Episode 14 Landward

Sit back on your sofa, relax and enjoy the wonderful world

of the Scottish countryside.

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.

This week, I began my journey

along some of Scotland's most spectacular roads

on a bike so lovely, it's known as a Bonnie.

And here is what else is coming up on the programme.

Sarah finds out how to restore a walled garden.

As you well know, you're never finished in a garden.

I visit a new memorial to the people of the Cabrach.

I mean, after seeing the programme, I thought we had to do something.

We absolutely had to and I think we did quite a nice job.

And Euan meets the folk with a big passion for some wee trains.

You've got gleaming brass, you've got coal and you've got steam.

But first, the scene you see behind me -

sheep grazing on windswept hills -

is the classic picture postcard image of rural Scotland.

But for many hill farmers, the annual crop of lambs

is their only product so getting a good price is vital.

I'm off to find out why sheep farmers are facing a tough year

and what they intend to do about it.

Scotland's lamb farmers are on a mission -

to convince us to eat more of these.

But they have a mountain to climb.

We eat less lamb in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK

and young people in particular just don't seem to be buying it

and, with lamb prices recently hitting a six-year low,

top of the agenda for Scottish farmers is to make sure their meat

gets in our shopping trolleys.

Come on! HE WHISTLES

John Ritchie's Texel cross Scotch mules

end up on our supermarket shelves and even some restaurants in Paris.

Today, this Perthshire farmer

is deciding which ones are ready for eating.

Between 38kg and 44kg is the perfect size for going to market.

Just 41. OK, in you come.

Now, prices are at a six-year low just now.

-What do you put that down to?

-It's quite frustrating.

A lot of it's down to the strength of the pound against the euro

-at the moment.

-41.

-Yeah, that's good.

Which makes it really hard to export Scotch lamb abroad.

Also with the exchange rate,

it makes it easier for the likes of New Zealand lamb to come in

because it makes it cheaper coming in

so it's kind of a perfect storm

and consumption's down a little bit just now,

which is a bit disappointing when it's such a good product

and we're trying to get people to eat it.

Now, given prices are so low, John,

what's the feeling amongst farmers in the industry?

It's a challenging time.

I'd lie to you if I said these lambs were at the price I'd like them

to be at, but everybody in any industry would tell you that.

I'm quite confident it's going to pick up

at some point down the line,

but it's just a case of we'll weather this

and hopefully things will pick up.

If we can get people eating lamb,

that's the best thing to boost the price.

Lovely!

'Farmers across the country have been doing their bit

'to encourage more of us to eat lamb.'

We're doing a promotion for Scotch lamb, produced in Aberdeenshire...

'They've been out in force in supermarkets,

'giving away samples and recipe cards

'and low prices for farmers can be good news for consumers.'

It's more tender.

'But it's not only farmers who are doing their best

'to encourage us to eat more lamb.

'At the Dundee Flower And Food Festival,

'organisers are bringing out the big guns...'

Welcome to the food tent, ladies and gentlemen.

'..MasterChef: The Professionals winner Jamie Scott

'and presenter Gregg Wallace.'

I am a great lover of lamb, it's one of my favourite meats

and has been since I was a child and Scottish lamb is incredibly good.

The flavour of lamb, for me, is an incredible rich flavour

and that fat that you get, that's what makes the meat so moist.

It's a beautifully tender, tender, lovely cut of meat.

'So, high praise from the experts,

'but are the people of Dundee convinced?'

I love lamb, it's one of my favourite meats

and we do try and have it on special occasions.

I cook with it, I love it.

It's a fantastic meat to use.

I eat it a lot, at least once a week.

More than that, quite often.

'Gregg Wallace and co

'may be preaching to the converted in Dundee.

'Back on the hills,

'sheep farmers like John Ritchie need a full-scale lamb renaissance.'

