0:00:03 > 0:00:04There is something magical
0:00:04 > 0:00:08about the sight of a distant island on the horizon.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And for some of the earliest travellers,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14these were very special destinations.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19For centuries, many islands were considered sacred places,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23where mystics and holy men sought refuge to contemplate
0:00:23 > 0:00:24the mysteries of the universe.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32I'm setting out to discover the magic
0:00:32 > 0:00:35of Scotland's amazing island riches.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39There are nearly 300 offshore islands,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43surrounding 6,000 convoluted miles of coast.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48And we boast more holy isles than any other European country.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52We are, as my mother would say, blessed with them.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58I'm embarking on an island pilgrimage in the footsteps
0:00:58 > 0:01:02of the saints, to Lismore, Colonsay and Oronsay.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22My journey takes me to the West Coast,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and three islands of the Inner Hebrides, starting with Lismore
0:01:26 > 0:01:30and then travelling south to the islands of Colonsay and Oronsay.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39My grand tour begins with a short ferry crossing from Oban,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42following a route once taken by the dead.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's said that in ancient times,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50when a king died, his body was rowed across the sea to
0:01:50 > 0:01:55the island of Lismore, where it was buried in sacred ground.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01Now, these were pagan royals, kings of the Western Picts, who flourished
0:02:01 > 0:02:05here long before the arrival of Christianity and the saints.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13I've come to explore Lismore's ancient, royal and sacred past.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18This isn't a big island, it's only about 10 miles long
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and just a mile wide.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25And, crucially for my weary legs, it isn't too hilly.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31Translated from the Gaelic, Lismore means "the great enclosure".
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Now, this could refer to a long-lost royal garden,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37or to the type of enclosure associated with an early monastery.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And a monastery was indeed founded here,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49by one of the missionary heroes of the early Christian Church.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Now, this little church is known, rather grandly,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58as the Cathedral Church of St Moluag.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02It actually occupies the site of a 13th-century monastery
0:03:02 > 0:03:05dedicated to St Moluag himself.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Now, St Moluag was a contemporary of St Columba and he came to
0:03:09 > 0:03:15Lismore 1,500 years ago to convert the heathen Picts to Christianity.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Here in this small church is a beautiful stained-glass window,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25depicting St Moluag.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27And beside him is St Columba.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34They look very holy and saintly, almost meek and mild.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38But if you think being a monk in those early days
0:03:38 > 0:03:42was all about prayer and meditation, then think again.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Here on Lismore, it was a very different story.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51The Celtic saints were a tough, almost warlike bunch.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Now, legend tells us that St Columba
0:03:54 > 0:03:59and St Moluag had a rivalry to found a monastery here on Lismore,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and they decided to settle it by having a boat race.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09St Columba, who was a man of great, prodigious, physical feats,
0:04:09 > 0:04:15was soon in the lead. But St Moluag refused to be defeated.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And seeing an axe at his feet,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21he picked it up and cut off his own finger
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and threw it onto the shore, saying,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28"My own flesh and blood takes first possession of this island
0:04:28 > 0:04:32"and I claim it in the name of the Lord."
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Now, St Columba is said to have taken the huff
0:04:42 > 0:04:44and cursed the island and St Moluag,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47and hoped he would be really miserable here,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51which, I have to say, is not really very Christian!
0:04:54 > 0:04:58St Moluag may be less well-known than St Columba, but he played
0:04:58 > 0:05:02a hugely important role in converting Scotland to Christianity.
0:05:05 > 0:05:11He died in 592, after creating more than 100 monasteries,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and it is believed his remains were returned here to Lismore.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20'Although no-one knows where his final resting place is,
0:05:20 > 0:05:25'there is one remarkable holy relic which survives from his time,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27'and which is kept here at the home
0:05:27 > 0:05:29'of the Baron of Bachuill, Niall Livingstone.'
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Pleased to meet you. I'm looking forward to seeing this.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43This is the crozier of St Moluag.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I'll just put it down here, so we can see it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51What an extraordinary looking relic. What is it made of? It's blackthorn.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56And that is the pastoral staff of St Moluag.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So, this is really ancient, this is 1,500 years old? Almost 1,500 years.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Come down in the family since then.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Don't you feel a tremendous kind of burden of responsibility
0:06:07 > 0:06:10on your shoulders, to be the custodian for something so ancient?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Makes you feel very humble.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16St Moluag was famous for founding 120 monasteries.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18He converted the Picts of Alba.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21You just stand in awe of him.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Can I touch it? Absolutely.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29I mean, it is extraordinary to think that 1,500 years ago,
0:06:29 > 0:06:35a holy man was holding this baton as he was converting an entire nation.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Yes. And it's a potent relic.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Well, yes, people were more scared
0:06:40 > 0:06:42of swearing a false oath
0:06:42 > 0:06:43on the crozier
0:06:43 > 0:06:45than they were on the Bible.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Because something nasty always happened.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52There is no doubt that this has amazing powers.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Have there ever been miracles associated with it? Well, yes.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00Traditionally, it's been used for all sorts of cures.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05It was supposed to be good for women in labour, curing madness,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and there have been three miracles I'm aware of in my lifetime,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11attributed to St Moluag and this crozier.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, a powerful piece of wood. Yeah.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Very much so. In many ways, it's quite a plain looking object. Yes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22But it's actually terrifyingly old and I feel slightly anxious,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25having it in my hands. I'll put it very carefully back down there.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29'Whether or not you believe Niall's claims about the miraculous
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'properties of this relic, being the custodian of an artefact
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'as old as this is something of a worry.'
0:07:36 > 0:07:39We are neurotic about fire.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43We have it in a fireproof safe.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46So far... I was going to say, "Touch wood!"
0:07:46 > 0:07:49But that's not appropriate. So far, it has survived.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Everyone tells me, when the ferry is not working, why do I need a ferry?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I should just be able to walk across the water!
0:07:56 > 0:07:58But I point out that my wife can't,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and I don't want to risk the shopping getting wet.
0:08:01 > 0:08:01and I don't want to risk the shopping getting wet.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The peace and tranquillity of Lismore might have been what
0:08:08 > 0:08:12attracted St Moluag and his monks, but the island's strategic
0:08:12 > 0:08:17position also attracted some unwelcome visitors -
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Vikings.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And the ruined castle in front of me, down by the shore,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28is a relic from a very bloody period in the island's history.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33These ruins are all that is left of a MacDougall castle
0:08:33 > 0:08:37which was built on the site of a Viking fortress.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41The Vikings came first
0:08:41 > 0:08:44to rob and plunder the riches of St Moluag's monastery.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They later conquered the island and settled here,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52but things didn't always go their own way.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58During one early Viking raid, all the islanders left Lismore,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01except for one very brave and strong woman.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Her name was Eilidh Mor.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Eilidh was so enraged
0:09:06 > 0:09:09when the Vikings tried to steal her favourite cow
0:09:09 > 0:09:11that she hurled herself at them
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and killed three Vikings with her bare hands,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and then she dislodged an enormous boulder
0:09:17 > 0:09:20and rolled it onto the shore, killing the Viking chief.
0:09:20 > 0:09:26After that, they all left, leaving Eilidh to keep her favourite cow.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Leaving the castle, I make my way towards the empty
0:09:35 > 0:09:38and deserted southern end of Lismore.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43This is just the place to appreciate the island's sheltered
0:09:43 > 0:09:48location, enfolded by high mountains on either side.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51But ahead, the open sea beckons.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Out there is the Firth of Lorne,
0:09:55 > 0:10:00studded with beautiful islands, many of them holy places,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04where the monks and saints of the old Celtic Church lived out
0:10:04 > 0:10:06their lives in prayerful meditation.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11And just on the horizon is the next destination in my grand tour
0:10:11 > 0:10:12of the Scottish islands.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16But before I head to Colonsay
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and Oronsay, I'm joining bestselling author
0:10:20 > 0:10:26and long-time island enthusiast Alexander McCall Smith on his yacht.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28There's something very special about islands.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I find them very quiet and inspiring places.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Creator of the hugely successful
0:10:36 > 0:10:39No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels,
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Sandy can often be found sailing among the islands of the West Coast.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Sandy, do you think there is something about the nature
0:10:48 > 0:10:51of an island that appeals to the creative imagination?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Because you are a writer, obviously, I mean, do you derive
0:10:54 > 0:10:57satisfaction and inspiration from being in these places?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Well, I think, insofar as an island is a very spiritual place,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05it's a complete world, in a sense,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09you are away from the rest of humanity when you're on an island,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12it probably assists creativity, in that one can think.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Writers have long sought the isolation of islands.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Not far from here is the Isle of Jura,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24where George Orwell famously wrote 1984.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27In fact, whether it's Daniel Defoe,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30HG Wells or Robert Louis Stevenson,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32there is something about an island
