0:00:04 > 0:00:08The islands of the north seem to capture the essence of peace
0:00:08 > 0:00:09and tranquillity.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14But first impressions can be deceptive.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23The Orkney Islands, famed for their natural beauty and wide vistas,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25have provided a dramatic backdrop
0:00:25 > 0:00:29to some of the most violent episodes of Scottish history.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'I'm continuing my epic island-hopping odyssey,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'trying to unravel the secrets
0:00:37 > 0:00:41'of some of Scotland's most fascinating places...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Oh!
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'..and meeting the people who live here.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49But I'm used to travelling first class, Donald.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- This is... This is first class! - I think this is steerage.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'It's impossible to be precise about the total number of islands
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'that are scattered around Scotland's untameable coast.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06'But not counting the numerous rocks and skerries, it's well over 250.'
0:01:06 > 0:01:07And at the end of the jetty,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12a little vehicle driven by a collie dog to take us ashore.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13BARKING
0:01:13 > 0:01:15'For this grand tour,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18'I'm travelling to some of the less well-known Orkney Islands,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22'discovering a history of war and peace in the north.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:40This journey takes me to a peaceful group of islands
0:01:40 > 0:01:42where the marks of war, from the Viking age
0:01:42 > 0:01:46to the 20th century, are etched into the landscape.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I'm beginning by crossing the great natural harbour of Scapa Flow
0:01:51 > 0:01:53to the island of Flotta,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57before heading around the main island of Orkney to Stronsay.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00From there, I travel north to the stunning beaches of Sanday.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It's 7am and I arrive at the starting point of my grand tour.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11I'm travelling to the tiny island of Flotta,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15a short ferry trip of just eight miles.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19For many of my fellow passengers, this is a regular journey.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I'm taking this fast launch,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30crammed full of commuters who daily cross Scapa Flow to get to work.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Together, they make up more than the population of Flotta itself.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42And as we approach the island, I can see the reason why they come.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The huge gas flare which burns day and night
0:02:46 > 0:02:49has become a modern Orcadian landmark
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and is part of a massive oil terminal.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Covering 395 acres,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59it dominates the island and some 300 people work there.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But I'm heading around the coast to learn about a time
0:03:03 > 0:03:07when Flotta saw an influx of even greater numbers of people.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15What brought them here was the deep water of Scapa Flow.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Sheltered on all sides, the Vikings were amongst the first to make use
0:03:20 > 0:03:23of what is one of the world's great natural harbours.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28And that's also the reason these intriguing buildings
0:03:28 > 0:03:30can be found along this coastline.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I've arranged rendezvous with local man Kinlay Francis
0:03:35 > 0:03:38to hear how this small island became home
0:03:38 > 0:03:40to the British Grand Fleet
0:03:40 > 0:03:44and played a crucial part in two world wars.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47So, here we are, Paul, at Stanger Head.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Stanger Head was pivotal in the First World War,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55particularly because it held the entrances
0:03:55 > 0:03:57for the southern approaches to Scapa Flow.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And Scapa Flow was a very important base, wasn't it, in the Navy?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02It was, extremely important, that's correct.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04How many personnel were stationed here, then?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- About 20,000 or so.- Really?
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Looking after defences and perhaps the fleets.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11- That's amazing.- Yes, it is.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Because the population of Orkney's only about 20,000...
