0:00:03 > 0:00:06Rugged cliffs and caves and stunning sandy bays.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09This week's Landward is clinging to the coastline.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'm in Lunan Bay, where in a moment I'll be finding out
0:00:34 > 0:00:37why traditional salmon netting on the coast has been halted...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39perhaps forever.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Euan meets the residents of Portsoy on the brink of stardom.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Today Portsoy, tomorrow Hollywood.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52CATTLE BELLOW
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Sarah follows Orkney cattle destined for market.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Ooh, 13 degrees,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00very little wind.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01- It's a goer.- Happy with that?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03- Oh, delighted.- Ferry will go? - Ferry will go.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- Right, what happens next? - Let's get them loaded.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And I continue my motorbiking journey around the top of Scotland
0:01:11 > 0:01:13with a visit to an underground river.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18There's a ten-square-mile catchment area up there,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and every drop of rain that falls there comes down this waterfall.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31- NEWSREEL:- This is the fishing fleet.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33He is watching and waiting for the salmon to jump.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35One end of the net is left ashore,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and as soon as the salmon is spotted, he rows on,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40paying the net out behind...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Coastal netting is one of the oldest methods
0:01:43 > 0:01:45of harvesting fish from the sea.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50For centuries, salmon travelling to their river of birth to spawn
0:01:50 > 0:01:52have been trapped by nets along the coast.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06But over the last 50 years,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09the number of coastal netting stations has dwindled
0:02:09 > 0:02:13as more and more businesses have been bought out by angling associations.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24One of the last remaining businesses in Scotland is Usan Fisheries,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27based just south of Montrose since the 1960s.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30They run three salmon netting operations -
0:02:30 > 0:02:34here, Dunnet Bay in Caithness, and Banffshire.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37On average, they catch around 8,000 salmon per year,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40but this year could be the very last for salmon netting ever.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47No-one knows how many salmon are out at sea,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50but, for many years, anglers have lobbied government,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53claiming netters take too many salmon.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It's the end of the 2015 netting season,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02and David Puller of Usan Fisheries
0:03:02 > 0:03:06doesn't expect to get his nets back in the water any time soon.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Why has this ban been introduced?
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Well, basically, the Scottish government
0:03:14 > 0:03:18has been told by the European government
0:03:18 > 0:03:21to measure the stocks
0:03:21 > 0:03:25and basically to stop fishing until they can measure the stocks.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28What does it make you feel, the fact that this is being introduced?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Well, it's a very sad day,
0:03:31 > 0:03:36but we've been assured on numerous occasions that it's only temporary
0:03:36 > 0:03:38until they can find out what the stock status is.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Could take ten years.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Nobody knows how long it'll take to gather the data.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45I know that must be worrying for you,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47because it's impossible to plan as a business if...
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Well, we can't grow our business,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52our customer base,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56they'll look elsewhere, so we could lose all that.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Our employees'll have to look for a job elsewhere.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Do you envisage -
0:04:01 > 0:04:03given the fact that this research is open-ended at the minute -
0:04:03 > 0:04:05do you envisage at any point putting the nets
0:04:05 > 0:04:07back in the water for commercial reasons?
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Definitely we'll mothball all the gear that we don't require,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14store it away and be ready.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18We'll have to be in a position, ready to restart again,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20because this year in particular,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23the amount of new customers that have been coming on to us -
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Fortnum & Mason, into Dubai, they've been looking for salmon,
0:04:28 > 0:04:32all over the world, they're looking, because it's an iconic product
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and it's the healthiest product you can eat.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And do you think you've been treated fairly?
