0:00:02 > 0:00:04Scotland is changing and growing.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07More than five million people now live and work here,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12from the big cities, to the Highlands and Islands.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14You think it is just a quiet backwater
0:00:14 > 0:00:16where practically nothing goes on, but it's not.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18People work very, very hard to make a living.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20It's not easy to make a living out here.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Life in the wilderness is being transformed by technology.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Far-flung communities are becoming better-connected.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I've no idea how to fly this thing, but I've got an app.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31LAUGHTER
0:00:31 > 0:00:33And across Scotland,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36people are finding new ways to create their ideal home.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'm the only one who lives in a boat in my class.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So how does modern Scotland work?
0:00:43 > 0:00:46How does Scotland's infrastructure keep the country moving?
0:00:48 > 0:00:52How are Scotland's remotest communities facing the future?
0:00:52 > 0:00:57And how is home life in Scotland changing in the 21st century?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00This series goes to the heart of contemporary Scottish life
0:01:00 > 0:01:04to reveal how Scotland works.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Scotland is a small country,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14but getting around it has always been a challenge.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19Forests and mountain ranges make overland journeys difficult.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22And with almost 100 inhabited islands,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25the sea also creates a barrier to travel.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29For its size, Scotland has a smaller road and rail network
0:01:29 > 0:01:31than other European countries.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34It also has higher than average car use...
0:01:35 > 0:01:38..and some of the busiest domestic ferry routes.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Every year almost eight million people travel to
0:01:41 > 0:01:43destinations within Scotland by sea.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48But today, how Scottish people and goods get from A to B
0:01:48 > 0:01:50is starting to change.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54New routes, and some old ones, are being opened up.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And technology is making travel cheaper and cleaner.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03So how do Scotland's key transport networks keep the country moving
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and prospering?
0:02:05 > 0:02:08How is Scotland travelling into the future?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11This is Scotland On The Move.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19In Aberdeen it's 4pm.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The harbour is packed with ships of all shapes and sizes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Most are servicing the oilrigs.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29But among them is perhaps
0:02:29 > 0:02:32the most important vessel in northern Scotland.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37This is the ferry that connects Orkney and Shetland to the mainland.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42It's being loaded up for its daily voyage across the North Sea.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Even in summer this can be a bumpy trip,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48so the cargo has to be secure.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Overseeing the operations is Christopher Devon.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54What we're seeing here is our own shore-side staff
0:02:54 > 0:02:58driving on the trailers, and they're getting put on trestles
0:02:58 > 0:03:01to support them and then lashed down onto the deck.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07If you can imagine in the wintertime especially, we have to deal with
0:03:07 > 0:03:11some particularly rough seas, so the lashings are vital in securing
0:03:11 > 0:03:14the loads and making sure everything stays where it's supposed to.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16This ferry is a lifeline
0:03:16 > 0:03:19for Scotland's most northerly communities.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22We'll ship just about anything.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26So we've shipped a 250-ton tidal turbine to Orkney,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28which is big into its renewable sector.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31We've shipped the circus, fairground rides.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35In terms of livestock we've shipped things like llamas and reindeer.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38We regularly ship chickens.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40You name it, we'll ship just about anything.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46But the ferry isn't just essential for bringing supplies in,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50it's also vital for shipping produce out to markets on the mainland.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53With Scotland's food industry booming,
0:03:53 > 0:03:58this top-quality livestock from the Northern Isles is much in-demand.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01That's a good heifer, that.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07In Shetland, sheep now outnumber people by ten to one,
0:04:07 > 0:04:12so these four-legged passengers are a vital part of the ferry's business.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The busy time is September, October.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19It's really busy with sheep and that coming out of Shetland.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24In the month of September last year we had 57,000...
0:04:24 > 0:04:28about 57,500 sheep just from Shetland alone, like.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29It's just the time of year
0:04:29 > 0:04:33that they get them off the island to the mainland.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40At 5pm on the dot, with cargo and passengers safely aboard,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44the ferry casts off.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Its first port of call will be Kirkwall in Orkney -
0:04:47 > 0:04:49a six-hour sail away.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54The route up the east coast
0:04:54 > 0:04:57crosses some of Scotland's busiest waters.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02At the helm is Captain Sandy Cooper.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Currently we're just coming up round Buchan Ness,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11which is also a very busy bit of sea.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Peterhead Harbour is just inside us there.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17There's a lot of fishing-related traffic going in or out,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21oil-related traffic, and also a lot of the oil supply ships
0:05:21 > 0:05:25have to wait outside, waiting on the pilot boat...
0:05:25 > 0:05:27on a pilot to take them in and out so...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Quite often when we come up around here we always encounter
0:05:30 > 0:05:34quite a lot of traffic, so you've just got to be extra cautious...
0:05:36 > 0:05:37..and keep an eye on the radars,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and by visual - looking out the windows.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45This ferry is the biggest on any domestic Scottish route.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50She's built to withstand the worst the North Sea can throw at her,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52and so are the crew.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Well, I live in one of the cabins across the front.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59And what I call it when I phone home to my wife and kids, I say,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02"Well, I'm living in the washing machine tonight."
0:06:02 > 0:06:05It's just a constant bang of waves crashing on your window.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07My little boy, Fraser, he'll say,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09"How's the washing machine tonight, Dad?"
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It's never very nice when it's a night like that, put it that way.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It's just, it's a long night of not much sleep.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Since the turn of the century, the population of the north-east
0:06:22 > 0:06:26of Scotland has been growing faster than other parts of the country.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31Good transport links are vital to the prosperity of the whole region.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Thanks to the oil industry, Aberdeen now has
0:06:36 > 0:06:40the busiest commercial helicopter terminal in the world.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Over 36,000 helicopter flights a year land and take off here,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48transporting 517,000 passengers,
0:06:48 > 0:06:53most of them destined to work on the oilrigs far out in the North Sea.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56And although Aberdeen is only the 29th biggest city in the UK,
0:06:56 > 0:07:01the airport as a whole has grown to become one of Britain's busiest.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03General manager John Miller
0:07:03 > 0:07:06is in charge of this important transport hub.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Last year, Aberdeen Airport
0:07:07 > 0:07:10was actually the fifth busiest airport in the UK.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Obviously we're very famous for our helicopters, but the helicopters
0:07:13 > 0:07:18actually make up only about 35-40% of the movements here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The other 65-plus percent of the movements are the fixed wings
0:07:21 > 0:07:23that you'd normally associate with an airport.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28At the moment, we're varying around 380 to 400 total movements,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32but last year we hit our record levels of all time, where we shifted
0:07:32 > 0:07:35525 movements in one day, and of course that equates,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37across the year,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41to 124,000 movements through these runways in the year.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Scottish National Ambulance Service has an aircraft based here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49We have Search & Rescue assets here, because obviously it's a costal airfield.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54There are mountain rescue activities that happen that come through the airfield, things like that.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58We provide a lot of connectivity to the Highlands and Islands.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01There are areas obviously not immediately associated with Aberdeen
0:08:01 > 0:08:04that very, very much benefit from the fact that
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Aberdeen has an airport as varied and sort of as busy as it is.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12With so many flights coming in and out,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15keeping the airport running smoothly is a big job.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Down on the ground, operations manager Sadie Leith
0:08:19 > 0:08:21keeps a close eye on things.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I'm the head of airfield operations for Aberdeen International Airport.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30My responsibility is to make sure that everything is handled safely
0:08:30 > 0:08:35from the terminal boarding gates right out across the entire airfield.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I am looking to make sure that everyone is operating safely
0:08:42 > 0:08:44around about the aircraft that are in just now,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47so we just need to make sure that they are working safely,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49making sure the passengers are safe,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and that the aircrafts are safe as well.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Sharing the airspace here are some other flying objects.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58A kind that can pose a real threat to safety -
0:08:58 > 0:09:00birds.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03If a bird hits a plane or gets sucked into an engine,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07it can cause a huge amount of damage and even bring an aircraft down,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10so preventing collisions is essential.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Keeping the runways clear is down to bird control officer Rory Paul Williams.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Most important is we have to make sure
0:09:22 > 0:09:25we have intensive identification.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28We have quite tough training about how to identify birds,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31all this - their young and their different plumages.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34If a bird goes into an engine or a bird has a bird strike,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38it's for the safety of our passengers that we have someone on bird patrol all the time.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41We have to have an accountability to make sure that we are providing
0:09:41 > 0:09:45a safe environment for aircraft to land and take off.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46RADIO CHATTER
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Sorry, one second.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Tower, Ranger Two, will you copy?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- RADIO:- 'Ranger Two, our last departing Jetstream reported
0:09:55 > 0:09:57'he may have hit some birds as he rotated
0:09:57 > 0:09:59'somewhere between 2-3 and 3-2.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02'There is a landing aircraft at three that's happy to continue.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04'Would you be able to check it afterwards?'
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Roger Wilco, sir. I'll stand by at Mike-1.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07'Roger.'
0:10:07 > 0:10:10We have to go for a bird inspection on the runway,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12so we have to go quite quickly, I'm afraid to say.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Aberdeen Airport has just one runway for fixed wing aircraft,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21so Rory has to be quick off the mark to check it for birds
0:10:21 > 0:10:24in between planes landing and taking off.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28What's happened was the last aircraft that just took off
0:10:28 > 0:10:30possibly had a bird strike, so what I have to do
0:10:30 > 0:10:33is I have to check the runway before the next lander.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35RADIO CHATTER
0:10:35 > 0:10:38One that's just landed, he was happy to accept it,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and he might actually say whether he's seen something on the runway.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But before the next one comes, I need to check the runway
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and pronounce it clear for the... any other aircraft that's come in.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I also, if I find remains, I have to identify it
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and then we have to fill in reports,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54and then we have to work from there, and we will let
0:10:54 > 0:10:58the other aircraft that's departed know whether we've found debris
0:10:58 > 0:11:00so they can have a look with the other end, for the engineers.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05If a bird did strike an aircraft,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08the plane will have to be checked for safety, so it's vital
0:11:08 > 0:11:12that Rory confirms whether there has or hasn't been a collision.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15RADIO CHATTER
0:11:21 > 0:11:24So, basically, what I'm doing now is I'm looking
0:11:24 > 0:11:27to see if I can find any birds, any bird remains,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30any feathers, anything that could signify, anything that could've happened.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32But I'm also keeping an eye on the horizon and
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I'm waiting for the next aircraft to land so I obviously don't want
0:11:35 > 0:11:38to be getting in that way because I don't want it to go around.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Anything over there? No.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So obviously it's a two-way thing.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44But obviously if I'm too quick and I miss something
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and it gets ingested into an engine,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48that would be my fault as well.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Nothing on the grass, nothing on the side. No. Check.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Keeping an eye on the horizon, there's no aircraft coming in.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Nothing to the left. Nothing to the right. No feathers.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Nothing coming off.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Tower, Ranger Two. Vacated Mike-9, runway 1-6.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Drive full length. Nothing seen, nothing found.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18- RADIO:- 'Thanks, Two Ranger.'
0:12:18 > 0:12:21RADIO CHATTER
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Right, so that's the next aircraft now free and ready to land.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29There's very few and far between that we actually physically have
0:12:29 > 0:12:34actual bird strikes, but every single time we have to check,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37we have to be there and we have to react instantly.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40A lot of the time we're just there, and we're just sitting down waiting
0:12:40 > 0:12:45and moving the birds on, but we have to be there at an instant,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49ready to go cos you never know and you should never assume.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Job done, the runway is clear for the incoming plane to land.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58The passengers won't know it,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02but Rory has played a vital role in getting them on the ground safely.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I try every day and never assume.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Cos you can never take for granted,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10you know, my friends and neighbours fly on these aircraft all the time
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and I want to make sure I do my job.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Aberdeen Airport links the north of Scotland to the world.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24It is helping this part of the country to prosper and grow.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Scotland's island communities also rely on aviation.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Islay, Tiree, Coll and Lewis all have airports
0:13:32 > 0:13:34offering regular flights to the mainland,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39and planes still touch down on Barra's famous beach runway -
0:13:39 > 0:13:40weather permitting.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45These routes are busy and passenger numbers are rising.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Recently, a newer island air service
0:13:49 > 0:13:52has begun to connect the Hebrides to the rest of Scotland.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It doesn't need an airport, or even a beach.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59It's a seaplane to the isles.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- Hey, guys.- Hello!
0:14:02 > 0:14:07I'm just going to pop you to the right here for a little safety briefing, folks.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I've just got a security check to see if you have any liquids.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13HE LAUGHS
0:14:13 > 0:14:15We need them. We need them!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19To release your seatbelts, same as the big aeroplanes.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Lift the metal flap at the side.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I've no idea how to fly this thing, but I've got an app.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27LAUGHTER
0:14:27 > 0:14:32This one-man airline is the brainchild of pilot David West.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35After a long battle to get a licence,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39David's seaplane finally took to the skies in 2004.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Since then, some 60,000 passengers have flown with him.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Here we go, guys.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46He got the idea after seeing how
0:14:46 > 0:14:50seaplane services in other parts of the world were helping
0:14:50 > 0:14:52to keep remote areas connected.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I'd flown around doing the commercial work in 747s
0:14:56 > 0:15:00for many years and I'd been to places like Alaska, Sydney,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and so forth, and seen the use of seaplanes all over.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06I was sitting at the side of Loch Lomond one day
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and I thought, "Why don't we have seaplanes in Scotland?"
