0:00:02 > 0:00:03Hello, and a very warm welcome
0:00:03 > 0:00:05to a cliffhanger of an episode of Landward.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08This week, I'm smuggling on the Berwickshire coast.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28In a moment,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31I'll be taking a furtive trip along the newly-opened Smuggler's Trail,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34but first, here's what else we've got coming up for you this week.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Euan meets the Aberdeenshire community
0:00:37 > 0:00:40literally taking power into their own hands...
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It was scary enough at the small-scale project,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45but, yes, we're playing with sums
0:00:45 > 0:00:48that have got lots of zeros on the end.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51..Nick is on a mission to shop local...
0:00:51 > 0:00:52- It's a no-brainer. - It IS a no-brainer!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- You know that expression? No-brainer.- I DO know that expression.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..and Sarah visits the sales that, for more than a century,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00have sent cattle around the world.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Here on Landward, we take every opportunity
0:01:09 > 0:01:12to explore Scotland's stunning coastline,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15and with the Easter holidays marking the start of the tourist season,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18we've come to the wild Borders Coast.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Each year, 1.5 million English tourists
0:01:24 > 0:01:25pass straight through this area
0:01:25 > 0:01:28en route to the tourist hot spot of Edinburgh.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31But the Borderers are hoping to persuade more of them
0:01:31 > 0:01:36to spend a while - and some money - on its stunning coastal path.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Today, I'm not on a new path. In fact, the Berwickshire coastal trail
0:01:42 > 0:01:44from Cockburnspath in the north all the way down
0:01:44 > 0:01:46to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the south,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48is one of the country's most established.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50But now it's getting a makeover
0:01:50 > 0:01:53and a new name which reflects its rich and exciting history.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56It's now called the Smugglers' Trail.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04After the Union with England in 1707,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09taxation on certain goods, such as brandy and tobacco, rose seven-fold.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11This outraged the Scots,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15who saw it as their patriotic duty to pursue free trade -
0:02:15 > 0:02:18or, as the authorities claimed, smuggling.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Hi, there - how are you doing?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Very well, Dougie. Come in, come in. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I'm meeting historian Derek Janes at Gunsgreen house in Eyemouth.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32He's an expert on one of the area's most notorious smugglers
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and the man who built the house - John Nisbet.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Oh, this place is amazing!
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's a huge house, isn't it? It's incredible.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It's pretty good, isn't it?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Who was John Nisbet, who lived here?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, he came from Eyemouth, went away to Dunbar,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51came back here when he was 40...
0:02:51 > 0:02:53as a merchant - "Merchant" -
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and built this, this...
0:02:56 > 0:02:59gesture directed towards the rest of the town
0:02:59 > 0:03:00on the other side of the harbour.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02And this gesture is pretty much saying,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- "Look at how successful I am", isn't it?- Yeah!
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Well, his own lawyer says that, "Although designed merchant
0:03:08 > 0:03:12"in Eyemouth, yet he was nothing other than a smuggler.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14"And that to a very great extent."
0:03:14 > 0:03:15Back in the 18th century,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17if I wanted to make lots of money as a smuggler,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20what's the main thing I would bring into the country?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Tea, of all things.- Mm.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Tea was absolute gold dust, you might say.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Very expensive, very heavily taxed.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30There was a monopoly, and everybody wanted it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Once the tea had been brought onshore,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36it had to be hidden -
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and Nisbet had some nifty design features included at Gunsgreen.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So, really, this is a real gangster's house.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And he was using it in all sorts of ways -
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I mean, look at this, for example.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- This was the base of what we call the tea chute...- Uh-huh.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01..where 500 pounds of tea is hidden upstairs...
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- Goodness.- ..and would come out here,
0:04:03 > 0:04:08and I think would be dispensed in big bags to customers...
