0:00:02 > 0:00:05It's wild, it's remote, it's beautiful
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and home to some of the finest mutton in the world.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10This is North Ronaldsay.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Hello, and a very warm welcome to the programme from the Orkney
0:00:32 > 0:00:34island of North Ronaldsay.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37In a moment, I'll be on the hunt for the sheep that share
0:00:37 > 0:00:40their name with this island, but first here's what else is coming up.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45'Fishermen in conflict on the east coast.'
0:00:45 > 0:00:47They feel aggrieved that we're actually there.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I mean, it's fishermen destroying other fishermen.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I can't understand why.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54'Euan's up in the air.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- So now we're gliding. - So now we're on our own.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I'm heading for a dark cloud hoping to find an updraught in it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03That's the plan, but in gliding nothing is certain.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'And Nick's in Stirling with the street-food van,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10'trying to cook some mutton.'
0:01:10 > 0:01:12THEY COUGH
0:01:21 > 0:01:26'Scotch beef, Arbroath smokies, Stornoway black pudding - these are
0:01:26 > 0:01:29'just some of the Scottish products that have been awarded what is
0:01:29 > 0:01:33'called a Protected Geographic Indicator, or PGI.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'And the list is growing.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41'And that's why I've flown into North Ronaldsay.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'The people of the island want one, too.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'It's the most northerly island in the Orkney archipelago and home
0:01:50 > 0:01:54'to a native breed of sheep that's been here for thousands of years.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'They apparently produce some of the best-tasting
0:01:58 > 0:02:01'mutton in the world, and I want to find out more.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:09The sheep live on the foreshore and graze almost entirely on seaweed,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13and it's this unusual diet that gives the mutton its unique
0:02:13 > 0:02:16flavour that's much sought after in restaurants across the country.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22'In 1832, the laird wanted to clear the land of sheep
0:02:22 > 0:02:24'to make way for cattle
0:02:24 > 0:02:26'and struck a deal with the crofters.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'They were to build a dyke right around the island to keep the sheep
0:02:30 > 0:02:34'on the foreshore, where they could graze on seaweed instead of grass.'
0:02:37 > 0:02:43The only time the sheep get inside the sea wall is during lambing
0:02:43 > 0:02:44and when they're going to market,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and the tups are going to market, so I'm going to give them a hand
0:02:48 > 0:02:53punding, which means driving the sheep into these punds behind me.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I'm told the sheep are very wily and elusive
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and it's not going to be easy.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Phew! Not easy to walk, anyway!
0:03:05 > 0:03:08'While we put a guide fence into position,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10'the sheep are driven along the shore.'
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Here they come.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17So, after half an hour of chasing along the beach in this
0:03:17 > 0:03:20direction, we've now put out this wire fence and here they come back.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22THE MEN CLAP AND SHOUT
0:03:27 > 0:03:31One way the islanders hope to secure the future of these unique
0:03:31 > 0:03:34sheep is by applying for a Protected Geographic Indicator,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38or PGI, for North Ronaldsay yarn and mutton.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41This would mean that only wool and meat produced right
0:03:41 > 0:03:46here on the island would be able to carry that North Ronaldsay name.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47Does the seaweed in their diet really make
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- a difference to the taste of the meat, do you think?- Absolutely, yes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- Aye?- Much darker meat. - Uh-huh.- Yes, definitely.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'Crofter Billy Muir has been one of the key players trying to
0:03:58 > 0:04:02'maximise the benefits from the island's woolly resource.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:03So, what about the PGI status?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06What will that mean to the crofters here on the island?
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Well, we've been talking about that for five to ten years,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and finally we're getting something done about it, so hopefully it
0:04:14 > 0:04:20enhances the marketing and enhances the status of the animal, as well.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26There is a worldwide interest in the meat, which is excellent,
0:04:26 > 0:04:27and the wool.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Yeah, because it's not just about the eating,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- it's about the fleeces, as well.- Fleeces, as well.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33And what's been done on the island
0:04:33 > 0:04:36to kind of keep that kind of tradition going, as well?
