0:00:06 > 0:00:10Islands are places that have always fired the human imagination
0:00:10 > 0:00:15with tales of mighty heroes and their epic deeds.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Sailing in the Hebrides,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19you can see with your own eyes
0:00:19 > 0:00:23how these islands inspired the myths and legends of old,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26helping to shape the culture of the nation.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28This isn't just beautiful scenery,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30it's food for the imagination,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33a storyteller's dream.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Kylerhea is the narrow stretch of water
0:00:44 > 0:00:48that separates the mainland on the right from the Isle of Skye.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51To cross the kyle, I'm taking the ferry.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53But not just any old ferry.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This one is unique!
0:01:01 > 0:01:04The good ship Glenachulish, for that is her name,
0:01:04 > 0:01:09is the only turntable ferry still operating in Britain.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12She's been plying these waters for over half a century.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19There were once many similar little ships in Scotland.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Their swinging decks enabled traffic
0:01:21 > 0:01:26to drive aboard from simple jetties, which larger vessels couldn't access.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30On board, I'm shown the ropes
0:01:30 > 0:01:33by skipper and Glenelg man Donnie MacDonald
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and his dogs, Mac and Kim.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Good. Lovely.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44But skippering a turntable ferry
0:01:44 > 0:01:47is a bit more complicated than you might think.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50I'm going to go to the other wheel now.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Right. See you on the other side.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54I'm right behind you.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00So you're swapping sides. You've got two wheels on the boat?
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Yes. The ramps are up in front of you, so you can't see anything.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Right. You can't see a thing, can you? Can't see anything, no.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I've two got yachts coming down, as well,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09so I'll need to go back to the other side.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Busy stretch of water, this, isn't it, the kyle? It is, it is.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15In the summertime, it's very busy with yachts. Look, no hands!
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Donnie leads me on a merry dance,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25as I try to catch up with him.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Do you ever forget which side you're on?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Yeah, gets confusing a little bit after a while.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38How many crossings do you do a day, Donnie?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Sometimes up to 40. Really? Maybe more than that, yeah. Right.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43So you're just constantly shuttling back and forth. Yeah.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47So do you enjoy this,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50if you go backwards and forwards up to 50 times a day? Yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Is it not slightly monotonous? No, I don't think so.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Every crossing's different, with the tides and the wind.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Of course, crossing the kyle would be much trickier
0:03:01 > 0:03:04without the help of able seadogs Mac and Kim.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08They keep the seals off the boat.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10To keep the seals off the boat? Yeah.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11Is there any danger of that?
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Well, that's what Mac... He barks at the seals all the time, so...
0:03:15 > 0:03:17So he's done a good job so far,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19because there's never been a seal come on the boat.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I'll have to go to the other wheel now. Righty-ho.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24So you also have a young lady on board. We have, yes.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Does she put her back into it? Oh, she certainly does, yeah.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Does she? Yes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30She's very good, Izzie.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33She's looking to be the new skipper.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Is she really? Oh, yeah. Right.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37How do you feel about that?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Och, I'm OK with that, yeah.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40I'll be retired soon, anyway.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Izzie is definitely a woman with ambition.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52She started working on the Glenachulish as a volunteer.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I would love to be skipper one day of this very ferry.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Erm, but...
0:03:57 > 0:03:58Really? Yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01The first female ferry skipper of this ferry.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Really? Yeah. That would be amazing.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05And how would you get to do that?
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Well, I have to be 18 to take my skipper's ticket licence.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Right. So you're restricted to one area? Yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Confined to the kyles, you'd be? Just these narrows, yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Would that be a big enough ocean for you?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Yeah, I'm sure it would be, to start off with.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20And then maybe go higher and higher.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22But, yeah, to start off with, this would be great.