Episode 9 Landward

Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.

This week, I'm heading seaward - in fact, under the sea.

I've come to Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula

of the west coast to meet up with a man who's more used to being

behind the camera under water. But first, here's what else

is coming up on the programme.

We join a young doctor to discover the challenges

of a country practice.

I've had the car MOT'd

and I thought it was time I was getting a MOT myself.

Nick is putting venison on the menu in the food van.

I might have one myself.

And Euan's in the firing line as he discovers

some of Scotland's rarest wildlife.

-Wow!

-Oh, fantastic.

Look at that!

Doug Allan has long been a hero of mine.

He's one of the world's best-known wildlife cameramen,

and he's a fellow used to coming face-to-face

with some of the planet's most awe-inspiring species.

This is fantastic. She's out on the slopes.

Four! Four weeks we've been waiting to get this one opportunity.

But now that it's happening, it's just fantastic.

But today, Doug's going to show me you don't need

to go to the ends of the Earth -

there's plenty of wildlife to be found right here,

just off the Scottish coast.

I'm meeting him at Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula.

Doug, how are you? What kind of day is this?

-It's amazing!

-It's beautiful, isn't it? Yesterday was rubbish,

the forecast is bad for tomorrow, but today we're just perfect.

I'm just finishing off this...

This looks an amazing bit of kit.

Is this the sort of thing you would normally use in...?

Yeah, this is a broadcast camera. We've got a nice

wide-angle lens on the front, so I'm hoping to get you and the seals

-and things like that.

-The fact that you have been all round the world

-and filmed in all sorts of conditions...

-Aye.

..when you come back to Scotland,

are you still excited about what you hope to see?

Yeah, yeah. I love to see it. And especially...

I love getting close to big fish, big mammals, so seals in particular

are a big attraction of mine. And, you know,

when conditions are good, the diving in Scotland is as good

as anywhere in the world. It's a wonderful place to dive.

Doug grew up in Dunfermline, and even as a boy,

he was fascinated by wildlife.

I started snorkelling when I was 11 years old.

-I thought, "This is amazing. Amazing."

-Uh-huh.

And then, of course, Jacques Cousteau was on the television

and things... And the whole sort of adventure thing swept me along.

I went to university, did marine biology

and then got a job in the Antarctic. Got into photography at that point,

and then met David Attenborough with a film crew.

So, Doug, what are we actually going to do today?

Well, with a bit of luck I'm hoping we're going to go out in the boat,

find some seals, have a look at an old wreck.

The tide is such that we should be able to see quite

a lot of things underwater.

We get our gear on and head out.

As we cruise towards the dive site, Doug explains how

the chance encounter with David Attenborough set him off

on a new path.

Basically, after I met him I thought, "I want to be a wildlife film-maker."

The first actual job I had filming was...

When I came back from the Antarctic, I was offered the chance to go down

again, but this time to winter on a base that was near some

emperor penguins.

So I decided that I would buy myself a 16mm camera

and take some shots of emperor penguins through the winter.

That was the first thing that went on the box,

and that was way back in the mid-'80s.

What qualities do you have to have to be a wildlife cameraman?

I think you've just got to have a real

absolute urge, passion, determination

to come back with the pictures.

It's amazing how much patience you can have when you're being paid!

THEY CHUCKLE

Because that's your job. It's a pretty good rule of thumb

if you're planning...

If you give someone like me eight days in the field,

-I'll put a minute on the screen.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

What would you say is the... the best moment, the best shot,

-the best thing you've ever created?

-Oh, that's...

Well, I love spending time around big mammals,

so any time in the company with big whales, that's really exciting.

I did polar bears coming out of their den for Planet Earth.

That was a really special shoot because there were only

two of us who were allowed to go.

That was an immense privilege to go there and be given this

expanse of wilderness to look for bears.

On the other hand, you know, those killer whales washing

the seals off the ice floes that you saw in Frozen Planet -

that just... You know, there aren't many stories left in the world

that involve big, charismatic animals doing

something as spectacular as that, which no-one has seen before.

So that was a real big plus, to see that.

We may not see any polar bears or killer whales today,

but we will see some Scottish wildlife,

and I just cannot wait. Join Doug and me later in the programme,

when we take the plunge.

Now, from the water to the air.

Euan is also on the west coast, but he's bird-spotting.

And it could be more dangerous than he thinks.

GUN COCKS

DISTANT GUNSHOTS

Garelochhead in Argyle - this is the place where the military train.

Surprisingly, despite all the noise

and the activity, it's home to one of Scotland's rarest birds -

the hen harrier.

I'm here to meet Sergeant John Simpson.

-John.

-Hi, Euan, how are you?

It's his job to monitor and look after the wildlife

on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

And he's taking me on one of his regular visits

to a hen harrier nesting site.

Believed to be one of the most heavily-persecuted birds of prey

in the country, at the last count there were less

than 600 breeding pairs of hen harriers in Scotland.

We've got about five pairs here.

Five active territories here. And there's three sitting females.

That must be one of the...

-biggest concentrations in Scotland. Is it?

-It is.

In Central Scottish terms, this is the only population.

We've got troops all around us - this is a part of their

normal training regime.

This is enough of a deterrent for anybody who would have

designs on harriers, be it eggs or the birds themselves.

These training grounds overlook the nuclear submarine base at Faslane,

making it one of the most heavily defended areas in the country.

Well, as you can see, we are in the middle of a full-scale army exercise.

Our hen harrier is just a little bit beyond.

You cannot get better protection than the British Army.

Disturbing nests of protected birds like the hen harrier is illegal.

But John is licensed to carry out conservation work.

Right, we're quite close to the nest now, we're at a secret location.

We can see the submarine base down there, but we're

not going to give away exactly where we are.

So why are you coming to check it out?

Presumably this is a vulnerable time for them?

Very vulnerable. The weather that we've had has been extraordinary.

Probably the worst spring we've had in many years.

Most hen harrier sites that we've got are failing.

So we need to check this site to see just how it's doing.

So, we might actually find some bad news when we get round?

We could, we could. And...every nest check, your heart's pounding,

cos you just don't know what you're going to come into,

particularly with ground-nesting raptors and owls - there's so many things that can affect them.

-Just over that hill?

-Just over that hill.

-Exciting, isn't it?

As we approach the nest, we disturb the female hen harrier.

But that's the female, I presume, that's just flown off?

-Is that a good sign?

-That is a good sign.

If the nest had failed, she wouldn't have been here.

So I think we're in for a real surprise.

-And...

-It's not exactly accessible...

-Wow!

-Oh, fantastic.

-Look at that!

-Two freshly-hatched hen harrier chicks.

-Hatched today?

Hatched today. The one on the left, probably last night.

And this one here...on the right-hand side, freshly hatched.

-And three eggs still to go.

-How lucky are we?

I mean, when you look at them -

big head, massive eyes and a proper beak.

-I mean, you can tell that is a bird of prey right from the word go.

-Absolutely, that is a raptor chick.

CHICK TWEETS

It's an absolute joy to see, one of the rarest sights

in Central Scottish ornithology.

Cos not many people will have seen what we're seeing just now.

No, absolutely not.

Within about a fortnight to three weeks,

you can tell which chicks are male and which are female...

by the talon size, but also the colour of their eyes.

So we'll be able to come back in about two to three weeks' time

and we ring them and put a sat tag on them.

We'll be able to tell there's...

-There's the mum up there...

-There's the mum just keeping an eye on us.

-She's still unhappy.

So...you're that wee bit higher than me now, so you're

-in the firing line!

-I'd forgotten about that!

So, presumably, we need to get out of here pretty quickly?

We get out of here pretty quick. Now, as we said earlier on...

That's the most important thing here, so we leave them in peace.

The rarest sight in Scotland, the rarest sound in Scotland,

and we arrived here on the day they were born.

-John, you're a genius.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Let the mum come back.

-I'm glad you're impressed!

We've retired to a safe distance. The female's gone down,

so she's checking the chicks out, making sure they're safe.

The male's still up there - probably going to chase us off any minute now.

But it's just so exciting, so privileged to be out here

on this moorland, this extraordinary landscape

with the submarine base behind us, troops on the hills.

And seeing these chicks, you know - twice as rare as a golden eagle,

ten times rarer than an osprey.

No wonder I'm excited, it is fantastic.

We'll be keeping an eye on the progress of these chicks

and we'll let you know how they get on over the summer

via our Facebook page.

Now, to another rare species - the rural GP.

Recruiting doctors to practise in remote areas has become

so difficult that the Royal College of General Practitioners say

it's reached crisis point.

An NHS initiative is giving young doctors

a taste of life in the country,

in the hope they can be persuaded to relocate.

Dr Rachel Crawford is trying it out, and she's invited us

to Sutherland to follow her for the day.

Today, I'm in Brora Surgery. I'll start the surgery about

half past eight, starting with some emergency appointments.

It always varies. You never get two days that are the same.

Rachel's recently completed her

General Practice Speciality Training,

and was accepted for a NHS Rural Fellowship.

Her placement in Sutherland lasts for a year,

and the intention is for doctors like Rachel to gain experience

in the unique challenges that rural practice demands.

There's no rush-hour traffic to contend with

as she joins the three other doctors

at the Brora and Helmsdale Medical Practice.

Want to come through?

So, we'll start by going through some of the medicines that

-you're on, is that all right?

-Uh-hm, that's fine.

'Once at her desk, Rachel can deal with anything,

'from depression to drug overdose. But her first appointment today

'is a simple checkup.'

-You'll feel it going tight for a minute, OK?

-Yes.

'Rachel usually sees a dozen or so patients

'during her morning surgery.'

-OK, well, it's nice to see you.

-Thank you.

'And once that's over, it's time for home visits.'

-Bye-bye.

-'Simple enough in an urban practice,

'but with the surgery's 2,500 patients spread over a huge

'geographical area, finding them can be a problem.'

So, it's telling me to go up this way. But I actually know

that his house is a croft and it's by the sea.

'The rural location means that it can take some time for

'an ambulance to arrive in an emergency.

'So, Rachel may have to face

'situations beyond the experience of a regular urban GP.

'And for that, she needs to be prepared.'

This is my Sandpiper bag.

As a rural fellow, we get a sort of loan of the bag for the year,

because we're so far away from hospital.

It contains most of the emergency kit that we'd need

as a first responder to an accident or an unwell patient.

Hopefully, the bag won't be required this afternoon.

Rachel's visiting a patient in Doll. It's only a couple of miles

from Brora, but that doesn't make it any easier to find.

I don't think there's any rhyme nor reason to the numbers

on the houses here.

Cos they are all crofts.

We rely a lot on...

sort of office staff and local people to direct you in the right direction.

Send you in the right direction, anyway.

PHONE RINGS

Good afternoon, Brora Surgery...

Pull into the field?

Oh, right. So you have to actually walk over the railway?

It's going to be an adventure.

Up to the grate for a railway crossing...

There's a tractor...

Oh, I see a railway crossing there, actually.

I'll have to remember that for my way out of here,

cos I'm not sure!

As long as I can see the sea that way, I'll be able to find my way back

to the A9. Is that the railway crossing over there?

Yeah, that must be the way to his house.

There we go.

Oh, yeah, there's the crossing.

Rachel's patient is George Macbeath.

Your garden's looking very nice and neat.

'He's lived on this croft for 82 years.

'Like the rest of Scotland, Rachel's practice is having to deal

'with the increasing demands of an ageing population.'

We've discussed that I would come out and visit you,

just to do a general check over.

Cos you haven't been feeling your best recently, have you?

-You were feeling quite tired and...

-Yes, I felt off-colour, a bit.

I've had the car MOT'd

-and I thought it was time I was getting an MOT myself.

-Yes.

Nice deep breaths in and out, we'll have a listen at the back.

Yep, that sounds absolutely fine.

'All's well with George,

'but not all of Rachel's patients will be this straightforward.'

She's had the pre-hospital emergency care training

as part of the fellowship,

but it's still nerve-racking being the only one on emergency call,

hours from a major hospital.

If you got a call and someone said, "Chest pain,"

you could run into the surgery and get

the defibrillator and cardiac drugs.

Erm, so all the equipment is there.

But that doesn't...

For me, anyway, when I started, it didn't take away

the sort of anxiety of being the only one left to

treat the patient.

You become a lot more confident in your decision-making ability,

because you have to.

The challenge of a remote practice has been an enjoyable one

for Rachel, but the purpose of the fellowship is to encourage

new doctors to consider relocating to outlying areas.

So, has Rachel been seduced by the rural lifestyle?

I actually plan to stay in Brora and Helmsdale for at least another

six months after I finish the fellowship scheme.

And then after that I'm not entirely sure where I'll end up.

I do really like working in Sutherland,

so I really would be quite happy to work in the area

till I feel ready to settle down.

Well, staying in Sutherland for the long-term seems a possibility,

but whatever happens, I hope they buy her a sat nav.

Well, we're still on our way to the dive site, but next week

we'll be very firmly on dry land,

because the biggest event in the rural calendar is taking place -

the Royal Highland Show.

For the first time ever, we'll be broadcasting two live programmes,

capturing the best of what's on offer.

And as Sarah's been finding out,

preparations for the show are already well underway.

Regular viewers of Landward may not recognise this place -

in fact, I'm finding it a little weird, because this is Ingliston,

the site of the Royal Highland Show,

and for four days every June, this place is chock-a-block

with people and animals.

