Episode 20 Landward

This is Ayrshire.

It's Scotland's dairy and we're here for a cheesy feast.

MOOING

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward.

In a moment, we'll be catching up with Euan

as he joins a team of researchers trying to establish the health

of Scotland's population of mountain hares.

They are beautiful creatures, but not always the easiest to spot.

But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.

I investigate the impact the poor summer may be having

on the health of our beef cattle.

You lose body condition,

there'll be a knock-on effect come calving time.

You obviously have calves at possibly lower birth weight,

cows that have lower milk production levels,

so it's a huge knock-on effect all the way through.

Sarah find out how to make leather goods from salmon.

So, salmon leather,

it's the second strongest leather in the world.

You've also got... It takes a short period of time -

it's only about a week to tan.

And Nick is in Ayr toon centre with the Landward food van.

Best Scottish cheese in show.

Yes. This is Barwheys Dairy - brilliant mature cheddar.

First, mountain hare are a native species,

but we don't know how many there are of them.

That's causing problems for landowners and conservation bodies,

as Euan's been finding out.

The mountain hare is a truly beautiful animal,

turning from brown to white in winter

to give it perfect camouflage on the snowy Scottish hills.

They thrive on grouse moors, where active management

leads to lots of young heather for them to eat and few predators.

But hares can cause problems.

They damage trees, eat crops, and some gamekeepers believe

they spread ticks and disease to grouse.

So, every year, tens of thousands of hares are legally shot

for sport and population control.

But the problem is,

nobody knows just how many hares we have in Scotland

and if too many are being killed unnecessarily.

In order to find out just how many hares there are,

scientists need to know how best to count them.

And it's no easy task.

Scott, how are you doing? Morning, Euan. Nice to meet you.

So, we're going to go out to some traps, are we?

Yeah, we've got 100 traps. 100? Yeah.

'Scott Newey from the James Hutton Institute

'is testing the success of trapping as a method of counting.'

So, why is it so difficult

to get an estimate for the size of the population?

Well, mountain hares are largely nocturnal.

During the daytime, they tend to lie up in the heather

and keep out of sight,

so they show these huge changes in numbers from year to year,

so over the course of nine to ten years,

populations can change from a few hares per square kilometre

up to hundreds of hares per square kilometre.

'Because of the uncertainty over hare numbers,

'some conservation groups have been calling

'for a temporary ban on culling.

'So far, sporting estates have resisted that suggestion.'

They can get a bit stressed when we approach the trap.

'On the hill, we have our first hare.'

They can go quite quickly when they go, so...

OK, I'll take it. And...

Wow. OK. So, this is a recapture.

You can see the little ear tags in the ear. Pretty unfazed.

I see what you mean about it being quick!

OK.

'Next, Scott checks the ear tags.

'He'll also check its sex, measure its hind foot

'and weigh it.

'Once the examination's over, it's time to let the hare go.

'In total, four were caught overnight in Scott's traps.

'His next counting method isn't quite so cute, though.

'Its dung.'

OK, so what are you looking for? We're looking for and counting

and removing all of the hare pellets,

but we also remove all the other different types

of pellets that are here. So, which is which?

I've got a selection. Kind of, long, thin ones.

So, that's the red grouse. And the round, solid ones?

And that's the mountain here.

'We're going to leave Scott to finish checking his hare poo

'because the next counting method happens at night.'

Well, here we are, still on the hill.

It's dark, it's windy and it's cold

and, for this technique, we're going to use one of these.

My guide for this is Kathy Fletcher

from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.

You can usually see eye shine off them.

How effective is this lamping technique?

Well, it's been quite effective,

but you can only see maybe about 100 metres.

So, presumably, this is kit and techniques

that farmers, gamekeepers, will be using all the time.

Yeah. Yeah, lamps are quite common.

Quite often, they're attached to the vehicles

but, because not all the areas that you might want to survey for hares

have vehicle tracks, we're trying the method

just with a hand-held lamp.

OK. So, onward up the hill. Yeah.

Unfortunately, we don't have any luck with the lamp tonight.

But we're not beaten yet.

'Time for the next method.'

Well, this is a bit more like it.

Thermal imaging cameras, SAS stuff, out on the hillside - terrific.

We're looking for the heat signature of the hares

so, on this, the setting it's on at the moment,

black is the hot, so we're looking for a black blob.

It could also be grouse roosting so, if it stays stationary,

we don't count it.

But if it moves, like, hops like a bunny,

then we write it down as a hare.

So why is this better with this piece of kit than lamping,

apart from being more fun and more expensive? We...

