0:00:04 > 0:00:08The islands that lie off the coast of North Uist in the Western Isles
0:00:08 > 0:00:12form a labyrinth of narrow sea channels and shallow water.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20All kinds of hazards lurk just beneath the surface to catch the
0:00:20 > 0:00:25unwary mariner. Reefs, submerged rocks, skerries, sandbanks
0:00:25 > 0:00:29make navigating this coast a bit like solving a riddle.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31The riddle of the sands.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'm continuing my epic island-hopping odyssey,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39trying to unravel the secrets
0:00:39 > 0:00:42of some of Scotland's most fascinating places...
0:00:42 > 0:00:43Oh!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..and meeting the people who live here.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50But I'm used to travelling first class, Donald.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- This IS first class! - I think this is steerage.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58It's impossible to be precise about the total number of islands that are
0:00:58 > 0:01:01scattered around Scotland's untameable coast.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07But not counting the numerous rocks and skerries, it's well over 250.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09And at the end of the jetty,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12an old vehicle driven by a collie dog to take us ashore.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14DOG BARKS
0:01:15 > 0:01:20On this Grand Tour, I'm threading a course around North Uist,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24visiting some of its least known and most beautiful locations.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41My journey takes me to a cluster of islands in the Outer Hebrides.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46Lying just off the North Uist Coast is princely Berneray,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48where my journey begins.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52From there, I head south to capture the colours of Grimsay,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and then weave through the marram grass of Kirkibost to end on the
0:01:56 > 0:01:58deserted whisky island of Pabbay.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And where better to begin my meandering island sojourn than on
0:02:06 > 0:02:09this stunning beach?
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The island of Berneray, or Bernera, as it's sometimes known,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17should never be confused with other islands like Great Bernera up in
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Lewis, or Berneray down at Barra Head, or even Little Bernera.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Now, all these islands have basically the same name,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27which means bear island,
0:02:27 > 0:02:33so back in the past I imagine there must have been a lot of bears hereabouts.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Which is odd, really, because there are no woods.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Bears or not, this is an astonishingly beautiful island.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48And the great sweep of sand that makes up the west bay is the jewel
0:02:48 > 0:02:50in its crown.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55And one that was stolen by the Thai tourist board.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02They used a photograph of these turquoise seas and white sands
0:03:02 > 0:03:04to promote beaches in Thailand.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06The cheek!
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Berneray is home to around 150 people and is thought to have been
0:03:14 > 0:03:16inhabited since the Bronze Age.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21But none of its many sons and daughters achieved the stature of
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Angus McAskill, born here in 1825.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Angus was one of ten children.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32But when he was born he was considered to be, well,
0:03:32 > 0:03:37the runt of the pack because he was so small and scrawny.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41In fact, his parents were worried that he might not survive into adulthood.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46But instead, to their surprise and delight, Angus grew and he grew
0:03:46 > 0:03:53and he grew, until he stood a staggering 7'9" in his stockinged feet,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57the same height as this cairn that's been erected to mark
0:03:57 > 0:03:58his birthplace.
0:03:58 > 0:04:04Now, when he grew up, Angus became the tallest Scotsman ever to have lived.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11The family emigrated to Nova Scotia and Angus joined PT Barnum's Circus,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15appearing with one of the world's smallest men, General Tom Thumb.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Angus was hailed as the world's tallest true giant,
0:04:21 > 0:04:29renowned for incredible feats of strength, such as lifting a ship's anchor chest-high.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33So I tip my hat in tall Angus's direction.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37When he performed for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle, she declared him
0:04:37 > 0:04:42"the tallest, stoutest and strongest man ever to have entered the palace".
0:04:49 > 0:04:52As I make my way across Berneray,
0:04:52 > 0:04:58it's apparent that the traditional island way of life still exists for many.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00SHEEP BLEAT
0:05:00 > 0:05:05You might still find your progress slowed by crofters moving sheep across the island.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You can't really use passing places in the conventional way
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- when you are driving sheep, can you? - No.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23If you were caught behind a flock of sheep here in 1987, you may well
0:05:23 > 0:05:26have spotted a very famous face driving them.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Berneray was thrust into the spotlight of international press attention
0:05:31 > 0:05:34when it was discovered that the heir to the throne had been living
0:05:34 > 0:05:37secretly on the island.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40In a bizarre twist on The Prince And The Pauper story,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Prince Charles became a crofter and learned how to cut peat,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47lift potatoes and dip sheep.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52He found the experience inspirational and used much of what he learned
0:05:52 > 0:05:56to form his own philosophy on organic farming.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01So, in the same spirit, I'm going to do my own Prince Charles lifestyle
0:06:01 > 0:06:02immersive thingy,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and help out with a long-standing tradition for the shepherds of Berneray.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14These sheep are being taken to their summer grazing grounds,
0:06:14 > 0:06:19but getting them there involves a little more effort than you might expect.
