0:00:02 > 0:00:04Scotland is changing.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07The population has never been higher.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10More than five million people live and work here.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The country is more diverse,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18with more people speaking Polish than Gaelic at home.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22The ethnic mix is richer than ever.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27I find myself speaking with words like "wee".
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Scotland's industries are evolving and digital business is booming.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Engineering and old industries are being replaced by the new.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The growth and the jobs and the amazing new stuff is here.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42More than two million foreign visitors a year
0:00:42 > 0:00:44are boosting the Scottish economy.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You can swim with dolphins all over the world...
0:00:48 > 0:00:50but this is where you get to swim with monsters.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Wonderful.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54So how does modern Scotland work?
0:00:56 > 0:00:59What does it mean to be Scottish in 2015?
0:00:59 > 0:01:00How are Scotland's jobs
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and industries competing on a global stage?
0:01:03 > 0:01:05How do others see us?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10This series goes to the heart of contemporary Scottish life
0:01:10 > 0:01:13to reveal how Scotland works.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Scotland's population stands at 5.3 million
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and it's projected to keep growing.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34The birth rate is increasing,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36people are living longer,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40and more people are coming to Scotland to live...
0:01:40 > 0:01:45making the Scottish people more diverse than ever.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The number of ethnic minority Scots has doubled in a decade,
0:01:49 > 0:01:50from 2% to 4%.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Scots are living longer.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Over 65s outnumber under 16s.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02So who are the Scots of today?
0:02:02 > 0:02:03From birth to old age,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06what kinds of lives are Scottish people living?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Meet the 21st century Scots.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- Good stuff. Are you all set? Great.- Ready, I think.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Yeah, it's fine. So...
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Monitor's on, we'll squeeze your arm,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27drip in the back of the hand and a local anaesthetic.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- Just remind me, are you left or right-handed?- Left-handed.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We'll pop it in on the right, then.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33So a bit of pushing now...
0:02:33 > 0:02:38In Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, a new Scottish baby is about to be born.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42In all, more than 50,000 babies
0:02:42 > 0:02:45will be delivered in Scotland this year...
0:02:45 > 0:02:50by 2,900 midwives in 40 maternity units across the country.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54These midwives are supported by hundreds more clinical staff,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57like anaesthetist Alan Thompson.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01His job requires a high level of medical skill,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03but it also needs the human touch.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06'I think it's just about human warmth...basically.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09'It's about remembering to do the human stuff as well'
0:03:09 > 0:03:11as the medicine.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Today's birth is a planned C-section.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19One in ten Scottish mums now choose this type of birth -
0:03:19 > 0:03:21a big increase on previous decades.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- Are you comfortable?- Yeah.- Good.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26As comfortable as can be.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Have you any pain? - That's the most important thing.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37This will be the third baby that mum Angela has delivered this way...
0:03:38 > 0:03:42..but this will be her first Scottish baby.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44CHATTER
0:03:44 > 0:03:45There we are. Hello.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51BABY CRIES Oh, my goodness.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53What a well-behaved baby.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Angela is Dutch by birth,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57her husband Tim is from Zimbabwe
0:03:57 > 0:04:00and their two other children were born in South Africa.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07This family shows how Scotland's population is changing and growing.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I mean, it's only when they come out that you realise that that
0:04:11 > 0:04:13was truly inside you and it's just amazing.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Totally amazing.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- Welcome to Scotland. - Welcome to the world.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29A little bit of a yawn.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36In the late 20th century, Scotland's population was in decline.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43The birth rate was low and more people were choosing to emigrate.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49But since the millennium, the tide has turned.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The 2011 Census revealed that 5.3 million people now call
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Scotland home - more than at any time in history.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Glasgow Registry Office records every new birth in the city.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06It's one of 197 such offices across the country.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Together, their records show us how Scotland's population is growing.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'We're the biggest registration office in Scotland.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:19We can register more than 30 births a day - sometimes 35.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- Shown at the top is the baby's full name.- Mm-hm.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24- It's a baby girl.- Yes.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28We did have a baby boom, maybe a couple of years back,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and there were some days we registered up to 40 births a day.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We had babies everywhere. SHE LAUGHS
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- OK. Congratulations. All the best. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43I was trying to check..
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Audrey was asking about how many citizens we had.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51'Civil registration came in in 1855 to have a record of society,'
0:05:51 > 0:05:54so we're just following on from that.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58You have to know, well, how many schools do you need?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00How are you going to plan anything?
0:06:00 > 0:06:05So this gives you a complete picture of the number of registrations,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07school age children from any time,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09because you have the statistics from every year,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11so it builds a picture of society.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Scotland now has nearly 2.5 million households -
0:06:19 > 0:06:21that number is projected to keep rising.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27More than 5,000 schools teach Scotland's children,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30from pre-school to secondary.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35And more than 300 hospitals look after Scotland's health.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Glasgow's new babies will be growing up in the most densely
0:06:40 > 0:06:42populated city in Scotland.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48With 8,829 people per square mile,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and a total population of more than half a million,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Glasgow is the fourth largest city in the UK.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Only London, Leeds the Birmingham are bigger.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Add the rest of the central belt,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05from the Firth of Clyde in the west to Edinburgh in the east,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08and the population breaks the three million mark -
0:07:08 > 0:07:11more than half the Scottish total.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15So most Scots are choosing to make their homes and raise their families
0:07:15 > 0:07:18in places like this, but not all of them.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23And recent figures show that some of the most marked population
0:07:23 > 0:07:25increases are in the Highlands.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33The north of Scotland is one of the least populated landscapes
0:07:33 > 0:07:36in Europe, with just seven inhabitants per square
0:07:36 > 0:07:38mile in its emptiest areas,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41most of this country is hostile wilderness.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But in crofting communities, like Drumbeg in Sutherland,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48normal family life still goes on.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Childhood here is very different from the urban
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- sprawl of the central bet. - CHILDREN LAUGH
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The Simpson family has been living here since 2002.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Drumbeg is one of the most remotest villages in Scotland.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It lies on the rugged west coast...