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Well, to be honest,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I think the Scottish government's hands are tied.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45They've been under immense pressure from Europe
0:04:45 > 0:04:47to be able to manage the stocks,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and the only way they can manage them sustainably
0:04:50 > 0:04:51is to know the numbers.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Nobody knows how many fish are coming back to the coast,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57how many fish are going up the rivers.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01There are so many questions, so once these questions are answered,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04then we can all start fishing again.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11There are many theories as to why salmon numbers fluctuate.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It's not necessarily just netting.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Usan Fisheries hope to be employed during the ban,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19assisting scientists to find answers.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28In any controversy, there are winners and losers.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Usan Fisheries might be about to lose their business of 50 years,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34but the prospect of a ban on coastal netting
0:05:34 > 0:05:37is being celebrated by landowners and angling bodies.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I'm meeting up with
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Mark Bilsby of the Dee District Salmon Fisheries Board
0:05:51 > 0:05:54to see what his views are on the netting ban.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- Hi, Mark. How are you doing? - Ah, good.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57- Good to see you.- Good to see you.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It would have been nice to go on the river today, wouldn't it?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- But this is a wee bit heavy and not very nice.- No, far better inside.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04Absolutely.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07So what do you reckon to this ban on coastal netting,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10a victory for common sense, do you think?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13No, I think what it is is recognition of the need
0:06:13 > 0:06:15that there's not enough fish coming back to the waters.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19And that we have to look after those that do survive the journey at sea
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and come back into the rivers to spawn to start the next generation.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Some might suggest that, you know, Usan Fisheries, for example,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29it's a small company, it's small companies that are doing this
0:06:29 > 0:06:33and the people who own the land perhaps have little more sway
0:06:33 > 0:06:35in terms of influencing things.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Is that a fair comment?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Well, over the last 20 years, we've been...
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The Dee's become catch and release,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45so all the fish that have been caught here are put back.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48And we've also been working with the netting industry
0:06:48 > 0:06:51in our district on a willing buyer, willing seller,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53so when people have come to retire,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56quite often we've gone along and bought out those nets.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59We've now bought out all of the nets within our district.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02But still fish were being caught from elsewhere
0:07:02 > 0:07:04that were destined for the Dee.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07On the Dee, there's over 500 jobs involved
0:07:07 > 0:07:08in the rod and line fishery.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10And this is not just the ghillies
0:07:10 > 0:07:12and the people that work on the river,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14but it's the pubs and the B&Bs and the hotels.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And quite often the fishery makes the difference
0:07:17 > 0:07:21between surviving or not surviving as a thriving rural business.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Potentially this is a good day for the mighty salmon then?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I think if it means more of them
0:07:26 > 0:07:29will go through to spawn to start the next generation.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32That has to be really good thing for Scotland as a whole.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36It may take years, but eventually the research should show
0:07:36 > 0:07:38if a permanent end to coastal netting
0:07:38 > 0:07:42ensures a healthier future for Scotland's salmon rivers.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52The government is consulting on its plans until the end of the month.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55It's then expected that a ban on netting will be in place
0:07:55 > 0:07:58from the start of the 2016 season
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and last initially for a period of three years.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10You can have your say on the salmon consultation
0:08:10 > 0:08:13by visiting the Scottish Government website.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15If you want to have your say about Landward,
0:08:15 > 0:08:20you can get in touch via our Facebook page, or e-mail us.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Now, we all know that 2015 was an especially poor summer,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32but farmers in northern Scotland have had a particularly bad time.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37In Orkney, they experienced the wettest May and June on record
0:08:37 > 0:08:39in over 100 years.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43And that has meant a shortage of grass for livestock.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Sarah's been to meet an island beef farmer
0:08:46 > 0:08:49trying to overcome the problems caused by the weather.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I've come to Howan Farm to meet Raymond Flett...
0:08:58 > 0:09:00Come on, then. Come on, boy.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04..who produces prime Aberdeen Angus cattle.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I'm helping him give his cattle a last feed
0:09:06 > 0:09:09before they travel over 200 miles
0:09:09 > 0:09:13to get to the Aberdeen Angus show and sale in four days' time.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Come on, boys.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The extreme wet weather over the summer has meant that many farmers
0:09:21 > 0:09:25on the islands have had to send their animals to market early,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27at knock-down prices.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31But Raymond has managed to hold on to his cattle for the sale.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35It's the best chance he has of getting a good price for his animals.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38The cattle have been in a lot longer than normal,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42so obviously that's a side-effect that they haven't been on the grass,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45they haven't put on the same weight as normal.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47They're going to be lighter when they're sold,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50so it means less cash, basically.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52What are the main challenges of getting them
0:09:52 > 0:09:54to market on the mainland?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Well, hopefully there'll be no problem shipping-wise,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59but that is obviously a worry.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And what happens if the boat doesn't go?
0:10:01 > 0:10:06If the boat doesn't go, the animals won't get there to be sold, so...
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They'll just have to either be sold locally or we try and keep them
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and put them to another sale in Aberdeen.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The reason for going is that it is a show and a sale.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16That's the attraction.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18This particular sale, you want to show off your beasts.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- That's right, yeah.- And you hope to get more money for them?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Hopefully, if we get in the prizes we will get more money, yeah.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25The cattle are booked on the last ferry
0:10:25 > 0:10:28that will get them to the show on time.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32But the ferry won't sail if the weather turns bad.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33What's the forecast looking like?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Ooh, 13 degrees, very little wind. It's a goer. Yeah, no problem.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- Happy with that?- Oh, delighted, yeah.- Ferry will go?- Ferry will go.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Right, what happens next? - Let's get them loaded.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48COW BELLOWS
0:11:00 > 0:11:04So that's them all loaded. 200 miles over land and sea to get to market.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- A long way to go.- A long way to go. - You've got hopes for them?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09We always live in hope, as I keep saying, yeah.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Premium cows there. What do you hope to get for them, price-wise?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Hopefully between 1,100 and 1,200 I'll be happy with.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The situation in Orkney has been so desperate this year,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25that local ferry operator NorthLink has stepped in
0:11:25 > 0:11:28to offer additional ferry services to farmers
0:11:28 > 0:11:31trying to get their cattle to market.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Cattle have been transported from the isles by ferry for decades.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38It used to be an uncomfortable journey,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40but today's prime beef cattle
0:11:40 > 0:11:44travel in a much more luxurious version of cattle class.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48NorthLink's freight manager, Kris Bevan, gave me a tour.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50How state-of-the-art is this?
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Well, everything in this container is to do with animal welfare
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and making sure the animals travel as comfortably as possible,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59so we've got the hay racks.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03We've got nipple drinkers here which supplies them water.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05I know it's been a particularly bad summer here in Orkney,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08so what impact has that had on Orcadian farmers?
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Up here in Orkney, there's not enough pasture and feed
0:12:11 > 0:12:13to feed them all and fatten them up to the size that they need to be,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15so they're all being shipped to Aberdeenshire
0:12:15 > 0:12:17and all over Scotland to get finished.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21So this ferry link is vital to Orcadian farmers?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Yeah, this is very much the lifeline service to the mainland
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and, without it, they wouldn't be able to do that.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37With the livestock on board at quarter to midnight, the ferry
0:12:37 > 0:12:41slips out of Kirkwall harbour on the overnight crossing to Aberdeen.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Bridge, watch keeper. That's us entering the cattle deck now.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Throughout the night, the livestock are well looked after.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Sean Smith, the ship's chief officer is on cattle-sitting duty.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59He inspects the animals every hour.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00They seem happy enough.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05My container - I mean CABIN - has all mod-cons.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Lights...
0:13:07 > 0:13:08Oh, this is nice.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09Drinks...
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Running water, a loo.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But this is what I've been waiting for.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18SHE SIGHS
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Bed.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And crucially, a pillow, not sawdust, to lay my head.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I hope it's a smooth crossing.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33That's us arriving in Aberdeen.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It was a pretty calm, straightforward crossing
0:13:35 > 0:13:38but, despite this, I couldn't sleep. I just couldn't settle.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40So I wonder how the cattle are doing.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50As soon as the ship docks, the containers are taken
0:13:50 > 0:13:53from the ferry and the cattle are loaded onto waiting lorries...
0:14:02 > 0:14:05To take them on the last leg of their journey.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Destination, Thainstone Mart.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Well, that's them loaded and heading away, but the big question is,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14will Raymond get what he wants for them at the mart?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21This Orkney cattle's done very well today.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Things seem to be going well for Raymond,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33despite their low weight and the dreadful summer of 2015.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37We got first prize heifer, second prize pair
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and third prize pen of four, so I'm delighted.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Oh, my goodness, that was an unbelievable trade at roughly,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I would guess, just over 1,300 each, so I'm over the moon.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50And that's £200 a beast more than
0:14:50 > 0:14:52he was hoping for before he left Orkney.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Scotland has some amazing roads.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04And, in the summer months, they're choc-a-bloc with tourists
0:15:04 > 0:15:05from all over the world
0:15:05 > 0:15:08taking in the stunning landscapes, vistas and views.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13This summer, we asked Landward viewers on Facebook
0:15:13 > 0:15:16to suggest Scotland's best roads.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18The ones you enjoy driving the most.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20And we were inundated with ideas.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Based on your suggestions, we are travelling a route
0:15:27 > 0:15:29around the very north of the Scottish mainland.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33And I'm doing it all on this beauty, a Triumph Bonneville.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41This week's journey takes us 90 miles from Thurso in Caithness
0:15:41 > 0:15:45to Tongue, and then on to Achriesgill in Sutherland.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Along the way, I'll be stopping off in Durness
0:15:47 > 0:15:50to explore the most magical caves in Scotland.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Initially, the landscape is bleak and windy.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01The coast is dotted with wind turbines,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03renewable energy going some way
0:16:03 > 0:16:07to replacing the former nuclear power station I pass at Dounreay.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17My journey today takes me on the A836,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20which is the most northerly A-road in mainland Britain.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25I'm just doing part of it but it goes from John O'Groats to Tarlogie.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It's quite pretty in places and I'm looking forward to it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And then we go into the village of Tongue,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39with a rather imposing structure, Castle Varrich, on the hill yonder.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44It's the oldest stone building in the north and it looks over the...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Well, it guards the entrance, really, of Loch Hope.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49With Ben Hope in the background,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52which is the most northerly Munro in Scotland.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It's too long since I've been in this part of the country,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I'd forgotten just how absolutely beautiful it is.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12No time to dawdle, though, as I'm meeting a man near Durness.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17I'm heading down to Smoo,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20a natural collection of caves with some impressive pools
0:17:20 > 0:17:22that are situated right below me.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26These caves are unique in the UK,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30as the massive entrance chamber was formed by the sea,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32but the inner caves have been carved
0:17:32 > 0:17:35by the action of rainwater funnelling in.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Guide, Colin Coventry, is showing me around.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41An awful lot of water last night, so you are seeing it at its best,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- or its worst, whatever way you want to look.- Can we go and have a look?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Absolutely.- After you. - Oh, thank you, Dougie.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54There is a ten-square-mile catchment area up there,
0:17:54 > 0:17:59and every drop of rain that falls there comes down this waterfall.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02So you've got the massive seawater cave out there,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05the freshwater cave in here, is that Smoo Cave, as we know it?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I believe there is a large cave somewhere behind that wall there
0:18:08 > 0:18:13- and I've spent the last three years trying to find it.- OK...
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Another cave?- Absolutely. - Over here?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Yeah, well, this is the entrance here, Dougie,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and just behind here is a massive faultline.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Now, I can trace it above ground for a couple of miles,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28so it's a serious faultline,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31so I've dug a tunnel towards what I think is the cave,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and I've reached the faultline.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- So you've actually dug all of this yourself?- Absolutely, Dougie.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39And I believe I'm going to find a new cave.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Scotland's newest cave, somewhere behind this wall.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44We've done some dye testing here,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and that tells us there's at least 400 metres of passageway,
0:18:48 > 0:18:49somewhere behind this wall.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52So, in a couple of years' time, I potentially could come back here
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and there will be a completely new cave?
0:18:54 > 0:18:58There's evidence of some charcoal coming out of the sand,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00100 metres from us, behind us here.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Now charcoal means people.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03The only reason for charcoal being there
0:19:03 > 0:19:05is people went in there and made fires.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09I believe there is a Neolithic chamber somewhere behind this wall
0:19:09 > 0:19:12that no-one has been in for 6,000 years.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13And I intend to find it.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This is no hobby, Dougie, this is obsession.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18- Total obsession.- Goodness me.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20And if I find it, you'll have to come back here
0:19:20 > 0:19:21and have a look at it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24I will come back, just make sure you make that hole a little bigger,
0:19:24 > 0:19:25cos I'm not going through there!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28We'll do that for you, Dougie, no problem, aye.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30In the meantime, thanks for showing me around.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Been a pleasure, Dougie.- I'm hitting the road again.- Absolutely.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- Good to see you. Cheers, Colin. - Cheers, mate, all the best.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38What a place. And what a guy.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40I really hope he finds that chamber.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45There's not much of the day left but I've only got 15 miles to go
0:19:45 > 0:19:47to reach Achriesgill, and the West Coast.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Almost 90 miles done today
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and it seemed that it got more and more spectacular
0:19:57 > 0:19:59as every mile rolled by.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Next week, I'm heading south on one of my favourite roads in Scotland
0:20:02 > 0:20:04as I head towards Gairloch.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11As we travel about Scotland,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14we like to stop and ask the folk we meet on the street
0:20:14 > 0:20:16what they love about the local area.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Today, we've stopped off in the Royal Borough of Montrose,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24which is known as the sculpture capital of Angus.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30So what else can the locals tell us about the town?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32What would you say is, like, you know,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- the iconic landmark of Montrose? What says, "This is it"?- That's it.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37- Yeah?- The steeple.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Montrose?- Uh-huh. - I would say your steeple.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Best landmark, for example, what would you reckon?
0:20:45 > 0:20:46The steeple?
0:20:47 > 0:20:51The 67-metre steeple on the Old and St Andrews Church
0:20:51 > 0:20:55was designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1834.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59The lighthouse. Scurdie Ness lighthouse.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Oh, right? And what's so special about that?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's just iconic, it's Montrose.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09What would you say is the most romantic thing about Montrose?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- The beach.- Uh-huh.- We've got a lovely beach in Montrose, yes.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17What would you say is the thing you're most proud of,
0:21:17 > 0:21:18coming from Montrose?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20There are a lot of Montrosians in the past
0:21:20 > 0:21:22that have done great things.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Uh-huh.- So the history of Montrose is wonderful.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26But the town itself is beautiful.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30It's such a nice area, I wouldn't move away from Montrose.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's got a lot going for it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33It's a nice flavour and feel.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36You don't feel threatened, you don't feel harm. You feel safe.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- That's enough, isn't it?- Just a bonny place. A douce wee place!
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So that's what the locals think
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but I reckon this fella deserves a mention.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50This is Bamse, a St Bernard that served here
0:21:50 > 0:21:53on a ship during the Second World War,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57but, in 2006, he was awarded the animal's George Cross,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01posthumously, for gallantry and devotion to duty,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04the only animal to receive such an award from World War II.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And that's what I think is one of the best things about Montrose.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:22:14 > 0:22:16As Landward demonstrates every week,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Scotland is full of stunning locations.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24These views regularly attract film-makers from around the world.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28This summer, Euan visited an historic Northeast port,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31the location for a remake of a movie classic.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33This is Portsoy.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37The 17th-century fishing village on the northeast coast of Scotland.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And we're here for the remaking of a classic British film
0:22:40 > 0:22:43and I'm really excited because the book that this is based on
0:22:43 > 0:22:46has been an important part of my library for years.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I've got two copies, a paperback edition that I carry with me,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and this, a precious first edition of Whisky Galore.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01The film, and Compton Mackenzie's novel,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05was based on the true story of the SS Politician.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09In 1941, the ship ran aground off the island of Eriskay,
0:23:09 > 0:23:10laden with whisky.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14And the islanders were quick, let's say, to liberate the booze.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18In the film, the theft became a comic caper.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24The SS Politician became the Cabinet Minister, and Eriskay became Todday.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26The 1949 film was filmed on Barra,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30but today it is the turn of Portsoy to become the legendary Todday.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38And it's also an opportunity for the people of Portsoy
0:23:38 > 0:23:40to share the screen with the movie leads,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Gregor Fisher and Eddie Izzard.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Well, I'm a member of the Portsoy Players,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50and we got to hear that they were having auditions for a one-liner...
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- "You should hand me back!"- Haha!
0:23:53 > 0:23:55So we went, a couple of us went along,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and in due course we heard that we were accepted, and that was it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01So what's it been like so far?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Absolutely brilliant, I've never experienced anything like this.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I mean, if you'd have told me a month ago that I'd be sitting in
0:24:07 > 0:24:11make-up beside Eddie Izzard, I'd have thought you were a raving lunatic.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13But...that's what happened!
0:24:13 > 0:24:15As a lover of Compton Mackenzie's novel,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18which is so inextricable linked with the people and places
0:24:18 > 0:24:20of the Western Isles,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I'm surprised at the choice of Portsoy as a location.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Producer of the film is Ian McLean.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30Portsoy fits a lot of the elements in terms of the story.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34We've got a place here that hasn't changed much, I think, since 1940.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38There was an element of cost involved in filming in the Western Isles,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42it's hard enough making films today, never mind making them on an island.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Whisky Galore and Portsoy look as if
0:24:44 > 0:24:47they're made for each other, to be quite honest.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Are you remaking the old black-and-white film,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52or are you making a film about the original book?
0:24:52 > 0:24:56We're making an adaptation of the story of Whisky Galore,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00still sticking very much to the initial film,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02but with a few new twists in it.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Bringing those twists to life is Gregor Fisher.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And he's also a fan of Portsoy.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I mean, look at it. Why would you go anywhere else?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15It's fabulous.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I mean, I know there might be the odd spit of rain now and again,
0:25:18 > 0:25:19but this, er...
0:25:19 > 0:25:24We've got a, you know, part 16th-century harbour here.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28I mean, you're filming right smack in the middle of history here.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29It's terrific.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Were you apprehensive about getting involved in Whisky Galore?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Cos it's such an iconic piece of British film-making.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Or did you bite the hand off? "Yeah, give me a piece of that!"
0:25:38 > 0:25:42No, um... Apprehension is never a very good thing in this business.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44All you have to do is turn up, know the lines,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46and do your very, very best.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I'm sure somebody will say, "It's terrific",
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and somebody will say, "Oh, it wisnae as good as the original."
0:25:52 > 0:25:55And that's the way it is, so why worry about it?
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Well, the locals certainly aren't.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02They've been queuing up for their chance in front of the cameras.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- What's your role? - Eh, I'm a Todday man, yes.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Todday man, and thoroughly enjoying it. It's an experience.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Today, Portsoy. Tomorrow, Hollywood.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13And you're starring, you've got two roles, apparently.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Well, I wouldn't call it starring, but...!
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Yes, I'm one of the village people. I'm Village Man Number Four.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I stand around and look useful.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- What's your character? - Eh, I'm one of the Todday men.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28So I'll be rowing, I think, somewhere along the line.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31How about the beard, how do you get that authentic beard?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34You put salt, you rub salt in your beard at night.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And you put a glass of water at the side of the bed,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and the hairs get that dry, they start coming out.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41That's the way it...
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- And that's a true story? - That's a true story!
0:26:47 > 0:26:50A character Mackenzie himself might have invented.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55We all know that a film can bring in tourists and money
0:26:55 > 0:26:59into a rural location where a production is being staged.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01But what's amazed me is the amount of fun and excitement
0:27:01 > 0:27:03that's been generated locally.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And on a personal note, it's great to know
0:27:06 > 0:27:09that the SS Politician, Todday, and Whisky Galore,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11are in safe hands.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17From all of us here
0:27:17 > 0:27:20in a slightly damp but still absolutely stunning Lunan Bay,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22thanks for your company. Bye for now.