0:00:02 > 0:00:06This week on Landward, Arlene and I will be continuing our electric road trip.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Why don't you join us?
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Hello and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Shortly Arlene and I will be continuing our journey
0:00:32 > 0:00:34along the South West 300,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37a new driving route that takes in this wild,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40stunning coastline plus many other delights.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43And here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Anne is meeting the scientist uncovering the history
0:00:47 > 0:00:48hidden in the earth.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52So, this is an indicator that humans have altered the soils and have used
0:00:52 > 0:00:54the soil and grown crops here.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Let's get them in the daylight.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Euan is making a find of his own at the Lanark Mart.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02If these had been lost, we would never have known anything about this.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03This is a priceless discovery, really.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Give it a really good shake left and right.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08And Arlene strikes gold.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Oh, I've got a couple of bits!
0:01:15 > 0:01:19But before that, it's time for Arlene and I to continue our journey
0:01:19 > 0:01:20round the south west.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And Ailsa Craig is only one of the places we'll pass on our trip.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30We're trying to manage it in an electric car.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And we've already had some bother charging it.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35What's the number for,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37"oh, my goodness, this is a disaster?"
0:01:37 > 0:01:38What's that number?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40BELL TOLLS
0:01:40 > 0:01:41There it is, still here.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44NARRATOR: So we're a little nervous as we begin day two.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48- Shall we see if it's worked?- Yes.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- Let's do this.- 113 glorious miles.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- We're off and running.- It all ended well and we're off on our way.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Yeah. Could you do the voice this time?
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Go straight ahead at the roundabout.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- There's a future in this for you.- Mm-hm.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13I believe this is very nice...
0:02:13 > 0:02:15- ..when the sun is out.- I know.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It is a bit bleak this morning.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The initial part of our journey today
0:02:22 > 0:02:23will take us from Newton Stewart
0:02:23 > 0:02:26along to the Mull of Galloway and Stranraer
0:02:26 > 0:02:29before our first charging stop in Girvan.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35On the way, we're stopping here at
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Millairies Farm in Sorbie,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38where Ted Brown and his family
0:02:38 > 0:02:40produce award-winning sheep's cheese.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Ah, our sheep.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47There's a man standing in a field.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48How are we doing? Nice to see you.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- Good to see you, Dougie. - This is Arlene.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- Hello.- Hello.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- How you doing?- How are you, Ted? Nice to meet you.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59We have a flock of Frieslands here that we milk and make cheese from
0:02:59 > 0:03:01during the summer months, really.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Milk them once a day just, and make cheese twice a week.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07You only milk them once a day - now, that was for a specific reason,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10wasn't it? Just give them a happier, more enjoyable day.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12No, it's because we don't want to
0:03:12 > 0:03:15be spending too long milking sheep, to be honest.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- THEY LAUGH - I believe there's another,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20positive side-effect, in that working with, you know,
0:03:20 > 0:03:21sheep's cheese for about 25 years,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23you've got very soft hands, I believe.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- Yes.- Can I give it a try?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- Yeah.- Oh!
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Look at that.- You're not really a farmer, are you?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Look at those soft hands. For goodness' sake.- Not really, no.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38But, yes, it is a side-effect, the whey does give me nice skin.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39I would recommend it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So how does the sheep's cheese compare to, you know,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43cow's milk and all the rest,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and also goat's cheese is obviously on the market these days?
0:03:46 > 0:03:47Well, the thing about sheep's milk
0:03:47 > 0:03:49is you can make twice as much cheese.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51So ten litres of milk,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55of cow's milk, you get a kilo of cheese.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56The same with goats, roughly.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59But you only need five litres of sheep's milk and you get a kilo of cheese.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And the cheese, it has got health benefits,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05because the fat globules are so small, it's very easy to digest.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Well, I've never tried sheep's cheese.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Neither have I, I don't think.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09So I'm looking forward to having a try,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- if that's all right. - Yeah, I've got it up at the shop.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- It's quite expensive, though.- That's all right, I've got the money.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- She's got her purse, we're OK. - Yeah, I have. We're fine.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Now, this is a cow's cheese,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25it's an organic cow's cheese, it's made from our own milk.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26I'll let you try it first.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28You don't have to eat it all, but
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- you look pretty hungry. - I'm taking the big bit.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Maybe try a bit myself.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Nice. Very nice.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Quite a gentle flavour, it's not too...