0:06:21 > 0:06:27These crofters are about to make a trip which is very much an annual Berneray tradition.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39For as long as anyone can remember, the shepherds of Berneray have moved
0:06:39 > 0:06:42their flocks to graze on one of the nearby islands.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55So, to find out what it takes to go to sea with several dozen sheep,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58I'm joining the crew headed up by Donald MacLean.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- Are you counting them?- I was counting them, yes. I count them in my sleep, usually.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- You'll be counting them tonight. - Never for real.- You'll be counting them tonight.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10But I'm used to travelling first class, Donald.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- This IS first class! - I think this is steerage.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13THEY LAUGH
0:07:16 > 0:07:18But it's amazing, because they are relatively calm, I mean...
0:07:18 > 0:07:23- Oh, once they get on they're fine. - Once they're in a flock they kind of calm down, once they're together.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- They're good.- Then they get settled.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- If one jumps over, they'll all jump over.- That's the problem. Would they really?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- Yes.- Right.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34On a small island like Berneray, land comes at a premium and has to
0:07:34 > 0:07:37be put to the best possible use.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43So nearby uninhabited islands provide good grazing for the sheep over the summer.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48We're headed for Opasay, just five miles south-east of here.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Donald's made this journey countless times and seems remarkably calm
0:07:53 > 0:07:55given the unpredictable nature of his passengers.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Sheep being sheep, it never works the same two days, because one day
0:07:59 > 0:08:01you might have to handle every one of them aboard,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04the next day, you might not go near any of them, they'll just run aboard.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Is that right? Just straight on board?- Yes.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- And they all have minds of their own.- They're very unpredictable.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12This is a family business.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17And for Donald's uncle Neil, it's a familiar journey.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Neil, how long have you been making this crossing?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- 70 years.- Never.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- 70 years?- And more.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Well, just about 70.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- I bet you've seen some weather, though?- Oh, good and bad.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35It's difficult to land on the islands if it's windy and stormy.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44This film was made 35 years ago and shows just how challenging this journey can be.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Thankfully, we don't have snow to contend with,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and so far the weather has held.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04But we do have challenges of our own to face.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08HE SPEAKS IN GAELIC
0:09:08 > 0:09:10The engine's overheating?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- It's running hot.- Right, so, the thermostat's gone?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- I don't know, it's...- Because that's the only bit of the Gaelic I understood.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Aye, he does that!
0:09:18 > 0:09:20And that's not our only problem.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29THEY SPEAK IN GAELIC
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Thanks to Donald and his crew's speedy response, this little guy
0:09:48 > 0:09:50is safely back on board.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51He's a good swimmer, that lamb.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54You all right, boy?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Now, time to sort out that little engine problem.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04HE SPEAKS IN GAELIC
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Ever resourceful, our island crofters have to be multi-skilled.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15After a bit of head scratching, Donald soon gets to the root of the problem.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19And we're back underway again.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21We had some dramas on the high seas, there.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- What was going on?- That.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24So you had that, that was blocking...
0:10:24 > 0:10:26That was blocking it, that was in the filter.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- So you had a blockage?- And it blocked the system.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33That was floating, probably in the harbour before we left.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Very reassuring to have those vibrations of full revs going beneath our feet now.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Yes, so hopefully this is it now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40Yeah, well, fingers crossed.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Fingers crossed.- Oh! I spoke too soon.- Aye!
0:10:45 > 0:10:50Being wedged in amongst 50 sheep does have its advantages.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54When the swell picks up, at least I've got something to hold on to.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02This wind's a bit stronger today, so our landing on the island is not ideal.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06But we'll see what it's like when we get there.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Won't be long now?- No.- Unless another lamb jumps over the side.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15I think they can smell the land, they are getting quite excited.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Thankfully, our very able seamen get us safely to Opasay.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29And I get the impression that our passengers are keen to disembark
0:11:29 > 0:11:30at their summer holiday island.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34That's it, let them go.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36That's them.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- That's it. That's perfect. - Off you go!
0:11:44 > 0:11:45All right?
0:11:45 > 0:11:49But just as it looks as if they're home and dry,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Donald has to swing into action again.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03There's always one.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Probably the same bloody one!
0:12:05 > 0:12:06THEY LAUGH
0:12:08 > 0:12:12All that's left to do is to swab the decks, before making my way
0:12:12 > 0:12:14to my next destination.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25The tidal island of Grimsay lies in a maze of shifting sandbanks and sea lochs.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31It's linked to North Uist by one of the many causeways that connect this
0:12:31 > 0:12:33island chain together.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41Since I'm travelling on foot and the tide is low, I prefer to make my own way
0:12:41 > 0:12:46across the sands, which also gives me time to reflect on the
0:12:46 > 0:12:48alluring nature of this place.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Whether it's the colour of the sea or the quality of the light,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56many artists have been inspired by this landscape.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14These stunning watercolours are the work of acclaimed US-based artist Rhod Evans.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18This is Loch Hornary.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20It's very secluded, very quiet,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24and it's one of these places I like to come and sketch on a good day.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Rhod has brought me here for a masterclass in landscape painting.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- I've got my pencil.- Right.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37- I normally start by finding a horizon and deciding where to put the horizon.- Uh-huh.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- I tend to sketch quite rapidly. - Uh-huh.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43I'm a scribbler rather than a detail person.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46You've been to a lot of islands, have you not?
0:13:46 > 0:13:51Yeah, over the years, I suppose my career has taken me to...
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Because I was a conservation manager, that's what I actually did, and...
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Was it a job that took you to islands?
0:13:58 > 0:14:04Yeah... Well, I think I probably had a thing, I still have a bit of a thing about islands.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07When did you learn the art of watercolour painting?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Totally self-taught.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Misspent time when I should have been...
0:14:13 > 0:14:15..counting birds, or something.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24One of the things I've done over the years is hours and hours
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- of experiments with colours, you know?- Uh-huh.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Getting to know the colours really well.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35What mixes together, what makes absolute mud, you know?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I think I'm verging on the mud.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41If you think about an artist, people say,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44"Oh, I can't get it to look like it's meant to look."
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- Yeah.- But it isn't about that, is it, you know?
0:14:47 > 0:14:52Partly it's about the scene, it's partly about how you feel, as well...
0:14:52 > 0:14:53- Uh-huh.- ..when you're doing it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57So, you might be cold, you might be cranky,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and you might do slashing kind of marks, you know?
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Zigzags, whatever. Whereas if you're feeling more serene and cool,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09you do a very soft watercolour sort of thing.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Or if you're feeling vaguely incompetent, like I am,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15it all looks a bit blotchy.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Eventually, I mean, people get to like your stuff and you realise
0:15:20 > 0:15:24that actually, what you're doing is OK.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- It's totally absorbing, isn't it? - It is.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I mean, if you can find something, whatever it is,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35that you get really absorbed in, I think that's probably the best therapy there is.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Whether it's fishing, or whatever,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40but it totally takes all of your concentration.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44I think this is better than fishing, because you've always got a result.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I've spent many days fishing and come home with nothing.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48True that, been there.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56Generally just finish off a sketch with just a little bit of
0:15:56 > 0:15:58scratching with a knife.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Scratching with a knife? - Yeah, scratch out...
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- Oh, I see.- ..the white bits. You see? Like that.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07It almost looks like vandalism.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Yeah.- I'm quite pleased with that. - Yeah. That's nice.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12I thought it was going to be a disaster.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- I like the way you've sort of made it into an amphitheatre.- Mmm.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- That's how it struck me.- Because, in a way, that's what it is. Yeah.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Yours has got depth and atmosphere.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Well, I suppose it's just very much an impression of the scene.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28There's not much detail there at all.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Well, I'm exhausted.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35- Mentally draining.- Absolutely, because it takes so much attention.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36And you're so focused.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46As I continue my journey, my newly developed artistic eye is drawn to
0:16:46 > 0:16:50several picturesque thatched cottages that dot the landscape.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55At one time, every home would have had this kind of roof,
0:16:55 > 0:17:01but modern building techniques and materials made the thatched roof almost obsolete.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Recently, however, they've enjoyed a bit of a revival
0:17:05 > 0:17:08and the skill of the thatcher has been rediscovered.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14I'm joining Neil Nicholson to size up his latest project.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Yeah, this is a very old roof, this one,
0:17:17 > 0:17:22it's one of the oldest in Uist, and it's been over-thatched and now
0:17:22 > 0:17:24we're basically going to strip it back a lot,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28taking it back to basically a layer which went on originally,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- which is probably over 100 years now.- You're kidding?
