0:00:06 > 0:00:10The islands of the west coast of Scotland are not just beautiful,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12they are incredibly varied.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Hop on a ferry from one to the other
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and it's like travelling to another country.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22And while the islands I'm travelling to
0:00:22 > 0:00:25are very different in character,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28they each have their own allure -
0:00:28 > 0:00:31the romantic idea of escape and sanctuary.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38For centuries, the magic of the Scottish islands
0:00:38 > 0:00:41has drawn travellers to these shores.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47'I'm exploring the remote and fascinating places
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'scattered around our coastline...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Any chance of a lift?
0:00:50 > 0:00:54'..and meeting the people who call these islands home.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Hold on to your hats!
0:00:55 > 0:01:01This time, the islands I'm visiting are striking in their contrast -
0:01:01 > 0:01:03from the lush and fertile Gigha
0:01:03 > 0:01:06to the rugged wilderness of Jura.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Both have become destinations for people
0:01:08 > 0:01:11who are looking for a new island life.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25My grand tour down the west coast of Scotland
0:01:25 > 0:01:27sees me set sail
0:01:27 > 0:01:31for the often overlooked islands of the Inner Hebrides.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34My first stop is the beautiful island of Gigha,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and from there, I'll be heading for Jura
0:01:37 > 0:01:38and attempting to navigate
0:01:38 > 0:01:41the infamous waters of the Corryvreckan
0:01:41 > 0:01:44before scaling the famous Paps.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48My journey starts with a short ferry crossing
0:01:48 > 0:01:49to tiny Gigha.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53It's a place of Vikings and saints,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and because of its fertile soils and fair climate,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00it was once known as "God's Island".
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Gigha is a charming island with a unique character.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10In 1773, this was a port of call
0:02:10 > 0:02:15for the extremely well-travelled Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Pennant was on a mission to report and inform -
0:02:22 > 0:02:24he believed that most people in Britain
0:02:24 > 0:02:28knew more about foreign countries than they did about their own.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32So to remedy this, he embarked on a Hebridean voyage.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40In his journal, he wrote - "Land on Gigha -
0:02:40 > 0:02:44"an island about six miles long and one broad.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46"The most eastern of the Hebrides,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50"with its vast bed of most pure and fine sand.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53"A mixture of rock, pasture and arable land
0:02:53 > 0:02:55"with no high hills."
0:02:58 > 0:03:00He also observed something else
0:03:00 > 0:03:03that is not often said about a Scottish island.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05"The weather is extremely fine."
0:03:06 > 0:03:09And it's true - it is!
0:03:09 > 0:03:12What with its sandy bays and balmy sea air,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15at times, it seems almost tropical.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18BIRDS CALL, BEES BUZZ
0:03:23 > 0:03:25"Gigha" might mean "God's Island",
0:03:25 > 0:03:30but God didn't create this Arcadian paradise.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35Everything that you see here is the work of mortal human hands,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37inspired by the vision of a man
0:03:37 > 0:03:39who believed that a good night's rest
0:03:39 > 0:03:41was more than just a dream.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Colonel Sir James Horlick was heir to the vast empire
0:03:49 > 0:03:54that was built on the world's most famous malted drink - Horlick's.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59For Colonel Horlick, sleep was the basis of a vast fortune.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04And with the millions he amassed, he bought this island
0:04:04 > 0:04:09and set about creating these beautiful gardens at Achamore.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'I've come to meet one of its horticulturalists,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17'Helen McBrearty, to find out why he chose Gigha.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Helen, Achamore Gardens is really quite fantastic -
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I feel as if I'm in a sub-tropical forest here.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25We're very lucky here.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28We've got the Gulf Stream that influences our weather,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30which means that it's very mild.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Colonel Horlick came here in the '40s,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- specifically because of the climate.- Right.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38He was an avid collector of plants
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and he wanted somewhere for them to thrive
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and this was the place he chose.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'The new laird didn't just transform these gardens -
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'Horlick also used his considerable business experience
0:04:51 > 0:04:54'to develop the island's economy.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'And many visitors, including royalty,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00'came to marvel at what he created here.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Beautiful in here, isn't it?- Yeah. - Lovely aroma, too.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Now, what would this garden have been used for originally,
0:05:06 > 0:05:07the walled part here?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09The walled garden, the two acres,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12were used for vegetable growing and fruit.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Gigha used to be famous for the quality of its fruit and veg.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So the house would have been self-sufficient, presumably.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19It would have had to have been,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21yeah - if they didn't grow it, they didn't eat it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Colonel Sir James Horlick died in 1972
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and was laid to rest on Gigha.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36'Following in his horticultural footsteps,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38'Helen came here from England.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41'She now helps to maintain the gardens
0:05:41 > 0:05:43'where visitors can enjoy the results
0:05:43 > 0:05:47'of one man's energy and enthusiasm.'