0:04:39 > 0:04:41It's quite mild. It's new season.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Now, this is the sheep's. It's slightly older.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47OK, here we go.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Oh, that's really nice.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53It's much nuttier, isn't it?
0:04:53 > 0:04:54I also love the texture of it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It's more crumbly. Really lovely.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01I actually need a glass of red wine now.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03So I had to ask the question -
0:05:03 > 0:05:05how easy is it to milk a sheep?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Well, it's much easier because there are only two teats.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14We're back on the road now, heading for Stranraer.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So, we're approaching Stranraer.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22There isn't a charge point in Stranraer, which I find amazing.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25On my map, it says it's 24.8 miles,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and on your map, it says it's 51.3 miles.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Well, I hope your one is right
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- cos we've only got 59 miles of range left.- Yeah.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37A short hop takes us up the coast and into Ayrshire.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And here we are in Ballantrae.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Lovely.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Look, palm trees. The first time I've seen them for a while.- Ooh!
0:05:45 > 0:05:48It's the one thing I remember about coming down here on my holidays -
0:05:48 > 0:05:50palm trees, because of the Gulf stream.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- This is nice.- Are you actually going to drive on there?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Am I allowed on here?- I'm terrified.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I'm worried you're not going to stop.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I thought it would be nice to have a little walk along the beach,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15given that it's only a few miles before we head inland again.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- Yeah.- Might be our last chance. And look, the sun is coming out.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- The weather has not helped us. - No, it hasn't, I think it's made everything look a little bit grey.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And there are industrial parts, with Stranraer and Girvan,
0:06:26 > 0:06:27which is our next stop.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32- But I still think the coastline is absolutely gorgeous.- Beautiful.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36INAUDIBLE
0:06:38 > 0:06:39So, here we go.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41We have Girvan approaching.
0:06:41 > 0:06:4525 miles to go in terms of the charge.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Maybe we should look ahead tonight
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- and see where the charging points are tomorrow.- That's a good plan.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Or maybe we'll not bother, like we did last night.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58That sun coming out has given me a little kind of shudder of happiness.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- Oh!- It's actually the sun coming out and your promise of an ice cream.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Starting charging. This may take a moment.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- Yep, here we go.- Yes!
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Going through initial checks. Hallelujah.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- I've got a question for you.- What?