0:04:36 > 0:04:41Well, at the lighthouse, when it went automatic in 1998,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44we looked at alternatives for it rather than have something
0:04:44 > 0:04:49dead in the water, and the first we did was to convert the engine room
0:04:49 > 0:04:51into a wool mill to spin the wool from the sheep.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'That's all well and good, but there's another vital
0:04:57 > 0:05:00'component to keep the mutton and wool business healthy -
0:05:00 > 0:05:02'people.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I think we're going to run into problems with just sheer
0:05:05 > 0:05:08lack of numbers as people like myself
0:05:08 > 0:05:12disappear from the world, you know, and therefore...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15..erm, we will struggle
0:05:15 > 0:05:20until a new generation of people comes, willing to take it on again.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'But right now, octogenarian Sinclair Scott is more
0:05:24 > 0:05:28'concerned about one of the sheep being past its best.'
0:05:28 > 0:05:30He's getting on a bit, that's the trouble. You see,
0:05:30 > 0:05:36- if you look in here, he's round about five now.- Right.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- And that's really the limit. Once they're six year old, it's...- Right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Not the best eating.- It needs to be cooked today for tomorrow.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- If you cook them properly, it's very, very tender indeed.- Yeah.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- You know, it doesn't matter how old it is.- Right.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50But once they get to six year old,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- it's about time to maybe pension them off then.- Right.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56They reach the same age as I have and has to be cooked very
0:05:56 > 0:06:00slowly indeed if you want to save your teeth for the future!
0:06:00 > 0:06:01DOUGIE LAUGHS
0:06:06 > 0:06:08'It will be at least two years before the people
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'of North Ronaldsay find out if their PGI application is successful.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15'Later in the programme,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'I'll be joining Nick in the food van to cook some island mutton.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23'For the meanwhile,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'I'm staying put to explore some more of North Ronaldsay
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'while Euan is a couple of hundred miles south,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31'about to take to the skies above the Cairngorms.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33MUSIC: Dedicated Follower Of Fashion by the Kinks
0:06:33 > 0:06:37# Cos he's a dedicated follower of fashion... #
0:06:37 > 0:06:42'1966, a great year for music, great telly,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44'and I was still in short trousers.'
0:06:44 > 0:06:48# Round the boutiques of London Town... #
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And here, in Feshie Bridge near Aviemore,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55something else was taking off - gliding.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59And folk took to the skies in craft like this, made of wood
0:06:59 > 0:07:01and canvas and no engine.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05And here we are, 50 years later, and the Cairngorm Gliding Club is
0:07:05 > 0:07:09still going strong and flying higher than ever.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11This is base.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16'79-year-old Bill Longstaff was one of the founding members.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:18So, how did you get started in flying?
0:07:18 > 0:07:22During the war, when I was a youngster of three or four
0:07:22 > 0:07:25or something like that, everybody was interested in aeroplanes.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29We had them going overhead and bombs dropping and things like that.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31So I bought my first book of aeroplanes
0:07:31 > 0:07:33when I was about four or five years of age.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'But it wasn't until Bill moved to the Cairngorms that he finally
0:07:38 > 0:07:42'got the chance to fly as one of this club's first members.'
0:07:44 > 0:07:47You could train people by ground sliding,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51by towing them along the ground, either with a winch or a car,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55not fast enough to fly but to get the feel.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And that went on fine until one day I was driving the winch and
0:07:59 > 0:08:04a chap called Angus Macleod was at the controls of our little glider,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and he came off the ground
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and we finished up with a pile of matchwood.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- So you were down to one glider at that point.- Down to one glider.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Nick, how do you do? - Ah, hello, Euan. Nice to meet you.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- How are you doing? - So, this is your machine.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- This is my Ash 25 glider.- Wow.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23'And soon it's time for me to take to the skies.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'My instructor is former North Sea helicopter pilot Nick Norman.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31'It's his job to keep me safe.'