Our experience so far is that

you can see further with the thermal imaging than with the lamp.

So we get a better idea of the number of hares,

obviously being able to see more of the population.

And as we scan the landscape, we catch sight of the elusive hare.

It might only be a small, black, fuzzy dot,

but it's exciting all the same.

I've had a great day out on the hill today,

looking at all the different techniques for surveying hares.

But it's early days yet in this project,

it's still got a year to go before they finally find out

the best technique for counting hare numbers.

In the meantime, the controversy over hare culling continues.

Back in the summer at the Royal Highland Show,

we got to taste and enjoy the winning entry

in the Best Speciality Cheese competition.

Our Nick is so passionate about local cheeses

that he wanted to weave his magic with some in the food van.

He headed on down to Maybole to collect the champion cheese.

Great cheese needs great milk and, to get great milk,

you need great cows.

But you need more than that.

To make truly great cheese,

you need dedication, passion

and be willing to take a few risks.

There's no doubt that Tricia Bey

has all three of these qualities in spades.

She was a high-flying London-based businesswoman

until deciding that a life in the country making cheese

was just what she wanted.

Tricia, hi, good to meet you again. Good to see you, yeah.

So, these are your cattle? Yeah. Tell me about them.

So, these are all pedigree Ayrshire cows.

I started building the herd in 2008 and now we've got up to a nice size.

We've got mothers and daughters and granddaughters here in the herd

milking this morning.

Why Ayrshires?

So, when I was building the dairy,

I was trying to resurrect our traditional cheese-making

here in Ayrshire and, of course, in the old days,

all the cows would have been Ayrshire.

But I was also blessed by the fact that these cows, this breed,

produces beautiful milk, really, really good-quality milk,

and cheese-makers all over the world say that, actually,

it's the best milk for cheese.

So I'm very lucky in that respect.

Milking complete, it's time to visit the dairy.

Tricia helped design this and,

despite making her first cheese just five years ago,

she's a quick learner.

Not sure I can say the same about me, though.

So, what are we doing now? Why am I stirring?

What we're doing now is we'll put the rennet into the milk

and the rennet is the enzyme that will start to coagulate the milk.

So it will start to form a curd and that will start, really,

the main cheese-making process.

How did you learn how to do this? So, I...

I went to learn with a very wise cheese-maker

up near the Kyle of Lochalsh.

Mm-hm. So I learnt the very basics of cheese-making there

but, as she says, and everyone would say,

all you're doing is learning the mechanics of the process there.

Um... It's not really until you start working with your own milk

do you really start learning what your cheese is going to do.

And there's certainly a lot of working with the milk to be done.

It's a hot and steamy business -

you definitely won't need the gym after a day working here.

The whole cheese-making process takes about six and a half hours.

There's separating the curds and whey,

cheddering and putting it on the press.

And this is where the cheese gets to mature -

sitting in here for between 12 and 15 months

before checking to see if they're ready.

We're looking at the smell,

we're looking at the texture of the cheese,

and then, of course, what the flavour is like -

going to see whether we think it's ready to be released.

So it comes out like this...

Wow, look at the colour.

It's yellow. I know.

The clover and the green summer grass comes through into the milk

and then, as it matures, that kind of yellow chlorophyll

intensifies in it and you get this beautiful, bright yellow cheese.

That is delicious. Oh.

Really complex, rounded, a great finish to it, you know?

There's nothing jaggy in there.

It's very, very...well made. Thank you.

And there's a lot more where that came from.

As I travel round Scotland, I'm always thrilled to meet people

who take great pride in the food that they produce.

But for people like Tricia, it's more than just food -

it's culture, it's history, it's a way of life,

and I would love to think that the people of Scotland

would eat more artisan-made cheeses like this.

So, later in the programme, I'm going to be serving up

some cheesy treats to the good citizens of Ayr.

If you know of any great Scottish producers

you think should feature on the programme,

get in touch via our Facebook page or e-mail...

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

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

As we're in Ayrshire this week,

we've come to the town after which the county is named - Ayr.

Now, I'm convinced there's some sort of connection

to a famous Scottish writer with this place, but...

I can't think, for the life of me, who it is.

What's the name of the famous writer from here?

No? OK. Thanks for your help.

Who's the famous writer that's associated with Ayr?

I know Robert Burns, obviously.

Rabbie Burns.

Robert Burns, I would say.

Who's the most famous person from Ayr? Rabbie Burns.

Robert Burns, it is.

But they don't make a huge thing about Robert Burns in Ayr.

What sort of things should I experience?

