0:00:03 > 0:00:08Hello and a warm, festive welcome to the very last show of 2015
0:00:08 > 0:00:10and what a year it's been.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Over the past 12 months, we've travelled far and wide
0:00:35 > 0:00:38to bring you the very best stories from the Scottish countryside.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40We're at Tyrebagger Woods near Aberdeen,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43where there are hundreds of Christmas trees on sale
0:00:43 > 0:00:46but before the Forestry Commission put us to work, we thought
0:00:46 > 0:00:49we'd bring you some of our highlights from the Landward year.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Absolutely. Later in the programme,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55we'll reveal what your favourite Landward moment is from 2015.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57- Guys, did you not get the memo? - What was that?
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Oh, Christmas jumper! I'm sorry.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07- Yeah? Ready for work?- It's a good look.- See you later, obviously.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- See you later.- Come on, Bracken.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17With only seven days to go before the big ho-ho-ho,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20it's all go here at the Tyrebagger Woods
0:01:20 > 0:01:22and the man in charge is Dan Cadle.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- Dan, greetings.- Hi, Sarah. - How you doing?- Nice to meet you.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- How busy is it?- Really busy.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28It's really, really busy.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29We've had one busy weekend
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and we're just approaching our next busy weekend, probably have
0:01:32 > 0:01:345,000 people through the door this coming weekend.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37- Where do your trees come from? - We've got a variety of trees.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39We've got three different sorts of species of trees.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42We've got the Northern Firs which we're standing in just now.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43These come from near Edinburgh.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We sell Lodgepole Pine which is quite a...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's a bushy tree, quite fragrant,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51they come from near Perth and we sell spruce
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and they're actually grown in our Christmas tree producing area
0:01:53 > 0:01:55in Yorkshire.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Now, what tips for looking after a tree?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01The most important thing is to cut an inch off the bottom of your tree.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02That way, it exposes fresh wood
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and it can soak up lots and lots of water.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07In a warm house, a tree can soak up about a pint of water a day.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I feel a bit the odd one out here, where's your costume?
0:02:11 > 0:02:12Er... Maybe in the shed.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- OK, next year, right?- Oh, maybe.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17So, right, I'll let you carry on, I'm going to skip off.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I'll see you later.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21So the wood is obviously a great place to go
0:02:21 > 0:02:24if you're into wildlife and over the course of this year,
0:02:24 > 0:02:30I've gone in search of some truly amazing animals, domestic and wild.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Back in May, I took my youngest son, Robbie,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37to a BioBlitz at Milton Loch in the Cairngorms,
0:02:37 > 0:02:44where over 170 unique species were identified in just three hours.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Wowee, look at that one.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Bah, bah, bah! Up, up, up!
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'And it's not just wild animals I've been getting to grips with,
0:02:52 > 0:02:57'the valley sheep have to be the cutest thing on Landward this year.'
0:02:57 > 0:02:58He's enjoying this.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59SHEEP BLEATS
0:03:01 > 0:03:03They're keen for food.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05'Well, apart from the goats at the open farm
0:03:05 > 0:03:08'that were absolutely adorable.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- Very cute.- He is very cute. - He's very sweet.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15So pull it towards you. Yeah, pull it towards you. Don't drop it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'But I have done more this year than just meet cuddly animals.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:23We can cut that out, we can cut that.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25'I've made peasemeal in Golspie...'
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- Oh! It's coming out.- Feel a bit.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'..been stretchered off a cliff by a mountain rescue team...'
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Oh, my God, I feel quite... I think I feel quite sick.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'..and followed the Monty Python trail to Doune Castle.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46'All in a year's work.'
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I've had some fantastic experiences on Landward this year
0:03:49 > 0:03:52and it's almost impossible to choose a favourite one
0:03:52 > 0:03:57but after much deliberation I've chosen my trip to Barra Beach.
0:04:12 > 0:04:19PLANE ENGINE DROWNS SPEECH
0:04:25 > 0:04:30That flight, that experience is so famous that, look,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33people have just come down to watch the plane land
0:04:33 > 0:04:35and look at that view when you arrive.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36That is amazing.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Just 20 minutes after landing
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and the beach has returned to its normal tranquillity.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54I mean, I'm still buzzing from that landing,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57it was absolutely fabulous to come in on the beach but I suppose,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00in terms of airport jobs, is yours one of the best in the world?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Well, I would say it is. When you look at the place around you here,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05it's, um...
