Episode 14 Landward

If you love the beauty of Scotland as much as I do,

then the next 30 minutes will certainly rock your boat.

It's Landward time.

Hello, and a very warm welcome to the programme.

I'm currently in Pittenweem in Fife, but in a busy half-hour

we're going to be crisscrossing the country.

In a moment, Euan's going to be asking whether we need

more National Parks in Scotland, but first,

here's where the rest of us are going to be.

I relive a humiliating experience on Elie beach...

Disappointing.

..Euan tries to frighten some police horses...

I'm not sure who's more nervous, them or me.

..and Sarah's not sure of the etiquette at a Buddhist temple.

I don't know why I'm whispering.

I haven't been told to whisper, but I just feel like I should whisper.

But first,

Scotland currently has two National Parks -

Cairngorm and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

Some people believe we should have more,

so we wanted to know why.

Euan's been looking into what benefits Parks bring

to the communities that live within them.

Earlier this year,

I was lucky enough to travel to the United States,

to make a series of radio programmes celebrating the centennial

of their National Park Service.

Famously, the pioneer of the US National Park system

was Scottish-born John Muir.

The American set-up, though, is very different from ours.

When the Parks were first formed,

the US Government sent in the cavalry

and the land was cleared of sheep, shepherds and farmers,

and the parks effectively became frozen in time.

There's no farming, there's no forestry,

there's no development, and nobody's allowed to live in the Parks.

And it made me think how different the Parks are in the land of

John Muir's birth, where there is forestry, there is farming

and economic development is positively encouraged.

And some people think having more Parks in Scotland

could boost the rural economy.

-Alex.

-Euan, good morning, how are you?

So, where are we going?

Well, I thought we'd head up to the top of the hill,

there's a trig point above the top of this small hill behind my house,

and usually a beautiful view at the top of it.

On a good day, it's a fantastic view.

On a good day, it's just truly wonderful.

It's going to look lovely.

Sir Alex Fergusson, former Conservative MSP,

is the President of the Scottish Campaign for National Parks.

The Campaign is calling for seven new National Parks

to be established, including one here in Galloway.

So, Dumfries and Galloway.

It's beautiful. It's lovely.

You've got these rolling green hills.

But why would you want to make it into a National Park?

Well, I think I'd almost answer that by saying, "Why wouldn't you?"

It's got...

As long ago as 1945, it was identified

as being eminently suitable for consideration as a National Park.

We now have Scotland's first biosphere,

we have the Dark Sky Park,

and we have all of these different designations.

And it is becoming more and more apparent that sort of

full National Park status is the logical step to take.

But there's an awful lot of negative things, Sir Alex.

I mean, you... In many respects, it could be seen as

a planning authority that would restrict people,

would restrict folk that are living and working here at the moment.

And perhaps stifle business development.

Well, I think the evidence is the exact opposite of that.

If you look at National Parks in the UK and in the wider world,

I don't think that is the case.

They can be stifling, but they don't have to be.

And the beauty of Scottish legislation,

and I think this is unique in the world, is that one of the main aims

of the National Park is to encourage sustainable economic development.

Now, that's the very opposite of stifling.

As well as Galloway, the campaign group

suggests six other National Parks,

ranging from the Cheviots in the Borders

to a coastal and marine park based round Mull, Coll and Tiree.

They say the designation would draw people

to some of Scotland's hidden gems.

Do you not really want to keep it a secret? Because I...

I feel National Park designation would inevitably

bring more people into the area.

Nobody, I don't think, who's involved in tourism

or economic regeneration in this part of Scotland

would say that we have too many people.

We don't. There is room for many, many more.

Because, as I've long argued,

the M74 acts as a southwest-of-Scotland bypass.

Sir Alex makes his arguments eloquently,

but they don't seem to have convinced the Scottish Government.

It says that Scotland's existing National Parks are two of

our greatest assets, but the cost of establishing more is a key concern.

What I would say to the Scottish Government,

if they say they can't afford it,

is if you're really serious about rural regeneration

in some of the less accessible areas of Scotland,

can we actually afford not to look at this?

I've often thought that the first two National Parks,

if we look upon them as the mother and father

of Scotland's National Parks, well, it's time they started

having a family, and this would be a good place to start.

Alex has to head down to a meeting in town,

but it gives me the chance to enjoy the view.

I must admit, when I was driving down here and thinking

about Galloway's aspirations to become a National Park,

I was sceptical.

My image of a National Park is wilderness, rolling countryside

where you can walk and see nature and wildlife and enjoy it.

And then I look around me here,

and that's exactly what they've got.

Personally, I wish them well.

Now, as well as being passionate about our landscape, we're also

great supporters of Scottish food and the people who produce it.

But some methods of food production are not universally popular.

Veal, the meat of calves, is controversial.

Many people associate veal with calves being reared in tiny crates,

their movement and feed restricted to keep their meat soft and white.

Although still legal in the US,

veal crates were banned in Europe back in 2007.

And here in the UK,

welfare standards are even higher than the European minimum.

To see what this actually means for calves,

I'm coming to Bellfield Farm near Dumfries.

-Hi, how's it going?

-Morning.

-Good to see you.

-Welcome.

-Can we head in?

-All right.

-Excellent.

David Douglas is the farm manager.

So, these are pretty young here, yes?

Yes, these are from five days old up to 30 days,

they stay in this pen and they've got collars on them

that the machine here recognises,

and it gives them a measured amount of milk depending on their age.

Gradually, as they get older, they get more milk.

-So they won't get too much or too little here...

-No.

..because this is all organised electronically now.

And they would have been with their mothers for, what, five days?

The first day, and then the cow's taken away to be milked.

But they get their own mother's milk for five days

before they come in here.

The calves that are reared for veal are the offspring

of the farm's pedigree Ayrshire dairy herd.

So, why specifically veal, then, and not just raise them for beef?

What we found was that the Ayrshire bull calf,

-which roughly we have 50%...

-Uh-huh.

..they're not really suitable for taking on as bull beef or bullocks.

Bull beef is fine when the beef trade is very strong,

it leaves a margin.

But when it's poor, they actually cost us money.

So the veal was the obvious thing to take on,

and because my boss's brother has a food company,

he was looking for veal to supply into the hotel trade in London.

Perfect. So you originally... You've got your market there,

-organised already, I guess.

-That's right.

It just fitted in nicely.

CALF MOOS

In another shed, I'm helping David feed the older, weaned veal calves.

So, David, what age are these ones here?

These are seven months, six to seven months old,

and these are just ready to go because they're in the weight range

that we've been supplying to some of the hotels in London.

They all look pretty happy, I must say. But can you...

I mean, does it frustrate you that veal is still seen

by some people as a cruel meat?

Yes, yes, it does.

And the first thing that people do when you mention veal

is they recoil. Because they still think...

they've still got this picture in their mind

of calves in crates abroad.

Which was really quite cruel.

Veal now is raised to the highest welfare standards,

and these animals are happy with what they've got.

They've got the food they need, and nice dry bedding,

couldn't be any better.

Compassion in World Farming is a charity that campaigns

for animal welfare.

They encourage consumers to buy the higher-welfare British veal,

as it actually gives the calves a chance of a longer life,

longer than many lambs, for example.

It's a sentiment David agrees with.

What would have happened to them before,

if they weren't going to veal?

Sadly to say, if these hadn't been going to veal

and the beef trade was oversupplied,

they would have been shot at birth.

And that's something that we are determined not to do here.

We've taken that calf through a nine...

the cow through a nine-month pregnancy.

-To shoot the calf is a complete waste and, in my eyes, cruelty.

-Yes.

So there you go.

So they're going to market, they've got a value,

-and they're being looked after.

-That's right.

The meat produced from this style of farming is called rose veal.

And later in the programme Nick and I will find out whether

the people at Ganavan Sands near Oban will try some.

He's a fan of veal, what about yourself?

I don't think I like veal.

But staying in the south-west for now,

Sarah's looking to find some spiritual enlightenment

at a monastery preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

I'm heading through Eskdalemuir, a remote parish

where vast swathes of woodland meet lush green hill farms.

But this rural landscape is also home to the largest

Tibetan monastery in Europe.

This is Kagyu Samye Ling.

It was set up in 1967 by two Tibetan lamas,

monks who were forced to flee their homeland

because of the Chinese occupation.

So it's almost 50 years since Samye Ling was created.

But how did the monks end up here, and why did they start it?

After fleeing Tibet, Akong Rinpoche and Trungpa Rinpoche

took refuge in India.

From there, they travelled to England

on a scholarship to study at Oxford.

And that led them north of the border.