0:05:47 > 0:05:48He was just passionate about plants
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and passionate about the island and the gardens
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and created what we have today.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55In the years following,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00the island fell into the hands of a series of absentee landlords.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03They didn't have the same commitment
0:06:03 > 0:06:05that Colonel Horlick had shown to Gigha.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It was only fairly recently that things changed.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12About ten years ago,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15there was a quiet revolution here on Gigha.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Disillusioned with the landlords,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19local people formed a community trust
0:06:19 > 0:06:24and bought the island when it came on the market in 2002.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And since then, the place has flourished.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Local control, it seems, has reversed the age-old problem
0:06:31 > 0:06:33of population decline
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and attracted businesses
0:06:35 > 0:06:36and families to the island.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41And I'm going to meet one islander
0:06:41 > 0:06:44who came here after the community buyout -
0:06:44 > 0:06:46dairy farmer John Earnshaw,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49who is now celebrating ten years on Gigha.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I'm originally from Gargrave, Skipton.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Is that Yorkshire?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57It is - it's not England.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58- LAUGHING:- Right! OK.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Why did you choose Gigha?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I don't know whether we chose Gigha or it just happened.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Or Gigha chose you?- Fate.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11We came with two young children
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and we thought there was a future.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16We came and we gave it a shot
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and I would say it's been OK for us.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21And what's it like, living on an island,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24compared to living in Yorkshire?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Totally different. It's different challenges
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and different problems to get over.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35You have to either work together with the other farmers
0:07:35 > 0:07:36or you're stuck.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41John is continuing a long tradition of dairy farming on Gigha.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But the island's position as a significant milk producer
0:07:46 > 0:07:51is due in no small part to the work of Sir James Horlick.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55As laird, he set about modernising the way that milk was produced here.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Of course, the Horlicks would have had an interest in milk, anyway,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01with their milk-based drink!
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Yes - I think they were the driving force for Gigha
0:08:06 > 0:08:10into dairy and the improvement of the land.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It was a tremendously productive place.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16So Gigha and dairy go together, do they?
0:08:16 > 0:08:17I would think so, yes.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22And keeping that milk production up is certainly important for Gigha,
0:08:22 > 0:08:23I think, anyway.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Most of the milk produced on Gigha goes to the mainland to make cheese,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33so the next time you're enjoying a slice of Scottish cheddar,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37you can ponder that the milk might have come from cows
0:08:37 > 0:08:39fed on these fertile slopes,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and perhaps from one of John's 100-strong herd.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Come on, girls.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- They all have names.- Really?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49There's Ina, just going down.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55There's Faye, Kirsty, Snowball, Rosebud...
0:08:57 > 0:08:58Continuing my journey,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02I'm leaving the balmy and verdant Gigha behind.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08I'm making the short journey north to the island of Jura.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And here, I find a very different landscape.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Jura is bigger, much more rugged
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and huge tracts of the island are uninhabited.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Its 142 square miles
0:09:21 > 0:09:23is home to just 200 people,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28and most of them live in the only village on the island, Craighouse.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33The early travel writer Thomas Pennant also visited here
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and the contrast with Gigha was not lost on him.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39He described Jura as,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43"The most rugged of the Hebrides, composed chiefly of vast mountains,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47"naked, and without the possibility of cultivation."
