- 2 days ago
Landward - Season 21 Episode 8
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Short filmTranscript
00:02This time, we're jumping for joy as the cows are let out.
00:06Welcome to Lambert.
00:30A very warm welcome to Bee Edge, a mixed farm near Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders.
00:36Now that the crops are planted, there's a very important job to do before we hit the summer, and that
00:42involves the cattle.
00:43So, as I head over to the shed, here's what else is coming up.
00:48The lobster creeler's trying to pick up dolphins.
00:53Cammy gets a hammering.
00:56It spawns, hun, spawn.
00:59And, where's walrus?
01:01Leanna's on the lookout.
01:09But first, it's common practice for many of Scotland's dairy and beef farmers to house their cattle indoors during the
01:16cold winter months.
01:18But as the weather improves, the day arrives to turn them outdoors.
01:23And today is the day for these guys.
01:27They belong to Annabelle Hamilton and her dad, Will.
01:31Right, we'll start getting the rest of these days closed.
01:33Yeah, if we get all the gates shut so it's nice and secure, they can only go one way.
01:37The pair farm over 1,000 hectares of crops, as well as more than 200 beef cattle.
01:46So, in here we've got limousine, limousine cross cattle.
01:49Uh-huh.
01:49The reason that we have this breed of cattle is because we're going for the high quality butcher market, where
01:57they will eventually end up.
01:59Annabelle and her dad buy the cattle when they're between 9 and 12 months old, and keep them for another
02:06year or so.
02:06For us, this is the breed that suits our system.
02:10Someone once said to me that you've got to enjoy what you look at every day, and this is what
02:15we like to look at at B-Edge.
02:17Just a really beautiful looking animal and healthy.
02:22They look fantastic, there's no doubt about it, and of course, they're in during the winter.
02:28So, when do they go in?
02:29So, really, September onwards.
02:32Uh-huh.
02:32A lot of it has to do with the amount of grass that we have left.
02:35Sure.
02:36In the fields, and also the temperature.
02:38You know, when the temperature starts to dip at night time, it's time for them to come inside.
02:42They are a breed that likes to be pampered.
02:46Uh-huh.
02:46They're a really nice breed to have on the farm, you know, nice conformation on the back end.
02:51That's what we're really looking for when we're buying cattle in.
02:54I know they're going out to grass today, very exciting time.
02:57So, can you show me the grass, and you can tell me how you know it's ready to go?
03:01Absolutely.
03:02Let's go.
03:02Let's go.
03:09Spring grass is the best grazing of the year, high in protein and easily digested.
03:15By the cattle, at least.
03:18Yeah, we're pretty happy with the grass at this time of year.
03:22What we're looking for is really kind of sort of ankle height, a good bite of grass for the cattle.
03:28But a lot of sort of why the cattle go out at this time of year, a lot of it's
03:32to do with temperature.
03:33It's still a bit nippy in the evenings.
03:36So, we're kind of just being cautious about how many go out at the moment.
03:40Here's the thing, though.
03:41I mean, I've seen cattle go to the grass for the first of the year before on Landward, and it's
03:45always a pretty exciting time.
03:47And they react really well to it.
03:49I presume yours do, too.
03:50Yes, it's just that newfound freedom.
03:54Stretching the legs, kicking the heels up.
03:56I can't wait for it to do it.
03:57Me neither.
03:57Let's do it now.
04:00Gates are closed.
04:03And escape routes blocked off.
04:07So, there's no choice about which way to go when the cattle are released.
04:13And I certainly wouldn't want to be in the way when they get a smell of the grass.
04:35Fuddling through.
04:36Oh, my goodness.
04:49That's Scottish Grand National.
04:51It is.
04:56Oh, they're happy, aren't they?
04:58Oh, yeah.
05:02Do you ever get worried about them being so excited they run through the fence at the bottom?
05:06I probably worry more than Dad does, because I know that I'm probably the one that has to go find
05:11them afterwards.
05:12But, no, the running looks worse than actually what it is.
05:15Yeah, they'll be fine.
05:17And they certainly look fine out in the spring sunshine.
05:22I never tire of seeing this, but what about Annabelle?
05:27Do you still get excited by that?
05:29Yes.
05:30Yes, yeah.
05:31There's a bit of a build-up towards it, and there's a bit of work to be done beforehand.
05:35But, yeah, you kind of, as I say, once the cattle start going outside, you know that summer's slowly approaching.
05:41So, yeah, no, great time of year.
05:43Absolutely.
05:44And thanks for sharing it.
05:45No, you're more than welcome.
05:54As the cows celebrate their newfound freedom, we're continuing to celebrate 50 years of landward.
06:02As part of our golden anniversary, we're dipping into the archive and picking out some gems.
06:07This time, Cammie's meeting a farming pioneer who certainly wasn't one for sitting on the fence.
06:16John Logie Baird, Alexander Fleming, Jock Bryce.
06:21You might not have heard the last one, but in the world of fencing, he's a legend.
06:26And Landward was singing his praises back in 1983.
06:30In an increasingly technical industry, it's easy to forget the skill of the craftsman.
06:37John Bryce of Moorbattle is such a craftsman.
06:40Last year, he put up enough fencing to stretch from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
06:44He specialised in electric fencing, inventing and patenting his own post-driver machine,
06:51which is in use all over the world.
06:54It allows one man to install a fence just about anywhere.
06:57Halfway up that dike, we'll take the power of it for the five-wire fence.
07:02So the single wire on the dikes and the fences will cater for cattle.
07:06He was constantly looking to break new ground,
07:09finding a problem and coming up with an ingenious solution.
07:13When it comes to paying out fencing wire,
07:16John Brouse doesn't believe in endless trudging back and forwards.
07:20His specially adapted motor tricycle enables him to do this job
07:23in a fraction of the time it would take by hand.
07:27Over 40 years later, Jock and his business are still going strong.
07:32Jock, how are you?
07:33Aye, well, Cammy, not so bad yourself.
07:35I see you've got rid of the sideburns, aren't we?
07:38Oh, well, I was half-wild in those days, like.
07:40That was a good look back in 1983.
07:43I'm catching up with him in the place where it all began.
07:47More battle in the borders.
07:50You still take the melatonin again just to keep you fit?
07:52Oh, just to remind me of the good old hard days.
07:57So how did you actually get started in farming, Jock?
08:00Oh, well, that was with my father.
08:02I just had kale water here.
08:04From birth till I was 22, that was all I knew.
08:10However, ill health meant his father had to sell the family farm.
08:15So everything I knew and everything I'd lived
08:17just came down an abrupt end at the farm sale.
08:21His dad gave him £25 to start out on his own.
08:25So tell me about those early days of fencing behind.
08:30Well, they were blooming hard.
08:32I understand.
08:33But, you know, when you've no other options,
08:37you've just got to get on with it.
08:38And there was no use greeting about it.
08:42I had no money, so I just had to start with the mail.
08:47Digging holes by hand and, you know,
08:50it was just all handwork and I was just myself.
08:53But working on his own was to be the making of him.
08:57To do the job himself, he mechanised everything.
09:01Over the years, coming up with 13 patents
09:03and winning numerous awards.
09:07John, I've had Bucklew Estates on the telephone.
09:09They've ordered 1,000 metres of cable.
09:11Now that's going to leave us a bit short.
09:13His wife, Jennifer, joined the business too,
09:15giving up a career in teaching.
09:18A lot of the manufacturers would be wanting
09:20to call us up through the day
09:22and we were having to make phone calls during the evening
09:24and this didn't seem a good idea.
09:26We also were expecting another young son here,
09:29so we decided it would be better if I just gave up my job.
09:34Jock's two sons, Andrew and Stuart,
09:36now run the business.
09:37And his grandson works there too.
09:41Jock's retired now.
09:44But he likes to keep his hand in.
09:46It saves a man and saves a monumental amount of time.
09:50Especially if it gives him the chance
09:52to show off his own post-driving machine.
09:55Well, this is a 500 kilo hammer.
09:58This is 82 tonnes of impact.
10:00We'll do some work with it.
10:01What can I do?
10:02If you grab that tunnelised post
10:05and just bring it round
10:06and put it in the hole that I rock spike.
10:11Just for the camera.
10:22There he is.
10:23Just like that.
10:24You want to go?
10:25Oh, heavy shot.
10:26Just up and down with the lever.
10:28Aye, that's the way, aye.
10:36There's spawn, son.
10:38Spawn.
10:39That's about it, eh?
10:40That day there.
10:41Aye.
10:41What a remarkable guy.
10:44A self-made man right on earth.
10:45And a nice one as well.
10:49In every job you finish,
10:51you leave your scent behind you.
10:53And if you do it right,
10:54you'll be passed back.
10:57And that's a great thing.
11:00It's to earn respect.
11:02Well, listen, Jock,
11:02you've absolutely got my respect
11:04for everything you've achieved.
11:05So thank you very much.
11:06Thank you very much, Cammy.
11:08Very kind comment.
11:13And you can see the full story from 1983
11:16and some other gems from our archive
11:19on the BBC iPlayer.
11:21Just search for landlord.
11:24We're seeing more and more whales and dolphins
11:27around our coast,
11:28and it's always thrilling to spot them.
11:34But very occasionally,
11:36a more unusual visitor will turn up.
11:40Leanna's on the trail of a marine tourist
11:42who's become something of a celebrity.
11:50Lossiemouth Harbour on the Murray Coast,
11:52where a walrus recently made a 24-hour stop off.
11:57I may have missed him,
11:58but plenty others were around to get pictures
12:01before he slipped back into the sea.
12:06He'd popped up in Strondsey Harbour
12:08in Orkney a few days before.
12:12Martin Boone, or Booney,
12:14from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Charity,
12:17was called in to keep a check on him.
12:21He regularly attends call-outs,
12:23assisting sea mammals
12:24when they get into trouble around our coast.
12:27Not normally walruses, though.
12:30Hiya.
12:30Hiya.
12:31You must be Booney.
12:32Yeah, how you doing?
12:32Hi, I'm good, thanks, aren't you?
12:34Good, yeah.
12:34Where else the walrus were staying?
12:36Yeah, just hold up on the end of the finger here.
12:38Amazing.
12:38Oh, I'm sad, I missed him.
12:41So, how did he get here?
12:42Was it by a speedboat?
12:46Like in the advert?
12:47Yeah, you got it.
12:49No, he swam down from, we believe, Orkney
12:51and obviously came down here and deserved a rest.
12:53When he had enough, he just plopped off
12:55and off the way he went again.
12:56Oh, lovely.
12:57That's so lovely.
12:58Aw.
13:00During his stay in Lossie,
13:01Magnus, as he was named,
13:03became a bit of an attraction.
13:08A day later, he made an appearance in Macduff,
13:13followed by impromptu visits to Fennecde and Hopemann.
13:25Magnus probably made his way here from Svalbard,
13:30one of the Arctic homes to huge walrus herds that gather on the ice.
13:36It must have been a major effort to get here,
13:39but Booney thinks he's in decent condition,
13:42given he's travelled two and a half thousand miles.
14:13And he's got these long tusks.
14:15And he's got them to cross-reference from the photographs that we've taken to the ones that we've taken up
14:18in Orkney.
14:19And we can identify specific features or key features.
14:22So, yes, you have to really look at each little miking to tell.
14:26A few of these mikings are actually wounds.
14:28Should we be concerned for the walrus at all?
14:30No, no.
14:31There's a few small wounds on him, but nothing to worry about.
14:34They're obviously designed to stay in really cold waters,
14:37so they've got a really thick layer of blubber that protects it.
14:40And there's just sort of superficial wounds, really, that he's picked up along the way.
14:44You're happy, then, that he's ready to head back off into Svalbard?
14:47Yeah, for sure, yeah.
14:48And Magnus may already be on his way home.
14:51He was last spotted 300 miles across the North Sea,
14:55near the southern tip of Norway.
14:57But Scotland might be becoming a more attractive destination for the species.
15:03Is it an unusual occurrence for them to be here?
15:06It's unusual. It's not unheard of.
15:09We've had two walrus in Scotland this year,
15:11but it's certainly not a regular occurrence.
15:14So it's the frequencies increasing, you'd say?
15:17Certainly more.
15:18I've not seen one.
15:19I've been with the charity for 18 years, and I've not seen one before.
15:23So the fact that we've had two in Scotland this year
15:25is obviously an indication that it's happening more often.
15:28Right.
15:28And is that a side effect of, you know, environmental kind of factors?
15:33There's global warming.
15:34The seas are getting warmer, so the ice caps melting.
15:37Obviously reduces their habitat.
15:39So they're obviously looking further afield for their food
15:42and their natural habitats,
15:43and where they find is not necessarily suited for them.
15:47It seems I've missed my chance to see a walrus this time.
15:51But with climate change having an impact on their habitat,
15:54they may be roaming further afield more often.
16:01Staying with marine mammals now,
16:03but I'm listening rather than looking for them in our guile.
16:08It's a return visit to Hans' uncles in Tebialich.
16:12Two years ago, he showed me his pioneering solar-powered boat.
16:17That's us right now.
16:18We're travelling purely for sunshine.
16:19There's no power coming in and out.
16:21That's sunshine that's driving us along just now.
16:24This time, he's taking part in an unlikely collaboration
16:27between West Coast fishermen and conservationists.
16:31Sorry I'm late.
16:35Hi, are you all right? Nice to meet you.
16:36Nice to meet you. Hannah, yes?
16:38Yes.
16:38Hannah Lightley is from the Heppardine Whale and Dolphin Trust,
16:42and she's teaming up with fishermen-like hands to use their creels.
16:46But she doesn't want to catch prawns or lobster.
16:50She wants to capture sound.
16:53So we have sound traps,
16:54which are underwater acoustic listening devices,
16:57and they are going to pick up the vocalisations of whales, dolphins and porpoises,
17:02as well as sort of marine soundscape in general.
17:04So we could pick up things like snap and shrimp,
17:06we could pick up vessels, but hopefully whales and dolphins.
17:10Understanding marine mammals means understanding where they are.
17:14And if this method works,
17:16it could be a simple, efficient way of gathering large amounts of data.
17:22But fishers and conservationists aren't always known for seeing eye to eye.
17:27Why have you taken part in this?
17:29Oh, that's a good question.
17:31Just to really try and collaborate with the science community, I think.
17:35So much of the fishing industry doesn't collaborate with the scientists,
17:38and it's really important to make a connection, join the two together,
17:41and really develop a relationship
17:43that we can actually work out what's best for the way we fish.
17:46Hans isn't the only one involved.
17:49Two other creel fishers are already part of the pilot,
17:52and more have expressed interest if it's ruled out more widely.
17:57So the device needs to go in vertically,
18:00so whereabouts do you think that would be best?
18:02So what I've done previously is I've set up a string here
18:04that we attach with cable ties,
18:07and then we clip it top and bottom,
18:08because we really don't want to lose this.
18:09No, not at all.
18:12The underwater microphone is secured in place,
18:15and Hannah starts recording.
18:17Perfect. That's what we need to hold.
18:19Yeah, simple.
18:22And there it goes.
18:26So how long does it stay down there?
18:28So the sound trap is going to be continuously recording
18:31in line with how often the fishermen are hauling their gear.
18:34So we put the sound trap in a lobster pot,
18:36and they are going to be hauled every three to four days.
18:39So we really just want to have the sound traps down
18:42for as long as the fishermen are fishing.
18:44So why is it important to put it where they normally fish?
18:46We want to make sure that this is a viable project
18:49for the fishing industry,
18:50so we don't want them to change any of their daily operations
18:53to be able to have this community-led acoustic monitoring project.
18:57As well as a test to see what the mic picks up,
19:01Hannah wants to find out if its presence has any impact
19:04on what Hans catches.
19:06On previous trips, it seems to have made no difference.
19:10Putting a pot doesn't affect the way you fish.
19:13But Hans understands why some fishers might be cautious
19:16about taking part.
19:18So you provide information that there's endangered species
19:20in an area you're fishing.
19:21There's a chance that we could be stopped fishing areas like that.
19:24It's like a double-sided sword,
19:25because you want to protect the areas you fish
19:27from your business point of view,
19:29but then if you're looking at the bigger picture,
19:31you really don't want to damage the areas.
19:34So I'm OK to go with it.
19:35I think it's the right thing to do to go with it.
19:37But I can understand exactly why people
19:38don't want to put out information.
19:41When the creel is lifted,
19:43Hans removes the mic and returns it to Hannah.
19:47Back on shore, she's playing me some of the recordings
19:50she's caught so far,
19:52starting with the aptly named snapping shrimp.
19:56This sounds like frying, baking or popping candy.
19:59OK.
20:03Hear that like pop, pop, pop sound.
20:05Yeah.
20:06So what are they doing?
20:07Are they actually snapping them?
20:08Yeah, so that's their claw.
20:10That's snapping and then they create a bubble.
20:13And then when that bubble pops,
20:14that's the sound that you can hear.
20:16Wow.
20:17And the next one that I've got is common dolphins.
20:19So this is a species that we're starting to have
20:21all year round in Scotland.
20:22And we've got a lot of high whistles here.
20:25OK.
20:28That's amazing.
20:31So what are you going to do with the information
20:33that you actually collect?
20:35Yeah, so this data is going to go towards
20:36long-term monitoring of the waters
20:39across the west coast of Scotland.
20:41Our seas are becoming increasingly noisy
20:44and polluted and busy.
20:46So yeah, we're really wanting to sort of get an idea
20:48of how our seas are changing
20:49and build an accurate and consistent picture.
20:52And that's a picture Hans wants to help capture.
20:56It's early days with the project,
20:58but the results may help look after
21:01the west coast's marine mammals, fish and fishery.
21:08Back on land now,
21:09and the buildings we find spread across our farming landscape.
21:13So commonplace, we rarely pay them much attention.
21:16But look closer and there's a rich legacy of architecture to see.
21:22Rosie is stepping back in time now
21:24to visit one Aberdeenshire farm
21:26to find out what it can tell us
21:28about our agricultural past.
21:32In the 21st century, farm sheds are distinctly functional
21:37cathedrals of steel, designed for big, modern equipment.
21:43But 250 years ago, stone steadings were the new thing.
21:48Agriculture was changing fast,
21:50and Scottish landowners wanted to get in on it.
21:55Landowners like the Honourable General William Gordon.
21:59In 1777, he set about building himself a farm
22:04worthy of his position here at Fivey Castle.
22:09The National Trust for Scotland
22:11have looked after the property since the 1980s.
22:15But just two years ago,
22:17they took full ownership of the farm complex,
22:20now known as Old Home Farm.
22:25On the building's at-risk register,
22:28it's a bit of a fixer-upper,
22:30but the Trust have ambitious plans to restore it.
22:34Trust surveyor, Carolyn Webster,
22:36can tell me why the Gordons built the farm in the first place.
22:40Well, there were huge sort of improvements made
22:44in terms of agriculture and agricultural practices.