Shall we have a look around while it's quiet?

The Highland is the showcase for the best the Scottish countryside

has to offer. 170,000 people will descend on Ingliston

to see everything from livestock to lumberjacks.

Work is well underway on getting the place ready.

The Highland Hall here will be full of some of the country's

best livestock.

This will be the 175th Highland Show and the organisers have a few

special plans to celebrate the anniversary - and so does Landward.

But you'll have to watch both of our live programmes to find out

what they are.

It does feel odd being here when there's no-one around,

but I can assure you, this is definitely the calm before the storm,

because in a week's time, this place is going to be buzzing,

and we'll be here bringing you all the highlights.

But that will all be taking place next week.

'For now, I'm with wildlife cameraman Doug Allan.'

We've come to the Sound of Mull for a snorkelling adventure.

The water here is clearer than anywhere else in the UK,

and it's home to an abundant and diverse range

of marine wildlife.

We are hoping to see some.

Right, are you ready for this great adventure?

I'm going to follow Doug. Hopefully we're going to film

lots of wildlife, see wonderful things

and have a bit of fun along the way. Beautiful day, looks glorious.

But my goodness, that water looks freezing!

Doug joins two support divers in the water.

Then, it's my turn.

You'll know me, I've got the yellow snorkel.

Today, we're snorkelling rather than taking scuba-diving tanks,

so we have to resurface to breathe.

We're heading for HMS Dartmouth, a naval frigate that sunk in 1690.

I've done quite a bit of snorkelling before,

but I always love that moment when you first dive under the surface

and a completely different world is revealed.

My first encounter is with a purple jellyfish,

gracefully moving through the water.

There are three wrecks here, forming an artificial reef.

The whole place is covered in a thick forest of kelp.

This is a sign that the reef is in good health,

and it's home to a myriad of marine life.

Doug spots another jellyfish, this one with an entourage of small fish.

-Those jellyfish are amazing.

-Aye, they're nice, eh?

-There's lots of the purple ones.

-Yeah.

There's at least two kinds - did you notice the other one?

-Yeah, the one with the tentacles?

-Yeah.

This nearby rocky outcrop is home to a mixture of grey

and common seals. Doug's hoping to get some underwater shots of them.

We're surrounded by them, but they are camera-shy,

and stay just out of range.

A white-tailed sea eagle soars above, while cormorants look on.

But shots of the seals elude us.

And sadly, we don't have Doug's usual generous filming schedule.

-It's such a shame.

-They were right on the edge of visibility.

DOUGIE LAUGHS

-I could just see them and no more.

-So frustrating.

-About 20 to 30 feet away...

-Aye.

-You just couldn't see them very well. They just weren't in the mood.

-No, they weren't.

I don't know whether it was the changing tide, but...

maybe better luck some other time.

DOUGIE CHUCKLES

So, no seals, but it's been a privilege to explore this

amazing underwater world with Doug.

I am exhausted. Cup of tea time, I reckon, yes?

Do you honestly think that Scotland can compare to some

of the places in the world you've dived?

When the diving is at its best, when everything is cooperating,

I tell you...

Scotland can compare with anywhere. I really do believe that.

-Doug, it's been an adventure. I've absolutely adored today.

-That's great.

Brilliant fun. We should really do this again some time.

-I hope so. I'll take you up on that. Good man.

-Good man.

-Next week, maybe?

-You're on, take care.

THEY LAUGH

After all that exertion, I'm ready for something hearty to eat.

And Nick and the Landward food van might have just the thing.

These days, roe deer are everywhere.

The population has been steadily rising over the last decade,

and with no natural predators,

they are now the most common deer in Scotland.

This week, Nick's in Aberdeen to take up the challenge

to replace beef on the barbecue and create a tasty dish

using roe buck meat.

Then we'll give some lucky Aberdonians the chance to sample it.

Roe is a fabulous, fabulous product. It's very healthy,

-it's very lean.

-Yep.

-It's never out of season

so it's the bucks now in the summertime, the does in the wintertime.

And it is - if you've never tasted it before -

one of the most delicious meats you'll ever eat,

-just needs minimum cooking...

-Yeah.

So, we're going to make some little medallions on skewers,

-like lollipops.

-Hm.

-And I would like you to cut the medallions.

If we cut this in half - if you just look at the texture of the small...

-Fantastic.

-If you try and get them all the same thickness...

-Uh-huh.

-..so they cook at the same speed.

Whilst Chef Vipond is cutting the medallions of roe,

I'm going to come up with a sauce to go with it.