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- So, have we got a good day for it? - ..and that hooks over.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Yeah, it's a lovely day, nice and sunny, no showers yet.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37That looks perfect to me.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39So, if you needed to use the parachute, there's the D ring
0:08:39 > 0:08:43here, so you would just, with both hands, pull down really hard.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- And it's never going to happen, so you'll be fine.- OK!
0:08:59 > 0:09:01'A tow plane takes us to a height where it's
0:09:01 > 0:09:04'safe to start gliding, usually around 2,000 feet.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10'Once he's happy, Nick will detach the tow rope.'
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Right, I've come off tow.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15There's going to be a big pull when I put the undercarriage up...
0:09:15 > 0:09:17which is like that.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19So now we're gliding with the undercarriage up
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and it's a little bit quieter.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- So, now we're on our own. - So, now we're on our own,
0:09:24 > 0:09:25and we're heading for a dark cloud,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28hoping to find an updraught in it, which is going to take us
0:09:28 > 0:09:30up to the bottom of the cloud.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33That's the plan, but in gliding nothing is certain.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'Nick gets the glider to climb by using thermals,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'rising columns of hot air.'
0:09:41 > 0:09:43I'm going to circle in this lift now.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46You can see we're climbing up to 600 feet a minute here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50So I'm going to start to circle in order to stay in this rising
0:09:50 > 0:09:51column of air.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's amazing how Nick manages to read the landscape
0:09:55 > 0:09:59'and the skies, but it's taken years of practice.'
0:10:04 > 0:10:08To my eye, the lift is as clear as anything,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and I can see a cloud that's going to work, another cloud that's dead,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14or a group of clouds that are going to work.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So it's not just random, we don't just randomly fly along,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19you know, until we hit the ground, it's not like that.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22But the skill is assessing the weather, working out the lift,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and our height is our energy.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Your height is like the fuel in your car.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31So, you know, when you get low on fuel, you find a thermal,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34you circle in it, you top up...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- and then you carry on. - This is great, flying...
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I was going to say for free, but using free resources.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Yeah, absolutely, and you can stay up for hours.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'Nick recently used his skills to break a club record,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53'gilding to more than 28,000 feet.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57We were climbing about 700, 800 feet a minute, we got
0:10:57 > 0:10:59clearance from air-traffic control
0:10:59 > 0:11:01to go above 20,000 feet, which you have to have,
0:11:01 > 0:11:07and we eventually topped out at 28,534 feet above sea level.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Did you need oxygen for that? - Oh, yes, absolutely.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14We have an oxygen system, which is this device here.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17And so we were on oxygen above 10,000 feet.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19It was very cold.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It was off the end of the scale on my temperature gauge.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I think it was about minus 35.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32'We've not reached those dizzying heights today, but I've still
0:11:32 > 0:11:34'had lots of fun and, even better,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'we end up safely back on the ground.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Well, that was truly amazing.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48You know, sometimes you really get spoiled in this job. Last week,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I was shovelling coal on the footplate of the Flying Scotsman,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56this week in a big, massive glider soaring high above
0:11:56 > 0:11:58the Cairngorms, up with the eagles.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Absolutely fantastic.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06As I travel thousands of miles crisscrossing Scotland,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I'm going to be showing you some of my favourite
0:12:09 > 0:12:12places, and today, because I'm on North Ronaldsay,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14it has to be the Bird Observatory.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18'Hundreds of thousands of birds make landfall
0:12:18 > 0:12:21'here during the spring migrations.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'Euan Ferguson, one of the observatory's ornithologists,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26'has something to show me.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- A goldcrest.- Oh, wow!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32They are extremely small birds, the smallest bird in Europe.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36'This goldcrest is on the way from southern Europe to its summer
0:12:36 > 0:12:38'home in Scandinavia.'
