0:00:02 > 0:00:04Sit back on your sofa, relax and enjoy the wonderful world
0:00:04 > 0:00:06of the Scottish countryside.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30This week, I began my journey
0:00:30 > 0:00:33along some of Scotland's most spectacular roads
0:00:33 > 0:00:36on a bike so lovely, it's known as a Bonnie.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And here is what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Sarah finds out how to restore a walled garden.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47As you well know, you're never finished in a garden.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I visit a new memorial to the people of the Cabrach.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I mean, after seeing the programme, I thought we had to do something.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58We absolutely had to and I think we did quite a nice job.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02And Euan meets the folk with a big passion for some wee trains.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06You've got gleaming brass, you've got coal and you've got steam.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14But first, the scene you see behind me -
0:01:14 > 0:01:17sheep grazing on windswept hills -
0:01:17 > 0:01:20is the classic picture postcard image of rural Scotland.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23But for many hill farmers, the annual crop of lambs
0:01:23 > 0:01:27is their only product so getting a good price is vital.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I'm off to find out why sheep farmers are facing a tough year
0:01:31 > 0:01:33and what they intend to do about it.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Scotland's lamb farmers are on a mission -
0:01:43 > 0:01:47to convince us to eat more of these.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But they have a mountain to climb.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55We eat less lamb in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and young people in particular just don't seem to be buying it
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and, with lamb prices recently hitting a six-year low,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06top of the agenda for Scottish farmers is to make sure their meat
0:02:06 > 0:02:08gets in our shopping trolleys.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Come on! HE WHISTLES
0:02:15 > 0:02:18John Ritchie's Texel cross Scotch mules
0:02:18 > 0:02:22end up on our supermarket shelves and even some restaurants in Paris.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Today, this Perthshire farmer
0:02:25 > 0:02:29is deciding which ones are ready for eating.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Between 38kg and 44kg is the perfect size for going to market.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Just 41. OK, in you come.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Now, prices are at a six-year low just now.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- What do you put that down to? - It's quite frustrating.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50A lot of it's down to the strength of the pound against the euro
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- at the moment.- 41. - Yeah, that's good.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Which makes it really hard to export Scotch lamb abroad.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Also with the exchange rate,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03it makes it easier for the likes of New Zealand lamb to come in
0:03:03 > 0:03:06because it makes it cheaper coming in
0:03:06 > 0:03:07so it's kind of a perfect storm
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and consumption's down a little bit just now,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13which is a bit disappointing when it's such a good product
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and we're trying to get people to eat it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Now, given prices are so low, John,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21what's the feeling amongst farmers in the industry?
0:03:21 > 0:03:22It's a challenging time.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I'd lie to you if I said these lambs were at the price I'd like them
0:03:26 > 0:03:30to be at, but everybody in any industry would tell you that.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33I'm quite confident it's going to pick up
0:03:33 > 0:03:35at some point down the line,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but it's just a case of we'll weather this
0:03:37 > 0:03:39and hopefully things will pick up.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41If we can get people eating lamb,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that's the best thing to boost the price.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Lovely!
0:03:50 > 0:03:54'Farmers across the country have been doing their bit
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'to encourage more of us to eat lamb.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00We're doing a promotion for Scotch lamb, produced in Aberdeenshire...
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'They've been out in force in supermarkets,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05'giving away samples and recipe cards
0:04:05 > 0:04:09'and low prices for farmers can be good news for consumers.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11It's more tender.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21'But it's not only farmers who are doing their best
0:04:21 > 0:04:22'to encourage us to eat more lamb.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'At the Dundee Flower And Food Festival,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27'organisers are bringing out the big guns...'
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Welcome to the food tent, ladies and gentlemen.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'..MasterChef: The Professionals winner Jamie Scott
0:04:33 > 0:04:35'and presenter Gregg Wallace.'