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Sometimes, David uses the River Clyde as his runway.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Today, he's taking off from Loch Lomond.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19And the destination?
0:15:19 > 0:15:20The Isle of Skye.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Well, folks, hope you're comfortable.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25We're just about ready to go.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30So once we get to the end of the bay we'll be taking off to the north.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Beautiful, beautiful trip over Loch Lomond today.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Making the Highlands and Islands more accessible
0:15:38 > 0:15:41for the millions of tourists and Scots who visit each year
0:15:41 > 0:15:44is vital for the economy of those far-flung regions.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Skye, with its romantic associations, is a big attraction.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Getting there by road can take hours.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Today's flight will last just 35 minutes
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and take in some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Here we are, just coming up at the right side, folks. Just incredible.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17'Every mile, it's a fabulous mountaintop,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'a beautiful glen, an incredible-looking loch
0:16:20 > 0:16:23'and it just keeps going and keeps changing.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'And that's what I think it is - it just assaults the senses.'
0:16:28 > 0:16:31On board today are some passengers from Glasgow,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35keen to try this new route to the Highlands.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37It's absolutely incredible.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I just can't believe it.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I felt as if I could put my hand out and touch Loch Lomond
0:16:42 > 0:16:45and I've lived in Scotland, I'm from Scotland,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and I've never seen Scotland like this. It's wonderful.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53We used to go up to Skye for the weekend
0:16:53 > 0:16:55to run the Skye Half Marathon
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and we always thought it was a great weekend
0:16:59 > 0:17:04but once you drove up and drove back, you're exhausted.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But doing it this way is just wonderful.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11I decided just to take the day off work yesterday.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Looking at the weather forecast, just jump in the plane and...
0:17:14 > 0:17:18I'd never go up to Skye if I had to go up by road
0:17:18 > 0:17:19so this is fantastic for me.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25A quick day out of the office, basically!
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Just to our left, folks, Loch Sunart there.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Heading pretty much on the left wing,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39looking across towards Tobermory.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Just crossed the Great Glen there.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Fort William on the right-hand side,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and very shortly over Loch Shiel.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53INAUDIBLE
0:17:59 > 0:18:02We're over Knoydart at the moment.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Probably one of the more remote places in Scotland,
0:18:05 > 0:18:06where you can't drive in.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10You can walk in and you can get a boat in. Or a seaplane.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15After just half an hour, the seaplane begins its descent.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Now we're just descending across the Sound of Sleat
0:18:19 > 0:18:22and then we're in for landing in about five minutes.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24This seaplane is also fitted with wheels
0:18:24 > 0:18:27so it can land on solid ground if it needs to.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Today, David is touching down on
0:18:29 > 0:18:32an old military airstrip outside Broadford,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36which has been given a new lease of life by his seaplane service.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Well, folks, welcome to Broadford International.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43If you'd like to set your watches back 20 years.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44LAUGHTER
0:18:46 > 0:18:47Hope you enjoyed that, guys!
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- Just magnificent. - Yes.- It was wonderful.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Right, guys. Lovely. Watch your heads there.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01It takes you hours, hours and so tiring to come by road.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06But 55 minutes from Loch Lomond-side to here - can't beat it.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13David has flown all over the world,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17but for him, this uniquely Scottish journey remains a thrill.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23There's absolutely no boredom.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I could do this 10, 15, 20 times a day
0:19:26 > 0:19:28because every time you go out, it's different.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The cloud's a bit different, the visibility's a bit different,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36the light can be very different, and we always joke with the passengers,
0:19:36 > 0:19:37the "five rule" in Scotland -
0:19:37 > 0:19:40you know, wait five minutes, travel five miles,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and sometimes it will be overcast and horrible, raining here
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and people going, "We're not going up in that." We say, "Just wait."
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Two minutes down the road, we pop into the blue sky,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51we're on the west coast, the Island of Jura is coming up
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and you can see halfway to New York.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57That's what it's like and it's different every flight.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Keeping Scotland moving is essential for the prosperity of the country.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13More than 400 million bus journeys and 44 billion vehicle kilometres
0:20:13 > 0:20:17are driven on Scotland's roads each year.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20And annually, 96 million journeys are taken by train.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Like the rest of the UK, Scotland's transport infrastructure
0:20:25 > 0:20:27mixes the old and the new.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Maintaining it and making sure it's fit for the 21st century
0:20:32 > 0:20:36is a huge and seemingly never-ending job.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Sometimes, the older parts need a bit of TLC.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Glasgow is home to Scotland's only underground railway.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Opened in 1896, the Glasgow Subway is the third oldest in the world
0:20:53 > 0:20:56after London and Budapest.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Almost 13 million journeys are taken by subway each year.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05The network runs in two circular loops around the city centre.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09It has never been extended beyond its original Victorian route,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and the last big modernisation programme was in the 1970s.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18So now, the system is having a makeover to bring it up-to-date.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21It's a big job.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25The chair of the company that runs Glasgow's Subway, SPT,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27is Jonathan Findlay.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32The Glasgow Subway is undergoing a huge modernisation programme.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35You can see on the surface here
0:21:35 > 0:21:38we have made a huge investment in the stations,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41but the biggest investment will take place down the stairs
0:21:41 > 0:21:44in terms of the ticket offices,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and actually the Subway tunnels and trains themselves.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50For people who haven't been to the Glasgow Subway before,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55it's a wee bit unusual, in that it's two concentric circles.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Unlike the London Underground
0:21:57 > 0:22:00or some of the other larger ones, perhaps in New York,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02it is quite dinky.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07And that's part of its attraction, and a lot of visitors to the city
0:22:07 > 0:22:10do come along just to see the Subway itself.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- ARCHIVE NARRATOR:- Built as a cable-haul railway
0:22:12 > 0:22:15in the reign of Queen Victoria, apart from electrification,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18it's changed little in nearly 80 years of service.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22And it has a very special place in the hearts of the people of Glasgow.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24I like the Subway.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- I think it's pretty good. - We've never had any trouble with it.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I think the Subway is a good means of transport.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It's far better than the bus anyway.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33So what improvements have been made
0:22:33 > 0:22:38so far to Glasgow's much-loved subterranean railway?