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Can I have a flake in my cone?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25SHE LAUGHS
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Later in the programme, we'll be heading for the hills
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and the highest village in Scotland.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38But we're staying on the coast for the moment, as Euan catches up
0:07:38 > 0:07:40with a success story.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42More than a decade ago,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45we were on the spot to see Scotland's first-ever
0:07:45 > 0:07:47coastal realignment project.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It may be hard to believe, but until recently, this was farmland.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56But it's just been deliberately flooded to create new salt marsh,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59an important wildlife habitat
0:07:59 > 0:08:01that's been threatened by global warming.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I've come back to the Cromarty Firth now, to see how things turned out.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13This is Nigg Bay in Easter Ross.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And like many areas round our coastline in Scotland,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20this whole area has been reclaimed from the sea for grazing cattle
0:08:20 > 0:08:22and crop production.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27In the past, seas walls were built to keep the tide from flooding
0:08:27 > 0:08:30this whole area. But in 2003,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34a decision was made to put a hole in those defences to benefit wildlife,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and Landward was here to film it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41And this is where it all happens.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42What they did, effectively,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46was to take a JCB to the sea wall and push it out to sea.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Now, the RSPB had done all the calculations,
0:08:48 > 0:08:49they'd done all the sums,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53but nobody was quite sure if it would actually work.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01But it has, and with a bit of salt and pepper in the hair, I'm back.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Steph.- Hi, Euan.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05So this is your nature reserve?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08That's right, yeah. So, this is the Meddat Marsh part of Nigg Bay Nature Reserve.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12- NARRATOR:- Steph Elliott from the RSPB is going to show me what their efforts
0:09:12 > 0:09:14have achieved and the latest developments
0:09:14 > 0:09:16they've only just completed.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Let's go see if your marsh is working.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22So, back in the 1950s, this was actually rough grazing.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25But prior to that, it had been a salt marsh and mudflats.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28By putting two breaches in the sea wall,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31we've allowed the tide to come back in and recreate those
0:09:31 > 0:09:33intertidal habitats.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So this is your hole in the wall?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Yeah, so this is one of the breaches that was dug in 2003.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43And it's only been here, what, 13 years?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- 13, 14 years.- It looks very much like a marsh.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47It does, yeah.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50So it's a real surprise to us about how quickly that has
0:09:50 > 0:09:51come about.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Fair to say, the first couple of years after we put the holes
0:09:53 > 0:09:56in the wall, it was a big, muddy mess
0:09:56 > 0:09:59as the old vegetation died off and the new vegetation started
0:09:59 > 0:10:00to take place.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02But this is all salt marsh now.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05So this grass is actually called salt marsh grass.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08And this one is sea aster.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09They're all salt-tolerant
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and they're able to be covered by tides twice a day.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14As are these beasties.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Yes, so that's glasswort, or samphire.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Nice, tasty thing to eat.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- It's lovely.- Mm-hm.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- So you've got a hole in the wall. - Yeah.- You've got your marsh plants.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26Are you getting wildlife coming?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Yes. So we've got a lot of these little shells down here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34So these are called hydrobia, or laver spire shells,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and they're a really important food for species like shelduck.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- So they like to go around the mudflats.- There's loads of them.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41So these have all come in, obviously,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43since the coastal realignment was done.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46We get a lot of wintering birds now using this site,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and that's really the reason that we did the project.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Nigg Bay holds about a peak count of 10,000 wintering water birds,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56so that's a mixture of waders, ducks and geese,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and this field alone can hold 2,000 of those birds in the winter.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05But the team haven't stopped improving the habitat.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10The diggers have just been back, creating a scrape -
0:11:10 > 0:11:15a man-made pond that will attract waders and wintering birds.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17We actually only did this back in February.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19The vegetation has come back really quickly.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Nature has sort of taken its course.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So do you get any species that have come in and had a look already?