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- That's right, exactly. - You're doubling the population.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Double your population, I know. - I just can't get over the thought
0:04:18 > 0:04:21that you've got 20,000 men stationed at a huge military base
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- but there's no infrastructure here. - Exactly.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Moving personnel and equipment and machinery and ammunitions
0:04:28 > 0:04:31into a base to readily defend it, particularly World War I,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33would've been very difficult.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38The fleet was defended with gun emplacements,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42concrete bunkers, minefields and submarine nets.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Unfortunately, not quite so much thought was given to home comforts
0:04:49 > 0:04:51for the troops stationed here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The steps here lead up to what would've been
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- the old accommodation camp here. - Uh-huh.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- With men billeted in huts on either side of this path.- That's correct.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Would've been a busy little track back in those days, I imagine.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Yeah, a very busy location.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It was quite difficult coming to the north of Scotland here
0:05:08 > 0:05:11to be in cold weather, freezing and nothing to do.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14And to keep their morale up, they did as much as they could
0:05:14 > 0:05:17to keep them entertained with different sports and activities.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21In 1917, a boxing match took place here on Flotta
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and 10,000 troops surrounded this boxing arena.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- It's like a rock concert... - That's right, exactly.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- ..numbers, isn't it?- Exactly.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38A cinema was also built and theatre performances took place.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41There was even a royal visit to boost morale
0:05:41 > 0:05:45when King George V visited the island in 1915.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49By all accounts,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52the locals did much to make their guests feel welcome,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55from cooking hearty meals to darning their socks
0:05:55 > 0:05:59and many homesick squaddies testified to the kindness
0:05:59 > 0:06:01of the Flotta folk.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06These defences proved effective on two occasions
0:06:06 > 0:06:08during the First World War,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11when German U-boats were detected and sunk
0:06:11 > 0:06:13while attempting to enter the harbour.
0:06:14 > 0:06:1725 years later, during World War II,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20preparations had to be made for attack
0:06:20 > 0:06:22from both the sea and the air.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Crucial to these defences was this building that faces out to sea.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- It's a bit of a warren in here, isn't it?- It is.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Looks like a rabbit warren, full of defences.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- So what's this, then? - What we are currently standing in is
0:06:44 > 0:06:47a coast defence battery gun placement.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Would've been a gun in here?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- A gun would've been mounted on this position below us.- Yeah.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And it was called a twin 6-pounder,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57an armoured position with two guns that would fire,
0:06:57 > 0:06:58bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Range of those was about 5,000 yards,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08right across the southern approaches to Scapa Flow.
0:07:08 > 0:07:105,000... That's about three miles, isn't it?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Yeah, just under 2.93 miles to be exact.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18So any boat going in or leaving Scapa Flow
0:07:18 > 0:07:20- would have to pass these guns.- Yes.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27The gun itself would move around on the position here below us.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29So the gun would've been able to swivel around here.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32This track here that's heading around, looks like a railway line,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35it's for a munitions trolley to follow the gun.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So, a fast rate of fire against quick-moving targets.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39To back us up,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41you've got the other gun batteries at the other side.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Wouldn't do you any good to get caught in the crossfire, would it?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Definitely not, you'd be in serious trouble.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48This whole headland is just scattered
0:07:48 > 0:07:50with the remains of war, isn't it?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Everywhere you look, it shows you how much of a busy base
0:07:53 > 0:07:56it would've been here in the First and Second World Wars.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's hard to imagine though, isn't it?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It's very quiet today but, yes, thousands of personnel here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04After the war,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Flotta and its community returned to the more peaceful pastime
0:08:07 > 0:08:09of crofting.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18The main settlement here on Flotta is called Whome, spelt W-H-O-M-E.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21At least that's how I think it's pronounced.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23"Whom," "Home," "Hume,"
0:08:23 > 0:08:27I don't know but I'll soon find out because I'm about to meet a man
0:08:27 > 0:08:32for whom Whome has been a home from Whome for generations.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Ironically, given how much oil comes through this island every day,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42this is Flotta's only petrol station.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51It's also where you'll find the only shop,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54which is a bit like a Wild West trading post,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57selling all manner of useful stuff.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59It's run by David Sinclair,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02who has lived through lots of changes on this island.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Were you born here, David?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I was indeed.
