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00:01Across Scotland's remote and rugged landscapes...
00:04It's absolutely out of this world.
00:08..farming families...
00:09Keep going. Well done.
00:10..are working harder than ever...
00:12..to make a living.
00:15Blood, sweat and tears went into them.
00:21..embracing new ideas...
00:23He's in.
00:24Perfect.
00:25Abbey.
00:26..and preserving ancient traditions.
00:28His goal was to get us to love it,
00:30and he's definitely achieved that.
00:32..trying to ensure the future for the next generation.
00:36Would you prefer to be farming or school?
00:38Farming.
00:39..in challenging times.
00:41Are they going to take away a farm just yet?
00:44When you see this, you have to deal with the problem.
00:47It's quite heartbreaking.
00:49Five families...
00:50Please.
00:51..share their struggles.
00:52I don't even know why I'm crying.
00:54It happens all the time.
00:55It's all very stressful.
00:58Oh, my goodness.
00:59..and celebrate their triumphs.
01:01Slanted.
01:02Isn't that not just the most beautiful thing you could see?
01:05That's why I do it.
01:16As summer and the farming year draw to a close...
01:20Stand now, Skye.
01:21Stand, Skye.
01:25..it's time for farmers to reflect...
01:32..and plan ahead before the cycle of breeding and sowing starts over again.
01:44This is what I miss, you see, working away all the time.
01:47This leisurely lifestyle.
01:49Oh, God.
01:50Yes, dear.
01:51You...
01:52..you think what you like.
01:54Yes.
01:56On the north-east coast of the Highlands, in Dornoch,
02:00Rob's back on the farm after one of his many business trips away.
02:05These cows, the two youngest cows, are going to go back down the bottom
02:09with the other cows and calves.
02:12Back.
02:13Give me the bucket.
02:15Come on.
02:17Today, he's helping Emma with a two-person job.
02:20Moving cows.
02:22Blake, come on.
02:24Come on, Blake.
02:27Come on.
02:30Come on.
02:34Uh-oh.
02:35Come on, girls.
02:39Yeah, there could be some falling outs, maybe.
02:42Gloria's not going to be happy.
02:45Can we all settle, please?
02:48It's like dogs.
02:49Like a pack of dogs.
02:50There's always a female top dog.
02:52There's always a top female cow.
02:55Family favourite Gloria is next to get picked on.
02:59Stop bullying my Gloria.
03:01I know she's giving back.
03:03She was pushing her back.
03:06Gloria used to get bullied, being different out of all the black cows.
03:09But then in here, she was top cow with Bonnie and Toffee.
03:12And now we've put two black ones in.
03:15They're trying to assert dominance again,
03:17but Gloria is showing her what for, currently.
03:20Oh, cows.
03:24Be good.
03:30Next, they need to bring in the lambs for weighing.
03:35Rob has, um, the hardest job.
03:39All he wants to do is be at home on the farm,
03:42yet he's got 500,000 million other jobs to do
03:46and people to get back to and work to do,
03:51stuff that actually makes money,
03:53whereas this part of the farm doesn't.
03:55And that's why he does his other jobs to keep us going
03:58and to keep us afloat.
04:02Rusty, come by.
04:03Good boy.
04:09They need to work out which lambs are fat enough for market.
04:14One really nice, neat spot at the back of its neck.
04:18Yeah?
04:19Not all over its head or all over its tail,
04:22just one little dot.
04:26I'm not good with this.
04:29See, they move when I do it.
04:32His eyes are here, and if I go to you like that, you've got her.
04:38Let's get two dots.
04:40Er, no, just one.
04:41Oh.
04:4354.
04:44That can have two spots.
04:46That can go second.
04:49Massive is two spots.
04:5144 around is, well, 45-ish is one spot.
04:5550 plus is...
04:5650 plus is two.
04:58The way it's been this year, it's actually beneficial
05:00to get as heavy as possible, really,
05:01and then you get more per lamb.
05:03The butcher will want a lamb, fat and ready.
05:07Well, there's ten in total that are ready to go.
05:10Right, will you go sort them out?
05:16Lambs account for 25% of the farm's income,
05:20but the farm doesn't make enough to cover the bills.
05:26Hello?
05:29Ideally, what we're working towards
05:31is that we can both be at home full-time.
05:33That's the main aim,
05:35so that he doesn't have to be sat in his office
05:37or on the road for days at a time.
05:39At the minute, it's just difficult.
05:42Rob's agricultural supplies work takes him all over the country.
05:46Yeah, the hardest bit about the job is being away from home.
05:49I think the reality is that 160 acres
05:51probably won't allow you to stay at home full-time,
05:54and without the work that I do,
05:56it probably wouldn't be as possible.
05:59We don't particularly have any sort of pension,
06:01so we need to get some money out of the farm later on in life.
06:05So the idea is to try and make the farm as sustainable as possible,
06:08rather than me having to subsidise it all the time.
06:10And whether we ever get to that stage of that, I don't know.
06:14Be free.
06:23So we'll run the whole batch into the barn,
06:26put this gate across here into a smaller pen,
06:29scan this batch and just let them go, that's all right for you.
06:33A hundred miles west, on the Isle of Lewis,
06:36crofter Ali Williamson wants to be sure his breeding stock is free of disease
06:41before he sells their offspring.
06:43Will you recognise every single sheep?
06:45Every single sheep.
06:50Fellow sheep breeder and vet, Anne van Eidveld,
06:53is testing for signs of a deadly infectious disease.
06:57We're scanning for OPA.
06:59Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
07:02I'm not even going to try and say that.
07:04OPA.
07:05It's a disease that has become more prevalent in the last few years.
07:13Every sheep that has OPA will eventually die within a couple of months.
07:21It's a virus that causes tumours in the lungs.
07:24And at the same time, that tumour produces a fluid
07:27and that fluid's the thing that's infectious towards the rest of the sheep,
07:30a bit like COVID.
07:31If you see on the screen now, there is like this nice, wide, bright line,
07:35which is essentially like the lung surface.
07:38When that is not a nice, wide line,
07:41there will be some things going on that doesn't mean it's OPA.
07:44There is just small indications that can make you suspicious.
07:49Last year, one U scanned positive and had to be culled,
07:53along with another nine she was related to.
07:57What we're trying to do is, first and foremost,
08:01make sure that we don't have the disease, and if we do,
08:04to get rid of anything that might even show the slightest traces of it.
08:07The fact that we sell breeding tups onto other farms or crofts,
08:12the health of our ewes is paramount,
08:15and I don't want to be passing on any disease.
08:19A lot of these will be the mothers of the lambs
08:21that we're hopefully trying to sell this year.
08:23So, the best thing I can do is scan the mothers.
08:27The most common way of transmitting disease is actually from mother to lamb,
08:31because the first thing a mother does when a lamb is born is licking its face.
08:34Yeah.
08:34Face?
08:36Nah, she's clear.
08:38Anne's desperate to find one, but...
08:41I had a really... I can't say it, but it makes it a more exciting scan if you find something.
08:47Even if it's just, like, a nice abscess, a bit of pneumonia,
08:51it makes my day a bit more exciting, but it's not what the farmer likes to hear.
08:55I think you'll have to scan Gordie.
08:57I think we need some germinals or something like that.
08:59I want to scan your lungs.
09:00Ali's dad, Gordon, is recovering from a chest infection.
09:04This is the last one.
09:07It's a shame that it's not more exciting, isn't it?
09:10No, it's fucking perfect.
09:16I'm over the moon.
09:17We've got all the breeding females through the scanner.
09:21Every one of them's come back completely clear.
09:23That in itself fills me with a little bit more of enthusiasm and encouragement
09:27that I did the right thing last year.
09:28And you can see also today, it's paid off.
09:33Now Ali can tell prospective buyers his tops are OPA-free.
09:39I think it's really important that this carries on
09:42and that we try as much as possible to eradicate it.
09:47Is that you finished now? You don't need another shilling in the meter?
09:51No, it's fine. That's me done.
09:52Are you going to pay cash or card?
09:55LAUGHTER
10:02In Dornagh, 50% of the farm's income comes from their caravan park,
10:10driving range and fishing ponds.
10:14And it's Emma who's most invested in this side of the business.
10:19When we moved here, obviously I would be doing this side of the farm,
10:23the fishery and the golf and stuff.
10:24So my dad taught me how to fish, how to tie flies, how to do rods.
10:29My dad taught me everything that I know so far,
10:31other than bits that I pick up from the guys that come fishing.
10:36Visitors pay up to £30 a day.
10:40But the ponds seem to be attracting more than just fishermen.
10:45We buy fishing every year and we know that most of it gets taken by the otters,
10:51not the fishermen.
10:52These are trail cams.
10:54They can see in the dark as well, they get a little tiny red light.
10:57This is an otter run.
10:58They'll trail through where there's least bit of roughage
11:01and they'll slide down into the water.
11:04They make trails from every pond, interlinked to see where the best fish is.
11:07So we're just going to have a look and see how many we've actually got.
11:14The cameras are motion activated, so any wildlife walking past them should be captured.
11:22They're hairy!
11:23OK, getting his clothes up in.
11:27A headshot!
11:29Mrs Tiggywinkle!
11:29Mrs Tiggywinkle!
11:31Mrs Tiggywinkle!
11:33What's that?
11:34Mrs Tiggywinkle!
11:36There are around 8,000 otters in Scotland.
11:39Oh.
11:41Emma wants to know how many of them visit her farm.
11:44Mrs Tiggywinkle!
11:45At nine!
11:46Jeez, look how fat that thing is.
11:50Oh, oh!
11:52There's two of them!
11:54No, but if she has pups, then lots of the pups eat the fish as well.
11:59So we know there's two.
12:01Whoa!
12:01Three!
12:03Four!
12:06I should not have said that!
12:08I should not have said there's already two, I should have said...
12:11There's more, there's four!
12:17All we need now is a GoFundMe page for feeding the otters, isn't it?
12:21No, we could say adopt an otter.
12:23Adopt an otter.
12:24Adopt an otter.
12:25Take your pick.
12:29Cute animals are a must for Emma's expanding farm tours.
12:34The pigs need fresh air!
12:36And she's about to invest in two new attractions.
12:42Are you happy now?
12:43Yes!
12:44Pet pigs, little cooney coonies.
12:47We've never had these before.
12:49Meant to be very friendly.
12:51Exciting, if we can ever get going.
12:55Bye-bye!
12:58All this for two pigs.
13:00The cutest pigs.
13:03Cutest pigs in the world.
13:05Do you know how expensive they are?
13:07No.
13:07Exactly.
13:08You don't want no.
13:12The piglets have been reared in a croft 60 miles away.
13:17We're here!
13:21Oh, look at them!
13:25We're here!
13:27We're here!
13:28Oh!
13:29They are fast!
13:32Cooney cooney pigs came to the UK from New Zealand.
13:35The name means fat and round in Maori.
13:39So, which one's our spotty one?
13:41So, this spotty one.
13:43Yep.
13:43So, I would have given you the littler one, but it's a boy.
13:45Oh, that's right.
13:46If we're wanting girls.
13:46Yeah, we want girls.
13:47I thought she was just saying she'd unfortunately sold them all.
13:52Is that not what she said?
13:58Picking out a piglet is one thing.
14:00You manage?
14:01Yeah.
14:02Picking one up takes skill.
14:05Just get in.
14:06As long as you've got a good hold of both legs.
14:10This is why I don't have hope to do with this.
14:18This one's too heavy to go.