0:05:05 > 0:05:07When it's like this, it's a lovely office.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10'Neil Maclean is one of the handful of full-time staff
0:05:10 > 0:05:12'who run the airport.'
0:05:12 > 0:05:14At the end of the day, what we've got to do is make sure
0:05:14 > 0:05:17that the surface is appropriate for the aircraft.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Basically, we check the beach twice a day,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23so when the tide's coming in, the tide will drop off flotsam, jetsam,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28the occasional dead bird, barrels, what have you,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and basically we ensure that none of that stuff's left lying about
0:05:31 > 0:05:33because, of course, if that hits the aircraft,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35it'll cause it quite a bit of mischief.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37We came in one morning and just up there, actually,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39somebody had built a beautiful sandcastle.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Oh...- Huge thing.- ..don't say that you ruined the sandcastle.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Afraid so.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49So, sandcastle-free,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53this beach provides a vital link to the mainland for goods and visitors.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59But there's another way it contributes to the local economy.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Donald? Hello, how you doing? I'm Sarah.- Hello, how you doing?
0:06:03 > 0:06:04- You're hard at work.- Yes, aye.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'This is one of the best cockle beaches around.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'Donald Maclean runs Barratlantic,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'a company that exports the little delicacies.'
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Yeah, there's quite a few people dotted about.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18How many people are working on the beach today?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21There'll be about five or six on today for this tide.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25And will you always come to the same beach or do you change about?
0:06:25 > 0:06:27No, you change different areas of the beach, you know,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29they're not in the same area every day
0:06:29 > 0:06:32because you've got to give it a rest.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34What is the technique of cockling?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- Just normal rake and...- Yeah?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- And some hard work. - And some hard work.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41- Right, will I have a go?- Yeah.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- Yeah, I should really, shouldn't I? - Yeah, yeah.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Oh, I've got one. There we go, is that a goody?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- Yeah, that's a nice-sized one. - Oh, that's a good sound.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55There you are, Sarah. Do you want to taste one?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Oh, really? Donald's going to make me eat one.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- He's going to make me eat a raw cockle.- Yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Why's it they always look so...
0:07:04 > 0:07:06funny? Right, OK, what do I do?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Just put it into your mouth. Grab that.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Take a bite out of it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Nice, salty taste.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- Well, actually, that's quite nice. - Oh, they're beautiful.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- I've had worse. That's actually nice.- It is, it's nice.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22What do I owe you for that cockle, then?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- HE LAUGHS - 20 pence.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29There's three different kinds of Christmas tree
0:07:29 > 0:07:31on offer here at Tyrebagger
0:07:31 > 0:07:33and just up here there's a family who are trying to make
0:07:33 > 0:07:36that difficult decision about what size, what shape
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and what species of tree, so I'm going to help.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Buried in amongst the Northern Fir are Emma, Norrie and Jen
0:07:45 > 0:07:47trying to decide what one you're wanting.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49This is the Northern Fir, why this one?
0:07:50 > 0:07:51Just cos it's pretty.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54What kind of shape are you looking for? Cos this one's quite...
0:07:54 > 0:07:56This one's really good for decorating as opposed to
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- some of the cheery, busy ones. - Exactly, yeah.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02That's why, cos it sits well with the decorations on the tree.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Also, it holds its needles so...
0:08:04 > 0:08:06They're two important qualities.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- So is that it?- Yeah, well, ish.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11We're going to have a look at some of the other ones just to
0:08:11 > 0:08:13be on the safe side but it's probably going to be this type.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Good luck!- OK, thanks very much. - Thank you.- OK, thanks.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22You know, I may be wrong but I've got a sneaking feeling
0:08:22 > 0:08:24that this could take some considerable time.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Over the last 12 months,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I've done some amazing stories on Landward.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Some have been highly informative, some have been fun
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and some have been downright scary.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Some of my favourite action stories this year include
0:08:43 > 0:08:44a trip down a zip wire...
0:08:47 > 0:08:49..welding a bull sculpture...
0:08:55 > 0:08:58..and the fastest car ride of my life.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I've never been in anything as fast as this before.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Goodness me!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'But speed isn't everything.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15'I also got the chance to fulfil one of my biggest childhood dreams.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:16TRAIN WHISTLE
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'After all these years, I actually got to be a train driver.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30TOOT-TOOT!