0:09:06 > 0:09:0781 years ago.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09So you are a Flottarian through and through.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Absolutely.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15David's collection of photographs documents how the discovery
0:09:15 > 0:09:20of North Sea oil in the 1970s transformed Flotta.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It was deemed to be the perfect site for a terminal
0:09:25 > 0:09:27where the crude oil could be piped to shore.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32During the construction of the terminal,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- we had 1,000 men actually living on the island.- Oh, right.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Those were your boom years. - That was the boom years.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Brought a lot of money into the island.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47Workers camps were built to deal with Flotta's increased population.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50And according to David, it was a lively place.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- We took the Post Office to the camp. - Uh-huh.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Because men were paid on Thursday.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01They had four different bars.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Thursday night was cabaret night.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07So we used to get some class acts here then,
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Boxcar Willie,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12They're on a celebrity circuit,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14they must've been looking forward to coming to Flotta.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I'm sure they were.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Big names may no longer play Flotta
0:10:20 > 0:10:23but for a visitor stocking up on supplies,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26there's no better place to come than David's shop.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29David, you have got a veritable Aladdin's Cave of a shop here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31It's an emporium, it's not a shop.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's an emporium, I do beg your pardon.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Can I just purchase these four candles?
0:10:37 > 0:10:38Thank you very much indeed.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40A pleasure doing business with you, sir.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Thanks very much, David.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I'm leaving Flotta and heading back across Scapa Flow
0:10:52 > 0:10:56and north to my next destination, Stronsay.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03I've been drawn here by tales of huge beasts,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06witches and the north's most notorious pirate,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Patrick Fea.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12He used Stronsay for raids on passing ships.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16By all accounts, Patrick Fea the pirate
0:11:16 > 0:11:18was a warlike and bellicose man
0:11:18 > 0:11:21who liked nothing better than a good fight.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25In fact, he seems to have found an excuse to punch just about everyone
0:11:25 > 0:11:27on this otherwise peaceful island
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and he was so disliked that eventually,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34he and his entire family were chased out of Stronsay.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Around 350 people live here
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and while Stronsay may be just seven miles long,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47its coastline offers much to explore.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52With hidden bays and rocky reefs, in fact, it's the perfect place
0:11:52 > 0:11:56for me to try the very modern pastime of geocaching.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03Now, geocaching is a sort of 21st-century treasure hunt,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07using a map and GPS data.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The object of the exercise is to try and find caches
0:12:10 > 0:12:12that have been hidden in the landscape.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17Now, I've been told that on Stronsay there are 13 of these caches.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I've got a map and a GPS so let the hunt begin.
0:12:23 > 0:12:2665368...
0:12:26 > 0:12:2827151.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31A geocache is a modern treasure trove,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36usually a plastic container full of goodies left by other hunters.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41And millions of them are hidden all over the world.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45My geocache should be to the north of here.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46'I just need to find one
0:12:46 > 0:12:50'and it's somewhere along this coast.'
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Ah, now, this looks promising.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54This could be...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56We're in luck!
0:12:58 > 0:13:02What have we got? What have we got?
0:13:02 > 0:13:03An empty hole.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05How disappointing.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12'Fortunately, geocaches are often placed close to sites
0:13:12 > 0:13:14'of special significance.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18'And in this case, it's near the Well of Kildinguie,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22'a natural spring of holy water, somewhere along the shore.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's got to be around here somewhere.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"A metre square stone on the foreshore."
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Well, there are plenty of metre square stones
0:13:30 > 0:13:34but none that have any inscriptions on them, as far as I can see.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Difficult business...
0:13:37 > 0:13:39..this geocaching.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Ah! I've found it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Look.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50"JL."
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The geocache should be very close to here,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and according to this little device, it's up the bank.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59'Now, spoiler alert,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02'I'm trying not to reveal my exact location
0:14:02 > 0:14:06'but if you are planning to do a bit of Stronsay geocaching,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'you might want to look away now.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:11..27151.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Aha!
0:14:12 > 0:14:14I think I found it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19My very first geocache in a little Tupperware box.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Covered in bird poo. Urgh! Excrement.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26What have we got inside? Some real treasures here.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31We've got a plastic duck and...
0:14:31 > 0:14:32a torch.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Well, I think I'm going to have to write something illuminating
0:14:36 > 0:14:37in the wee booklet.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43"I came to Stronsay on a beautiful day
0:14:43 > 0:14:49"and found the geocache with complete ease."
0:14:51 > 0:14:54OK, that's not completely true.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58In fact, my efforts have left me a bit leg weary.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'Now, what are the chances of getting a taxi around here?'
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Taxi!
0:15:05 > 0:15:06'Well, well.'
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- You're a taxi?- I am indeed. - Excellent.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14'My saviour is the island's only cabbie,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17'the appropriately named Don Peace.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Now, I've heard that Stronsay folk have got a nickname,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24in fact, a lot of the islands around here have got nicknames.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25What's the Stronsay nickname?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Limpets.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- So you're called limpets? - We're limpets, yeah, yeah.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32- Do you know why you're called limpets?- No, I really don't know.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37No-one really knows where the name comes from,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39some say it's because limpets
0:15:39 > 0:15:42were once part of the staple diet of the islanders.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Others say it reflects the tenacity of Stronsay folk.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Are you a proud limpet?
0:15:47 > 0:15:48Oh, heck yeah.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Oh, yes.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- It's a beautiful island, you must enjoy living here.- Oh, yes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I'm very happy here.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57But I'm guessing that as a taxi driver,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00you must know the island like the back of your hand, Don.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Oh, yes, yes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03There's another place I need to visit
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and that's called the Mermaid's Chair.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- The Mermaid's Chair. - Do know that one?- Not really.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Were mermaids a big thing on Stronsay, in years gone by?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- I've not met one yet. - You've not met one?- No, no.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- Well, I live in hope.- Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20'Don and I managed to figure out roughly where he needs to drop me.'
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Thanks very much, Don. I'll let you know if I see a mermaid.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25Cheers.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31So I set off on my path into the dark and mysterious world
0:16:31 > 0:16:33of Orkney myth.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Like all islands,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40the sea plays a big part in the folklore of Stronsay
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and stories abound of alluring humanlike sea creatures.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50One common Orcadian legend is that of the selkie.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56These seductive creatures look like seals
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and shed their skin to reveal a human form.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04They can be male or female
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and many tales tell of amorous relationships with islanders.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But it never ends well.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17The selkie pulls back on its sealskin
0:17:17 > 0:17:19and returns home to the ocean depths.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24But I'm not looking for a selkie,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I am on the trail of an altogether more malevolent creature,
0:17:28 > 0:17:29a storm witch.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35This rock formation is the Mermaid's Chair
0:17:35 > 0:17:38where legend has it mermaids would sit,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41combing their hair and gazing out to sea.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46But this chair was also the perch from which a local woman
0:17:46 > 0:17:48would cast her evil spells.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Her name was Scota Bess.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55She was a local witch, accused of raising up sea fogs
0:17:55 > 0:17:59and phantom ships and luring sailors to their doom.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03But she got a dreadful comeuppance because a group of islanders
0:18:03 > 0:18:07banded together and beat her to death with clubs,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09dipped in holy water.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Scota Bess's death was an act of violence that's hard to imagine
0:18:15 > 0:18:17on this peaceful island.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19But she may have had the last laugh.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25It's said that repeated attempts to bury her body were foiled because
0:18:25 > 0:18:29every time her exhumed cadaver was discovered the following morning.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36But not all of this island's folklore can be dismissed
0:18:36 > 0:18:39as mere superstition.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Hi, John.- Yes, hello! - Nice to meet you.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45I've come to the cliffs of Rothiesholm to meet John Stevenson,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50to hear about a mysterious creature of gigantic proportions
0:18:50 > 0:18:54that was washed up here and remains an enigma to this day.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It became known as the Stronsay Beast.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00So, John, this is where the Stronsay Beast was found, was it?
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- That's right. Yeah, yeah. - When was that?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05September 1808.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- Head was on that rock there.- Uh-huh.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09See where that white bird is there?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- On this reef?- Yeah, on that reef, it goes up that way.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15So it had been washed ashore onto the rocks,
0:19:15 > 0:19:16so it was actually on the rock itself.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yeah, it was up on the rock.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Its...