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- Right.- ..who would be the wealthy people of the county.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- And this is all hidden inside the house?- Aye.- No-one knows about it?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17No, no. It's all completely hidden.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18What happened to Nisbet?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Did he continue living off his ill-gotten gains, or did it end?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Well, he was made bankrupt by his business rivals the Robertsons,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27and they moved in here,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and he retired to Berwick-upon-Tweed,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33where he died in 1796.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Well, you live by the sword, you die by the sword, I guess.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Heading north from Eyemouth, the trail takes you to St Abbs
0:04:44 > 0:04:45and the lighthouse.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48The amazing views of the rugged coastline
0:04:48 > 0:04:52make it easy to see why it was ideal for smuggling.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, these unfrequented places that we enjoy on the trail were even
0:04:55 > 0:04:57more important to the smuggling days...
0:04:57 > 0:05:01'Gilbert Summers is behind the rebranding of the trail.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03'He's keen to attract visitors to a part of Scotland
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'that he feels is overlooked.'
0:05:07 > 0:05:10And what do you hope to achieve from calling it the Smugglers' Trail?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Well, to reveal the sort of, as I say, the wealth of information
0:05:13 > 0:05:16about the smugglers, but also to make people think a little bit more
0:05:16 > 0:05:18about this part of the coastline -
0:05:18 > 0:05:21particularly because, I suppose, as an observer
0:05:21 > 0:05:23and writer in Scotland for some years now,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I've been thinking that people really do cross the border,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and then are drawn into this tourism black hole, which is Edinburgh.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Well-resourced city - but we'd like them to stay a little longer,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35in some of the less-frequented parts of the Berwickshire coast.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37The Borders, people already come anyway,
0:05:37 > 0:05:38there are things happening all the time -
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- but this is a slightly different part of the Borders.- Oh, yes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43I mean, I think when you get over the hill,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45you go into the country that we often think about -
0:05:45 > 0:05:49that's the Borders, with the rivalry between the towns,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and the riding, there's reiving, there's lots of things...
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- The rugby, as well, yeah.- And the rugby - it all begins with R.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58But this is different,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01because it's down by the coast. It probably has more in common
0:06:01 > 0:06:05with Fife and with Angus and places, or even round the Moray Firth.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08This sense of a coastal strip, a wild coastal strip.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10But there's a lot more to see on this section,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12as well as just the smuggling.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14The smuggling, if you like, is the historical backdrop
0:06:14 > 0:06:15to a really wild piece of country.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21And what a beautiful piece of the country it is, too.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Here's hoping the relaunched trail
0:06:22 > 0:06:25brings some more visitors to see it...
0:06:25 > 0:06:27but not too many!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Back in the 18th century, tea was smuggled round these parts.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Nowadays, its sale, of course, is much more open.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Which suits me just fine.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44While I enjoy the local produce of St Abbs,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Nick is on the lookout for it on the Moray Firth.
0:06:47 > 0:06:512015 has been designated Scotland's Year of Food and Drink,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and the Government want Scots to actively seek out
0:06:54 > 0:06:57locally grown Scottish products.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Is all the extra effort worth it?
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We sent Nick to Nairn to "Look for Local"
0:07:04 > 0:07:06We've had the Homecoming,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09we've had the Year of Natural Scotland,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and we've had the Year of Creative Scotland.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16And in 2015, it's Scotland, the Land of Food and Drink.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20And the Scottish Government are encouraging retailers to promote,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25and the Scottish customers to buy, more great Scottish produce.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27With its Look For Local campaign,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30the Scottish Government will spend half a million pounds
0:07:30 > 0:07:34persuading Scots retailers from corner shops to big supermarkets
0:07:34 > 0:07:39that local produce should be more widely available on their shelves.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But there's plenty out there already if you know where to look for it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47So, in a completely unscientific experiment,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I'm going to try and track down the finest ingredients
0:07:49 > 0:07:53within a ten-mile radius of Nairn.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I'll then cook up a meal from scratch in the Landward food van,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and we'll see how good it tastes!