What happened was that there was a small Buddhist group here,

and they had been inviting these two lamas

to come and do summer schools and things for a year or two.

In Tibetan Buddhism, "ani" means "nun".

Ani Lhamo explains how things progressed.

In the 1967, the little group decided to move away.

They needed somebody to take possession of the house,

and the lamas had come to the end of their scholarship,

so it just kind of smoothly passed from one hand to another.

And so Samye Ling was started.

One of the founders, Trungpa, soon left,

but Akong Rinpoche stayed on and oversaw the development of

a temple, many Tibetan monuments, accommodation blocks and a tea room.

GONG RINGS

But at its heart, this is a place of worship.

It's about ten to six in the morning,

and myself and the crew stayed last night in this monastery,

which was really comfortable.

I'm about to go into morning prayers.

Tibetan monastery morning prayers are a first for me.

I don't know why I'm whispering. I haven't been told to whisper,

but I just feel like I should whisper.

CHANTING

It's very calming and mesmerising,

but apparently it is due to last for 60 minutes.

That's a lot of praying.

MUSIC

Well, someone who grew up attending the Church of Scotland,

that was altogether a very different experience.

That was an intense hour of prayers and chants.

The monks and nuns were just so concentrated on what they

were doing, I couldn't even see them take a...a breath, a beat.

It was definitely a profound experience.

And thankfully, Ani Lhamo is on hand to explain it.

-So, it was fascinating being part of the prayers this morning.

-Yes.

Can you tell me a bit about what was going on?

Well, the prayers are called Tara.

Green Tara is the name.

And Green Tara is said to be the embodiment

of love and kindness and compassion.

But with a particular emphasis on giving protection from fear.

So, any kind of...

That kind of distress that's experienced

it's supposed to be that this meditation or prayer will help with.

People obviously come here to worship,

but what else draws people here?

I think there are all sorts of reasons for people coming here.

So, some people have just heard that there's this place they can come

and they can just be quiet and they don't have to do anything.

Some people are really, really interested in Buddhism.

Some people are just coming on a tourist bus

to have a wee look around and have a cup of tea.

Up to 40,000 people visit Samye Ling each year.

The monastery has a simple philosophy for them all.

We're here to try and increase the happiness and wellbeing

in the world.

And if it helps somebody do that by coming here,

then they're most welcome.

Now, we may only be on your screens for half an hour every week,

but you can keep the conversation going 24/7 if you like,

on our Facebook page.

This summer, that's where we asked you to tell us which beach

you think is the best in Scotland.

You've done so in your droves, so thank you.

Today, I'm on one of my and your favourite beaches,

Elie on the Fife coast.

Now, one of the best things about this place,

apart from it being very bonny indeed,

is it's right in the heart of the village

so you can spend lots of time eating and drinking

in one of the many cafes, bars, restaurants, or delis.

It's also a sporting venue.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of taking part

in a game of beach cricket, watched by hordes of spectators.

Unfortunately, my cricketing skills were not up to scratch.

I didn't last long at the sandy crease.

Disappointing.

Yes, despite my lack of sporting prowess, I still love Elie.

And we want you to keep telling us which beach you think

is the best in Scotland.

Visit the Landward Facebook page,

or e-mail...

Now, anyone who's spent time around horses will know

their natural reaction to danger is to run away as fast as possible.

But police horses are trained to do the exact opposite.

We sent Euan to find out how.

Rangers 2, Hibernian 3.

But wherever your loyalties lie,

what happened next on 21 May at Hampden Park was shocking.

Scenes of jubilation rapidly descend into scenes of riot.

12 police horses are sent in to clear the field.

They were pretty disgraceful scenes,

and not a great day for the image of Scottish football.

But of course, there was something to be really proud of.

Here's a clue.

-Hello, there.

-Hiya. I'm Euan.

So, where's your horses?

The brilliant performance of the horses is thanks to the training

they get here - Blairfield Farm near Stewarton in Ayrshire.

Sergeant Mark Steinlet is showing me around,

and it seems I've picked a good day.

-There's a lot going on, isn't there?

-Yes.

I just missed the early-morning tacking-up.

Well, today we're doing some nuisance training, so it's

training with the six...or the three new horses we've got,

plus three older horses.

-Hello. So who's this?

-This is Stirling.

Oh, that's big when you get close.

Yeah, he's a full-bred Clydesdale. Full-bred.

