Episode 15 Landward

What do you get if you combine stunning landscapes with enterprising farmers,

spectacular wildlife and mouth-watering food? Landward.

Hello, and a very warm welcome to the programme.

In a moment, Sarah will be meeting the enterprising farmers

keen to promote the virtues of Hebridean sheep, but first,

here's what else is coming up in the next 30 minutes.

Nick and I get a taste sensation on the banks of Loch Lomond.

-Sharp.

-Oh, my goodness!

-But delicious.

-Oh!

We join the hunt for an elusive sea bird.

This morning, I got the team to play the calls

of a male and female Manx shearwater down potential burial sites.

BIRD CALL RECORDING

And we find out how Stranraer is faring

now the ferries have left the harbour.

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

and sailing is one of the opportunities within that.

But first, Sarah is in Perthshire,

where a group of local farmers are joining forces

to turn their passion for a traditional breed of sheep

into a profitable product.

For thousands of years, native Hebridean sheep

have roamed the Scottish hills.

But their small size and slow growth

means they have been pushed aside

by more commercially successful breeds,

and their numbers have declined.

But now some enthusiastic breeders are getting together

to promote what these ancient wee sheep could offer to customers.

-Marian.

-Hello!

-Sarah. How are you doing?

-Good, thank you very much.

-What a magic day!

-It's fantastic, isn't it?

'Marian Bruce keeps a flock of around 30 Hebridean sheep

'on her farm near Alyth.'

So, what made you decide to bring a flock of Hebridean sheep

-back home to Alyth?

-MARIAN CHUCKLES

Um...well, there was lots of things.

I think they're a popular breed for people that have small farms

and smallholdings because they're so easy to keep.

They're very thrifty, so they can live on anything

and they clear up fields with weeds in.

And actually, they're used for conservation grazing.

They're also very good mothers,

so they look after their lambs really, really well.

The other thing was that we tasted the meat

and the meat is just amazing!

So, actually, the taste of the product was one of the things

that...that...that...

-It sealed the deal.

-It did, yes!

-Shall I grab this?

-Yeah.

'In spite of all their advantages,

'breeders have found it difficult to sell their sheep.'

So, what problems do you face as a smaller breeder?

Well, I have my own local customers who know the taste of the meat

and appreciate it for what it is.

However, lots of people don't have that local customer base

and it's difficult for them to get any prices for their animals

in a commercial market because they're smaller than everything else

and they're not recognised for what they are,

and so the prices would be very low.

So it's very difficult for breeders to take their slaughter beasts

to a commercial market because they get very little money for them.

Marian decided to grab the sheep by the horns

and set up a cooperative

to help the Hebrideans get the recognition they deserve.

Everybody bringing their animals together

gives us an opportunity to market the meat

as the gourmet product that it is.

It's just a fantastic product.

And bringing everybody's beasts together gives us the numbers

to be able to actually market that properly.

The benefits of the cooperative

are the ability to negotiate bulk deals

for processing the carcasses, and having one main sales outlet.

'The coop uses a specialist butchery in Perth.'

-This is where we're at.

-'It's run by Vikki Banks.'

It's a big facility here. How did you come across the Hebridean lamb?

Hebrideans were one of our...

Marian was one of our butchery customers,

so she was getting her sheep cut for herself and her own customers

and I cottoned on to that fact. And I know it's a very popular meat,

but very hard to get hold of, so...

And what sort of yield do you get from the carcass?

Um...once you're butchering, you tend to lose between 45-50%,

so you don't actually get an awful lot of meat back.

And in that sense, we have to be quite careful on how the guys

butcher it so we get the most out of it.

-How much demand is there for it?

-There's a huge demand.

We've got waiting lists. We can't get enough of them.

So the more the merrier.

Well, after hearing so many good things about this lamb,

I'd love to try some.

And where better than Marian's very own farm kitchen?

You can either cook it hot and fast, or slow and low.

Today, we're going to do hot and fast, just for time.

Fast and hot sounds good.

A bit of olive oil, salt and pepper into a hot pan.

LAMB SIZZLES

So do you cook it differently than normal lamb?

No, not really. It's a much more gamey flavour than commercial lamb,

so it's kind of like...

People say it's like a cross between venison and lamb.

-Nearly done?

-Yeah, I think so.

LAMB SIZZLES

Right...

-It smells good.

-That's good.

-Right, I'll let you do the honours.

-Right...

-On you go.

-Go for it.

-No, you go.

-Tuck in.

Mm, that is delicious,

but when you mentioned earlier that it was going to be quite gamey,

I was expecting that, but it's not overpowering at all.

-I mean, given the age of the animal.

-No, no, no, it's not.

It's not as gamey as venison, but it's more...

It's kind of like lamb with a kick, I suppose, it's just more lamby.

Well, I'm not disappointed, it was very tasty. Thank you.

And what's amazing to think is that something that was once probably

part of a staple diet for hundreds, maybe thousands of years

is now a gourmet product finding a whole new market.

Right, let's dig in. There's more.

Mm...

Now, from Perthshire to the southwest and Stranraer,

where Ewan's finding out how the town is building on its

strengths after losing one of its biggest assets - the ferry terminal.

For 150 years, ferries sailed to Ireland from Stranraer every day.

But in 2010 Stena Line said the route was losing money and

they had no choice but to rethink.

Five years ago,

Stena Line opened this new deepwater port at Cairnryan.

The deep water allows them to use larger boats that carry more

passengers and freight,

and the shorter journey brings significant fuel savings.

But although the new terminal is just six miles north of Stranraer,

the move has made a huge difference.

These cars and lorries are just off the latest sailing from Belfast,

and as you can see, many are turning north and heading for Glasgow.

But of those that are heading south, a large proportion will turn off

before they reach the town and take their business out of the area.

As well as the loss of through traffic, Stranraer has been left

with this redundant industrial site at the waterfront.

And the train station, once connected to the ferry route,

is now stranded.

This is the sight that greets anybody coming off the train

in Stranraer.

It's industrial dereliction, and it's not pretty.

I want to see what difference local folk have noticed in their town

since the terminal moved.

It's impacted really heavily on businesses in the town.

You know, new businesses start up,

like there's a wee shop just started up, the Woolly Man,

and he finds it very, very difficult because you've not got the

same amount of traffic coming through the town.

The shops are no' very busy.

I've seen a lot busier, like, five or six years ago, but no' noo.

Erm, it's just ruined Stranraer.

I feel sorry for the young people in the town.

For retired people, brilliant, it's lovely.

So you're actually benefitting, the fact that it's quieter?

I'm benefitting from it,

but I do feel it for the younger people down here.

What would you like to see happen, then? What could fix it?

I don't know! There's nothing here for folk really to come for now.

Well, the view on the street is pretty glum, although local

hotels report that business is still good, and there are plans afoot.

Dumfries and Galloway Council are working on a strategy

to regenerate the town, and my favourite hobby, sailing,

is going to be a key part of that.

And that's why I'm heading to meet the Head of Economic Development,

Ewan Green, down at the marina.

The council want to develop Stranraer as a leisure town,

and they're targeting sailors in particular.

They've already invested in a new boat-lift

and boat storage facilities,

and they plan to spend more.

We feel that marine tourism and sailing is such

a boom industry that there's an opportunity to expand the marina

from where it is just now and expand it physically towards the

east pier, creating up to 300 new berths,

and the facilities that go along with that in terms of

chandlery and business opportunities.

Is that a difficult one to sell to folk in Stranraer?

You know, some of them are facing challenges and hard times.

You know, "Let's pour some money into

"a bunch of rich people to have their boats here."

I think it well may be a difficult sell, but also, you know,

with an asset like Loch Ryan and the marina here,

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

and sailing is one of the opportunities within that.

But also, you know, the council is investing in the town centre

and in play facilities, and in Agnew Park, for example -

significant investment so that there's an investment for everyone.

What about the elephant in the room? That thing over there.

It just looks like a big eyesore in the middle of what,

potentially, is a gorgeous town.

It's a very prominent site and it's industrial,

so it has its challenges.

But the proposal was, erm,

the council working with Stena Line as our key partner to bring

forward a mixed-use development,

which will include new leisure,

new retail and new housing opportunities,

to support the waterfront and extended marina,

but also to add value and complement what goes on in the town already.

The issues facing Stranraer are complex.

On one hand, you've got

the amazing resource of the bay and the waterfront.

On the other hand, you've got an important source of income that has

moved out of the town.

But it's a situation that's been faced by

many other towns in Scotland where industry has closed down.

What's the solution? I'm not sure.

But certainly the people we've spoken to in Stranraer

want something big to happen - and they want it now.

We may only be on your screens for 30 minutes per week, but you can

keep the conversation going 24/7 on our Facebook page,

where this summer we asked you to nominate

your favourite beaches in Scotland.

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

So far, all of the beaches we've featured have been

vast, sandy beaches.

But just to prove that small can be beautiful too,

I've come to Shell Beach near Tarbert, Loch Fyne.