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I'm checking to see how much fat it's got, and it's actually got
0:12:40 > 0:12:42quite a lot of fat, which suggests this bird is
0:12:42 > 0:12:46getting ready to move on and continue its migration.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I should just see how much this guy weighs.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So, this only weighs four grams.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- So, what's that the equivalent of? - I'm not sure.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Maybe a ten-pence piece?
0:12:58 > 0:13:014.2, so this actually weighs less than a ten-pence piece.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03That's incredible. That's incredible!
0:13:03 > 0:13:06This tiny bird here, who's done such a massive journey.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- It's amazing to think.- Wow!
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- So now we just let the bird go. - Just let it go.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It's quite breezy out here.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17'Not only small, it's fast, too.'
0:13:18 > 0:13:20There he goes!
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Well, North Ronaldsay is a bird-watcher's paradise,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and if you come to the observatory,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26not only can you have a marvellous time but it's also
0:13:26 > 0:13:30home to the only restaurant, shop and bar on the island.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Bar. That sounds a very good idea. Ewan, shall we?- Aye.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40'Now, from a migratory visitor on North Ronaldsay to the
0:13:40 > 0:13:42'shores of Loch Ness,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46'where Euan is investigating reports that long-extinct wolves have
0:13:46 > 0:13:49'been heard in the hills of the Dundreggan estate.'
0:13:55 > 0:13:59At one time, the hills and glens of Scotland would have been dominated
0:13:59 > 0:14:05by pines and oaks and predators like wolves, bear and lynx.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09But the extinction of those animals meant that deer would
0:14:09 > 0:14:10thrive in large numbers,
0:14:10 > 0:14:15and the deer impact on the young, emerging shoots of our trees.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19But that could be about to change, because once again...
0:14:19 > 0:14:21there are wolves in these hills.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23HOWLING
0:14:28 > 0:14:30WHISTLES BLOW
0:14:30 > 0:14:33'The wolves are a group of volunteers at the estate where the
0:14:33 > 0:14:39'charity Trees for Life is working to restore the Caledonian forest.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'The idea is that they mimic the activity of the wolf
0:14:42 > 0:14:46'and scare off deer, who feed on the newly planted seedlings.'
0:14:46 > 0:14:52Project Wolf is about helping the forest to restore itself.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54'Doug Gilbert is in charge of the project,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58'and he's showing me the damage that the deer can cause.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We've actually got a prime example down here.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02- Is this a rowan here? - So, this is a rowan tree.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It's really palatable. So, deer love rowan trees.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09They want to eat as many of them as they can.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11If the wolves aren't there - human or otherwise -
0:15:11 > 0:15:14they'll just devastate this bit, will they?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Well, they would certainly take all the rowans, yeah, and so,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20as you can see, in this forest there's a lack of rowan seed trees.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23That's because of a long history.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28'Humans pretending to be wolves might seem ludicrous, but
0:15:28 > 0:15:31'Alan Watson Featherstone, founder of Trees for Life,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33'is deadly serious.'
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Well, it's really about replicating some of the missing
0:15:36 > 0:15:39functions of species that belong in this ecosystem here
0:15:39 > 0:15:41that are absent at the moment.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And because of that, it's like a tattered remnant
0:15:43 > 0:15:47and it's not able to function properly.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49'Alan maintains that if the deer can be kept away,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'the forest will flourish.'
0:15:52 > 0:15:56We would get more pines, we'd get more oak,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01and we'd get a varied forest rather than this sort of standardised
0:16:01 > 0:16:03birch wood that we've got at the moment.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05And when we get more tree species, it's
0:16:05 > 0:16:07a wonderful home for invertebrates,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10it supports hundreds of species of invertebrates, and they provide
0:16:10 > 0:16:14food for birds, and the whole web of life becomes re-established.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19'This process of rewilding has a bigger aim.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21'Once the woodland has been regenerated,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24'it's hoped the human variety of predator could make
0:16:24 > 0:16:29'way for the return of some long-disappeared four-legged ones.'