Now, the summer holidays may sadly seem a long way away,

but it's a fair bet that for many of us, our summer included a trip

to one of Scotland's stately homes or castles.

But there's one element of our historical heritage

that's in danger of disappearing.

Sarah has been to find out more.

In the last century,

hundreds of walled gardens were built all over the UK.

Nearly every big house had one.

They were especially popular on estates in Scotland.

The walls helped to keep deer and rabbits out

and offered some protection from our sometimes challenging weather.

But, as food production techniques changed and estate staff dwindled,

walled gardens became redundant and many disappeared from estates

around Britain, taking with them a large part of our national heritage.

I've come to Gordon Castle Estate near Fochabers.

It's been through a few changes of ownership in its history

and, while the main building and ornamental gardens are pristine,

it's one of the places

where the kitchen garden was allowed to fall into decline.

But although the whole garden looked like this just a few years ago,

the current owners are undertaking an ambitious restoration project

and, piece by piece, bringing it back to life.

-Zara, good morning, hi.

-Hello, Sarah, how are you?

Are you hard at work?

-Can I help in some way?

-Yes. Grab a pair of gloves.

-Are we weeding?

-We are weeding constantly.

-Great.

'The garden is huge - just over 8½ acres.

'So it's been a long haul for Zara Gordon Lennox and her husband.'

So the idea to resurrect it, to bring it back to life,

-when did that come about?

-Erm, about three years ago, really.

We didn't want to recreate the Edwardian or the Victorian garden.

We wanted to make a totally working productive garden,

but for the next 100 years.

So modernise it, but with a nod to the past?

With a huge nod to the past in that it's very important

that everything in the garden is productive

so we haven't put anything in here that's ornamental or just for show.

Everything gets used

and that's a really important part of the ethos of plant, pick, plate.

For one man in particular,

the restoration of these gardens is a real joy.

-There's some heat there.

-That's incredible heat.

And then this enables you to grow all the fruit on this wall.

That's right, exactly.

'Willie Robertson lovingly tended these trees for many years.

'Willie was the estate gardener for 64 years.

'He's retired now, but still enjoys lending a hand.'

So, what was your job?

My favourite job would have been working with the fruit trees -

pruning the trees and planting new ones and so on.

Most of these, I planted at one time.

The old trees were ripped out and this was young ones.

And when you say "young", how young?

HE LAUGHS

Oh, well, that would have been 30, 40 years ago, anyway.

-30, 40 years ago?

-Uh-huh.

-What does this garden mean to you?

Well, it was just my life, you see, at that time

and, as you well know, you're never finished in a garden.

'Willie's welly boots are now being filled by John Hawley,

'with an equally deep-rooted passion for the garden.'

This is rainbow chard,

-I don't know if you've come across it before?

-I haven't.

It's an absolutely beautiful plant and, as the name might suggest,

it comes in a range of colours - yellows and whites

and this amazing, unbelievable red colour.

It almost looks like we've sprayed it, but we've not.

That's incredible! It's sort of a pink.

So we're a couple of years into the project.

We've got two or three more years to go before completion

and when it's complete,

we think it's going to be one of the largest productive walled gardens

in the country, which for me is an absolute dream come true.

It's fabulous.

The thing I like the most about it is there are

so many different parts of the ground so, for example,

we're going to be putting in a huge maze, a huge soft fruit garden

and lots of different themed gardens so it's absolutely amazing.

There's just so much variety and so many things to do.

Speaking of doing things, should we take this to the kitchen?

-I think so, yeah.

-Is there someone in there

-who might know what they're doing?

-We can get it prepared

-and, within an hour or so, it'll be on somebody's plate.

-Fantastic!

Walled gardens are an important part of our history

and it's sad that so many have disappeared.

I have to admire what this family have done and the dedicated team

behind them trying to keep this one alive

and ensure it does survive for the next generation.

'As we travel about Scotland, we like to stop and ask the folk

'we meet on the street what they love about the local area.'

