0:00:02 > 0:00:04If you want to keep in touch with what's happening
0:00:04 > 0:00:08in the Scottish countryside, Landward will keep you connected.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30In a moment, we're going to be launching
0:00:30 > 0:00:33a campaign to get Scotland connected.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41MasterChef champion Gary Maclean's bringing home the bacon in Ayrshire.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44God gave me two hands and he gave you two hands,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I would appreciate if you could do this side for me as well, OK?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Of course I can, yeah.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52It's the last in our series celebrating
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Scotland's native dog breeds.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57You have to groom them, look after them, obviously.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Which blocks up your hoover!
0:01:00 > 0:01:04And Arlene's on the road, keeping Scotland connected.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Sometimes, to drive 10 miles east
0:01:08 > 0:01:11you have to begin by driving 10 miles west just to fill up.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21But first, I am heading down the Angus coast to Forfar,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24where some things still happen the old way.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30It's a long time since I've had my morning pint of milk
0:01:30 > 0:01:32delivered in a glass bottle.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35But there is at least one place in the country where it still happens.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's 7am, and I'm off to meet a man
0:01:41 > 0:01:44who started his shift five hours ago.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I feel like a bit of a skiver.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- Hamish, how are you doing? - Not bad, Dougie, how are you? - Nice to see you.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53- Look at that. Real milk bottles. - Real milk bottles.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- I've not seen these for years. - Yep, with cream on the top.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58- Beautiful. Can I give you a hand now?- Certainly.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Hamish Miller is the fourth generation of his family
0:02:04 > 0:02:07to work in the dairy industry.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11He bottles milk, delivers it and produces his speciality -
0:02:11 > 0:02:14a rich, creamy butter - from his dairy in Forfar.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19How we doing? There's your paper, sir. And your milk.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But it's not so easy these days.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And making a living involves hard work and long hours.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32You were up at 2am this morning, is that the way your day normally starts?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35My day starts at 2am, every morning.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39A normal week to me is between 80-90 hours.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Blimey, blimey, blimey - that's a lot, man. That's ridiculous.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- You know, you never... - And you're only 25!- Ha-ha, I wish!
0:02:48 > 0:02:49I wish.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53So, does your milk come from a local farm?
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Yes, the milk actually comes from Baldoukie,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- which is about a mile and a half that way.- Uh-huh.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It's about five miles, actually, from the dairy.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04So, very local.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Our deliveries are within a five-mile radius as well,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13so food miles is a big issue with us.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Yeah, so they're pretty small.- Yeah.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Back at the dairy, we're just in time for Hamish's own milk delivery.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24It's 8:15, the tanker's just arrived,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I'd better get out the way.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30North Street dairy has seen many changes since its humble beginnings
0:03:30 > 0:03:34in 1918 as a croft with only one cow.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38But the local independent dairy, once common across Scotland,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42hasn't been able to stand up to threats posed by globalisation
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and changing shopping habits.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Hamish's father, Norman,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51has seen many of his competitors fall by the wayside.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53There was nine of us.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57All had different milk rounds.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- Now it's amazing how time just seems to vanish.- Uh-huh.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And now how many are there?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Just unbelievable.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Hamish may be the last dairy man standing in Forfar,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16but making the business pay is still tough.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Especially when you like to keep things traditional.
0:04:19 > 0:04:25We do, probably about 600-700 bottles a day in glass.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- So why do you still use glass? - Because...
0:04:30 > 0:04:33..it's returnable, everything's recyclable.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Milk actually tastes a lot better in glass than it does in plastic.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39I agree with you.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Phew, that's quite hard going.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49'Hamish can't match the supermarket's low price on milk.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- Oh, look at that! And that's pure cream?- Pure cream.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56'But there is value to be had in the by-product of skimmed and
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'semi-skimmed milk production.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:03We've had to diversify into other things rather than just purely milk.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- Uh-huh.- It's the likes of your cream, which we use for our butter.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- That's liquid gold, that's the profit.- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Because, I guess, selling milk, for you, the one thing I'm sure
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- you can't compete with is price, when it comes to milk?- No.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Quality, yes.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20And flavour is second to none.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25You hope your customer base is a loyal base.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Hopefully it stays like that.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And I can see why his customers are prepared to pay a premium
0:05:31 > 0:05:36when Hamish gives me a crash course in old-fashioned butter patting.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Looks lovely. Now, grab yourself a pair of patters.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- You want them ones?- Absolutely, I've never done this before, so...