0:19:20 > 0:19:23belly was up on the rock and its head was down and its tail
0:19:23 > 0:19:25just on that rock.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Who found it?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- John Peace.- John Peace?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Aye, he was actually a fisherman.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32A crofter fisherman.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36He noticed the birds circling, the white mass and things like that.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41He went up, he thought it was a whale.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43- So he rode in here...- So, he... - ..to have a look.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Yeah, he rode in along here and when he came to it,
0:19:46 > 0:19:47he said it was no whale.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50THEY LAUGH
0:19:50 > 0:19:52What did it look like?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Well, it was just a great long thing, he said, with a neck 15 feet.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Long, a head like a serpent,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01and a long tail, the same,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04a kind of thin tail, like a lizard's tail.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- So it was really long, then. - Oh, long, yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- 55 feet long altogether. - 55 feet long?
0:20:10 > 0:20:11Yeah. Well, that's enormous.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Yes, it is enormous.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16So I imagine it must have caused something of a sensation
0:20:16 > 0:20:18amongst the folk here on Stronsay.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Oh, yes, a lot of folk were excited about it, I think.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Would people have come to the clifftop here...
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- Oh, I think...- ..and looked down at the beast?- Yes.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I'm just really intrigued about the size of this beast
0:20:27 > 0:20:31because 55 feet is some length, I've got a tape measure here.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33'Based on the eyewitness accounts,
0:20:33 > 0:20:38'the Natural History Society declared it to be a new species
0:20:38 > 0:20:40'and called it Halsydrus Pontoppidani
0:20:40 > 0:20:44or Water Snake of the Sea.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And this is going to be 30 feet.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'But some experts claimed it was nothing more
0:20:50 > 0:20:52'than a decomposing basking shark.'
0:20:52 > 0:20:53Good grief.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55'Maybe.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59'But the largest basking shark ever caught was a mere 40 feet.'
0:20:59 > 0:21:03This is a huge beast, look at that, that's 55 feet!
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Yeah, that's what it is.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07- That's enormous.- Yeah, that's...
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- There's no way that was a shark. - No.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15But we may not have heard the last of the Stronsay Beast.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Incredibly, some fragments of the creature's vertebrae still exist
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and with modern DNA testing,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25the mystery may well be solved once and for all.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29What do you think? I mean, you're a fisherman,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31you've been out in the sea, you've seen a lot of strange fish.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Oh, I think there are some sea serpent.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Do you think there are such things as sea serpents?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Oh, I think there may be, aye. There may be, aye.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Well, the sea is a deep and mysterious place.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Yeah, it is, it is.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Putting tales of gruesome sea monsters behind me,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I'm heading to my final destination of this grand tour,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54the island of Sanday is just a half hour ferry crossing
0:21:54 > 0:21:55to the north.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05About 500 people live on Sanday, which the Vikings named
0:22:05 > 0:22:10because Sanday is, well, a very sandy island.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Long before the Vikings arrived here,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18an even earlier culture lived on this island.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Very little is known about these Neolithic people
0:22:22 > 0:22:25who left scant evidence of their existence.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29But here on the shore at Quoyness,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31is a chambered cairn
0:22:31 > 0:22:36believed to be built an incredible 5,000 years ago.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Made of loose stone, it's put together without the use of mortar,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44in fact, the only thing holding it up is gravity.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Let's see how gravity is doing from the inside.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54They must've been very small people in those days
0:22:54 > 0:22:56to get into such a small...