0:11:23 > 0:11:27During this breeding season, we've had two pairs of lapwing raise their young on this scrape already,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29which is exactly the species of birds
0:11:29 > 0:11:31that we're wanting to encourage here.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34And the cows,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37who might have grazed this land before the sea water was let
0:11:37 > 0:11:40back in, are still getting a meal.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44What we need the cattle to do is to keep the sward nice and short,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46so that means that species like lapwings
0:11:46 > 0:11:49can have good visibility from their nests.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52We don't bring the cattle on until June, so that, actually,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55the nests have already hatched by then and the chicks out up and running about
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and so trampling is not a problem.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59It must be quite satisfying to see nature taking over,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01kind of doing its own thing.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It is really satisfying cos it's a bit of a leap of faith sometimes
0:12:04 > 0:12:08to do something so drastic and then for nature to react so quickly to it
0:12:08 > 0:12:10is really gratifying.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15You know, it is amazing how letting nature
0:12:15 > 0:12:19do exactly what it wants to can completely alter a place.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22This whole place is teeming with wildlife and plants that
0:12:22 > 0:12:24were here originally.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30Sometimes it's a good thing to put things back the way they were.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34As Euan discovered, the terrain is always changing,
0:12:34 > 0:12:39frequently being altered by man in his quest to eke out an existence.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Back in the summer,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Anne visited Achlochan to meet a scientist discovering that
0:12:44 > 0:12:47even in the forbidding West Highlands,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51humans have been affecting the landscape for thousands of years.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58The land here is very similar to the type of land where I grew up on the
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Isle of Lewis - very rocky, very barren,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and I saw first-hand just how difficult it can be
0:13:04 > 0:13:07to make a living from it.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11But that didn't deter the ancient inhabitants of this place.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12- Hello.- Hi.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14How are you doing? I'm Anne.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Nice to meet you.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I'm meeting geo-archaeologist Laura Hamlet
0:13:18 > 0:13:20to find out what her research
0:13:20 > 0:13:25can tell us about how our ancestors survived here and the legacy left
0:13:25 > 0:13:27on the soil that could still benefit us today.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35So, tell me a little bit about the land here and what it's made up of.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38There's lots of little knolls which are referred to as knockans.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40This is a knockan-lochan landscape,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42so you've got all the wee lochans in between.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46It creates a very wet kind of boggy landscape,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49really good for heather and sphagnum moss, things like that.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It doesn't create particularly good soil
0:13:51 > 0:13:54if you want to grow things, but within that,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58we actually are finding little pockets of fertile soil that's been
0:13:58 > 0:14:00improved by people.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02We know that there have been people
0:14:02 > 0:14:03in this landscape since the Neolithic,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06so they must have been doing something to feed themselves.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08And so we're looking for evidence
0:14:08 > 0:14:10of past land management practice that's created
0:14:10 > 0:14:13these fertile pockets of soil for people to grow.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19One of these pockets can be found at Clachtoll, a busy beach today,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21but at one time, a crofting township.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29So, Laura, tell me a little bit about what we're seeing here.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Well, across on the peninsula there,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34you can actually see the remains of agriculture in the past.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37You've got a natural, sandy soil anyway,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40but the people that were farming here were amending it,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42so they were putting in kitchen waste, hearth waste,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46all things that they understood would improve the fertility for agriculture.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- So we're talking about improved soils?- That's right, yeah.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Shall we go and have a look? - Absolutely.- Let's go.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58So, Laura, would this be a man-made dyke?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Yeah, absolutely.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03So we're starting to come into some of the physical evidence of land management here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We know that people have been at Clachtoll since at least
0:15:06 > 0:15:07- the Iron Age.- OK.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11But we just don't know yet what the ages are of some of the features
0:15:11 > 0:15:12that we're seeing.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16So we're surrounded by this quite rocky terrain,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and then we've got this uneven land.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Is this typical?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Is this deliberate? Can you tell me a little bit...?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23This is definitely deliberate.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26A huge amount of hard work went into building these.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27They're called lazy beds,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31but that is a misnomer cos it's anything but lazy
0:15:31 > 0:15:32to create these things.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Whole communities, whole families would get together and build them.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They would build up the land into banks like this,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and that really improves the drainage.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So that means you've created an artificial terrace.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It's very green. A lot of the landscape here reminds me
0:15:45 > 0:15:46of where I grew up,
0:15:46 > 0:15:51but is this greenery typical of this sort of land?
0:15:51 > 0:15:52Absolutely not.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55So, we've seen around us a very marshy, boggy landscape,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59but here, we've got the input of the shell sand
0:15:59 > 0:16:03coming up to create an almost kind of machair-type landscape.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07But it's also got the benefit of the amendment of organic material as well.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08So this is very much a man-made soil.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Also working on the study is Louisa Habermann.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The lazy beds may have been unworked for centuries..
0:16:16 > 0:16:17OK. And there we go.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21..but she's discovering the story they still have to tell us.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Anne, this is my colleague, Louisa.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- Hello.- Hello.- Nice to meet you.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29How are you doing? Tell me about the samples here that you've dug up.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32So today we have a fantastic example
0:16:32 > 0:16:35of culture soil because this gives us
0:16:35 > 0:16:39an indication of if the soil has been worked on.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41So we can see that we have, at the first start,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44a very highly organic soil, and then we find in-blown sands,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47which are quite typical for the Northwest Highlands.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And then the further down we look at the soil profile,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53we also find charcoal, which is absolutely fantastic.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58So this is an indicator that humans have altered the soils
0:16:58 > 0:17:00through additions and fertilisers
0:17:00 > 0:17:03and have used the soil and grown crops here.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Who exactly would this research benefit?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It's basically the community itself and land managers.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14Even, like, the Government. If they're looking forward to producing new maps of
0:17:14 > 0:17:15how fertile this land is.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Because at the moment, this land in the Northwest Highlands,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21the whole area has been labelled
0:17:21 > 0:17:25as non-prime and only workable for rough grazing and grasses,
0:17:25 > 0:17:26which is not true at all.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I mean, we can see here that this soil is perfectly fine
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and can be used for agricultural use.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Beneath the ground in these pockets of land,
0:17:38 > 0:17:43all over this area is an important soil resource which we're only just
0:17:43 > 0:17:45beginning to understand.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48What's discovered here may be useful to how we use
0:17:48 > 0:17:50and look after the land in future.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And now, Euan is also digging around some history.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02He's in Lanark, where the discovery of some very old pictures is causing
0:18:02 > 0:18:04great excitement at the mart.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Morning.- Morning.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08How you getting on today? All right?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- NARRATOR:- It's a busy day here at the Lanark Mart.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The annual two-day sale of Blackface shearling
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and ram lambs is getting underway.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19- Willie.- Hi.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21That's some pair of horns, Isn't it?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Isn't it? Aye. They're really hardy boys, these.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Auctioneer Willie McCulloch is casting his expert eye
0:18:27 > 0:18:29over the best of the breed.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33People want them to look as hardy as possible because these are the hill breed.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35So they might not be, but the horns give it that kind of...?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37- The horns...- ..macho look.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Aye, gives them the macho look. They've got to look the part as well.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42These are shearlings that have been clipped once.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44They are last year's lambs.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Great. But that's not why we're here,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48cos you've made a bit of a discovery, haven't you?
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- I did, I did.- Go and show me.- OK.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54As the auctions get underway,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Willie leads me to the hidden treasure.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- So, how did you find them? - I found them in this cupboard here.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02By accident?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04By accident. I was just rummaging about one day and I kind of looked
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and they were covered. There was an old kind of table cover or whatever.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09It was in here.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- It is a wee cupboard. - And just sitting over in the corner,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15covered up with an old sheet and all the other debris.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- It is a wee cupboard as well.- It is.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18- Wow.- I know.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Willie had discovered a forgotten treasure trove
0:19:23 > 0:19:25of rare photographs and documents
0:19:25 > 0:19:27stretching back to the very beginning
0:19:27 > 0:19:30of the mart's 150-year history.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- You get it?- That's us. Thank you.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Let's get them in the daylight.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Well, we've got them out on a bench. Already it's attracting a lot of interest, isn't it?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- It is. There's a lot of people round about them.- These are fantastic.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51They're a million miles from the ones that are in the ring there.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Definitely. You can see how what we saw this morning,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57how a lot of their coats were what you call bare or shorter coats,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59compared to what these are, these are really woolly.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Cos you've got that one, that Blackface ram, Saul.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03- Aye, I know.- It's got a duvet on it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05It is, it is. You know, imagine that trailing on the ground.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08That's not practical. Imagine getting that ready for a show.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10These ones here, is that 1898?
0:20:10 > 0:20:11That's 1898.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13This one here was 55.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16£50, £165 -
0:20:16 > 0:20:18which was a lot of money in these days -
0:20:18 > 0:20:20£80 and £40.
0:20:20 > 0:20:21And they grossed £390.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So even in those days, these were valuable sheep.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- They are, they are.- That's fantastic, that one. Love that.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29That is. That's a great picture. That's a great picture.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- Just oozing attitude.- It says here, "First prize, early clipped."
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- They don't look early clipped. - We've got people round here...
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- We have, we have.- ..which is presenting a bigger challenge.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Yes, it is. Yes, it is.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43These first two photographs were believed to be the first staff
0:20:43 > 0:20:47of the New Lanark Market in 1867.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- This is the first customers. - These are the first customers.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And this gentleman here, David Ogilvy of Rottal,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54was the first purchaser of Blackface lambs.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I didn't know where Rottal Farm was.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I did a bit of delving and it turns out to be Kirriemuir.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01- That's a long way from home, then. - A long way from home,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04and I'm assuming they would get the sheep back by train.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07If they had to walk them, it would take them a long, long time.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09How important are these to the mart?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12This is very important. This is our history.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15If these had been lost, we would never have known anything about this.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17This is a priceless discovery, really, for us.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20And it is a great opportunity for
0:21:20 > 0:21:23the people here today to reflect on how
0:21:23 > 0:21:24things have changed.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Wool was worth a lot of money in these days,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29so therefore they wanted a lot of wool on the sheep.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The wool clip used to pay the shepherd's wage.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37And now the wool will hardly pay for somebody coming to clip them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40These horns are down.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42The horns now, you'll see, they're up on the top.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44You know where they come out?
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- It's like... - Aye, just on the top.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48The likes of these are completely different.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52I've seen you at the Highland Show
0:21:52 > 0:21:56trying to get just that perfect shot
0:21:56 > 0:21:58of a cow or a sheep or whatever.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00That one, look at the composition there.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02You've got the middle sheep looking right down the lens.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Yes.- Is that clever, or has it been tinkered with?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I don't think it will have been tinkered with.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- Yeah...- They've just probably worked very hard getting them
0:22:11 > 0:22:13to stand right.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- It's an absolutely gorgeous picture.- Beautiful.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21There's no doubt that this archive
0:22:21 > 0:22:23gives us a valuable insight into both
0:22:23 > 0:22:26the farmers and the beasts they produced.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Now, fashions might have changed,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30but there's something strangely familiar about this.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The excitement, the high prices,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36and it's not difficult to imagine what it was like at that first mart
0:22:36 > 0:22:39at Lanark in 1867.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Arlene and I are on the last stretch of our trip around the south west
0:22:49 > 0:22:50in our electric car.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56ARLENE LAUGHS
0:22:56 > 0:22:59After the delights of the Ayrshire coast, we're moving inland,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and the terrain has changed.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07This is a great road to drive. It's full of bends, it's brilliant.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Yeah, great, unless there's a car coming the other way.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I'm being very safe.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14That's why those smells are appearing in the car.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19We're making our way to charge up in New Cumnock,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and fortunately for us, the landscape is helping out.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The battery recharges when travelling downhill.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Which is just as well,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33as we don't seem to have completely cracked operating
0:23:33 > 0:23:36the charging stations yet.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- This side... What side has gone blue?- The wrong side has gone blue.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Yeah, I think there's either an issue, or you've pressed the wrong button.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- Shall we try again?- Yes.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Now, as a result of me pressing the right buttons twice,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49or maybe the wrong button once, it's now working.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And the great news is, I take milk with no sugar.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54He's an idiot.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And it doesn't get any better when he gets back behind the wheel.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01THEY LAUGH
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I may have been driving for a little bit there with the handbrake on.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06These things happen.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10We're at our next stop - the highest village in Scotland.