0:08:05 > 0:08:09just 30 miles south of mainland Scotland's most northerly point.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13From here, it's 250 miles to Glasgow...
0:08:13 > 0:08:1590 miles to Inverness
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and an 80-mile round trip just to get to school.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20If it gets dark, what are you going to do?
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Have you got your buddy with you?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- I know. - You know where everything is.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- You got your timetable?- Mm-hm. - Don't lose it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32It's raining. Get your jacket on. HE LAUGHS
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Bye-bye.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Have a good day.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Today is the first day of the new school year
0:08:42 > 0:08:46and it's a big day for Jamie - it's his first day of high school.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52At his local primary, Jamie was one of just seven pupils.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Now he's enrolling at Ullapool High, which has 250.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Young people like Jamie are crucial to the future
0:09:04 > 0:09:06of this remote part of Scotland.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14For 250 years, the population of the Highlands was in decline.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Generation after generation, people left in search of work,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20or were forced off the land and never came back.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28But today, more Scots are choosing to make their homes here.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Since 2001, the Highland population increased by 11% -
0:09:33 > 0:09:35that's an extra 23,000 people.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And it's one of only three areas in Scotland showing
0:09:39 > 0:09:43an increase in the number of children under 15.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Incomers are boosting numbers,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49more babies are being born and people are living longer.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Geographically, Ullapool High School has one of the biggest
0:09:55 > 0:09:58catchment areas in the country.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01For pupils like Jamie, who lives 40 miles away,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04getting there involves some extreme commuting.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Despite the travelling, Jamie is looking forward to his new school.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Not a lot of nerves. It's more excitement to get started and that,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17see all my friends again.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21This is now Jamie's school run,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25nearly an hour and a half each way every day on two buses.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35This is our bus journey from Skiach to Ullapool.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40It's the last bus journey for the morning. About 50 minutes' drive.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43For some other pupils at Ullapool High,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47travelling to and from school each day is simply impossible.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Look at this view.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Isn't it great?
0:10:57 > 0:11:0113-year-old Alex lives on the Scoraig Peninsula by Loch Broom.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Her house is just round the coast from a Ullapool itself.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The school is only ten miles away, as the crow flies,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11but there are no roads in or out.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The land is surrounded by water.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16The quickest way to get there is by boat.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Everywhere is your garden.
0:11:19 > 0:11:25There's nowhere that you can't go, and you have dens everywhere and...
0:11:25 > 0:11:29go up, climb trees, go camping...
0:11:29 > 0:11:30It's great fun.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36The population here collapsed in the 1950s and '60s.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40In 1964, the last of the permanent Gaelic-speaking residents
0:11:40 > 0:11:41left for good.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45But since then, waves of incomers from other parts of the UK
0:11:45 > 0:11:47have revived the community.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Many come here looking for a self-sufficient life
0:11:50 > 0:11:51close to nature,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55but now Alex's idyllic childhood is coming to an end.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59She's entering her second year of high school
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and exams are on the horizon.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06Well, I'm about to pack, so...better get started.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12She'll spend the week boarding at school in Ullapool.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15More than 100 schoolchildren across the Highlands
0:12:15 > 0:12:17have to board like this.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19When she was still at primary,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I was a bit apprehensive about sending her and I thought
0:12:22 > 0:12:27we might have to move when that day came.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29But as the time came nearer,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33I could see how excited she was about it
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and I didn't want to deprive her of that experience.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44I was excited for her because I was putting myself in her shoes.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's an amazing adventure.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54'It's an adventure, going over in the boat.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'It's good fun sometimes, when it's a nice day.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04'Sometimes I wish that I didn't have to go over in a boat
0:13:04 > 0:13:07'and it would be nice just to get on a bus,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09'just with my bag and everything.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14'It just seems like normal cos I'm the person doing it.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Including pre-schoolers,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25there are more than 700,000 schoolchildren in Scotland,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29the vast majority, around 670,000,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32are enrolled in Scotland's state schools.
0:13:32 > 0:13:362,081 primary schools teach them to read and write
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and 367 secondary schools prepare them for the adult world.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46In Ullapool, head teacher Robbie McFedries is preparing these pupils
0:13:46 > 0:13:49for life in the world beyond the Highlands.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50Right. Good morning, everyone.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53He knows many of them will have to leave the area
0:13:53 > 0:13:55for university and work,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58but he hopes the recent surge in numbers of young people
0:13:58 > 0:14:00choosing to live here will continue.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It's great to say failte - welcome.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Welcome to Ullapool High School.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Welcome to your school.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Brand-new today, we've got 45 youngsters starting in the school
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and we serve a huge geographical area -
0:14:17 > 0:14:20it must be one of the widest in Scotland.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Simpson?- Yeah.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'And for many of them, as you will have seen this morning,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29'when they came in after 90 minutes on a bus, it's hard-going.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34'I think it does build resilience, I think it does build
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'this strong sense of community that I'm talking about,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39'this perceived isolation that we have here.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'We have youngsters that go off to universities in Scotland,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44'Britain, Europe and America.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47'And then, when you find out where people are five, six, seven years
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'after they've left here,'
0:14:49 > 0:14:53it's New Zealand, Alaska, Antarctica this year.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I suppose part of my job is that,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01OK, in your 20s maybe you do want to go and explore.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I want them to come back
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and that's a job for a us all, here.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08MUSIC: What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
0:15:08 > 0:15:12# I see trees of green
0:15:12 > 0:15:17# Red roses too... #
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- Thank you, bye.- Bye!
0:15:21 > 0:15:27- HE SINGS:- # And I think to myself
0:15:27 > 0:15:31# What a wonderful world. #
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Jamie has at least four years of school left ahead of him,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38but he thinks he knows what he wants to do when he grows up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41His ambition is to stay here in the Highlands and become a crofter.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Crofting is the traditional form of Highland farming.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50On small-scale plots, these remote communities grow crops
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and raise livestock.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56There are roughly 30,000 crofters still working the land in Scotland.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Jami's mum is one of them.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05She runs her croft as a business,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07but it also helps to feed the family.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11She keeps goats...
0:16:11 > 0:16:12and chickens...
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and grows most of the vegetables they need.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Jamie is her apprentice.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21That big boy over there, he's my favourite. He's very sociable.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Me and him usually get along!
0:16:26 > 0:16:31I come in from school and...collecting all the eggs,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34checking on the sheep, feeding the goats...
0:16:34 > 0:16:37and that's them for the night.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41And then, early start in the morning for milking and all that.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's my job to deal with these animals.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Hey? Oh.
0:16:48 > 0:16:54It would be nice for more young people to go back to the old ways...
0:16:54 > 0:16:56with a slightly modern touch.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59We've taken crofting as...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02It's a lifestyle choice, as much as anything else.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05So, if he wants to go into crofting,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07yes, absolutely, we'll be right behind him,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and help him all we can.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16It's ground that I can work on and I can live on...
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and have fun.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21It's not always fun, there's some mucky sides to it, too,
0:17:21 > 0:17:26but, for me, it doesn't get any better than this.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29She's taken all the words from my mouth!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Jamie's brothers don't see their future in crofting.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45They've got their sights set on university,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48just like thousands of other Scottish teenagers.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Scotland has 19 universities
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and more top-class universities per head of population than
0:17:54 > 0:17:56anywhere in the world.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59At least 35,000 students enrol each year.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Hi, guys! I'm sorry I walked by you.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Among this year's freshers are 17-year-old Wendy Onabule
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and her friends from Springburn Academy in Glasgow.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18It's an exciting time - a turning point in their lives.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Take a picture of this occasion -
0:18:20 > 0:18:21it will never happen again.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24But it's tinged with sadness, too,
0:18:24 > 0:18:25as they prepare to go their separate ways.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Yeah, just sort of cram in as much as we can into,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31like, the short space of time before we all sort of go off to uni.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35But, for Wendy, this moment has even greater significance.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Wendy was nine years old when she arrived in Scotland from Nigeria.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Her family were fleeing from a life-threatening situation at home.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50There were hostilities from people.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51It was degenerating
0:18:51 > 0:18:55and it's, like, we don't know how bad was...
0:18:55 > 0:18:58how it was going to get worse.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04And I wasn't going to just put my children's life in danger,
0:19:04 > 0:19:09or wait for something terrible or horrible to happen to them.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14So, it was like, we need to get away from this for their safety.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But I knew it was the right thing for myself and my children,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19so...
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Around 2,000 people apply for asylum in Scotland each year.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29This is out of a UK total of more than 20,000.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34For a time, Wendy's family were housed
0:19:34 > 0:19:36in the notorious Red Road Flats,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40home to asylum seekers from all over the world for the past 12 years.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Wendy enrolled in nearby Springburn Academy
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and did her best to settle into her new life in Scotland.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50I really think I made a conscious effort
0:19:50 > 0:19:53not to give off a certain vibe, you know, asylum seeker -
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I just feel like I was just myself. And I just try and see the positives
0:19:56 > 0:19:59because, regardless of what situation you're in,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02obviously there's always someone in a worse position than you.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06And, like, if they can deal with it, then so can you.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10But for years the family were in legal limbo.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13They moved from flat to flat.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Wendy's mum wasn't allowed to work
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and they faced the constant threat of deportation.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Yet, with all this stress, Wendy was becoming a straight-A student.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27When things did get tough,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30my mum always totally sort of focused my energy on my education
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and what I'm good at, rather than sort of replay
0:20:33 > 0:20:37the negatives in my mind, and that sort of way of weighing me down.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But Wendy's residency status was still uncertain
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and her place at university was under threat.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48She didn't even know if she would be allowed to stay in the UK.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I feel like everybody has stressful times.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I can't really pick one that's been really stressful.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But I'd say, sort of, not being...
0:20:55 > 0:20:59not knowing if I was going to, like, uni or not
0:20:59 > 0:21:01would have been my most stressful point.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Her friends didn't realise just how high the stakes were for her.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I know she'd come from Nigeria, but I didn't know, like,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12she was kind of an asylum seeker or anything like that
0:21:12 > 0:21:13because she is quite a private person.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15She won't tell anything like that.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18She won't give anything away about her private life.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Like, she was like, she'd just moved, like, moved house.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23Hi, Graeme!
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Knowing Wendy's potential, her teachers in Glasgow University
0:21:28 > 0:21:30were able to make sure that she wouldn't lose her place.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I know. I can't wait.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And during the summer of 2014,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37she and her family were finally granted leave to remain.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I feel fortunate to be in a country where,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43if you do well in school, you sort of have the opportunity to go
0:21:43 > 0:21:46to university and sort of make you have a right to an education.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50And you're not sort of prevented from it, or not being able to go
0:21:50 > 0:21:54through personal or political circumstances and things.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59- What are you guys studying? - Um, I'm studying biochemistry.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Wendy has opportunities
0:22:00 > 0:22:03that previous generations of Scottish women
0:22:03 > 0:22:04could scarcely dream of.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11She'll pursue a career in science or medicine.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16Scotland now has 1.2 million women in employment - a new record.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24In 32% of Scottish households, the mother is now the main breadwinner -
0:22:24 > 0:22:26that's the highest figure in the UK...
0:22:28 > 0:22:32..and more women are going into business for themselves.