0:08:00 > 0:08:04First stop, two miles along the road, is Little Kildrummie Farm,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06run by the Forbes family.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11They rear their own beef and lamb and sell direct from the farm.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14It's the perfect place to pick up some meat for my beef casserole.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- Hiya!- Hi.- Angus Forbes.- Angus, Nick. - Nice to meet you. Come on in.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- I'm in the market for a bit of local beef.- Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- Have I come to the right place? - You've definitely come to the right place.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29And if you stick your head out the door,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31the cattle are right there on your doorstep.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34The consumer wants to know where the beef comes from, what it's fed on -
0:08:34 > 0:08:36animal welfare is huge just now,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39so if we can tell them that they're fed on our home-grown produce
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and it all gets done here, it never really leaves the farm,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44it's a bonus for us.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So, Angus, what I'm looking for is a beautiful piece of stewing beef.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Yeah.- And I spy something over there that may well just do the job.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Yeah, this'll do you. This is a lovely bit of shoulder.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Limousin cross Aberdeen Angus cow, 21 days hung.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Would you like to cut me about a 2kg piece, thank you?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Of course, no bother.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Do you think the Government is doing enough to promote local sourcing?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08They definitely need to do more when it comes to marketing.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10There's too much of going into the big supermarkets
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and buying international beef and lamb - there's too much of that.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Now, to find some veg - and I'm going a bit further afield
0:09:21 > 0:09:23to Ardersier, seven miles away.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Macleod Organics have been in business since 1998,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and deliver veg boxes across Scotland.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Hi, Donnie!
0:09:33 > 0:09:37'However, I'm picking up my supplies in person from Donnie Macleod
0:09:37 > 0:09:38'at his farm shop.'
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I'm trying to find vegetables to make a really nice beef casserole,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- but I'm trying to get stuff that's...- We have plenty of vegetables here for you.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48They're from various parts, all of them, they're different growers.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Some of them ourselves, some of them just up the road.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Smell that, and see if you'd want that in your casserole.- Oh!
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Where's that come from?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57That's just about two feet outside the door in the polytunnel.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- You've just pulled that straight out the garden!- I heard you were coming.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02HE CHUCKLES
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Is that celeriac?- That's celeriac, instead of celery.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Put it with your celery, yeah.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08With the celery - it's obviously a different flavour.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Oh, onions - can I get some onions?
0:10:10 > 0:10:14What do you think of this new government initiative,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Look For Local? Do you think it's going to help you?
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I think it's a wonderful initiative
0:10:18 > 0:10:21if they put some real effort behind it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, presumably, Donnie, this is local, it's organic,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25it's got to be a lot more expensive
0:10:25 > 0:10:27than people would pay in the supermarket.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Um, you can pay a lot more for it if you want.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33But that would be much cheaper than you would ever buy in a supermarket.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35- It's a no-brainer. - It IS a no-brainer!
0:10:35 > 0:10:37You know that expression? No-brainer.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38I DO know that expression.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41'This shopping lark is a piece of cake!
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'One more stop, and I'll have everything I need.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48'Just a mile down the road from Donnie's is Connage Highland Dairy.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52'They make cheese from the milk produced by their 150-strong
0:10:52 > 0:10:54'organic herd of cows.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'It's another family business -
0:10:56 > 0:10:59'Callum Clark runs it alongside his wife Jill,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'his brother Cameron, and his wife Eileen.'
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Oh, Callum! Hi! How you doing, how you doing?
0:11:06 > 0:11:12Callum, how do you think we can encourage people to shop locally?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I would say this Look For Local is definitely another step
0:11:15 > 0:11:16in the right direction.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20But what we have for the customers, availability, has to be good,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and we're continually raising the bar as far as customer service,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and that's where you get the people -
0:11:27 > 0:11:30you must be able to offer them a really good service,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and quality product.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34'Quality products indeed.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'I'm looking for a cheese that will sit well
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'as an ingredient in my rumbledethumps -
0:11:39 > 0:11:42'that's a kind of fancy mashed potato.'
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And then we've got our fully mature cheddar, at 12 months old.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50That's the one...
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- Oh, well, we can do that. - ..for my rumbledethumps!
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Well, I have the final piece of the jigsaw in my search for local food,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02and I'm heading off down, now, to Inverness
0:12:02 > 0:12:05to meet Dougie at the Landward Street Food Van.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08We're going to cook up my beef casserole and rumbledethumps
0:12:08 > 0:12:11to find out if tracking down these local ingredients
0:12:11 > 0:12:13has been worth the effort.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18For many cattle breeders like the Forbes of Little Kildrummie,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21the bull sales are a crucial event in the calendar.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24A good price can make or break a year.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Sarah has been to visit the Bull Sales in Stirling.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Well over a thousand pedigree beasts will be in the ring,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34with their owners hoping for top prices.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And in 2015, the auction at Stirling
0:12:37 > 0:12:40is marking an extraordinary milestone.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49This year, the Sales are celebrating their 150th anniversary,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and they're marking it with a royal visit.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The Princess Royal can see considerably more bulls
0:12:57 > 0:13:00than the 14 shorthorn animals that were on offer
0:13:00 > 0:13:04at the first Sale in Perth in 1865.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Those Sales were the brainchild of one man.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13My grandfather started the Bull Sales 150 years ago.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15JM, he was known as.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- Or, the Governor.- The Governor.- Mm.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The Governor was John McLaren Fraser.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25His grandson Roley Fraser remembers a single-minded man.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30How did he help develop the Sales? I mean, how did he...?
0:13:30 > 0:13:34He just had an ambition to make Scotland,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and Perth in particular, the centre
0:13:36 > 0:13:39for international cattle breeding.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And that's exactly what he did.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- NEWSREEL:- When pedigree Shorthorn bulls come to the show,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49you can pretty well guess they're the real Mackay.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Scottish cattle are among the most famous in the world.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Over the decades, the popularity of the Sales spread,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59with farmers coming from all over the world to buy at Perth.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03The Sales reached their height in the years after World War II.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05World-record prices for every breed of cattle
0:14:05 > 0:14:08were knocked to smithereens at Perth's Shorthorn show,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11when an American cattleman paid £15,225
0:14:11 > 0:14:14for champion bull Pittodrie Upright.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Overseeing that historic sale was Roley's father.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The life's ambition of auctioneer Mr Lovat Fraser
0:14:22 > 0:14:24was to pass the five-figure mark.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Hero of the day, the bull worth a pound an ounce, 13 months old,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and measuring seven feet round the middle.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Away overseas goes another product of the British Isles
0:14:32 > 0:14:34in this age of export.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37That's the equivalent of half a million pounds today.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44The Perth Sales sent thousands of beasts all over the world.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47The Shorthorn breed had dominated in the early years,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51but Aberdeen Angus soon muscled its way into the ring -
0:14:51 > 0:14:53a lot of them sold by Roley.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57The third generation of the Frasers to work at the Sales.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Was it inevitable that you were going to follow
0:14:59 > 0:15:01in your grandfather's footsteps?
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I never thought of doing any different.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06I mean, someone said once - my father said,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08"What do you want to do when you leave the army?"
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And I said, "Don't ask a silly question."
0:15:11 > 0:15:13You know, I had no intention of doing any...