A very simple sauce. Cumberland sauce. I've got a pan on here,

I've got some port - little bit of port into the pan.

I'll let that reduce down.

To that I'm going to add some redcurrant jelly...

In it goes.

Orange juice and orange zest. We're going to flavour it with

a little bit of cinnamon stick.

Thank you very much. And in with the orange juice as well.

Finally, a little squeeze of English mustard. In it goes.

Whisk the whole thing together and I'm going to simmer that

for about ten minutes or so,

until it's reduced down and really nice and thick.

-So, how's that, Chef?

-Very good, nice cutting.

-I'm actually vaguely impressed.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Don't be. So this is obviously

the venison we're going to be cooking today, and this is roe.

Does it taste different from red deer?

Roe is slightly milder. Very, very tender, especially the loin.

I don't think people will be able to tell the difference

-between this and maybe, say, beef or even lamb.

-Really?

So what we need to do now is season them.

-Look how tender that meat is.

-It is stunning.

-Beautiful texture.

So, onto here...

Little bit of oil - just ordinary veg oil, don't want anything too strong.

And a bit of salt.

-And fairly generous with the pepper.

-Uh-huh.

I like pepper on venison. Turn them over.

Do the same on this side as well. Lovely. Pepper.

Beautiful work, Chef Vipond.

Have you ever worked in an Italian restaurant?

So, a little bit of oil on the hotplate.

Nice wee sizzle. On we go.

So we use oil for heat and butter for colour and flavour.

Just gives it a little glaze on the outside.

A little bit of colour on the outside. Oh!

Yes, yes, yes!

When you see the juice starting to come to the top,

it's time to flip them.

Lots of barbecues these days have hotplates as well.

I take it this is something you can do there?

Absolutely. In fact, you could put these straight on the barbecue.

-Oh, right.

-These would be fantastic barbecued.

In fact, venison is a really good barbecue alternative

-for the summertime.

-Yeah.

And super healthy, because there's not a lot of fat content.

Very, very lean. In fact, we're going to have to take these off

fairly soon, cos we don't want to overcook them.

Nice bit of colour on the outside, that caramelisation.

-Loving this.

-Smells so nice, doesn't it? Really, really great.

-A little bit more colour on there. You don't want them too hot.

-Yeah.

You want to let them sit and relax until they're almost...warm.

So you get the best flavour from them and the best texture.

Just going to take the cocktail sticks...

pop them in the venison. OK. And then people can just pick them up,

-dip them in the Cumberland sauce, down the hatch we go.

-Lollipops.

And they will soon be good to take to the good citizens of Aberdeen.

However, I think we should be first to go.

I think we should have a taste, definitely.

Oh, my goodness me.

Oh, the meat is so succulent. My goodness!

And that Cumberland sauce just sets them off beautifully.

-Mm!

-Very, very mild flavour, huh?

I know that's venison...

I don't know if these guys will.

It's still delicate, but it's great.

-Delicate is a really good word to describe the flavour of roe.

-Hm.

-Shall we get this out?

-No, let's eat it all ourselves.

NICK LAUGHS

Would you like to try one of my little medallions of roe venison?

-Tell me what you think.

-So tender, it's amazing.

Don't get it on that lovely coat.

Superb.

-Excellent.

-Mm.

-Do you like that? Would you know what that is?

-I do, cos I saw it on the side!

-We wrote it up on the side,

-so it's kind of giving it away.

-I've never had venison.

-Very, very tender. Lovely.

-Would you have known that was venison?

-No, I would have said that was just beef.

-Beef, yeah?

-A really nice beef.

-I might have one myself.

-It's so soft.

Have a wee bite, tell me what it is.

-Beef.

-That's really nice.

-Yeah?

-That sauce is delicious.

-Oh!

-Need a bit more ginger.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-It's the first time I've had it, it's really nice, though.

Would you choose that over beef fillet?

I would, yeah. If it's cooked as good as good as this, yeah!

-NICK LAUGHS

-If it's cooked as good as this, any day, yeah.

-Doug?

-Yes.

-How were the good citizens of Aberdeen with your roe venison?

Well, look at the plate, I think it tells you all.

-Tells the story - clean.

-Incredibly popular. People were loving it.

A few people thought it might be beef,

cos they obviously hadn't read what we'd written on there,

but, no, amazingly successful.

When you think this is a sustainable meat,

-It's in season all year round...

-Yeah.

-..it's very lean, healthy.

Why don't we have more of it in the shops?

In the meantime, before we get blown away, Nick...

-It's, er, goodbye from me.

-And goodbye from me. See you. Bye.