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Yeah, yeah.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34You've got 100 years of thatching going on.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Yeah. I can see what kind of thatchers we had for the past 100 years.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41You've got all these layers of kind of, like, history, really.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- It's a bit like archaeology. - It is, yes, yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47And you're going to replace it with this grass here, so...
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Now, how much of this stuff, Neil, are you going to need to rethatch that wee cottage?
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I would say roughly it'd be two football pitches.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57- That's a hell of a lot. Two football pitches?- It's a lot of grass, yeah.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59This is marram grass,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and sourcing it in the kind of quantities needed isn't as easy
0:18:03 > 0:18:04as you might expect.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11We're heading to a place where Neil can gather this very special
0:18:11 > 0:18:15building material, the tiny tidal island of Kirkibost.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21It is an amazing stretch of coast, this. It's so low-lying, isn't it?
0:18:21 > 0:18:22It is, yeah.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26It wouldn't take much for the sea to encroach all the way across.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27No, it wouldn't, no.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31It's very tidal here, so we just have to be careful of sandbanks.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We try and come out when the tide's turning.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37You haven't got much clearance here, have you?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- No.- You could almost stand up in this.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42You could nearly, aye, there's about a metre there.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And at low tide this dries out almost completely, doesn't it?
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- It does, yes.- It's an amazing thought.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53- This is us in the marram grass fields.- Yeah.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- It grows really well here, doesn't it?- Yeah, it does.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57In amongst the dunes.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01The traditional way of harvesting this grass is with a scythe,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03but Neil has something a bit more powerful.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Now, mowing the lawn is one thing,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15but mowing a beach is quite another.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19This has a powerful engine, sharp blades
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and an inexperienced operator.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Whoa!
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Whoa!
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Neil?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Neil?! I've got a problem!
0:19:30 > 0:19:32It's also noisy,
0:19:32 > 0:19:38so Neil can't hear my increasingly desperate cries for help.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40I can't stop!
0:19:41 > 0:19:42I'm exhausted!
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- You've got to take control of it, you know?- Yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- That's knackering. Are you sure it isn't easier with a scythe? - No, no.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Bringing in the sheaths, it's now time to get down to the real task,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01restoring the roof of this delightful old cottage.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Prepare it for the roof.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Clean it, pull it,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- place it in place.- Uh-huh.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- The tool.- Right.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19So, basically, I stick it in there until I think it's sitting right on the roof.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21So you're just sticking it into basically turf, aren't you?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- In turf, yeah.- That's all that's anchoring it?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- You're sewing it into it.- Right.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- So, do you want to try and put some in?- I'll try. I'll have a wee shot. - Yep.
0:20:29 > 0:20:3145 degrees angle.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Push, push, push.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35That's you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38That's it. Now, you want to see where...
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- Take it down.- Uh-huh.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- You want to see.- It's a bit short, isn't it?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's a bit short, but you can pull it back a wee bit and that should be fine.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- Right.- So...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It is amazingly flimsy material, isn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:56When you think of the wind you so often associate with Uist,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- you think it's all going to blow away.- Yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01It's this netting that makes it really different.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And then you anchor the whole thing down with some knuckle-break stones.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07That's it, yeah.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09That's it. It's quite satisfying, isn't it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Yeah, it is very satisfying.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13It's great to learn new skills.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17- It is, yes.- How long's it going to take you to do this?
0:21:17 > 0:21:21- How much would you get done in a day?- This corner went up in, like, one day, a full day.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23So you've got one, two, three, four...
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- You've got three weeks' work, do you think?- Aye, roughly, yeah, weather permitting.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Quick calculation.- Yeah.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Unfortunately, I won't to be able to help Neil finish the job,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35because I'm setting out to sea again,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39this time heading around the west coast to my final destination,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43the uninhabited island of Pabbay.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54So, we're approaching Pabbay. Got a wee jetty here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And at the end of the jetty
0:21:57 > 0:22:01there's an old vehicle driven by a collie dog to take us ashore.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03DOG BARKS
0:22:03 > 0:22:08And the dog appears to have brought some humans along.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09Hi, guys.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15So, here we are, setting foot on Pabbay for the very first time.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Really nice to meet you.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19This is my guide on the island.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25Raymond Campbell manages these three square miles of mostly pasture land.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30And thankfully he and not just the dog will be doing the driving.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33So, Raymond, it's so green on this island
0:22:33 > 0:22:35it looks almost like a golf course.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39It makes me think you must have a team of very conscientious green keepers hard at work.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Yes, we do that.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Sheep keepers, we have. - You've got sheep keepers?- Yes.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48So you've got sheep keeping the grass so cropped and neat looking?