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Pennant sketched the rudimentary shelters
0:09:51 > 0:09:53used by goat-herds in the summer months.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57He remarked upon how the people risked starvation
0:09:57 > 0:09:58for the benefits of a dram -
0:09:58 > 0:10:02they diverted grain which should have gone to make bread
0:10:02 > 0:10:05to produce the spirit they adored.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11The islanders could ill afford the luxury of whisky.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13But who could blame them seeking a little cheer
0:10:13 > 0:10:15from the water of life?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Because their lives were unimaginably hard.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25The people living on Jura
0:10:25 > 0:10:27had to be resilient and self-sufficient.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34And that meant making the most of the island's natural resources.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Life may be easier today, but for some people,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42the opportunity to live a simpler existence
0:10:42 > 0:10:44is part of the appeal of Jura.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50So, what, you're just lifting the turf off just now,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52going to lift the turf off the peat?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- That's right, aye. - So you have to get rid of that
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- before you start getting into the bank?- That's right, aye.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00'Neil Cameron wasn't born here,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03'but since arriving on Jura 14 years ago,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07'he's taught himself one of the traditional skills
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'which kept islanders warm and dry for centuries.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Do many people still cut peats on the island, then, Neil?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I think, this year, there's...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- ..four.- Just four of you?
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- From a population of 200? That's not many.- Not many.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24We're pretty close to the road, the main road, here,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27so I get a toot of encouragement from a lot of people.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- They do, yeah. - People like to see someone
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- carrying out the traditional... - Perhaps, aye.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- ..the traditional peat-cutting way of life.- Yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Maintaining the traditions.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44NEWSREEL: Patiently, methodically,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47they cut the peat, they pile the peat,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49they carry it away, they stack it up to dry,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51to dry and burn for fuel.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I'm actually quite desperate to have a shot at this myself.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Can I have a go with your peat cutter?- Yeah.- Right.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04So, I just push in here...
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Just follow the same angle, cos otherwise,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09you'll end up with an enormous thing.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Goes through pretty easily, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Now give it a little twist
0:12:14 > 0:12:17up towards you - that's it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19My first peat cut - look.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- There you are.- First piece of turf. - That's right.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- And then just repeat.- Repeat that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30Do you think one of the pleasures, is the fact that you don't have to spend a lot of money?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- I feel obliged to do it. - You feel obliged?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Well - just to keep the house warm.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Yeah, I mean, I enjoy doing this sort of thing as well.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41But if you've got all this at your doorstep,
0:12:41 > 0:12:46why give the energy companies a big, fat cheque?
0:12:46 > 0:12:47If you do things for yourself...
0:12:49 > 0:12:50..it's nice, isn't it?
0:12:50 > 0:12:55- Home-made is better, eh? I think so.- You're absolutely right.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57And home-made heat.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- NEWSREEL:- The unique scent of the Hebrides is peat -
0:13:00 > 0:13:02the barren earth grows fuel
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and cutting it becomes a family occupation,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06almost a ritual.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Stripping the peat is a masculine prerogative.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The women carry it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's quite pleasing, isn't it?
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- Watching that knife go into the peat.- Aye.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It's like cutting through a large slice of chocolate brownie.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- It's a monster, that. - It's a monster, is it?
0:13:27 > 0:13:29But it'll dry. It'll get dried. That's fine.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33'After the peat is cut,
0:13:33 > 0:13:38'it has be dried by the wind in stooks like these,
0:13:38 > 0:13:39'and regularly turned,
0:13:39 > 0:13:44'before being stacked and taken home, ready for burning.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- You get into a rhythm, don't you? - Aye.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- And meditative too, this. - Mm-hm, mm-hm.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55'Neil's main challenge is protecting his day's work
0:13:55 > 0:13:57'from some of the inquisitive locals -
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'but he's found a novel way of doing that.'