If I've never been here and I've got one day, a couple of hours,

what should I do? Oh, good grief...

There's always the Tam O'Shanter pub with the thatched roof.

You need to go to the beach. The beach is fantastic in Ayr.

It really is. It's beautiful.

I would go to Prestwick, if I was going for something to eat.

That sounds awful, doesn't it? LAUGHTER

Enjoyed your programme. Oh, thank you.

To get the Ayr experience - like,

"You must do this, you must experience this,

"you must taste this, you must drink this" or whatever.

What should I do?

Where do you come from, Dougie?

I come from Inchinnan in Renfrewshire.

I'd go back to Inchinnan, if I was you.

SHE LAUGHS

Now, I think this is one of the best things about Ayr -

Corney and Barrow wine merchant, established in 1766,

ten years before America declared independence.

I would like to imagine that Robert Burns used to come down here

and share a glass of wine with his pals nearly 200 years ago.

It's a lovely thought, isn't it?

We'll be back later, but now, we're heading across country

to find Sarah in Dundee with a very fishy tale.

There are lots of things you can do with fish -

catch them, eat them, make cute movies about finding them.

But what about wearing them?

Here in Dundee, that's exactly what they're doing -

turning salmon skins into leather.

Peter? Hello. Good morning. How are you doing? Good.

I won't shake your hand because I think you're covered in...

Guts - understandable, yeah!

'Peter Ananin is the founder of the Tayside Tannery.'

Today, we're going to be showing you how to make fish leather.

Is this the first step? This is the first step, taking off the scales.

I've got some prepared for you. I'm going to get a shot, am I?

You're going to get a shot as well. Fab.

Here's your skin. Right, talk me through it.

And your gloves. Mm-hm.

And I'm going to give you this knife as well.

I definitely need the gloves. Right.

So, why salmon leather?

So, salmon leather,

it's the second strongest leather in the world.

You've also got... It takes a short period of time,

it's only about a week to tan, and we can use local tanning agents

from oak bark and peat as well. Fantastic.

So, basically, what you're doing is going up against the grain.

So is that this way? That's it, yeah.

And then you'll see the scales will flake off.

One way, they won't, one way, they will. OK.

And you're basically just going along like that.

And why did you decide to base yourselves in Dundee?

So, we're based in Dundee -

part of the thing is that we're trying to use waste products,

so locally, up in Arbroath,

we get the waste fishskins from the smoked salmon industry...

Mm-hm. ..so they're normally thrown away.

The other reason we picked Dundee

was that it's got such a rich kind of historical past

of industry and crafts, so wanting to revive these things.

Fantastic.

Yes, Dundee isn't only famous for jute, jam and journalism -

leather-making was also an important trade.

As early as the 1500s,

the glovers and shoemakers were creating quality goods.

In the 19th century, local tanneries produced leather belts

to help drive the weaving machines -

and Dundee's whalers also hunted seals,

whose skins were turned into leather by an enterprising shipbuilder.

What are we trying to make today?

So, today, we're going to do something nice and simple -

we're going to make a bracelet, so I've got some of the ones

that I've been making here, so you're going to make one like that.

Oh! Yeah. That's... Nice and simple. Nice and simple to get you started.

Right. How am I doing?

Looks good, yep. Am I? Yeah. There's fish - there's scales everywhere.

That's all right, don't worry, it's just practice.

Once the scales have been removed,

the skins are washed, put into tanning drums -

recycled washing machines -

hung up to dry, softened, and then they're ready to use.

So, next thing is, you're going to cut it out.

So, we've already drawn this out for you. Mm-hm.

There's your scissors. Right, get cutting. Yeah.

So, what other products do you make?

So, some of the other products that we've been making

are some fishskin wallets. Mm-hm.

We've been making knife sheaths for traditional sgian-dhus. Mm-hm.

That's made locally.

We've been making some earrings as well. Nice earrings.

I know it's part of a social enterprise... Mm-hm.

..so, it's quite small-scale at the moment.

What is the ultimate aim? Global domination with salmon leather?

No, no, not at all - it's cottage industry,

which is what we're really trying to revive -

providing people with local jobs,

using local resources and keeping it local, really.

Then we attach the toggle, measure the size

and...ta-da!

Thank you, Peter. You've done a great job.

So, there you have it - a one-of-a-kind Mack creation.

It's a craft that uses waste products, it revives an old trade

and brings rural skills back to the city.

From salmon to a more traditional source of leather goods -

cattle.

Earlier in the series, we heard that Orcadian farmers

were having to ship cattle off the island

because they didn't have enough grazing.

Now, on the mainland, I've been hearing about another problem

caused by the bad weather earlier in the year.

In these bales and in the pit behind, covered in tyres, is silage -

which is essentially pickled grass -

and that's used to feed livestock

during the long and cold winter months.

To make silage, grass is cut in the summer

and then either baled or wrapped in plastic

or compressed in a silage pit to keep the air out.

Keeping the air out is vital.

In oxygen-free conditions,

bacteria turns the sugars in the grass into acids.

The grass ferments, turning into silage,

and is thus preserved for use throughout the winter.

Good morning, how's it going? All right, yourself?

Yeah, very well. Good.

'Graham Lofthouse farms near Galashiels in the Borders.'

What have we got here? Cows just getting fed the silage this morning.

So, breakfast time, basically.

How important is silage

to keeping the kind of, you know, balance of the...

nutrients balanced during the winter months?

Yeah, it's imperative.

I mean, we're looking for these cows to be in perfect body condition

right through the winter.

Ideally, we want them to be nice and fit,

like this big cow in front of us here,

lose a bit of body condition through the winter,

and then we're wanting them to calve

to what we call a body condition score 2.5,

which is not too lean, not too fat - just perfect for calving,

so they'll be able to produce a lot of colostrum

for their calves at birth.

So, yeah, the nutrition's imperative to us.

Now, as a farmer... Yeah. ..silage is home-made... Yes, it is.

..so, you don't have to buy it... No, we don't.

..so, I'd imagine it's hugely important from your business

point of view as well. Yes, it is the cheapest feed we have on-farm.

It's home-produced in itself.

It's also not very expensive to produce for ourselves, like.

Yeah. But if it's low in energy or low in protein,

then that does cause problems.

And this year, lots of silage is really low in protein.

The cold spring is thought to be the major cause.

Basil Lowman is from the farming advisory body SAC Consulting.

Cattle, sheep, even horses, just like us,

require protein if they're to thrive and perform well.

Why, in particular, is that a major issue, then?

Because we can't really, easily, by looking at silage,

tell how high it is in protein

and, as an example, I've got two samples here...

and I've got to read the label because they're so similar.

That one is high... OK. ..has a high protein level,

would meet all the requirements of cattle,

sheep and what have you, and this one is a very low-protein

silage, er, and it's impossible to tell by sniffing them...

Smell the same. ..looking at them,

wringing them out, whatever you like, what the protein content is.

It's interesting that it's not the cattle who are going to starve,

it's the bugs in their rumen.

If you like, cattle are just big vats bubbling away,

like a brewer, breaking down the silage,

and it's the by-products of these bugs which actually feed the cattle.

Without enough protein,

the cow's whole digestive system can grind to a halt,

and the poor beasts can become stuffed with undigested food.

That's why farmers are being urged to test their silage.

The only way, really,

to get an answer quickly enough to stop the animal suffering

in terms of poor performance - and possibly even dying -

is to actually get the silage analysed as soon as possible

and, in particular, pay attention to its protein content.

And that's exactly what I'm doing now.

With a little help, I'm collecting a sample of Graham's silage

to be analysed at the SAC's lab near Penicuik.

KNOCK AT DOOR

Willie, how are you? Not bad. Good to see you.

Come in. I've got my sample here from Bankhouse Farm. Right.

'Willie Gibson is in charge of testing.'

What's the next process, then?

We've got to open up the sample, empty it out, thoroughly mix it.

So, do you want to do that yourself? I could do it, yes. Why not?

After a good mix, the silage is formed into a clingfilm sausage,

and we put it into a special scanner that assesses the sample.

While we wait for the results, animal nutritionist Colin Worth

explains why low-protein silage costs farmers.

In a normal year, they would be feeding their silage to appetite

and then topping that up with some barley.

This year, because the silage is lower in protein,

they're going to have to be thinking about, yes, using some barley,

but also some protein supplements.

And that can be pricey.

Protein is expensive - that's the thing, you know?

Usually, it's home-grown cereals - you buy in the protein.

So, that's the expensive part of the ration.

So, will Graham be laying out extra cash?

The results are in, and the sample had 7% protein -

not great news for Graham, he was hoping for between 13 and 15%,

so he will have to buy in extra supplements.

The real worry, though, is for farmers who do not test their silage.

The message is clear - get it tested

or your livestock could suffer the consequences.

For the rest of you, though,

I bet you never knew that grass could be so complicated.

Just a little science for you to ruminate over.

From beef cattle to the product of Ayrshire's dairy cows

with Nick and the Landward food van.

The Landward food van is out on the road again.

