0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello and a very warm welcome to a brand new series of Landward.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07You sit there in your comfy chair and we'll bring the glorious
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Scottish countryside right into your living room.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30SHEEP BLEAT
0:00:30 > 0:00:34'Throughout Scotland, signs of spring are emerging.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37'It's felt like a long winter.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40'But don't worry because we've put the time to good use and have been
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'out and about to bring you the best stories from the countryside.'
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Shortly I'll be taking to the skies
0:00:47 > 0:00:51with the researchers counting our largest native mammal, the red deer.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'Also on the programme this week...
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'Ewan meets the big cats
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'that may be returning to roam the Scottish countryside.'
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Well, that was incredible.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06'Nick and I tempt the folk of Inverness with a little offal.'
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- A little bit of, er, animal. - No.- You wouldn't?
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Right, OK, maybe I didn't sell that particularly well.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16'And Sarah shampoos what may be the cutest sheep in the world.'
0:01:16 > 0:01:17He's enjoying this.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27'Roaming over our mountains, moors and woodland,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'red deer are one of Scotland's most iconic species.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Impressive as they are, they are an animal that divides opinion.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37'Environmentalists say there are too many
0:01:37 > 0:01:39'and numbers need to be controlled,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'while those who run sporting estates say
0:01:42 > 0:01:45'they're controlled too much.'
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's an argument that's rumbled on for decades.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50So in order to balance the needs of sporting estates
0:01:50 > 0:01:52with environmental interests,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55authorities need to know just how many deer there actually are,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and once they work that out, they can decide how best to control them.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So I've come to Fortingall in Perthshire to take part in
0:02:06 > 0:02:08the annual deer survey.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10First up, briefing time.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I didn't get the email about the green jackets, though.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15'Every year, Scottish Natural Heritage
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'count deer in 42 different areas of the country.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22'They enlist the help of local stalkers and gamekeepers,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'who provide invaluable knowledge of the terrain.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27'It's an enormous task.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32'The section we're looking at today alone covers 90,000 hectares.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36'To cover that sort of ground requires one of these.'
0:02:42 > 0:02:47'This is one of three helicopters covering over 30 estates today.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'I'm joining survey coordinator Jamie Hammond
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'over the Glen Lyon Estate.'
0:02:52 > 0:02:54How do you go about actually, you know, counting the deer?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Because I would imagine that they get fairly skittish
0:02:57 > 0:03:00when they see or hear the helicopters coming.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23There's some there.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Right, Ally, photo 10 plus 11.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36'The navigator in the front spots the deer,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38'which are photographed by Jamie.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42'Logging the sightings is head stalker of the Glen Lyon estate,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43'Alasdair McNaughton.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:47How important, Ally, is it that you've got a bit of local
0:03:47 > 0:03:51knowledge of this area when you're up here doing this survey?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Erm, we just probably ground at the...
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Maybe heading from the helicopter to the camp.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Uh-huh.- You know, just hidden bits, shelter.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04The deer like to be in shelter, especially on a windy day like this.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Yeah. And how much has the information helped
0:04:06 > 0:04:08in terms of managing this area?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Well, it lets us know how many we need to cull
0:04:11 > 0:04:15to keep the figures level or reduce them if we have to,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17which we've had to be doing over the last few years.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'Over the next three days, the entire 90,000 hectares will be
0:04:25 > 0:04:29'surveyed until every deer has been accounted for.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31'It's time for me to jump out, though,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33'at one of their regular refuelling stops.'
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Well, that was quite an experience.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39I hadn't realised just how complicated it would be
0:04:39 > 0:04:40to count all the deer in Scotland.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44It's a gargantuan task, an almost impossible task.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Without a helicopter you'd have no chance.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Need a cup of tea.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'While the team continue operations in Perthshire,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58'I'm heading to Inverness, and the headquarters of SNH,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'to crunch some numbers with Jamie.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We've got, you know, clearly all the high tech, erm, equipment,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10but then when it comes to the kind of data crunching bit,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13we download the photos, that goes onto a program,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and you really have to go through each photo, zooming in and out,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20count the number of deer, put dots on them, and then try and classify them.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22So that's the bit that does take a fair amount of time.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25So what do you do with this information once you've gathered it?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Essentially we produce a report, we produce a map.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32That gives the areas of the estates, total number of stags, total number
0:05:32 > 0:05:36of hinds, total number of calves, and then a density by landholding.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And that then goes to those individual landholdings and that will
0:05:40 > 0:05:43help them find a way forward in terms of their management decisions
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and how many deer they want to cull, what their aspirations are,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48what their objectives are for the estate,
0:05:48 > 0:05:49and that's kind of, you know,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53that data's stored in the mixer for them to kind of work through.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Potential conflicts may arise in terms of deer numbers,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59depending on whether it's a sporting estate next to a grouse moor, or...
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- Sure.- ..you know, next to an area of woodland
0:06:01 > 0:06:03where regeneration is a priority.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07So I think we see ourselves as kind of fitting in the middle there
0:06:07 > 0:06:11to kind of coordinate amongst different groups of individuals
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and use that data effectively to kind of inform decisions.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17'The data that Jamie and his team collect is
0:06:17 > 0:06:22'invaluable in informing the debate over deer management in Scotland.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'However, a cull may not be the only threat to deer
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'if some conservationists get their way.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33'We sent Ewan to investigate the latest animal that has been
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'recommended for reintroduction to the Scottish countryside.'
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'This beautiful creature is a lynx.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42'Roughly the size of a Labrador,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'they vanished from our landscape more than a thousand years ago.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49'But back in March,
0:06:49 > 0:06:54'the idea of reintroducing the lynx to Britain hit the headlines.'
0:06:54 > 0:06:57An organisation called Lynx UK Trust
0:06:57 > 0:07:00proposed releasing lynx at three separate locations
0:07:00 > 0:07:01across the country,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04including the north-east of Scotland.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09And that, as they say, firmly set the cat amongst the pigeons.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Any release of lynx would have to be licensed by the government
0:07:16 > 0:07:20after careful consultation with all the interested parties,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and that's a process that wouldn't happen quickly.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28'Many well respected conservation bodies back
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'the idea of reintroducing the lynx.'
0:07:31 > 0:07:33This is Dundreggan, it's a conservation estate
0:07:33 > 0:07:35owned by my charity, Trees For Life.
0:07:35 > 0:07:3810,000 acres of land in Glenmoriston...
0:07:38 > 0:07:43'Alan Watson Featherstone works to restore Scotland's Caledonian Forest.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47'He believes bringing back the lynx could help achieve his aim.'
0:07:47 > 0:07:48And we can see the issue
0:07:48 > 0:07:51that is typical of so much of the Highlands of Scotland today.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Because the trees suddenly stop. - They do. The trees stop...
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And it's just a line in the heather, isn't it? Whoosh, end of trees.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Yes, well, we've got lots of little trees here.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Er, lots of young seedlings, and you can see
0:08:03 > 0:08:06when we get out here a bit further they're getting smaller and smaller.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And they're being held in check. These should all be able to grow.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But if you look closely you'll see they're all being nibbled off here.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- And this is deer, yeah? - Yes, this is deer.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20How's a lynx going to stop that happening?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Well, lynx, as a carnivore,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24help to control the population of herbivores,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and you've got a food pyramid in nature,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29with vegetation at the bottom, herbivores that eat the vegetation,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31and carnivores that eat the herbivores,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and we've taken away that top tier completely here,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and herbivore numbers are out of balance with
0:08:37 > 0:08:39the diminished amount of forest,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41the greatly reduced forest that we've got left in Scotland.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47'A few lynx wouldn't make much of an impact on Scotland's deer
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'population, but they would change where the deer graze.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56'With no threat, deer will happily stay feeding in one place.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00'Add a predator into the mix and they will instinctively move around,
0:09:00 > 0:09:01'spreading their impact.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:06That's part of the broader understanding that needs to be
0:09:06 > 0:09:10communicated to people about the role of predators, that they don't
0:09:10 > 0:09:14just kill their prey, they actually change the behaviour of their prey.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'But of course lynx prey on animals other than deer.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:21A lamb, for example,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25is a much easier meal for a lynx than a fleet-footed roe deer.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And we've spoken to a few farmers, none of whom were prepared to be
0:09:28 > 0:09:33interviewed on camera, but what they are saying to us is that the prospect
0:09:33 > 0:09:36of a large cat being released in the Scottish countryside is not
0:09:36 > 0:09:39something that they'd welcome.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46'In Scotland, the only way to see lynx at the moment is in captivity.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'It's feeding time here at Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59'Una and Douglas Richardson are taking me inside the enclosure
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'to see their two adult lynx and two cubs.'
0:10:04 > 0:10:06So they're all keeping an eye on us.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10OK.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Is it just me or are they just incredibly beautiful animals?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16They really are, they really are, and I think, as well, you know,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18because they are a cold climate creature,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20you've got that lovely thick fur, and...
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Seem to be a bit of excitement. - Yeah!
0:10:23 > 0:10:27They get quite excited when the food's coming in.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Right, we'll just walk back towards the door.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- Oh! Where did that one come from? - Sneak!
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Well, that was incredible.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43Beautiful animals -
0:10:43 > 0:10:46much, much bigger than I thought.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50And just to see them face-to-face, I don't know, it's quite moving.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'From the pure emotion of a close encounter,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'it's back to the complex realities of reintroduction.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06'Ecologist Dr David Hetherington from Cairngorm National Park
0:11:06 > 0:11:10'has studied lynx reintroductions around Europe.'
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Could it happen?- I think...
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Never mind the shoulds, could it happen?- It could happen, yeah.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Biologically, it's entirely feasible. We know there's enough habitat
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and food in Scotland to support a lynx population.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27But nature conservation's about 20% biology and 80% dealing with people.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29People who live and work in the countryside are likely to
0:11:29 > 0:11:32have concerns, quite legitimately, about lynx reintroduction,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and unless they're addressed, lynx reintroduction will either
0:11:35 > 0:11:37not happen, or, if it does, it will ultimately fail.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39They need to be addressed, those concerns.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42We've seen that in other countries, in Bavaria, in Austria,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44where the conservation movement
0:11:44 > 0:11:48reintroduced lynx without any consultation, without the dialogue,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and ultimately those reintroductions failed.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Your job is just to provide advice,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57but how exciting would it be just to see a lynx come along that track?
0:11:57 > 0:11:58I think for a lot of people
0:11:58 > 0:12:01that would be something that would be very exciting.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It would be a very difficult thing to see.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I mean, let's not pretend that these animals are easy to spot -
0:12:05 > 0:12:08they're incredibly shy and elusive, and they're very low density.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Er, but of course, there is a chance you might see them,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and for a lot of people that will be a real thrill.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20This is a really exciting debate,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24with both sides drawn up firmly either side of the fence.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Now, I don't have livestock so I'm a bit biased,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31but it's a tremendous thought to think that one day you could have
0:12:31 > 0:12:34lynx out in these mountains, out in the trees,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38where they used to be hundreds of years ago.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We'd love to know what you think about bringing back the lynx
0:12:42 > 0:12:45or anything else you see on the programme.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Log in to our Facebook page and join in the debate.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Now, over the winter months,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51many of you have been using it to tell us
0:12:51 > 0:12:54what's happening in your neck of the woods,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and Sarah couldn't resist following up one recommendation.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I've come to see something of a first in Scotland,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and they're supposed to be the cutest sheep in the world -
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and we love cute sheep on Landward.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Morning, Raymond, Jenni, how are you?- Not bad, Sarah.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18What have we got here?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21This is, er, Valais blacknose sheep from Switzerland.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I can honestly say I've never seen anything like them in my life.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- They're very cute, eh? - They're very cute.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29What are you doing with them, are you rounding them up?
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- We're going to take them up and wash them.- OK, I'll join you.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- Okey-dokey, let's go, boys, come on, hup-hup-hup.- They follow?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Yeah, I hope so. Bah-bah-bah! Hup-hup-hup-hup! Bah-bah-bah!
0:13:39 > 0:13:43'These Valais blacknose mountain sheep are the first in Scotland
0:13:43 > 0:13:45'and have been brought here by Raymond Irvine
0:13:45 > 0:13:47'and his partner Jenni McAllister.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51'The animals are reared mainly for meat,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53'but their wool is also valuable.'
0:13:55 > 0:13:57So why d'you wash them?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00We wash them because we clip them twice a year -
0:14:00 > 0:14:02September and March.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05We're going to take photographs of these sheep and we're going to sell
0:14:05 > 0:14:09fleeces on our webpage, and people can see the sheep, buy that fleece.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We've sent out to America, Australia...
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And you're getting good money for it?
0:14:14 > 0:14:19- We are getting about £25-£30 a fleece.- So, better than...?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Two fleeces a year, that's OK.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- I'm going to soak his head.- Uh-huh.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- OK, and me?- Soaked yourself, sorry.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28It's fine, I'm glad I put my waterproof trousers on.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- What do we do?- Some of that on here.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33This is "full restore conditioning replenish spray."
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- Nothing but the best.- Nothing but the best, just like my own hair.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Yeah, well...
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- You're a successful breeder. - Charolais cattle, yeah.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I'm thinking, "Why these?"
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Er, it's something different.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Everybody's talking about diversifying,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50so maybe this is one of the ways.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Er, the other thing is, er,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56it's something my girlfriend loved, so...
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Oh, so it was out of love?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59You could say that a little bit.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Over a year ago,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05my girlfriend showed me a picture on the internet -
0:15:05 > 0:15:09this crazy, white, fluffy thing, which I laughed at for a start.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12She said, "Oh, we should get these." So we did a bit of research.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I take it it's not just a case of picking up the phone and saying,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- "I'll have five of those, please"? - Oh, it was crazy. We actually...
0:15:19 > 0:15:22It was difficult getting contacts for a start.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Then we said, "Right, what we'll do is get on that plane,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29"get over there to one of the main shows and meet the people."
0:15:29 > 0:15:31He's enjoying this.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So you did it out of love for your partner.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Was it love at first sight when you saw them?
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Yeah, definitely.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41We've just fallen in love with them.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43They're great animals to work with.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45When they first arrived, we were so nervous.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It was like meeting somebody for the first time. You never...
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Like going on a date for the first time.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53First date with these things, you know.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54It's part of our life now.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56These sheep are part of our life.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00These Valais blacknose can cope with the high pastures of the Swiss Alps,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04so the climate around Tomintoul shouldn't be a problem for them.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Ray and Jenny now have a flock of 35,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and they are keen to bring Swiss methods to Scotland
0:16:11 > 0:16:12as well as the sheep.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17The big ones are cute, but the little ones are even cuter.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- He's gorgeous?- He's gorgeous, yeah.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Jen, I hear all this is your fault.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Well...
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Not all my fault, but I might have had a wee part to play in it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Just being here today, it's such a great atmosphere,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35because everyone's helping, everyone's mucking in.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It really does seem like a family affair looking after them.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Yeah, this is what they do out in Switzerland.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Are you trying to replicate...?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Yeah, we want to carry on the same kind of traditions
0:16:45 > 0:16:47that they do out there with the sheep,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50but it is good getting everyone else involved in it
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and just all mucking in and being a part of it.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Mum's not very happy about you holding lamb.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I know, I might just put him back down.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06'A last rinse and I've washed my first Valais blacknose.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Rinsed?- Yeah, that's good. - Happy?- I'm happy.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19And with fleece as white as the show on the hilltops,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22there's only one more thing to do.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- This is Swiss style.- Swiss style.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They're looking pretty good. They're all cleaned up.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29They're all dry and lovely in this wind as well.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32You've obviously made a huge commitment to these sheep.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Are you glad at the way things are going?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Absolutely. Yeah, I think...
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Yeah, I think this is probably one of the best things that we've done.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Raymond?- Yeah, yeah.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Until Jen sees something else on the internet for me to look at.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- So are they the cutest sheep in the world?- By far.- Yes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54OK, I agree with you, I agree with you.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Right, take them off into the Tomintoul Alps. See you later.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The Valais blacknose are known for their meat as well as their fleece,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11but when it comes to cooking, there's more to sheep than lamb,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and more to cattle than just steak.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16We sent Nick out on the hunt for offal.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18It's a staple of restaurant menus,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22but attempts are being made to put it back on our plates at home.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Now I'm one of the legion of foodies
0:18:25 > 0:18:28who believe there is nothing awful about offal.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I'm talking about the tasty bits.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I'm talking about lambs' kidneys, I'm talking about ox cheeks,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I'm talking about sweetbread.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38The so-called fifth quarter had once fallen from favour,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but now it's back.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48These cuts of meat are known as the fifth quarter in the trade.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Traditionally, they've been very popular in Scotland,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54but during the BSE crisis, they were withdrawn from sale.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Since they've come back to the meat counter with a clean bill of health,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01sales have been slow to pick up, and that seems an awful shame to me.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I've come here to the Scotbeef Processing Plant
0:19:05 > 0:19:06just outside Stirling
0:19:06 > 0:19:10to have a look at the wide array of fifth quarter products
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and how they're harvested.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- OK, Nick. - Thank you very much, sir. Lead on.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'Gerard McCafferty is the factory manager
0:19:20 > 0:19:23'here at the largest slaughter facility in the UK.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So what's happening here?
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The line has been built very much with the fifth quarter in mind.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35It comes up here to be dressed. It then goes into a chiller.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37We chill it down.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Wow.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45This is not what I expected.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49This is where we chill for chilling all our offals.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52We've got a carousel movement that takes one hour ten minutes
0:19:52 > 0:19:54to get the product down for packing.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58'Fifth quarter product can account
0:19:58 > 0:20:01'for up to half the weight of the carcass,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05'so encouraging the use of cuts such as kidney, liver, cheeks
0:20:05 > 0:20:09'and tongue reduces waste and it makes a tasty meal.'
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Do you think that there is a general problem in public awareness
0:20:13 > 0:20:16with what to do with this stuff?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Yes, I do. Yes, I do. It needs education.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21People like yourself, Nick, can promote it better than anyone,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26because you're the guy who can educate the consumer
0:20:26 > 0:20:30how to cook a beef cheek, how to cook a kidney.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Let people know that it's not a poor cut, because it's not.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39When I look at this array here, I see a beautiful daube of beef,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I see ox and kidney suet pudding.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45This speaks to me of fabulous eating. Onglet.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47I can't get this because the French know
0:20:47 > 0:20:51that this is one of the best cuts of the whole animal.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53So I absolutely agree with you.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I think we have a job to do to explain to people how good
0:20:57 > 0:21:00these products are, but you need to know how to be able to cook them.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01Yes.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'And you need to be able to buy it too.'
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Beaton.- Hello, Nick. How you doing?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12'Beaton Lindsay runs this butcher's shop in Perth
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'and is trying to persuade us to return to cooking offal at home.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Beaton, you're a traditional family butcher. Do you sell a lot of offal?
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Well, with being traditional and buying live animals from the farm,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28whole animals with everything, we have to sell it to make our way.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31But you're finding liver, kidney, tripe,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33that's more the older customer.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35But through your celebrity chef type thing
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and what they're using on the television,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40you're getting the younger people that are using the likes
0:21:40 > 0:21:42of cheek, skirt, oxtail, sweetbreads.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Are sales of offal increasing at the moment?
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Well, we're working on it.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48You're finding different cuts are more popular than others.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Your meatier cuts, like cheek, skirt, oxtail,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56they're growing all the time because people are learning to cook again.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Beaton, if you were to take any one of these pieces
0:21:59 > 0:22:02of the fifth quarter home to cook, which would you choose?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Oxtail every time. Favourite stew in the world.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08When we were kids, my mum would cook two tails of stew, and as we were
0:22:08 > 0:22:10eating them, we were building the tail up along the table.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- NICK LAUGHS - Brilliant. Best stew.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Gravy so thick and rich you could put wallpaper on a wall with it.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Fantastic.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24'Well, Nick's gravy might not be able to hold wallpaper up,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29'but he'll need all his skill as I join him in the Landward food van.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'We're in Inverness to try and persuade the population that
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'there's a tasty alternative to the other four quarters.'
0:22:38 > 0:22:41This week, Doug, we are cooking one of the finest bits of sheep
0:22:41 > 0:22:43that quite often gets chucked away.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Yeah, what's this?
0:22:44 > 0:22:48These are sweetbreads - a gland from the pancreatic area.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The best way to cook them is to first blanch them in boiling water
0:22:51 > 0:22:53for three minutes and then you can
0:22:53 > 0:22:54take the skin off the outside.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Then we get left with these guys here.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59What we're going to do is pane them,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02that means coat them in breadcrumbs, and deep-fry them.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06They are delicious. They've got this amazing creamy texture.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09We need some seasoned flour. That's ordinary plain flour.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Salt and pepper, and a little bit of paprika.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Take the blanched sweetbread and just roll them round the flour
0:23:16 > 0:23:17so they get coated in flour.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Then into the egg mix and then into these dry breadcrumbs.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The best way to do this is give them a wee shoogle
0:23:24 > 0:23:27rather than touching them, cos then it all sticks to your fingers.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Sorry, I do beg your pardon.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Don't slitter. Look, look!
