FRIDAY

LANDWARD

BBC1, 7.30pm

The programme that gets to the heart of the Scottish countryside is back for a new series.

Nick Nairn and Dougie Vipond, pictured below, take a narrowboat trip down the Union and Forth and Clyde canals, from the heart of Edinburgh via the Falkirk Wheel to the Kelpies. It’s a relatively short drive by road but it takes three days by narrowboat. Along the way they jump off the boat to find out about the history of the canal and get a soaking as they navigate through tricky locks. The pair will also be cooking up canal-themed cuisine, including a dish inspired by an original canal boat menu – ox tongue with Salsa Verde.

While Dougie and Nick are on the canal, Euan McIlwraith ventures out to the Minch aboard a boat surveying herring stocks, contending with Force Eight gales around Cape Wrath and a huge swell, it’s quite an adventure. New Landward presenter Anne Lundon will be investigating the impact of the North Coast 500. The road route has proved a great boost to the local economy, but as single track roads become congested and tempers fray, is it a victim of its own success?

Arlene Stewart meets the woman battling to preserve rare breeds of pigs and tackles the fast-growing sport of coastal rowing.

Also on the series the team will investigate the potential consequences of Brexit to research funding and conservation projects. Guest presenter, Masterchef Champion Gary Maclean, will return to cook delicious game dishes and we take to the skies with the ‘flying farmer’.

This new run will also feature a series of items about the ‘weird and wonderful’ spots around Scotland steeped in mythology.