Open Country

A Tot of Rum


Listen Later

Kinloch Castle, an Edwardian hunting lodge on the Hebridean Isle of Rum, was built in the 1900s by a Lancashire textile magnate, Sir George Bullough. The estate had its own hydro electric scheme, Japanese gardens and palm house, reputedly stocked with humming birds and an alligator! In Kinloch's grand hall Sir George installed a magnificent orchestrion, an early form of home entertainment centre. One of the largest ever built, it has 264 tuned pipes which can recreate the sounds of flutes, trumpets, clarinets, baritones, trombones and piccolos. Sir George used it to summon his guests to the dining room.

Today the orchestrion, like the rest of the castle, is in a sad state of disrepair, boarded up and at the mercy of winter storms. Fiona Mackenzie ,who lives on the neighbouring Island of Canna, finds out more about the castle's history and talks to a group of campaigners who are passionate about restoring it. She meets conservationist, Ali Morris, who spends much of her time on Rum's spectacular hillsides, working on the Red Deer Research project which has been running since 1953. It's the rutting season, - a noisy, busy time of the year!

Four families moved to Rum, last year, in response to an appeal for newcomers to boost the island's population which had fallen to just thirty. Fiona finds out how some of them have been settling in. She also talks to Fergus McGowan and his fellow entrepreneurs who have recently launched a drinks venture on the island. Using local botanicals, including sea kelp, spruce and meadowsweet, they've hit on the bright idea of making rum on Rum!

Produced by Kathleen Carragher

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Open CountryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

83 ratings


More shows like Open Country

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,747 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,066 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,475 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,816 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,782 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,079 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,025 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Saturday Live by BBC Radio 4

Saturday Live

38 Listeners

Farming Today by BBC Radio 4

Farming Today

66 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

293 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

267 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

253 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

155 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

105 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

258 Listeners

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast by National Trust

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

105 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,164 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,220 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

744 Listeners

As the Season Turns by Ffern

As the Season Turns

240 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

102 Listeners

A Life More Wild by Canopy & Stars

A Life More Wild

26 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

496 Listeners