0:23:30 > 0:23:36- No, no, it's fine. Don't worry. - Mess. Mess, Doug. Too much flour.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Am I making a mess of it now?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39You're making a bit of a mess.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- I'm sorry. - Carry on. You were doing well.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So do you think that offal in general is far too overlooked?
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Absolutely. I think one of the problems we have is that post-BSE
0:23:50 > 0:23:53we got paranoid in the abattoirs about removing
0:23:53 > 0:23:57the whole spinal cord and everything around about it.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Because offal traditionally wasn't a high-value part of the animal,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06then it has been chopped away too much.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09But, actually, there is some tremendous eating.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Sweetbreads is one of the most overlooked.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I think this is a treat right up there with langoustines,
0:24:14 > 0:24:15scallops and beef fillets.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- Really?- Oh, yeah. - As beautiful as that?- Yeah, yeah.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21In other countries as well they would never think
0:24:21 > 0:24:23about chucking away these really tasty little gems.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28So the breadcrumbs are on the sweetbreads. What do we do now?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30We're just going to deep-fry them for about two to three minutes
0:24:30 > 0:24:33until they're pale golden.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37So a crunch on the outside and then this lovely creamy texture.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41That's really why sweetbreads are so prized, this creamy texture.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- I've also got a little bit of gremolata.- Yeah, which is?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48It's chopped up parsley with lemon and garlic.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We'll just sprinkle a little bit over.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- Oh, nice.- Out they come.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Beautiful.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56On to a little bit of kitchen roll.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We're just going to sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Perfect, perfect, perfect.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- Now, in the meantime, I'm going to cook some kidneys.- Here they are.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06This is lambs' kidneys.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11A bit of salt, fresh ground black pepper. Thank you.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Then straight over to the frying pan. Into the pan goes a bit of oil.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18This is light-blended olive oil.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'After the kidneys have got a bit of colour,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'it's time to whip up a sauce.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'Using the same pan, add a splash of whisky, some stock
0:25:29 > 0:25:31'and a little bit of cream,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33'some chives and a teaspoon of mustard.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'Put the kidneys back in the pan and coat them with the sauce.'
0:25:37 > 0:25:43That, my friend, are our sauteed lambs' kidneys...
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Love that mustard smell.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47..with whisky, chives and mustard.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- It's tasting time.- Can't wait.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52We've got the deep-fried sweetbreads and, of course,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55the sauteed lambs' kidneys with mustard sauce.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56OK.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Oh.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Really nice. The whisky and the cream, mustard - plus the texture.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08The texture of the kidneys. So sweetbread...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Mm.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- Need a little bit of seasoning. - Yeah, they do.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- But very crispy on the outside. - Creamy.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- Lovely.- Beautiful texture. Beautiful.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Let's find out what the great citizens of Inverness
0:26:21 > 0:26:23make of your sweetbread and my kidneys.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24OK.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Take a wee one.- Take a wee one.- Aye.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- A little bit of animal.- No. - You wouldn't. Right.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34OK, maybe I didn't sell that particularly well.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Vegetarian, sorry. - You're vegetarian.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- Thank you.- OK. That's more like it, straight in there.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Cannot seem to find a taker for my kidneys.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45- It's got a wee kick to it.- Crunchy, spicy, soft. Oh, it's lovely.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47- Kidney.- I prefer the loin.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- Did you cook them? - I cooked them myself.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- Part of the pancreas.- Really? - Really?- Yeah, yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Sweetbread sounds nicer.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Tell me what you think.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Very nicely seasoned, anyway.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Oh, lovely.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Should it be hot or cold?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06I think I'm a wee bit of a cook myself.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08- I've never tasted anything like it. - Really?
0:27:08 > 0:27:09I've just eaten pancreas?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Thank you.- Thank you. Fantastic.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I have to confess, Nick, I thought some people might baulk at the idea
0:27:15 > 0:27:17of eating sweetbreads,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19but my goodness, that was a resounding success.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20It's extraordinary.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24I think the citizens of Inverness are quietly gourmand in their outlook,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26because I had 100% success rate with the kidneys.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- Yeah.- Lightly cooked kidneys.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31They were medium-rare, and people were absolutely loving them.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Yeah, they were delicious.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36- In the meantime, from all of us here in Inverness...- Goodbye!- Bye.