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'And this year I was in Portsoy to indulge yet another
0:09:35 > 0:09:37'of my lifelong loves.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:40We're here for the remaking of a classic British film
0:09:40 > 0:09:44and I'm really excited because the book that this is based on
0:09:44 > 0:09:46has been an important part of my library for years.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I've got two copies - a paperback edition that I carry with me
0:09:49 > 0:09:54and this, a precious first edition of Whisky Galore.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And it's also an opportunity for the people of Portsoy to share
0:09:57 > 0:10:01the screen with the movie leads, Gregor Fisher and Eddie Izzard.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05We've got a part 16th century harbour here, this is...
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I mean, you're filming in right smack in the middle of history here.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09It's terrific.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17From the fictitious island of Todday to the very real of Stroma,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19another great highlight for me,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and I was absolutely fascinated by the story
0:10:22 > 0:10:24of how this once-vibrant community
0:10:24 > 0:10:28transformed into the ghostly, abandoned world it is today.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The population peaked, in 1901, at 375 -
0:10:35 > 0:10:38they had their own school and their own church.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And this would have been the reality of living on Stroma.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54You've got the traditional box bed, really close to the fire,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57it would've been quite cosy, all the cooking done here.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00But, still, a pretty harsh life.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Well, this charming place certainly feels romantic to me.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15But, for me, the highlight of the 2015 season has been dogs.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I got this little beauty at the start of the summer
0:11:18 > 0:11:21but I think it's going to be a long time before she's as well trained
0:11:21 > 0:11:25as some of the hounds that we filmed in the Scottish borders
0:11:25 > 0:11:26earlier this year.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Something out of the ordinary is happening in the hills
0:11:33 > 0:11:35near Newcastleton.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40It's been going on for more than 200 years,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44but southern Scotland and northern England are the only parts of the UK
0:11:44 > 0:11:46where you can witness it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48This is hound trailing.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50DOGS BARK AND BAY
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The dogs race over eight miles or so of rough country,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06following a trail of man-made scent.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Enthusiastic dog owners gather most weekends
0:12:12 > 0:12:15between March and October for races like this.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- And who's this?- This is Daz.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Wow, he's lovely.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22'Competing today is Jenny Horn's dog, Daz.'
0:12:23 > 0:12:24So, what's his chances?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Um, his chances are very good today
0:12:27 > 0:12:31because he's dropped down a class because he's had a few injuries
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- this year so I've dropped him down a class.- Poor boy.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Now, I'm no expect but I expected a foxhound type animal
0:12:37 > 0:12:38and this is very, very different.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Over the decades, they have been bred and they've been bred finer.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44More racy, OK?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47He's like a greyhound with attitude, isn't he?
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Well, that's right. That's right.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50DOGS BARK
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- So is there any tactics involved in this?- No, not really.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Just go as fast as you can.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It is truly an amazing spectacle, isn't it?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05The dogs are flying over the course but, for some,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08following the scent isn't as easy as it looks.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Do you get nervous at this point at all? You've done all you can now.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17When Daz was a puppy and he won 31 trails,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- I couldn't sleep the night before. - But you can sleep now?
0:13:21 > 0:13:25I'm all right now because he's nothing to prove, has he?
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Driving the dogs onto the finish is the thought of some tasty grub
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and Daz is in for a treat.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It's chicken and pasta.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37So does Daz like that?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Yeah. They don't look at it, actually, they just gulp it down.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- So what about yours?- I've got pasta.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Oh, look at that. - Some sardines and cake.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- And a bit of fairy cake as well. - Yes.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Each to his own, I suppose, but it certainly seems to be working.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55THEY SHOUT
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'No gold medal for Daz and Jenny, but it's still a podium finish.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:13- Heroic second.- Yes.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15He ran very well, I'm very happy with him
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and he's come in safe and sound, that's the main thing.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- It was a close finish though. - It was a close finish, very exciting.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- He seems absolutely exhausted. - That's what it's all about.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Yeah, he is. You would be and all if you'd ran round there.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Christmas tree growing is worth £200 million to the UK economy
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and this is the Forestry Commission's biggest outlet in Scotland
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and I've been given the job of packaging the trees.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- Hi, guys, can I help you?- Yeah. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43So do you have your plans?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46You've got the tinsel and the baubles and all the lights sorted out?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Oh, yes.- Excellent. Let's just spin it round here.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'This, frankly, is a piece of cake compared to everything else
0:14:55 > 0:14:56'I've done this year.'