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Gone are all the browns of the 1970s
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and it's a far airier and brighter place to be.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Modern ticketing machines, which will take our new smart cards,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51which there have been over 100,000 issued so far.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55And these smart cards are designed, ultimately,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58to be able to be used, not only on the Subway,
0:22:58 > 0:23:04but on trains, ferries and, hopefully, buses, so it'll help us
0:23:04 > 0:23:08in our aim to get public transport as integrated as we possibly can.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14But one of the biggest challenges this modernisation programme faces
0:23:14 > 0:23:15is in the tunnels.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Guys that work in the Subway, particularly at night-time when
0:23:18 > 0:23:23people don't see what goes on, do a fantastic job of keeping the system
0:23:23 > 0:23:26running, but the system is creaking at the seams and the modernisation
0:23:26 > 0:23:30is to make sure we have a modern Glasgow Subway for the 21st century.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Project manager on the night shift tonight is Stephen Shannon.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Tonight we'll have a total of
0:23:38 > 0:23:41about 24, 25 different sets of contractors.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Total personnel within the system between internal personnel,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49external, will be somewhere in the region of about 350 to 400.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56The team that I'm responsible for has a sort of dual role.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Our main focus is maintaining the system,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02allowing the trains to operate on a daily basis,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05but coupled up to that responsibility, there's also
0:24:05 > 0:24:09an onus on us to deliver part of the modernisation programme.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Transport bosses have decided that
0:24:14 > 0:24:17the Subway can't be shut while work goes on.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19So to keep Glasgow moving,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21the engineers have to work through the night.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26This means that every shift's work is a race against time.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32We'll be installing just under 400 feet of rail.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36The first two joints of that rail will be welded in this shift,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41leaving ten joints bolted in order for the traffic to start running
0:24:41 > 0:24:44at six o'clock tomorrow morning.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So we're pretty much up against it time-wise,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50but we're quite confident that in the next five hours,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53the work will be completed with plenty of time.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Many of the engineers who work night shifts here
0:24:55 > 0:24:59have years of experience with this unique network.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Their dedication makes sure that
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Glasgow's historic Subway doesn't grind to a halt.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06And here beneath the city streets,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09a strong sense of camaraderie has grown up among the team.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Personally, I've worked here on night shift for 18 years.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17About 90% of our employees that work night shift are all long-term.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Some a lot longer than I have.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22It's pretty much a unique environment.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Most people that come in here and start working with us
0:25:25 > 0:25:27tend to stay for a long period of time.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Most of the guys that work with us all have families.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I've seen families grow up
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and I think part and parcel of the night shift working allows
0:25:35 > 0:25:40a large contribution from us because of the flexibility the night shift
0:25:40 > 0:25:42allows you to have during the day.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46When I started there, there were no jobs outside.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I was lucky enough to get a job.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I went to the Jobcentre, got a job in here
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and I've never looked back.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I've been in here 20 years, constant night shift.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59A lot of good banter.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Cos you're working with these guys eight, ten hours a day,
0:26:02 > 0:26:07so you probably see more of these guys than you do your own family.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Once we disappear into the tunnels, nobody knows where we are.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15It's very, very dirty, as you can see.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16It's quite hard work as well.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19But I like it. It's a good bunch of boys here, so...
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I'm the youngest. I'm trying to work my way up the ladder.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24It's good to do that as well.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26There's guys in here when they were 20 year old,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30frae they were 18, 20 years, and they worked up the ladder,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32so hopefully I can do that as well.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I suppose for somebody coming in new into the system,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39it's a bit of an eye-opener, as such.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43You're part of a process that allows, basically, Glasgow
0:26:43 > 0:26:45to keep moving on a daily basis.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55The modernisation programme will see 12 miles of rail replaced,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58stations remodelled and ticketing systems upgraded.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02When it's finished,
0:27:02 > 0:27:07Glasgow's 120-year-old underground railway will be fit for the future.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Glasgow has long been at the cutting edge
0:27:12 > 0:27:13when it comes to transport.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15As well as the Subway, by the 1920s,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19it had one of Europe's largest tram systems.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24Today, the city also has the largest urban overground rail network
0:27:24 > 0:27:26in the UK, outside London.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30But Glasgow's most distinctive bit of transport infrastructure
0:27:30 > 0:27:32is also perhaps its most controversial.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Between them, the M77, M74 and M8
0:27:37 > 0:27:40make up the biggest urban motorway system in Britain,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42and one of the biggest in Europe.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45The first section was opened in 1964.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Since then, the motorways have just kept on growing.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Today, tens of millions of journeys
0:27:52 > 0:27:55are made on Glasgow's motorways each year.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00The newest stretch, the M74 extension, was opened in 2012,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and now carries 100,000 vehicles a day.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09For nearly 50 years these ribbons of concrete have defined the cityscape
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and divided opinion.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16In the past, new sections have attracted fierce local opposition.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17But along the way,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Glasgow's motorways have also picked up some...fans.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24See that? I've not noticed that detail before.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29Elevated for a short stretch, down past Glasgow Cross...
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- Mm-hmm.- ..and then as you come back towards Glasgow Green,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33going back into the tunnel,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35re-emerging on the south side of the river
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and then proceeding as a south flank almost entirely elevated.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43I believe the technical term for a road geek or road enthusiast
0:28:43 > 0:28:48is an hodologist - someone who is interested in the study of roads.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49I believe it's Latin.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Road geeks, motorway geeks.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Geeks are in at the moment. Geeks are seen as fashionable.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Civil engineers Stuart Baird and John Hassle run a website
0:29:00 > 0:29:03telling the story of Glasgow's motorways.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I think I was always fascinated by the motorway.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08We did live quite near to Glasgow
0:29:08 > 0:29:10and when we would go in shopping and on family trips
0:29:10 > 0:29:13and things like that, we would generally take the motorway,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16the M74 in particular, which is one of my favourites,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19so it's something, I think, that's grown with me.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22I'm always a bit worried about doing things on that home page,
0:29:22 > 0:29:23- to be fair.- Why?
0:29:23 > 0:29:28Just in case one does not approve, if you know what I mean.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Makes me sound like a tyrant.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32THEY LAUGH
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Some people have hobbies - you know,
0:29:35 > 0:29:36model railways and things like that.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Well, for me, it's the motorway.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It's not just a model - it's there, it's real life, it exists,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44it's something that you can use, something that you can see.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Yeah, it's very interesting.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54As part of their research, Stuart and John are recording
0:29:54 > 0:29:58the personal stories of the people who built Glasgow's motorways.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Today, they're meeting engineer John Cullen,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04who was involved from the very beginning.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Hi, Stuart. Hi, there.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11And thinking about the...