14:24Look at them.
14:26There we go.
14:27Right.
14:28If you want, you can carefully go in with them.
14:30OK.
14:31Right, go on.
14:32Did they bite?
14:34No, they're not going to bite.
14:35Right, you have to go in.
14:37So, they will be perfect for your farm visits and things
14:40because they're so friendly and they get so, like,
14:44they just love attention.
14:45Well, I'm going to put them in the barn tonight,
14:47next to the pet lambs.
14:48So, I was thinking for a few days.
14:51Can I sleep in the barn tonight?
14:52No.
14:52Yeah, yeah, no problem.
14:54Yay!
14:56I'm sure you'll have lots of fun.
14:58I'm sure we will.
15:01Bye-bye.
15:11Bye-bye.
15:11You better go get them because they're still sleeping.
15:15Quietly.
15:16Told you you were that bouncy on the way home.
15:22Pick her up.
15:23You have to pick her up.
15:23We've got pig racing.
15:25We've got pig racing.
15:26We're going into the surf.
15:29This way.
15:30This way.
15:30This way.
15:31This way.
15:31This way.
15:32And smokey.
15:33Smokey.
15:35Okay.
15:36Okay.
15:37Hey.
15:37Hey.
15:37Enough now.
15:38All of you.
15:39Night-night, piggies.
15:42Night-night, piggies.
15:43Night-night, piggies.
15:44Night-night, piggies.
15:45Night-night, piggies.кіphies.
16:15Oh, there's more wires here than there is in a wire factory.
16:21180 miles southwest on the Isle of Arran,
16:24traditional hill farmer Callum Lindsay is getting ready to cut grass for silage
16:29with the help of some new technology.
16:31So this is auto steer guidance and GPS.
16:36It directs you in the most efficient way to cut the field or roll the field or whatever
16:40in nice straight lines and it's all about efficiency.
16:43And in the long run, it means that you're saving money because we're not using as much fuel
16:48because it's worked out the most efficient way to cut the field.
16:53Have you got your trainers on?
16:55Good job.
16:57You're going to be super fast today.
16:59Zara's wrangling daughters Lottie and Lucy.
17:04Before you go, you can maybe go and see Daddy's new toy.
17:08One off, a new one on.
17:12One we had to steer and one what will steer itself.
17:15Right, that goes, that goes.
17:18Have you had to use some swear words yet?
17:20No, not yet.
17:21No, no.
17:22Are you reading the instructions?
17:25I was flung them away.
17:27Daddy, why do you follow instructions away?
17:30You didn't actually.
17:32Daddy's just...
17:33Not very good with all this.
17:35Maybe by the time we get back, it'll be set up.
17:38I need to go.
17:39Why did you bring them back?
17:45Turning circle.
17:47It helps if you can spell things.
17:50G-R-E.
17:513-0-6 degrees.
17:543-0-6.
17:57Oh, doesn't he like that?
18:00Could be cutting silage.
18:01We're sitting here trying to work out technology, which was not the technology's fault.
18:07I'm just not very good at reading instructions.
18:10I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was at primary school.
18:13It didn't hold me back.
18:14I maybe held myself back more by maybe not applying myself as much at school that I probably should have
18:21now.
18:22I worry less about it now that Zara's here, eh?
18:25It's certainly more literate than me.
18:27You know, there'll be things that she'll ask me, questions of,
18:29what do we put in here and what do we do with this?
18:32You sit down and you work out together.
18:33It's a big part of what we are, you know, that we rely on each other to work together.
18:38And, you know, I wouldn't manage without her.
18:43Calm is, severely dislikes it probably.
18:46Yeah, usually I'm his scribe or his, eh, read it out to him,
18:51just try and make it, make a bit more sense to him.
18:53Because I don't actually understand the terminology,
18:55but if I read it to him, he can understand what I'm trying to say.
18:58Do not use symbols such as percentage and an at.
19:03But I don't.
19:05Check your internet connection.
19:06I don't have internet connection.
19:11Well, that's not much use, is it?
19:15No Wi-Fi connection.
19:17Are you meant to just farm on the internet?
19:20If you've no internet, you can't farm with the looks of these days.
19:24Right.
19:24Power steer.
19:33At last, the new technology is playing ball.
19:39The grass did take a wee while to come this year.
19:41We were a bit worried about it, but just with it being such a dry spring,
19:45so we're probably cutting slightly later than we would have last year.
19:48But there seems to be a good, thick crop.
19:52See, this is a...
19:54That'll be a stone.
19:55There is a stone there.
19:56There's quite a big stone there, actually.
20:02There's no cold hill sign for nothing.
20:06It still takes manual skills to replace a cutting blade.
20:09And this is why we have a wee pile of spares available.
20:23The monitor screen was slightly low battery,
20:25so we're back to trying to cut it in a straight line.
20:29This is the way we've cut it for years.
20:35I'm out here cutting grass, and Zara's doing the VAT return,
20:38you know, the paperwork.
20:40She's probably more capable of coming out here and cutting grass
20:44than I am sitting in there doing the paperwork.
20:46So it's all about working as a team.
20:49When you get somebody that's your best friend
20:52and you can work well together, you're blessed, like, you know,
20:55and that is the beautiful bit of being a farming family.
21:04In farming, years of hard-earned knowledge
21:07are passed down through generations of family.
21:13On the Isle of Lewis...
21:16Orla, Orla, come here, come on.
21:20Ali's 16-year-old son Noah is honing his gathering skills.
21:24When I'm with someone else, yeah, it's fine,
21:26but I prefer it only by myself
21:28because I get to make my own decisions.
21:31It's just me, the dog, and a hill.
21:34No one's there to disturb me.
21:37It's peaceful, yeah.
21:40Come on. Orla.
