I can turn him round for the show in an hour, an hour-and-a-half.

-Who have we got here?

-This is Ben.

Hello, Ben.

Now, Ben...

I assume he can see me through all that hair?

Do you want to see his beautiful eyelashes?

This boy doesn't need extensions.

Wow! Hello.

He's got the most fabulous eyelashes which keep his hair out of his eyes.

How difficult is it to get a Skye terrier? To get a puppy?

To get a Skye terrier, you have to go back to how you should get a puppy.

You have to approach a responsible breeder

and possibly you'll have to go on a waiting list.

Because the gene pool is small, there aren't a lot of puppies being bred.

Last year, we only had 15 puppies born in the UK.

So they are very few and far between?

Yeah, but once you've had a Skye, once you've experienced the devotion,

the love, the foolery, the "clownness"...

I can tell you are dedicated.

They're a wonderful breed, they really are.

It's sad to think of any Scottish breed critically endangered.

And these really are lovely, little dogs.

Let's hope their numbers do increase and the breed manages to survive.

We heard about the plight of the Skye terrier from a Landward viewer.

If you have an idea for the programme,

get in touch by e-mailing us.

You can also go online to get our five-day weather forecast.

Now, you can't get more iconic than Scotch whisky.

It's our biggest single export.

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, 3.5 million

bottles are exported every single day.

But what did whisky taste like in the days before mass production?

TV: Now, here's the place for the connoisseur. Hundreds of casks stacked and mellowing.

Welcome to the pre-war whisky tour.

Today I'm joining a group of enthusiasts from Belgium, Italy

and even further afield.

They don't just like any old dram.

They like a really, really old dram.

Just as soon as you walk into the bottling hall,

the smell of whisky fills your nostrils.

It's a lovely smell first thing in the morning!

They've each brought a bottle from their own collection

and they'll be opening them in the very place they originated.

The only stipulation is that the whisky must have been

bottled or distilled before the end of the Second World War.

The first stop is Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin

where they've been bottling and selling whisky

for well over 100 years.

We're being shown around by managing director Michael Urquhart.

He's impressed that the enthusiasts have brought whiskies back

to where they were bottled many years ago.

They're great guys, you know,

going and taking old bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail and opening them

where the business is located

is really something quite special.

And some of the whiskies are really fantastic -

whiskies going back to the '30s or '40s.

And to think what's gone on in the world since then,

it's really mind-blowing.

It's half-past ten in the morning and time for a dram.

I brought this Glen Grant,

bottled early '40s, 42 years old.

Does it make it even more special that you're bringing

the whisky back to where it was bottled or where it was distilled?

Yeah, of course.

Whisky tastes better in a warehouse than it tastes at your own place

because it's got that factor,

that emotional factor, and that adds up.

So this is obviously a fun trip, but it's an emotional trip as well?

It's a very emotional trip, yes.

I'm from Belgium

and I drank my first whisky in '97.

It was an Oban 1914.

And lightning struck

and I never turned back

and I'm looking to find the best whisky ever made.

I'm from Italy, Venice, Italy.

Aha.

I brought from my own personal collection,

distilled in 1939.

And bottled by Gordon & MacPhail where we are now.

-And so I brought it back home.

-What does the whisky taste like?

It's very, um...

Feminine, very delicate, fruity.

Very easy to drink, especially at this time in the morning.

LAUGHTER

After a spot of lunch and a lining on my stomach,

it's on the road to remote Glenlivet,

the first legal distillery in a glen that was

once full of illicit stills.

'We're given a look at how they produce whisky today,

'but all my colleagues want to do is try the old stuff,

'made before the advent of assembly lines and mass production.

'What makes it so special?

'The tour organiser, Philip Thompson, has an idea.'

The production techniques were fairly different.

It resulted in, yes, inconsistency, but every now and again,

you get a spike of quality that's just beyond belief.

Nowadays, the industry's very, very, very consistent,

which is great for whisky globally, but...

to get these magical spikes that you got in the past is, you know,

something special, and these guys, you know, we're all serious geeks -

we just enjoy trying something completely different.

So, with each individual bottle of prewar whisky,

you never quite know what you're going to get until you open it.

And there's an air of nervous expectation in the room

as a very, very special bottle is uncorked -

an 1899 Glenlivet, bottled in 1914.

It's quite a unique bottle. It could be the only one left in the world.

None of us have ever tried it before.

Not many people get a chance to try whisky, malt whisky,

distilled in the 19th century, so...

It smells quite good, actually.

And, after a few tense moments, its quality is revealed.

POP!

CHEERING

-Look at that!

-Whoo!

All right, guys.

It's looking fantastic. Um...

I mean, there's a little bit of haze to the actual spirit, but...

On the nose, it's really... absolutely fantastic.

A really old style of whisky which is not made at all in this

country any more. It's a completely extinct style of distillate.

Just so thick and waxy and smoky, and... It's really fantastic.

And I'm getting to taste it.

Oh, my God.

Oh, that's incredible.

That is absolutely...astonishing.

An amazing glass of whisky.

You can taste... You can really taste the kind of deepness

of the colour, you can taste the wood and everything...

Oh, it's beautiful.

And being around those guys has really kind of made me

understand whisky a lot more. It's a lovely thing to do -

bring a bottle back to where it was distilled, have a wee drink

with some people who understand what this is all about.

Not a bad way to spend a day.

I'm just going to sniff this for a wee while.

What a great honour - to sample such an historic dram.

Now, coming up next week's programme,

Euan shows off his nautical skills in Loch Etive.

Away you go, Colin. Go and relax. It's in safe hands now.

Experienced skipper, here.

And Sarah goes in search of the animal causing devastation

in the Great Glen.

How much area has been damaged, Lee?

Probably a quarter of my land that I rent here.

I don't know how you repair this.

Please join us for that and much, much more at the same time

next week, Friday night, 7pm, on BBC Two Scotland.

In the meantime, from all the Landward team,

thank you so much for your company.

Bye for now.