0:30:11 > 0:30:15the route chosen across the city - how much of that did you...
0:30:15 > 0:30:18were you involved in choosing that line?
0:30:18 > 0:30:21The motorway pretty well chose itself
0:30:21 > 0:30:27because it was going from the A8 to the ring road,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32just on the open space after the Monkland Canal was closed.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39In the early 1960s, when John began work on Glasgow's system,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42motorways were almost unknown in the UK.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45But he had a unique qualification -
0:30:45 > 0:30:49he had already experienced the future of road building in America.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- ARCHIVE NARRATOR:- See the freeways with their cloverleaf junctions,
0:30:52 > 0:30:53their space-age crossovers,
0:30:53 > 0:30:57that make Britain's M1 look like a lazy country lane.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00I ended up working in San Francisco
0:31:00 > 0:31:05on the design of what they called freeways, urban freeways,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08so when I returned to Scotland
0:31:08 > 0:31:12I was almost certainly the only person in Britain who'd
0:31:12 > 0:31:14actually designed urban motorways.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18It was fascinating. It was like solving puzzles.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Glasgow's motorway plan
0:31:21 > 0:31:25was the biggest and most radical the UK had ever seen.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27It involved flattening neighbourhoods
0:31:27 > 0:31:31and transforming the way the city functioned.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34The hope was that the motorways would relieve chronic congestion,
0:31:34 > 0:31:39cut road accidents and improve life in Glasgow for everyone.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41So, 50 years on, does John believe
0:31:41 > 0:31:44the motorways have been a benefit or a blight?
0:31:45 > 0:31:50The average speed on the motorways today is about 50mph
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and the average speed on the ordinary roads
0:31:53 > 0:31:55is about 20mph.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57So there's a very big saving in time.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02There's also a saving in accidents.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06It turned out that the motorway's accident rate was
0:32:06 > 0:32:09a tenth of that on the normal roads.
0:32:09 > 0:32:16To date, I reckon there's been a reduction in about 800 fatalities
0:32:16 > 0:32:20and 10,000 serious injuries, within the city.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Today, the motorways that John helped to design
0:32:23 > 0:32:26are still keeping Glasgow moving.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28And they are carrying far more vehicles
0:32:28 > 0:32:30than anyone predicted at the time.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34The biggest flow's on the Kingston Bridge - 180,000 vehicles a day.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41And on the north flank of the ring road at Townhead it's 180,000 a day.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46I think on this road here, it's something just short of 100,000.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49That is big flows by any standard.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I have to say that this particular part, I think,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54operates pretty smoothly.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56So you're quite chuffed with it?
0:32:56 > 0:32:57Yes.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Knowing the work that was involved in actually designing
0:33:02 > 0:33:05the system as well, knowing the passion that was there
0:33:05 > 0:33:08in the original designers, you know that these guys were genuinely
0:33:08 > 0:33:12interested in moving Glasgow forward and it's almost a pleasure to drive
0:33:12 > 0:33:16on their design - their motorway that was ultimately constructed.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20But to really appreciate the motorway,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22there's only one thing to do...
0:33:22 > 0:33:24MUSIC: Roadrunner by The Modern Lovers
0:33:24 > 0:33:26# Roadrunner, roadrunner... #
0:33:26 > 0:33:28..go for a drive.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31# Going faster miles an hour
0:33:31 > 0:33:34# Gonna drive past the Stop 'n' Shop
0:33:34 > 0:33:36# With the radio on... #
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Here we are, joining the best section.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43On approach to the Kingston Bridge and through Charing Cross.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46It's got to be... It's the bit everyone thinks of
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- when they think of the urban motorway in Glasgow.- Yeah.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- Most definitely.- So we've got three motorways meeting here.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55We've got the M77, the M8 that we're on now
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- and we've got the new M74... - Just coming up. Absolutely.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01And this is 16 lanes wide.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05- 16 lanes wide.- 16 lanes running lanes wide with four carriageways.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- And all motorway traffic. - All motorway traffic!
0:34:08 > 0:34:11All motorway traffic and hard shoulders as well.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- And the Charing Cross canyon here. - Yes. Brilliant.- Yep.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- Fantastic. - I like the retaining walls.- Yep.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Nice clad retaining walls. Bridges over there.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26And, of course, buildings built over the motorway as well,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28you know, again, making a feature of it.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30People looking out of their office.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32There's a junction in here. Don't forget that.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Through the tunnel there, yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35And this is probably the section
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- that feels most like that kind of American freeway model.- Yeah.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Where you've got the lanes coming on at the opposite side to normal,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46you've no hard shoulders, nice big, wide lanes, elevated structures.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Good overhead signage - that tells you where you're going.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51You don't have any signs at the side of the road.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54And of course floodlit by the high-mast lighting as well.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56- Yes.- Fantastic feature.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I would actually like to live near this. I know some people might not,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05but personally for us, I think it would be good to see this.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Can you imagine opening the blinds in the morning
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and looking out onto the urban M8?
0:35:09 > 0:35:10- I would love that.- Yeah.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14- Some people would think that was crazy.- Yeah.- But no.- Maybe it is.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20The building project that John began still isn't complete.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22In 2015, work finally commenced
0:35:22 > 0:35:25on the last section of the M8 to the east of Glasgow.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30And the M74 has now been completed,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33connecting the city's ring road together
0:35:33 > 0:35:3550 years after it was started.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41Building bigger roads is one way of keeping Scotland moving.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Some Scottish cities think
0:35:43 > 0:35:47there is a more serious traffic problem to be tackled - pollution.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56There are 2.8 million motor vehicles on Scotland's roads.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59The vast majority run on fossil fuels.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01If Scotland is to hit its carbon emissions targets
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and improve its air quality, that's going to have to change.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12In Aberdeen, this is already starting to happen...
0:36:12 > 0:36:13on the buses.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18George Shearer has been driving buses in the city for ten years.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Lately, he's been getting to grips with a new generation of vehicles.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28They're a lot smoother. They're...
0:36:29 > 0:36:32..as you've noticed, probably, very quiet.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34They're just nicer to drive
0:36:34 > 0:36:38compared to some of our older models.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45This bus is part of Aberdeen's flagship fleet of eco-buses,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48fuelled not by diesel but by hydrogen gas.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Much cleaner than diesel and carbon neutral,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55hydrogen is at the forefront of fuel innovation.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00For drivers like George, the idea took a bit of getting used to.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03When they first mentioned the hydrogen,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07I think some people were a bit wary
0:37:07 > 0:37:11about having to refuel them in the morning.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15We were reassured it was all very safe...