0:14:00 > 0:14:02All around the peat bank,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05you've got these stakes and wire between them.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And they're blowing in the wind and making this extraordinary noise.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11WIRES WOBBLE
0:14:11 > 0:14:15The deer will come in and wander over the peat
0:14:15 > 0:14:16and knock the stacks down
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and maybe the freshly-cut peat, if they walk over that,
0:14:19 > 0:14:20they could break them and ruin.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It already happened - I started cutting peat
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and then came down the next day and there had been deer in,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27so I got these up, pronto.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Right.- It's low-tech, but it works!
0:14:29 > 0:14:32'And it would seem that there's enough peat on Jura
0:14:32 > 0:14:35'to keep Neil going for a few years yet.'
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- You're not going to run out. - No, I don't think so, no.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44- You've got...thousands of years left to go!- Aye.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45THEY LAUGH
0:14:47 > 0:14:49My day's work is done.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Day's work is done. Time for a pint. - Thirsty, yes.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Continuing my journey,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05I'm heading up to the north end of Jura
0:15:05 > 0:15:08to a stretch of water that has struck fear
0:15:08 > 0:15:10into the heart of sailors for centuries -
0:15:10 > 0:15:13the notorious Corryvreckan.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16WAVES RUSH
0:15:23 > 0:15:27It's like sailing across the surface of a boiling cauldron.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And I can feel that force on the boat.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It can actually move the boat round and round in circles,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39which, you know, you can feel yourself.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43You need lots of power to be able to hang about the Corryvreckan.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Even an experienced seafarer, like local boatman Nicol MacKinnon,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50is extremely cautious in this stretch of water.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55It's got "unnavigable" on the chart.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57It's got "unnavigable"?
0:15:57 > 0:16:04You'll get massive standing waves, which could be 15, 17 metres high.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You get circles, you get whirling circles,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10right up to 50 metres diameter.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- A 50-metre diameter whirlpool? You've seen that?- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It can be up to three or four metres deep in the middle.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20It must have claimed quite a few lives over the centuries.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Yeah, well, there was lots of boats lost years ago
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and you certainly don't want to fall in, anyway.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27What would happen if you did?
0:16:27 > 0:16:32I think, years ago, they put in test dummies with monitors on them
0:16:32 > 0:16:33to see what happened.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38And they went down 500 feet and came up four miles away.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42This dangerous channel between the north end of Jura
0:16:42 > 0:16:47and the Isle of Scarba is created by an underwater ridge
0:16:47 > 0:16:51which rises to a pinnacle 30 metres below the surface.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- There's the pinnacle right in front of us now, see?- I see it - amazing.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59That shows you the huge, big channel that flows right down the middle.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01So the pinnacle's beneath us?
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Yeah, at the moment, yes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05'On an ebb tide,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09'as the water flows back into the channel from the Atlantic,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13'hundreds of whirlpools can form as the sea rushes over the pinnacle,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'creating a terrifying maelstrom of water.'
0:17:19 > 0:17:21And you've got that huge volume of the Atlantic
0:17:21 > 0:17:23trying to get through the Sound of Scarba
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and it hits that pinnacle.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29It just hits the pinnacle and there's nowhere to go but up.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And that's what creates the effect.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35'And these whirlpools almost claimed the life
0:17:35 > 0:17:38'of one of the 20th century's most famous writers.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:39Now, Nicol, I understand
0:17:39 > 0:17:42that the writer George Orwell and his son
0:17:42 > 0:17:44almost came to grief here.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Yes, that's correct, yeah.
0:17:46 > 0:17:52They were trying to pass over from Jura, across to Scarba,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and with the flood tide on,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58it was going west, it got too rough for them
0:17:58 > 0:18:00and they got caught up in some big waves.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05'Orwell became Jura's best-known resident
0:18:05 > 0:18:10'when, in 1946, he sought out the isolation of island life
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'to create his dystopian vision of the future,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'the novel 1984.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'Taking a break from writing,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'he attempted to navigate this fearsome stretch of water
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'in a small boat with his three-year-old son.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- And Orwell was trying to row across here with his son.- Yeah.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- In an open boat, through this? - A small dinghy, yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42The waves washed the dinghy right up onto the rock face,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46turned upside down and washed them back out,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49with George Orwell and his son trapped underneath the dinghy.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52The dinghy got washed out
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and then got washed back in with the next wave
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and they managed to catch the rope off the dinghy
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and pulled it onto the island, this white rock face up here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07'Eventually, they were rescued by a passing lobster boat.'
0:19:08 > 0:19:10You just think, had they not made it,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13the world would never have had the book 1984.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14That's right - if that island wasn't there,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17where would they have gone to?
0:19:17 > 0:19:18- Down there.- Yeah.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27For Orwell, Jura was, in his own words,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30"a very ungettable place."
0:19:30 > 0:19:34And that's certainly the case for my next destination.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I'm heading to the west coast of Jura,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38known as the "Empty Quarter".
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This has to be one of the wildest,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44roughest stretches of coastline in Europe.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48It's unremittingly bleak - and awe-inspiring.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Because much of the terrain on this side of the island
0:19:54 > 0:19:57consists of often impassable bog and heather,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01the best way to get here is by boat.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06I'm landing at beautiful - and deserted - Glengarrisdale Bay.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13No-one's lived here now for almost 100 years,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15but it's still a welcoming destination
0:20:15 > 0:20:19to a variety of adventurous souls.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30I've come to what was the last working croft on this part of Jura.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And if you want to get a sense of just how remote and isolated
0:20:37 > 0:20:40some of the communities on Jura used to be,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42then this is the place to come.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Today, the house is a bothy,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54providing shelter for walkers, stalkers, kayakers
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and assorted refugees from urban life.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00Well, it's a bit basic in here
0:21:00 > 0:21:04but I can imagine, with a fire going and...
0:21:04 > 0:21:08maybe a drink or two to warm the cockles of your heart,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11this would be a really pleasant place to stay.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But I won't be laying my weary head here tonight,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm pressing on to meet a couple
0:21:20 > 0:21:24who've taken on the challenge of a new life here on Jura.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31This is Ardlussa House,
0:21:31 > 0:21:32home to Andy Fletcher,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34his wife, Claire,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and their four girls.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Now, Claire, you're not a native Jura person, are you?
0:21:41 > 0:21:42I'm not, no, I'm an incomer.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- Er, I'm from London originally. - Uh-huh.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46LONDON ACCENT: "Saaf o' the river."
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Right, so how did you end up here?
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It's a very long story with a little bit of romance.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I used to work for the music industry.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53There was a band called the KLF
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and they had an all-night rave, basically,
0:21:55 > 0:21:56and we were here to film a video.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58So an all-night rave here on Jura with the KLF?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Yep. Yep, and that was how I met my husband.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- And you stayed here ever since? - I have, on and off, yes.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06So what's the appeal?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08You either get it or you don't, actually.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11The wilderness, the quality of life,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13the fact that we can live and work as a family -
0:22:13 > 0:22:16you can't buy that kind of lifestyle.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18There's such a contrast in lifestyles,
0:22:18 > 0:22:19compared to what you had before.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It is, massively so.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24It was something I never thought for a minute, you know,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27on that Midsummer's night in '93 or whenever it was,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29that I would end up living here full-time with four kids.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31No, not a hope.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37The man Claire met that night was Andy Fletcher.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40He was born and brought up on the mainland,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45but inherited Ardlussa House and the 18,000 acres that go with it.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- How long have you lived here then, Andy?- Seven years.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Andy's giving me a tour of his domain
0:22:52 > 0:22:55and, to get around such a vast area of rough ground,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59we'll be making use of his ARGOCAT.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Hold on to your hats!
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Whoa!
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Unlike Gigha, which is owned by the community,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Jura is divided up into seven separate private estates
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and Andy and Claire are the only owners
0:23:12 > 0:23:14to live full-time on the island.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19It may not be the most fertile of islands,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21but it's perfect for deer.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28So deer are a very important part of Jura.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30In fact, it's part of the name, is it not?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33It is, it's the Norse word, Jura, meaning the island of deer,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36so that is part of it. They are very essential,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39that is a major part of the income of the island.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41They're wonderful, special thing in Scotland, red deer,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and this is the perfect setting for them.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Any idea of the number of deer that there are on the island?