0:22:36 > 0:22:4028-year-old Natalie grew up in one of Scotland's deprived areas -
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Calton, in the east end of Glasgow.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47From a young age, she had the ambition to be her own boss.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51For the past six years, Natalie has been in the beauty business.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Her salon in Duke Street was recently named
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Scottish salon of the year.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So, here we are. We're at the famous VIP
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and we're just about to open the salon for a busy, busy day.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Got loads of online orders and stuff to do, so...
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I've took a gamble.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13But obviously my gamble's paying off because it's worked
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and I've got the best shop in Glasgow.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Are you enjoying it?- I love it.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Glasgow has more beauty salons than anywhere else in Scotland.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Natalie reckons there are more than 20 in Duke Street alone.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28MUSIC: DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love by Usher
0:23:28 > 0:23:31She wanted hers to stand out from the crowd,
0:23:31 > 0:23:37so she made it a one-stop shop for hair, make-up, tans and frocks.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I'm very proud. I'm very happy.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43See when I drive down the street, over there at night,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47and it's all lit up, I say, "That's actually my shop."
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I actually... It makes me smile to say, "That's actually mine."
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I don't even really believe it, sometimes,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and I think to myself, "How lucky am I?"
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Like, cos I was here when this shop was nothing like this,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and obviously it got built and designed the way I wanted it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Like, people say, "Who done this? Who designed it this way?"
0:24:04 > 0:24:05I done it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07# Cos baby tonight... #
0:24:07 > 0:24:09But this is more than just a salon.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12For local women, it's become a social hub.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It's a place where, obviously, women will congregate
0:24:16 > 0:24:21and chat about life and the family and...obviously what's going on,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25and - aye, a bit like a steamie - but obviously it's not a steamie.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Er... And we've no' got, like, they funny...
0:24:29 > 0:24:31see, like head wraps on and stuff!
0:24:31 > 0:24:33And big bags.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35That was hard... Obviously that was hard work, years ago,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39like, going to the washhouse or the steamie. It's changed days.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42In previous generations, women going into business
0:24:42 > 0:24:45and being financially independent would have been unusual...
0:24:47 > 0:24:50..but Natalie and her staff take it for granted.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52I just think now, you know, it's totally changed that,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54you know, women can be out, you know, making money,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57being successful, where, like, you know,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59years ago it would be that it was always the man that's
0:24:59 > 0:25:03expected to take you out for dinner and pay for everything.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Natalie's tried to create an atmosphere
0:25:06 > 0:25:08where customers become friends.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10In here, you come here, you've got the friendliness,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12the environment, the niceness, the personality.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15You've got service that's just untowards, man,
0:25:15 > 0:25:16it is, it's just brilliant.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18As I said to you earlier on, you walk in here a stranger,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- you walk out with pals.- That's nice!
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It makes me smile, makes me happy, see, like, good feedback like that.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24# Give it to mama
0:25:24 > 0:25:26# Give it, give it
0:25:26 > 0:25:27# Give it to mama
0:25:27 > 0:25:29# Give it, give it... #
0:25:29 > 0:25:31£40, please.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34No, sorry.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Nah, we're fully booked, so we are. Sorry.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38In today's Scotland,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41women are still less likely to start their own business than men,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45but young entrepreneurs like Natalie are changing that.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47See when somebody says, "Nah, you cannae do that"?
0:25:47 > 0:25:48"Aye, I can." And I'll get that.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I remember somebody saying to me,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52"Oh, don't open a shop, you can never..."
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I done it. See if somebody says to me don't do it - I do it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Natalie's customers come here to be made beautiful.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Right, on you go - your outfit's all ready to shove on.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Oh, no! - NATALIE LAUGHS
0:26:06 > 0:26:10But they are as fiercely independent as she is...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and they know how to enjoy it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- They say you always look for a guy who's like your dad.- Your dad.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- Aye.- That's nice, innit?
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Depends who your da is!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23THEY LAUGH
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- You don't like roulette, do you? - Aye.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Do you know all they numbers? Listen to this,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33see all they numbers on the board - add up to 666.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34THEY GASP It's the devil's wheel.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Well, do you know what? See the guy who created roulette?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- He shot himself. That probably explains it.- Did he?!- Mm.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43# I'm up all night to get some
0:26:43 > 0:26:45# She's up all night for good fun
0:26:45 > 0:26:48# I'm up all night to get lucky... #
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Glasgow has more than 70 nightclubs that, between them,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54can cater for over 40,000 revellers.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59You have to go that that extra mile to make an impression.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Natalie has her future mapped out.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Her business is going well.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10She's also a mum
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and now she's planning the next big event in her life -
0:27:13 > 0:27:16her wedding.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24In recent years, marriage in Scotland was on the decline.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Couples were living together, having kids, buying houses,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29but were less likely to get hitched.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33But since then, marriage has been making a bit of a comeback.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38More than 25,000 Scottish couples are now tying the knot each year.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42While that's still almost 10,000 fewer than 40 years ago,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45it does mark in increase on recent years.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49The average Scottish wedding costs almost £20,000...
0:27:50 > 0:27:54..but not every couple feels the need to splash the cash.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Tomorrow, all being well,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Samantha Jane will be getting married in Crosshouse,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01near Kilmarnock.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04To keep costs down, her friends and family have chipped in to help.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Samantha Jane is taking care of a few last-minute details.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13We've got dresses, but we've got no shoes, we've got no accessories.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Right, I'll phone home and let them know I'm coming.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20(She'll start flapping.)
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Any minute, she'll start flapping.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Samantha Jane's fiance Joe is taking things in his stride.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31We've been building it up to it for quite a wee while
0:28:31 > 0:28:35and then it all suddenly comes together.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37And you have rehearsals,
0:28:37 > 0:28:38which was last night,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41and then it really kind of sunk home.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43You know, that we're only one day away from marriage.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46There's quite an age difference between myself and Samantha -
0:28:46 > 0:28:50I'm 59 and Samantha's 34.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54But in this day and age, I don't think age comes into it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56It's no' a big deal.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Oh! I'm getting pulled away with the horse.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Whoa, boy! Hey!
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Whoa! Shannon!
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- On you go. - HE CHUCKLES
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Getting married is still one of life's big moments,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13but attitudes have changed.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It was once a social obligation for a couple.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Now it's a personal choice.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21I think if it had been, like, in the 1960s,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23where you didn't live together,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25I think then I might be in a different state!
0:29:25 > 0:29:27But we've lived together for two years.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30So, it's just - it's just a bit of paper of paper.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Ultimately I know that it's a bit of paper, ultimately saying,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37"I want to spend my life with you."
0:29:37 > 0:29:39It was actually... I did the proposing
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and I did it in the traditional way.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44I actually got down on knee and proposed to her,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47but unfortunately I didnae have a ring.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Um, so we used a ring pull...
0:29:51 > 0:29:52off a can.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Come on, honey. Are you tired?
0:29:58 > 0:30:02It was a natural step to take, so... And that's where we are today.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11The average Scottish wedding takes over a year to plan.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14The stress level of the average Scottish wedding
0:30:14 > 0:30:15has yet to be accurately measured.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17OK, I'm on my way. Can you phone me back
0:30:17 > 0:30:20and tell me where I'm heading?
0:30:20 > 0:30:22What, is that the shoes and stuff?
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- Here, black ghillie shirt and black socks.- Right.- Absolutely magic.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Thank you very much. Smashing, great.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47That's another thing off the list I need to do, so home. Thanks again.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52I just... Please, God, be the right bag.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59I've done everything I can do,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03nothing else can be done, so it's just a case
0:31:03 > 0:31:05of wait and let the carnage ensue.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11I'm actually starting to feel a little bit stressed now.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19Over half of Scottish marriages are now civil ceremonies.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27Religious ceremonies have been declining for decades,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31reflecting a continuing drop in churchgoing in Scotland.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36But from 2009 to 2012, the number of religious weddings actually
0:31:36 > 0:31:40went up, partly thanks to the legalisation of humanist weddings,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43which are now classed as faith-based.
0:31:44 > 0:31:50With 4,616 weddings in 2013, the Church of Scotland still
0:31:50 > 0:31:54claims the number one spot for religious marriages.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Samantha Jane and Joe aren't regular churchgoers,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11but they want to be married in the eyes of God.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14It's important that you do believe in something
0:32:14 > 0:32:17and, because I have a belief and he has a belief,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20we wanted to incorporate that into the wedding.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Samantha Jane and Joe are delighted to welcome you all
0:32:27 > 0:32:30to their wedding ceremony, here in Crosshouse Parish Church.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34This is a happy day for them and it's made all the happier for them
0:32:34 > 0:32:37because you come to share it with them.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40'There's got to be a God, one way or the other.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43'You think with the conflicts we've had all over the world
0:32:43 > 0:32:47'and the disasters we've had all over the world that God would make
0:32:47 > 0:32:50'an appearance, you know, and sort it out,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54'but maybe that's me being playground philosopher.'
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- To cherish and respect you... - To cherish and respect you...
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- And to love you always... - And to love you always...
0:33:01 > 0:33:05- As long as we both shall live. - As long as we both shall live.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Wonderful. You may now enjoy your first kiss as husband and wife.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11APPLAUSE
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Many Scots do still want the church to be there for them
0:33:21 > 0:33:28at life's big moments, but Scotland is losing its religion.
0:33:30 > 0:33:3532% of the population say they belong to the Church of Scotland,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39but 37% claim to have no faith at all.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Among non-Christian Scots, the story is very different.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Scotland is home to over 200,000 people
0:33:49 > 0:33:52from minority ethnic backgrounds -
0:33:52 > 0:33:54that's 4% of the population.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57In Glasgow, this goes up to 12%.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04For many of these Scots - Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists -
0:34:04 > 0:34:08faith is an integral part of their everyday lives and their identity.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12It keeps family and community together.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18Scotland's Muslims are the country's largest minority group -
0:34:18 > 0:34:20they number more than 75,000.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Many Muslim families have lived here
0:34:24 > 0:34:27for two and three or even four generations.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29A wedding like this is a chance for family
0:34:29 > 0:34:34and friends from across Scotland and the world to get together.
0:34:36 > 0:34:42We do see ourselves as Asian Scots, we have our own culture, religion,
0:34:42 > 0:34:49language, but we've embraced much of the Scottish aspects.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51CALL TO PRAYER
0:34:56 > 0:35:00In 1952, when my father came over to this country,
0:35:00 > 0:35:06he began his career as a peddler. He was a typical Pakistani,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10going round with his bicycle, selling goods door-to-door.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14And from 1952 until the day he died,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18he built up a very established business in the north of Scotland,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21so we gave back an awful lot to the community,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24but we got a lot from the community as well - we were very enriched
0:35:24 > 0:35:27by our neighbours, our friends and our education.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Most Scottish Muslims live in Glasgow and the south,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36but this Islamic community
0:35:36 > 0:35:40is thriving far from there in Inverness.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47I find myself speaking with words like "wee",
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Like, "Oh, um, could you do me a wee favour?"
0:35:50 > 0:35:56And I think the lines between cultures become a little less
0:35:56 > 0:35:58distinguished, which is really nice.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Inverness is the fastest-growing city in Scotland.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10Since 2001, its population has grown by over 15%.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15The Muslim community here numbers just 400,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17but it's growing all the time.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20For the past six years, they have been raising funds
0:36:20 > 0:36:24to establish a proper mosque in the town.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Now it's finally ready.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28It marks quite a change for this building -
0:36:28 > 0:36:31it used to be a football supporters' club.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38It has been transformed in to the most northern mosque in the UK.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Today is the festival of Eid, this marks the end of Ramadan,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46a month of fasting when Muslims
0:36:46 > 0:36:49don't eat or drink between dawn and dusk.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53It's a time for family, friends and neighbours to come together and eat.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55It's a truly international affair.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01One, two, three, whoo!
0:37:04 > 0:37:06We're celebrating the best way possible
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and we want to get the kids involved as much as possible as well.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12He wants to get to the goody bag,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14so they look forward to it every year,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18so it's like our Eid is like their Christmas, basically.
0:37:18 > 0:37:24Hit it really hard. Wow! That was a good one.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Another good one!
0:37:28 > 0:37:33One, two, three.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34They love hitting stuff.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38When candy falls out of something that they hit, it's even better.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Candy heaven!
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Zubair Muhammad, his wife Sophia and the children are from Chicago.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01They've been in Inverness for just over a year.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Your job is to colour in this circle.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07That's pretty good.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I knew of the Highlands because of Braveheart
0:38:10 > 0:38:11and I knew of Braveheart...
0:38:11 > 0:38:12It was my thing.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Every summer holidays, they would start with Braveheart.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18I know every line from the movie,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22so "sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace."
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and then it was like, "William Wallace is seven feet tall,"
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and then William Wallace comes in and he says, "I have heard."
0:38:28 > 0:38:32And if you were here, he'd consume the English with fireballs
0:38:32 > 0:38:35from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36That's a good job.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39To us, it feels like home now, you know.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41It's still to this day... I love it here.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45- He sees rainbows every day going to work.- Well, not rainbows every day.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I see mountains every day, that's for sure.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Ishmael has a mixed accent, it's a little American,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54a little English, a little Scottish.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55He says a few words here.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58We hope he picks up a really strong Scottish accent,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01so when he goes back and sees his cousins in America,
0:39:01 > 0:39:02they can see that, you know,
0:39:02 > 0:39:07that accent and he'll be like the cool cousin.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Zubair and his family feel at home in Scotland.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16The country has welcomed to them to join what is
0:39:16 > 0:39:20an increasingly diverse society, but there's another bigger change
0:39:20 > 0:39:24happening to the make-up of the Scottish people.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28It's a trend that other European countries are experiencing too.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30The population is getting older.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43100 years ago, just 5% of Scots were over 65 -
0:39:43 > 0:39:45today it's over 18%.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49There are now more Scots over 65 than under 16.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54So could 65 be the new 16?
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Nowadays, people tend to live longer, they're active longer.
0:39:59 > 0:40:06My grandparents were old in their 50s - nowadays that's not the case.
0:40:06 > 0:40:12My dad died when he was 55 and we didn't want that to happen to us.
0:40:12 > 0:40:18And my mum was only 64 when she died so, you know, you've got to...
0:40:18 > 0:40:20You've only got one life, as they say.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Christine Cargill spent her working life
0:40:26 > 0:40:28as a teacher on the Isle of Arran.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30When she retired, her and her husband decided
0:40:30 > 0:40:32it was time to change their lives,
0:40:32 > 0:40:36so they sold the house, bought a camper van and hit the road.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Everywhere we travel, we take our canoe so that Ian canoes
0:40:41 > 0:40:43and I can swim in all the lochs.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Like thousands of Scottish women,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50Christine has had hip replacement surgery.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51She has found that swimming,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55preferably in the great outdoors, is the perfect exercise
0:40:55 > 0:40:57and both Christine and Ian are determined
0:40:57 > 0:40:59to keep challenging themselves.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05The first year we were travelling in France,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08two of our really dear friends died on Arran
0:41:08 > 0:41:11and we couldn't get to their funeral,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15so Ian and I decided what we were going to do, we really needed...
0:41:15 > 0:41:17felt we needed to put something back to them,
0:41:17 > 0:41:22so we decided to do, that year, we would do as many runs
0:41:22 > 0:41:24and marathons, half marathons
0:41:24 > 0:41:29and as many swims in memory of our two friends
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and raise money for Macmillan Cancer.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37And so Ian did the Edinburgh Marathon with two of our boys,
0:41:37 > 0:41:42all dressed in green because of Macmillan,
0:41:42 > 0:41:49and I did London, Windermere, Glasgow...Manchester swims
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and also in Loch Ness.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01When you do look around at the people
0:42:01 > 0:42:03that go to swim at these swims,
0:42:03 > 0:42:07they're not all young, beautiful and slim bodies.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11There's lots of different shapes and sizes and ages.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22But some 60-something Scots keep working past retirement age.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27In the workshop here, we've got machines which cut and print vinyl.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31The vinyl rolls at the back of the workshop here.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32Elsie is 63.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34She's grafting as hard as ever,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37running her sign-writing business installing.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40We do quite a lot of work for Prudential, Norbord,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42the Youth Hostel Association.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44We put signage all over Scotland for them,
0:42:44 > 0:42:49United Auctions, we're doing some banners for the Ryder Cup,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53that was for the local authority, so we've got a great variety of work.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01Elsie started her company in 1983, but as the business grew
0:43:01 > 0:43:04she found herself spending more of her time sitting down.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10I started to employ people and train them
0:43:10 > 0:43:12and, of course, then you start driving a desk.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16And that probably precipitated
0:43:16 > 0:43:20the first of two breast cancers that I've had.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27When you're a 20-year-old, you think differently
0:43:27 > 0:43:30because your life's in front of you.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33When you're this age, there's far more of your life
0:43:33 > 0:43:35behind you than in front,
0:43:35 > 0:43:40so every day is a bonus and I feel much more content.
0:43:40 > 0:43:41Coffee? Tea?
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Coffee, please.
0:43:45 > 0:43:51The benefits of medicine, I have benefited from myself,
0:43:51 > 0:43:57I should be deid by now, so, like I said, every day is a bonus.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Battling cancer has given Elsie a new lust for life.
0:44:00 > 0:44:05Like Christine, she has discovered the thrill of wild swimming.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08Swimming, of course, is a great exercise.
0:44:08 > 0:44:14It protects the joints and, yeah, it makes you feel fantastic.
0:44:14 > 0:44:15I feel like a new woman.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Today, Elsie and Christine are taking on a challenge
0:44:26 > 0:44:29that would be daunting for someone half their age.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31They are swimming a mile across Loch Lomond,
0:44:31 > 0:44:37a gruelling hour in choppy, open water. They won't be alone.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40This year's Great Scottish Swim is the biggest yet -
0:44:40 > 0:44:44more than 2,500 people will take the plunge.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52Scots of all ages, shapes and sizes have got up off the sofa
0:44:52 > 0:44:53and trained hard for this.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Three generations of Christine's family are here to cheer her on.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01I think she'll do really well.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Yeah, she had a hip replacement a year ago
0:45:03 > 0:45:07but I think she'll do really well.
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- ANNOUNCER:- If you're in the water, you're in any discomfort,
0:45:09 > 0:45:13if you feel unwell or you get yourself into trouble,
0:45:13 > 0:45:15all you have to do is to get on your back,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18tread water and raise one hand in the air.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22I was a bit nervous getting changed
0:45:22 > 0:45:26and feeling very tearful, actually, because I've had two cancers
0:45:26 > 0:45:30and had my second hip replacement last November.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Because of work, I haven't been able to train swimming.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35I've been doing circuit training but I've not been near the pool.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40I'll just keep swimming. It'll take me a long time but I'll get there.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43KLAXON SOUNDS
0:45:46 > 0:45:50- ANNOUNCER:- In you go, guys. This is what this is all about.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04KLAXON SOUNDS
0:46:35 > 0:46:36Davie!
0:46:36 > 0:46:38CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:46:38 > 0:46:39It was good.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41CHEERING
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Well done, Mum!
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Well done, dear.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52We're freezing, well done!
0:46:53 > 0:46:57CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:47:00 > 0:47:02Now, get up there, go on.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Whoo!
0:47:09 > 0:47:13- ANNOUNCER:- He is the 2013 world champion...- Wow!
0:47:13 > 0:47:15- Well done.- Thank you.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16THEY CHUCKLE
0:47:16 > 0:47:18- Cheers, wonderful.- Right, thank you.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23I'm just thrilled that I've got the health to be able to do this.
0:47:24 > 0:47:29To be able, to be able to do this is just magic.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Big smiles, that's wonderful.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33CAMERA CLICKS
0:47:33 > 0:47:38It's slower than I normally have done before but it was...
0:47:38 > 0:47:40choppy going out.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42There we go, wonderful.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44I'm going to have a glass of wine tonight.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Maybe more than a glass of wine.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Scotland's population is ageing
0:47:49 > 0:47:52because people are living longer, healthier lives.
0:47:56 > 0:48:01It's projected that between 2010 and 2035,
0:48:01 > 0:48:07the number of Scots over 75 will increase by a whopping 82%.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12The Scottish mortality rate is also at an all-time low.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17Nevertheless, some 55,000 Scots will reach the end of their lives
0:48:17 > 0:48:18this year.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21The job of laying them to rest
0:48:21 > 0:48:24falls to funeral directors like John Gauld.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27My dad founded the business in the early '80s in Crieff and,
0:48:27 > 0:48:32previous to that, had been a driving instructor for 30 years
0:48:32 > 0:48:35in the town so he was incredibly well-known, had taught most of Crieff
0:48:35 > 0:48:38to drive and that was a tremendous advantage
0:48:38 > 0:48:42when he started the funeral business because he was a well-known face that
0:48:42 > 0:48:47some of the people, you know, liked and trusted so the two fitted well.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50When I put this tailcoat on,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53I become John Gauld the funeral director.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58There's a lot of pride in that, there's a lot of pride in being
0:48:58 > 0:49:01the local funeral director and being part of the community.
0:49:05 > 0:49:10In many ways, John's profession is a traditional one.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15But in Scotland today, attitudes to death are starting to change.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17I mean it's a very traditional job.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20We take a lot of pride in carrying forward those traditions,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23but even in the time I've been doing this job in the last 20 years,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26I'll see the change, I've seen people's attitudes change
0:49:26 > 0:49:28and I've seen, I think,
0:49:28 > 0:49:33an awareness that people are looking for something different.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36They're looking for something that they feel is appropriate to them
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and the way that they've lived their lives.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Here in the Perthshire countryside,
0:49:43 > 0:49:48John offers families a new kind of final resting place.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52It's one of a growing number of Scottish natural burial sites.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56Woodland burial grounds like this are an alternative
0:49:56 > 0:49:58to traditional cemeteries.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01As more Scots move away from organised religion,
0:50:01 > 0:50:06more people value the idea that they could be laid to rest in nature.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10There are now around 50 of these across the country in woods
0:50:10 > 0:50:13and meadows and tranquil spots by the sea.
0:50:13 > 0:50:18It was my dad's idea to initially open what is a green field
0:50:18 > 0:50:20burial site.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24We have from ornithologists through to hillwalkers to scientists,
0:50:24 > 0:50:26motorcyclists.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31I think people who have an affinity with the outdoors
0:50:31 > 0:50:34feel that this is an appropriate place for them
0:50:34 > 0:50:37to see out the rest of their days as it were.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41I think you can't help but be impacted by the beauty of this spot
0:50:41 > 0:50:44and also the tranquillity of it as well.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47To be part of this is quite special, that's how I feel.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52In a close-knit community like Crieff,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55John has a personal connection with the families he helps.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59These are the Williamson family lairs.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03The family decided that this was to be their final resting place
0:51:03 > 0:51:06and they purchased a number of plots together.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10We always check with families to see if they would like adjacent lairs
0:51:10 > 0:51:14and it makes sense for families then to have a single point
0:51:14 > 0:51:17for future generations to come and to pay their respects
0:51:17 > 0:51:22and to ponder the insignificance of it all perhaps.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23HE CHUCKLES
0:51:23 > 0:51:27The most recent member of this family to pass away died suddenly.
0:51:30 > 0:51:35Ian and Ruth Stone were married in Edinburgh in 1970.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38They lived and worked all over the world before settling
0:51:38 > 0:51:39in the South of England.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41But as they approached retirement,
0:51:41 > 0:51:45the pull of home became too strong, so in 2006,
0:51:45 > 0:51:50they answered the call of Scotland and returned to Perthshire.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54They were looking forward to growing old together here.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00He was...
0:52:00 > 0:52:04I was going to say quiet, he wasn't really quiet cos
0:52:04 > 0:52:09he was very good company and good fun and people liked that.
0:52:11 > 0:52:16He was relatively fit, I mean he looked fairly fit.
0:52:16 > 0:52:21He suddenly became dizzy one Thursday evening.
0:52:21 > 0:52:27By the morning, it was apparent there was something going wrong
0:52:27 > 0:52:32so I phoned the doctor and while he was sitting in the waiting room,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36I think he started to have a full-blown stroke.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39He was straight into the PRI.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46The plan was that he would come home for the Saturday,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50so that was a week afterwards, and I could see on the way
0:52:50 > 0:52:54home in the car that something wasn't quite right.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58He started saying things to me like, um,
0:52:58 > 0:53:01"I think you'd better get used to being on your own."
0:53:08 > 0:53:13And, ultimately, it became apparent as the week went on that this was
0:53:13 > 0:53:15not going to have a good end.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21So I phoned my son in Melbourne and he came,
0:53:21 > 0:53:25but by the time he got there on the Friday night, Ian was in a coma.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30And he died on the Sunday morning.
0:53:36 > 0:53:37Ian had prostate cancer -
0:53:37 > 0:53:41one of the biggest killers of Scottish men over 50.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44It's easy to miss and although his was diagnosed, it was too late.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Today, Ian's family and friends have gathered at
0:53:49 > 0:53:53the natural burial ground to lay him to rest.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59The great architect of the universe called our brother,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01John Francis Stone,
0:54:01 > 0:54:06to his nearer presence on Sunday, 28th September, 2014.
0:54:06 > 0:54:07At Crieff Parish Church,
0:54:07 > 0:54:10we committed his soul unto God's eternal rest.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13We have now brought him home to his final resting place,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16here in this beautiful part of West Strathearn,
0:54:16 > 0:54:18where his father-in-law, mother-in-law
0:54:18 > 0:54:20and brother-in-law are also buried.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27A place which will remain a focal point for relatives
0:54:27 > 0:54:30and friends to visit in the years that lie ahead.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34We now commit his body to the ground.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Ruth takes some consolation from the fact that Ian has been laid
0:54:56 > 0:54:59to rest in a beautiful corner of Scotland.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05This is the Turret, but this flows into the Earn.
0:55:05 > 0:55:10And when my father died, he said to me,
0:55:10 > 0:55:14"Look, dear, you'll have to sort the funeral out."
0:55:14 > 0:55:18He said, "Don't worry about me, just burn me and chuck me in the Turret."
0:55:18 > 0:55:21However, he also said,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24"But you can do whatever you like, as long as you're mother's OK
0:55:24 > 0:55:30"with it." So Mum and I decided he would be better by the Earn.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33So that's where he is. Next to Ian.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Scotland's population might be getting older, but in Scotland
0:55:40 > 0:55:44today, more births than deaths are now being registered each year.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52- Give the balloon to Kayla. - Kayla has the same at the end as me.
0:55:52 > 0:55:53Yeah.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Back in Aberdeen, new baby Kayla is ready to meet her brother
0:55:57 > 0:55:58and sister for the first time.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Hi!
0:56:02 > 0:56:05- Hi!- Hi!
0:56:05 > 0:56:08- What have I got here? - Look. Look who's with Mummy.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11- Who's that?- Who's this?
0:56:11 > 0:56:14- Hello, Kayla. - What do you think?
0:56:14 > 0:56:20- Hello, Kayla.- Hello, Kayla. - Exciting, hey? Exciting.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Does she have really little feet?
0:56:24 > 0:56:30When you first see your baby, yeah, it's an indescribable feeling,
0:56:30 > 0:56:35and the tears well up and, um, it...
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Yeah, words don't really do justice.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Do you think she'll be a good little sister for you?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Yeah?
0:56:45 > 0:56:50So if you guys look like Jake and Elsa, what does Kayla look like?
0:56:50 > 0:56:53- A baby. - Yeah, for now just like a baby.
0:56:57 > 0:57:02In 2014, the most popular name for Scottish baby boys was Jack,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06followed by James and Lewis.
0:57:06 > 0:57:11For girls, it was Emily, then Sophie and Olivia.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15We went through a book of baby names. There was about 500 names in it.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18It was either going to be Bella or Gracie, but then as soon as
0:57:18 > 0:57:22we looked at her, we decided it was going to be Gracie.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Aidan was the first one that popped up
0:57:27 > 0:57:30and apparently the meaning is fire.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33And I've been saying it's been like having a wee fire in my belly
0:57:33 > 0:57:36and I thought, "Oh, there we go, it's like Zen."
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Hopefully she'll be able to better herself
0:57:42 > 0:57:45and do something out of this world.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47The world's her oyster.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58The Scotland in which these babies will grow up
0:57:58 > 0:58:02is likely to become more populous and more diverse in their lifetimes.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08Experts predict there will be close to six million Scots by 2037,
0:58:08 > 0:58:12up from 5.3 million today.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14And that the number of Scots from ethnic backgrounds
0:58:14 > 0:58:17will continue to grow.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20So life in Scotland will continue to change.
0:58:20 > 0:58:22Exactly how, no-one knows.
0:58:22 > 0:58:27In part, it will be up to these new Scots.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29They are the future of Scotland.