The beach is a popular destination for locals

despite not having any sand.

It's made up entirely of crushed shells.

So, how was Shell Beach created?

Well, there used to be a shellfish factory nearby,

processing thousands of tonnes of clams and queen scallops.

Now, the shells were dumped in Loch Fyne, and they washed up here,

creating this glorious beach known as Shell Beach.

It all makes perfect sense.

And on next week's Landward,

we'll be announcing the results of our informal survey.

The top suggestions for Scotland's best beach will be revealed.

And we're now heading across the water to the small island of

Ailsa Craig.

We're joining the RSPB on an expedition to look for

Manx shearwater.

Ailsa Craig is a volcanic island famous for its granite,

which has been used to make most of the world's curling stones.

But it's also home to more than 70,000 sea birds,

and recently there have been sightings of Manx shearwaters.

So, this is a really special trip for us.

It's unusual because we're looking specifically

for Manx shearwater breeding on the island, cos they've never,

ever been recorded breeding there before.

Crystal Maw is the society's site manager,

and she and her team are heading to the island to look for the birds.

The three main breeding colonies of Manx shearwaters are found in

the British Isles.

Crystal and her team are planning to spend the night here to see if

Ailsa Craig could become number four.

They're quite difficult birds to survey because most of the time

they spend out at sea unless they're breeding,

so you have to time your surveys during the breeding season,

and also they're ground nesting birds - they nest in burrows -

so you can't easily see them.

Also, to avoid predation, the adults come in at night-time only,

so you have to do your surveys at night-time.

The team have brought special night-vision cameras,

and to get the best possible chance of sighting the shearwaters,

they're heading close to the island's summit to set up camp.

The vast majority of the population of Manx shearwater are in

only three colonies, so if we can prove that they're nesting

in another place, it makes the population less vulnerable.

We are waiting until midnight,

which is when the birds generally start calling, and we're going to

sit and listen out for the call of the Manx shearwater, which is really

distinctive, and we're going to keep notes on if we see them landing,

cos that's the big - that is the big thing we're looking for,

that they're landing, cos they would only land

if they're breeding or prospecting to breed.

A moment of optimism, but if it's them, they're very distant.

-Quite a few.

-Mm.

FAINT BIRD CALLS

They make a slightly different call when they land.

It's kind of an abrupt ending.

Two hours later...

Aww... This is pants!

The calls become less frequent -

and the weather takes a turn for the worse.

It's two o'clock, and we haven't heard any close by for a while,

and I don't think we're going to glean much more by staying out,

erm, until three. I think we're going to go to bed.

It's unfortunate that they haven't come very close to the island.

I'm still optimistic that they are breeding on the island,

we just haven't found them yet, we just haven't got to the right place.

So, yeah, I'm off to bed! Warm my feet up.

This morning, I got the team to spread out around the hill

and play the calls of a male and female Manx shearwater down

potential burrow sites.

BIRD CALLS PLAY

And the hope is that you get a response from either a chick

or maybe earlier on in the season you'll get a female incubating.

Every time I come out at night there's Manx shearwater

around the island, they're flying around.

And it's very likely,

if you've got birds flying so close to an island,

that they're going to be using it,

or at least prospecting to use it,

so eventually, even if they're not using it now,

I'm thinking eventually they will use it,

and if we just keep searching for them I think we will find them.

It's just a massive island and a very difficult terrain

so it's going to take a while.

It could take years to find them.

Disappointing this time for Crystal and her team,

but Landward viewers definitely won't have to wait years

because next week Dougie starts a mini-series exploring the

small isles, and you will see some Manx shearwaters.

But right now he's at Castle Leod in Strathpeffer,

visiting an ancient treasure that hasn't moved an inch in 500 years.

The castle is an impressive link to our country's rich heritage,

and its grounds are host to a very special tree.

The oldest recorded planted tree in Scottish history.

-John, how are you?

-Hi, good to see you, Dougie, thanks for coming.

Landowner Lord John Cromarty knows more than most about

this magnificent specimen.

Now, look at this mighty tree, it's amazing!

-It's quite something, isn't it?

-It really is. So what is it?

It's a sweet chestnut, a Spanish chestnut,

and it's approximately, what, 1550-1556.

So what's the story of the tree? Who actually planted it?

The tree was planted by John of Killin,

John Mackenzie, who was the then chief of the Clan Mackenzie.

It was for a granting of the titles of land by Mary Queen of Scots,

his mother, Mary de Guise.

And she was here, but whether she actually lifted a spade or not

and got her hands dirty I think is extremely unlikely.

Early 1500s that, I mean, Mary Queen of Scots would've

been very young at that time, wouldn't she?

Probably about six or seven and she was at the house, too, and the best

way of proving all this - and indeed about the tree - is to go to

Register House in Edinburgh and look up the records.

So this is the oldest recorded planted tree in Scotland.

Apparently so.

There are obviously many older trees which have

no definite recorded date, like the Fortingall Yew, for instance.

This has got a definite date and that makes it, I suppose, unique.

And just like old buildings,

old trees need a bit of occasional maintenance.

Trees are a bit like people.

As they get older, they like less and less interference.

So we're trying to do as little as possible,

but as much as necessary.

Paul Hanson and his team are giving this sweet chestnut its first

health check for several hundred years.

So what are you actually doing to this tree?

As you can see, as you look up,

lots of limbs have fallen off in the past.

The regrowth now is becoming very heavy and very dense,

so we're giving it a gentle helping hand to take some of

the leveraging off, some of the weight, reduce the wind resistance

and hopefully keep some of these long limbs on

for maybe another 300 or 400 years.

Left to its own devices, the tree will eventually fall to bits,

and that's the natural order of things, but because it is special

and we love it, we're trying to keep it going as long as possible.

Now, we know all about the historical relevance of this tree.

Why is this particular tree important from your point of view

as a man who lives and works in trees?

In this particular case,

as a sweet chestnut, or a Spanish chestnut, to find it this far

north growing so well to such a massive size is very, very unusual.

The only other ones anything like it are within the parkland on this

estate, so this is a little corner of the world that's very special.

And it's not just Paul who thinks so.

One of the great things about Castle Leod is that it's got

this astonishing assembly of giant trees for Britain,

really quite far north.

Some of the trees here are the biggest examples of their species

on this latitude anywhere in the world.

Tom Christian works for the National Tree Collections of Scotland,

a partnership working to promote and enhance valuable

landscapes like this.

But it's not a natural landscape, though?

Not at all, no. It's completely designed.

Most of the trees here are not from Scotland -

they're from other parts of the world.

They've been brought here over the centuries by plant hunters,

explorers, cultivated by nurserymen,

planted here to embellish the landscape.

Trees are natural things and will grow anyway, so why intervene?

In these collections, in these design landscapes,

we've got loads of trees.

Some will grow, will die of their own accord without any

intervention and that's fine, but every so often a tree,

like the sweet chestnut we were discussing today, comes up.

Think about what it's seen - several Jacobite rebellions,

an independence referendum, maybe another one - and we want to keep

that connection, we want to keep it for as long as possible.

Now we know about the sweet chestnut.

-What else do we have here that's of particular interest to you?

-Loads.

There's Douglas firs that you can see behind the castle.

These are some of the tallest in the country. They're amazing,

because they've got that shelter of the great big hill behind.

There's Cappadocian maple, which has an amazing range from Turkey

all the way to the Himalayas.

There's a huge number of those here - who knows why.

It's just an astonishing global collection here.

And with a bit of tender loving care,

there's a good chance these trees could see a few more centuries yet.

Now, you may remember in the spring we introduced you

to a new super fruit - the honeyberry.

Euan went to Arbuckle Fruit Farm near Dundee to meat Stewart Arbuckle

who has pioneered the growing of honeyberries in Scotland.

-It's a funny-looking thing, isn't it?

-It is.

It's kind of like... It looks like a blueberry, really.

It's got that kind of blue waxy skin that you can see,

but then if you bite into it,

you'll see that there's a deep purple juice all the way through it,

whereas on, like, a blueberry, it's clear all the way through.

-It is quite tart, isn't it?

-It's tart, is tangy.

It's a cross between a raspberry and a blueberry taste-wise I suppose,

but it's got that added zing, as well.

-And growing well, obviously.

-Well, we like to think so.

We're the first people to plant them in Scotland.

We like to think Scotland is actually the perfect place for them.

They love the cold, for starters - they survive to -40 - the flowers

survive to -7 in spring, which is ideal from a frost perspective.

Now, a new super fruit deserves a super chef.

And Nick Nairn and I are continuing our West Coast culinary tour

with a trip to Luss, where we'll both be getting our first

taste of the honeyberry.

I need to let you into a secret. I've never tasted these.

-Neither have I.

-Shall we?

-Indeed.

Oh!

-Sharp.

-Oh, my goodness!

-But delicious.

-Very delicious, but, yeah, a bit sharp.

-Honeyberries need honey.

-OK.

-OK.

-And what are you actually going to cook today?

What are we going to do?

No cooking involved here. This is an Eton mess.

-Good.

-Simplest dessert on the planet.

Whipped cream, crushed meringues,

honeyberries, honey - job's a good 'un.

-They definitely need sweetening, don't they?

-They do.

So, Dougie, Eton mess is really whipped cream

-and there's the cream and there's the whisk.

-I may be some time.

-Is that the best action that you can do?

-I'll get into it, don't worry.

Oh, how long? Oh, no, that's the tablecloth gone.

-So we've got the cream over ice to keep it nice and cool.

-OK.

I'm going to drain the berries, because these have been frozen.

-There's hardly any in Scotland - I think 12 acres in total.

-Uh-huh.

-Do you know where they come from?

-Originally? No, I don't.

-They come from Siberia and northern Japan.

-OK.

-Very good for you.

So, meringues, these are meringues that I made myself.

Yeah. Shop-bought.

-You could sort of fold them in a wee bit.

-Sorry, as opposed to using...

-A spatula.

-Folding spatula.

Gentle folding because we don't want to overwork the cream.

When it starts to kind of seize up a little bit,

that's where we add the berries. Which I think is about now.

-It is getting a bit... more solid.

-It's berry time.

So in go the honeyberries.

Now, traditionally these would be strawberries and raspberries,

but I think these honeyberries are going to work really well.

This is going to be quite tart.

We're going to have to get rid of the sharpness with the old honey.

-If it's tart, what do we do to it?

-We make it sweeter.

-Yes.

-And to make it sweeter, what we do is?

-Honey, Mr Nairn.

-I think we've got some honey.

-We have indeed.

-Just as well.

At this point I need you to use your tasting implement to see how

much honey is required, so I'm relying on your palate,

-your finely honed palate.

-OK. Actually, that's pretty sweet.

-Needs a bit of sweetness.

-Do we? OK. Fair enough.

Honey. In it goes.

-NICK CHUCKLES

-You see?

There's just something about this combination.

You want to try it again just to see what the sweet-acid balance is like.

Mm!

I got a bit of meringue there, fantastic. Perfect combination.

-Perfect combination.

-Fantastic!

So all that's left now is to plate up.

A multitude of sins.

So, let's find out what the good people of Luss

make of the Luss mess. I'll take the high road.

Did he just say that? Really?

And now let's find out if the honeyberries might give

strawberries and raspberries a run for their money.

-This is Eton mess, basically made with honeyberries.

-Lovely.

-Have you ever heard of honeyberries?

-I have.

-Have you?

I don't know much about them, but I have heard of them.

-Just put the whole lot in my mouth?

-Just get it right down.

Mm! Beautiful. Mm!

And another one will cost me how much?

-You like that?

-It's really nice.

-Mm! Lovely. Very nice.

-What are you thinking?

Erm...I'm thinking I need some more.

What did you say it was?

They're not strawberries, they're called moonberries.

No, they're not called moonberries!

Very tasty, isn't it?

Do you like it?

-Oh. Nice.

-Good.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I like it.

-Oh, yeah.

-You like?

-Delicious.

-You like it?

-Yeah.

-Is it better than ice cream? I reckon. Definitely.

-A bit like blackberries.

-How shall I eat it?

-Just whack it down.

-Just go for it.

-No, thank you.

-You're not going to try?

-No.

Let's see what your brother thinks.

-Mm!

-OK. Yeah.

Do you think if you have the chance,

you would want to try honeyberries again?

Yeah.

Fantastic.

I have to say, Nick, that every single person I let taste this

-loved it.

-I agree. 100% success rate here.

A couple of people didn't know what Eton mess was, which surprised me.

But everybody said that the honeyberries - triumph.

Had one person said it tasted a wee bit like cherry.

Hm, I had blackcurrant and I had gooseberry.

Well, Scotland has the perfect climate for growing honeyberries.

Will they rival strawberries and raspberries in the future?

I'm not so sure. Who knows?

But here's what's coming up next week's programme.

New research reveals a bright future for the salmon-farming industry.

The waters around Scotland are ideal for it.

They're pristine, clean, abundant with plankton.

We can do great things here.

Sarah helps get some tups ready at the Lairg sheep sales.

The way she's washing their faces is a bit like what I do to my

kids before they head off to school in the morning. A good scrub.

And I set off on the first leg of a big journey to the Small Isles.

My Small Isles odyssey begins on the largest of the four, Rum.

The island we know most about.

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

From all the Landward team here in Luss,

thank you so much for your company. Goodbye.