0:23:46 > 0:23:48There's around 5,000 deer on the island.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52So the deer outnumber the people, getting my maths right, about 25-1.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Yep, they do indeed.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- We prefer it that way! - THEY LAUGH
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'Andy runs Ardlussa as a sporting estate
0:23:59 > 0:24:04'and deer stalking is very much part of the island's tradition.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07'Ever since wealthy Victorians discovered their passion
0:24:07 > 0:24:11'for hunting, shooting and fishing, Jura's population of deer
0:24:11 > 0:24:15'has attracted people to this wild landscape.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17'And that's still the case today.'
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- What kind of clients do you have coming here?- All nationalities.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24They are city people who are looking for an escape,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27are looking to come to the Scottish wilderness
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and see no other people
0:24:29 > 0:24:32when we take them out on a guided stalking tour or whatever.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34If you've got bankers coming up from London,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37what are their expectations, what are they coming here for?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39People come here for the space, not just to shoot things -
0:24:39 > 0:24:41they come here to see the eagles,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44they come here to be part and parcel of the whole thing, the landscape.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47I mean, this is one of the few wildernesses left
0:24:47 > 0:24:48and it's fabulous.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It's great. People like to get out there and be in amongst it
0:24:51 > 0:24:52and see no other people.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57But while many people have romantic notions about remote island life,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59it's that very remoteness
0:24:59 > 0:25:02which can make it a challenging place to bring up a family.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It's the logistics sometimes, you know, are a complete nightmare.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08The travel to school is an issue.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Our eldest started secondary school,
0:25:10 > 0:25:14she's got to go to another island just get to high school, come August.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15- So it's not easy, is it?- It's hard.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17If you make a commitment to a place like this,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- you've got to put a lot of effort into it.- You really do
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and it's a real privilege to live somewhere like this
0:25:22 > 0:25:24but it is really hard work.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And there are times in the middle of the winter when you just think,
0:25:27 > 0:25:28"Why am I bothering?" But, um...
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I think it is THE most incredible place to raise a family.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33They have total freedom
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and I think there'll be much more interest in places like this
0:25:36 > 0:25:39as the world gets busier and more...complicated, you know?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42These kinds of retreats are going to be what people want to do.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Well, standing here in your garden,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- it feels like a perfect place to be on a day like today.- It is amazing.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Before I leave the island,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57there's one final thing I have to do.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01There are several mountains in Scotland
0:26:01 > 0:26:03with female names and associations,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07and some scholars believe that this is a reminder
0:26:07 > 0:26:10of an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic mother goddess
0:26:10 > 0:26:12with connections to the land.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15The hills of Arran are a case in point
0:26:15 > 0:26:19and, in front of me, the famous Paps of Jura.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Of course, the distinctive shape of these peaks
0:26:23 > 0:26:26could have rather a lot to do with the name!
0:26:27 > 0:26:29But there the similarity ends.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36What awaits me is a ghastly slog over peat bog, heather
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and a purgatory of steep-angled scree slopes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46As my fellow traveller, Thomas Pennant, said,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50"It is a task of much labour and difficulty,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52"being composed of vast stones.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55"The whole mountain forms a vast cairn."
0:26:57 > 0:27:00To make things even worse,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03the summits of the Paps are shrouded in mist.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Ah. Now, here we are. At last.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14The summit cairn.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19I'm going to add to this vast pile of stones with one of my own
0:27:19 > 0:27:24and a wish for better weather and a view.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30As I begin my descent through the clouds,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34I reflect on all the people I've met on this grand tour
0:27:34 > 0:27:37who've taken on the challenge of island life.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Then, unexpectedly, the weather improves
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and I'm reminded of just why people come here.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55The mist is lifting and the views are superb!
0:27:59 > 0:28:02The great sweep of the Kintyre peninsula
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and, in the distance, Gigha - my starting point.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12Jura and Gigha are both so very different.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15But that's what makes the Scottish islands special -
0:28:15 > 0:28:19each one has its own unique character and appeal.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25I can't think of a better place
0:28:25 > 0:28:30to end this Grand Tour of the Scottish Islands.