21:42As I'm getting older, Dad's giving me more responsibility,
21:45which means I've got bigger hills to gather by myself,
21:49and I quite like that, having that sense of responsibility
21:52because it shows that he's getting trusted in me
21:56and he knows I can do these things.
22:06Every single time I come up here,
22:07I learn a bit more about the hill
22:09and where to go and what to look out for
22:12and the blind spot.
22:13So, for me,
22:15it's just about gaining knowledge
22:17and then hopefully I'll get to the point
22:19where I'll know the hill
22:20like the back of my hand.
22:23Stand!
22:25Stand there! Orla! Orla!
22:27Hallelujah!
22:29This year I've learnt a lot,
22:31just genuinely, about sheep,
22:33but also gathering hills
22:37and just everything in between.
22:40It's been a massive year for me
22:42and, you know, every year I hope that
22:45I just get more out of this for myself
22:50because, at the end of the day,
22:51what I want to be is a sheep farmer.
22:54I want to follow my dad.
22:57That'll do, that'll do.
23:01That bit there, Dad, is folding over.
23:06Now that Noah can gather alone,
23:08Ali and Gordon can get on with the to-do list.
23:13I know Noah.
23:14He'll try and avoid phoning me
23:16to see if he can figure it out for himself
23:18before he actually phones and checks
23:20that he's got it right.
23:21I suppose that's one of the things
23:22we try and install in him a little bit
23:24is that it's OK to get it wrong
23:27and that can be related to any part of life,
23:29I suppose.
23:33Noah's passion for sheep
23:35goes back generations.
23:39This is possibly one of the first photos of me
23:41with the black-faced sheep.
23:45This is me here
23:46and that's my Uncle Callum here.
23:49I'm literally following his footsteps still.
23:53It was Ali's uncles
23:55who passed their knowledge down to him.
23:58This is the days that formed us,
24:01these fank days
24:01when we would be out in the hill
24:04and come back
24:05and the whole community got involved
24:07and you'd have to go into
24:09the big huddle of sheep
24:10and grab each other's sheep
24:11and, yeah.
24:16I remember this one.
24:18I remember when he got that tractor.
24:20The kitchen garden that once was
24:23has now been taken over by sheep.
24:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:26It's last year at Del Mali.
24:28Yeah, it's last year at Del Mali, yeah.
24:31Picked out the shirt
24:32and the waistcoat again.
24:33It's not been on him since last Del Mali,
24:34so he's hoping it brings him luck this year.
24:38Makes you kind of look back at this
24:40and realise how much the kids
24:43are actually taking on this mantle
24:45and how fortunate
24:47and lucky
24:48we are as a family
24:50that we can
24:51have the privilege of passing it on.
24:54It's always important
24:55not to forget your roots
24:56and our roots are
24:58here on this croft
25:00wherever
25:01and whatever we manage to achieve
25:03in the future
25:03this is where
25:05this is where we belong
25:06and this is
25:08this is what made us.
25:14On the Isle of Arran
25:16is that Ben?
25:20Callum and Zara's girls
25:22are at the start
25:22of their farming journey.
25:24You should be doing the work
25:26it's your lamb.
25:29Lucy's soon to make her debut
25:31at the 187th Arran show.
25:37This is one of our pet lambs
25:38so there's a class at the show
25:40for pet lambs
25:43which is really just to get
25:44the children involved
25:45get them started showing.
25:48This is Lucy's pet lambs
25:50Ben and she's taking her own pet lamb
25:53to the show
25:53in the pet lamb ring.
25:59Not all the Lindsay family
26:01are showstruck.
26:03This really isn't my forte.
26:05Not the biggest fan
26:06of showing sheep
26:08but we give it a go.
26:12Yeah it's just nice
26:13to support the local show.
26:17Oh just take the belly wool off
26:18and it makes them look
26:19that wee bit taller.
26:21This is the second year
26:22that we've shown at Arran's show.
26:24Last year was the first time
26:25we've ever shown anything
26:26so it's still a steep
26:28learning curve for us.
26:30This year we're taking
26:32two black stock tups
26:33a black yow
26:35a white gimmer
26:36and Lucy's lamb Ben.
26:39We like shown sheep
26:40because it's teamwork
26:41isn't it?
26:42Do you like shown sheep?
26:43Yes.
26:44It doesn't make it taste
26:45any better than it is
26:46by showing it.
26:47No but
26:49it's nice to just have
26:50do something different
26:51and it's not something
26:52I'd want to do
26:52every weekend of my summer
26:54but I think it's nice
26:56to just have a thing
26:57that you can do together
26:58as a family
26:59sort the local community
27:00go to the show
27:02and just even
27:02you know
27:03just do a bit of socialising
27:04with the other farmers
27:05in the island.
27:08I'm actually one of the directors
27:10on the show committee
27:11this year
27:11so
27:13the next job
27:14is to go and help
27:15finishing off
27:15setting up the show
27:16just without being such
27:18bad weather yesterday.
27:22Right come on in
27:23let's go
27:24next job
27:26Lucy you're
27:27you're covered in sheep colour
27:29you're the same
27:30you're the same colour as Ben
27:32right come on
27:33let's go
27:37high winds from storm floris
27:39means the show tents
27:40are going up last minute
27:433, 2, 1
27:46does this come down
27:48or does that stay up
27:51teamwork makes the dream work
27:53and I think we're almost there
27:54so
27:54it's amazing
27:55what
27:55a big group of farmers
27:57together
27:57how quickly you can get stuff done
27:59I always think it's good
28:00to get involved
28:01with the community
28:01that's how you meet people
28:02and how you then
28:04build your
28:04build your relationships
28:05so
28:06this will be our third year here
28:07you definitely feel
28:08a lot more part of it now
28:10and that's probably
28:11with us getting involved
28:12with so much stuff
28:13so
28:13without that
28:14you wouldn't have had that
28:20Come on
28:21come on
28:23180 miles northeast
28:24in Dornoch
28:25Rob and Emma
28:27are bringing in
28:27the breeding news
28:29Go out
28:30Go out
28:33They need vitamins and minerals
28:35before topping
28:36to ensure healthy lambs next year
28:40Good go, Barry
28:41We give them bolus
28:43and drench actually
28:44so we give them bolus now
28:45and then drench later
28:47which is on quite light sandy ground
28:49so they're always short of minerals
28:53pass me a blue spray please
28:55we're just checking that all the udders and stuff are correct
29:02They're also marking the sheep they don't want to breed
29:05and can sell instead
29:08Oh, pansy get out of the buggy
29:11She'll end up eating the key or something like that instead
29:13What do you think you're doing?
