0:00:02 > 0:00:05The Scottish countryside is a great place to visit and explore,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07but it can also be a tough place to live.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm on the path of some hardy souls.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Hello, and a very warm welcome to the programme.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33This week, I'm in Glenelg -
0:00:33 > 0:00:36just one of the stunning locations we'll be visiting
0:00:36 > 0:00:38in the next 30 minutes.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We're in Moray to meet one of the Scots farmers struggling to
0:00:42 > 0:00:44cope with a cash crisis...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46It's been tough. Very tough.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It's been disastrous.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Worst year in 20 years, I think.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..Sarah finds out why Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail
0:00:53 > 0:00:55are all really Scottish...
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Perthshire is sometimes overlooked when it comes to Beatrix Potter.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Is that frustrating?
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Without a doubt, because this is where it all started.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05WHISTLE TOOTS
0:01:05 > 0:01:07..and Euan's on the footplate
0:01:07 > 0:01:10as the flying Scotsman steams over the border.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And I think it's the first celebrity loco.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14WHISTLE TOOTS
0:01:21 > 0:01:23But first, as we discovered last week,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Knoydart is off the beaten track,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27and its out-of-the-way location
0:01:27 > 0:01:30means the locals aren't part of the national power grid.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34So some bright spark has come up with a way of making sure
0:01:34 > 0:01:37the residents always know when electricity is available.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44There's nothing better than a nice cuppa.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And the electricity required to make this tea
0:01:46 > 0:01:49comes from a community-owned hydro scheme three miles away.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But it also powers 80 homes and businesses
0:01:52 > 0:01:55in and around the village of Inverie.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57So now and again, it does run a little low.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Cath, tell me, what's it like living off the grid?
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Um, most of the time you don't really notice, actually.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'Cath Curd is one of the local residents who
0:02:10 > 0:02:12'rely on the capacity of the hydro scheme.'
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Do you have any power cuts?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- Occasionally we do.- Yeah?
0:02:20 > 0:02:23But because it's locally managed,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27it's usually back up and running within a day,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30within a 12-hour day, if it's a minor problem.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Do you think that you are more aware of your usage
0:02:34 > 0:02:36because this is locally generated electricity?
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Um...
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I...I am, and I know there are the people...
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I guess most locals are.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Visitors, on the other hand, a lot of them will be
0:02:47 > 0:02:50blissfully unaware that we're even on hydro.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54We did have to monitor use during peak periods,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and we did used to have to warn visitors to try
0:02:57 > 0:03:00and cooperate with us to keep the load down.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04And not have the cooker on while you were doing other things,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07like blow-drying your hair or whatever, while you were visiting,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09just to try and keep the usage down
0:03:09 > 0:03:11so it didn't hit capacity.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'So with a potentially sketchy supply,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16'how CAN the residents find out
0:03:16 > 0:03:18'if there's a risk of a power cut,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'and if there's anything they can do about it?'
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Well, that's where the Knoydart light bulb comes in.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Green means go ahead, make dinner, tea, coffee, whatever.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Amber means warning.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And red means there's
0:03:34 > 0:03:36a serious danger of power cuts.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40There is a drawback - there's only one light bulb,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and it's in the community information centre window.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Fortunately, so the locals don't have to traipse down there
0:03:46 > 0:03:49every time they want to know if they can put the tatties on,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53there's a website that gives them the same information.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56So this as part of a project exploring how people
0:03:56 > 0:04:00live of the great in three different global locations.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'One of the inventors is Jamie Cross from Edinburgh University.'
0:04:05 > 0:04:08'Jamie's team have invented a system that allows a colour-coded
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'LED light bulb to show electricity capacity at the hydro scheme.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:15So this website shows the people of Knoydart
0:04:15 > 0:04:17how much electricity they're using.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19And I'm told if you make a cup of tea, wait ten minutes,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22then you can see a spike in the graph.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Here we go.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- There is little spike there, isn't there?- There you go.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Would that be my cup of tea? - I think it probably is.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32One kettle, and you can see that detail there? Wow.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Jamie, do you hope that people in the rest of Knoydart,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and potentially across Scotland, will embrace
0:04:37 > 0:04:38this type of technology?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41We just want to show that this kind of system could be
0:04:41 > 0:04:44useful across the Highlands and Small Isles as a way of getting
0:04:44 > 0:04:48communities involved and invested and their energy systems.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'Seeing the spike from turning on the kettle to make my tea
0:04:52 > 0:04:53'concentrates the mind wonderfully.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56'And I'll certainly pay more attention'
0:04:56 > 0:04:58to how long I spend in the B&B's electric shower.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- So not green yet?- Not yet.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Takes a couple of seconds to connect to the data feeds,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- and then eventually it should turn green.- Oh, wow, already green?
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Giving everyone not on the National Grid
0:05:12 > 0:05:15one of Jamie's light bulbs isn't realistic.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17'But as a simple tool to encourage off-grid users
0:05:17 > 0:05:20'to monitor their usage, it's unbeatable.'
0:05:20 > 0:05:22We've seen all kinds of different systems
0:05:22 > 0:05:25that are designed for people to use in their homes - smart meters,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27all kinds of technical displays that you can fit
0:05:27 > 0:05:29onto the wall of your home. Our idea was that sometimes
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they're quite technically complicated.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33They require all kinds of different, um...
0:05:33 > 0:05:35All kinds of buttons and things you press -
0:05:35 > 0:05:37it's not really visually striking.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40This is a way of signalling at a glance how much energy
0:05:40 > 0:05:43you're consuming - not just individually, but collectively,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and helping you to manage and moderate your power accordingly.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54As the residents of Knoydart carefully manage their electricity,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57farmers across Scotland's have had a year
0:05:57 > 0:05:59of having to carefully manage their finances.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Delays in distributing European farm subsidies cash
0:06:04 > 0:06:07are causing real hardship across Scottish agriculture,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09as Euan has been finding out.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16This year has been a difficult one for the Scottish farming community.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18A failure of the Scottish Government's
0:06:18 > 0:06:22new computer system has led to a hold-up in distribution
0:06:22 > 0:06:24of the European farm subsidies money
0:06:24 > 0:06:27on which many farmers rely.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Over 18,000 have been affected.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Payments normally received in December
0:06:33 > 0:06:35have still not been paid in full.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38This week, Audit Scotland delivered
0:06:38 > 0:06:40a damning report on the system.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45I've come to Moray to meet Sarah and Bill Beaton and their family,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48to find out how the delay has affected them,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and to discover the long-term impact on farmers who're having
0:06:51 > 0:06:54to bear the brunt of what's being described
0:06:54 > 0:06:56as a "technological glitch".
0:06:56 > 0:06:58SHEEP BLEATS
0:06:58 > 0:07:00For the Beatons, the European cash
0:07:00 > 0:07:02is crucial in keeping their business afloat.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Sarah?- Hi.- I'm Euan.- Hi, Euan.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- So, bottles?- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10- Lambs?- Yes.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- Hello.- Hi.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- So who have got here?- Dopey and Dot.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Dopey and Dot?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18So this is the good time, Sarah - the pleasant bit -
0:07:18 > 0:07:21but presumably it's been a bit difficult recently?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Yeah, it's been pretty stressful,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26just with the cash-flow crisis within the industry.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Most people have been pushed to their limits.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31So have you had any payment at all?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34We have now received a percentage of our payment, which is
0:07:34 > 0:07:37still not the full amount of what we need.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41There's been several sleepless nights over the situation.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43We're working harder,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47we're trying to get...the jobs done at the end of the day.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Bill's working a lot, and he's not often here at the minute,
0:07:51 > 0:07:52so, yeah.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Have you seen it affecting him?
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Well, yeah, he's quite stressed about the whole situation.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'In addition to their own farm, Bill and Sarah
0:08:02 > 0:08:06'have a contracting business, working for other farmers...'
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Bill?- BOTH:- How you doing?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- I'm Euan.- Pleased to meet you.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11How's your beasts doing?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Oh, well - if life was better, it'd be better, eh?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16'..that source of income is also under threat
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'because of the delayed payments.'
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- It's been a bad year? - It's been tough.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Very tough. It's been disastrous.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Worst year in 20 years, I think.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28COW MOOS
0:08:28 > 0:08:30It must be a really hard decision
0:08:30 > 0:08:32for you guys, as contractors,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35to go and do the job...