0:22:48 > 0:22:53- Yes, we've got 700.- 700? That's a lot for a small island.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Yes.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55SHEEP BLEAT
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Pabbay has been uninhabited for more than 150 years,
0:22:59 > 0:23:05but it's clear, as I see more of the island, that this was once a thriving place.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I can see all of the ruins here of the houses.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Not much left of them.- No, no.- But that must be a village?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- Yes, Baile na Cille.- Baile na Cille? - Yes.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Well, I reckon by my rudimentary knowledge of Gaelic, that would mean
0:23:17 > 0:23:19the village of the church, would it?
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Yes, that's the one, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- Is that the church over there?- Yes, you can see the church there. - Right.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33In fact, at its height, there were three villages here, a castle,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38an ancient chapel and a population of nearly 300.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- See you later.- See you, Paul. - Cheers.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51In the Middle Ages, the powerful Clan MacLeod held sway over much of the Hebrides.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54And Pabbay, which means priest's island in Gaelic,
0:23:54 > 0:24:00was one of their principal strongholds and the MacLeods loved it here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01I can see why.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08It wasn't just Pabbay's strategic position in the Sound of Harris that
0:24:08 > 0:24:10made it important.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15The soil was also extremely fertile and the harvests bountiful.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Unfortunately for the MacLeods, their sworn enemies, the MacDonalds,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25wanted a piece of Pabbay for themselves
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and decided to attack the island.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33And on a fateful day, the two clans met in a terrible battle,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37which took place right here along the banks of this wee burn.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Now the MacDonalds were slaughtered to a man.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It's almost impossible to imagine the bloodshed that happened right here,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55especially on a day like today, which somehow seems to epitomise
0:24:55 > 0:24:58the essence of peace and tranquillity.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01But then again, islands have always been deceptive.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09It wasn't clan warfare that eventually saw the last of Pabbay's
0:25:09 > 0:25:13residents leave in 1846.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16In fact, the island and its people were thriving.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21They were growing an abundance of wheat, oats, and, of course, barley.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26That was the main ingredient in the production of whisky,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30something which the Pabbay folk were rather fond of.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35And despite repeated attempts by government inspectors to catch them in the act,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39they produced barrel loads of the stuff.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43To hear how this would lead to their eventual demise, I meet up with
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Raymond's father Ken Campbell, whose family have a long connection with the island.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Kenneth, it's a beautiful, fertile island here.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57Historically, Pabbay's been a very important island, because of its rich soil.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Yes, indeed, yes, it was known as the granary of Harris,
0:26:01 > 0:26:06especially for the grain that it produced for the making of the whisky.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10The excise man was on the go, you know,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and they were chasing people here, there and everywhere,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and they managed to get to Pabbay,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19but the boatman had an arrangement with them,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24- a special sale if he had the excise man on board.- Right.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- So, there would be boatmen bringing the excise men here...- Yes.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29..and he was in cahoots with the folk here,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- so he'd warn them?- Yes, yes, and that was his way of doing it, you know?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34A different colour sail.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41If you suddenly had a yellow sail up, it meant "I've got an excise man on board"?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Aye, yeah, warning.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I think it was hidden away.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49But they got caught out when there was a change of boatman.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- So caught red-handed?- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53And things changed then.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Oh, they were evicted because they were convicted
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- or suspected of being involved in this illicit trade?- Trade, yeah.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I suppose they wanted to turn it into a sheep farm.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08And, well, that was the trend in various estates of those days,
0:27:08 > 0:27:09sheep farms and that.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Sadly, it's an all too familiar story.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And as I leave Ken and the ruins of Baile-lingay,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26I consider the irony of how the painful history of the Hebrides
0:27:26 > 0:27:30is so often set against a wildly beautiful backdrop.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I'm making the gentle climb to the summit of Ben a Charnain.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42It's only about 600 feet high, but it's my final destination
0:27:42 > 0:27:44and the ideal place to reflect on my journey.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53So, here we are, the summit of Pabbay, the cairn of Ben a Charnain,
0:27:53 > 0:27:59where, I have to say, the views are absolutely breathtaking.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03You can see the whole sweep of the Sound of Harris from here,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06studded with the wee islands that make navigation so difficult.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11It's actually clear enough for me today to see all the way to Saint Kilda,
0:28:11 > 0:28:1345 miles away.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Now, this really is a perfect place to drink in the view,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21which is a cue for me to have a wee drink for myself.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26A wee sensation to remind me of what once made Pabbay famous.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27Slainte.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Join me on my next Grand Tour, when I'll be bridging the gap
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and travelling from Scarp to Scalpay.