0:37:15 > 0:37:19There's so many safety features in this vehicle,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22nothing could possibly happen.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24So, it's goodbye to the smelly diesel pump
0:37:24 > 0:37:28and hello to the fuel station of the future...
0:37:28 > 0:37:30at this, the biggest hydrogen production
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and bus refuelling facility in the UK.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Barney Crockett from Aberdeen City Council
0:37:35 > 0:37:38has had a key role in the project.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41We've seen hydrogen in the city as a key to the way forward
0:37:41 > 0:37:45in energy use and in transport, and so, for some years,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48we've been trying to advance this, so we're very pleased we now have
0:37:48 > 0:37:52the world's largest fleet of hydrogen buses based in our city.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54We have a hydrogen refuelling station for the buses,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57but also we're building a second station
0:37:57 > 0:38:01that will also provide for cars and other kinds of vehicles.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04So hydrogen is an absolutely clean fuel.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07The only product is water vapour.
0:38:07 > 0:38:13So, you know, it gives us a huge benefit for our city air quality.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16If you think about what a hydrogen city would be like,
0:38:16 > 0:38:19if everything was proceeding in a very smooth, silent form,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23it would make a huge difference to what the ambience of a city is,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25and we're making a small step forward with that
0:38:25 > 0:38:27with our hydrogen buses.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31And even in oil city Aberdeen,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34locals seem to approve of this move away from fossil fuels.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37I think it's the future.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Obviously, at some point, the oil is going to run out,
0:38:40 > 0:38:46so powering vehicles from hydrogen makes a lot of sense.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I work in the oil industry and we definitely need to come up
0:38:49 > 0:38:52with other solutions other than the oil, because...
0:38:52 > 0:38:54It's not going to run out immediately,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56but we need to have a backup plan.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59We don't want to make everything kind of...worse.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Where I work in Market Street, the amount of buses
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and lorries that pass, you can smell the exhaust fumes,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07so...yeah,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10if it goes that way, it'll be all the better.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13But as with any new technology...
0:39:13 > 0:39:15there can be a few glitches.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21The reliability of these buses is a bit of a sore point.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22They're...
0:39:22 > 0:39:25They're forever breaking down.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29I'd like to think it's only teething problems, but...
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I'm sure once they've got all the niggles sorted out,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35they might be very good.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Not to be outdone, down the road in Dundee,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46another road-traffic revolution is underway.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49This time, it's the city's cab fleet
0:39:49 > 0:39:51that's driving boldly into the future.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55In 2015, one of Dundee's biggest taxi firms
0:39:55 > 0:39:58decided to try an experiment.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03It launched the UK's largest fleet of electric cabs - 30 in all.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07These vehicles have a range of up to 150 miles -
0:40:07 > 0:40:10enough for an average day around town.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Taxi boss David Young has been backing the scheme.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Because I've been involved in the project
0:40:15 > 0:40:17for the best part of three years,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20everyone you meet's exactly the same -
0:40:20 > 0:40:23they're all evangelical, if you like.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26There's nobody who will say a bad word against the vehicle.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28The range anxiety goes
0:40:28 > 0:40:32when you know that you have to refuel, if you like,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34you have to charge up...
0:40:34 > 0:40:37And, because there's always downtime in taxis,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39the lads get a chance to come to the depot.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44They can have a cup of coffee, have a break, a game of pool,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47watch Sky, and, when their car's good and ready, it's charged...
0:40:47 > 0:40:51And it only takes 25 minutes for a full charge.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52..away they go.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- All right, Paul? How's things going? - Good.- Good, yeah?
0:40:56 > 0:41:00'The drivers themselves have fell in love with these vehicles.'
0:41:02 > 0:41:05So because we're giving our drivers free electricity,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09they're saving between £120
0:41:09 > 0:41:13to £130, £135 a week on fuel.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17You've got a situation now where two or three of them
0:41:17 > 0:41:19have actually sold their family car
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and use that vehicle in its place.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Me and a lot of people like me are totally dedicated
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and committed to seeing it work, not only in Dundee, but beyond.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38Driver Bill Rattray was one of the first to try the new vehicles.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Since about eight o'clock, that's a couple of hours,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43we've picked up three people,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46and I've gone down to about 44%,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48which is giving me 41 miles a charge.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52I'm close to the yard now and there's a few pubs up there,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and the football's just finished. so if we're up about the yard,
0:41:55 > 0:41:59I can put the car on charge and I stay in the queue for a job.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04But we'll see - we'll maybe get two or three minutes of charge
0:42:04 > 0:42:07before we need to go and pick somebody else up.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18This has got to be the way to go - to not have to pay for fuel.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Why wouldn't you want that? I know people are scared,
0:42:21 > 0:42:26and I know people really think it's kind of mumbo jumbo sometimes,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29but it's a car, just the same as any other car.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31I just don't have to change gears
0:42:31 > 0:42:33or I don't have to sit in a diesel car
0:42:33 > 0:42:38that's making a great big noise and stinks, and things like that.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41I'm in a clean car with Bluetooth and climate control.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- BEEPING - And I've just got another job.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Everything that happens...
0:42:47 > 0:42:51It's absolutely a fantastic car to be driving.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56It's not just Dundee's cabbies
0:42:56 > 0:42:59that are becoming converts to electric cars.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04More ordinary drivers are making the switch.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08I've been driving this electric for maybe about six, nine months now.
0:43:08 > 0:43:14Before that I was driving a CR-V, like, a 4x4, which was...