0:08:35 > 0:08:37that potentially you might not get paid for?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Well, potentially we might not get paid for it, or we'll have to wait
0:08:41 > 0:08:4312 months to get our money, like last year.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45No business can survive that.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It's a pride thing - they don't want to admit
0:08:47 > 0:08:49that there're not able to pay their bills, some of them,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and it's, um...
0:08:51 > 0:08:53we try and help best we can,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56but we're obviously in the same boat.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00In March, the Beatons joined over 200
0:09:00 > 0:09:03other farmers as they marched
0:09:03 > 0:09:05on Holyrood to highlight the growing problems.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Despite £200 million of emergency funding
0:09:09 > 0:09:13from the Scottish Government, discontent rumbles on.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16What's the impact... I suppose, what's going to be
0:09:16 > 0:09:19the impact on the wider rural community,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22if farms, your neighbours, are going out of business?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Well, machinery dealers, one,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28for contractors, livestock feed producers.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31They must start thinking they'll have less customers.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34So they're going to be struggling. It's just a nightmare.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Whole industry, whole local community...
0:09:37 > 0:09:39will just be like the Clearances again.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46It's been a rocky start to the year for the Beatons
0:09:46 > 0:09:51and for thousands of families just like them.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54They have had payment of some of the subsidies,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56but the late arrival of that cheque
0:09:56 > 0:09:59has caused chaos that will reverberate throughout
0:09:59 > 0:10:03farming communities for months, if not years to come.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Will the Beatons survive? Will they stay in business?
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Well, let's hope so.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09Only time will tell.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17An unexpected drop in income like that faced by the Beatons
0:10:17 > 0:10:19can hit any time, anywhere.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And the emergence of food banks in rural areas
0:10:21 > 0:10:24is stark evidence of that.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27I've been to find out how communities are pulling together,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30to ensure no-one goes hungry.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36For most people, the idea of life in the country
0:10:36 > 0:10:37suggests change of pace -
0:10:37 > 0:10:39a simpler, easier lifestyle.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46But for many, the reality can be quite different.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51A lack of local jobs, unaffordable housing and high transport costs
0:10:51 > 0:10:54can leave people struggling to pay for the basics.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59'An increasing number are turning to food banks.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Mum-of-three Vicky Harper found herself in need
0:11:02 > 0:11:05when her partner was made redundant twice in the space of a year.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Describe to me what you felt like as a mother,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12not really knowing you know if you were able to feed your children.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14That must have been a horrific thing to deal with.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17It's absolutely desperate. You never expect, when you have children,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20that you're going to struggle to feed them, not in this day and age,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- not living somewhere in a country like this.- Uh-huh.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24So, it was a shock.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26And by the time you've got to the point where you need to be
0:11:26 > 0:11:27referred to a food bank,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31you've usually exhausted, you know, friends and family help.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33There literally is nowhere to turn.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36What did it feel like when you were given that first parcel?
0:11:36 > 0:11:37It was just relief.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39And gratitude.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And the kindness that came with it as well.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43When you're at your lowest ebb,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46people come and... just making sure that you're OK.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47It was a huge, big deal.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Massive.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Vicky no longer needs help from the food bank,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56but she's not forgotten her experience.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58She now organises local food collections.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03A number of groups run food banks
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and one of the biggest is the Trussell Trust.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08They've seen an increase of demand for their services
0:12:08 > 0:12:11in Scotland's rural council areas of 16%,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13which is above the national average.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16In some places, the rises are astonishing.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21In the Western Isles, demand is up by 68%.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24In Dumfries and Galloway, it's 290%.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Now, this looks unbelievably organised.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32That's what we try to aim for, anyway.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36'Jeannie Price manages three food banks across rural Aberdeenshire.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:39She only deals with people who have been referred by an agency,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42like Citizens Advice, or social services.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46She's also seen an increase in demand.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- In 2014, we fed just over 1,100 people...- Uh-huh.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53..in our area, and then last year that had gone up to 1,700.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- So, quite an increase. - Quite an increase.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And without us, those are people who would have gone hungry.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02What do you put that down to, specifically here?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Three main reasons that people are referred to our food bank.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Yeah.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Generally, it's to do with changes in the welfare system.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13So, people have had a delay in getting the benefits
0:13:13 > 0:13:15that they're entitled to.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17There are benefit sanctions,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19people who've maybe missed an appointment
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and had their benefits cut again for whatever reason.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23And low income.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26So, often, it's people who are working,
0:13:26 > 0:13:27but not earning terribly much.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The downturn in the oil industry as well up here,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32has that has an impact as well, do you think?
0:13:32 > 0:13:34I would say for us...not yet.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39I suspect that it might be a longer, slower impact.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Yeah.- People who've been able to afford, say, a cleaner,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45or somebody to do their ironing, somebody to do their gardening.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I think it's that sort of...
0:13:47 > 0:13:50You know, the extras are cut back on.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53But, of course, the knock-on effect
0:13:53 > 0:13:56means those gardeners and cleaners may feel the pinch too,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and end up needing Jeannie's boxes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Now, one thing about living in rural communities...
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I've lived in wee villages for a long time.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05Everyone knows your business.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Is there not a real sense of stigma attached
0:14:08 > 0:14:09to going along to a food bank?
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I think you're right.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15That's why we work really hard when people do take the step of coming
0:14:15 > 0:14:18to the food bank to make it as welcoming
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and as warm an experience.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23So, when they come in they'll be offered a cup of tea.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Our volunteers are a wonderful couthy bunch.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29And, you know, if they want to talk
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and they want to tell their story, then they can.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35They'll be met with a listening ear and just a bit of empathy, really.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Do you hope for the day that food banks
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and an operation like this aren't required any more?
0:14:41 > 0:14:42It would be amazing.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44These statistics are all people.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And it's horrible to think that these are people on my doorstep
0:14:47 > 0:14:49who are hungry.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52So, yeah. It would be great if there was a point at which, you know,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54we could close the doors and we're not needed any more.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58But in the meantime, I think it's great that there is such
0:14:58 > 0:15:02a response in the local community to do their bit.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And if you want to do your bit,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08you can donate by giving directly to your local food bank,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11or by leaving items at a supermarket collection point.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Please feel free to let us know what you think of rural food banks,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18or anything else you see on the programme,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21by getting in touch via our Facebook page or e-mail...
0:15:32 > 0:15:35On the programme, we often travel to remote, out of the way places.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38There's always somewhere for a quick pit stop.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Today, I am in Corran, on the shores of Loch Hourn.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43And at the end of the village,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47there's this rather quirky place for something to eat.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49You're Lorraine, so who is Sheena?
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Sheena was my mother.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54She started this place up about 20 years ago.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56And it was just a garden shed
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and she just put a bit of a hatch onto it.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01And it's become well-known as Sheena's Tea Hut.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Most of my customers are people that used to know my mother.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06So, they've always come back.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09So, you actually have regulars that come back here?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Mm-hm. They just come back because they love the place.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13- So...- Mmm. It is a beautiful part of the world, isn't it?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And who's this... There's a stag here.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- A picture of the stags everywhere. - His name was Bin Laden,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20my mother sort of adopted.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22He arrived when Bin Laden was on the run.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So, they called him... All the locals called him Bin Laden.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28And he used to come in and he used to stand at the hatch
0:16:28 > 0:16:29and eat all our bacon.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- Now, I noticed you brought some clootie dumpling here.- Mm-hm.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Is this place known for its clootie dumpling?
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Yeah. It was known.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- My mother used to make clootie dumpling.- Right.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44So, yeah, I thought I'd try and keep that tradition going.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45And have you made this?
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Do I lie, or...?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51No, my friend made it for me.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I've tried to make it, but I didn't get it quite right.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- No.- No, that's pretty good, though.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Yep. Hats off to my pal. She did quite well.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01- That's brilliant.- Mm-hm.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Now for something a bit less sedate.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Last weekend, the Age of Steam's most famous engine
0:17:13 > 0:17:15made her long-awaited return to Scotland.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18The Flying Scotsman made the journey back
0:17:18 > 0:17:21after more than a decade spent being restored.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And Euan went along to fulfil a lifetime's dream.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Perhaps the most famous locomotive in the world -
0:17:33 > 0:17:35the Flying Scotsman.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37A masterpiece of British engineering,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41she entered service in 1923 -
0:17:41 > 0:17:44the epitome of luxury and style.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Providing the first nonstop, express service
0:17:49 > 0:17:52between London and Edinburgh, she smashed the speed record,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56becoming the first locomotive in the world to travel at 100mph.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I'm visiting the National Railway Museum in York
0:18:01 > 0:18:05where the Flying Scotsman is being prepared to make the journey
0:18:05 > 0:18:06to Edinburgh later today.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The Flying Scotsman arrived here in 2004.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17And some £4.2 million later, has now been restored to her former glory.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And I cannot wait to see what she looks like now.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- How good is this? Hello, I'm Euan. - Nice to meet you.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- And this is your train. - It certainly is.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42This is the Flying Scotsman.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Shovelling coal on the footplate of the Flying Scotsman
0:18:45 > 0:18:47is a boyhood dream.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50And Noel Hartley, one of the many people who have restored this
0:18:50 > 0:18:53magnificent engine, is letting me do it.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Presumably, there's a bit of an art to this.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- There is. You've got to do it in one swing.- Yeah.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Right into the middle of the fire. - Right into the middle.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So, what kind of state was she in when she arrived?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05The engine was kind of a bit run-down, really,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07but it had done a lot of miles.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Over the past few years and it needed a significant
0:19:10 > 0:19:12amount of work doing to it - a big overhaul.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14And we wanted to bring it back to life
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and get it back to how it was when it was built, really,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19which was the best of the best.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Well, here we go - at York station, heading for Edinburgh.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Masses of people. There's almost hysteria in the air.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32And I'm part of it as well.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34This has been fully booked for months,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36but I've got high hopes there's
0:19:36 > 0:19:38at least one little gap for a small passenger.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It'll take six hours to get to Waverley.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Plenty of time to relax and enjoy the experience.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Marcus Robertson is the director of Steam Dreams,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09who operate the Flying Scotsman tours.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11What is the magic?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I have a theory about it. The Flying Scotsman was always a big name.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Always probably did better than most other locomotives.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20But since it was last on the rails 15 years ago,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23the age of celebrity, social media has been created.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27And I think it's the first celebrity loco.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32THE FLYING SCOTSMAN WHISTLES
0:20:36 > 0:20:38On, through Newcastle,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42over the Tyne and up the East Coast, towards Scotland.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The Flying Scotsman may have been the first locomotive
0:20:49 > 0:20:51to break the 100mph barrier,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55but today's safety regulations for heritage trains
0:20:55 > 0:20:58mean that the old girl is limited to 75mph.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But you know what? So what?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03That simply gives myself and the rest of the passengers
0:21:03 > 0:21:06more time to enjoy the golden age of steam.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Thousands of people lined the route to catch a glimpse
0:21:19 > 0:21:21of the Flying Scotsman
0:21:21 > 0:21:23as we cross the Royal Border Bridge
0:21:23 > 0:21:26that spans the river at Berwick-upon-Tweed.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The Flying Scotsman is coming to Scotland
0:21:36 > 0:21:39for the first time in 16 years.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42For the passengers, it's an exhilarating experience.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47What have you enjoyed about it so far?
0:21:47 > 0:21:49I've enjoyed the whole historical concept
0:21:49 > 0:21:52of being in a Pullman carriage,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54in exactly the same way as they did 100 years ago.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56And you're waving to everybody as well.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58And I'm waving, just like the Queen.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02The train coming in was like...
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Erm, it was...
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It was just too emotional. It brought tears to my eyes.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's absolutely amazing. I mean, just look around.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16All the fabrics are wonderful, the chairs are comfortable.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17It's absolutely superb.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Edinburgh, and journey's end.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25As we arrive at Waverley,
0:22:25 > 0:22:30the crowds are out in force as they have been throughout the trip
0:22:30 > 0:22:33to welcome back the Flying Scotsman.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45What a trip.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It started on a real high this morning,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50getting on the footplate of the flying Scotsman.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52It just got better and better.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Brilliant weather,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56hundreds of people having an absolutely fantastic time,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59but the brilliant thing was really the tens of thousands
0:22:59 > 0:23:02of people that came to watch this iconic locomotive
0:23:02 > 0:23:05thunder through the English and the Scottish countryside.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09It just felt part of something really special.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Really special.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14It's been nearly 100 years
0:23:14 > 0:23:17since the Flying Scotsman first rode the rails
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and children in her carriages were probably reading books
0:23:19 > 0:23:22by Beatrix Potter as the world sped by.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26It's the 150th anniversary of her birth
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and her tales of small animals with big personalities
0:23:29 > 0:23:32are just as popular as they ever were.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34What you may not know,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38is that Beatrix spent much of her young life in rural Perthshire,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41and many of her most-famous characters sprang to life there.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Sarah is in Birnam to find out more.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55The stories of Peter Rabbit and his friends are known across the world,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57translated into more than 35 languages
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and over 100 million copies sold.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07It was here it all started on the banks of the River Tay.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11This was where 27-year-old Beatrix Potter sat down to write
0:24:11 > 0:24:15an illustrated letter to the son of a former governess.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18It told the tale of four rabbits -
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Those little rabbits may have brought Beatrix fame and fortune,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31but she'd been drawing wildlife for quite some time.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34From the age of five, she'd been sketching and painting
0:24:34 > 0:24:36the animals and plants around Perthshire
0:24:36 > 0:24:39during the family's three-month-long summer break from London.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- Where we heading? - It's a gorgeous morning.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47- I think we'll head this direction, Sarah.- Right.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'Author Lynne McGeachie joins me at Dalguise,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56'the Potters' first holiday home in the area.'
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Well, she first saw Dalguise House when she was five years of age,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and they came here in 1871 for the first time,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and they were here for 11 consecutive summers.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08So, she's very much here for her formative years.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11She was indeed. She actually called Dalguise home.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13That's how much it meant to her.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15And what about the relationships she made up here?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I mean, she met lots of fascinating people as well, didn't she?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20She did. One of them was Kitty MacDonald,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22who came up to the Big Hoose as it would be known,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24to take care of the laundry.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And Kitty was the inspiration for what turned out to be later
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Potter's tale of Mrs Tiggy Winkle.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Because she was watching Kitty in action in the laundry,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38you know, mixing the starch for the collars and damask napkins,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and putting the iron up to the fire to warm for the ironing.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46We haven't seen many today and I'm sure there's lots around,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48but she loved rabbits,
0:25:48 > 0:25:49as we all know.
0:25:49 > 0:25:50She did.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54In fact, once she had a collar and lead made for one of them
0:25:54 > 0:25:55because in one of...
0:25:55 > 0:25:59where they were staying she was a bit afraid that the local cat
0:25:59 > 0:26:02would eat her beloved Benjamin Bouncer,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and she just couldn't have that.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07So, she had the rabbit on the lead.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Yes, just one of the reasons that Beatrix is regarded
0:26:10 > 0:26:12as a bit eccentric.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Beatrix spent her later years in the Lake District,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20where she became a successful sheep farmer.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23And that's why she's more associated
0:26:23 > 0:26:24with Cumbria than Perthshire.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But here in Birnam they like to celebrate their connections
0:26:27 > 0:26:30with this amazing lady.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Beatrix would come to the Birnam Institute to borrow books
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and read newspapers during her holidays.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Dave Amos is the exhibition manager at Birnam Arts
0:26:43 > 0:26:47where they have a Beatrix Potter display.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Pride of place goes to the old institute's visitors book.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57- Helen Potter.- That's her. - That was Beatrix's real name.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Perthshire is sometimes overlooked when it comes to Beatrix Potter.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03- Is that frustrating? - Without a doubt.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Cos this is where it all started.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07She got her influence from the environment here.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And that's very much what we try and do here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13We try and get children to be influenced by their environment.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's very much hands-on.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19We don't want them pushing computer buttons or anything.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25We just want them to get back to a Victorian-type childhood.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Do you think her writing is still relevant to the younger generation?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Without a doubt.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32And of course the grandparents love it, the parents love it,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34so the children love it.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Beatrix' birth
0:27:39 > 0:27:42will be taking place all over Perthshire this summer.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45And as Peter Rabbit makes his way home,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47we only have enough time left to tell you what's coming up
0:27:47 > 0:27:48on next week's Landward.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Fishermen in conflict off the East Coast...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55They feel aggrieved that we're actually there.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58I mean, it's fishermen destroying other fishermen.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I can't understand why.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03..the plan to reintroduce long extinct species, such as the wolf...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08..and I travel to North Ronaldsay
0:28:08 > 0:28:12to discover some of the most sought-after lamb in the world.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It has to be cooked very slowly indeed.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16If you want to save your teeth for the future.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20So, please join us for that on BBC One Scotland
0:28:20 > 0:28:22at a different time next week -
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Friday at 8.30.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28In the meantime, from all the team here in Glenelg,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31thanks for your company. Bye for now.