0:00:02 > 0:00:05As we head into flaming June, there's nothing better than
0:00:05 > 0:00:07hopping on a ferry and going doon the water to one of
0:00:07 > 0:00:10the almost tropical islands on the Clyde coast.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Welcome to Landward, from Bute.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Hello, and a very warm welcome to Landward, from Bute
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and its capital, Rothesay.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Now, later in the programme, I'll be spending time with a man
0:00:38 > 0:00:41who spends his days collecting a whole range of seaweeds
0:00:41 > 0:00:44to send to some of the country's top-end restaurants.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46But I'll also be gathering some to take to Nick Nairn
0:00:46 > 0:00:50in our own high-class eatery, the Landward food van.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53But first, here's what else is coming up on the programme.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Arlene's on the coast, finding out how difficult it can be
0:00:57 > 0:00:59to send a parcel.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This used to be the village post office, and it may be called
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Postcode Plumbers, but I don't think they can help me with this.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Delivering them's no picnic either.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11He's a well-known postie, this.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12Well-known to the police and others.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16We're out with the postie providing more than just the mail.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19There's people up here are 80, 90 years old, and if I get there,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21then, they'll say, "Can you change a light bulb?" Or, "Can you change
0:01:21 > 0:01:24the battery in my smoke detector?" Or whatever.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It's just what you do when you're a rural postman.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31And the food van's in Anstruther, so Nick can rustle up
0:01:31 > 0:01:32a tasty seaside treat.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Did you pick this?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- I did pick it, yes.- Really?- Yes.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But first, Kelsey Bennet is on the Cromarty Firth
0:01:49 > 0:01:52to see how some big ships are having a big impact
0:01:52 > 0:01:55on the north of Scotland.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04It's 6am at the port of Invergordon, 20 miles or so north of Inverness.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08An early start to catch up with some new arrivals to our shores.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I'm here to see not one but two of these incredible cruise liners
0:02:16 > 0:02:18coming to port this morning.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Many will be here this season,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and I'm keen to find out how this big business is giving
0:02:23 > 0:02:26the rural economy a much-needed boost.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32So we've got two ships in today.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35This one over here is the Caribbean Princess,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37she's doing a round-Britain cruise.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41This one over here is the MSC Preziosa.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43She's just arrived overnight from Hamburg. She's never ever
0:02:43 > 0:02:44been here before.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48'Captain Iain Dunderdale from the Cromarty Firth Port Authority
0:02:48 > 0:02:51'has watched the cruise business grow from the beginning.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:57So, Iain, have you seen an increase in the amount of ships
0:02:57 > 0:02:59that have been coming in to Invergordon?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Very much so. 45% this year.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05We originally started with one ship in 1978.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09But this year, there's going to be 91 ships
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- and 142,000 passengers coming to Invergordon.- Wow.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17So, Invergordon port, why is it suitable for the ships?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20It's such an easy place to get to, and it's big deep water, plenty
0:03:20 > 0:03:23of room for these big ships to get turned round in, and then when
0:03:23 > 0:03:26they get here, Invergordon is really the gateway
0:03:26 > 0:03:27to the Scottish Highlands.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30There's so many places you can go and see.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33'Trips for the passengers are arranged and booked on ship.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38'Iain introduces me to Charlotte Humphrey from the cruise line.'
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Yes, let's go on board.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Good morning, Charlotte. - Hi. Welcome aboard.- Hi.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45- Thank you very much. This is Kelsey.- Nice to meet you.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Nice to meet you too. Do you want to come have a look around?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- I would love to. - Absolutely.- On you go.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52- This is our first bus?- Yep.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55So this go to where?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58This goes to Urquhart Castle, beside Loch Ness.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02So how many people are on board today?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So we have just over 3,100 guests on board.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Wow. And what are they doing?
0:04:07 > 0:04:09When they get to port, are they off on excursions?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Yeah, we have a number of different shore excursions.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Here, they're going to places like Dunrobin Castle,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Cawdor Castle and Inverness.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Oh, brilliant. So loads of activities for them?