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- Well, we'd better swap.- OK!
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- Have a matching pair. - A matching pair.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Really get a shape.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Give it a slap.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- That's very satisfying. - Don't be frightened to squeeze it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Yours is a very different shape from mine, it would appear.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I mean, do you see a viable future
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- with carrying on the way that you're going?- No.- No?- No.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I honestly, the way the market's going now,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16- I can't see my kids coming into it. - Uh-huh.- It's just...
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- Nobody would want to work the kind of hours that I put in.- Uh-huh.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Certainly, the younger generation don't anyway, that's for sure.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- You were up at two this morning, it's now 12:20.- Yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- What does the rest of your day look like?- Paperwork.- Really?
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Paperwork, yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I will call it a day about five o'clock tonight.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37My goodness me.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- I'll keep patting, shall I? - Yes, you do that.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Not so long ago, there were hundreds of small, independent dairies
0:06:46 > 0:06:50across Scotland, using milk from farms just down the road.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54This business is one of the last, run, literally,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57round-the-clock by one hard-working family.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Can't wait to taste this.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Landward is all about the joys of living and working
0:07:07 > 0:07:09in the Scottish countryside.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12But those of us who live in the back of beyond always face
0:07:12 > 0:07:16the risk of being cut off from the essentials of modern life.
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Arlene's on the road, finding out how we can stay connected.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28For many of us, our lives revolve around being online.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30But that's not always easy.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33DIAL-UP MODEM CONNECTING
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Like, dial-up, used to be,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40it made a lot of funny noises and stuff like that.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It was buffering all the time.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Willie Harper was lambing when we visited
0:07:45 > 0:07:48his Renfrewshire farm in late March.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53He remembers what life was like in the old days of modems and dial-up.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Not that long ago.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Pages were taking long to come up on screen.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04And even simple farm things, going to register calves and things
0:08:04 > 0:08:08like that, was taking a lot longer than it does at the moment.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10The network around Willie's farm near Bridge of Weir
0:08:10 > 0:08:12has been getting an upgrade.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16And it's making a huge difference to farmers in the area.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I touch a button now, instantly, everything's...
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We just can flick through all the websites
0:08:22 > 0:08:24that we need to go on as farmers.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27And with two teenage daughters in the house as well,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30it means they can watch what they want to watch,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35and I can still get on with the farm business online.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39That's great news for Willie, and his daughters.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43But 15% of Scotland's homes and businesses still don't have
0:08:43 > 0:08:46a decent internet connection.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Everything is online now.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51A lot of the time, there's no paper equivalent do it.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It's not just in the remote areas,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56even farmers round about central Scotland,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00if they're just a wee bit too far away from the exchange,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02their speeds are still horrible and terrible.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07The Government say 95% of us should have fast broadband
0:09:07 > 0:09:10by the end of March 2018.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14But being connected is about much more than the internet.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's about the services we need to run our lives.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20And the public and private transport networks that allow us
0:09:20 > 0:09:22to get from A to B.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25So now, and in the next few programmes,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Landward is on a mission to find some of the cleverest ideas
0:09:29 > 0:09:32that are helping keep Scotland connected.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And we want to hear your stories about mobile phone reception,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38broadband, transport and delivery services.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43And we want to know the least-connected place in Scotland.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Go to the Landward Facebook page.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Or, if you can't get online, send us a postcard.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54This week, I'm heading for the Trossachs,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58to find out how one rural community has come together to preserve