Today, we've stopped in the beautiful cathedral town of Dunblane.

So, what do the locals think about it?

-What are you most proud of about Dunblane?

-I was born here.

I'd say the most historical is obviously the cathedral.

It's just oozing with historical character.

A place where you can go and sit in peaceful quietness,

-it's a fantastic place.

-It's where I was christened.

Tell me something that I should really do.

You should definitely go to Tilly Tea Room.

It's just opened up the road and it's amazing.

They do the best scones ever, I think.

Very simple - get your photo taken next to the golden postbox.

Everybody does it, it's been a fantastic boon to the town

since Andy Murray won the Olympics.

It's such a simple thing, but it really, really works.

-Where's the most romantic place?

-Ooh, most romantic place?

Probably standing on the bridge, looking down the river.

Tell me something about Dunblane that I don't know.

The two butchers are fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

They're best in Scotland for their steak pies and their haggis.

What would you say is the most romantic place?

Oh! In my house, I would think, with my wife!

So, that's what the locals think, but I reckon this deserves a mention.

When Queen Victoria travelled through Dunblane, her horse threw a shoe.

It was put up on the wall here and it's said if you give it a rub,

it will bring you good luck.

I would suggest that you bring a stepladder because it is pretty high.

'Enough of such nonsense! On with the serious stuff.'

Scotland has some amazing roads and, in the summer months,

they're chockablock with tourists from all over the world,

taking in the stunning landscapes, vistas and views.

This summer, we asked Landward viewers on Facebook

to suggest Scotland's best roads, the ones you enjoy driving the most,

and we were inundated with ideas.

Based on your suggestions, we've picked a square route

of four journeys around the north of the Scottish mainland.

Time to hit the road!

Now, whether you travel by bus, car or bicycle,

these roads are incredible, but to make it even more of a treat,

I'm going to be eating up the miles on this beauty -

a Triumph Bonneville.

This week's route was suggested by Landward viewer Janet Wilson.

She recommended the A9 from Inverness to Thurso.

Whoever suggested this as an idea,

I'd like to shake them warmly by the hand.

On the route, I'll be tackling one of the trickiest stretches of road

in the whole of Scotland - the Berriedale Braes.

But before I get there, I've got 75 miles to cover.

Earlier this year, a newly named driving route -

the North Coast 500 - was launched

and I got the chance to drive some of it in an open-topped car.

My biking route will cover some of the same spectacular ground

and plenty more.

This is just a fantastic way to spend a day -

some of the most beautiful parts of the country

on a beautiful motorbike on a beautiful day.

But, as per usual on a Landward shoot,

it doesn't stay beautiful for long.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Who suggested motorcycling?

Why didn't we do this in a car? With a ROOF?

Leaving Golspie behind, I'm heading for the Braes.

The weather's worsening, though, and among the sights

I'm failing to see is the normally picturesque Dunrobin Castle.

Look at the view now! There ain't one!

I'm now approaching the trickiest section of road on my journey.

THUNDER RUMBLES

The infamous Berriedale Braes,

a series of steep ascents

and descents with some hairpin bends mixed in.

The route of the road has changed little

since Thomas Telford built it in the early 1800s,

forced by the area's granite geology to follow the contours of the land.

Civil engineer and local resident Colin Mackenzie

is well aware of the hazards for the unwary motorist.

I'm meeting up with him for some advice.

-Colin, how you doing?

-Very well, thanks.

-It's an awfa' day, is it not?

-Oh, dreadful, dreadful.

Tell me about this stretch of road.

Why is it so notorious? Why is it so tricky?

The key issue, really, is that there's a 500ft drop

from the top of the valley which you've just came over

and you've got another 500ft to climb up on the other side

and trucks frequently get stuck on it,

particularly drivers who aren't familiar with the area

and when that happens, when a truck gets stuck on the hairpin,

Caithness is effectively cut off for some time.

Colin, I'm not a local driver

and I'm just about to take the Braes on just now.

In these conditions, basically a monsoon, on a motorcycle, any advice?

All I would say is take it easy going up the hill

and be prepared to stop for oncoming trucks coming downhill.

-Oh, my goodness, really?

-Yes. Yes, I'd say that's your best bet.

Haha, good luck with that!

A smell of burning clutch.

I'm up and the sun's come out.

I'm now heading towards Thurso

and the hills of Berriedale are well behind us

and the landscape just changes completely to these wide open plains,

really flat agricultural land, very, very different.

And, at last, the sky is a little bluer.

Now, thanks to our filming commitments,

challenging weather conditions and the odd coffee stop,

that has taken almost ten hours.

Time to stretch my legs, I think.

There's only a little time to recover, though, as next week,

I continue my journey around the north coast

from Thurso to Achriesgill.

What a wonderful way to spend the summer!

Thanks also to everyone who sent route suggestions

to our Facebook page.

And if you want to get in touch with the team, maybe you have an idea,

go to the page or send an e-mail - [email protected]

Now, while I was messing around on bikes, Euan put on his anorak

and met the rail buffs who've gone to great lengths to secure

the future of their beloved engines.

Scotland has a long and proud history of engineering

so it's not surprising that we've a misty-eyed nostalgia

for the lovely old steam trains that travelled our magnificent railways.

I make no apologies about my trainspotting tendencies.

I love trains.

I love the engines, the smell, the sounds and, of course, the steam.

But I'm starting to think

that all is not quite as it seems around here.

These are exact scaled-down models of the real thing

and it takes phenomenal skill and true dedication

to produce these tiny working models

and each one quite simply a labour a love.

We're on the grounds of Newliston House,

just outside Edinburgh

at one of the regular gatherings

of the Edinburgh Society of Model Engineers.

-James?

-Hello!

-Nice to meet you. She's beautiful, isn't she?

Lovely machine.

'The society has more than 70 members

'and James Robertson is one of the regulars.'

So, what do we do? Is this the fire in here?

This is the fire so this is where the coal goes

-and that's the fire in there.

-It's the real fire!

-It's the real fire.

-So can I put some coal in?

-Yes, do that.

It's tiny wee coal as well, look at that.

-Do you have to break it up especially?

-I do, actually.

What, you've got a wee hammer and...

I've got a big hammer and I hit it gently.

If you hit it with a small hammer too hard, you end up with dust.

You've got gleaming brass, you've got coal and you've got steam.

The site at Newliston has been home to the society for 38 years.

It has over a half-mile of track

and can take three of the most common gauges of miniature train.

I started when I was 14 on a full-size railway in South Africa,

fireman and up onto the steam, but then the steam finished

and I managed to come back to the UK

and got a job on the high-speed trains over here.

So you're doing it during the day AND at weekends?

And at weekends, yes.

I used to be involved in full size,

but I decided to take up miniature instead.

There's no other machine like it.

You talk to them, they're almost living machines.

How important is this track to you?

Well, I suppose it's like asking a golfer

how important the golf course is!

But five years ago,

the society was given notice from the owners of the estate to vacate.

After the initial shock, the club realised it was, in fact,

a great opportunity.

The club members put their hands in their own pockets

and came up with the cash to buy this neglected 12-acres of woodland.

They've also secured Lottery funding to help turn this land

into the biggest miniature railway in the country.

It's time for the society to make tracks...literally.

'James Robertson, who we spoke to earlier,

'is one of a squad of volunteers who are transforming

'this neglected 12-acre woodland in Almondell, just three miles away.

'And they're using the old miniature railway lines to help with the job.'

-What happens now?

-Well, we move it up to the point

where we can get it onto the road vehicle.

OK, so what stage are you at? Have you got to clear all of this?

All the timber you see lying has to go, all these piles.

-And all by volunteers?

-And all by volunteers of all ages.

That's a lot of work for volunteers, isn't it?

When we came here at first, you got lost as soon as you went in.

You couldn't walk 4ft without tripping over things.

The society intends the new site to have a much wider appeal.

There'll be a public track

for visitors to ride the miniature trains

and there are plans for a kart track

and a pond for radio controlled boats.

But for now, I'm delighted that the future is secure

for these fantastic miniature engines.

I always said I wanted to be a train driver when I grew up

and I'm finally doing it. It IS miniature,

but it's just all the fun scaled down. It's fantastic!

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

We always love what we do, but sometimes a story strikes

a particular chord both with us and you.

Back in spring 2014,

we made a special programme looking at the impact of the First World War

on the Scottish countryside.

I came here to the Cabrach and the story I discovered

has stayed with me ever since.

I've now come back to see how that story has developed.

WIND HOWLS

The chilly Cabrach - a remote community that spans the high moors

of west Aberdeenshire and upper Banffshire.

In 1914, most of the men and boys here,

like many across Scotland, went off to war.

Last year, I met up with local writer Norman Harper,

who explained the impact this had on the whole community.

The women and children and old folk

more or less survived the winter of 1914/1915

because it was unseasonably mild,

but after a year of trying to survive,

they hit the winter of '15/'16

and it was a classic Cabrach winter -

drifts, blizzards, blocked in for weeks on end, animals dying

so really they had to make a decision that was forced on them.

It was the only decision they could make.

They went to look for accommodation

in the surrounding towns and villages -

Dufftown, Huntly, Rhynie, Lumsden - and they abandoned the crofts.

The First World War effectively emptied the Cabrach of people.

This is a copy of the census from 1911

and it really gives you a sense of how many people lived in this area.

In the farmstead behind me, seven people,

James Roy and his housekeeper in one house

and another, the Andersons, a family of five.

And just along the glen there, a young ploughman, James Crampshee,

joined the local regiment, the Gordon Highlanders,

to do his bit for king and country.

But on the 10th of October 1915, exactly 100 years ago,

James died on his way home from France.

His story is typical and with no young men,

the community struggled to survive and eventually abandoned the area.

The irony was that while historians

described this area as the biggest war memorial in the world,

it didn't actually have a war memorial.

'However, one determined local wanted to do something to remember

'those who never came back.'

-Hi, Patti, how are you?

-I'm good, how are you?

Very well, nice to see you.

-Nice to see you.

-'Patti Nelson runs the Cabrach Community Association.'

-Shall we have a wee wander down?

-Sure!

Tell me, what did you think when you saw our programme?

I thought that it was very fascinating

and I was quite surprised that they didn't have a physical monument,

probably given the fact that the losses were so great at the time.

So we set about doing some research

and then decided to build something more lasting.

-And this is it.

-And this is it.

An impressive stone cairn here, beautiful!

So, was this a real community effort to get this built?

It was a community effort.

We had local farmers, a local chap that has a digger and things.

The stone is from behind us on the hill up there,

there were some dry stone walls that had seen better days.

This is a lovely idea

cos this was a community that was completely wiped out by the war.

The community that live here now are coming together

to put a memorial up to them.

It is good and hopefully it is the start of our regeneration.

'One person who felt compelled to get involved

'was local teacher Susan Thomson.'

I'm from Rhynie, I'm not actually from the Cabrach,

but my dad was in the First World War.

He came back, he was in Passchendaele,

but I had two uncles who died in the Somme

and there's no memorial to them

although they're on the wall at Thiepval

and they're on the war memorial in Tarland

-so a bit of that went into this for me as well.

-Yeah.

I mean, after seeing the programme, I thought we had to do something.

We absolutely had to and I think we did quite a nice job.

So, finally, the young lads of the farms

and cottages of the Cabrach who never returned have a fitting

and lasting memorial in this remote community

that was so devastated by World War I.