0:16:30 > 0:16:33You've got your own team of wolves at the moment out there.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37It's a controversial debate, as you well know.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I would imagine wolves a long, long way away.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Lynx seem to be bubbling to the surface.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- There's a lot more conversation about lynx.- Yes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I mean, I think lynx is a much easier
0:16:47 > 0:16:49and less controversial animal to consider.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53It's solitary, it's smaller, it is no threat to people
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and it's much less of a threat to livestock, too.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59'But until then,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02'Dundreggan will have to make do with its human deer-scarers.'
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- Hi, guys.- Hello, Euan. - Alan. Laura.- Hi.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11'I caught up with them after a night on the prowl.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:13You guys have been out on patrol the past few nights.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- What kind of things have you been seeing?- We've seen sika and red.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19We've just seen a couple of sika up on the hill ridge
0:17:19 > 0:17:20and a couple of red.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23We saw a couple of flashes of the white tail of the sika,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25but they did prance off quite quickly.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29So, why do you want to do this in a midgie-infested Highland glen,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31being out there at night chasing deer?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Well, basically, I love my country.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39I love conservation, and this project is basically to protect
0:17:39 > 0:17:41the trees and the wildlife
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and rewild this area of the Caledonian Forest.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Is howling compulsory, or is it just fun?
0:17:47 > 0:17:48It's probably more fun,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51because wolves don't actually howl when they hunt.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- So it's more creating a noise to disturb them. Yeah.- Quick howl?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59THEY ALL HOWL
0:18:03 > 0:18:06This project is very much in the early stages,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10but the work that the human wolves have been doing has proved
0:18:10 > 0:18:13that regeneration can be helped by moving the deer on,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and it opens up the whole debate about rewilding.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And who knows, possibly lynx...
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and maybe even wolves might once again roam in these forests.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26HOWLING
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'Last year on Landward, we looked at the complex
0:18:31 > 0:18:36'conflict between creel fishermen and trawlers on the west coast.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38'But it's not an isolated problem.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42'Tension is also growing on the other side of the country.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46'Here in the inshore waters of the east coast, there have been
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'lucrative creel-fishing grounds for generations.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56'But now, creel fishermen fear for their livelihoods as trawlers
0:18:56 > 0:18:59'are creeping ever closer to the relatively shallow coastal
0:18:59 > 0:19:01'waters they fish.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- How's it going? All right? - Good, Dougie, good.- Oh, smashing.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08'I've come to Stonehaven to spend a day with fisherman Ian Mathieson.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'I want to hear first-hand about the problems he faces
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'and his thoughts on potential solutions.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21'Ian has been fishing these waters for nearly 15 years.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'His catch of crab and lobster is sold all over the world,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'supporting Ian's family as well as three others.'
0:19:36 > 0:19:37What are you looking for?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Are quite a few going back because of size, and stuff?
