0:00:03 > 0:00:05Now, we may be called Landward,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07but sometimes we have to take to the high seas
0:00:07 > 0:00:10to bring you the best stories from around Scotland.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12I'm on my way to Arran.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37We travel to the ends of the earth - well, at least to the remote corners
0:00:37 > 0:00:41of Scotland - to bring you the best people, wildlife and produce.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Later in the programme,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45I'll be meeting a man who reckons you can't beat beetroot
0:00:45 > 0:00:48but, first, here's what else is coming up on Landward.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56Sarah finds out if Durness really is a diabolical place to do business.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59We were taking an order for a box of chocolates
0:00:59 > 0:01:01every four seconds for two days.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Let's do it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Nick tempts the residents of Ayr with a food van treat.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- Oh, that's nice. - Ooh, that is nice!
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I do not know, my friend.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- I'll have another one... - LAUGHTER
0:01:12 > 0:01:15And I continue my bike tour of north Scotland with a visit
0:01:15 > 0:01:19to a tropical garden clinging to the wind-battered West Coast.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21The winds, as you can feel,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24sometimes, they can be really extreme,
0:01:24 > 0:01:25in excess of 100mph.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Earlier this year,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33an enterprising chocolate company we featured on Landward
0:01:33 > 0:01:37went into the Dragons' Den to try and secure additional investment.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Sarah went to Durness in Sutherland to find out what happened next.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Durness. It's a stunning part of the countryside
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and, for the last ten years, it's been home to chocolate entrepreneurs
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Paul Maden and James Findlay.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00What made you want to go on the Dragons' Den?
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Hot chocolate! We've been making chocolates for ten years,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07but then we invented our hot chocolate and that's why we went
0:02:07 > 0:02:12on Dragons' Den, because we had a product that we could upscale.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- And that was that? - And they didn't understand.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17These are the Dragons...
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Paul and James were after investment to help them
0:02:24 > 0:02:26launch their new chocolate drink.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Hello. I'm Paul and this is James.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32We're the founders of Cocoa Mountain.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35We're here today to present an opportunity for the Dragons
0:02:35 > 0:02:39to invest £80,000 in our chocolate business
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and our world-famous hot chocolate drink.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43It was all going swimmingly
0:02:43 > 0:02:47until they revealed where the company was based.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And we're located in the far north-west of Scotland
0:02:50 > 0:02:51by Cape Wrath.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I've been there, and it's a lovely,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58lovely place for people who want to kind of step out of the world.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00It's a diabolical place to set up business.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02I'm out.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- OK.- It's just not an investment for me, so I'm afraid I'm out.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07I'm going to say that I'm out.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10There's nothing in there that says you're going to go,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12"Right. Now's our moment."
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- Ah, we're driven!- You don't look it!
0:03:15 > 0:03:16I'm out.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'We went in, expecting them to love our business
0:03:23 > 0:03:24'and, within seconds,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'they all clearly decided that wasn't the case.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- We tried.- Yes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33They hated our business. They hated where we were located.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36They thought we were idiots and they laughed us out of the room.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39So, I mean, high hopes dashed fairly quickly.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Yes. They came back saying, diabolical location for a business.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Keep it small and keep it beautiful.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48They actually said that we needed to relocate
0:03:48 > 0:03:51to the south-east of England and we didn't stand a hope in hell
0:03:51 > 0:03:55of producing anything in the Highlands that would make money.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Which really upset us, actually.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The Dragons reckon you can't run a growing business
0:04:03 > 0:04:04in the far-flung north,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08but maybe Cocoa Mountain can prove them wrong.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I think I'd better do some hands-on research.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Right, Paul. My favourite bit. Time to make chocolate.- Dive in.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Right, carry on. I'm going to watch.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29We're going to make a white chocolate bar with toffee pieces.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30Peter Jones's favourite.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Stop the chocolate - release it into the mould.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Then to the second mould.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- And now we have to use a vibrating table.- To even it all out?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42To even it all out and make sure the chocolate fills the mould.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Since appearing on Dragons' Den, online sales have doubled
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and they've been inundated by potential investors.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Immediately after the Den,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58we watched Twitter and we saw Twitter just go through the roof.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And at that point, we were taking an order for a box of chocolates
0:05:01 > 0:05:04every four seconds for two days.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06So, I mean, you couldn't have predicted it was going
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- to create that sort of stir. - We expected to come out of the Den
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and we expected to go on television and to be made to look stupid.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17But everybody looked at it and thought, "Wow, we love them!
0:05:17 > 0:05:18"Let's buy their chocolates."
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- Right, can I have a shot with the mould?- Press to stop it and then...
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- Move.- Move.- Yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- Yeah.- OK, pretty bad. - Put it on the vibration table.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It's OK. We're probably going to have to weigh these.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I think they're the Christmas reject bars.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36'Oh, well. I had a go!'
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Erm, so what would you say to the Dragons now?
0:05:39 > 0:05:42I'd say that you've missed an opportunity, guys.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43And what about you, James?
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I mean, what would you say if you had another moment with them?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Yeah...- What would you say?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I'd say, "Come up and visit this area."
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Get out of the metropolis that is London
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and come and see what's happening in the remote parts of the country.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Because there's a lot of businesses that trade quite successfully
0:06:01 > 0:06:02in smaller areas.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Paul and James have now appointed a partner
0:06:07 > 0:06:09to help them manufacture their hot chocolate
0:06:09 > 0:06:11and are about to go into production.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Despite the Dragons' opinion
0:06:16 > 0:06:19that Durness is a diabolical place to set up a business,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Paul, James and their chocolate factory
0:06:22 > 0:06:24seem to be doing a roaring trade.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26And for the moment, they're not going anywhere.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Scotland has some amazing roads
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and in the summer months they're chock-a-block with tourists
0:06:41 > 0:06:43from all over the world
0:06:43 > 0:06:46taking in the stunning landscapes, vistas and views.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52This summer, we asked Landward viewers on Facebook to suggest
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Scotland's best roads, the ones you enjoy driving the most,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and we were inundated with ideas.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's week three of my trip round the north of Scotland by motorbike
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and, thanks to the suggestions of viewers
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Yvonne and Jonathan Mashon and Peter Stainthorpe, I'm making my way
0:07:13 > 0:07:17south the 110 miles from Achriesgill in Sutherland
0:07:17 > 0:07:19to Gairloch in Ross-shire.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25There's no doubting how remote these roads are.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Just seven miles into the trip,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31I cross the River Laxford using the only public road bridge.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34When it was damaged in an accident in 2009,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39the only way round by road was a 100-mile detour -
0:07:39 > 0:07:4160 miles if you were brave enough to go off-road.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52One of the things I love about going on a long trip on the bike is
0:07:52 > 0:07:54you really get a sense of where you are.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56You can feel that it's hot or cold,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00you can smell the newly cut grass or the freshly turned earth.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03For me, it's very like going for a walk in the hills.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Except on fast-forward.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It's 16 miles from the 19th-century bridge at Laxford
0:08:17 > 0:08:20to the striking 20th-century one at Kylesku.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Passing the ruined Ardvreck Castle on the banks of Lock Assynt,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34it's another 25 miles before the spectacular wilderness gives way
0:08:34 > 0:08:38to the first signs of any real population on my trip today -
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Ullapool.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45But I'm not stopping here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48I'm heading on to discover the sub-tropical oasis
0:08:48 > 0:08:52on the rugged Atlantic coast of Wester Ross.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02I'm taking a short break on my trip down to Gairloch by visiting
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Inverewe Gardens.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It's an amazing place, packed with exotic plants.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09The gardens themselves were established back in the 19th century
0:09:09 > 0:09:15and have survived 150 years of Atlantic storms battering the coast.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19I'm meeting head gardener Kevin Bell from the National Trust,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24who's continuing the work of Inverewe's founder, Osgood Mackenzie.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29To protect his exotic and delicate plants in this exposed location,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Mackenzie planted a shelter belt of native pines.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36That shelter belt takes a pummelling every winter
0:09:36 > 0:09:41and Kevin faces an ongoing battle shoring up the garden's defences.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45So Osgood Mackenzie was a real innovator and a guy with real vision?
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Totally, totally.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52Yes, the garden was as barren as the land over the other side.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53- Which is very barren!- Yes.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58And he started to plant trees and it was only once they grew
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and formed a shelter that he then started to make these
0:10:02 > 0:10:06interesting gardens within the shelter belt areas.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11This was planted in the 1860s by Osgood Mackenzie
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and these are the original Caledonian pines.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18As you can see, it's very exposed and, without the shelter belt,
0:10:18 > 0:10:23there wouldn't be a garden, especially an exotic garden.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24The winds, as you can feel,
0:10:24 > 0:10:29sometimes, they can be really extreme, in excess of 100mph.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32And they took out a lot of the shelter belt
0:10:32 > 0:10:34in the north side of the garden.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36What sort of work are you putting in to make sure
0:10:36 > 0:10:39something like that doesn't happen in the future?
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Well, it's the aim of the Trust to regenerate the shelter belt
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and there's been a campaign to raise awareness of the plight
0:10:49 > 0:10:55of the shelter belt and we've actually secured funding to start
0:10:55 > 0:11:00the regeneration process, which will take it on in the future.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02With a bit of luck and Kevin's hard work,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Inverewe's exotic flora will be around for at least
0:11:05 > 0:11:08another 150 years.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10It's easy to lose yourself here
0:11:10 > 0:11:14among the garden's unexpected tropical delights.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15But, fortunately for me,
0:11:15 > 0:11:20it's only a short five-mile hop to today's final destination.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Today's journey finishes right here in Gairloch
0:11:32 > 0:11:36which, like many of the places on this trip, offers stunning views.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Next week, I'll complete my square route of northern Scotland
0:11:39 > 0:11:43as I burn up the miles from here all the way to Inverness.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53And I really can't thank our Facebook followers enough
0:11:53 > 0:11:56for suggesting that route. It truly was a joy.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Now, if you've any comments or anything
0:11:58 > 0:11:59you'd like to see on the programme,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03message us from that Facebook page or send us an e-mail.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13On Landward, we visit dozens of places across Scotland every series.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But how much do we really know about them?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17This week, we're passing through
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Scotland's favourite mystery tour destination, Callander.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24We asked locals to give us some statements about the place,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26but are they true or false?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Scottish folk hero Rob Roy was born here. True or false?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Callander railway was used in the 1968
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Mexico Olympics. True or false?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Callander is famous for having no pubs.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43True or false?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Dr Finlay's Casebook was filmed here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47True or false?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Callander is famous for earthquakes.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Is this true or is this false?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Tricky, tricky.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But let's do an easy one first.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Time for a drink.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02It's...
0:13:05 > 0:13:08It's actually that it used to be having at least 20 pubs
0:13:08 > 0:13:11for only 1,800 people. Fact.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13What about Rob Roy?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Was he born in Callander?
0:13:17 > 0:13:18But he is buried nearby.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24As I suspected. Now, was Callander a location for Dr Finlay's Casebook?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Of course it was.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Callander doubled as Tannochbrae in the BBC's 1960s series.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Now, was Callander's railway really used in the 1968 Olympics?
0:13:38 > 0:13:39That's got to be false!
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Yes, unbelievably,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48old railway track was used to make the transit system in Mexico City.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50And finally, what about those earthquakes?
0:13:53 > 0:13:56But it's on the Highland Boundary Fault Line,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59and it may happen one day.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02RUMBLING
0:14:05 > 0:14:07DOGS BARK
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Now, it's been a bit of a dog's life
0:14:09 > 0:14:11for Euan over the years here on Landward
0:14:11 > 0:14:15and, earlier in this series at a Borders hound trailing event,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18he made a promise that he's about to fulfil.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21But first, a quick bit of history.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Corrie is getting on a bit now.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28She's 14 years old. That's 98 in dog years.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Long-time Landward viewers may remember Corrie,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33my beloved golden retriever.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37She sadly died about three years ago and, while she's irreplaceable,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I was keen to have a dog around the house again.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44And so it's time to make good on that promise that Dougie mentioned.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47The first-ever golden retrievers were bred right here
0:14:47 > 0:14:49in Scotland in 1868
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and, given their loving nature and their intelligence,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54there was really only one choice for me.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Meet Bracken.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01She's a working retriever, she's six months old and she's gorgeous.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03But she's also a little bit naughty. Yes, you are.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Bracken loves to have a play...
0:15:13 > 0:15:15..with my walking boots...
0:15:18 > 0:15:19..with cushions...
0:15:21 > 0:15:22..and in the hay!
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Come on.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28As the name suggests,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31golden retrievers were bred to retrieve game in the field.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Now, I don't anticipate Bracken ever being a fully-fledged gundog,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38but I am keen that she learns the skills of a working dog,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41so I've come to meet a man who's going to help me out.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Come on!
0:15:44 > 0:15:45DOGS BARK
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'Charlie Thorburn has been training gundogs for about 12 years.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54'I met him last year when
0:15:54 > 0:15:56'I brought along the boss's Labrador, Kipper...'
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Shall we try a retrieve?- Yeah.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'..and it's safe to say that he didn't have the makings
0:16:01 > 0:16:03'of a superstar gundog.'
0:16:04 > 0:16:06There's a good boy! Yeah!
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Come on, let's go and try that again. Come on.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'Bracken is not as old as Kipper,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'but I'm still keen to pick up a few tips...'
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- Charlie, how you doing? - How you doing?
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- This is Bracken.- Hi, Bracken.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21- She's six months...- OK.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23..and I know she's doing some things wrong.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'..and Charlie's going to assess Bracken and give me -
0:16:29 > 0:16:30'and you at home - some pointers.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'First up, how to deal with a dog that jumps.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:37So, the worst thing to do is what you're doing now,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39which is encouraging her, OK? What we've got to do is,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41we've got to make sure she's down and teach her
0:16:41 > 0:16:44that, when she's down on the ground, that's when she gets praise.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Make sure she understands that, when she jumps up at you,
0:16:46 > 0:16:47there's no reward for it, OK?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50But, if she stays down, you can then go down to her level...
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Bracken, Bracken!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53HE MAKES KISSY NOISE
0:16:53 > 0:16:55We can go right down to her level and we can talk to her
0:16:55 > 0:16:57so she understands the praise is going to come
0:16:57 > 0:17:01when you're down here but, as soon as I stand up, that's it.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02HE WHISTLES
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Come on! Come on!
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'Then, how to get your dog to come when you summon them.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08'Charlie has a great tip -
0:17:08 > 0:17:11'call their bluff and then run away!'
0:17:11 > 0:17:12HE WHISTLES
0:17:12 > 0:17:13She's ignoring us.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15So, when she's ignoring us, what we want to do is
0:17:15 > 0:17:18we want to get her attention and we want to turn around.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Don't look at her, just turn around, go the opposite direction.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23She'll be down there on her own and she'll appear back
0:17:23 > 0:17:27because Dad's leaving, and she's suddenly all on her own.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Here she comes.- Come on!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- Good girl.- Took a long time coming.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And then lots of praise when she's down - you're down, you're low,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38you're talking to her, making it fun for her to come back to you, OK?
0:17:38 > 0:17:40That's another important thing.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We don't necessarily use titbits very often,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but you could certainly give her a little biscuit or something now,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47just to encourage the fact that she's...
0:17:47 > 0:17:50She's not that wild about them, actually. She's quite...
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Mm...- Ah, well, had it today. - That's a result.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55OK. Good girl.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Good girl. So, how often should you be training her?
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Um, you want to train her regularly,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02but the training sessions should be short and sweet.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So, 10-15 minutes -
0:18:04 > 0:18:07think of her as like a dog in months as a human in years,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09so she's like a five or a six-year-old child,
0:18:09 > 0:18:10can't cope with too much...
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- Short attention span. - Short attention span.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So, there's a lot to take in there, but is there any one tip
0:18:15 > 0:18:18that you would suggest to people to stick with?
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Yeah, the most important thing, I would say,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23is to be consistent so that she understands this is what happens -
0:18:23 > 0:18:26the rules are the rules, and they're exactly the same every day.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- So no jumping up.- No jumping up. You can't let her jump up one day
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and then say the next day she's not allowed to.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Can't let her jump on the sofa one day and say the next day
0:18:33 > 0:18:35she's not allowed to. She won't understand that.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It's just got to be, "This doesn't happen."
0:18:37 > 0:18:40All great advice for beginners like me and Bracken.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45With over a fifth of Scottish households having a pet dog
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and owners constantly encouraged to be more responsible,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51a bit of training is never a bad idea.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54So, with these little pups making Bracken look like a grown-up,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58it's time to teach one old dog some new tricks.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02You know, it's great to see
0:19:02 > 0:19:04what Charlie and his dogs can actually do,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and it's really inspired me to get my head down
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and do some proper obedience training.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13So you, my dear, are in for some hard work...
0:19:13 > 0:19:15(but it's going to be fun!)
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Good girl! Hey!
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Hey, come on!
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Not going to do it, are you?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24'Hm...perhaps a bit easier said than done.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25'Biscuit, Bracken?'
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Now, back on Arran.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Whiting Bay lies on the southeast corner of the island,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and I've come here to meet a farmer
0:19:37 > 0:19:40who's part of a growing root veg revival.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45In recent years, beetroot has had a hard time.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47It was boring, unfashionable
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and associated with being preserved in jars of vinegar for evermore...
0:19:51 > 0:19:53but that's all changing.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57In a moment, Nick will be rustling up a tasty treat with the freshest veg
0:19:57 > 0:19:58in the Landward Food Van
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but, first, I've got to collect it.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Robin, how are you doing? Good to see you.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Hey, Dougie, good to see you, eh?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07- You all right?- Yeah, I'm good. - Excellent.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09- So, we've got the beetroot, here. - Uh-huh.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Shall we lift a few? - Yeah, let's lift it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13'This is Robin Gray's shoreside garden,
0:20:13 > 0:20:14'just along the bay,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17'and he's showing me some of the produce.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:18That's about the size of the beetroot
0:20:18 > 0:20:20that the chefs are looking for.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- Uh-huh.- They're slightly smaller than a golf ball. Yep.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- How much do you sell per year? - 3,000-5,000, depending on the size.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- Oh, really?- Yeah, yeah. - And what's your market?
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Our market is the restaurants in Glasgow
0:20:31 > 0:20:33- and some of them on the island as well...- Uh-huh.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35..and the festivals up and down the country as well,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38the music festivals - T In The Park, Belladrum...
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Oh, right, so you're selling to the younger generation as well?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- Yeah, yeah.- And they're lapping it up?- Yeah, yeah.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48And Robin's not the only one with a bumper crop.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50In the past two years,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54beetroot sales have grown by almost a fifth in the UK.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58That's down, in part, to it being branded a superfood -
0:20:58 > 0:21:03linked with lowering blood pressure and improving athletic performance.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06How do you react to the claims that it's known as a superfood?
0:21:06 > 0:21:09That seems to be a bit of a trendy term these days. I mean, is it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11I don't know, I'm not a nutritionist.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12But we use it a lot ourselves.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Even my wee one, she's five years old,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17she takes beetroot juice, so it's...
0:21:17 > 0:21:21I mean, I think...it seems to be doing her good, I don't know!
0:21:21 > 0:21:22And is it easy to grow?
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Fairly straightforward, yeah,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26but we've got a wee secret weapon that I can show you.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- OK. I like a secret... - Come this way.- OK, good stuff.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31GOAT BLEATS
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Robin's secret weapon appears to be next to the goat pens...
0:21:38 > 0:21:39- So, this is it. - This is it, then, yeah.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- And what is it?- This is the seaweed and goat manure compost.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- OK.- Yeah.- And this is the thing that makes the difference, gives it...
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Yep.- Impacts on the taste.- Yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51The seaweed compost, once we put it in the soil, it feeds the soil,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54then that's going to give you optimum flavour in the beetroot.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Do you get a sense of the flavour through the beetroot as well?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I think you do, I think it's a bit more intense,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- especially with the seaweed... - The seaweed comes through...
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- Yeah, yeah.- Wow. That's incredible.- Mm-hm.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Seaweed-infused beetroot -
0:22:05 > 0:22:09not something you hear about every day!
0:22:09 > 0:22:11And that's not Robin's only innovation.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Back at the fields, he's showing me something else.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17There's one there. This is the orange beetroot we're doing.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18It is VERY orange! Look at that!
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- That's the one, yeah.- My goodness.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22- That's so different, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25The orange beetroot seems very popular at the moment,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27there's a big demand for that one, yeah.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And what would you say the difference in flavour is?
0:22:29 > 0:22:30It's a bit more intense flavour,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and obviously you don't have all the red blood coming out
0:22:33 > 0:22:35like the red one does, you've got orange blood!
0:22:35 > 0:22:36THEY CHUCKLE
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Delicious. I'm sure Nick'll love these.- Yeah.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41And I can't wait to find out
0:22:41 > 0:22:44what Nick's going to do with it in the Food Van.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45But where is it?
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Ah, yes, the Food Van is out on the road again,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59bringing the best of unsung Scottish produce to the public
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and, for the next few weeks, we'll be here
0:23:01 > 0:23:03in the heart of historic Ayr,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07where I'll be cooking up some dishes for the locals to let them try.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09This week, I'm tempting their taste buds
0:23:09 > 0:23:10with some of that beetroot.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15And, as ever, I'm joined by my trusty assistant, Dougie.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19What he lacks in talent, he makes up for in enthusiasm!
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Indeed I do. Now, the thing about beetroot is I've tasted it before,
0:23:22 > 0:23:23pickled in vinegar,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25but there's lots more you can do with it, isn't there?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It's how most people eat beetroot, but beetroot is very versatile,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31it's incredibly good for you, full of potassium
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and lots of trace elements - very, very healthy stuff.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- The best way to cook beetroot is to bake it in the oven...- Right.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- ..and we can do this together.- OK.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Foil, beetroot, wrap it up - you don't need to be delicate,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45as long as it's sealed inside.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Onto a tray, and I'm going to bake it in the oven,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- 200 degrees, for about an hour. - Really?- Mm-hm.- Simple as that.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Then you unwrap it and the skin comes off,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and the beetroot is perfectly cooked,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and it has all the flavour and nutrients locked in.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Right, Dougie, need to bang this in the oven -
0:24:05 > 0:24:07200 degrees centigrade for about an hour.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Got to let it cool down a bit so you can handle it,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16so what we're going to do is just open them up.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20And remember, we've baked them with nothing on the outside,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24still got the skin on, so if you take a potato peeler or a small knife
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and just peel the skin off the outside.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31- Look at the colour of that. - These are the orange ones.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I tell you, this is THE way to cook beetroot.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- Bit for you to try. - Thank you very much.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Wow.- Oh, my goodness, that's so sweet!
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- That is fantastic. - That's... That is extraordinary.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- It's not like beetroot I've ever tasted before.- No.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49- It's quite sweet. - Very, very sweet. Yeah.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52So we're going to make a little bit of a sweet and sour sauce in here.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Now, this is a really difficult sauce to make, OK?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Uh-huh.- So we need some honey, and we just scoot that into a pan...
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So the honey's very sweet,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and we're going to balance that with some acidity, which is vinegar,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and then we're just going to boil that up so it is sweet and sour
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and, as we reduce it down, it gets thicker and stickier,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and I'm going to make a little crust for the outside.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'Nick fries some unsalted cashew nuts
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'while I continue to cut up the beetroot.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- I've a question for you, Nick. - Fire away.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Do you think maybe I should have used gloves?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Ah!
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'He flavours the nuts with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika
0:25:30 > 0:25:32'then grinds the lot together.'
0:25:34 > 0:25:35So that's the toasted cashews.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37So, once Dougie's finished with the beetroot,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40we're simply going to turn them through the sweet and sour sauce,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42it's going to make them sticky on the outside,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46into the chilli cashews, onto a little cocktail stick,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and out to the good citizens of Ayr for their verdict.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Little bit of off-camera action there with Dougie.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52DOUGIE LAUGHS
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Just staggered into something and...
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Nothing to see here. Nothing to see here.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58There's blood everywhere, but it's just beetroot.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Nothing, nothing to see here.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01- I've never done this before.- OK.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Neither have I, so we're both in the same boat.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I kind of dreamt the idea up in my head,
0:26:05 > 0:26:06but I've never actually tried it out,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08so I don't know how it's going to be.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10And then into the cashew and chilli mix.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Would you like to be my guinea pig?
0:26:12 > 0:26:13So...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Oh, quite spicy on the outside!- OK.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22- Oh, it's very spicy on the outside!- OK.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Mixed with that sweetness of the beetroot inside, it's nice.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- Uh-huh?- Lovely.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- We onto a winner? - Oh, that's really, really nice.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- Right... - It's still burning, my goodness!
0:26:32 > 0:26:33NICK LAUGHS
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So, Dougie, let's go and see if the good citizens of Ayr
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- are going to be daring with beetroot.- Let's do it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43- What are you thinking?- Mm!
0:26:43 > 0:26:44That's lovely.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Delicious. Absolutely.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- I'm getting beetroot. - You're getting beetroot?
0:26:49 > 0:26:50- You're on the telly. - LAUGHTER
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I wouldn't have known that was beetroot.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Oh, that's lovely!
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Ooh, yes, I love that!
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Oh, that's nice.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Oh, that IS nice.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- It's all right.- All right?!
0:27:01 > 0:27:02I love the nuts on it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It's really tasty and crunchy.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Would you consider doing something like that?
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Erm, if my mum learns the recipe.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Very nice to hand round as long as they don't drop it on the carpet.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Where's the recipe?!
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Facebook page - Landward Facebook page.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Do you sell much beetroot here?
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Not really. There's not a big demand for it.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Why do you think that is? - I do not know, my friend.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- I'll have another bit, thank you. - NICK LAUGHS
0:27:23 > 0:27:27So, clear evidence the good folk of Ayr, they love their beetroot,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and not just pickled in a jar, in a salad.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Yeah, so we're very happy, and ate all of it as well.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34And that's all we have time for.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36- From Nick...- It's goodbye from me...
0:27:36 > 0:27:38..and goodbye from me, and goodbye from all the Landward team from Ayr.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Bye for now.