See the whole process, with the help of Highland Park distillery, from peatcutting at Hobbister to drying the malt over peat fires at the distillery itself. Hear more about the peat and its origins from XY of North Highland College UHI’s Environmental Research Institute, and about its effect on flavour from Dr Barry Harrison of the Scotch Whisky Research Institute.
Oats and bere were for centuries Orkney’s staple diet; survival depended on the annual harvest. In the 20th century modern convenience foods came in, often based around wheat; and the harvest fields gradually vanished. But now there’s a new interest in oats and bere, with a growing body of research that shows that they’re healthier for us – as Prof. Karen Scott of Aberdeen University’s Rowett Institute explains.
The sunshine of Italy has produced the finest of violins down the centuries. The sea air of Orkney is doing the same today. Hear and see at first hand what is involved, from the tools and the skills, to the unique personality of the finished instrument. Orkney violin maker Colin Tulloch, with his son Findlay, describes the process, and violinist Charlotte Rowan explores the sound with examples from her musical repertoire.
The writer F. Marian McNeill, born in Holm in 1885, worked through times that were sometimes hard to save a heritage in books like The Scots Kitchen and The Scots Cellar, and the four-volume folklore and customs study The Silver Bough. Fifty years on from her death, her work is coming to the fore again amidst rising food prices and the need to maximise nutrition from the food available around us. Moray food writer Liz Ashworth tells the story of a life of warmth, resilience and determination, with readings by AB and CD; and Douglas Montgomery plays his march F. Marian McNeill from Holm.
Meet friends old or new and enjoy the best of Orkney cheese, meat, fish and baking. The One O’Clock Toast today is in memory of Rae Phillips, lightkeeper at various stations and miller at the Barony Mills for many years. It is given by Keith Johnson.
In the days of sail and wooden ships, Stromness harbour welcomed tall ships from many far places including those bound for the Hudson’s Bay, Greenland whalers and Moravian Mission ships, as well as visitors like Captain Cook’s ships on their return from Hawaii and Sir John Franklin about to commence his search for the Northwest Passage. Stromness-built ships also lay at anchor in the harbour with a few berthed alongside merchants' piers. Len Wilson, former boatbuilder, tells the story of the tall ships and the men who sailed them while naval architect Dennis Davidson of Murray Cormack Design talks about Stanger’s and Copland’s shipyards in Stromness and some of the ships they built.
The Northwest Passage was for so long the Holy Grail of exploration. Maps of the area are littered with the names of those who came back, and those that did not. Today more ships are making the journey and last year Maiwenn Beadle became the first professional female captain to take a vessel through the 4,500-mile passage, from Davis Strait to Bering Strait. Now living in Orkney, she tells the story of the journey and shows spectacular images of sea, ice and wildlife – and some Orkney names along the route.
In June 1783 the volcano Laki erupted, carrying huge clouds of ash and gas across western Europe, blighting crops and poisoning people and animals, and massively disrupting weather. The following spring Robert Burns and his brother took up the tenancy of the farm of Mossgiel – in what now can be seen as the worst possible time. The harsh conditions led to Burns planning to go to Jamaica – and to his poem to the harvest mouse who he saw sharing his misfortunes. Alec Ross, who himself has a farm supply business near Stranraer, tells the story, and Three in a Bar supply some Burns songs and music.