29:17Long term
29:17they want the farm to be profitable
29:19so Rob can spend more time at home
29:22Good job we don't farm to make money
29:24that's all I see
29:27but how they do that
29:29hasn't quite been agreed on
29:31It's not just your farm remember
29:33Yeah, but you wouldn't have your farm without me
29:35paying for it all
29:36We've just got to think of it that way sometimes
29:38we'd have to rely on all your animals that don't breed then
29:41wouldn't we?
29:42The dream future at the farm would be
29:45Rob doing the farming
29:47and me doing the tourism side
29:50If I'm doing sheep I get to decide
29:52whether we get more sheep or not as well actually
29:54No?
29:55Yeah?
29:55You have to decide that you're going to lamb them then
29:58Well I did most of them
29:59I know we're here and vet we're here most of the time so
30:01Mm-hmm
30:03You're not having my barn
30:04I've got pans for my barn
30:06What, they actually make money?
30:08Both
30:09As much money as sheep, Meck, probably, yeah
30:11You put me a plan together that show how you're going to make money with these crazy plans
30:15I'll let you have the shed
30:17and I'll lamb them later outside
30:19But at the moment the shed's not fit for naught anyway
30:22because you've made it into like a zoo
30:23And it's currently being useful because it's holding the goats hostage
30:26It will be like that until lambing time
30:29No it won't because they've got pumpkin patch
30:31so don't be so ridiculous
30:33Don't be so ridiculous
30:36No Rob doesn't like our supposed zoo
30:40Zoo
30:41Not that we haven't had three sets of farm toast a day to see the zoo
30:46But that's still not enough
30:50It just looks a mess
30:51It just looks a mess
30:58When they bought the farm they had a five-year plan to get it into profit
31:04Four years in they've had to adapt
31:08Caravan site's been the main issue
31:11The community council wanted us to put in for a caravan site
31:16because there were a lot of people parking in lay-bys
31:19and parking where they shouldn't and dumping waste where they shouldn't
31:22So we put a proposal forward to extend our campsite from five to ten
31:30But the Highland Council rejected the proposal
31:33So their plan to expand has been scuppered
31:37Causes a bit of a headache
31:38And causes arguments between ourselves, don't it?
31:41Doesn't it darling?
31:42No, don't we talk about
31:45Over the five years
31:47We actually wanted to do like one thing each year
31:49But because the one thing that we started with has taken so long
31:54It piles up the others
31:56So the five-year plan might well get extended
32:07Becoming established in farming is all about playing the long game
32:12Adapting and looking for opportunity
32:18We're just past some of Sandy's ewes on the road here
32:23In Lewis, Ali's getting involved in an initiative set up by a fellow crofter
32:31Sandy is one of the shepherds that come and gather on the hills with us
32:37He's from a neighbouring village
32:41I've been asked to come along to the abattoir to help out with his mutton business
32:50Sandy Granville has built up a business selling Lewis mutton direct to customers across the UK
32:58That's what looks right
33:02Once a year, he processes the meat through the local abattoir
33:07I've never seen one of these before
33:09Yes you have, you wear them every year
33:11I wear them all the time
33:12Every time
33:15Who's that man?
33:16That masked man
33:20Ali's one of a small number of crofters who supply the sheep
33:24I have my own back to front
33:27That's splendid
33:28Have I got the mullet in?
33:30But this side of the business is new to him
33:33Perfect
33:36Paul's showing him the ropes
33:40Murdo and Callum cut to the cutting list which is on the wall
33:44Then it goes to Callum who then vacuum packs it
33:47Once the boxes are done we just carry them, put them in the freezer
33:49And then they're ready to go
33:51There's far more to this process than I actually realised
33:54We've just got to make sure everything's packed properly
33:56Make sure that everything's done so Sandy can get away this evening
34:00I leave here with about a ton of mutton
34:03I deliver all round Scotland
34:08Then I think I'll be as far as middle scorer
34:13I turn back and go back to Glasgow and pick up the next lot
34:16That'll stop me up again
34:18And I'll then go off and I'll do a complete circuit of England
34:27Sandy's looking to retire
34:29And wants the other crofters to keep the business going
34:33Hopefully I can recognise what's what
34:37With each...
34:38Shall I use these?
34:40Yeah, use those, yeah
34:43Is that a shoulder?
34:44Yeah
34:45No, that's actually a breast
34:47No idea
34:48You'll be fully assessed later
34:50Yeah, yeah
34:52If I'm still here
34:56The mutton is from Wedder's
34:59Two-year-old castrated male sheep
35:02It's a meat that kind of went out of fashion I suppose
35:05Because everybody wanted a fast product
35:08So lamb was the desired product
35:12Whereas with these wedders
35:14They're obviously at full maturity
35:16A far more succulent animal
35:19So full of flavour
35:20And it's had the chance to slowly grow and mature in a natural way
35:26On our hills
35:27And I feel it's a great product
35:31That we should be endorsing a lot more
35:36It's an important thing for the whole crofting economy
35:40That we have a worthwhile product
35:42So people aren't just dependent on the vagaries of the livestock market
35:46I hope it's going to encourage people to stay on the hills
35:49Because you can't produce this kind of quality of meat
35:53Unless you do it as extensively as we do on the hills
36:00The business has a loyal customer base
36:03Who buy nearly £30,000 worth of mutton a year
36:08I'm lucky to be part of it
36:09But the way I see it
36:11It's a future for our islands
36:12And it's a future allowing the likes of Noah to possibly come into it
36:17And stay here if he wishes
36:19Which is something I never thought would be a possibility when I was younger
36:23To actually make a sustainable life out of just crofting alone
36:28And I'm not saying it's definitely possible
36:31But things like this make it slightly easier
36:39The first load leaves Lewis tonight
36:43Two seconds, Sandy
36:44OK
36:52Back at the croft, Ali's got a once a year appointment
36:59Hup! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!