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Never thought of doing anything different.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18BID CALLING
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Roley is retired now,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24and three years ago he saw the Sales move from Perth to Stirling,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27changing their name in the process.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The auction might be bigger than in 1865,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34but the Governor would still recognise it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38BID CALLING
0:15:38 > 0:15:39GAVEL BANGS
0:15:39 > 0:15:43It may have been 150 years, but that sound has remained the same -
0:15:43 > 0:15:45a sale is still a sale.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Here on Landward, we travel the length and breadth of the country.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03While we're out and about, we like to discover what the best thing is
0:16:03 > 0:16:04about the places we visit.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Since I'm on the Berwickshire coast this week, I thought I'd come
0:16:11 > 0:16:15down to the harbour and ask, what is the best thing about St Abbs?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Scuba diving's the best.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22It's well-known for scuba diving.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24The scenery. Definitely the scenery.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- What about the water?- Crystal.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28There's an abundance of stuff to see out there.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32I think, in any weather, it's absolutely glorious.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33- What the best... Oh!- Hold on!
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- Hold on to your lunch!- Yep. - THEY LAUGH
0:16:35 > 0:16:37You look like a man who knows all about St Abbs, right?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Well, I've been here 65 years.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41As far as I'm concerned, the best thing about St Abbs in the summer
0:16:41 > 0:16:43is the seafood we get from the boats.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The Old School Cafe, that's definitely the best scone. Yep!
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Loads of good walks round about here.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52And that's why people come here.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Never been here before,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56but we're going to go for a walk up the top there, shortly.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57Take the dogs out.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Probably just the characters that live here.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I was going to say, I've seen your face!
0:17:01 > 0:17:03THEY LAUGH
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Now, one thing I bet you didn't know...
0:17:05 > 0:17:07St Abbs got its name from ABBA -
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but Anni-Frid, Agnetha, Benny and Bjorn
0:17:10 > 0:17:12did not have their Waterloo here.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Abbe was, in fact, a 7th century Northumbrian princess who was
0:17:16 > 0:17:18shipwrecked on this coastline.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And that's what I think is the best thing about St Abbs.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23The coastline - truly stunning.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26HE HUMS "Waterloo"
0:17:26 > 0:17:28We'd love to hear from you about what you think
0:17:28 > 0:17:31is the best thing about your patch of the country.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Why not post a picture on our Facebook page?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You can also tell us what you think of the programme
0:17:36 > 0:17:38or share a story idea with us.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43St Abbs certainly seems to have a thriving community spirit -
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and that's one of the things Landward wants to champion
0:17:46 > 0:17:47across Scotland.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51So, when Euan heard about an Aberdeenshire village
0:17:51 > 0:17:54where the residents are taking power into their own hands,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56he had to pay them a visit.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02These are the rolling fields of north Aberdeenshire,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05about 30 miles from Aberdeen City.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07And this is the village of Insch,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10nestling at the bottom of the iconic Bennachie.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15But this is no sleepy rural backwater.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19The people of this community are truly remarkable.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22They've embarked on a renewable energy project
0:18:22 > 0:18:26that in terms of scale and ambition is very, very impressive -
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and everybody will have the opportunity to benefit.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37The story begins with a community desperate to raise money
0:18:37 > 0:18:39to save its cottage hospital.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42The NHS decided the building was no longer suitable,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and they wouldn't fund a replacement.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47The hospital has always been a really important
0:18:47 > 0:18:49part of the community.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51'Jane Reid is one of the Insch residents
0:18:51 > 0:18:54'who refused to take no for an answer.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The original hospital was built in 1922,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and it was built in memory of those who died in the First World War,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and it was built totally by public subscription.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08So, really, what we're doing now is just trying to replicate
0:19:08 > 0:19:10what was done 97 years ago.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12But it's quite a challenge, isn't it?
0:19:12 > 0:19:16It's not a simple thing to suddenly say, "OK, we'll build our own."
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yeah, but the Friends of Insch Hospital
0:19:18 > 0:19:20have never really shied away from a challenge,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23and I think we just saw it as a challenge
0:19:23 > 0:19:26that we could potentially meet.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Clearly, holding coffee mornings and rattling collection tins
0:19:31 > 0:19:34wouldn't raise the millions of pounds needed.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37However, one enterprising member of the community
0:19:37 > 0:19:41suggested renewable energy and the income it would generate
0:19:41 > 0:19:42might be the answer.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Most communities would just put up a couple of small scale wind turbines,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50but not the folk of Insch.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52They're going the whole hog.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Wind turbines on two sites
0:19:57 > 0:20:01combined with an array of solar panels and a biomass boiler
0:20:01 > 0:20:04will provide cheap power and heat for the entire village.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08The surplus energy created will be sold to the grid
0:20:08 > 0:20:10for cold, hard cash.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15This is the money that will pay for the rebuilding of the hospital.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16Yzanne.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Hello.- Cracking day, isn't it?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'Yzanne Turbett is one of the driving forces
0:20:21 > 0:20:24'behind this unique scheme. There's nothing else like it in the UK,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26'but it hasn't been easy.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'Funding has been tight,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'and the final go-ahead was only secured last month,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35'when the project received £6 million of funding
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'from the Scottish Government's Local Energy Challenge Fund.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:41So, how big is this project?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Cos it seems like a massive undertaking.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Yeah, it is. It's a really enormous project.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51And, you know, it's just grown more and more, right from the start.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54To begin with, we were just planning, you know,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58an ordinary, run-of-the-mill wind turbine development.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But we then got our grid connection cost,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03which was going to be around £2 million.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05So, that's the connection fee, essentially,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09that you have to pay to connect your turbine to the network?
0:21:09 > 0:21:13And that just meant that the project wasn't financially viable.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And then, at that point when we were just wondering what to do,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19the Government came up with the challenge fund,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and that encouraged us to develop this
0:21:23 > 0:21:24into a much bigger project.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26How scary was that time?
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Cos you're talking about a massive amount of money, here.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It was scary enough at the small-scale project,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35but, yes, yeah, definitely, it's quite an undertaking,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39and we're playing with sums that have got lots of zeros on the end.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47So, power TO the people is producing power FOR the people in Insch.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51They'll get reductions of between 20 and 30% on their fuel bills,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and a brand-new hospital to boot.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00All the renewable energy infrastructure should be in place
0:22:00 > 0:22:01within the next few years,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and that will mean that the money will start rolling in
0:22:04 > 0:22:07as the electricity flows into the national grid.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09And the plan is to have the new building in place
0:22:09 > 0:22:13in time for the centenary of the original building, in 2022.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Earlier in the programme, Nick hunted down the ingredients
0:22:23 > 0:22:26for a meal made up entirely of local produce.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32I'm catching up with him in Inverness
0:22:32 > 0:22:35at the Landward food van to see what he makes with it.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So, Dougie, I was set a Landward task to try
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and create a meal which was very local,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47so all the ingredients from within ten-miles radius of Nairn,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and I have come up with a beautiful piece of beef
0:22:50 > 0:22:54from Little Kildrummie Farm, Forbes family, there, got this for me.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56A piece of Connage cheddar,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58beautiful little creamery just outside of Nairn,
0:22:58 > 0:23:03and some of Donnie Macleod's fabulous organic and local veggies.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- All looks brilliant.- So, we're going to make a casserole.- Great.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08And some rumbledethumps.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12- And what is that?- Rumbledethumps is a Scottish version of champ,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14the Irish mashed potato and spring onions thing...
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- Yeah.- ..except I'm making it with kale and put a bit of cheese on top.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Nice.- Cos we're Scottish, we like a bit of cheese on top.- We certainly do!- We do.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23So, is there a task I can get on with?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Yes, you can peel and chop all the vegetables,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and I'll cut up the meat.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- All of these?- Yeah.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Can I borrow a knife?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40OK, Nick, I'm happy.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42That was fairly straightforward.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I'm impressed.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46How did you do that?!
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It's just an amazing thing, what can I tell you?
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Extraordinary.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Right, first thing I do is to season the beef.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Little bit of salt, little bit of freshly ground black pepper,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and then a little bit of oil into the hot casserole.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00You really must preheat the casserole first,
0:24:00 > 0:24:01get it nice and warm.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Why is that?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04So we brown the meat, we going to sear the meat.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- We don't want the meat to stew, we want it to fry.- OK.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10We need to get some colour, the caramelisation on the outside of the meat
0:24:10 > 0:24:13is the thing that will make it tasty.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- And I'm just going to let that colour up for a couple of minutes.- OK.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20And so we're going to add a bit of local beer. Black Isle Beer.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And a little bit of stock in there, as well.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Now, that's a porter, that a very dark beer.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Why are you going for that, in particular?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Because I want a real rich, dark, caramelised flavour.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34A sort of hearty stew is what we're looking for, here.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36So, once the meat is browned,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38then in go the veggies,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and you just add them all at once.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Whole lot, in it goes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So, once the veg is in, in with the beer.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- Like so.- Don't be shy. - About half a bottle of that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- I'll leave that for you. I know how you like a good...- Ooh!
0:24:51 > 0:24:53- I know how you like a good porter! - Indeed I do.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Bit of stock in there as well.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Give that a stir round.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- And that is it.- Simple as that.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03That really is as simple as that. We whack on the lid...
0:25:04 > 0:25:06We're going to pop that in the oven,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08we're going to cook it for three to three and a half hours,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- until everything's really dark and reduced and rich.- Yeah.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17We're going to make some rumbledethumps.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20We've got some mash - add a little bit of milk and butter to this,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22until it's nice and creamy.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24- And then we've got the kale, which has been blanched...- Uh-huh.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27..so, it's just boiling water, salted water, for two minutes,
0:25:27 > 0:25:28and then wrung out. In that goes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32And you just fold the kale through the mash,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- whack it into a little dish.- Yeah.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Not too carefully - you want it looking a little bit rustic.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- And then this fabulous, really... - You can really smell!
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- ..farmy smell to that, isn't it? - That cheddar is amazing.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48That's not block cheddar from the supermarket,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50that's proper farm cheddar.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And we give it a generous grating over the top.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Oh, my goodness!- Like so.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58And then we just take that and chuck it into a hot oven.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So, this isn't the healthiest meal ever, but it's...just amazing!
0:26:01 > 0:26:03No, it's not very healthy at all!
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- No, the casserole's healthy. - Of course!
0:26:05 > 0:26:06No fat in there, full of veg.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- Yep.- It's just this particular potato garnish is rather naughty.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14While that lovely cheddar melts into the mash,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17it's time to get the casserole out of the oven.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22Well, it does smell absolutely delicious!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24And you can see how it's all cooked down,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28the veg has absorbed all that stock, and just got...whoar!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- It's got that "eat me now" flavour. - It smells amazing.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36- Then, to go on the side...- Yeah. - ..we've got the rumbledethumps.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37- Pop that down there.- Fantastic.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I mean, it does look incredible, and it smells unbelievably good -
0:26:40 > 0:26:42but it's not the cheapest option, is it, really?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Well, surprisingly, the thing I find out when I was doing this is,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48some of these ingredients are the same price as in supermarkets,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- and some of them are cheaper than the supermarkets.- Mm.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52So, if you shop canny,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55you can enjoy really high-quality local produce at realistic prices.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57And you're supporting local producers,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- which has got to be a good thing.- Yep.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Dougie, I think we need to take these to the streets of Inverness.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05- Let's do it.- Yep.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Aren't we supposed to share this with the people of Inverness?
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Too good to share.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- HE CHUCKLES - Yes!- Fire in. Absolutely.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Mm. Oh!
0:27:18 > 0:27:20That's like nothing I've ever had before.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- That is so incredible! - It's sensational.- Mm!
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Even though I made it mys... We made it together.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- No, that's... - We made it together. It's fantastic.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- Thanks for the food, Nick. Bye-bye!- Bye!