Our mission - to bring the best produce

of the Scottish countryside to the public.

We've set up shop right here in the heart of the historic town of Ayr.

This week, I'm going to create a cheesy feast

with some of that delicious Barwheys cheese

I collected earlier in the programme.

And, as ever, I'm joined by my omnipresent kitchen assistant,

Dougie. Delighted to be here.

Cast your mind back to the Royal Highland Show -

best Scottish cheese in the show. Yes.

This is Barwheys Dairy - brilliant mature cheddar.

We know it's fantastic, so stick it on the cheeseboard,

just let people taste it.

Er, you could do that, but what I'm going to do is make a cheese sauce,

very thick cheese sauce... Uh-huh. ..let it set, cut it out,

pane it - so "pane" is to put it in breadcrumbs -

deep-fry it so it's crisp on the outside

and it melts again on the inside. Ohh! Yeah? Fantastic.

Now, for this, I need a lot of grated cheese.

You may be some time. I WILL be some time.

Meanwhile, I am going to make a cheese sauce.

First of all, you need to make a roux.

Melt the butter over a low heat...

and the secret of a good roux is to use more butter than flour -

most recipes would say equal quantities

but, if you use slightly more butter,

you get a flat mix that lies on the bottom of the pan

and allows you to cook the flour in the butter

so that, when you add the liquid, the roux is fully cooked out.

So, what we're going to do is cook this for about two or three minutes

until the colour of the flour starts to slightly darken.

All of the cheese? All of the cheese, yes.

Not just a wee TV bit. I thought this was going to be easy.

OK, carrying on.

So, at this pint, we add the milk and whisk like billyo.

You want to keep going - and cold milk, always cold milk.

Use hot milk, it sets straight away.

This is going to be a really, really, really thick sauce. Wow!

HE GRUNTS

That's very quick. Yeah.

It's because I cooked the flour out.

So, this is what we're looking for - a really nice, thick cheese sauce.

And to that, I'm going to add a little bit of creme fraiche,

and we're now ready to add the cheese.

A handful at a time, if you don't mind.

A delicate handful? No, just a big...

A big... A big muckle. A big wallop. A big wallop.

Keep going. We're going to run out of cheese...

Well... ..cos I keep eating it! THEY CHUCKLE

With the addition of some mustard and a little Worcestershire sauce,

the cheese sauce is ready to pour.

After half an hour in the fridge,

the slab of cheese sauce is ready to be cut into cubes.

Floured, egged and breadcrumbed, it's time for the fun bit -

deep-frying.

PAN SIZZLES

So, what we want to do is we want to fry them

until they're lovely and crisp and golden on the outside... Uh-huh.

..but soft in the middle.

Yeah... Out they come.

Absolutely fantastic.

Hoh, hoh, hoh! Now...

I'm not going to eat that immediately!

Don't eat them straight out of the fryer.

You need to let them cool down for at least two or three minutes.

Mm!

Oh, my...

Quite hot? Mm!

Right... Mm!

Amazingly crispy on the outside, and that cheese,

just - oh, that's amazing.

Huge flavour. Absolutely brilliant. Fantastic.

Let's go and see what the good citizens of Ayr

make of their champion cheese.

Lead on, young man.

Mm! Oh, look at all the cheese!

Mm, lovely.

Oh, it's cheese and it's delicious!

And it's the right temperature, too. Thank you.

Absolutely delicious, so it is.

First class.

Mm! Delicious.

Tell me what you think.

HE CHUCKLES

Cheddar cheese. A bit like cheddar cheese?

This is our lunch today. Oh, right, well, just a light lunch for you.

Mm-hm. Mm! Look at that molten cheese. Ohhh!

Oh, that's absolutely... Delicious.

Worth the wait? Definitely.

He takes ages in the kitchen, that Nick Nairn, doesn't he?

And I think you've eaten a lot of cheese.

You ate it quite quickly!

Got a big mouth!

LAUGHTER

Is that your friend?

Not any more. Not any more!

I think it's fair to say, a resounding success.

100% success rate - loved by old and young alike.

That is amazing.

Now, this was a fantastic, award-winning local cheese,

but there are loads of fantastic dairies across Scotland

that you could do exactly the same thing

with the cheese from your region.

Yeah, search them out, well worth the effort.

And that is it.

So, from all the Landward team, from Nick and myself, from Ayr...

Goodbye! Cheery-bye.

To be in the Lords, you have to be punctual...

Thank you. Sometimes you really do

literally have to slam the door in somebody's face.

..dress respectfully...

What right do they have to tell ME about my fashion sense.

Look at them. Come on.