0:04:36 > 0:04:40I am a great lover of lamb, it's one of my favourite meats
0:04:40 > 0:04:45and has been since I was a child and Scottish lamb is incredibly good.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49The flavour of lamb, for me, is an incredible rich flavour
0:04:49 > 0:04:54and that fat that you get, that's what makes the meat so moist.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It's a beautifully tender, tender, lovely cut of meat.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'So, high praise from the experts,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05'but are the people of Dundee convinced?'
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I love lamb, it's one of my favourite meats
0:05:07 > 0:05:09and we do try and have it on special occasions.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I cook with it, I love it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13It's a fantastic meat to use.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I eat it a lot, at least once a week.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18More than that, quite often.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21'Gregg Wallace and co
0:05:21 > 0:05:24'may be preaching to the converted in Dundee.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29'Back on the hills,
0:05:29 > 0:05:34'sheep farmers like John Ritchie need a full-scale lamb renaissance.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Now, the summer holidays may sadly seem a long way away,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but it's a fair bet that for many of us, our summer included a trip
0:05:43 > 0:05:46to one of Scotland's stately homes or castles.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48But there's one element of our historical heritage
0:05:48 > 0:05:51that's in danger of disappearing.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Sarah has been to find out more.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57In the last century,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00hundreds of walled gardens were built all over the UK.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Nearly every big house had one.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09They were especially popular on estates in Scotland.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12The walls helped to keep deer and rabbits out
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and offered some protection from our sometimes challenging weather.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21But, as food production techniques changed and estate staff dwindled,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25walled gardens became redundant and many disappeared from estates
0:06:25 > 0:06:30around Britain, taking with them a large part of our national heritage.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I've come to Gordon Castle Estate near Fochabers.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39It's been through a few changes of ownership in its history
0:06:39 > 0:06:43and, while the main building and ornamental gardens are pristine,
0:06:43 > 0:06:44it's one of the places
0:06:44 > 0:06:48where the kitchen garden was allowed to fall into decline.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54But although the whole garden looked like this just a few years ago,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58the current owners are undertaking an ambitious restoration project
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and, piece by piece, bringing it back to life.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Zara, good morning, hi. - Hello, Sarah, how are you?
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Are you hard at work?
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- Can I help in some way?- Yes. Grab a pair of gloves.- Are we weeding?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- We are weeding constantly.- Great.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'The garden is huge - just over 8½ acres.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'So it's been a long haul for Zara Gordon Lennox and her husband.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:26So the idea to resurrect it, to bring it back to life,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31- when did that come about? - Erm, about three years ago, really.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34We didn't want to recreate the Edwardian or the Victorian garden.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We wanted to make a totally working productive garden,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39but for the next 100 years.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41So modernise it, but with a nod to the past?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44With a huge nod to the past in that it's very important
0:07:44 > 0:07:46that everything in the garden is productive
0:07:46 > 0:07:49so we haven't put anything in here that's ornamental or just for show.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Everything gets used
0:07:51 > 0:07:56and that's a really important part of the ethos of plant, pick, plate.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09For one man in particular,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12the restoration of these gardens is a real joy.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- There's some heat there. - That's incredible heat.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And then this enables you to grow all the fruit on this wall.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25That's right, exactly.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'Willie Robertson lovingly tended these trees for many years.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'Willie was the estate gardener for 64 years.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38'He's retired now, but still enjoys lending a hand.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:40So, what was your job?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43My favourite job would have been working with the fruit trees -
0:08:43 > 0:08:47pruning the trees and planting new ones and so on.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Most of these, I planted at one time.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54The old trees were ripped out and this was young ones.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And when you say "young", how young?