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Thank you very much. - OK, guys, thanks.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02'It's been an invigorating 12 months, to say the least.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10'Taking a trip on the Thurso Lifeboat in the Pentland Firth
0:15:10 > 0:15:14'was a brilliant and, at times, scary experience.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17'But I'm proud to say I managed to keep my lunch to myself.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Now, this is a very, very benign day.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22There's no wind, the sun's shining,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25there's three people trying to hold on to Colin, our cameraman -
0:15:25 > 0:15:26that shows you how wild it is.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31But the sense of the elements here is all around us, it's just ferocious.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32Incredibly exciting.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35Goodness me!
0:15:39 > 0:15:43'And sticking with the water theme, I felt incredibly privileged
0:15:43 > 0:15:47'to go diving with veteran wildlife cameraman Doug Allan.'
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- Those jellyfish are amazing. - Aye, they're nice, eh?
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- There's lots of the purple ones. - Yeah.- There's at least two kinds.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09'Anyway, after all that,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12'I was looking forward to getting back on dry land.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'What was I thinking? This IS Scotland.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Who suggested motorcycling?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Why didn't we do this in a car with a roof?!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27'Nevertheless, it was still tremendous fun
0:16:27 > 0:16:29'exploring our country's best biking roads.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36'Thankfully, the producers relented,
0:16:36 > 0:16:41'and I got to travel the stunning new North Coast 500 route by car, too.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50'And, on a more poignant note,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55'it was great to see that Landward can actually make a difference.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58'After our World War I special last year,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02'a campaign began to create a memorial in the Cabrach
0:17:02 > 0:17:04'to honour the fallen of the Great War.'
0:17:10 > 0:17:14But my favourite Landward experience of 2015 has to be
0:17:14 > 0:17:17going in search of a white deer on the Isle of Arran.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21To see this beautiful creature pop up out of the bracken
0:17:21 > 0:17:25less than 40 yards in front of us was a truly special moment.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'Using the wind direction to our advantage,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33'we climb above the area where Rab thinks the deer is hiding.'
0:17:34 > 0:17:37So is this the high point, as high as we're going to be?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Yeah, this will do and we'll just work our way in
0:17:40 > 0:17:42and hopefully we'll be able to look down onto her from above.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The wind's perfect. Wind's come good and it's great.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- In the meantime, head down. - Down the way.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'Then, it's a matter of sitting and waiting.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:03This hind is three years old now and she'll stay in this location.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06She'll be hefted to this area, she'll know where to go
0:18:06 > 0:18:07in the different weather
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and where the best feeding is at different times of the year
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and they tend to very much just stay in that pad
0:18:12 > 0:18:13for the rest of their life.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16And will they actually mate with other red deer, then?
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Yeah, oh, yeah.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21It doesn't know it's a white deer, it just thinks it's a red deer.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Uh-huh.- You know, and, I mean, its offspring, I mean,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27it could have generations of offspring
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- and they'll, you know, they'll just be normal red deer.- Normal red.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32It's just a freak gene that throws off this...
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's not an albino. It's, er...
0:18:35 > 0:18:38just got white hair.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40(Look. It's only about 50, 60 metres away.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42(You see the head in the bracken?)
0:18:42 > 0:18:45(My goodness, look at that.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48(Yeah. Right there, right there!)
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It knows we're here.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53It does know, just straight at us.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54We're in very close to it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57That's so white, that's amazingingly white.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Yes.- It's heading off now.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It'll probably move off round, you know, it's moved off round
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- and it'll move round into the bracken.- Yeah.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Might pull away up
0:19:07 > 0:19:11but I would think it will just find somewhere out the way and...
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- That's amazing.- Wee bit camera shy, probably.- We were sitting here...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- Walked up, sitting here for five minutes.- Aye.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Obviously, you know exactly what you're doing. Took us...