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Yeah, there's a lot of choice.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23So where are you heading today?
0:04:23 > 0:04:28We're going to Inverness and walk around, and then back to Invergordon
0:04:28 > 0:04:29- and walk around, and...- Brilliant.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- Just be a typical tourist.- Yep.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- Going to the castle. - That's afternoon.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Caldorn...?- Cawdor. Cawdor Castle.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Where the Macbeth murder took place.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40That's the one!
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- We're hoping to get to Loch Ness. - Oh, brilliant.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Well, have a great day. I hope you see Nessie!
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- OK, thank you. I hope so too! - KELSEY LAUGHS
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The economic benefits kick in
0:04:50 > 0:04:53as soon as the passengers hit the quayside.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Local operators provide the fleet of 40 coaches
0:04:56 > 0:05:00waiting to take them to spend their cash all over the north.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16All sorts of destinations in the Highlands are now experiencing
0:05:16 > 0:05:19a huge peak in visitor numbers, because of the cruises,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21including right here at Cawdor Castle.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27'Cawdor is privately owned and needs visitors to keep going.'
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Beautiful castle.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Hello.- Hello, welcome to Cawdor Castle.- Oh, thank you very much.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35Picked a beautiful day.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37'Alistair Gronbach, the manager here,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41'welcomes the cash the cruise ship tours bring in.'
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I actually saw two of the huge cruise liners come in at Invergordon
0:05:44 > 0:05:46this morning. I feel like this might be some of them.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48They've been arriving all day.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Started at nine o'clock this morning,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and they'll go on right till about four o'clock,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54but then they have to get back to their ship.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Does it feel like an invading army sometimes?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It can do, but it's very organised and they're booked way in advance.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So we know when they're coming, we stagger them throughout the day,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05so that everybody has a great experience.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Have you noticed a boost in the figures?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Yeah, the numbers are way up.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12We get about 11,000 passengers
0:06:12 > 0:06:15from cruise liners a year, which is about 15% of our total.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17So it's very significant.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19If you go to Invergordon, they tell you it's a £14 million
0:06:19 > 0:06:21impact for the Highlands of Scotland.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So they're doing really well and we're very grateful to them,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and we work very closely with them in partnership.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- Get a little slice of that. - Yeah, we do.- Brilliant.- We do.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34'But it's not only Invergordon. Stornoway, Scrabster, Kirkwall
0:06:34 > 0:06:35'and Lerwick are just some
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'of the ports pulling in the cruise ship pounds.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:44So this year, 810 cruises are bringing in over 600,000 passengers
0:06:44 > 0:06:48to ports around Scotland, bringing a very welcome boost
0:06:48 > 0:06:49to the rural economy.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57And we're staying beside the sea now, as I begin the first of
0:06:57 > 0:07:00three trips to find out about some of the best but unappreciated
0:07:00 > 0:07:02food the sea has to offer.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Then I'll take it to the Landward food van to see what Chef Nairn
0:07:07 > 0:07:08can cook up with it.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13This week, finding what I'm looking for shouldn't be too difficult,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17because it's everywhere round our shores - seaweed.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Traditionally, seaweed was collected on the north and west coasts
0:07:24 > 0:07:28of Scotland and used as a fertiliser, but it was also
0:07:28 > 0:07:32gathered as a food and found its way into various traditional dishes.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Now, though, it's back on the menu, renamed as a sea vegetable
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and boasting a long list of superfood credentials.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45And that's why I'm here on the Isle of Bute.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It's only 15 miles long and five miles wide,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52but there's plenty of shoreline to harvest seaweed from.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Just the man to help me is Iain McKellar.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57He's been harvesting and selling seaweeds here
0:07:57 > 0:07:59since 2007.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Iain, how you doing?- Hello! - Good to see you.- Good to see you.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Now, tell me this, how did you get into seaweed in the first place?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Just loved the outdoors and wanted a different way of life,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10so we found seaweed will do us.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12What do we actually need to take with us to collect some today?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Well, we're going to need a bucket, some scissors
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- and you're going to have to put on a pair of these.- Oh, lovely.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24'This is a far cry from Iain's previous job as an HGV driver.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28'He decided to return to his native Bute after being made redundant,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'and turned childhood memories of harvesting seaweed with his mother
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'into a full-time occupation.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:38So what's the best time of the year to go collecting, Iain?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42- March through to July.- And what are you looking for now, then?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I'm looking for... This is sugar kelp.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- What I'll be looking for here is, I want no blemishes on it.- Uh-huh.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I don't want any barnacles or anything on there,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- so then I know that it's nice, fresh...- Right.- ..clean.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It'll have a nice sheen to it.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And you know it's fresh, cos later on this season it'll go dull.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57So how many types of seaweed are here?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- It seems an awful lot. - It's hundreds.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Yeah?- More than you could count. Honestly, literally hundreds.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- But I only do 13.- Right.- I stick to 13, try and keep it relatively
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- simple.- And why have you chosen 13?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Cos they're the easiest ones to get.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12- Right, OK!- Basically, yeah!
0:09:12 > 0:09:15So when you're harvesting, are you harvesting to order?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17I harvest to order, yeah. There's no point in taking it out
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and just sitting and going off. So somebody orders,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- then I go out and get it.- And also, I guess it means that this place
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- will always replenish itself as well.- Yeah.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Sustainability's not an issue.- No...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Not with a bucket and a pair of scissors.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Hundreds of tonnes of it.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35'Iain collects here with the permission of the Crown Estate
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'and sells his harvest online.'
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Straightaway there, we've got sea lettuce.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Uh-huh. Self-explanatory, that looks like lettuce.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Here we have some carrageen.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48That there, you'll have heard of that.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50They make milk pudding out of that,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- cos that's used as a gelatine, used as a thickener.- Ah, right, OK.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54- This one?- Pepper dulse.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Lovely, lovely, lovely little flavoured seaweed.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It's so small, it's hard to commercially do it,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- but beautiful, powerful flavours from it, though.- Uh-huh.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- And what's your biggest seller? - Sea sprigs.- Right.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Biggest seller, restaurants love it cos it plates up lovely and green,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12and it's ready in 30 seconds, and it has a nice long shelf life.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I would imagine doing what you're doing, Iain,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17it's quite a good day today, but it's cold.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19You love what you do, right? There's no doubt about it,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21you'd have to love doing this, wouldn't you?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Oh, God, yeah. There's nothing better than coming out here
0:10:24 > 0:10:26in the summer at five in the morning, put your wetsuit on,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and you can snorkel all the way up here, and there's dozens and dozens
0:10:30 > 0:10:31of different colours jumping out at you.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's beautiful.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Seaweed, we know, is good for us. Of course it's been labelled,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37like many things, as a superfood.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39What are the nutritional value, then?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The same nutritional value as vegetables, except you're getting it
0:10:42 > 0:10:44all in the one place. You get all your trace elements,
0:10:44 > 0:10:4756 trace elements and minerals, all your vitamins,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49they're all in the one place.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Instead of having four vegetables on your plate,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52you could just have one.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- Some of these kelps, they're almost a complete food.- Right.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58You can almost live off them.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00'Well, I remain to be convinced about that.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04'But I suppose I better try some.'
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Chefs love this. This is called sea sprigs.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12- There is a savouriness to it, isn't there?- There is, yeah.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14It's a nice savoury flavour.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16It plates up lovely and green, that's why chefs like it.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Tom Kitchin's using that for a long time.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Where have we got...? What's pepper dulse?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Pepper dulse, it's a lovely, tiny little seaweed.- Yeah.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28That is quite nice. That's very savoury.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32This truly is delicious. Thank you very much, a real education today.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36But now I have to go and collect some for Nick to use in our
0:11:36 > 0:11:37Landward food van.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Can I borrow your bucket? - You certainly can.- Top man.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Thank you very much. See you later.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47'And you can see if cooking seaweed is any easier than collecting
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'when I deliver it to Landward chef Nick Nairn in Anstruther
0:11:50 > 0:11:51'later in the programme.'
0:11:55 > 0:12:00But before that, Arlene is also on the coast to continue our series
0:12:00 > 0:12:02on keeping rural communities connected.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07This time she's in East Lothian and she's looking to post a parcel.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13This is for my pal Susan in Finzean, and her birthday is tomorrow.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15And if I don't get it in the post first class today,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I'm in big trouble.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'But finding somewhere to post it here in Gullane
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'isn't as easy as I thought.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'Currently, it's one of eight communities across Scotland
0:12:26 > 0:12:28'without a post office.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:31This used to be the village post office, and it may be called
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Postcode Plumbers, but I don't think they can help me with this.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40'This place apparently used to have a post office in it,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43'but they gave it up because it wasn't financially viable.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So I can't post my parcel here either.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'However, a post office counter is available in Gullane,
0:12:52 > 0:12:57'in the village hall on a Wednesday for two hours.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59'But it's not a Wednesday.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Hello, Dorothy, how are you? - Hello.- Nice to meet you.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Oh, yes, nice to meet you, too.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- Shall we have a little wander? - Oh, yes, yes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'Also frustrated by this meagre postal service
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'is Gullane resident Dorothy Arthur.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We were told it would be a temporary closure.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20And it's now been four, five months,
0:13:20 > 0:13:25with no indication of another business being able to take it over.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Haven't other businesses shown interest in being able to offer
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- this service?- Yes, they have. Several businesses have offered,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35but the Post Office have decided that these particular businesses
0:13:35 > 0:13:37were not suitable.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41'According to the Post Office, 99% of the population live within
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'three miles of a branch.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44'Gullane is no different,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48'as there's one three miles along the coast in Aberlady.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51'But that's not good enough for Dorothy.'
0:13:51 > 0:13:56There's a lot of less able and elderly people in the village.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Not all of them own cars and some of them have not the mobility
0:13:59 > 0:14:02to get on a bus.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06'It's a simple fact that fewer people are using bricks-and-mortar
0:14:06 > 0:14:08'post offices.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12'Many tasks that used to need a visit can now be done online.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16'So the ideal solution for Gullane would be a post office counter
0:14:16 > 0:14:18'in an existing shop.'
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- Good afternoon.- Hello, I have a parcel to go to Finzean
0:14:22 > 0:14:24for tomorrow. Is that possible?
0:14:24 > 0:14:25It certainly is.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- Could you just pop it on the scales for me, please?- Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'Like this one, in Jonathan Nicholson's shop in Longniddry.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34'It's open eight until six, six days a week - much longer
0:14:34 > 0:14:38'than a traditional post office - and brings in some extra cash
0:14:38 > 0:14:40'for Jonathan.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:42How do you make the post office aspect fit in
0:14:42 > 0:14:44with the rest of your business?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47That's, in the nicest possible way, a challenge.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51But, as you can see, it's quite a large shop.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's got convenience products, it's got everything, really.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58So post office products sit very well with it,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01but there's a huge learning curve to bring them together to make it work.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07'This model is becoming increasingly common and the Post Office
0:15:07 > 0:15:09'claim that by doing this
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'they've added 200,000 extra opening hours to their network.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18'But, it requires commitment from both sides of the counter.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Does the community support you?