0:08:57 > 0:08:58HE LAUGHS
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Oh, well, that would have been 30, 40 years ago, anyway.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- 30, 40 years ago?- Uh-huh. - What does this garden mean to you?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Well, it was just my life, you see, at that time
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and, as you well know, you're never finished in a garden.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'Willie's welly boots are now being filled by John Hawley,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25'with an equally deep-rooted passion for the garden.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:26This is rainbow chard,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- I don't know if you've come across it before?- I haven't.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32It's an absolutely beautiful plant and, as the name might suggest,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34it comes in a range of colours - yellows and whites
0:09:34 > 0:09:37and this amazing, unbelievable red colour.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It almost looks like we've sprayed it, but we've not.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42That's incredible! It's sort of a pink.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So we're a couple of years into the project.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47We've got two or three more years to go before completion
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and when it's complete,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52we think it's going to be one of the largest productive walled gardens
0:09:52 > 0:09:55in the country, which for me is an absolute dream come true.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56It's fabulous.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59The thing I like the most about it is there are
0:09:59 > 0:10:02so many different parts of the ground so, for example,
0:10:02 > 0:10:07we're going to be putting in a huge maze, a huge soft fruit garden
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and lots of different themed gardens so it's absolutely amazing.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14There's just so much variety and so many things to do.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Speaking of doing things, should we take this to the kitchen?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- I think so, yeah. - Is there someone in there
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- who might know what they're doing? - We can get it prepared
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- and, within an hour or so, it'll be on somebody's plate.- Fantastic!
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Walled gardens are an important part of our history
0:10:32 > 0:10:35and it's sad that so many have disappeared.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39I have to admire what this family have done and the dedicated team
0:10:39 > 0:10:41behind them trying to keep this one alive
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and ensure it does survive for the next generation.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'As we travel about Scotland, we like to stop and ask the folk
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'we meet on the street what they love about the local area.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Today, we've stopped in the beautiful cathedral town of Dunblane.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03So, what do the locals think about it?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- What are you most proud of about Dunblane?- I was born here.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I'd say the most historical is obviously the cathedral.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14It's just oozing with historical character.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17A place where you can go and sit in peaceful quietness,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- it's a fantastic place. - It's where I was christened.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Tell me something that I should really do.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24You should definitely go to Tilly Tea Room.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26It's just opened up the road and it's amazing.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27They do the best scones ever, I think.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Very simple - get your photo taken next to the golden postbox.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Everybody does it, it's been a fantastic boon to the town
0:11:34 > 0:11:36since Andy Murray won the Olympics.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's such a simple thing, but it really, really works.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- Where's the most romantic place? - Ooh, most romantic place?
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Probably standing on the bridge, looking down the river.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Tell me something about Dunblane that I don't know.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The two butchers are fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58They're best in Scotland for their steak pies and their haggis.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00What would you say is the most romantic place?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Oh! In my house, I would think, with my wife!
0:12:07 > 0:12:10So, that's what the locals think, but I reckon this deserves a mention.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14When Queen Victoria travelled through Dunblane, her horse threw a shoe.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It was put up on the wall here and it's said if you give it a rub,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19it will bring you good luck.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I would suggest that you bring a stepladder because it is pretty high.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28'Enough of such nonsense! On with the serious stuff.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Scotland has some amazing roads and, in the summer months,
0:12:32 > 0:12:37they're chockablock with tourists from all over the world,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40taking in the stunning landscapes, vistas and views.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46This summer, we asked Landward viewers on Facebook
0:12:46 > 0:12:49to suggest Scotland's best roads, the ones you enjoy driving the most,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and we were inundated with ideas.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Based on your suggestions, we've picked a square route
0:12:57 > 0:13:01of four journeys around the north of the Scottish mainland.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Time to hit the road!
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Now, whether you travel by bus, car or bicycle,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16these roads are incredible, but to make it even more of a treat,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'm going to be eating up the miles on this beauty -
0:13:20 > 0:13:21a Triumph Bonneville.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25This week's route was suggested by Landward viewer Janet Wilson.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30She recommended the A9 from Inverness to Thurso.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Whoever suggested this as an idea,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I'd like to shake them warmly by the hand.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40On the route, I'll be tackling one of the trickiest stretches of road
0:13:40 > 0:13:43in the whole of Scotland - the Berriedale Braes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48But before I get there, I've got 75 miles to cover.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Earlier this year, a newly named driving route -
0:13:55 > 0:13:56the North Coast 500 - was launched
0:13:56 > 0:14:00and I got the chance to drive some of it in an open-topped car.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03My biking route will cover some of the same spectacular ground
0:14:03 > 0:14:05and plenty more.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08This is just a fantastic way to spend a day -
0:14:08 > 0:14:11some of the most beautiful parts of the country
0:14:11 > 0:14:14on a beautiful motorbike on a beautiful day.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16But, as per usual on a Landward shoot,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19it doesn't stay beautiful for long.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21THUNDER RUMBLES
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Who suggested motorcycling?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Why didn't we do this in a car? With a ROOF?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Leaving Golspie behind, I'm heading for the Braes.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The weather's worsening, though, and among the sights
0:14:37 > 0:14:41I'm failing to see is the normally picturesque Dunrobin Castle.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Look at the view now! There ain't one!
0:14:48 > 0:14:52I'm now approaching the trickiest section of road on my journey.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55THUNDER RUMBLES
0:14:55 > 0:14:57The infamous Berriedale Braes,
0:14:57 > 0:14:58a series of steep ascents
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and descents with some hairpin bends mixed in.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04The route of the road has changed little
0:15:04 > 0:15:08since Thomas Telford built it in the early 1800s,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13forced by the area's granite geology to follow the contours of the land.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Civil engineer and local resident Colin Mackenzie
0:15:16 > 0:15:19is well aware of the hazards for the unwary motorist.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I'm meeting up with him for some advice.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Colin, how you doing? - Very well, thanks.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- It's an awfa' day, is it not? - Oh, dreadful, dreadful.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Tell me about this stretch of road.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Why is it so notorious? Why is it so tricky?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35The key issue, really, is that there's a 500ft drop
0:15:35 > 0:15:39from the top of the valley which you've just came over
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and you've got another 500ft to climb up on the other side
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and trucks frequently get stuck on it,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48particularly drivers who aren't familiar with the area
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and when that happens, when a truck gets stuck on the hairpin,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Caithness is effectively cut off for some time.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Colin, I'm not a local driver
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and I'm just about to take the Braes on just now.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05In these conditions, basically a monsoon, on a motorcycle, any advice?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08All I would say is take it easy going up the hill
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and be prepared to stop for oncoming trucks coming downhill.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Oh, my goodness, really?- Yes. Yes, I'd say that's your best bet.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Haha, good luck with that!
0:16:30 > 0:16:33A smell of burning clutch.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38I'm up and the sun's come out.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41I'm now heading towards Thurso
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and the hills of Berriedale are well behind us
0:16:43 > 0:16:49and the landscape just changes completely to these wide open plains,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53really flat agricultural land, very, very different.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And, at last, the sky is a little bluer.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Now, thanks to our filming commitments,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14challenging weather conditions and the odd coffee stop,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18that has taken almost ten hours.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Time to stretch my legs, I think.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26There's only a little time to recover, though, as next week,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I continue my journey around the north coast
0:17:29 > 0:17:30from Thurso to Achriesgill.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35What a wonderful way to spend the summer!
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Thanks also to everyone who sent route suggestions
0:17:38 > 0:17:40to our Facebook page.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42And if you want to get in touch with the team, maybe you have an idea,
0:17:42 > 0:17:48go to the page or send an e-mail - landward@bbc.co.uk
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Now, while I was messing around on bikes, Euan put on his anorak
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and met the rail buffs who've gone to great lengths to secure
0:17:55 > 0:17:58the future of their beloved engines.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Scotland has a long and proud history of engineering
0:18:10 > 0:18:13so it's not surprising that we've a misty-eyed nostalgia
0:18:13 > 0:18:17for the lovely old steam trains that travelled our magnificent railways.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22I make no apologies about my trainspotting tendencies.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23I love trains.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28I love the engines, the smell, the sounds and, of course, the steam.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33But I'm starting to think
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that all is not quite as it seems around here.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48These are exact scaled-down models of the real thing
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and it takes phenomenal skill and true dedication
0:18:51 > 0:18:54to produce these tiny working models
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and each one quite simply a labour a love.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09We're on the grounds of Newliston House,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11just outside Edinburgh
0:19:11 > 0:19:14at one of the regular gatherings
0:19:14 > 0:19:17of the Edinburgh Society of Model Engineers.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- James?- Hello!- Nice to meet you. She's beautiful, isn't she?