0:11:32 > 0:11:36that lends itself to intrigue and drama.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I can still remember the thrill
0:11:38 > 0:11:42of first reading Enid Blyton's Secret Island.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45There is something delightful about the idea of a small island,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49it takes you back to childhood in some ways, does it not? The thought
0:11:49 > 0:11:52of a clearly defined area of land which you can call your own.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Yes, as children, we have a very small world around us, the world
0:11:56 > 0:12:00is small, and I suppose we have some memory of the security of that.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05And later on, if one lives on an island, which you can see all
0:12:05 > 0:12:09the boundaries of, then you have that sense of security,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12sort of womblike comfort.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I can see how, for the early saints, islands made a great deal
0:12:16 > 0:12:19of sense, they are very spiritual places and very quiet places.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24That fascination has led Sandy to buy the Cairns of Coll,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28a string of tiny islands just off the coast of Coll itself.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33And he is not the only one who is drawn to the romantic island ideal.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Many people today find it very attractive to go off
0:12:39 > 0:12:41and live on an island, there is
0:12:41 > 0:12:44often a very strong sense of community on an island.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So, if you have an island such as Colonsay, they find
0:12:47 > 0:12:52a tranquillity, a fulfilment, which they may not find in the city.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57In search of that fulfilment,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I'm continuing my pilgrimage to Colonsay.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05This Hebridean island lies in the path of Atlantic waves,
0:13:05 > 0:13:10which have travelled across 3,000 miles of unbroken ocean.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Colonsay may be easily overlooked,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20but as this Victorian verse suggests,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22it has much to offer visitors.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25"Storm tossed traveller On your way
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"Pass not lonely Colonsay
0:13:28 > 0:13:30"There you will a welcome find
0:13:30 > 0:13:35"None more heartfelt, true or kind
0:13:35 > 0:13:37"Though the scene looks cold and grey
0:13:37 > 0:13:39"Hearts are warm in Colonsay."
0:13:40 > 0:13:41All right?
0:13:41 > 0:13:46'Today, Colonsay is home to some 120 warm hearts,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50'and despite being only 10 miles long by two miles wide,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54'there is a rich past to explore here.'
0:13:54 > 0:13:59My first stop is the lush surroundings of Colonsay House,
0:13:59 > 0:14:04home to the present owners, the Strathcona family.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It was their great-great-grandfather,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Lord Strathcona, a self-made millionaire,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12who bought the island in 1905.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16He lavished a fortune on the house and its gardens.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Since then, the garden's gone wild, but in a good way.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's full of exotic, overgrown plants,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27and it is into this untamed fantasy garden that
0:14:27 > 0:14:33I've come to see a relic of our Celtic past, the Riasg Buidhe Cross.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Now, I'm not altogether sure what to make of this.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45It's clearly a Christian symbol of some kind,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and apparently, it dates from between the 5th
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and the 7th century AD, so it's pretty ancient.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54And there is a cross carved here, that's clear enough,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and strangely, there is a head on top of the cross.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Some people believe this could be a monk, a saint,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02or perhaps even Christ himself,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but whoever or whatever it represents,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08the whole thing has a pagan feel to it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And this is made very clear on the other side, which is not quite
0:15:11 > 0:15:13so ornate, and which has been carved,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I'm not sure how to put this delicately,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20to resemble a large penis.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22At least, that is what archaeologists maintain,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25and they are more learned than I am in these matters.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32Some people believe that the Riasg Buidhe Cross was once
0:15:32 > 0:15:36a pagan totem that was transformed into a Christian object by later
0:15:36 > 0:15:39stonemasons who added the Christian symbols.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44It seems to me that Colonsay is indeed a place
0:15:44 > 0:15:47where different influences were absorbed,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51and the lines between Christian and pagan traditions were blurred.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I'm heading next to the beautiful Kiloran Bay
0:15:57 > 0:16:00to meet local historian Kevin Byrne,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04to hear about another example of how early invaders of Colonsay
0:16:04 > 0:16:09found themselves influenced by the people they came to conquer.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Kevin, what are we looking for here?
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Well, we are close to the site of quite an important
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Viking ship burial.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It's the only known Viking ship burial anywhere in which
0:16:20 > 0:16:22there are Christian associations.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Why do you think they chose this site?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I think probably for two reasons.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32A, it is extraordinarily beautiful, looking out across Kiloran Bay.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35This was actually within sight of Iona. Uh-huh.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The association, therefore, with St Columba will have been very important at that time.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43So there was a spiritual dimension here already? There certainly was.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49In 1882, archaeologists came here to investigate a raised mound.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53They discovered that hidden under the sand was a remarkably
0:16:53 > 0:16:55well-preserved Viking burial ship.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59What would the early archaeologists have seen here?
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Well, as far as I can see, it would have been about this long,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06in the order of about 30 feet altogether,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11and it had been upturned to cover the entire burial site.
0:17:11 > 0:17:17Within that burial site, there had been a walled enclosure.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22The stones at each end had got a deeply inscribed across.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26These were Christian Vikings, then?
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Yes, Christianised - they had adopted the signs
0:17:30 > 0:17:32and symbols of Christianity.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Within the enclosure, there was a man buried about here,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and he had with him a lot of important grave goods.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42He had an iron pot,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45he had a long, typical Viking sword,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and there were three coins,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49the traditional money offering
0:17:49 > 0:17:51buried with the dead
0:17:51 > 0:17:53which was to pay the ferryman.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56And in particular, the most important feature of all was,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58as he was crouched up,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01in the cavity there was, protected by his arms,
0:18:01 > 0:18:06was an important and very beautiful set of scales
0:18:06 > 0:18:11and set of weights which were decorated with inlay on top of lead.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It seems to be a link with Christianity.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The discovery of these scales was hugely significant.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Some early Christians believed that St Michael the Archangel
0:18:24 > 0:18:28was responsible for escorting the souls of the dead to heaven.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33It was his task to weigh up their sins and virtues
0:18:33 > 0:18:35using his set of scales.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It seems as if this departed Viking had got with him
0:18:38 > 0:18:42belt and braces - he'd got a coin for the ferryman,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46some coins for the ferryman, and he'd also got the symbol
0:18:46 > 0:18:48which would make him attractive
0:18:48 > 0:18:50to St Michael the Archangel.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52When the discovery was made
0:18:52 > 0:18:54more than 100 years ago,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55it was thought to be
0:18:55 > 0:18:57a merchant's grave.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58But Kevin believes the evidence
0:18:58 > 0:19:00points to it being
0:19:00 > 0:19:05the last resting place of someone much more important.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The trappings with which the burial is associated are of such
0:19:09 > 0:19:11high status that this seems to me
0:19:11 > 0:19:17much more likely to have been the burial site of a local leader.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21And the local leader who would spring to mind from that very date
0:19:21 > 0:19:24is Jarl Gilli of Colonsay.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Now, if it were to be the grave of Jarl Gilli
0:19:27 > 0:19:28it would be particularly interesting,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32because his great-grandson was Somerled,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35who was the founder of the Lordship of the Isles
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and the progenitor of every McDonald on Earth.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43So it would be extremely interesting if any of these bones were available,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and if anybody could extract DNA,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50to compare the DNA of the incumbent of this grave
0:19:50 > 0:19:54with genuine McDonald DNA today.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59It would be a very interesting thing if one could go all the way back to that early date.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04The techniques of 1882 and 1883 would have been of limited value.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08It would be a good time for this important gravesite,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11which is acknowledged as of outstanding importance,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14to be re-examined by modern archaeology.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It would be a really exciting thing to try to do.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's amazing to think that on this site a Viking was laid to rest.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Yes, laid to rest here,
0:20:23 > 0:20:28and now one of the major displays in the magnificent new museum in Edinburgh.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Do you think there are other graves yet to be discovered?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Yes, I'm sure Colonsay has very many more secrets to reveal.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50I'm back on my bike, heading across the island,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55and I have to say, all this cycling is thirsty work.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Now, when most people think of the Scottish islands,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05their minds turn naturally, at least mine does, to thoughts of whisky.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09But on Colonsay they are famous for another drink - beer.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16'Living on an island, you need to be self-sufficient,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18'especially when it comes to the essentials.'
0:21:18 > 0:21:19Hi, Chris.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'I've come to Colonsay Brewery to meet Chris Nesbit.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:30So, the population of Colonsay can't be more than 100, 120. 120, yeah.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33But you must be selling more beer than that?
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Absolutely. During the summer months, the population explodes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40The main business on the island is tourism.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Upwards of 400, perhaps 500 people on the island.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46So that's our market.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And even if people don't like the beer,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51they'll take some home anyway.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56And more and more people do like the beer, so that's quite encouraging.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01And since this is the smallest island in the world brewing its own beer,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I suppose this truly is a microbrewery.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Chris and two fellow beer lovers set up the brewery in 2007
0:22:11 > 0:22:17and are now producing around 1,700 bottles a week.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20This is a hot water tank and this is a chilled water tank. Right.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23The fermenters are down here.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Uh-huh. That is where you add the yeast, is it?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Yeah, you add the east into the top of these vessels.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31And it sits in there for about four or five days fermenting.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And at the end of that period of time we crash cool it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Is this a full-time job?
0:22:36 > 0:22:41We still run the brewery as a part-time enterprise.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44We just feel we have so many other jobs that we do on the island,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47as most island people do.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49What else do you do?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I'm a volunteer firefighter. Right.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55And I work at the airport where we provide fire cover,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and I do the radio for the aircraft coming in.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01So it's all interesting stuff.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05The type of jobs you would never, ever get unless you lived here.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08A fireman and a brewer. Yeah. It's quite a good combination.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It is, it's excellent combination!
0:23:11 > 0:23:14They may have started small, but they are thinking big,
0:23:14 > 0:23:19and the beer produced here is beginning to be appreciated further afield.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I drink your good health. This is the IPA. Yup.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Mmm. Very fine, I have to say. Are you not going to join me?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35I think I will. I think you'll have to. Yeah. Cheers. Cheers. All the best.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39With a slightly fuzzy head and a bit of a wobble,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I set off in search of fresh air.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46And it appears I've come to the right place.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51Its pure, unpolluted air was once considered to be Colonsay's
0:23:51 > 0:23:56most valuable asset, and great claims were made for its health benefits.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Mmm! Just get a blast of that!
0:23:59 > 0:24:02In 1910, one writer noted that
0:24:02 > 0:24:10"analysis has shown that for purity, the atmosphere of Colonsay is unexcelled in Europe".
0:24:14 > 0:24:18With the clearer head, I arrive at the southern end of the island,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and make my way to my final destination.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26"Do not take bikes to Oronsay." Fair enough. I'll walk.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31This involves a tricky crossing, which has caught out many a visitor.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37It's almost low tide now, and just about possible without getting very wet feet
0:24:37 > 0:24:43to cross from Colonsay to the island of Oronsay across The Strand.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48The Strand is an area of shell sand that's exposed at low tide.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53But in these parts, the tides come in very, very quickly and go out very quickly,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56so I need to be quick if I'm not to get cut off.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57So I'd better get a move on.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'For anyone without an understanding of tides,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06'this is a potentially precarious crossing.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'I imagine that over the years many a traveller has been
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'seized by a sense of rising panic
0:25:13 > 0:25:16'as their path is engulfed by the sea.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19'But I've taken the precaution of getting advice from someone
0:25:19 > 0:25:24'who knows these tides well - Oronsay resident Duncan McDougall,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28'who manages the island on behalf of its American owner.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Right, Duncan?
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Hello, welcome to Oronsay. How are you?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Thank you very much. I've never been to Oronsay before.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40It's a beautiful island. This Strand here, that is a tidal feature.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Do people get stuck going backwards and forwards?
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Yes, it happens now and again.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50They don't follow the track. The straight and narrow.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Yeah, they think they know better, and then they're stuck.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58And if they're lucky, the farmer will tow them out, if there's time.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01If not, they are under for... Until the next tide.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Oronsay covers just two square miles,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and has been designated as a Special Protection Area.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And although it's privately owned, the RSPB play an important part
0:26:14 > 0:26:17in looking after the huge bird population.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21How many people stay on the island now, then?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24There's about five of us are resident,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30and then there's... RSPB have volunteers that come and go,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34so during the summer there can be ten of us living on the island.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Quite crowded then, is it? Yes, aye. THEY LAUGH
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Where would you recommend I go first? Well, up to the priory.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Right. That's the big attraction. Thanks very much. OK. Cheers.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51No problem. It's up this way, is it? The priory? Yes, just follow the roads.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The origin of the name Oronsay is uncertain.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Some say it's derived from the old Norse word for a tidal island.
0:26:58 > 0:27:04Others believe it's named after St Oran who founded a monastery here in the sixth century.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14This magnificent ruin is second only to Iona Abbey in importance.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It really is a special place.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23There is very little-known about St Oran or his original monastery
0:27:23 > 0:27:28which was replaced by this priory in the Middle Ages.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33But, somehow, exploring these ruins, I get a sense that this island
0:27:33 > 0:27:37was much more than a stepping stone in his remarkable life.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Like St Columba and nearly all the figures of the early Celtic church,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Oran came from Ireland,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and it's easy to see why he was attracted here.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52The beauty and tranquillity of the island made it the perfect
0:27:52 > 0:27:53base for his spiritual work.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58From remote, windswept islands like these,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01the monks spread their message,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and following in their footsteps has made me appreciate
0:28:04 > 0:28:07how these islands inspired those early missionaries.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15These ruins are an appropriate place for me to end my island pilgrimage.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17I'd love to stay longer, maybe watch the sun go down,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19if it ever stops raining.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23But I don't want to get cut off by the incoming tide,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25I need to make tracks across The Strand.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28So, it's goodbye St Oran and his holy isle.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36My next grand tour takes me to the east coast
0:28:36 > 0:28:38and the fortress islands of the Firth of Forth.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd