0:00:06 > 0:00:09On the edge of the Atlantic lies a world of rock and water.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Wind-scoured and rugged, yet full of grace and beauty.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Exposed to a restless ocean and Europe's wildest weather,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42the animals of these islands face challenge after challenge.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54For a year, we'll follow life in this magical
0:00:54 > 0:00:57but unpredictable place...
0:01:07 > 0:01:09..revealing secret lives...
0:01:12 > 0:01:13..and mysterious worlds...
0:01:25 > 0:01:26..rarely seen...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32..and never filmed here before.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Here, on Scotland's wild west coast.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Here, in The Hebrides.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Like the twin walls of a fortress, the islands of the Hebrides
0:02:15 > 0:02:18stand as Europe's final frontier against the Atlantic Ocean.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Each island has its own special character.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42But those at the southern tip of the chain
0:02:42 > 0:02:45are the most contrasting of all.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50The fertile whisky island of Islay.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Mountainous Jura.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01And the gentle twin islands of Colonsay and Oronsay.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's early September in the Hebrides
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and the wheel of the seasons is turning.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Huge migratory basking sharks still feed on plankton
0:03:39 > 0:03:41close to the islands.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46But soon they'll move on.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Only the toughest will survive
0:03:55 > 0:03:58what autumn is about to throw at the islands on the edge.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26For young animals facing an independent life,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28it's a testing time.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30BIRDSONG
0:04:34 > 0:04:37On Islay, there's a restless mood amongst the swallows
0:04:37 > 0:04:40that have spent summer nesting in the whisky distilleries.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Newly-fledged birds line up on the wires ready to leave
0:04:49 > 0:04:52for their wintering grounds in Africa, but deep inside the store,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56one last nest is still occupied.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12While the ancient art of whisky-making
0:05:12 > 0:05:17carries on at its gentle pace, the adults rush to feed up their chicks.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21CHICKS CHIRRUP
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Swallows eat insects, and the supply is already dwindling
0:05:26 > 0:05:27as the summer ends.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39If there's a sudden cold snap, there'll be no food at all
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and the chicks could starve,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44so they must get out of the nest and head south as soon as they can.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49The weather is already unsettled, and worse is on the way.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52THUNDER RUMBLES
0:06:04 > 0:06:07On the coast nearby, independence is also looming for a young otter.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21At one year old, this cub is still dependant on his mother.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But he's fully grown and like a stay-at-home teenager,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35his welcome is wearing thin.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Otter cubs may stay with their mother for up to 18 months,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50sharing food and sleeping quarters.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57But if the female comes into season, the youngster will be pushed out.
0:07:08 > 0:07:09There's a stranger on the scene.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22It's a mature dog otter, with a distinctive kinked tail.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Boldly fishing in the family patch,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33he shows his full length as he swims to shore.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45He knows there's a female here. He can smell her.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56He's searching for her everywhere.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11The cub has spotted the intruder.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21He's terrified. Territorial males will try to kill cubs,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24so there's real danger for him.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The cub can't let him out of his sight.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44If his mother chooses to mate with the male,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46he'll be completely on his own.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03The female has joined the male and the pair swim off together.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11For a year this cub has relied on his mother to guide him to food,
0:09:11 > 0:09:16help him shelter from storms and protect him from other otters.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20For the first time in his life, he's alone...
0:09:21 > 0:09:25..and the most dangerous time of the year has arrived.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28THUNDER RUMBLES
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Weather changes fast here on the islands on the edge.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Parts of the Inner Hebrides get over three metres of rain in a year.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48When it rains here, it really rains.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02These are dreadful conditions for young swallows.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06But the nest is empty.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14CHICKS CHIRRUP
0:10:26 > 0:10:29They're safe. The chicks have fledged
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and moved into the washback room,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34the place where the barley mash ferments into alcohol.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The chicks are uncertain of their powers of flight.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58They're reluctant to leave the companionship of the family
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and constantly snuggle up to each other...
0:11:04 > 0:11:09..reassured by the close contact that always defined their world.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31One chick is growing in confidence and, encouraged by the calls
0:11:31 > 0:11:35of the adults, makes tentative forays towards the ceiling.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45This is a very dangerous time.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50A mistake now could mean the end of a very short life.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15The other three huddle together,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17still missing the security of the nest.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26But they must leave Islay soon
0:12:26 > 0:12:29or face certain starvation as the cold weather sweeps in.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42If they're lucky, they'll return to the distillery in eight months
0:12:42 > 0:12:47to raise their own broods, a return trip of 12,000 miles.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Back in the store, casks of whisky sleep on...
0:13:01 > 0:13:03..maturing for ten generations of swallows
0:13:03 > 0:13:06before being declared ready.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Each year 2% of the spirit disappears through evaporation.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It's called the angel's share.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Just like miniature angels...
0:13:29 > 0:13:31..the swallows are gone...
0:13:33 > 0:13:35..melting into the clear blue sky.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47They've made it out of the distillery just in time.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50THUNDER RUMBLES
0:13:52 > 0:13:56The wind that sends them safely on their way is bringing change.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11High above the three great mountains of Jura, the clouds are brewing.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24The first big autumn storm is here.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37In the Sound of Islay, the waters pick up pace.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Soon, the racing flood tide will combine with the wind,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48making the sea into a force to be reckoned with.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Even the lifeboat turns and starts heading for home.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19The weather is blowing straight in from the Atlantic.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24There's nothing between Islay and America
0:15:24 > 0:15:27but 3,000 miles of wild sea.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53At least young swans can follow their parents...
0:15:58 > 0:16:01..but the young otter is completely alone.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07To keep himself alive he must master fishing,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09even in these wild conditions.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Without his mother's experience to guide him,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16the decisions he makes now are critical.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Many young otters die in their first winter.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24This is the supreme challenge.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43He's passed his first big test.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46BIRDS CRY
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's been a serious storm.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59The waves have pulped the seaweed and whisked it into foam.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But although the winds are dropping,
0:17:08 > 0:17:14there's more bad weather in store for the islands on the edge.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Storms and tides in mid-September are some of biggest of the year.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39Beneath the waves, the ferocious tidal flows are good news.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Here, beyond the curtains of kelp, is a remarkable world
0:17:55 > 0:17:57of creatures who depend on the movement
0:17:57 > 0:17:59of the tide to keep them alive.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14A squat lobster can search for food,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17but most creatures here are firmly anchored to the rock.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27These are dead man's fingers - a type of soft coral.
0:18:29 > 0:18:35Each colony is made up of hundreds of tiny animals called polyps.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40The movements of the tide are critical for these animals
0:18:40 > 0:18:44as they filter plankton from the water streaming past.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53But corals have enemies.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58A sea slug.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13This miniature predator eats soft coral polyps.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33The fingers, however, have a neat trick.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43All the polyps are connected by a primitive net of nerves,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and they retract as one.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09The tide has turned.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It's picking up pace.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Soon the beaches here on the Isle of Oronsay
0:20:36 > 0:20:40will be completely submerged by the highest tide of the year.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52SEAL ROARS
0:21:01 > 0:21:05SEAL ROARS
0:21:11 > 0:21:15The grey seal pupping season has started.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18There are new babies everywhere,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21suckling on some of the richest milk in the world.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27BIRD CRIES
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This is a dangerous place to be born.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The seals are packed close together on the beach.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42SEAL ROARS
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Mothers will attack pups that don't smell like their own,
0:21:50 > 0:21:51and fight viciously.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56SEALS ROAR
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Newborn pups don't know how to swim.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Usually they won't enter the water until they're three weeks old,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36but today the tide'll reach so far up the beach,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38they'll need to learn very quickly.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Some mothers are already showing their pups how to swim.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54But they're too young to cope.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13A fight breaks out in the water between two females,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and both pups are at risk of being caught in the crossfire.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21SEALS ROAR
0:23:29 > 0:23:33One mother and pup struggle back to the beach,
0:23:33 > 0:23:38but the other baby is exhausted by being in the water.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40It's just two days old.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42It must rest.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Today's tide will be the highest of the year
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and the pup is completely unprepared for what's to come.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10The water is still rising.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Rocks which are usually safe resting places will soon be underwater.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26The mother seal has made a serious mistake.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The rising tide is now funnelling a huge volume of water
0:24:42 > 0:24:46through the narrow gap between the islands of Jura and Scarba.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56This is the legendary Corryvreckan -
0:24:56 > 0:24:58the "Hag's Cauldron."
0:25:05 > 0:25:08A place reserved for the most dedicated thrill seekers.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19As the tidal flow is squeezed between the islands,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22the seabed suddenly plunges into a cavernous hole...
0:25:25 > 0:25:26..300 metres down.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48The water then surges up and hammers into a rock pinnacle
0:25:48 > 0:25:50just below the surface.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39The turbulent water,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43supercharged by the highest tide of the year,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47is now on a direct course to Oronsay and the seal family.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16They have no choice but to sit it out.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The mother rolls on one side,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30trying to shield her pup,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31but it mistakes the cue
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and moves in to suckle.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47The pup is just hanging on.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49If it's swept away, it could drown.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05There's nothing the mother can do to help her baby now.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Its only hope is to swim back to the beach alone.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08The pup is safe at last,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and now it can enjoy the most satisfying feed of its life.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Autumn is turning out to be very wet this year in the Inner Hebrides.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44On the Isle of Rum, 60 miles north of Oronsay,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47this is having some surprising consequences.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53STAG ROARS
0:29:56 > 0:30:00At this time of year, female red deer, called hinds,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03should be coming into season,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06triggering the annual mating contest known as the rut.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09DEER BLEAT
0:30:12 > 0:30:15But the wet weather has set everything back.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25So although the stags are pumped up with testosterone
0:30:25 > 0:30:26and desperate to mate...
0:30:28 > 0:30:30..not a single hind is ready for them.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Now, as the weather finally improves,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52things are about to change.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Astonishingly though, each hind will only be in season for one hour.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08If the stags are to mate with them,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12they'll need to be in exactly the right place at the right moment.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23From now on, the tension will build.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39WIND WHISTLES
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Nothing defines the weather of the Inner Hebrides more than the wind.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Gusts of 60 miles per hour are common in summer.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And now, at the turning point of the year,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00they can reach 100.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Now, at the beginning of autumn, the winds turn to the north,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24bringing long-distance travellers to Islay's Loch Gruinart...
0:32:53 > 0:32:54Whooper swans.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03They've flown direct from their breeding grounds in Iceland -
0:33:03 > 0:33:05nearly 1,000 kilometres away.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18The youngsters of these families
0:33:18 > 0:33:20have made the journey for the first time.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Their feet haven't touched the ground
0:33:27 > 0:33:29since they left Iceland more than 40 hours ago.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Islay is the very limit of what they can manage in a single flight.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53They need to rest.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03The swans are in transit,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06heading for wintering grounds further south.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11But their travelling companions will stay much longer...
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Barnacle geese.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54More than 40,000 of these geese have travelled from Greenland
0:34:54 > 0:34:58to spend autumn and winter on the rich farmland here.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10The island offers them a haven.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12There are no ground predators like foxes here.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18But they seem edgy.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37It's a false alarm.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45A buzzard is too small to pose a threat to these geese.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54But bigger birds of prey will hunt them...
0:35:59 > 0:36:01..and this is an island of eagles.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13There are at least ten pairs of golden eagles on Islay,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16and recently the even larger white-tailed eagle
0:36:16 > 0:36:18has taken up residence here.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34The flocks of geese are a great potential food supply.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37They'll need to be on their guard at all times.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49High above the cliffs on the south coast of Islay
0:36:49 > 0:36:51stands a lonely monument.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02It commemorates the sinking of two American troop ships in 1918...
0:37:05 > 0:37:07..the Tuscania and the Otranto.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14600 lives were lost in these disasters,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17as men were drowned or dashed on the jagged rocks.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27These treacherous waters have claimed many victims over the years.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33There are hundreds of wrecks around Islay.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42But new life has sprung from these tragedies.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51The rusting ribs and hulls
0:37:51 > 0:37:54provide a home for many plants and animals.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05They are man-made reefs.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Crabs take up residence in the nooks and crannies,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22while shoals of pollack patrol the ship's skeleton.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40The wreck is a perfect home for these relatives of the cod.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48They're predators searching for smaller fish to ambush
0:38:48 > 0:38:50in the decaying chambers of the ship.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Wrasse are quick to rush for cover.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07The decaying plates of the stern pulsate with life.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Hundreds of anemones sit alongside the jewel-like cup coral.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Barnacles cover the hull of the ship.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35These tiny relatives of crabs and lobsters
0:39:35 > 0:39:40beat their feathery legs to draw passing plankton into their shells.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Being anchored to the wreck gives them extra height
0:39:47 > 0:39:49above the seabed and access to more food.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Everywhere, new life springs from death and destruction.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06These ferocious seas nurture as well as destroy.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Dawn breaks on Islay.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42The barnacle geese are roosting on the mud flats of Loch Indaal,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46still recovering from their marathon flight.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02But they must feed, and as the sun rises,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05the flocks will spread out across the island.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21There are killers about.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36White-tailed eagles.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52With so many geese in the air, the eagles can't single one out.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00Hooded crows join the melee.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22There's been a kill.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26One of the eagles has brought a goose down.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39They fight over the spoils on the rapidly emptying mud flats.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03DEER BLEAT
0:43:09 > 0:43:13In Scots Gaelic, October is called "an Damhair" -
0:43:13 > 0:43:14"the roaring time".
0:43:29 > 0:43:33On Rum, the first hinds are finally coming into season.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45Their scent pulls in stags from miles around.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51At last, the rut can begin.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20But the rules of this mating game are complex.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23It's not won by muscle and brute force alone.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29The hinds are attracted by the deepest and most powerful roars,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33but they also need males to treat them sensitively,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35or they'll choose a different stag.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47The master of Rum's Kilmory Glen holds the best patch
0:44:47 > 0:44:49with the lushest grass.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56It's attracted a large group of hinds.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Across the river, which marks the border of the master's domain,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07another stag watches and waits.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19He's older - this year's rut might be his last.
0:45:21 > 0:45:26The older stag's side of the river is rougher with less grass.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30It's harder for him to hang onto the hinds.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Attracted by the master's roar
0:45:33 > 0:45:38and the sweeter grazing across the water, they just keep slipping away.
0:45:57 > 0:45:58For the old stag to mate,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01he must cross the river and fight the master.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16If the risk pays off and he wins, he could father many calves.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Staying put means he'll probably father none.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Another hind slips away across the river...
0:46:45 > 0:46:47..but the old stag chooses not to follow her.
0:46:51 > 0:46:52It could be a wise decision.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00The master is constantly fighting off other stags
0:47:00 > 0:47:02and will start to tire.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19The old stag will stand a better chance of winning
0:47:19 > 0:47:21if he waits for exactly the right moment.
0:47:57 > 0:48:02"The geese will tell it in autumn" runs a Gaelic saying,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05and now the whole of Islay rings with their cries.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44They've found an unexpected treat in the form of barley.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56This autumn has been so wet,
0:48:56 > 0:49:00the farmers couldn't harvest the whole crop, so some of the grain
0:49:00 > 0:49:02destined for the whiskey distilleries
0:49:02 > 0:49:04is now feeding the birds.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21The lush farmland of Islay is the reason that the island
0:49:21 > 0:49:24is so special for wildlife.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41It's the best place in the Hebrides for raising cattle and sheep.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48And because most of the farming here is gentle and low-intensity,
0:49:48 > 0:49:51there's plenty of space and surplus food for wildlife.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Flocks of twite, declining in the rest of Britain,
0:50:05 > 0:50:09make a great living here from what gets spilt and left over.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Mid-autumn is a key point in the sheep-farmers' year
0:50:21 > 0:50:24as the flocks head for the October stock sale.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34Buyers travel from across Britain to bid for the season's fattened lambs
0:50:34 > 0:50:39and despite all the rain, they're looking in prime condition.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09It's a great social occasion for the island too and there's a real buzz.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Even the smallest lamb always finds a buyer.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH
0:51:34 > 0:51:37And the celebrations will carry on deep into the night.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18At dawn on the Isle of Rum, the old stag is making his move.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31A hind has come into season on the master's side of the river.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34He's finally decided to cross into enemy territory.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51The master is fighting another stag on the hill.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53This could be the old stag's chance.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00But his decision may come with a heavy cost.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04If he's injured, he may not survive the winter.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10This may be the last chance to overthrow his rival and breed.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14He's staking everything on this challenge.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25The master sees off the stag on the hill,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27but he's heard the old stag's roars.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Fights can be won or lost by the tiniest error,
0:53:54 > 0:53:57so every clash and parry is critical.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07The old stag is pushed back, the master has the advantage.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26The old stag gives it his last supreme effort.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33An antler in the eye would deter many stags, but not the master.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44The master moves in to attack...
0:54:46 > 0:54:47..but he slips.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52And the old stag pushes home his advantage...
0:54:53 > 0:54:56..goring the master deeply in his side.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Badly wounded, the master retreats.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36It's all over for him.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43There is a new ruler in Kilmory Glen and he's won all the hinds.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49The defeated master withdraws to recover.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54He'll have to wait until next year before trying again.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09It's been the wettest, stormiest autumn for many years
0:56:09 > 0:56:11in the inner Hebrides.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19But life here is adaptable and resilient.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26It has to be, in a place where the only certainty is constant change.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36On Islay, the Whooper swans are restless.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41By now they'd normally be in their wintering grounds,
0:56:41 > 0:56:45but the unharvested barley has kept them here through the whole autumn.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04But now they're leaving...
0:57:07 > 0:57:10..climbing into the slate-grey sky.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24The wheel of the seasons is turning.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30Soon autumn will become winter,
0:57:30 > 0:57:32bringing more challenges
0:57:32 > 0:57:35to the animals of these islands on the edge.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48Next time, winter becomes spring in the Hebrides.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04White-tailed eagles, the lords of the isles,
0:58:04 > 0:58:06prepare for the breeding season
0:58:06 > 0:58:09in the face of the biggest spring storm in living memory.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19The warming seas bloom with life.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23And the season reaches its climax
0:58:23 > 0:58:26with the arrival of ocean juggernauts.
0:58:35 > 0:58:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd