Landward

The Landward team return for the new spring series, digging deep into the issues and stories from Scotland’s countryside. As lambing season gets under way, Dougie lends a hand at Orchardton Farm in Ayrshire. He finds out how sheep breeds give birth at different times throughout the lambing period, starting in February and finishing in May. During this busy time of year in agriculture, Anne is learning about a safety campaign urging farmers to always wear a helmet when using quad bikes. She also meets an Arran farmer who survived a life-threatening accident in a remote area. We catch up and take the tour with Cammy as he settles into his new farm in Ayrshire. In Wigtonshire, Rosie meets an artistic farmer whose favourite subjects are her Belted Galloways. And Arlene visits a Fife farm that has opened its doors to allow access and accommodation to all.

The team are in the Borders for a special episode. Dougie explores the border itself, stopping off at the town that has changed hands between the Scots and English no less than 13 times. He also visits the field that was won for Scotland in a primitive rugby game. Cammy finds out about the hardy sheep breed that made the area wealthy and is named after the local hills. Meanwhile, Anne discovers what it takes to keep rural retailers alive, and Arlene is at the grand house with a complicated history and that is now coming to terms with its past.

Dougie is in the heart of Sutherland to meet a woman who discovered the crofting life in her 20s. She is now passing on what she learned, teaching the next generation of crofters and farmers. Meanwhile, Cammy is at home on his new farm to prepare for the arrival of his new Shorthorn cattle herd as they make the journey down from Tain. As arable farmers across Scotland start sowing, Arlene is in the Borders to follow the progress of one field through the seasons. She finds out why farmers are choosing direct drilling instead of ploughing. Elsewhere, Rosie is in the fields of Angus to see sugar beet being harvested. The crop is then fed into anaerobic digesters to produce methane gas. And Anne is near Blairgowrie for a white-knuckle ride around the countryside with a pack of huskies.

Dougie visits the cliffs and beaches of Caithness for a special episode about Scotland’s coast. At Dunnet, he drops in to see the work at a seal sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured pups. Rosie is on the famous West Sands at St Andrews to see the impact of recent storms and find out what measures are being put in place to protect them. Over on the west coast, Shahbaz makes the dramatic journey to the Applecross coastal community, which has taken over the running of its local services. Anne is near Oban to meet the scientists monitoring species that live around Scotland's coastline as they adapt to climate change. Back in Caithness, Dougie unravels the mysterious story of the coastal cave-dwelling families.