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Cos I get the sense that that is absolutely vital.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27I've been, I think the word is "assertive," with regard to getting
0:15:27 > 0:15:30that message out, so, the answer is yes,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I have been supported and I am being supported, but the post office
0:15:33 > 0:15:36cannot survive on its own and coming in here to buy
0:15:36 > 0:15:38a first-class stamp and a second-class stamp and then
0:15:38 > 0:15:42going to a corporate competitor doesn't work.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45You know, that would ultimately, being blunt,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48close the post office.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So, "use it or lose it" seems to be the message,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54but, back in Gullane, where they have virtually no service,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59the Post Office say they are working hard to find a permanent solution.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01For Dorothy Arthur and the rest of the community,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03that can't come soon enough.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Now, whether you've used a postbox or that new-fangled
0:16:09 > 0:16:11internet, we like to hear from you.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14So, if you have any thoughts about something you have seen on
0:16:14 > 0:16:17the programme or there is anything you think we should know,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20please get in touch.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Back in the spring, we asked you to tell us what your favourite
0:16:23 > 0:16:27picnic spot was and why, and the villagers of Evanton
0:16:27 > 0:16:31suggested we come here to their award-winning community woodland.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35With an emphasis on outdoor learning,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38the wood just north of Dingwall and east of Ross has
0:16:38 > 0:16:43a fantastic outdoor classroom and an array of other woodland attractions.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48This adventure playground is absolutely wonderful.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It could keep adults and children occupied for hours on end.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53One of my particular favourites,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56the Loch Ness Monster made out of old tyres.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Now, you can picnic here if you want but if you're willing to walk
0:16:59 > 0:17:02up the track just a wee bitty, there is something pretty special.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12This is Black Rock Gorge, where the River Glass
0:17:12 > 0:17:16drops 120 feet rather dramatically to the valley floor.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Now, back in 2004 a scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
0:17:20 > 0:17:22was filmed right here.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24But there's more.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And here it is. The dipping pond.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38A brilliant place to sit around and do not very much at all.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51If you have any suggestions of your favourite place to picnic in
0:17:51 > 0:17:57Scotland, send them to our Facebook page or e-mail landward@bbc.co.uk
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Before my picnic pit stop, Arlene discovered the difficulties
0:18:07 > 0:18:10of posting a parcel in rural Scotland.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14We're in Angus now.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Delving into a day in the life of a rural postie
0:18:18 > 0:18:21delivering those precious packages.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23There's worse places you can be a postman.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Walking about carrying a bag on wet days, even on wet days,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29it's nice up here.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Kevin Breen's route covers the hills and lanes of Glenisla.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38I don't know why we're seeing you today. Trouble? No, lad.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41His first country stop in the glen is at Danny's.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Danny used to be a postie too but he's retired now.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Easy work, easy work for them considering what I was used to.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I was used to village work, you see, so we better not tease him too much,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but he's a great postie, actually, you ken?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- Have a nice day, see you later. - See you later.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Do you know where you're going now?
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Kevin covers around 90 miles each day, crisscrossing the winding
0:19:06 > 0:19:09roads and tracks that keep the people of Glenisla connected.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15The postman delivers the newspapers, the mail, news from about the glen.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20How's the postie this morning?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Living the dream, Ian, living the dream. You can have that.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I'll go and empty this box and then I'll come back and see you.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Very good.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32He's a well-known postie, this, well known to police and others.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34That's not very nice, Ian.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38He's a gentleman I call a postie plus.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41He's the life and soul of the party every day.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43KEVIN LAUGHS
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Any word about the pitter patter of feet?- No, she's not dropped yet.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53As well as deliveries of all types, there are mailboxes to be emptied.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58And some other customer services.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01There's people up here who are 80,
0:20:01 > 0:20:0490 years old and they'll say, "Can you change a light bulb?" or
0:20:04 > 0:20:06"Can you change the battery in my smoke detector or whatever?"
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It's just things you do.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But, sometimes, you just need to be a bit cheeky.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Do you want to read about the Celtic?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- No, no.- You sure? - No, no.- Are you sure?- No, no, no.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22- I'll just leave it there like that. - I look at football.- The Celtic?
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- Are you comfy?- Of course I'm comfy, I'm going away to cut grass.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- You can come over and cut mine if you want.- And your...
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- You're late today.- Why do you think I'm late, William? For a Tuesday?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Why do you think I'm late? I'll give you a rough guess.- I just thought...
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Oops, I think that might be our fault. Time to move on.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- Is it Landward or Countryfile? - Landward!- Landward.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51This is Lou. This is Lou Hackney.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Morning, young lady.- Morning.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58- How are we doing? You take your time.- My leg's sore today.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03- That's as fast as you can go, dinnae worry. We've got all day.- Hello.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Are you shy?- Yes.- Are you shy?!
0:21:05 > 0:21:10- Yes.- After a few years on this earth you're still shy? Surely not.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Hiya.- Hello.- You're surely not still shy.- Of course I am.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Like myself, though, I'm very shy. - Yeah.- Very shy.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It's a good thing Kevin's not shy -
0:21:18 > 0:21:22he's a vital member of this community.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25He watered all my plants when I was on holiday, in the house.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30And, when Lou had a cataract operation, Kevin was on hand again.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32You did my drops for a week.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33KEVIN CHUCKLES
0:21:33 > 0:21:37So, I had to do them for a month, four times a day,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40but he did it once a day to try and keep me right and
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- he got more drops for me when I ran out.- Yeah, on prescription.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- I've got to have the other one done. - When?- I don't know yet.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- No, I've got to go in...- Eventually.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Eventually, yes. Uh-huh.- Eventually.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I couldn't do without him because when you've no family, you've nobody.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59You've got to have somebody to speak to.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Well, I'll see you tomorrow anyway. All right? Bye-bye!
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Bye, thank you, bye.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Well, that's another very satisfied customer.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11You see them every day so, and you speak to them every day,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14so you're going to get close to them.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Earlier in the programme,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28I waded into the Firth of Clyde to grab some seaweed.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34I've taken it to the ancient fishing village of Anstruther in
0:22:34 > 0:22:37the East Neuk of Fife to see what chef Nick Nairn can make of
0:22:37 > 0:22:39it in the Landward food van.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Can he create a treat tasty enough to persuade the good people of
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Anstruther to put down their award-winning fish and chips
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and make seaweed a regular on the menu?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So, Nick, I was over in Bute foraging around the seashore
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and I discovered all these seaweeds that are all delicious in their own
0:23:01 > 0:23:04way and, we've been eating this for quite some time, haven't we?
0:23:04 > 0:23:05Seaweed is very trendy at the moment.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It gets used in the high-end restaurants.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I was over in Northern Ireland and they sell it in paper shops in
0:23:10 > 0:23:13little bags, pepper dulse, for... As a snack, a sort of salty snack.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16So, I've been trying to think, what can I do to use as many different
0:23:16 > 0:23:18kinds of seaweed as possible? And it's got to be seaweed soup.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Now, this is going to be one of your favourite things we have ever
0:23:21 > 0:23:23done, really, isn't it? It's got all the stuff you like.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It'll be interesting because I tasted this one when I was
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- over there and I wasn't a lover of it, I have to say.- This is kombu.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So, kombu is very high in umami, this savoury kind of thing.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35So we're going to make a stock using two kinds of kombu.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37We've got sweet kombu and ordinary kombu.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I've based this on Japanese miso soup.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44So, we'll make a stock or a dashi using the two kombu seaweeds
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and this is shaved bonito tuna.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- OK.- OK.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51That smells a bit of tuna, that does.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52So, to make this stock,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56we need a pan of water which has just come to the boil
0:23:56 > 0:23:59but not quite and then we're going to take some of the kombu and we
0:23:59 > 0:24:03are just going to chop it up like so and we're going to pop it in.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04It's as simple as that.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We're going to chuck a fair old pile in there and some of this stuff too.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10This looks amazing, this type. Did you pick this?
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- I did pick it, yes.- Really? - Yes, I did. And it was interesting.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16My feet were absolutely freezing.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- My wellies weren't as good as they could have been.- Right, OK.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23So we're just going to let that infuse, not boiling,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- just under the boil for about two minutes.- Only two minutes?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Two minutes. Do you want to try this?
0:24:29 > 0:24:31I mean, that's literally been in there for 30 seconds.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- Wow. That's amazing.- Yeah, yeah. - That's quite pungent, actually.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39So, it picks up the flavour of the kombu very quickly and then
0:24:39 > 0:24:41we're going to add the shaved bonito tuna.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45It's a very carefully measured...
0:24:45 > 0:24:46THEY CHUCKLE
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Well, actually, there are people taking cover...
0:24:48 > 0:24:52It's a bit windy, sorry. It's a bit windy here in Anstruther.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56This takes about seven or eight minutes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59We used to eat a lot of seaweed in the Scots' diet, did we not?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02We did, we used to refer to them as sea vegetables and if you
0:25:02 > 0:25:06lived by the coast, it was a very cheap source of good, healthy food.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Of course, the other thing we used it for is fertiliser to grow
0:25:10 > 0:25:13other food as well, so it was an important part of people's diet.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Absolutely. Right, what's next?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18OK, so we're going to layer all that stock out into
0:25:18 > 0:25:22a pan and to the pan we're going to add all of the other sea vegetables.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26I need you to dice up the tofu quite small.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Back here, at the stock, I'm going to whisk in the miso paste.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38So, that characteristic cloudy miso soup base...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Then Nick adds a variety of different seaweeds.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45This is sea lettuce, this is the wrack.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So, these are going to be quite sort of hard to eat, then - I mean,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51they're not going to be soft, or are they?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Well, they do soften a bit. You'll see the colour changes,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56they come up quite nice, you get some lovely green colour.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58This is called sea sprigs.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02This is a pepper dulse which is delicious.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06It's probably my favourite of them all. And then,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08last but not least, your tofu.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- And that's it.- And that's it done.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16You can almost feel it doing you good.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Oh, that's really good. I wasn't...
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to this.- No, you weren't.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Because, you know, the idea of lots of seaweed,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28- I wasn't so sure about, but that is actually really nice, isn't it? It's lovely.- Yes, it's delicious.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Right, let's find out what the good folk of Anstruther,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35or "Ain-ster" make of our seaweed soup. It's cold out there.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- I think it's time for the jackets. - They're going to love it, I'm sure.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Nice, really nice.- Do you want to finish it?- Yeah, go for it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- What do you think?- It's lovely.- Are you surprised by that?- It's like...
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Yeah.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Oh, it's a whole family of seaweed soup eaters.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Well, it certainly tastes better than it looks.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Yeah, it does look funny, doesn't it? Nope?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- Like it?- Are you sure? If you don't like it you can say it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It's really nice, I really like it.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12HE LAUGHS
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- What does it taste like, honey? - Sticky sauce.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Does it taste like sticky sauce? - It's great,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20it's really like the miso soup we have in Asia but it tastes
0:27:20 > 0:27:22a little different, but I like everything in there, it's great.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25- What did you think?- Good.- Fantastic.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The texture and stuff is great, yeah, yeah, yeah. I loved it.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- Good, excellent, I'm delighted. - Yeah, great, thank you.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- Thank you very much indeed.- Thank you so much.- I'll tell the chef.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So, Nick, a generally good response to just
0:27:36 > 0:27:39a few of the many edible seaweeds available round our coastline.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I think people were surprised that it wasn't unpleasant and,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44actually, a couple of them really liked it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- Uh-huh.- It's an amazingly easy thing to cook as well.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49It really is, and it's delicious as well.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51And that's all we have time for this time around.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Here's what's coming up next week.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Ewan visits the dairy farm doing things differently.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02The calves stay in here in a wee get-together and let their mums
0:28:02 > 0:28:04get on and be milked, it's lovely.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06COW MOOS
0:28:06 > 0:28:11- And oysters are on the menu but not for me.- Would you like to try some?
0:28:11 > 0:28:14I once had a bad experience with a raw oyster and I don't
0:28:14 > 0:28:17really want to try it again, especially not on the television.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21So, join us again next Friday night at 7:30 on BBC One Scotland.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24In the meantime, from all the Landward team here in Anstruther,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26thanks for your company. Bye for now.