0:43:14 > 0:43:18Some weeks it was £50, £60 for petrol.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21So we've made a huge saving.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23As you start using it,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26you kind of get to know how to drive it more economically.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31If I'm at my parents' house, we can literally drive into the driveway,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33put the charger through the kitchen window,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36and plug it in the kitchen, which is great.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39So if you get an opportunity to do it overnight,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42either like that at home or on one of the chargers
0:43:42 > 0:43:46that are a trickle charge, that makes it more economical to drive.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Yeah, we've certainly got more money left over for fun.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55And it's just a great way to get around.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58But there's no point driving an electric car
0:43:58 > 0:44:00unless you can find somewhere to plug it in.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02So Dundee is rolling out a network
0:44:02 > 0:44:05of state-of-the-art charging points across the city.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08I used to drive a gas-guzzling sports car,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11and I've always been interested in the electric cars.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15And at the moment they're doing great deals on these cars.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17You can purchase them for the same cost
0:44:17 > 0:44:19as what it might cost you in fuel per week.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23That's what it was for me, so really it was a no-brainer.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27And then the car has no maintenance, no tax, no MOT,
0:44:27 > 0:44:32no servicing costs, so it's very cheap to run.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34The Government, they give you a grant for your house
0:44:34 > 0:44:37to get a charging point installed.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39So at our house we've got a charging point installed,
0:44:39 > 0:44:42so when I come home from work, it's just like plugging in your phone.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44Just takes two seconds. You just get the lead,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46put it into your car, and that's you done.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48I think as the technology is improving,
0:44:48 > 0:44:50more and more people will convert to electric cars
0:44:50 > 0:44:53as the range gets further and the technology gets better
0:44:53 > 0:44:55and the prices get cheaper as well.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Investing in transport has always helped Scotland to prosper.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Decades before cars or even trams arrived,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Scotland was already well-connected by the railway.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Today, Scotland has 1,750 miles of railway
0:45:21 > 0:45:23and 358 stations.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28But that's less than there once was, because in the mid-1960s,
0:45:28 > 0:45:32around the time Scotland's roads were experiencing a building boom,
0:45:32 > 0:45:35the rail system actually started to shrink.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40In the wake of the Beeching Report into the UK rail network,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43more than a dozen routes right across the country were axed.
0:45:44 > 0:45:49One of them was the line that ran from Carlisle to Edinburgh
0:45:49 > 0:45:52via the Borders, known as the Waverley Route.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Towns like Galashiels and Hawick were left more isolated
0:45:55 > 0:45:57than they had been for a century.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Now, with rail travel more popular than ever,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04that decision has been reversed,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and this historic line is being reopened.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10In Galashiels, some lucky local people
0:46:10 > 0:46:13have been given golden tickets for the maiden voyage.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17Among them is one family with an extra reason to be excited.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19There's Daddy!
0:46:19 > 0:46:20There's Dad!
0:46:20 > 0:46:22Daddy is driving the train.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- Daddy!- It's Daddy!
0:46:25 > 0:46:27You got a cuddle for Daddy?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31- Hello!- Aw, baby.- Mwah!
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Stuart Farrell was working as a car mechanic
0:46:34 > 0:46:37when he applied to be a driver on the new line.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39He beat 200 applicants to get the job.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42I think you always had that childhood dream.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44I was born in the Borders, so it's massive.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48I mean, I never knew the railway growing up,
0:46:48 > 0:46:50so for the older generation,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53they've had something that was a success and lost that.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57To now get that back is just massive for this region, it really is.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Just wave!
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Today marks a first for Stuart as well.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04This will be his first time carrying passengers.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05That's great, thank you!
0:47:05 > 0:47:06My family is immensely proud.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09They're just so excited. This'll be the first time
0:47:09 > 0:47:11that they've been on a train that I've driven.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13So that's a new challenge for myself,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16to put that to the back of my mind when I'm driving.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18But, yeah, the sense of pride -
0:47:18 > 0:47:20I mean, everybody's so excited for this.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22You can tell that looking down the platform just now.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25They're just really excited to be a part of history.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Shook hands with the driver on the last train out,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30so I'd better shake hands with the driver again.
0:47:30 > 0:47:31Good to see you.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37On board, Stuart's wife Lynn and daughter Cadie take their seats
0:47:37 > 0:47:40for the 60-minute journey to Edinburgh.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42- APPLAUSE - We're going! Say bye!
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Bye!
0:47:47 > 0:47:48- Wow!- Wow!
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- Wow!- Say bye.
0:47:51 > 0:47:52Bye, bye, bye.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Local people campaigned for this for years.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05In 2006, the Scottish Government finally gave the go-ahead.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09The man in charge of constructing the line was Hugh Wark.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15So I was always aware of it. It was a very iconic, romantic railway.
0:48:15 > 0:48:20It's huge in railway folklore, if you like.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22There's been lots of books written about it.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25And I never thought I would see the day
0:48:25 > 0:48:29when I would have the opportunity to lead the team rebuilding it.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33So it was wonderful to see this grand old lady of railways
0:48:33 > 0:48:36reopen again, with its magnificent structures
0:48:36 > 0:48:40and the magnificent countryside that it passes through.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42Rebuilding the line was a challenging job.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44The tracks were long gone.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Bridges and tunnels were crumbling, and nature had moved in.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50We had to move something like 160 badger setts
0:48:50 > 0:48:53during the construction of the line,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57and we had to deal with badgers, bats, river lamprey,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00which is a special type of protected fish.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02So lots of environmental challenges,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05as we've tried to sensitively build this railway
0:49:05 > 0:49:07through a beautiful landscape.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Today, with the work finally complete,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15the first train-load of passengers is discovering
0:49:15 > 0:49:19just what a difference this line will make to their lives.
0:49:19 > 0:49:20It's phenomenal.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23I mean, even driving up and down the A7, I've been going, "Oh, yay!"
0:49:23 > 0:49:26You can see it developing, and been really looking forward to it.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28And makes you appreciate
0:49:28 > 0:49:30the beautiful countryside that we've got.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33I love being from the Borders. I think it's beautiful,
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I think it's got a lot that the cities don't offer.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39But the railway, I think, will definitely open up more access
0:49:39 > 0:49:42for us to go to the city, people from the city to come down
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and see us and see our beautiful countryside
0:49:45 > 0:49:47and everything that we've got to offer.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50And job opportunities as well - you know, a commute to Edinburgh
0:49:50 > 0:49:52is going to be less of a stressful thing now.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Or just to easily move between - you know,
0:49:55 > 0:49:59it's not like a separate divide now, the countryside and the city.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01We've been merged together by the railway,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03and that can only be a good thing.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07Also among the passengers is Stuart's mother, Maureen.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11Travelling on a train driven by her son is a novel experience -
0:50:11 > 0:50:13but not entirely unexpected.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I can remember Stuart when he was a little boy.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21He was always driving something,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24whether it was a train or a police car or a fire engine.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29Him and his brother Craig were always making train noises, or...
0:50:30 > 0:50:33And that's him actually... his dream came to life, you know?