0:24:10 > 0:24:141,531 feet.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Wanlockhead.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20So today's excursion is gold panning.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Cos I believe this, the hills
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and surrounding areas are quite rich in gold.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Yeah, lead and gold.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29This was one of the centres for mining in Scotland.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33And introducing us to the secrets of gold panning,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36here on the banks of the River Mennock, is Leon Kirk.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38How are you, sir? Good to see you.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- Hello.- Hello.- How are you?
0:24:41 > 0:24:43How are you? Great to see you.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45You too. Are you well? This is Arlene.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Hi, Arlene, how are you?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Nice to meet you.- In for a bit of gold, are we?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Oh, always. They don't call me gold digger for nothing.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Leon has been panning for gold here for over 20 years,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and it's lost none of its lustre.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01There's just something about it. Every flake still makes me smile.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It's seeing people come to the area,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05new people taking up the hobby.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Well, I'm looking forward to it and I'm looking for a bracelet at the
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- end of this.- Girls are better than boys, trust me.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11Is that right?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I'm just going to suck up some gravel,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and we'll go up to a nice quiet pool and we will have a try.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- How about that?- Perfect.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30And we're going to have to shake it to get all the heavy minerals to the bottom.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32OK, so if you just follow what I'm doing. In the water...
0:25:34 > 0:25:36..and just left to right...
0:25:36 > 0:25:39..until the gravel is almost touching the palm of your hands.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Give it a really good shake left and right.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45And all the lighter materials are now coming to the top.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51A licence is required to pan here from the Lead Mining Museum.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52And you'll need the landowner's permission
0:25:52 > 0:25:56to have a go anywhere else in Scotland.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Oh, I've got a couple of bits!
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Three bits. There you go.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02DOUGIE LAUGHS
0:26:02 > 0:26:03See this big bit of gold there?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05That's...
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Now, Leon, was that not the biggest bit you've found for a while?
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Yes, for a long while.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11NARRATOR: Beginner's luck, surely.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15However, Leon shows us what experience and patience can uncover.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17You absolutely nailed it, you're a natural.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21- Thank you.- But I'm not going to try and spoil your day,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23but I've got some that I've previously found.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- SHE LAUGHS Wow.- Oh come on!
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- SHE GASPS - If you keep at it, you'll eventually get there.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- Goodness me. - They've been found in there?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33They've been found in Scotland. That's as much as I'm going to tell you.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35They're all Scottish natural nuggets.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I thought what we could do is have a swap -
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- so you take that one and I'll take these.- There you go.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- Thank you. It has been a pleasure. - I tell you, I wouldn't do that.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Listen, She's off to the car.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Exactly. Call the police.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Not necessarily.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Back on the roads, Arlene has time to admire her tiny speck
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- of precious metal.- My gold.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Are you going to phone a jeweller?
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- SHE LAUGHS - I should.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Yes. What can they do with that?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Well, it's pretty much downhill all the way...
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Ah!
0:27:06 > 0:27:10..as I take us back to where we began the South West 300.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15And here we are - Dumfries.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16The end of the journey.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Queen of the South.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Yes. It's been a great little journey, hasn't it?
0:27:21 > 0:27:22It has been fantastic.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- We made it. - Some hiccups along the way.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Just one or two.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33But I think South West 300 is a really nice route.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- It is.- And I think there were elements of it,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37the landscape kept changing, and I really loved it,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39especially the Solway Coast for me.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Beautiful.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Quite a good trip. Would you do it again?
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Not with you, no.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48THEY LAUGH
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I'm sure she doesn't mean it really.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Next week, I'm flying solo,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56discovering the true story of Rob Roy...
0:27:56 > 0:28:01His name was all over the landscape, and still is.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04..while Euan is tracking down sparrowhawks...
0:28:04 > 0:28:07These feathers almost act like human fingerprints.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Three, two, one.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13..and Arlene is on a dolphin rescue exercise.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17So please join us for that and much more at the same time next week.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Remember, Monday night, 7:30 on BBC One Scotland.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23In the meantime, from all the Landward team,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25thank you so much for your company. Bye for now.