22:48And it was an opportunity for the Gordons
22:51to show off their wealth,
22:53to make this statement piece,
22:55which is fine architecture in itself,
22:57but also having a function
22:59in terms of the new model farm at that time.
23:03It was an ambitious step away
23:06from small-scale crofts
23:07to a massive, multi-purpose building.
23:11We've got the piggeries as well here,
23:14and then going into the courtyard with the cart shed.
23:18There's wonderful architecture here
23:20with the sandstone and the granite mix.
23:23It's the wow factor.
23:24It is the absolute wow factor.
23:31Wow, look at this.
23:33It's a beautiful courtyard.
23:34And I'll take you through here
23:36to see some original, fine sort of internal detail
23:39that's still intact.
23:42So this is in the cart shed,
23:44and then this end would have been the accommodation
23:47for the workers, agricultural workers, and stable hands.
23:50So we've got the fireplaces still intact
23:53and the windows still intact there,
23:55with the doorway through to what would have been the stables originally.
23:59Would this have been quite forward-thinking at the time?
24:01It was very forward-thinking at that time
24:02to have your workers staying in the place
24:05that they also worked as well.
24:09Successive generations added to the farm,
24:12and in the 1890s,
24:13a horse-loving new owner arrived, Lord Leith.
24:18So come inside, something really special,
24:21see the detail of the stables.
24:24Gosh, this is no ordinary stable, this one.
24:26Money, money talks here.
24:28Money, money, yes, absolutely.
24:30So it's fantastic that we've still got this level of detail.
24:33And these buildings have gone through phases of change
24:36in terms of use,
24:38and in this later phase,
24:40for pleasure with the stables, ornate stables,
24:44as a showpiece.
24:44The real golden age of 5e.
24:50But for all the extravagance of the owners,
24:54Old Home Farm's workers left their mark too.
24:57The Trust's Sarah Eggleton
24:59is showing the interior decoration in the Apple Store.
25:03We've got lots of graffiti going back kind of from 1880,
25:07and it goes all the way through 20th century,
25:11and the latest one is 2020,
25:15marking the Covid pandemic.
25:18What more is this going to tell you?
25:20So it's like the rest of this whole complex,
25:24is that we're getting our history from the building itself.
25:27It's not necessarily from the archives that we have all of our information,
25:30so this is fantastic.
25:32So we would really like to work with the local community
25:36to try and put some stories to these names
25:39and flesh it out a little bit
25:40and get an idea of how these buildings were used,
25:43not just what they were,
25:43about kind of what they meant to people as well.
25:46So, Ken from Tariff maybe should get in touch with the Trust.
25:51They are embarking on a multi-million pound,
25:55decade-long restoration at 5e,
25:57with the castle at the heart.
25:59But there are also big plans to bring these buildings back to life.
26:04The vision for Old Home Farm will concentrate initially down in the courtyard,
26:10and it'll be a cafe area with shops, retail units and exhibition spaces.
26:17The ambition, if you want,
26:19is the whole of the Old Home Farm will be developed,
26:23but we will be doing that in phases.
26:27Old Home Farm wasn't your typical farm.
26:30Its buildings showcase change and innovation in farming,
26:34but within its walls, it holds human stories.
26:38This next phase is an ambitious plan,
26:41but its previous owners never lacked ambition.
26:50That brings us to the end of this programme.
26:52Remember, you can watch it again
26:54and lots of other episodes of Lambert on the BBC iPlayer.
26:57Now, here's what's coming up next time.
27:00Cammy gets all poetic.
27:03How deep and lang that thunder bellowed.
27:07Hola, Drang.
27:08That would be a great help.
27:09I experience the world of youth hostelling.
27:12And Liana is looking and listening for toads.
27:18Please join us for that and much, much more if you can.
27:21In the meantime, from me here at B-Edge Farm in the Borders
27:24and all the other teams around the country,
27:27thank you so much for your company.
27:28Bye for now.
27:31We'll see you next time.
27:32We'll see you next time.
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