0:09:58 > 0:10:00the transport link they almost lost.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06If you live in the countryside, you'll know that worrying feeling
0:10:06 > 0:10:09of watching the petrol gauge edge into the red.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And it can be a really, really long way to the nearest petrol station.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Sometimes, to drive 10 miles east,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19you have to begin by driving 10 miles west just to fill up.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27In the past 10 years,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30rural Scotland has lost hundreds of its petrol stations.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36A loss that has become a serious problem.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42In 2011, the petrol station here in Aberfoyle
0:10:42 > 0:10:45was threatened with closure.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49For locals like Fiona McEwan, it would have been a devastating blow.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54People were having to travel, when the station was shut,
0:10:54 > 0:10:59up to 50 miles on a round-trip to get fuel. So it's really important.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Because we're a tourist village,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05a lot of visitors come to the National Park.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It's tremendously important that we keep the station running
0:11:08 > 0:11:11for the people that come to visit the area.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The locals got together, and with lottery funding and help from the
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Scottish Government, the residents of Aberfoyle and several surrounding
0:11:19 > 0:11:22villages brought the petrol station into community ownership.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I know that you were given lottery funding, but it was really essential
0:11:28 > 0:11:31that the community rally round and raise a certain amount of money.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33How important has their support been?
0:11:33 > 0:11:38There's six villages in and around Aberfoyle, all of whom joined in.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And several hundred people indicated support.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46And also, more than 100 of them made a contribution financially.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48So we manage to keep going.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Nobody in their right mind is going to buy
0:11:51 > 0:11:54a petrol station in the countryside, particularly one that needs
0:11:54 > 0:12:00lots of repairs and maintenance and upgrades. So it's an ongoing...
0:12:00 > 0:12:01Struggle's a bit strong,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05but it's an ongoing task to keep the place working well.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Now, I've got diesel?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Because I've done that quite recently,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11at this very petrol station!
0:12:11 > 0:12:15This is now the largest community-run petrol station in Scotland.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19And for tourists and locals alike, it's vital.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Even if the fuel does cost a wee bit more.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Well, if the petrol station hadn't been here,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26we'd have been stuck, I think.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29We were running low on fuel, and we've been going for several hours.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33It's fantastic that the community decided to take it over.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The nearest alternative is about 10 miles away.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40I absolutely don't mind paying for petrol a wee bit more to
0:12:40 > 0:12:44have it here. Because we wouldn't be able to get 10 miles without petrol.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Without the petrol station, we'd be kind of stuck.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51The ultimate aim is to make the petrol station a services hub
0:12:51 > 0:12:55for Aberfoyle, keeping jobs and money in the area.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59For Fiona, it's a model other rural communities could follow.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03You really have to get everybody involved in this.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05The local community, of course,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09it's absolutely essential that they really want it to happen.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Funders are generally great.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The Lottery Fund, the Rural Petrol Grant Scheme - all of these
0:13:15 > 0:13:18things have to come together to make it happen.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And it's really good when it does.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And next time, I'll be in Fife, where public transport is the issue.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29BARKING
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And now, we're putting another native Scottish breed of dog
0:13:33 > 0:13:34in the spotlight.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40This week, it's the collie.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And a bearded one to boot.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Robert Ballantyne has looked after bearded,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48or Highland, collies for more than 30 years.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And he's brought one along to show us.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Her pedigree name is Balbridge Nancy's Kiss.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57And we call her Nancy.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02They're used for herding and working sheep in the Scottish Highlands.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And they're also known as the Highland collie.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Or, as they say, Heelan Co'lee.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10But what's with all the hair?
0:14:11 > 0:14:12It's actually a dual coat.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16They have an undercoat which actually helps them during
0:14:16 > 0:14:18the heat, keeps them cool.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And during the cold, keeps them warm.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23You have to groom them and look after them, obviously.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Which blocks up your hoover!