37:02Shepherds from the neighbouring villages
37:04Have brought their sheep to the Fank
37:06For their annual dip
37:08It's a goal of the sheep producers as a whole
37:10For every animal to be dipped on the island
37:12The fact that we're trying to do is eradicate scabs from the island
37:15And this is one of the only ways to do that
37:18Is to have a coordinated dipping programme
37:20Ho! Ho! Come on! Hup! Hup! Hup!
37:23Scab is a painful condition
37:24Caused by mites in the fleece
37:27With this setup we've got here today
37:29There's a few villages have come together
37:31So that the lorry doesn't have to move around as well
37:33So the neighbouring village has taken their sheep here to get them dipped
37:36And then they'll walk them back
37:38There's a lot of kind of collaboration with it that way
37:41And it's the only way it would really work
37:44This is a project that's been going on for the last four years
37:47And the dippers have been here for the last three
37:49Hopefully last year we were able to dip up to 30,000 sheep
37:52It's a fair achievement for the island
37:55Dipping time coincides with top sails
37:58I kind of get, we call it a bit of top fever
38:01Because we're coming into next week
38:02It'll be the first of the top sails
38:04And it's the whole of October
38:05And it's just like top sails, top sails, top sails
38:09And that's it, nine
38:11Holy booly, what a lump
38:12Poo!
38:18We're putting additives into the dip as well
38:20So all the sheep are coming out
38:21A nice yellowy colour, all fake sand
38:23So we know which ones have been dipped and which ones haven't
38:27I'm saying I've very much got the easy job today
38:30The boys are doing all the hard work
38:32We're pushing them up the ramp
38:34Whereas I'm just making sure there's nine and a pen
38:37It's quite simple really
38:41Oh Lord above!
38:44Oh no, Ali!
38:45They're all mixed!
38:50Yeah, there's a reason for putting colour in your dipper
38:52Isn't it just?
38:55A wee bit of a mishap, I think the sheep burst again
38:57And then mixed in with some of the pre-dipped ones
39:00But at least you can clearly tell what's been dipped and what's not now
39:03No major mishap, but a bit of a pain for these guys
39:16Island farming relies on neighbours pulling together
39:21Where are we going today?
39:23To the show!
39:24To the show!
39:27This is the driest show morning I can ever remember
39:34At the community-run Aaron show, Callum's efforts to spruce up his sheep
39:39Oh, that one's mingin'
39:41Eh?
39:42Your orange one's black
39:44Have rubbed off
39:46Oh, they're not too bad
39:48Just need a wee tidy up and we'll be good
39:51Look, you can only do so much
39:53But it'll be fine, absolutely fine
39:55It's the taking part that counts
39:57I've got a wee bit nervous at this kind of thing
39:59You know, if you've worked hard to produce a product
40:01These are our life and soul
40:04You know, these are our bread and butter
40:07And then you bring them over to something like this
40:10And you know, the whole general public and the farming community are seeing your stock
40:21Let's get your jackets on
40:23For three-year-old Lucy, it'll be her first time showing
40:28You happy with your coat?
40:30Starting with the pet lamb competition
40:37Judging today is Ayrshire sheep breeder, John Barclay
40:42You can feed it all yourself?
40:44No
40:46Mummy, daddy helped
40:48You have to smile and look happy
40:51Are you happy?
40:53Yeah
40:57Big sister Lottie, with a bit more experience, lands first prize
41:04You got a first
41:05Yeah, I'm happy
41:07We got first prize
41:09Yeah, well done
41:12Look at you
41:14Covered in rosettes
41:15Covered in rosettes
41:20Callum and Zara have a hard act to follow
41:27In the Any Other Breeds top class
41:34Yeah, I just let go
41:35I wasn't chasing it around and making myself look silly in the ring
41:38So, just let go
41:43Well done
41:44Cheers
41:45Thank you
41:47Callum brings it home with third prize
41:51Right, please
41:52It wasn't a red one but didn't embarrass herself, you know
41:55Taking part of the count, so
41:57It's the home of a few rosettes
41:58And a rosette with a lamb
42:01And a rosette with a yow
42:02With a top, so
42:04Let's get your jackets on
42:06Quick, quick, we've got to do more
42:11Next up, young handlers
42:13Keep going
42:14You maybe should have taken the bigger one
42:17Where competitors are judged on their control of their animal
42:22And specialist knowledge
42:24Well, his daddy's a blue, but what's his mummy?
42:26A blackie
42:28Really?
42:28That's right, aye?
42:29Her mum was a Texel and her dad was a Texel
42:33Very good
42:35Aye, you're doing well
42:36It's lovely
42:41This time it's Lucy who pits Big Sister to the post
42:47Second best young handler
42:50We're proud of you
42:50Yeah?
42:52And Lottie got third, so
42:54We're super proud
42:56You did good
43:01The girls have actually probably done better than us
43:03With their prizes
43:05It's the taking part that counts
43:07But no, we've certainly
43:08Come home with a lot more than we thought we would
43:16The handle Scotland's drop to the best pet lamb
43:19Is Lottie Lindsay
43:27Good job
43:29Hey, look at you!
43:33Coming here three years ago now, it was very daunting
43:36I literally knew no one
43:38You're socialising with people that are now your friends
43:40It makes you feel a bit more integrated into the community
43:43You're now a citizen of Arran, I suppose you would say it
43:47But this is home for us now
43:54Arran Farmer Society best pet lamb in show
43:582025
44:01It is a very relaxed way of life over here
44:05And now that I have experienced it for almost three years
44:09I don't think I would change it, you know
44:10A big high five?
44:14No, give me a big one
44:16Yeah, this one
44:1780
44:32Ten lambs, three sheep
44:34Well, we ain't got many left, have we?
44:35No, we haven't got many lambs left
44:38In Dornagh, it's a rare payday for the livestock side of the farm
44:43Rob and Emma are taking sheep to their local mart
44:46We've got ten lambs fit today
44:50And then we've got three sheep that we went through yesterday
44:56We have a price in mind but it'll be 20 quid less
45:00It has been for the past two times
45:04Prices at the Martin Dingwall have been lower than at auctions further south
45:08The average land price is good at the moment across the UK
45:12I think we get a bit disheartened with it because
45:14Yeah, we lived in Yorkshire for a bit
45:16We lived in the borders for a bit
45:17And we speak to farmers from down in those areas
45:21And they tell you the prices that they're getting
45:23The pence per kilo that they're getting
45:24And yeah, we have to accept that we're a bit more remote
45:27And there's a bit of transport costs
45:29But I was very disappointed in the last lot that went
45:32We were below that three pound a kilo mark
45:37Three pound a kilo is the UK average
45:41Rob's first group needs to sell for £135 per head to hit that
46:02Bingo!
46:05This single lamb needs to hit £120
46:15But it doesn't quite make it
46:18A second with a target of £120
46:25Makes up for it
46:28With the last four going for £129 apiece
46:34Rob's hit his mark
46:36Just over £3 a kilo I think is average
46:38There you go
46:41Thank you
46:44And the final tally
46:46After the commission and stuff we're just over £1,700
46:49So yeah, you can't complain with those prices at all really
46:53We're still making a bit of money on every lamb that we sell
46:55So that's the most important bit
47:00It's a big tick for the livestock side of their business
47:06Feels like yesterday we were still lamb and sheep
47:10Come on
47:13There's always one
47:15And next year's breeding cycle is about to start over
47:20We put about 40 sheep per tup
47:23That's sort of around the right ratio
47:25It's quite interesting with the tups
47:27Because the tups we know who they are right the way through
47:30Right to the dam and right to the sire
47:31And we can pick depending on breed type
47:34So we can pick and choose
47:35And then the ones that we don't need we tend to sell
47:40Big lad
47:42So we picked Mr Pickles on his traits for breeding ewes basically, didn't we?
47:48Produces a good female
47:49Which is what we're after from him
47:51We're just after a good ewe
47:54They want more ewes to boost their breeding flock
47:57And eventually their profit margins
48:01Slowly have them
48:03She's off, they've gone
48:11Come Mr Pickles
48:15Your lady friends
48:19Topping time marks the start of the new farming calendar
48:24Freshly made out of the kitchen
48:26And the chance to reflect on the year past
48:31It's rustic
48:33It's based on the grass
48:37If he'd have told me even ten years ago
48:41That we'd be running a farm and the tourism business
48:45In the north of Scotland
48:47Would I have believed you even ten years ago?
48:49No, it just happened very fast all at once
48:53It was a right decision moving here
48:54It's definitely been a lot more of a challenge than we thought, hasn't it?
48:57And we said fifth year we really needed to start and make money properly, didn't we?
49:01And make it work itself, which is next year
49:04Hopefully with a bit of luck on our sides
49:06And we'll see how it goes, won't we?
49:11I've probably spent a lot more time away from home this year than I ever have before
49:15That does bring in quite a good income
49:18To help us do projects and things like that on the farm that we want to do
49:24The tourism side is doing well, but it could do so much better
49:30Definitely improved every year
49:31This year again been the busiest year
49:33But it's not even probably half its full potential of what it could be
49:37But that's when we need to have me solely focusing on that
49:42And not trying to run the farm as well
49:43And we need him to do more farming
49:46But then, like he says, it doesn't bring in the same money that it does when he's at work
49:49So it's really hard to know what to do for the best
49:53Definitely still finding our feet
49:58The five year plan may be extending
50:00But their motivation goes beyond their own future on the farm
50:06Yeah, I think everything we do is for the children
50:08The thing is try to make it enough for both children to have that option to do things on the
50:13farm if they wanted to do
50:14And potentially having three families on the farm one day
50:16Yeah, they already talk about it, don't they?
50:19They do
50:19And they both decide what they're going to do and how they're going to do it
50:22Yeah
50:22I don't think they just realise how lucky they are
50:24No, definitely not
50:25What a life for them to live
50:37Morning
50:39How are we?
50:42Ali Williamson and his family have made the seven-and-a-half-hour journey from Lewis to Dalmali
50:49We will know the climax, basically, of our year will all be done in the next six hours
50:55For black-faced up-breeders, the annual sale here is the place to be
51:02My dad's quite nervous
51:04I think he is feeling positive
51:07More positive than he ever has been, I think, going to Dalmali
51:09I'm really excited
51:11I don't know what's going to happen, but I love Dalmali so much, it's so cool
51:15Just putting a wee bit of oil on their horns, it kind of obviously shines up the horns and makes
51:20their head stand out
51:22I'm going in the ring this year, which I'm quite nervous for, but we'll see how it goes
51:29Ali's partner Maggie is here for their big day
51:32It's going to be busy, but it'll be good, it's always a good atmosphere down here, so it's nice, I
51:38like coming down to Dalmali
51:39And Grandpa Gordon is here in spirit
51:42Grandpa, he'll be fine at home, we just phone him every two minutes and he'll be happy
51:49Last year, Ali and three fellow crofters pulled together to buy a £10,000 tub
51:56Lift him up, lift him up, lift him up, have him high
51:59Some of his best sons are going into the ring
52:02We've been judging him today, essentially
52:06I'm very happy with him, gotta admit, I'm very happy and we've been so lucky to get him to this
52:11stage
52:12We've had a very good summer, all down to now seeing if other people think they're any use
52:20Ali's appointed Noah as chief salesman
52:22Noah, make sure you're making conversation or something, but not making it too, you know yourself
52:28How are you guys, I'm all right, can I?
52:32Aye, I'll always look at that
52:34Aye, no worries
52:37Talk him up, tell him all the part, I told you
52:40You won't talk crap to this guy
52:43Tell us all what I want to hear
52:44Yeah
52:47Yeah, good
52:48Good
52:48Good
52:49When you get hill boys coming into your pen and saying your lambs are in fair tune
52:52It's more of a bonus than it is the boys who got on farms
52:565,200, 5,200
52:59Dalmali blackface top sale is the second biggest in Scotland
53:035,200 only
53:04And prices can reach into six figures
53:07Young man, if you keep waving your ticket, you will be owning some sheep
53:14Last year, Ali's reached a 350 pound average
53:19If we came away and sold all our lambs this year at a 400 pound average
53:22That's brilliant for us, if we get a bit more than that, I'm delighted
53:27Couple of minutes, aye, just a couple of minutes till we're in
53:29Crunch time
53:32Soon find out, we'll either come out very happy or cry
53:39Both Noah and Bethany will join their dad in the ring
53:42Wherever it happens, it's fine, alright? I love you
53:48Ali's favourite is up first
53:501,000 bet, 1,000 bet, 1,000 bet Highlander
53:531,000 bet, 1,000 bet, over 1,000 bet
53:561,000 bet, 1,000 bet
53:581,000 bet, 1,000 bet
54:011,000 bet
54:021,000 bet
54:041,000 bet
54:05He makes a grand
54:08They're off to a flying start
54:09There you go, there you go as well
54:12That's a high line for you
54:133,000, 3,000 bet
54:16300 bet, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 9,000 bet
54:2411, 12
54:27And for the second, the bids keep climbing
54:3190
54:312,000
54:332,000 don't
54:342,000
54:362,000
54:382,200
54:392,200
54:402,002
54:42There you go, bringing behind the bus
54:45400 bet
54:47It goes for 2,200
54:521,800, you wanna get, 800
54:55Looster
54:55Muriel
55:01Added together, the four lambs sell for £4,450,
55:07more than twice his target price.
55:10Let's go get pissed.
55:15One at 1,000, one at 2,200, one at 800, one at 450.
55:21In for a beer? I will get you in the bar.
55:24Are you going into the bar? Yes. Am I going into the bar?
55:27You're buying. I'm buying, that's fine.
55:31Chuffed. Really chuffed.
55:33Proud of these guys as well.
55:35First time in the ring for Bethany as well.
55:38Really chuffed. Really chuffed.
55:40The lamp kept coming towards me. I know.
55:43It was... But it was fine.
55:45I was... It's more...
55:46I was more nervous before I actually went in.
55:49But when I was in, I was fine.
55:50You did very well. Very, very well.
55:55And the person who paid the top price, breeder and vet Anne.
56:00What?
56:01Dave and I bought it together.
56:03What happened, Nick?
56:05Because I was going to go out to 2,000,
56:07and he was like, come, one more, I'll pay half of it.
56:10Oh, thank you so much.
56:11Yeah.
56:14This year has been amazing.
56:16And it keeps getting better and better.
56:19So, um, who knows what the future holds, but...
56:22As it stands, it's looking good.
56:26Extremely proud of my dad.
56:27Right, let's FaceTime Grandpa.
56:30Hello.
56:31Hello, how are you doing?
56:32Brilliant.
56:34I'm quite happy.
56:35Oh, delighted, Dad. Delighted.
56:40I've no idea what you're saying, but as long as you're happy...
56:44I'll give you a phone later on, I'm saying.
56:46OK, no problem.
56:47All right, take care.
56:48Cheers, cheers.
56:49Bye.
56:49Bye-bye.
56:50Bye-bye.
56:50Bye-bye, bye-bye.
57:02Allie's invested years into gradually improving his sheep.
57:08The prices paid today show farmers across the country
57:12believe in the bloodlines he's creating.
57:16Being able to come away and hold our own is fantastic.
57:19There's a lot of luck involved in it,
57:22and a lot of summer and everything has gone into
57:26these lambs being the way they are today.
57:28I'm heck of a proud of not just the lambs, but our shells.
57:32And, uh, yeah, our island as well.
57:35It's good to come and fly the flag a little bit
57:39and represent our wee corner.
57:41Getting a bit teary.
57:44All right.
57:56Next time...
57:57I don't know what we'll do if this doesn't work.
57:59Lucy and Adam are running out of time.
58:02There's a huge financial pressure, Andrew, currently,
58:04sitting in the shed that is still not suitable for cows.
58:08Andrew's worried about Terence.
58:09He thinks I cannae see when he is ill.
58:13He would try to keep it a secret.
58:15And Callum and Zara are building for the future.
58:19It's the start to a feat of engineering.
58:21Either that or a disaster or one or the other.
58:23It's a big, big, big girl.
58:24It's a big, big, big junior year.
58:40Number two, I'll witness that.
58:41And, uh, I'll take us a little bit.
58:42I want you to take a look at this show.
58:42I'm the same way.
58:44I want you to get up?
58:44I want you to get up.
58:45You bet I'm going to get up.
58:45I want you to...
58:46Go now.
58:52I want you to take it.
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