0:22:56 > 0:22:58cramped space.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00And it's horribly muddy in here as well.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Urgh.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's definitely not for the claustrophobic in here.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14Here we are.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Inside the tomb.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Wow, this is certainly a much bigger space in here
0:23:22 > 0:23:24than I imagined from outside.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26It stretches up to the ceiling
0:23:26 > 0:23:29four or five metres above the ground.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And the stonework is absolutely exquisite.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Every single piece has been very carefully placed
0:23:37 > 0:23:40to create this space for the dead.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43And down here we've got these stone door lintels
0:23:43 > 0:23:45that leads into side chambers
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and it was in here, back in the 19th century
0:23:48 > 0:23:51when the place was excavated for the first time,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55that they discovered the bones of several adults and children.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58So this is really a place to be respected.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09Quoyness cairn is a striking monument to a now forgotten people.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Further down the road, in the village of Lady,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I'm paying a visit to a couple who have gone to some length
0:24:16 > 0:24:20to ensure that the traditional Sanday way of life
0:24:20 > 0:24:22is remembered by future generations.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- Ah.- Come in, come in to our hoose.- Hey.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- Jim.- Hello.- Hi. Nice to meet you. - Come in.- Rona.- Welcome.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30- It's nice to meet you.- Welcome.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32A lovely wee house you've got here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36This is Jim and Rona Towrie's labour of love.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Together, with a band of volunteers,
0:24:39 > 0:24:45they spent many months painstakingly restoring this once abandoned croft.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48It was just an old ruined house, it belonged to the island,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- we just asked if we could use it as a croft museum.- Mm-hm.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54We did the whole thing in the winter with voluntary labour.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56It looks fantastic.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02And the transformation has been nothing short of astounding.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Now, this is a but and ben? - Yeah.- What does that actually mean?
0:25:16 > 0:25:21This is but end, this is kitchen or living room.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23The part where they'd have the cooking and washing.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And this is a box bed, yeah, a little box bed in each room.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- There were often 13 children in a family.- 13 children?- Yeah.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32In a two room house?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35If they were a big family, they might have had a shelf...
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- made it almost like... - Like a bunk bed.- Like a bunk bed.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42So you could stack all the kids up.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44You've got the fire on over here, I see.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46A couple of pairs of socks hanging up to dry,
0:25:46 > 0:25:47Auntie's bloomers drying.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50- But this is where you cooked as well?- Yes. Mm-hm.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54All their cooking would've been done in that little stove, no oven.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So, how would you have made bread in those days?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03They didn't have bread, they had bannocks.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04- On the girdle?- On the girdle, yes.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Right.- Like a scone.- Uh-huh.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- They would've had fish...- Uh-huh. - ..fresh fish or crabs.- Uh-huh.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Maybe even an odd lobster.- Mm-hm.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Swordfish all winter.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16They were very self-sufficient, really.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21- Their own coo for milk and butter and cheese...- Uh-huh.- Eggs.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23And they were growing their own vegetables
0:26:23 > 0:26:26so they would have quite a healthy living.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Come away ben.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31So come away ben, through the hoose...
0:26:31 > 0:26:33to the best room in the house.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I suppose this is where you'd have all your fine possessions
0:26:36 > 0:26:37- on display.- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- Including this very fine organ, I have to say.- Yes.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42So that was your entertainment of a winter's evening.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Yes, there would've been sing-alongs to that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48And they would've been sitting round the fire here on a winter's night,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51the women would've been knitting or spinning.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Jim and Rona have managed to give a real sense
0:26:54 > 0:26:57of what life must've been like for crofting folk here.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Much of that is down to their own island childhood,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05spent in homes just like this.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09So this is really quite a familiar surroundings?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Yes.- Oh, yes, very much so.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Well, it's very like the house I was brought up in.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18And then we asked people if they had things that they could give
0:27:18 > 0:27:19to make it look 100 years old.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I thought it was a mangle but it's actually a washing machine.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23No, it's a washing machine.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- It was for their tweed clothes...- Right.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27..that there were a lot of in those days.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Was that the thought behind it,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- to show people what it was like back then?- Yes.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36And the young people, the future generations see what life was like.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39That's the most important thing, to keep our traditions alive.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50It's time to move on to my final destination,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52the Holms of Ire,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57two islands with an angry sounding name and a fearsome reputation.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02Over the centuries, the rocks have wrought havoc on passing shipping
0:28:02 > 0:28:06but there's a more peaceful side to this place that I've come to find.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10This ruin is all that's left of the tiny chapel
0:28:10 > 0:28:12dedicated to St Columba
0:28:12 > 0:28:15who was known as the dove of the Celtic Church.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16And actually it dates from a time
0:28:16 > 0:28:21before the Vikings invaded Orkney at the point of a sword.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25So I think this is an appropriate place for me to end
0:28:25 > 0:28:27my grand tour in the north.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35My next grand tour is the last in the series
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and takes me to some of the remotest islands in Europe.