0:00:01 > 0:00:04We've been away for three long months, but now Landward is back
0:00:04 > 0:00:08to brighten your Friday nights all the way through till Christmas.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Hello and a very warm welcome to a brand-new series of Landward.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34I'm in the northern edge of the Cairngorm National Park,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38where later in the programme I'm going to be given unique access
0:00:38 > 0:00:41to the nest site of the rare and very beautiful hen harrier,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44but first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48We test the mood of farmers three months after the Brexit vote.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52It's going to be very, very difficult and I really don't think
0:00:52 > 0:00:55that Westminster know what they've got themselves in for.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58We meet one of Scotland's newest species.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03So these newts right here in our hands are genetically unique?
0:01:03 > 0:01:04They are, yes.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And Nick and I set off on a food van odyssey
0:01:08 > 0:01:11to some of the west's most scenic locations.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Today, our culinary location is sun-kissed Oban.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16A bit breezy, though, Nick. It is indeed.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23But first, we need something to cook.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29We all know that the pristine waters of the west coast of Scotland
0:01:29 > 0:01:33are home to some of the greatest shellfish in the world,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35lobster, crab and langoustine.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Chefs across Europe pay a small fortune
0:01:38 > 0:01:41to get hold of the fruits of our seas.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47But there is one species of shellfish that doesn't get
0:01:47 > 0:01:48the credit it deserves.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It's called squat lobster,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54renowned as the tastiest of all shellfish, yet paradoxically,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58there's no commercial fishery and for people like me who love it,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00it's pretty difficult to get hold of.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02But why?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06I've come to Loch Fyne to meet a man
0:02:06 > 0:02:09who should have the answer to my question.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Alistair, how are you doing? Morning, Dougie, good to see you.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Good to see you too. Can I come on? Welcome aboard. Thank you very much.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Alistair Sinclair is the chairman
0:02:16 > 0:02:19of the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21He fishes for langoustine out of Furness,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24on the upper stretches of Loch Fyne.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28We're heading out to see if we can catch some squat lobsters,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31but first, what exactly is a squat lobster?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35This is a langoustine, part of the prawn family.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38This here is a squat lobster,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40but not part of the lobster family.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It's more closely related to crab,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45but the meat on the back here at the tail
0:02:45 > 0:02:48is some of the sweetest you'll ever taste.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Delicious.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53So they're not really lobster after all.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57All the same, Alistair thinks we should be making more of them.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59When you go to a restaurant,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02you don't often see them on the menu - why is that?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Basically, because they've never been properly marketed.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08We don't have fishmongers displaying their goods as we used to have
0:03:08 > 0:03:11on the high street nowadays, which is an awful shame.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And the fact that they're such a footery food to eat -
0:03:14 > 0:03:17the tail is so small
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and whenever you look at the size of the beast
0:03:20 > 0:03:23compared to what you get in return for eating,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25it maybe doesn't seem economical, but if you buy tails,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28it's far tastier than a langoustine.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Put it into a big bowl, sit it on the table like a bowl of mussels,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and it becomes a finger food and everybody's...
0:03:34 > 0:03:37enthusing about it whilst they have their slurp of wine.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40That's the kind of food it could become. Are they tough to catch?
0:03:40 > 0:03:45No, you generally catch them whenever you don't want them.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The squat lobster live on patches of rocky ground on the seabed
0:03:48 > 0:03:51amongst the more muddy langoustine fishing grounds.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54They end up as by-catch in Alistair's creels.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58So a few more squat lobsters in this haul? Yeah.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Squatty Central, as some would say. Squatty Central?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Why do you think there is not really
0:04:06 > 0:04:09a commercial operation for squatties, then?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Many people...
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I think with eating,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17people look at the animal and don't think of the meat.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20They go, "Oh, my God, that looks terrible, doesn't it?"