0:19:40 > 0:19:42We have a set size that we have to catch.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- You know, that's the rules and regulations regarding size.- Aye.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48There you go, there's what it's all about. Look at the eggs in that.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50That's our future. Put him back and it looks after the ground.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Absolutely.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54That's the good thing about creeling - there's no by-catch,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56you just put them straight back.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- Uh-huh.- And then we'll catch them again.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00'So, no waste.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04'In the last few years, though,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06'Ian's business has started to suffer.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08'Bigger trawlers looking for fish, squid
0:20:08 > 0:20:12'and shellfish began to work in his traditional grounds.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'More than once, their nets and fishing gear have destroyed
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'Ian's creels, catching and dragging them along the seabed.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Well, initially, we had a lot of problems with the scallop boats,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28but recently they've got a lot better, a lot better.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32The lads are phoning us up, they're working with us on the radio.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34But we've still got a few, and it doesn't take much.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37But we've also got problems with the squid boats.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- That's a relatively new fishery for here.- Uh-huh.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43They've been here a while, but they've left us alone.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47But last year, they hammered us. We lost 180 pots to them last year,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and they feel aggrieved that we're actually there.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I mean, it's fishermen destroying other fishermen.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54I can't understand why.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59If they work with us, we can work with them.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Unfortunately, they tow your gear away
0:21:01 > 0:21:03and THEN they ask you to work with them.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06- Right!- There's not much co-operation there.- No.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10So, who is potentially policing all this? Or is nobody doing it?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Well, it's meant to be Marine Scotland.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14They're in charge of the waters.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19But their excuse is they have no judicial powers.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20And, really, it's a cop-out.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- You know, they are the sea police, if you want to call them that.- Yeah.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It's up to them to step up to the plate.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It's time to do something about it, and it's a shame,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31because it's affecting the fishing industry.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33We're getting a bad name from the environmentalists and all the rest,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and really, Marine Scotland could sort it out overnight.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41'We asked Marine Scotland for their response to Ian's situation,
0:21:41 > 0:21:42'and they said:'
0:21:51 > 0:21:54"Marine Scotland officers around the coast play an active role in..."
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'All Ian wants is a solution to conflict that's acceptable
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'to all sides.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Would there be an excuse that people don't know where your gear is,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13so they're just going over the top of it?
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Well, that's certainly been an issue in the past, but not now.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20With modern technology and the set-up that we have at the moment,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24the gear is well marked, we give out the positions of our gear,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27there's a 24-hour website, their own fishing organisations
0:22:27 > 0:22:31are e-mailed on a monthly basis an update on the positions.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35We were asked to move gear this year -
0:22:35 > 0:22:37well, not asked, we were told to move gear this
0:22:37 > 0:22:39year by some of them, and it was just blatant.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41It was just, "Move it or else."
0:22:41 > 0:22:45So that isn't, you know, a mistake. That's just blatant.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The ground doesn't belong to anybody.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50You know, it's to be shared by all of us.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52And if we have to move a little bit
0:22:52 > 0:22:54with guys that are co-operating with us, we'll move.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But we're not going to be dictated to and told,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00"Get out of there or else." That's nonsense. Absolute nonsense.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Times are tough on the east coat,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07with the creel fishermen feeling the impact of the trawlers,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and with the squid boats soon to arrive,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12it could be a challenging summer for the creelers.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17'If you've got any thoughts on the problems facing the fishing
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'industry - or anything else, for that matter - you can
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'get in touch via our Facebook page or e-mail.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36'Earlier in the programme,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39'I tracked down the legendary sheep of North Ronaldsay.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43'Now I need to find out if their taste is as unique as it's claimed.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46'And who better to help me than Nick Nairn?
0:23:46 > 0:23:48'He's in our street-food van,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51'and this time we're cooking for the citizens of Stirling.'
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Dougie! North Ronaldsay.- Yeah. - How was it?- Amazing.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Absolutely fantastic. Beautiful island.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04No trees, no mountains, no hills.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06But it was absolutely stunning.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- We had pretty good weather, as well. This is your challenge.- Not lamb.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- It's not lamb.- No, this is three years old, very dark meat.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14A lot of fat.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I'm going to trim the mutton off, take quite a lot of the fat off,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- season it up and then cook it on the griddle.- Yeah.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- Meanwhile, you are going to make some garlic butter.- OK.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26So, Doug, you were up there with farmers in North Ronaldsay.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And they're going to apply for PGI status for the North Ronaldsay lamb.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- Yep.- Why?- They reckon that because the sheep are grazing
0:24:33 > 0:24:36on the foreshore and eating mainly seaweed,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38it gives it a particular flavour,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and they reckon that people should know
0:24:40 > 0:24:42if it comes from North Ronaldsay, and they've got a point.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46And did they tell you about mutton as opposed to lamb,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- the difference in age? - No. Talk me through it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54- Well, mutton is three years old, so this is an old sheep.- Right.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57But what it does do is it gives it quite a strong flavour,
0:24:57 > 0:24:58and it can be a wee bit teuch.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04- Yes.- So, normally I would cook chops rare, really rare and juicy,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- but I think we're going to cook these medium well.- Right.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I think I'm not going to take any risks with this.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13We'll give them a good cook.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Pan with butter. In goes the garlic.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20I'm going to season the lamb with salt and a bit of pepper.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21So, a fair glug of olive oil.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25A fair glug of olive oil, you're absolutely right, Dougie.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Normally when you're cooking lamb chops,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31the challenge is to try and get the fat on the outside crisped up
0:25:31 > 0:25:33without overcooking the meat on the inside.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36But with mutton, it's going to be cooked all the way through.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38So it's much easier, it's much less critical.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42So, really, we can just put them on, get a coffee, pull up a chair.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47'While Nick takes it easy, I chop up the parsley and mint
0:25:47 > 0:25:50'and add to the garlic butter.'