We've got three Clydesdale full-breds

within the mounted branch,

and they're selected due to their temperament.

So, is there a hierarchy in horses?

Do you get kind of lead horses...?

Yes. Well, we've actually been very lucky, cos Stirling came in

just as I'd retired one of my older horses, Kilsyth.

So he's turned out to be a leader.

So you're looking for horses that have got a presence,

but you're also looking for horses that lead.

-So he would go in first, then?

-Yeah.

-And you've got a new recruit?

-We have so. This is Cooper.

He's only been with us days after his selection process,

and he's turning out to be a star.

Claire, you're in charge of taking him out?

What are you doing today?

We're training him today, we're doing some hazard training with him.

He's only been in six weeks,

so he's still very new to the hazard training,

and it gets him used to situations where we have noise, flares, smoke,

potentially situations you may encounter.

What about the thing, if you are in that situation with a crowd,

do you have concerns about the welfare of the horse,

or are you just getting on to do the job?

We are always thinking of the welfare of the horse.

At the end of the day, without them, there is no us.

So we need to always think of their welfare and their safety

as well as the public safety, and as well as our own.

All out!

One behind the other, down this end of the line!

The horses and riders do some warm-ups before they face

the simulated riot conditions.

Nuisance training is basically hazard training,

that's what we're looking for, it's hazard training.

So it's going to be with flags, with a tarpaulin,

noise as well, so we'll have the drum also getting used.

But with training, we want to start it low and then build it up,

because the most important thing with the horses is the confidence.

You don't want to ruin the confidence with them.

With the horses up to speed on the basic drills,

it's time to start laying out some obstacles.

They're starting the preparation for the riot,

but to get the horses in gently, they've put that tarpaulin down,

and it's just going to change the noise of the hooves

and see how the horses react before we move on to flags, drums...

..tennis balls and flares.

Already, one horse is finding things uncomfortable.

Well, that's what it's about. It's a safe environment for them.

This is where we do the training. It's a learning process.

And it clearly works much better the second time round.

Time to move up a gear.

We're moving on from the tarpaulin.

-We've got flags each, there's drums, there's...

-Yep.

And for once, I get to make a nuisance of myself for a good cause.

How close do we go?

That's fine. That's fine there.

Believe me, that is really loud when you're only ten feet away.

Well done.

And back to walk!

And now, things really start to ramp up.

We've got the smoke canisters about to be lit, I've got a flare,

there's another flare somewhere, we've got the drummer in place.

Should be quite exciting.

In line!

Good!

I'm not sure who's more nervous, them or me.

Good lad. Good lad.

With the rise in Europe of ultra-fanatical football fans,

training like this is crucial.

Just now, with Europe and with the European ultras,

pyrotechnics are an issue.

So it's something we are experiencing.

We've got some big games, with Man City-Celtic

and also with the Borussia Monchengladbach game.

Plus we've got Scotland-Lithuania.

So these are all big games that we're in.

Well, that was truly impressive. I couldn't see what was going on.

Presumably, the horses couldn't see either.

There was noise, there was smoke, there was heat, there was fire.

It's just truly awesome, what these guys are doing.

And the horses, just incredible.

Independently dismount.

Earlier in the programme, I was at a farm near Dumfries to find out

about the ethical approach being taken to the production of veal.

Now, resident chef Nick Nairn and I are continuing our West Coast

culinary tour with a trip to sunny Ganavan Sands.

Or at least, it WAS sunny.

Today, we're brought our bonny food van to Ganavan Sands,

just along the coast from Oban.

And Nick, what's on the menu today?

-Rose veal...

-Mm-hm.

..from Bellfield Farm down in Dumfries and Galloway.

-And I'm doing a sort of retro dish, a veal schnitzel.

-Mm.

So it's veal in breadcrumbs with a mushroom cream sauce.

-And guess what?

-Am I doing the sauce?

-You're doing the sauce.

-Excellent.

So, to make the cream sauce,

I finely chop some shallots,

garlic and mushrooms.

I then add some butter to a hot pan,

add the shallots and garlic,

and then the mushrooms.

Finally, I add some white wine and allow it to reduce.

Wee splash more. Just not all of it... That's it, perfect.

You're going to boil off the alcohol from the wine.

You're going to increase the fruit flavours.

-All the stock?

-Add the whole lot, yeah.

-Good work, my friend. That's the sauce.

-Mm-hm.

-Now, the main event is the schnitzel itself.

-Yes.

So we've got a beautiful piece of veal rump.

Is rump particularly good for schnitzel?

Rump for schnitzel's great, yeah.

Because I'm going to beat it out quite thin,

just going to beat this down...

What we've done is we've beaten out a piece of the rump

till it's quite thin. About the thickness of two beer mats

I always think is about the right way of doing it.

So first of all into the flour.

Turn it over, same on the other side.

Shake the excess off.

Into the egg.

And it's just whole, beaten eggs with nothing else,

there's no milk or anything in here.

And then into the panko breadcrumbs.

-Why panko in particular?

-Because of that crunch.

That lovely crunch, and they're big-sized breadcrumbs.

-Just before you go to cook them, season.

-Uh-huh.

OK, so salt, black pepper...

Right, I'm going to cook them in a mixture of, first of all, oil.

Oil for heat. And then butter, for colour and flavour.

-OK, in goes the butter.

-Wow, that is a lot. That is a lot, yes.

In we go.

OK. And we're kind of shallow-frying in here.

So the cooking time should be quite short, because you want to keep,

-as I say...

-You like the pink in the middle, yeah.

But we want a nice crisp breadcrumb on the outside.

-Oh, it looks good.

-So now we'll just turn those round.

OK, now you can add half of the double cream.

This smells fantastic.

Have a little taste.

Just tell me what it needs in terms of seasoning of salt and pepper.

Definitely needs a lot of pepper. And some salt as well.

-OK, go for it.

-Little bit of salt.

So, there's the veal.

Been lying for three or four minutes.

So, we've cleared up, Nick. Time to plate up.

It is indeed, Dougie.

And it's time to find out what the good visitors to Ganavan Sands

make of our veal schnitzel.

Are you a fan of veal?

Never had it before.

-Never had veal before?

-No.

-This is rose veal.

-Right.

-So it's ethically produced.

-You have a problem with veal?

-Yes.

-You don't want it?

-No.

-OK.

You see, that's quite interesting, because that lady just wasn't having it.

It doesn't matter what it tastes like, she is against veal,

she doesn't like veal,

maybe because of the way it used to be produced.

It's not been produced like that in Europe since 2007,

nearly ten years ago. And still, no way.

Interesting.

Mm.

That's a very nice taste.

-It's got some salt in it.

-Mm-hm, yes.

But it's great.

Mm.

-You like?

-Mm.

-What is it? Veal?

-Veal.

-Wow. That is nice.

-Do you think?

-Yes, very tender.

The sauce is lovely as well. I made the sauce.

Not too rich, quite creamy but not... But very lovely.

-It's a very fine sauce there.

-Yes.

-Made by a drummer.

-Wow.

Very nice. Yes.

-Is this Mr Nick Nairn?

-It is indeed.

-Very nice to meet you.

Very nice to meet you on this beautiful Ganavan Sands.

-Yummy.

-Yeah?

-Very nice.

Your husband here, he's a fan of veal, what about yourself?

I don't think I like veal.

-Very nice.

-Yes?

Nice and tender.

It's beautifully cooked.

I think it's beautiful.

So, rather unsurprisingly, Nick,

one or two people weren't keen.

One lady, she said, "On principle, I don't do it,

"but this time I will."

She tried it, she liked it. I said, "Would you do it again?"

She said, "No."

So everybody that tried it, from my point of view, they all liked it.

But some people just don't want to do it.

Yeah, and the taste of the veal with the crunch and the rest of it,

along with that sauce, the mushroom sauce...

The sauce, Dougie, that worked wonderfully well.

The ethics of veal are still a tough thing for some people.

And that's all we've got time for in this week's programme.

Here's what's coming up next time around.

We meet the farming co-op extolling the virtues

of the Hebridean sheep...

They're used for conservation grazing in lots of places.

..Stranraer prepares to fight back

after the loss of its ferry terminal...

With an asset like the marina here,

what we want to do is build a sustainable future for Stranraer,

and sailing is one of the opportunities within that.

..and Nick has his first taste of a new fruit.

-Sharp.

-Oh, my goodness.

But delicious.

So, join us again next Friday, 7.30, BBC One Scotland.

From all the Landward team here at Ganavan Sands,

thank you so much for your company.

-Bye for now.

-Goodbye.