0:04:20 > 0:04:22If you look at the armour on these things,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24it's absolutely awesome, you know? Uh-huh.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I've known fishermen to be poisoned with this needle. Right.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It turns septic very quick. I won't be picking them up, then.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35How much demand is there from restaurants and chefs
0:04:35 > 0:04:38from your point of view for squat lobsters?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The demand is now picking up to the extent that it might be
0:04:42 > 0:04:44a viable fishery. Really?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Yep, and if it becomes a viable fishery for the creel fishermen,
0:04:47 > 0:04:48that can only be good.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Well, I can't guarantee that squat lobsters will become
0:05:01 > 0:05:03a regular part of our diet,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06but I do know a chef who's going to be very happy when I deliver
0:05:06 > 0:05:09this bucket of beauties to him later in the programme.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Join Nick and I on our summer food tour of the west coast.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Now, from the fruits of the sea to the labours of the land.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23It's the tail end of this year's harvest,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25but the big news for farmers this summer
0:05:25 > 0:05:29has been the decision to leave the European Union.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32We sent Sarah to the fields of Scotland to gauge the mood
0:05:32 > 0:05:34three months after the Brexit vote.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38The result left many Scottish farmers stunned.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43Last year, the EU delivered three quarters of Scottish farming income.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Now, subsidies could potentially disappear.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Well, as this year's harvest comes to an end,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I want to find out what some farmers are feeling.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Andrew Moir, who farms at Arbuthnott in Aberdeenshire,
0:05:57 > 0:06:02was one of many farming leaders to voice concerns about leaving Europe.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07Today, he's busy harvesting some wheat on prime arable land.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09That is a glorious view, isn't it?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Straight down there, all ready for you.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14All ready to take down with the big scythe, yeah.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Overall, how has the harvest been this year?
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Since the Brexit announcement,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24prices actually went up, but in the last week, ten days,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26they've gone right back to where they were.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Of course, we haven't seen Brexit yet.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30It was just the thought of Brexit.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33It's interesting to hear what you say, because three months on
0:06:33 > 0:06:36from the Brexit vote, and you did vote against leaving...
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I did. ..you sort of warned of the consequences,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41so on reflection, how do you feel now?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Well, we are where we are.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Farmers are pragmatic people.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50That is the decision of the people, so I'm happy to try what I can
0:06:50 > 0:06:52to make the best of a bad job.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54But the fallout's still to come, in my opinion.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Do you feel reassured by the government's statements
0:06:59 > 0:07:01of continued financial support?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It's very nice in the short term and we thank them for that,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08but we need to know what actually is going to happen for the future.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10We need to be going back to basics,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13back to realising that we are producing food
0:07:13 > 0:07:16and we need to produce good-quality good and that comes at a price.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19At the moment, the marketplace doesn't give us that price,
0:07:19 > 0:07:20so we do need a little help.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25And that "little help" is one of the biggest concerns.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Andrew's farm is on prime agricultural land,
0:07:29 > 0:07:34but 85% of Scotland's farmland falls into an EU category
0:07:34 > 0:07:37known as a "less-favoured area".
0:07:37 > 0:07:41It's considered to be marginal ground where it would be impossible
0:07:41 > 0:07:44to make a living without subsidy.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Angus.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Hi, Sarah. Good morning, how are you doing?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Not too bad. So it's a no-go today?
0:07:49 > 0:07:50It is.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I don't usually combine in my oil skins,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54so it's definitely a no-go today.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It's been a wet night and a wet day today.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Angus McCall farms further north here in Sutherland.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06The weather's not on his side today, but that's not his only worry.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09You've recently bought your farm out of a tenancy. Yep.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12A massive investment and how are you feeling
0:08:12 > 0:08:15about the future at the moment? Nervous.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17I think the uncertainties of the markets and Brexit
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and all the rest of it, it's quite nerve-racking.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23What was your initial reaction, post-Brexit?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Um, absolute surprise and horror.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I think I never expected that would happen.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32And three months on, how do you feel?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35We have to manage it. It's not going to be very easy.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38If we lose the single market, I think it could be very disastrous.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40And what do you think about the new statement
0:08:40 > 0:08:43from the Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Andrea Leadsom, when she said perhaps people
0:08:45 > 0:08:47with big fields will keep the sheep
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and those with the hills, like yourself, will have the butterflies?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Well, I've a degree of scepticism about the competency
0:08:54 > 0:08:57of the ministers in charge of Brexit.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59I don't know that they really understand
0:08:59 > 0:09:00what they've got themselves into
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and I certainly don't think that the Defra Secretary has...
0:09:03 > 0:09:05I don't know if she's been to Scotland,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07but I don't think she appreciates just what it's like
0:09:07 > 0:09:09to farm up in the hills and glens.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16So in spite of pledges from both the Scottish and UK governments
0:09:16 > 0:09:19of continued financial support for farmers,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I'm sensing a lot of scepticism from the grain growers.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27But what about livestock farmers in upland areas?
0:09:27 > 0:09:3240% of Scottish lamb and mutton currently goes to Europe,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34a big slice of the shepherd's pie.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38This is probably the better end of our farm here.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40We're 800 feet here and we go to 2,500 feet.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Shall we go and have a wee look at the sheep? Yep, no problem.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Martin Kennedy farms here on the outskirts of Aberfeldy.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51He's also chairman of - quite a mouthful -
0:09:51 > 0:09:54the National Farmers' Union Scotland,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Less Favoured Areas Committee.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58So, Martin, after the shock of the result,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00there's been a sort of summer of silence.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Yes, I think it's a case of really sort of taking stock
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and trying to find a direction,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09but finding a direction is going to be extremely difficult,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13but, again, we've got to be positive, we've got a great product,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Scottish products, whether it be cereals, beef, lamb,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19everything in the supermarket shelf.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Whether it's crop standards or meat standards,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26it's arguably the best standards in the world
0:10:26 > 0:10:29for consumers to be guaranteed of that food security.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34What could you say to allay the fears of farmers who are worried
0:10:34 > 0:10:38that their income is going to all but disappear?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Well, it's very difficult to allay the fears,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43because we don't know, there is so many uncertainties there,
0:10:43 > 0:10:48but all I can say is we need to keep this positive story
0:10:48 > 0:10:51for Scottish agriculture
0:10:51 > 0:10:53with both governments, the Scottish government and the UK government,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56to let them understand that the whole of the rural economy,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59the whole of the country, is based on agriculture. We get...
0:10:59 > 0:11:02We're talking about the environment all the time and we seem to be
0:11:02 > 0:11:04talking about the environment more and more.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09When you just look round here, the only reason that environment's here
0:11:09 > 0:11:12is because of the way it's been farmed over generations.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It seems like most Scottish farmers have concerns
0:11:16 > 0:11:20about the future of farming after we leave the EU.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23They're pinning their hopes on the quality of the food they produce
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and reckoning they still have an important role to play
0:11:26 > 0:11:29in feeding the nation and managing the countryside.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36But farming is just one aspect of our complex rural life
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and this summer, Scotland's moorlands became a battleground,
0:11:40 > 0:11:41as Dougie's been finding out.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Longstanding tensions between landowners and conservationists
0:11:49 > 0:11:54flared up again when tagged adult birds of prey went missing.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The disappearances led to a clash between estates
0:11:57 > 0:11:58and conservationists.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But for some birds of prey,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04the battle for survival begins much earlier in life.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Very few hen harrier chicks make it to maturity.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Now, a unique project is hoping to find out why
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and it's actually bringing land managers
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and conservationists together.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And here we are. Yes, indeed.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25So, yes, the young have already fledged. Uh-huh.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28The nest is completely abandoned.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Hen harriers always build their nests on the ground.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36This project involves placing hidden cameras at harrier nest sites
0:12:36 > 0:12:39to find out what threats the nestlings face.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Brian Etheridge has worked for RSPB for 30 years.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Why do you think numbers are so low?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Unfortunately, I find in most cases
0:12:48 > 0:12:51the form of land management is the problem.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Uh-huh. Which is mainly driven grouse moors.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So they can breed in a location like this,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01where there's no grouse management at all,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04they can breed safely and produce decent broods,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08but if they try and nest on adjacent grouse moors,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11then for some reason the nest fails
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and the nest is often abandoned
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and we just don't know what's happening,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18but this relationship between their nests failing
0:13:18 > 0:13:21and the form of land management is quite striking.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But many landowners say they do try to provide
0:13:26 > 0:13:28a safe haven for wildlife.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30..try and keep it small and by doing that,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32it means you've got a firebreak...
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Tim Baynes is a spokesman for Scottish Land Estates,
0:13:35 > 0:13:41the body that represents much of the country's grouse shooting moorland.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44How frustrating is it for you that you always seems to be painted
0:13:44 > 0:13:45as the bad guys?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I know, it is really, really frustrating
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and I think that moorland owners get quite angry,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53because they are out there every day,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56they're the ones taking responsibility for balancing
0:13:56 > 0:14:00all the different things they have to do in managing a bit of moorland
0:14:00 > 0:14:05and they're producing... One estate has got 81 different bird species,
0:14:05 > 0:14:06including birds of prey.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And landowners have been increasingly enthusiastic
0:14:11 > 0:14:13about this hen harrier project.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Last year, we had five estates, so it was a bit of a slow start,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20but we now have 13 estates who have done it this year,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23because they can see the sense in it
0:14:23 > 0:14:27and they want to have hen harriers
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and they want to demonstrate that they're doing that
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and they want to find out why the nests fail.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37And we might be about to get some answers.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's the end of the breeding season
0:14:40 > 0:14:43and the nest cameras are coming down.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Hi, Dougie, how are you doing? Very well. Good to see you.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Do you want to come down to my office? Let's do that.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'The camera images end up here with Andy Turner.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:56This is handy, having your office at the bottom of the garden, isn't it?
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Yes. Fantastic.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Andy is the project manager for Scottish Natural Heritage.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03He's showing me pictures from two sites.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Initially, there are five chicks on the nest.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10The female is protecting the young birds,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13trying to shelter them. The chicks are just underneath her here.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18The camera records the temperature and it's particularly cold
0:15:18 > 0:15:21at this stage, on the 16th of June.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The female's looking really bedraggled,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28trying to shelter the chicks from the wet and the wind.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30As we move further on,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32you'll see the temperature really goes up.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I'm not quite sure how accurate it is,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37but it certainly shows that it's in the mid-30s
0:15:37 > 0:15:41and that temperature variation, fluctuation in temperature,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43it really has a big impact on the chicks.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Over the course of this period,
0:15:44 > 0:15:50we find that only one of the original five birds survives,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54purely due to exposure to extreme temperature ranges.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57At another site down in the south of Scotland,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59you can see the chicks are on the nest,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03they're just relaxing there and over the next couple of shots...
0:16:03 > 0:16:04A fox!
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Yep. My goodness, look at that. Look at the reaction of the chicks.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11A really, really aggressive, feisty reaction.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16In comes the fox to try and take its lunch,
0:16:16 > 0:16:23but you can see it's driven off very aggressively by the remaining birds.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Unfortunately, we learn later on that in this case,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31the chick was nipped by the fox and it was found dead outwith the nest.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33As you can see from this example,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36the fox attack has resulted in the loss of a harrier
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and from that point of view,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42the involvement of land managers in carrying out fox control
0:16:42 > 0:16:46is critical for the survival of hen harriers in some areas,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49so we need to work with land managers more and more
0:16:49 > 0:16:51across the whole of Scotland to try
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and increase the hen harrier population.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55It's only through projects like this
0:16:55 > 0:16:57and by getting everyone on board that we can do that.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03So the partnership between landowners and conservation agencies
0:17:03 > 0:17:07has revealed some of the many challenges facing birds of prey,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11but this collaboration might also hold the key to their future.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And now from the uplands to the coast.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Over the summer, we asked you to tell us on our Facebook page
0:17:27 > 0:17:29your favourite beach in Scotland.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Today, we're at one nominated by Neil Strachan from Aberdeen
0:17:32 > 0:17:34and John Simon from Dunblane.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37We're just south of Montrose. We're at Lunan Bay.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The bay is framed by cliffs in the north and cliffs in the south
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and has a half-moon shape, hence, some say, the name Lunan,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52after "la luna", the moon.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Standing majestic over the beach is Red Castle,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03built back in the 12th century for King William the Lion of Scotland
0:18:03 > 0:18:06to protect this place from Viking invaders.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The beach is a great place to find buried treasure,
0:18:12 > 0:18:13agates and gemstones,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17and the best time to find them is just after a storm.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Be careful where you look, though -
0:18:18 > 0:18:20you could have wet feet,
0:18:20 > 0:18:21like I have. Ooh-ya!
0:18:25 > 0:18:29After a bracing walk on the beach, a wee cup of tea and a scone
0:18:29 > 0:18:32is a fine thing and the Lunan Bay Diner provides both
0:18:32 > 0:18:33and both are glorious.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38Splodge.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42We want you to keep telling us which beach
0:18:42 > 0:18:45you think is the best in Scotland.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You can do so on the Landward Facebook page, or e-mail...
