0:00:02 > 0:00:03Among the islands of the Hebrides,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07there's one that can rightly claim to have a separate identity.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10A place that's set apart from the rest of the world.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17As you can see, it's taking a wee bit more than the usual effort
0:00:17 > 0:00:19to reach my destination.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24I'm in a race against the elements, and the odds,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26to reach an island with an ancient pedigree.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Stroke! Phew!
0:00:31 > 0:00:35In this series, I'm continuing my island grand tour,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38visiting the most northerly of the Shetland Islands,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40exploring the Western Isles
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and discovering the secrets of the loneliest places in Britain.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48To see them through the water like this, it's amazing!
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Scotland boasts a wonderful array of islands.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54In fact, there are nearly 300 of them,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58and that's not counting the myriad stacks, rocks and skerries
0:00:58 > 0:01:02that surround 6,000 convoluted miles of coast,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12For this grand tour, I'm heading to Islay, the Queen of the Hebrides.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Lying only 15 miles off the coast of Scotland, Islay can lay claim
0:01:28 > 0:01:32to breathtaking landscapes, ancient ruins and a fascinating history.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40My route across Scotland's fifth largest island will take me
0:01:40 > 0:01:45from its windswept coast, through its historic ports and villages,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47to end on its highest mountain.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54At one time, Islay was at the heart of a vast Gaelic empire
0:01:54 > 0:01:58whose rulers controlled their kingdom by sea.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01So this seems to be the most appropriate way
0:02:01 > 0:02:02to arrive on the island.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08The boat I'm struggling to row belongs to a long tradition of seafaring
0:02:08 > 0:02:12that's kept alive by this dedicated bunch of Ileach,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15as Islay folk in these parts are known.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Is that right, Rodney? You're an Ileach?
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Yes, born and bred, Paul.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21What's it feel like to be an Ileach rowing a boat?
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Ah, lovely.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25On days like this, no better place in the world.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- Well, it's taking my breath away, anyway.- Aye, good!
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Rodney Morrison and his crew, like many Islay folk,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36have saltwater in their veins.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41This is a skiff, and at one time boats like these
0:02:41 > 0:02:44would have been a common sight around this coast.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46So, in the old days, fishermen from Islay and all round
0:02:46 > 0:02:51- the west coast would have used boats similar to these, presumably? - Yes, aye.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54- It would have been a hard old life, wouldn't it?- Yep.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Yep, men were men in those days.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Skiffs like this date back to the 19th century
0:03:03 > 0:03:07and were used for fishing, transportation and even racing.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10And how do you think my rowing is?
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- Do you think it's going to stand up to the pace?- Aye, you're doing fine!
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- You're keeping up with the stroke man, all the time.- Ah-ha.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And just relax when you're doing it.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's all about rhythm.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22That's it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Oh, missed that stroke.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Oh, it's all gone horribly wrong. THEY LAUGH
0:03:28 > 0:03:31These Ileach rowers are not alone.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Coastal rowing is enjoying something of a revival
0:03:34 > 0:03:37with races between rival islands and towns.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41It looks fun, but it's a serious business.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So, I want to know if I have what it takes.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46OK!
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Pull!- Right.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Pull!
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Pull! Come on, Rodney! - Ugh!- Pull!
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's a three-way race
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and I'm determined to show these guys what I'm made of.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- Pull!- Come on, Rodney!
0:04:03 > 0:04:06But it's lung-busting, muscle-tearing work
0:04:06 > 0:04:09keeping up this blistering pace.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Oh, we're bombing along here, are we not?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Come On! Pull! Pull!
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Oh, we're going beautifully now, man.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Pull! Pull! Come on, Rodney!
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Ah, we've got them now, we've got the edge on them!
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Now, I forgot to ask just how long a traditional skiff race
0:04:36 > 0:04:38is supposed to last.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43We've been going for a while now,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and there's no sign of the finish line.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47It's a long row back.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- It's a hell of a long way back. - I know!
0:04:50 > 0:04:52My back's killing me.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I've got blisters on my hands, blisters on my bum! Ugh!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And then, fate intervenes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- There's a broken oar!- 'Phew!'
0:05:01 > 0:05:04A broken oar. Oh, a broken oar.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Right, OK...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12'I'm not too sure if that makes us the winners.'
0:05:12 > 0:05:13OK guys, on you go!
0:05:13 > 0:05:16'But now, we have to row all the way back to shore.'
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Urgh! Put my back into it... Ugh!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21What's the furthest you've ever rowed?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Over to Ireland.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- What, rowing to Ireland? - Yep.- Really?
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- How long did that take you? - 11 hours it took us.
0:05:28 > 0:05:2911 hours?!
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- The Guinness went down rather well. - RODNEY LAUGHS
0:05:32 > 0:05:36'Thankfully, today, we're not going to Ireland for a pint.'
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Feeling a little tender in places, I gratefully land on Islay.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45And begin my journey.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I'm heading inland to find the centre of an ancient empire
0:05:48 > 0:05:52which rose to power by mastering the seas.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Finlaggan.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02In the 12th century, this became the capital of the Kingdom of the Isles.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07And this was where one of the most fascinating
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and fearsome of Scottish rulers held court.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The Big Daddy of Islay history,
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Somerled.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24Somerled was of mixed race. He was half Viking, half Celt.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26And given my own Norwegian connections,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30it's hardly surprising I find his story a compelling one.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35He was a true Celtic hero, who is said to have reclaimed the Hebrides
0:06:35 > 0:06:40from the Viking invaders and staked a claim to the Scottish crown.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Somerled's game of thrones ended when he was killed in battle
0:06:46 > 0:06:48while invading mainland Scotland.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54But his descendants, the MacDonalds, continued to rule from Finlaggan.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00The ruins here are centuries old, and the low walls all around me
0:07:00 > 0:07:04are all that's left of the Great Hall, which at one time was
0:07:04 > 0:07:08a centre of administration for the whole of the MacDonald lordship.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Just a few yards from Eilean Mor is the smaller island of
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Eilean na Comhairle, or Council Island.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21They were once linked by a stone causeway,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24but today, I have to make my way by boat.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28It was here that judgements were made
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and laws passed for an empire which included the Western Isles
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and a large part of the west coast of Scotland.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It's amazing to think that 700 years ago,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45from this tiny little island, the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles,
0:07:45 > 0:07:50ruled over their empire of the seas, quite independently.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53They fought their own battles, they made their own laws,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and on one occasion, even made an alliance with
0:07:57 > 0:08:00the King of England against the King of Scotland.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05From their actions, they seemed almost a race apart.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Which is perhaps why they've always done things just a wee bit
0:08:08 > 0:08:10differently here on Islay.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I'm heading to the island's biggest town, Bowmore.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24With its neat little streets and characteristic
0:08:24 > 0:08:27whitewashed buildings, it's a picture postcard image of Islay.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32But this is no ordinary seaside town.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Bowmore is actually Scotland's first planned village,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and its creation was one of the many innovations made by
0:08:39 > 0:08:44a forward-thinking family, who would transform this island.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47They were the Shawfield Campbells.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Islay House was once the home of the Campbell Lairds.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I've come here to speak to historian Margaret Storrie
0:08:56 > 0:08:59who's written about how this remarkable dynasty
0:08:59 > 0:09:02set themselves apart from other landlords.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Now Margaret, I've heard that the Campbells of Shawfield
0:09:08 > 0:09:11were regarded, at the time and historically,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14as the great improvers of the land here. Is that right?
0:09:14 > 0:09:19Yes. Money was being spent on Islay to build
0:09:19 > 0:09:25schools, churches, to help with drainage and other things,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and also, of course, one of them decided to clear
0:09:28 > 0:09:32the old village from over here, which was the centre of the island,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and build a completely new town of Bowmore.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44Bowmore was the brainchild of Daniel Campbell, who was one
0:09:44 > 0:09:48in a long line of lairds who sought to maximise the island's potential.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Built along a geometric street plan,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56it was inspired by the great cities of Europe he'd visited.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01He had been a young dandy on the grand tour
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and wanted to build the hilltop town of Bowmore
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and built the church at the top of the hill with very wide
0:10:08 > 0:10:14Georgian streets, which are double the width to allow the sun
0:10:14 > 0:10:16to get into houses on both sides.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The Campbells bought the island in 1726. For the next
0:10:21 > 0:10:26100 years, unlike many landlords, who invested in sheep,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30they invested in people, developing industries,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34such as linen manufacture, mining, fishing and distilling.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41In the early 1800s, Walter Frederick Campbell went bigger and better
0:10:41 > 0:10:43by building more planned villages.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Touchingly, he named Port Charlotte after his mother
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and Port Ellen after his wife.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56His plans were ambitious but they came at a cost.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They wanted to make a success of these
0:10:59 > 0:11:01villages for the people
0:11:01 > 0:11:05but the problem was the population kept going up and up and up
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- and it got to 15,000... - 15,000 people living on Islay?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11..which is four times what it is now.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But it's an awful lot of people to feed
0:11:14 > 0:11:16if you're living on the land.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- Is that when things began to go wrong for the Campbells of Shawfield?- Yes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29the entire country was in financial crisis.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Cattle and crop prices plummeted.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Walter Frederick Campbell tried to hold on to his cherished ideal
0:11:37 > 0:11:39of an ordered society
0:11:39 > 0:11:44but in the 1840s, the potato blight in Ireland reached Islay.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51He went spectacularly bust to the tune of 800,000, which is worth
0:11:51 > 0:11:53nearly three quarters of a billion today.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- Three quarters of a BILLION?- Today.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- That's a serious debt, isn't it?- Yes.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01In 1847, bankrupt and ruined,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Walter Frederick Campbell left Islay House for the last time.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08So he picked up some of his silver and china from here.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- There was a terrific thunderstorm. - Right.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And everybody thought that this was the wrath of God
0:12:14 > 0:12:15coming down on the Campbells.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21The legacy of the Campbells, however,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24continues to be part of Islay's identity.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29And perhaps the most poignant insight into the character
0:12:29 > 0:12:32of the last great island improver can be found here.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37On the wall of the Port Ellen lighthouse, Walter Frederick Campbell
0:12:37 > 0:12:40had a dedication carved to his wife, Eleanor.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48It says, "Those who mid storms and tempests stray
0:12:48 > 0:12:50"in dangerous midnight hours,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54"behold where shines this friendly ray
0:12:54 > 0:12:56"and hail its guardian power."
0:12:59 > 0:13:03For me, the words inscribed here are not just a tribute to
0:13:03 > 0:13:08a beloved wife but also a lasting memorial to a lost ideal.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Pressing on, my Islay odyssey brings me to the
0:13:15 > 0:13:19charming town of Port Charlotte, founded by Walter Frederick Campbell.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I've come here to discover
0:13:25 > 0:13:28how some islanders in the past became outlaws.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33This was a time when high taxes forced law-abiding folk
0:13:33 > 0:13:37to take to the hills to secretly produce what is today
0:13:37 > 0:13:40the island's biggest export -
0:13:40 > 0:13:41usquebaugh.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Government attempts to control the whisky trade forced it underground,
0:13:48 > 0:13:54and soon, illicit stills at secret locations sprang up
0:13:54 > 0:13:59to make the hard stuff, which was then smuggled off the island.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05I've been told that behind these pretty, whitewashed cottages
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I'll find someone who knows all about whisky-making the Islay way.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Ah, Duncan!
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- How are you?- Good to see you.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19This is Duncan McGillivray and he's going to let me
0:14:19 > 0:14:22in on the secrets of this ancient art.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25This is an illicit still.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's quite a Heath Robinson-looking contraption, isn't it?
0:14:28 > 0:14:29- Yes.- Quite primitive-looking.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It's quite primitive but it's quite effective.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But back, say, 200 years ago, there would have been a lot of these
0:14:36 > 0:14:40little illicit stills hidden around the island?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44They probably would have set it up quite close to a farm,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46in a remote place where
0:14:46 > 0:14:48there was an abundant supply of water.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'Until the 18th century, only the laws of nature limited
0:14:55 > 0:14:58'the production of whisky in the Highlands.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'But then the laws of the Imperial South took an interest.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'No more distilling without a licence and a duty paid.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:09'The Highlander ignored the negative and carried on.'
0:15:09 > 0:15:11When they had the still up and running,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13they presumably had people on the lookout,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17standing guard in case the excise men were closing in.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18I would think so, yes.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22They could pack the whole lot up and move it on to a new site,
0:15:22 > 0:15:23just like that.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29It's not entirely clear when whisky was first distilled here,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33but early Christian missionaries are known to have produced aqua vita -
0:15:33 > 0:15:34the water of life.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39And here in the peat bogs, pristine rivers and fertile fields,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Islay's farmers had everything they needed
0:15:43 > 0:15:44on their doorstep.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48So you had all the ingredients here, really, didn't you,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49for whisky-making?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Yeah, barley and water, that's the two main things,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and the know-how.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59'Take clear Scottish water, mash and ferment with yeast,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02'then in a cauldron, boil and bubble,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05'and be prepared to wait, to attend, with relishful
0:16:05 > 0:16:09'but wary patience, the working of the miracle.'
0:16:09 > 0:16:12So there'd be a peat fire boiling up.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The fire would have heated the wash in the still, the vapour
0:16:15 > 0:16:19goes up into the neck, down the pipe into the condenser.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21The finished product would come out here.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23So they would have a cup below that pipe.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Would be a clear spirit, raw spirit.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I suspect it was pretty rough stuff.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- Have you tried it? - I tried it once and never again.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34HE LAUGHS Was it very, very strong?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Oh, it was terrible stuff. It was rough!
0:16:37 > 0:16:39It was not matured at all.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41If the spirit didn't kill you,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44then spontaneous combustion might.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Explosions were not uncommon.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Of course, whisky production today is much safer and it's legal.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00It's also big business. There are eight distilleries here
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and it's the island's main claim to fame.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10All the distilleries on Islay have a pedigree going back at least 100 years,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15with the exception of one newcomer here at Kilchoman
0:17:15 > 0:17:17which, uniquely, is located on a farm.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22At one time, whisky production
0:17:22 > 0:17:24was part of farming life on Islay
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and Anthony Wills has set up his distillery along those
0:17:27 > 0:17:29traditional lines.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Here, barley is grown, peat is cut and whisky
0:17:34 > 0:17:39produced in much the same way as it was in the early days.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40What I was looking to do
0:17:40 > 0:17:44was to replicate how distilling really started in Scotland
0:17:44 > 0:17:46all those years ago when
0:17:46 > 0:17:47farmers grew a little bit of barley,
0:17:47 > 0:17:52they fed their livestock and also made some whisky as well.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56150, 200 years ago, there were over 30 farm distilleries
0:17:56 > 0:17:59here on Islay, registered distilleries.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02And, really, what we're doing here at Kilchoman is replicating
0:18:02 > 0:18:05what they did and growing the barley, malting it,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09distilling it, maturing it and bottling it here, all on site.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12This is the first distillery for 124 years on Islay.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14People must have thought you were nuts, surely?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I know, definitely, they did!
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And in the spirit of those early whisky pioneers,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Anthony's had to deal with exploding boilers,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26a fire and his fair share of trial and error.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28So was it worth it?
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Slainte!
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Mm! Fruity and light, I would say.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42It would seem so, and I definitely get the impression that Islay folk
0:18:42 > 0:18:44like to do things their way.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50And that's not just in their novel approach to producing great whisky.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54In the past, they also had a rather unique approach to dentistry.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59If necessity is the mother of invention,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03then desperation must surely be the grandmother of superstition.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Now, I'll show you what I mean,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09because this strange tooth-shaped stone
0:19:09 > 0:19:11is a place where islanders came
0:19:11 > 0:19:16when they're absolutely desperate and suffering from the agonies of toothache.
0:19:16 > 0:19:23Now, the idea was to come down here armed with a nail and a hammer,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25which I have.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Drive the nail into the rock with your hammer and cure your toothache.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35I'm not sure how successful it was,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40but the number of nails here suggest a few folk certainly gave it a try.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43And, I suppose, if you did accidentally hit your thumb,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47at least that would take your mind off your toothache!
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Aargh!
0:19:49 > 0:19:54The Tooth Stone is one of the more unusual ancient monuments on Islay,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59which is dotted with relics of human occupation, stretching back 6,000 years.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05In search of this rich and fascinating past,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Becky Williamson set herself the challenge
0:20:08 > 0:20:12of visiting every grid square on the island.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17I've walked virtually everywhere on Islay, erm,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I've done the whole coastline,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21which took me four years.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25And, then, I decided I'd do every single grid square.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Collect the grid squares? And how many of those are there?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31743. This is the map that I used. It's all coloured in.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Everything green that you've done.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Everything green is the ones I've done.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- And have you done them all? - And I've done 741.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42So, so I've got two left.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Is there one spot you'd recommend a visitor to go to, above all?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- Above all?- Yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Probably, Soldier's Rock on the Oa. It's a very spectacular place.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59We're headed to grid square NR2947,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02otherwise known as the Mull of Oa.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06You can walk there,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09but the best way to appreciate the dramatic scenery is by boat.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It's a wild bit of coastline, isn't it, really?
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Oh, it is. It's amazing!
0:21:19 > 0:21:22And to get to Soldier's Rock, as they never say in the movies,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24we're going to need a smaller boat.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32And we finally arrive at Soldier's Rock.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Why on earth is it called Soldier's Rock?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Well, with a bit of imagination, you can
0:21:39 > 0:21:42see the distinct shape of a soldier.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44You'd need a lot of imagination.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47There's his head and his nose and his...his sword sticking up.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- Uh-huh.- And his armour. And he looks like a soldier.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- I do see a white band of quartz. - Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Yeah. I can imagine that might be his belt.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58That's his belt.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01To be honest, I'm not really getting the soldier thing
0:22:01 > 0:22:04but this is an impressive sea stack.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I suppose it's standing like a sentinel on guard.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Er, yes, that's what it is, yes. That's what it is, yeah.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15What he's guarding is another remarkable natural phenomenon,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19carved out of the rock by the sea.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22And we're about to enter into... into the cave.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24It's wonderful, isn't it?
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It's actually more of an arch than a cave, isn't it?
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It's more of an arch and you can walk over that arch,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32which I've done lots of times, and it's quite scary.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34What an amazing place.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38What makes it really spectacular is the sunlight hitting
0:22:38 > 0:22:41streaks of copper ore on the rock face.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43That copper is so green, isn't it?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Isn't it! It's really vivid.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48It's amazing!
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Impressive though this is, I'm told that when the swell picks up,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01this cave is impossible to escape from.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06So it's time for me to move on,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09heading round the coast to the north-west of Islay
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and beautiful Loch Gruinart.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16When the tide goes out, it leaves this vast expanse of sand.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22This is one of the best places to find an expensive delicacy
0:23:22 > 0:23:28that, surprisingly, was once a staple not just for these islanders but in many parts of Scotland.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34According to archaeologists,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37in the past oysters formed a significant part
0:23:37 > 0:23:40of the national diet.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I somehow doubt that the good folk of this island
0:23:44 > 0:23:47quaffed champagne with their oysters.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50But by the 20th century,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53overfishing and disease saw oyster numbers dwindle.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58By the 1950s, the native Scottish oyster was extinct.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04But here in Loch Gruinart, Craig Archibald is running
0:24:04 > 0:24:08a family business that has brought oysters back to these shores.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- Oh, there they are. Can I pick one up?- Yes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22So that's a year-old oyster. What kind of oyster is that?
0:24:22 > 0:24:26It's a giga Pacific oyster, the most commonly cultivated.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32'Encouraged by the success he's had with Pacific oysters,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Craig would like to re-establish the breed indigenous to these waters.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:43The native Scottish, European oyster, one-year-old.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Now, he really is a tiny little fellow, I have to say.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Any idea how long it will be before you can eat that?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- Yes, I imagine it'll be three or four years.- Right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'They may take longer to grow than the Pacific oyster,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57'but Craig is hoping his patience will pay off.'
0:24:58 > 0:25:00I'm told the native
0:25:00 > 0:25:02oysters are slightly sweeter,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04but it might be a year or two before we find out.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- Right. It'll be worth the wait. - I'm sure they will be.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I imagine. Do you think that would make a good breakfast?
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Yes. At all times of day.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Never tried an oyster before, but...you know,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16now could be the time.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21'To quote Jonathan Swift, "It was a bold man that first ate an oyster,"
0:25:21 > 0:25:25'and apparently Louis XIV liked them for breakfast,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28'so if it was good enough for royalty...'
0:25:28 > 0:25:30If you wait a minute or two, the juices come out of that,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- and that's actually your oyster liquor.- Right, oyster liquor.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39'And a spot of local liquor might make it go down a bit easier.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:41There we go.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43This is my very first ever oyster,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and, frankly, I'm a little bit nervous.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Here we go. Knees are knocking.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Actually, that's delicious. It is delicious.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59THEY LAUGH
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Oh, what a brave man. Yeah, it's not bad, is it? It's very meaty.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- You didn't expect it to...- No, no - it's much meatier than I though.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07- The texture's not what you imagined it was going to be.- Wow.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12'They say Napoleon downed a dozen oysters before battle.'
0:26:15 > 0:26:17'Similarly invigorated,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21'I set off on a long march to my final destination -
0:26:23 > 0:26:26'the highest point on Islay, Ben Vicar.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30'At over 1,600ft, it's not a Munro.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'This is, in fact, a Marilyn.'
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Let me explain.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Munros are mountains over 3,000ft,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and Munro-baggers want to climb all 283 of them,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46but these are not the only collectable mountains in Scotland.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52The next list of summits to tick off are the Corbetts.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58Now, these are peaks less than 3,000ft but over 2,500ft.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And after that, you've got the Grahams.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11And then you've got the Donalds, or Elsies, as they're sometimes known.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15And last but not least, you've got the Marilyns,
0:27:15 > 0:27:21and a Marilyn is any mountain with a drop of 500ft or more from the top,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and Ben Vicar is one of these sublime peaks.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31If you want to see Islay in all its glory, this is the place to come.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And if you're not out of breath from the climb,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39the view from the top is guaranteed to take your breath away.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42That's going to be very exciting -
0:27:42 > 0:27:47just about to conquer my very first Marilyn!
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Here we go.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Whoo!
0:27:55 > 0:28:01Well, fantastic feeling and an absolutely magnificent view.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Northern Ireland over there.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04The Mull of Kintyre.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07I can see the mountains of Goat Fell on Arran.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Behind me I've got Ben Cruachan,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14and, of course, the magnificent Paps of Jura.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And just out of sight down there
0:28:16 > 0:28:20is Finlaggan, right at the heart of Islay -
0:28:20 > 0:28:24once the centre of an extraordinary empire,
0:28:24 > 0:28:29ruled over by a people who considered themselves to be a race apart.
0:28:36 > 0:28:43Join me on my next Grand Tour, exploring a land of heroes.