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Is that better?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55THEY COUGH
0:25:55 > 0:25:58'Maybe Nick should have watched it a bit more closely...'
0:25:58 > 0:26:00You're blowing it in at me!
0:26:00 > 0:26:02'At least the van is open-air.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Oh!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06'A little bit of lemon, and the garlic butter is ready.'
0:26:06 > 0:26:07Here we go.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11North Ronaldsay mutton chops!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Shall we have a tasty? - I think we should have a tasty.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- I'll have this one. - I'll have that one there.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Oh, that's really nice. I don't want to sound surprised!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25That is a good flavour, yeah.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- Now...- There's some chewing in there, but it's not...
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- No, no, this is not spring lamb.- No. - This has got a bit of age to it.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34But a huge depth of flavour. But that is very good!
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Very nice, yeah.- Let's see what the guys in Stirling think.- Let's do it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39OK!
0:26:42 > 0:26:43Very nice.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- That is absolutely delicious.- Yeah?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- It's got a hint of game. - Any hint of seaweed?
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- Actually, the aftertaste on your tongue, you can.- Really?
0:26:52 > 0:26:54But it's not strong.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00I wouldn't normally eat lamb or mutton pink, but that's really nice.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03It's no' bad, is it?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Moist.- Mm-hm.- And tender.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Phenomenal.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It does taste like mutton. It's nice, though.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Sir, do you want a wee tasty of North Ronaldsay lamb?
0:27:13 > 0:27:15That's tasty.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- Yeah?- I'm a butcher. That's very, very tasty.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- People are liking my butter and garlic and...- My recipe.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26- Yeah, yeah, yeah.- You taste a wee bit of seaweed.- Really?- Aye.- Mm-hm.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- The taste of the sea!- And I love the salty taste. It's really nice.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- That's the best lamb I've tasted.- Really?
0:27:32 > 0:27:33THEY LAUGH
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Everybody loved it!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40It's amazing, because normally, some people
0:27:40 > 0:27:43kind of don't like something, but actually, universally...
0:27:43 > 0:27:45I don't think we've ever done this before
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and everybody has said it's fantastic.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49But it takes a bit of cooking.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53It takes a bit of careful cooking by an experienced chef like myself!
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Exactly! And on that note,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58just time to tell you what's coming up next time around.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04'Sarah's in hospital trying to improve the reputation of the food.'
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Here we have the evening meal.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08It's mince and onions for approximately 600.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- That is a shedload of mince.- Yes.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14'And I assist researchers trying to find out what happens to the
0:28:14 > 0:28:16'salmon from our rivers.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:18So, this will give us a picture of what the whole population is, so
0:28:18 > 0:28:21we can look at survival of different age groups
0:28:21 > 0:28:23and how that might change over time.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27'That's next Friday on BBC One Scotland at 8:30.'
0:28:28 > 0:28:31In the meantime, from all of the Landward team here in Stirling,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- thank you so much for your company. Bye for now.- Goodbye.