0:18:52 > 0:18:55..and we may feature your suggestions on the programme.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Now, we often hear about species in decline
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and loss of biodiversity,
0:19:04 > 0:19:09so it's great when wildlife appears in unexpected places.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Sarah's been to the Black Isle,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13where a totally new species has been found.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Back in 2007, here in the Black Isle, an 11-year-old boy was out
0:19:25 > 0:19:28for a nature walk when something caught his eye.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33He looked at it, it looked at him.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36A chance encounter, but a significant find
0:19:36 > 0:19:39which led to a scientific breakthrough.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The boy had found a great crested newt.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48It's a threatened species across Europe
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and for ecologist David O'Brien,
0:19:50 > 0:19:55finding one in this pond was particularly exciting.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Up to that point, we thought great crested newts
0:19:57 > 0:19:59were probably introduced to the Highlands.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03There were only a few sites, they were all next to houses or schools.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06But finding one right out here - in beautiful countryside,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09but it is kind of the middle of nowhere -
0:20:09 > 0:20:11made us start thinking maybe they're native after all.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So it was a fairly significant find?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15That's an understatement.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20It led to a complete rethinking of great crested newt distribution
0:20:20 > 0:20:23in Scotland, in Britain. How easy are they to spot?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Not easy at all.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I can come to a pond like this
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and not find them in a whole evening's study,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33but I was out last night and I do have two that I have taken out.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Great! Can we have a look? Of course.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39We've got a male and a female.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41You've got the male there. I've got the male.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43How can you tell, sorry?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47If you look along his back, you can see the faint trace of a crest,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50but you also see a white-silver streak
0:20:50 > 0:20:52along the side of his tail. Right.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55And if I take him and turn him over,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58which he's not going to like, particularly,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02you can see this black bulge. Wow, yep.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04So that tells you it's a male.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And this colouring on the bottom, this vibrant orange.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09That's a warning colour.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11That's a warning colour to predators that might want to eat him.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14He's harmless to you or I, but if you took a bite out of him,
0:21:14 > 0:21:15it probably wouldn't do you any good.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19OK, so who have you got there? I've got a female,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21which again has that stippling.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Doesn't have the white stripe on the tail and, again,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28if you look underneath her, whereas your male, the vent there was black,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31here it's the same orange as the rest of the underside.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Also, it's got this lovely orange stripe down the base of the tail.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Now, we're handling them, of course, but you need a licence to do that.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39The reason we have a licence
0:21:39 > 0:21:43is because this is part of a study project looking at these animals.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Is this an ideal newt habitat?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48It is. That was quite surprising,
0:21:48 > 0:21:49because it's very different
0:21:49 > 0:21:51from what would be considered ideal newt habitat
0:21:51 > 0:21:53elsewhere in the range, in the south of Scotland or in England.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56They're much more of a deciduous woodland species,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58whereas here, as you can see, it's birch, it's pine,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and the sphagnum, which we're sinking into.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Yep, it's very spongy.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04So it's an unusual habitat and this is one of the first things
0:22:04 > 0:22:06that made us think maybe our newts are different.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11So these newts right here in our hands are genetically unique.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12They are, yes.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17So this is an incredibly rare Black Isle great crested newt.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Say hello to Landward viewers.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Right. Time to let him go.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29OK, so just tell me what to do. Yep.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Just get down nice and low in case he drops off
0:22:31 > 0:22:32and gently lower him into the water.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Mm-hm. And he should just swim off.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39There he goes! Free at last.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Ah, back to where he belongs.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Now, earlier in the programme, I was on Loch Fyne,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53catching squat lobster.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Now, I'm taking them to meet up with our resident chef Nick Nairn.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00We're starting a culinary tour of the west coast
0:23:00 > 0:23:02in our all-new Landward food van.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05And season them with salt and pepper.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Over the course of this series, we'll be in Bridge of Orchy,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Ganavan and Luss.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16But today, we're starting off in a stunning fishing port.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Today, our culinary location is sun-kissed Oban.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25A bit breezy, though, Nick.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It is indeed and in fact we've had to fashion some windscreens
0:23:28 > 0:23:31to get the heat into our little stoves
0:23:31 > 0:23:33so we can cook squat lobsters.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Squatties are amazing - when I started cooking, these were free.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39The fishermen used to either just chuck them back
0:23:39 > 0:23:42or use them for bait, but now we know they have
0:23:42 > 0:23:45this delicious little nugget of meat in the tail,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47possibly, some people say, nicer than langoustines.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So the tails are the thing. I've got the tails here,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53so we're just going to blanche them in boiling, salted water
0:23:53 > 0:23:56for 20 seconds. You don't want to overcook them, really important.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Are they a bit like prawns in that they'll go really rubbery
0:23:59 > 0:24:01if you overcook them? Same kind of idea? Absolutely.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04You'll lose the succulence. That's it, that's all you need. Done?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Just in and back out again
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and put them on a tray, rather than a bowl,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11because it lets them cool down much faster.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13So what I'm going to suggest is I'll show you how to...
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Oh, that's a wee langoustine.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16NICK CHUCKLES
0:24:16 > 0:24:20What I'll show you how to do is how to shell them,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23so thumbs in here, on either side,
0:24:23 > 0:24:25peel them apart. Oops. Peel this bit away.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Hold on to that
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and then just give it a wee wriggle
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and it comes out like so.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34OK? You put that on there. Right.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36So that's one done.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39A few more. What's Gaelic for "haunless"?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41NICK CHUCKLES
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Try and not squish them as well.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46OK. There you go.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48NICK APPLAUDS
0:24:48 > 0:24:51That's one in 34 seconds. Only another 20 or 30 to do.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So while I get frustrated shelling,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Nick's going to finely chop some garlic and parsley.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Good work. Good work, my friend. Thank you.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10So next bit is very simple. We're just going to take some butter.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11A little pat in here.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14A fair amount of butter. A fair amount of butter, yes.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18You might be right, I might be a wee bit OTT on the butter.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20So, going to melt a bit of butter in the pan.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23In with the garlic, a fair old pile of garlic as well.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28We're just going to soften the garlic down in the butter.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32A bit of chopped parsley. Squatties, in they go.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37And they really just need to be warmed through...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40..in the garlic butter
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and you'll see that they just absorb it.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44In it goes there and then, of course, to finish it off,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47a little bit of lemon juice over the top,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50a little bit of seasoning, a bit of salt.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52A bit of freshly ground black pepper.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53Ha-ha-ha!
0:25:54 > 0:25:57There we go, that's it, job's done.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00As simple as that? It is as simple as that. I want you to taste one.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01OK, happily, very happily. OK.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07My goodness!
0:26:07 > 0:26:10How good is that? That is sensational.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It really is, that is world-class, Michelin-star,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16out-the-ballpark brilliant.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, we love them, but let's see what the good citizens of Oban
0:26:19 > 0:26:22make of squatties in garlic butter.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24So plate 'em up and we'll feed 'em.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Do you know what these little guys are? What are they?
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Um, well, do you want to taste?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Absolutely excellent. Uh-huh. Mmm.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Actually that's really good. You like it? Yes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Squat lobsters. Are they indeed?
0:26:38 > 0:26:39Yeah. I wouldn't have believed that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41They're very, very good indeed.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Mmm, delicious!
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I can taste the garlic and the lemon and everything
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and it just all works really well together, it's really good.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I would say it's overpowered by the garlic butter... NICK GROANS LOUDLY
0:26:51 > 0:26:53..being perfectly honest!
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Overpowered? By the garlic butter?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00They are nice, they are really, really nice. I would buy them.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Oh, they are exquisite. I don't know what the are, but... Squat lobsters.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Are they? Squatties, little squat lobsters, yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Oh, very good.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Do you like the garlic?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I don't know whether he'd like the garlic tonight, but, yeah,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14the garlic is tremendous.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15How was the garlic in that?
0:27:15 > 0:27:19The garlic was fantastic. NICK LAUGHS LOUDLY
0:27:19 > 0:27:20That's the right answer.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Everybody who had a taste of that absolutely adored it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28I had one chap who thought the garlic
0:27:28 > 0:27:30was maybe a little heavy-handed.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I disagree. I think that was a triumph. Yeah, I agree.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35If you've never tasted squat lobsters before,
0:27:35 > 0:27:36try and taste them, they're lovely.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39But get someone else to shell them, because that is a footery thing.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42That's all that we have time for on this week's programme.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Here's what's coming up next time around.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We meet the sheep with a taste for the sea.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50So they follow the tide as it goes out and graze out there?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Pretty much, yeah.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Sarah takes a tour of the smallest community buyout in Scotland.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Yeah, this is the lantern area.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Wow. Modern lantern now. What a view.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Amazing. Quite amazing, isn't it?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And we reveal the results of a major new report
0:28:06 > 0:28:08on the state of our nature.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11In a typical ravine, you'd have the same number of species
0:28:11 > 0:28:14as you would in a tropical rainforest. Really? As many as that?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16That's how species-rich it is.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20So join us again next Friday, 7:30pm, BBC One Scotland.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22In the meantime, from all the Landward team here in Oban,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24thank you so much for your company.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Bye for now. Goodbye.