0:50:39 > 0:50:43The Borders railway doesn't just connect towns like Galashiels
0:50:43 > 0:50:45and Tweedbank to Edinburgh.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48It has opened up a new route into the capital
0:50:48 > 0:50:51for thousands of people on the outskirts of the city.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56And compared to driving or taking the bus, it's fast.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01I just can't believe that we're so far so quick.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04You know, usually by this point we'd be coming up for Stow in the car,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06or even less in the bus.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10But on the train, we're almost halfway there. It's surreal.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16- Is this Coatbridge, then, now, you think?- Yeah.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19- That is just outside Edinburgh, then, isn't it?- Wow.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21That's phenomenal.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25For some of the passengers, this isn't just a new experience -
0:51:25 > 0:51:28it's a trip down memory lane as well.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31I used to - when I had my first child,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34I used to put the pram into the carriages at the back
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and come down and see my mum in Galashiels.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Really to show off my pram and my baby. Yeah.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47And my mother-in-law worked on the railway.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50She used to handle the sleepers and everything.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53And my late father-in-law worked on the train.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57They worked at Chirnside on the train.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00He was the station master there.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04They did miss it really bad in the community,
0:52:04 > 0:52:06because it was so easy to get everywhere
0:52:06 > 0:52:08when the train was there.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11And for the locals who campaigned for it,
0:52:11 > 0:52:15this new link will help reconnect the Borders to the rest of Scotland.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18Growing up and before I went to university,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20people would say you were from the Borders,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24and I'd mention Galashiels, and they barely knew where that was,
0:52:24 > 0:52:27in some cases. And it was 30 miles from Edinburgh.
0:52:27 > 0:52:32I'm just glad the Borders has possibly rejoined Scotland recently,
0:52:32 > 0:52:35in a strange way. You might say it's just a railway,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38but it's more than that. It's much more than that.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- That's us there.- Say, "Stop!"
0:52:55 > 0:52:57The new railway's first journey
0:52:57 > 0:53:00arrives in Edinburgh without a hitch.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Look! Who is it?
0:53:03 > 0:53:04Oh, there's Daddy there.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09- Awww.- Yay!
0:53:11 > 0:53:13BAGPIPES
0:53:13 > 0:53:17- How was that?- It was good, yeah. Enjoyed it. Finally here.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25After 50 years, the Borders has been reconnected to the capital by rail.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27It's a new lease of life for this historic line.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32And a new piece of the system that keeps Scotland moving.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Out in the North Sea, the ferry from Aberdeen to Orkney
0:53:46 > 0:53:49is three hours into its six-hour voyage,
0:53:49 > 0:53:52and the passengers are getting hungry.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Down in the galley, chef Tony Matson
0:53:55 > 0:53:57and his team are preparing dinner.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00This is the galley for the Rothesay and this is our galley team.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02- This is Gary Hewison.- Hi.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Mark Stevens. - Hello, how you doing?
0:54:04 > 0:54:06And at the far back there is Ryan MacVicar.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11So we're just getting ready for tonight's service,
0:54:11 > 0:54:15which will be covering about 214 passengers, roughly.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19This is a big ship.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21But the galley is still a compact space
0:54:21 > 0:54:24in which to prepare dinner for this many people.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29And working in a floating kitchen presents some particular challenges.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Every day is a different day in the galley.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35The seas and the conditions could be flat, calm.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The next day it could be rough.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40You have to put up safety equipment, safety barriers,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43cook within safety margins.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45The ship will roll. It will.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47With the motion and that.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49You will get a bit of motion, but this time of year,
0:54:49 > 0:54:50it shouldn't be too bad.
0:54:50 > 0:54:51HE LAUGHS
0:54:54 > 0:54:55But despite the conditions,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58the staff here are devoted to their life on the ocean waves.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Galley steward Chris O'Connor has been working at sea
0:55:03 > 0:55:06ever since he left school and joined the Navy.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Had my sea legs since I was 16,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10so there's not been a problem there.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14Working on land - I had a five-year period after I left the Royal Navy,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18working on land, and I had seven different jobs in five years.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21I just... I couldn't handle it,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24before I got a chance to come to sea again.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27And now I'm in my 11th year back at sea.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30This is where I belong, not in a land-based kitchen.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Definitely not.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36It's a much, much more relaxed environment
0:55:36 > 0:55:39to work in than it is working ashore.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Much, much better.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46The ferry ploughs Scotland's longest sea route.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50Tonight, after landing in Orkney, it will sail on to Shetland,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52nearly eight hours further away.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55So, unlike most Scottish ferries,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59it offers some luxury overnight accommodation.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01So this is an outside two cabin.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09We have hospitality facilities - tea, coffee.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13A phone, which gets you to reception and also dials you to other cabins.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17En-suite facility.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18It's almost a wet room.
0:56:20 > 0:56:21Probably medical emergencies -
0:56:21 > 0:56:24I would say we have quite a bit of medical emergencies onboard.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27Compared to a hotel where you can have an ambulance service,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30or if you have other issues,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32I suppose you can also get the police.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Onboard we have a lot to deal with, so it's down to us.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42This North Sea route is one of the stormiest in Europe, so above all,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45there's one key job requirement for staff -
0:56:45 > 0:56:48a sturdy pair of sea legs.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51As a passenger, I have felt seasick on a ferry.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54But when it comes to work, you kind of... Your head's focused
0:56:54 > 0:56:56and you don't have time to really think about it.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59So stretch out an arm and usually give them a hand
0:56:59 > 0:57:02and take them to the cabins, or we also have a wheelchair onboard
0:57:02 > 0:57:05that we can give people a hand down to their cabins,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07which has had to come out a few times.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10But usually just grip on tight, and we'll have steady legs
0:57:10 > 0:57:12and we'll be able to take you where you're going.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15At the moment, we work two weeks on, two weeks off,
0:57:15 > 0:57:19and then four times a year we have annual leave of four weeks off.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21So we work 20 weeks a year
0:57:21 > 0:57:25and 30 weeks at home with our loving families.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27The time off's fantastic, yeah.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30It goes really quick, but then it's work hard, play hard.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33And yeah, you miss your family when you're onboard,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35and you know, it's a sacrifice to come to sea,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37but it has its rewards.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45At 11pm, the ferry finally docks in Kirkwall.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48It will spend an hour here unloading before heading back out to sea
0:57:48 > 0:57:51for the final leg of its voyage to Shetland,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53keeping Scotland's most northerly islands
0:57:53 > 0:57:56connected to the mainland and the world.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00HORN BLARES Next time...
0:58:00 > 0:58:02OK, guys, off you go!
0:58:02 > 0:58:05How is life in Scotland's remotest communities
0:58:05 > 0:58:07changing in the 21st century?
0:58:07 > 0:58:10What new kinds of jobs and industries are helping to boost
0:58:10 > 0:58:12prosperity in the Highlands and Islands?
0:58:12 > 0:58:14CAR ENGINE REVS
0:58:15 > 0:58:19How are Scotland's wild places facing the future?