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Working beardies have a slightly shorter coat,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33because a lot of the coat disappears in the bushes.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Temperament is excellent.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Children, people, even dogs - they love to play with dogs,
0:14:38 > 0:14:39but they love humans.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41EXCITED BARKING
0:14:41 > 0:14:43They can be playful.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46They can enjoy your company, just relax beside you.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49When it's bedtime, they're in the bed before you,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and you can't get into bed!
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Oh, they get up to mischief.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55They can steal things.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59But the best thing is, whatever they do, their eyes give them away.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Aye. If you can see them, that is.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Now, what does the future of farming look like
0:15:12 > 0:15:15when we leave the European Union?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18These are uncertain times in our history.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22And that uncertainty is perhaps felt most in the agriculture industry.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Europe currently provides £530 million of subsidies per year
0:15:26 > 0:15:28to Scottish farmers.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33And that equates to a staggering 71% of total income from farming.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38The UK Government has pledged to honour those subsidies until 2020.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39But what happens after then?
0:15:42 > 0:15:48Last time, we looked at how the beef sector might change in the future.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52This week, we're looking at the arable sector.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Scotland produces around 12% of UK cereals.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Barley is the biggest cereal, with Scotland producing nearly a third
0:16:00 > 0:16:05of the UK's crop for the Scotch Whisky industry and animal feed.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10But we're even bigger players when it comes to potatoes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Scotland produces a million tonnes of tatties every year,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and the value of that is £176 million.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- How are you?- Very good, how are you?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Our guide through the complexities of modern farming -
0:16:24 > 0:16:28how it's supported and what the threats and opportunities may
0:16:28 > 0:16:33mean in the future - is Johnny Hall, director of policy at NFU Scotland.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Johnny, your mantra has been that farmers perhaps have to stop
0:16:35 > 0:16:39farming for subsidies, but farm for the market.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41How well set up is the arable sector for that?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44The arable sector, particularly the veg-producing sector,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46is pretty well set up, I think.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You know, for a lot of years, the vegetables sector, the potato
0:16:49 > 0:16:52growers of Scotland, have been what we call the unsupported sector.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Therefore, their focus has been on the market.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59That sector's also made pretty big investments and really thought
0:16:59 > 0:17:02long and hard about its costs and how it sells its products.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We have the comfort, if you like, currently, of the single market,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07given to us by Europe.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10We don't know what will happen beyond the single market,
0:17:10 > 0:17:11beyond Brexit.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13We talk about new free trade agreements,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but we don't know how they will shape up.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Will they be beneficial to us in creating new export opportunities,
0:17:19 > 0:17:23or will it be a case of the UK and Scotland sucking in more and more
0:17:23 > 0:17:26cheap imports, which can undercut our producers?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Johnny has brought me to Samuelston South Mains,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36near Pencaitland, in East Lothian.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- Hi, James, how are you doing? - Not so bad, how are you?- Marvellous.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43This is where James Logan grows cereals and potatoes.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Over the course of a year,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49his farm will produce 15,000 tonnes of tatties.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52You've obviously done lots of investment here on the farm.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54How worried are you about Brexit in terms of planning for the future?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Yeah, I mean, agriculture's huge investment in long-term gain
0:17:59 > 0:18:00the whole time.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03And the potato sector, it's got more and more intensive.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05We've invested more and more in infrastructure,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07in sheds and buildings and processing plants.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10There's people up and down the whole country investing huge
0:18:10 > 0:18:13amounts of money into agriculture.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15It's just that uncertainty that worries us.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16What do you need then,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21both Government and the public to do to support you?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24We need market security, is number one, I think.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Scottish agriculture is fantastic.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29We are very efficient, we produce huge volumes of produce,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31but we have small consumers.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35I mean, there's only 5.5 million, and we export 80% of our produce.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39The majority goes south into England and across to Europe.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43So, I think as long as we get a fair deal for Brexit,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46as long as there's not unfair tariffs involved,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51I'm sure farmers up and down Scotland will take on the challenge.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55But as long as that deal is fair and the marketplace is fair.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59So, for tattie farmers, the devil will be in the detail.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Access to markets will be key
0:19:01 > 0:19:03to give farmers the confidence to invest.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So, Johnny, what do you think the opportunities are
0:19:07 > 0:19:09that are going to come with Brexit?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Well, the opportunity, in my view, is to repackage
0:19:12 > 0:19:16the support settlement for the whole of Scottish agriculture.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20That support will remain vital, but it's how we use it.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It's not necessarily the amounts of money that are
0:19:22 > 0:19:24coming into Scottish agriculture, but how we spend it.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And if we spend it in new and innovative ways,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and we encourage a degree of risk taking,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32looking at market opportunities, selling what we do, getting
0:19:32 > 0:19:35a better margin in return from the supply chain in every sector of
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Scottish agriculture, then I think that's going to be money well spent.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41But that's going to take a new mind-set, if you like,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44across a lot of swathes of Scottish agriculture.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47And indeed, a new mind-set within Government as well.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49So we need to have that dialogue, to have that discussion,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51we need to come up with new ideas and new ways of thinking.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Next week, I'll be heading out west where the landscape makes it
0:19:56 > 0:19:59even more difficult to make a living from farming.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02When you consider the average Scottish farm
0:20:02 > 0:20:07loses £17,000 a year before subsidy, it's hard to imagine
0:20:07 > 0:20:11a remote hill farm in the West making any profit at all.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15But perhaps there's a different way of looking at the problem.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I'll be heading to Mull to find out more.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Now, we're letting MasterChef: The Professionals champion
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Gary Maclean loose on the Scottish countryside.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33He's donned his long johns - on my advice - and hit the road
0:20:33 > 0:20:36to track down some of his favourite Scottish ingredients.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39This week, he's in a windy Ayrshire to cook up
0:20:39 > 0:20:40an alfresco feast.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47I started working in professional kitchens at the age of 15.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49And over my 30-year career,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53I have cooked all sorts of exotic ingredients from far-flung places.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58But for me, there's no place like home.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And you can find some of the best produce in the world
0:21:01 > 0:21:03right on your doorstep.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Like here, in Dunlop...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Hi, how you doing? - Good morning, Gary.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10..where pig farmer Thomson McKenzie
0:21:10 > 0:21:13produces some of the best bacon I've ever tasted.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Pig, pig, pig!
0:21:17 > 0:21:21This is absolutely fantastic here. What incredible animals.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Tell us a bit more about what you do here?
0:21:23 > 0:21:27We rear rare or traditional, native breeds.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Preferably rare breeds, but it must be a traditional, British breed.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35These are Tamworth pigs. At the back, we have Humphrey.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37He's our breeding boar.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And then we have one of his girls, one of our breeding sows.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42And the litter of piglets.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45And these pigs, they look happy.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48To us, an important thing for us is for animals to be in
0:21:48 > 0:21:50a natural environment.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55So, pigs, same as sheep and cattle, are reared to be outdoors.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57What makes this different from the commercially,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00intensively reared animals?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03All outdoor pigs should have a more depth of flavour to them.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06The Tamworth gives you a nice, long, lean carcass.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09So it's got a nice fat covering.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Gives you the moisture and the flavour while it's cooking.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16But also a nice, moist meat behind it afterwards.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But you'll know about that better than I do.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Is it a specialised market?
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Is it much more expensive then the more intensively reared pork?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27It's certainly dearer than our intensively reared pork.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30If you consider one of these chaps will take 36 weeks to come to plate,
0:22:30 > 0:22:35an indoor-reared pig will take about 20-22 weeks.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39So you're looking at an extra 50% feeding to come to plate.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44'It's not just the outdoor rearing and slower growing
0:22:44 > 0:22:46'that makes a great taste.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Come on, in, Gary.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52'In the farm shop, Thomson's wife Arlene cures the bacon.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Arlene, what have we got happening here?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Well, we've got some curing going on this morning.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00What we're going to do is, we're not going to put it in brine,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02because we're making dry-cure bacon.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05This is going to take maybe about...
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I would say probably five days to cure.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11And then we'll dry it for about two.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Use some of this.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Now, God gave me two hands and he gave you two hands,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21I would appreciate if you could do this side for me as well, OK?
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- Of course I can, yeah. - Now, be careful with your salts.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Just shake it on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31And then just salt it all over.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33And you're just rubbing it in.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35So the type of salt, is it just natural...?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Well, this is coarse salt.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40So it actually takes to the meat better.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It's great to see, this is how our ancestors would have done this,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- isn't it?- Yep, traditionally.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48I mean, it won't have changed at all, animals in the field.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Absolutely.- Everything done by hand.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54It's got to be. It's got to be. It's a traditional way of farming.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56And when we've got something as lovely as this
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and as tender as this,
0:23:58 > 0:23:59then it all comes out on the plate.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Well, I hope so.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06And it's up to me to do this amazing product justice.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The bacon is going to be the centrepiece of my carbonara sauce.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13But this isn't my usual cooking environment.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17You know, we've got a couple of ponies and a deer running by.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21So it's a wee bit different from my day-to-day in the classroom.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28The first thing we have to do is we're going to cut the bacon up.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30And we want the bacon to be fairly chunky.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32This is going to be the absolute king of this dish.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35And then, from there...
0:24:37 > 0:24:42..what we want to do is just get that bacon into the pan.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45What we want to do is just leave that pan alone.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47We want to try get that to caramelise and to really
0:24:47 > 0:24:49bring out the flavour of that pork.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54So you can see that is lovely and dry.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58You can see the difference between that and a brine-cured bacon.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00No moisture coming out at all. It's starting to dry up.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08From there, we're going to add just some chopped shallots.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Little bit of garlic.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And just a little touch of butter in there, just for a bit of flavour.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Now we're going to put in a little bit of double cream.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Again, all of this is local.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And to finish off the sauce, a splash of wine and an egg yolk.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37And what that's going to do is just...
0:25:39 > 0:25:40..thicken up the sauce.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44We've got some flat-leaf parsley and some chopped chives.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50We're ready for our pasta.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01'Some seasoning...'
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Plenty of it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03'..and a bit of local cheese,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07'and we're ready to taste my Ayrshire bacon carbonara.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- There you go, guys, let us know what you think.- Absolutely.- Here we go.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14There's plenty of bacon in there.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17So that should be the flavour that really comes through.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19The flavour's lovely.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21This took you, what, about 10 minutes?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- It's the ultimate fast food. - Fantastic.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I do love the bacon, I must admit.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Well, I think you're allowed to be biased with the bacon,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it's absolutely stunning.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I think it would compare to any Italian pancetta
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- any day of the week.- Fantastic.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- I could get used to this.- Mmm!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42That's amazing, that's lovely. Very nice indeed.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46An unqualified - if windy - success for Gary.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And we'll see if he can cut the mustard next week,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51when he travels to the Isle of Arran.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And here's what else is coming up next time around...
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Kelsey Bennett is back, celebrating our regional accents.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- HEAVY DORIC ACCENT:- Ach, if you're oot oan the fairms and
0:27:02 > 0:27:05speaking to fairmers, there's no point in speaking fauncy, because...
0:27:05 > 0:27:09- It disnae... That's "fauncy", wi' a U as opposed to an A.- I know!
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Arlene finds out about a car-share scheme in Fife.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- It's like being chauffeur driven, isn't it?- It is.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Don't tell Rolf that!
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Well, yesterday we had the first Arctic tern coming in...
0:27:24 > 0:27:28And Euan meets a wildlife enthusiast who's so passionate,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30he's created his own nature reserve.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Even when you think there's nothing going on,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37if you spent a bit of time, you'll find lots of activity.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40So please join us for that and much more at the same time next week,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Friday night, 7:30 on BBC One Scotland.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46In the meantime, from all the Landward team,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48thank you so much for your company. Bye for now.