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Lovely machine.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27'The society has more than 70 members
0:19:27 > 0:19:30'and James Robertson is one of the regulars.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:32So, what do we do? Is this the fire in here?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35This is the fire so this is where the coal goes
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- and that's the fire in there.- It's the real fire!- It's the real fire.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- So can I put some coal in? - Yes, do that.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's tiny wee coal as well, look at that.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- Do you have to break it up especially?- I do, actually.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50What, you've got a wee hammer and...
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I've got a big hammer and I hit it gently.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55If you hit it with a small hammer too hard, you end up with dust.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59You've got gleaming brass, you've got coal and you've got steam.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12The site at Newliston has been home to the society for 38 years.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14It has over a half-mile of track
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and can take three of the most common gauges of miniature train.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23I started when I was 14 on a full-size railway in South Africa,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26fireman and up onto the steam, but then the steam finished
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and I managed to come back to the UK
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and got a job on the high-speed trains over here.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32So you're doing it during the day AND at weekends?
0:20:32 > 0:20:33And at weekends, yes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I used to be involved in full size,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37but I decided to take up miniature instead.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39There's no other machine like it.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42You talk to them, they're almost living machines.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46How important is this track to you?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Well, I suppose it's like asking a golfer
0:20:48 > 0:20:50how important the golf course is!
0:20:51 > 0:20:52But five years ago,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56the society was given notice from the owners of the estate to vacate.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02After the initial shock, the club realised it was, in fact,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04a great opportunity.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08The club members put their hands in their own pockets
0:21:08 > 0:21:13and came up with the cash to buy this neglected 12-acres of woodland.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16They've also secured Lottery funding to help turn this land
0:21:16 > 0:21:19into the biggest miniature railway in the country.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27It's time for the society to make tracks...literally.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'James Robertson, who we spoke to earlier,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34'is one of a squad of volunteers who are transforming
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'this neglected 12-acre woodland in Almondell, just three miles away.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'And they're using the old miniature railway lines to help with the job.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- What happens now? - Well, we move it up to the point
0:21:45 > 0:21:47where we can get it onto the road vehicle.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50OK, so what stage are you at? Have you got to clear all of this?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53All the timber you see lying has to go, all these piles.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57- And all by volunteers? - And all by volunteers of all ages.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59That's a lot of work for volunteers, isn't it?
0:21:59 > 0:22:03When we came here at first, you got lost as soon as you went in.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06You couldn't walk 4ft without tripping over things.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13The society intends the new site to have a much wider appeal.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14There'll be a public track
0:22:14 > 0:22:17for visitors to ride the miniature trains
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and there are plans for a kart track
0:22:19 > 0:22:21and a pond for radio controlled boats.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26But for now, I'm delighted that the future is secure
0:22:26 > 0:22:28for these fantastic miniature engines.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33I always said I wanted to be a train driver when I grew up
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and I'm finally doing it. It IS miniature,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39but it's just all the fun scaled down. It's fantastic!
0:22:56 > 0:22:58TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS
0:22:59 > 0:23:03We always love what we do, but sometimes a story strikes
0:23:03 > 0:23:06a particular chord both with us and you.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Back in spring 2014,
0:23:08 > 0:23:13we made a special programme looking at the impact of the First World War
0:23:13 > 0:23:15on the Scottish countryside.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17I came here to the Cabrach and the story I discovered
0:23:17 > 0:23:19has stayed with me ever since.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I've now come back to see how that story has developed.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25WIND HOWLS
0:23:29 > 0:23:34The chilly Cabrach - a remote community that spans the high moors
0:23:34 > 0:23:37of west Aberdeenshire and upper Banffshire.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40In 1914, most of the men and boys here,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43like many across Scotland, went off to war.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Last year, I met up with local writer Norman Harper,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53who explained the impact this had on the whole community.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55The women and children and old folk
0:23:55 > 0:23:58more or less survived the winter of 1914/1915
0:23:58 > 0:24:00because it was unseasonably mild,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03but after a year of trying to survive,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05they hit the winter of '15/'16
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and it was a classic Cabrach winter -
0:24:07 > 0:24:11drifts, blizzards, blocked in for weeks on end, animals dying
0:24:11 > 0:24:15so really they had to make a decision that was forced on them.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18It was the only decision they could make.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20They went to look for accommodation
0:24:20 > 0:24:22in the surrounding towns and villages -
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Dufftown, Huntly, Rhynie, Lumsden - and they abandoned the crofts.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40The First World War effectively emptied the Cabrach of people.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43This is a copy of the census from 1911
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and it really gives you a sense of how many people lived in this area.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50In the farmstead behind me, seven people,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53James Roy and his housekeeper in one house
0:24:53 > 0:24:55and another, the Andersons, a family of five.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00And just along the glen there, a young ploughman, James Crampshee,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02joined the local regiment, the Gordon Highlanders,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04to do his bit for king and country.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12But on the 10th of October 1915, exactly 100 years ago,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15James died on his way home from France.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18His story is typical and with no young men,
0:25:18 > 0:25:24the community struggled to survive and eventually abandoned the area.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27The irony was that while historians
0:25:27 > 0:25:30described this area as the biggest war memorial in the world,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33it didn't actually have a war memorial.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'However, one determined local wanted to do something to remember
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'those who never came back.'
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- Hi, Patti, how are you? - I'm good, how are you?
0:25:49 > 0:25:50Very well, nice to see you.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- Nice to see you.- 'Patti Nelson runs the Cabrach Community Association.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:56- Shall we have a wee wander down? - Sure!
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Tell me, what did you think when you saw our programme?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03I thought that it was very fascinating
0:26:03 > 0:26:09and I was quite surprised that they didn't have a physical monument,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14probably given the fact that the losses were so great at the time.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17So we set about doing some research
0:26:17 > 0:26:21and then decided to build something more lasting.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- And this is it.- And this is it.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37An impressive stone cairn here, beautiful!
0:26:37 > 0:26:40So, was this a real community effort to get this built?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It was a community effort.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48We had local farmers, a local chap that has a digger and things.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50The stone is from behind us on the hill up there,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54there were some dry stone walls that had seen better days.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55This is a lovely idea
0:26:55 > 0:26:59cos this was a community that was completely wiped out by the war.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The community that live here now are coming together
0:27:02 > 0:27:04to put a memorial up to them.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07It is good and hopefully it is the start of our regeneration.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10'One person who felt compelled to get involved
0:27:10 > 0:27:12'was local teacher Susan Thomson.'
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I'm from Rhynie, I'm not actually from the Cabrach,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18but my dad was in the First World War.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19He came back, he was in Passchendaele,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but I had two uncles who died in the Somme
0:27:22 > 0:27:27and there's no memorial to them
0:27:27 > 0:27:28although they're on the wall at Thiepval
0:27:28 > 0:27:30and they're on the war memorial in Tarland
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- so a bit of that went into this for me as well.- Yeah.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I mean, after seeing the programme, I thought we had to do something.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40We absolutely had to and I think we did quite a nice job.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44So, finally, the young lads of the farms
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and cottages of the Cabrach who never returned have a fitting
0:27:47 > 0:27:51and lasting memorial in this remote community
0:27:51 > 0:27:53that was so devastated by World War I.