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- 40 yards away and then suddenly, wow.- Yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I can't tell you how thrilled I am, having just seen that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I mean, seeing something so rare is a real privilege,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35proof that they're not just creatures of folklore and mythology
0:19:35 > 0:19:39but now and again, if you're really lucky, and take someone
0:19:39 > 0:19:42like Rab with you, you can see them in the Scottish countryside.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Brilliant.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Now, you may have noticed that there are only three of us here today.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55And there's a sneaking feeling that Mr Nick Nairn
0:19:55 > 0:19:57is avoiding all the hard work.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Yeah, over the course of the year, Nick has been cooking up a storm
0:19:59 > 0:20:03in the Landward food van, with the aid of his trusted helper over here.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- There you go.- Yes, sadly Nick couldn't be with us today
0:20:05 > 0:20:08but we caught up with the Christmas Grinch in the street market
0:20:08 > 0:20:12in Aberdeen to find out his highlights of 2015.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Keep 'em coming.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16That was sore.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Over the last year, we've taken the Landward Street Food Van
0:20:28 > 0:20:30to Inverness, Ayr and Aberdeen
0:20:30 > 0:20:34to meet and share food ideas with you, the audience.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37And I must say, I've been really impressed
0:20:37 > 0:20:40at how willing we Scots are to try new things.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43'I began the year finding out about
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'what butchers call the fifth quarter.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48'That's offal to you and me.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Wow! That is...
0:20:50 > 0:20:53This is not what I expected.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'Dougie and I went foraging for wild garlic and nettles.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'Easier said than done.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:03- So show it who's boss. Be firm.- OK.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- Very good. It didn't sting you? - Not in the slightest, no.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- All right, I'll give it a go. - DOUGIE MOUTHS
0:21:08 > 0:21:09Ai-yaa!
0:21:09 > 0:21:11'Thanks for that one, Dougie(!)
0:21:11 > 0:21:14'I think the producers forgot the gloves on purpose.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20'The people of Aberdeen loved our nettle and wild garlic pesto.'
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- You like it?- Oh, aye.- Tasty, yes.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- It's actually all right, aye.- Wow.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies. Ah, no, no, no.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Nick Nairn can't even give it away, look. People are refusing.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- Pasta?- No, thank you, mate.- Look at me. I'm a better salesman than you.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39"I'm no' eating that, it's got nettles in it."
0:21:39 > 0:21:41'Well, maybe not all of them.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'So not everyone likes eating weeds.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47'But could we tempt them with kale cooked three ways?'
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It's delicious, nutritious...
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- and the other thing. - All those things.- Yes.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Do you like kale?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Ooh, that is really nice.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Mmm. Excellent.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00The whole bit, there you go.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Spicy. It's almost like prawn crackers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Ooh!
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Lovely!
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Is there not any more?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I can't wait to get back on the road again.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And if you think that we should bring the Landward Street Food Van
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to your area, then get in touch with us via the Facebook page
0:22:18 > 0:22:22or e-mail us at landward@bbc.co.uk.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And a very, very merry Christmas to you all.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Grinch, indeed!
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Here's Dougie and the team.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34You know, I've learned lots from Nick in the Food Van this year,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36like, for example, how to wash dishes,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39but let us not forget that he got to sample the wonderful local produce
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- available at the Royal Highland Show. - And that's right.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45For the first time ever, we brought you not one but two
0:22:45 > 0:22:48live shows from Ingliston, and what amazing shows they were.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Ooh! Thank you very much.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Yes, we had animals live on set, a record-breaking sausage competition,
0:22:54 > 0:22:59and, of course, me beating Mr Vipond at a stock-judging competition.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Right, who better to consult than none other than Catrin Miller,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10a former Stockman of the Year.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- Catrin, it's pretty serious stuff out there.- Yeah, very.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15This is one of the most prestigious awards within
0:23:15 > 0:23:17the Young Farmers' calendar, one that you want to win.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20So take us through the competition, what are we actually seeing?
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Well, morning and afternoon there's 240 competitors from the length
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and breadth of the country, from Orkney to Dumfries and Galloway.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29You're either judging beef, dairy or sheep in the morning,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and then the top six from each, um...category
0:23:32 > 0:23:35get through to the Stocksman of the Year finals in the afternoon.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38How tough is it? Because they are taking it very seriously
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- and we're up against each other today...- Pretty nervous.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43..so how difficult is it to actually choose a good beast?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46You're wanting someone with show presence, bright, alert,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49a good balanced animal, good top, good in their legs.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Go with your gut instinct, don't get confused.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Don't get confused. Don't get confused, Sarah.- Don't get confused.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- See you later.- Catrin, thanks very much indeed.- No problem.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I would say good luck but I wouldn't mean it.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07The class we are judging is Limousin bulls.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14I'm focusing, I'm focusing.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I'm thinking of all those times that I should have listened to
0:24:17 > 0:24:20my husband when he was talking about what makes a good beast.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Line, width, balance, good feet, nice head.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Thing is, you're not allowed to talk to any of the other competitors.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41So I can't ask them what they think, though I want to. Very difficult.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Not confident now. Sarah was, earlier. I'm less so.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58After much deliberation and a lot of guesswork,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01we put the bulls in order of how we think they rank.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03So, how did we do?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- Moment of truth, isn't it? - I'm oddly nervous.- Catrin, come on.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- OK, so we've got your official scores in.- Uh-huh.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- Not that I'm competitive or anything.- Dougie...- Uh-huh.- 23.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- Out of?- 50.- Right.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19Sarah...38.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28- She asked her husband. That's just so not fair.- I never win! I won, I won!
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- Thanks, Catrin.- That's all right.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Can I get a recount? - Steward's enquiry.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Absolutely.- Not that I'm competitive or anything.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Yes, Sarah certainly knows a good back end when she sees one.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Now, over the past couple of weeks we've been asking you
0:25:43 > 0:25:46to get in touch to tell us what you think are the best moments
0:25:46 > 0:25:51from Landward in 2015, and many of you have been doing just that.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Some of you wanted to see the biblical rains
0:25:53 > 0:25:56of the Berriedale Braes on my biking trip around the north coast.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59There were also votes for two other points on that journey,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Loch Maree and Smoo Cave.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05But, by the narrowest of margins, the viewers' choice
0:26:05 > 0:26:08is Sarah's encounter with the native ponies of Eriskay.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Donald?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Hi, how are you doing?- Hi, Sarah. Not bad, yourself?- Good.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18- So these are yours?- Yeah, yeah.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- Lovely-looking beasts. - Do you want to have a look at them?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Yeah, I'd love to come in. Can we just go over?- Yeah, yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27- It's not on?- No, it's not, no. I don't think it is, anyway.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Donald John McInnis has lived in Eriskay all his life
0:26:30 > 0:26:35and he is a stalwart of the island's Eriskay Pony Society.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37The family have been keeping ponies all our life,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40we're born and brought up with ponies all our lives.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- So it's in the blood, to keep ponies.- If you like, yeah.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Tell me a bit about the history. What did they used to be used for?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52As you can see, the island is a very rocky and very hilly area
0:26:52 > 0:26:57and back in the olden days, if you like, they were used to carry peats,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02then they'd be taking the seaweed off the shore to use on their crops,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and maybe even taking hay home, that kind of thing.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08So islanders would have depended on them.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Oh, yes, definitely, yeah, yeah.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Donald John has had one new recent arrival,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and another foal is expected any time soon.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19So just explain who we've got here.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23- OK, this one here is Rosie.- Rosie.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- And she is the mother of this newborn foal.- Good-looking beasts.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- They are, yeah, yeah. - Are you happy with them?- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31So what's the foal called?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- We haven't named the foal yet, he's only a couple of weeks old.- OK.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- So yet to be named.- Yet to be named. - And who's this one here?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This one here is Molly. And, er...
0:27:40 > 0:27:44She's... We're expecting her to have a foal within the next...
0:27:44 > 0:27:46few days, I would say.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And this is her last year's foal, a young filly.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Very nice foal, very nice pony. - So you're happy with that one.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- Yeah, I am.- But these ones that you've got aren't purebreeds?
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- They aren't purebreed, no. - They aren't purebreeds?- No, no.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I mean, how many purebreeds to you think would be left on the island?
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- On this island?- Yes.- None. - None?- None.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09These ponies are so at home in this landscape.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I mean, bred precisely to cope with its island climate.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16We can only hope that their numbers recover. Can't we?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Over the last year, we've travelled from Dumfries and Galloway
0:28:23 > 0:28:26up to John O'Groats and almost everywhere in between.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28We're taking a wee break over the winter months
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and I appreciate I may never work again, given my outfit choice,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34but if you want to get in touch with us, do so via our Facebook page,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and if you've got any stories you'd like to see in the new series,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39then get in touch.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40That's all we have time for,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43but we wish you a very merry Christmas from all the Landward team,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and we will be back with a brand-new series in the new year.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- You need a bigger one. - Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas.