0:00:33 > 0:00:35It's nearing the height of the summer season
0:00:35 > 0:00:37on the tiny Scottish island of Barra,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41the most southerly inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45and the place certainly looks beautiful enough.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Arrivals and departures on the island's unusual beach airport
0:00:49 > 0:00:53attract the attention of passing visitors' coaches.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The planes can only use the beach when the tide is low,
0:00:57 > 0:00:58so it's a very unusual sight.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01But the islanders know they must develop many more activities
0:01:01 > 0:01:03for the holidaymakers
0:01:03 > 0:01:06if they are really to remain a tourist destination.
0:01:10 > 0:01:16The season's not been helped by some very unpredictable weather.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18On the quay at the main harbour at Castlebay,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21they're getting ready for the biggest event of the summer,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24the Outdoor Fishermen's Mass,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27when the whole community gathers to pray for the fishermen,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and they're desperate for some sun.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35In such a small, interdependent community,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37everyone here seems to rely on everyone else.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The Fishermen's Mass is also a big opportunity
0:01:40 > 0:01:43for Sheila, Barra's only ice cream lady.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48She's hoping to sell more of her home-made ice cream today
0:01:48 > 0:01:51than any other day of the year,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55but poor weather could cut her potential earnings by half.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I got up this morning and it was really awful.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00It's cold as well as being damp.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03- Are you ever tempted not to bother? - No.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08No, I have gone out with ice cream in horrendous conditions,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10with a gale and the rain pouring in
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and the cones falling over and collapsing.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17- So you're going to go down there, come what may?- Yes.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It's the one big day in Barra, makes you part of the scene,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23the fabric of the island.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25You're part of the community.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Fishing still generates
0:02:30 > 0:02:34more employment on Barra than anything else.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38And this is a chance for the island to give thanks for its survival.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42But recent proposals to ban trawling in newly-created conservation areas
0:02:42 > 0:02:45around the island's coastline
0:02:45 > 0:02:48has made everyone jittery about the future.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So it's not just Sheila who's been living on nerves.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01The Fishermen's Mass also marks one of the busiest periods of the year
0:03:01 > 0:03:05for the Roman Catholic parish priest, Father John Paul MacKinnon.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10One of his problems is that although he looks after a small population,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14it's geographically spread far and wide.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19'Probably 1,200 on the island, but we've got many churches.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24'A number of parishioners would love for the priest to be at their church all the time,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28'but I can't split myself up, it's just physically impossible.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I just can't be everywhere at the same time.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35That's when I really, I really look for a bit of help.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39As well as the five churches on his own island of Barra,
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Father John Paul's parish extends to the next door island of Vatersay.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48There's one church and almost the entire population attend regularly.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And amazingly, there's a priest, living miles away,
0:03:51 > 0:03:56who's been coming here for years to help out whenever he can.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59I have a real good friend, a priest that I've gotten to know
0:03:59 > 0:04:01since arriving in the parish,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and he's been absolutely great in coming here
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and really giving me a helping hand and I really appreciate
0:04:07 > 0:04:10all the work that he does in helping me here in the parish.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12SIREN BLARES
0:04:12 > 0:04:16150 miles away, a different world.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The bustling metropolis of Glasgow,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and home to Father Peter Banyard.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Father Peter is a Jesuit who's agreed to be sent
0:04:26 > 0:04:29by his superiors on any mission, anywhere in the world.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34To be a Jesuit means to belong to a religious order,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36the Society of Jesus.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Most priests belong to a particular diocese.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Jesuits are worldwide.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48As a Jesuit, he works wherever he's told,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51but in his time off, he can go anywhere he wishes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56And Father Peter loves nothing more than escaping from the noise
0:04:56 > 0:04:59of the city to the wide open spaces of the Outer Hebrides.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05And in particular, the peace and tranquillity of Vatersay.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10Meanwhile on Barra, and on the main quay at Castlebay,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14the crowds are beginning to gather for the Fishermen's Mass.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16But it's still looking gloomy
0:05:16 > 0:05:20and Sheila's ice cream van seems a bit forlorn.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Today is Sea Sunday.
0:05:22 > 0:05:28I welcome you all to a Fishermen's Mass and the blessing of the boats.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Leading the ceremony is Father John Paul.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36He's all too aware of how important the fishermen are to the islands
0:05:36 > 0:05:37and how hard their lives can be.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Our fishermen face many hurdles, many obstacles in their lives.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44The quotas they try to get, the fuel prices,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49the worries about no-go areas, so many difficulties they face,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and that is why we are all united in offering our prayers, our prayers
0:05:53 > 0:05:56of support to our fishermen,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59not just today, but every day.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Then, maybe as an omen of better days ahead,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06the full sun breaks through at last.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Perfect timing for Father John Paul's traditional blessing of the boats,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14which is still taken very seriously.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Round at the back of the quay, suddenly Sheila's in business.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Here we go.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- Sun's come out.- I know.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28What a difference it makes, yes. It makes a difference to everybody.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But you're rushed off your feet.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- There's a great queue here. - Yes!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Right, who's for next?
0:06:37 > 0:06:43After being blessed, the ships proudly parade around the bay.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47For Sheila, today was always going to be much more
0:06:47 > 0:06:48than just about selling ice cream.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's just a very special day.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54The locals come down with their families. It's a real celebration
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and something the children will remember when they grow up.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's part of the culture of the island, really.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I mean, as long as Barra is Barra, it will continue to be a big day.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11- How's it gone, Sheila? - Oh, very well.- Are you pleased?- Yes!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Finally comes the highlight of the whole event,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19a poignant symbol of the past, and, many hope, of the future too.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Am I doing it properly?
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Hundreds of fresh, grilled herring
0:07:24 > 0:07:26are handed out to everyone on the quay,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30cooked in the traditional way, and washed down with free wine.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32They simply can't produce this stuff fast enough.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37It was herring that laid the foundation for Barra's original
0:07:37 > 0:07:41and highly successful fishing industry, generations ago.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Even today, if you know where to look, you can see evidence
0:07:47 > 0:07:50around Castlebay of what a huge business it was.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Islander Carrie MacNeil
0:07:52 > 0:07:55has been researching those heady days of island history.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58At university, I was looking for a topic to do for my dissertation
0:07:58 > 0:08:02and they suggested, why don't I do the herring industry in Barra?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And I didn't really know much about it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I'd heard bits and pieces about how they used to have
0:08:08 > 0:08:11a herring industry here, so I did a bit of research and I realised
0:08:11 > 0:08:14down in front of my dad's house,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17there was old wrecks of fishing boats.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23It was massive here. It was, about 500 boats would come into the bay.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- 500 boats?- 500 boats.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27They used to say you could walk from Castlebay
0:08:27 > 0:08:29over to Vatersay over the boats.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Walking on the boats?- That were in the bay.- Across the water?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35It was like a forest of masts as well.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37They used to say it was like all these,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39just like a forest in front of you.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- And this was one of them? - This was one of them, yes.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Up above the harbour is the Castlebay Hotel,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50where guests can have a rare glimpse
0:08:50 > 0:08:52of the herring industry at its height.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56I knew that there was a herring industry in Barra,
0:08:56 > 0:09:01but I didn't know the extent, how important and how big it was
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and the huge impact it did have on the island itself.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09The biggest thing it did was give employment to the local women
0:09:09 > 0:09:11on the island as well.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18This would be the remains of an old pier.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21This would be a herring curing station.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Over 1,000 people would be working at the fishing.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Which for a small island like this is absolutely massive.- It's huge.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32One of the reasons that the church was actually built
0:09:32 > 0:09:33was because of the herring industry.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35The church they had before
0:09:35 > 0:09:37was kind of bursting at the seams as it was.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40That's one of the reasons why the church is up there.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44With the support of the Island Council,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Carrie's determined to bring the extraordinary story
0:09:47 > 0:09:50of Barra's herring industry to a much wider audience.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53What started out as a simple university project
0:09:53 > 0:09:56could become a big draw to the holidaymakers
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Barra badly needs to help secure its future.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Almost exactly a year ago, Father John Paul's newest
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and youngest parishioner arrived on the islands
0:10:08 > 0:10:12to be greeted by his new grandmother, Clare MacLeod.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14He's gorgeous.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17You're just gorgeous.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Little Robbie was born in a mainland maternity hospital
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and arrived home aged just two days.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Robbie was joining one of the biggest
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and best-known families on Barra,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and at his baptism, still regarded here as a major occasion,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36he spent most of the time in the arms of his mum, Mairi,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39a well-known nurse in Barra's tiny hospital.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I baptise you in the name of the father...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46His granny Clare is only too aware
0:10:46 > 0:10:50of how privileged her new grandson is to be brought up
0:10:50 > 0:10:53in such a safe and caring community.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I think we still have the balance right here.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We live very closely with nature, and that brings a kind of calmness
0:11:01 > 0:11:07and a deep peace that you have here that you maybe wouldn't get
0:11:07 > 0:11:10somewhere else, and I think it rubs off on the kids.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Now, one year on, another important family gathering is taking place.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21- Happy birthday! - It's Robbie's first birthday.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And his dad, who like many island men
0:11:26 > 0:11:32works on the North Sea oil rigs, is back in time to supervise the food.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36He just came home last night and he was away for four weeks,
0:11:36 > 0:11:37which isn't unusual.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41It's not easy, but it's part of the way of life on the island.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43The boys speak to him on the phone
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and it's easier now with computers and things.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49You can keep in touch a lot more.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's the way we were brought up,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and it's the way the boys will be brought up.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56You just get on with it, really.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Yes, it would be good to have him home, obviously.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02It's hard going if you know
0:12:02 > 0:12:05something is going to happen when you're away.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I'm quite lucky to get the birthday, but sometimes you've got to work.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Over Christmas, New Year, things like that.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15It's quite hard to take, you know, but you've got to do it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19You've got to do it to get the pennies in.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Island men have always worked offshore.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Before the oil rigs, many left
0:12:25 > 0:12:29to travel the world with the Merchant Navy, and some still do.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34That's why Barra remains a famously matriarchal society.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37We always say that Barra's governed by strong women,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41but it's just by virtue of what the island menfolk do.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44They're away, working hard and providing for their families.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Mairi's husband works away from home,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51and both my sons go away from home for long spells.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- Dad did when we were growing up. - It's just an accepted way of life.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00It makes the homecomings all the nicer.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- Does this look anything like a train?- Yes.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07# Happy birthday to you... #
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Whilst relishing the new grandson's birthday,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14in fact Clare's mind is becoming increasingly focused
0:13:14 > 0:13:18on a much grander family celebration just around the corner.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21One of her twin sons, Lachie,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24is marrying a girl from the next-door parish, and it promises
0:13:24 > 0:13:28to be the biggest wedding of the year in this part of the world.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Clare's hoping that the family menfolk, spread far and wide,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34will all be able to get home in time.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Just off Barra's south west coastline,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47the much smaller island famed for its fabulous beaches is Vatersay.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54It has a population of less than 100 spread across a handful of crofts.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It boasts what is probably Britain's smallest post office
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and is linked to Barra by a short causeway.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09At the little church today, there's a very familiar face in charge.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Father Peter Banyard from Glasgow.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16For many years now, there's only one place he wants to be
0:14:16 > 0:14:18whenever he can get away from the city.
0:14:20 > 0:14:2640 years ago, I came up the old slipway and I saw the view
0:14:26 > 0:14:30across the bay to the beach and I just thought, this is it.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36It struck a poetical note in me.
0:14:37 > 0:14:43Then one met the people, and they were so welcoming and so friendly.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45May Almighty God have mercy on us.
0:14:45 > 0:14:52Forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56And we gather this morning in the Name of the Father,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01And the peace of the Lord be with you always.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- CONGREGATION:- And also with you.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And we offer each other a sign of that peace.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11'A very strong sense of community.'
0:15:14 > 0:15:17'People know each other and they know their families. It's lovely.'
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Father Peter is about to celebrate
0:15:19 > 0:15:23his 40th anniversary of first visiting the island.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25And he's never missed a year.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31He stays in rooms attached to the church that were built
0:15:31 > 0:15:34to house the visiting parish priest from Castlebay
0:15:34 > 0:15:37if the weather got too bad for him to get home safely.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40So why haven't you ever come to live here?
0:15:41 > 0:15:48Well, I belong to a religious order, the Jesuits, so I go where I'm told.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Father Peter loves to walk the island.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Although quite shy and self-effacing,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01the priest loves nothing better than to catch up with old friends
0:16:01 > 0:16:03who've known him for most of those 40 years.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07People like Maggie "Scraggy Aggie" MacKinnon.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- Hello. How are you?- Good morning, Father. Come in. In here.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- How are you? - I'm all right, how are you?
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Scraggy always insists that anyone calling round has a wee welcome,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24a drop of the hard stuff, even if it is only mid-morning.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Well, tell me something, would you like a wee whiskey to begin?
0:16:30 > 0:16:36- No, thanks.- Are you sure? - No, thank you.- Are you sure?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- Quite sure. Thank you very much. - She can be very persuasive.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Father, it's very, very good for you and gives you an upsurge in life.
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Oh, good.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51- Now, are you sure?- Yes. A wee drop. - You'll have a welcome now!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53A wee drop.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Plenty! Hey, hey, hey, you'll hurt me!- That's a big one, Maggie.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05I've got throwing hands, you might say.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11You must remember I'm English and I can't take it that strong.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Slainte. Good health. That's you. Slainte.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22- How's that going down?- It's going down very well. Very well indeed.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25What do you think of the fact he has been coming here all these years?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28All these years, he's been marvellous. He really has.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Been very faithful to the island. People love him.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35They come over from Glasgow when Father Peter's here to attend Mass.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37And he's excellent.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- What do you think of that, Father Peter?- Wonderful people.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I'd never met the like before I came to Vatersay,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48and that's really, I suppose, the main reason why I come to Vatersay
0:17:48 > 0:17:50because of the people.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53A wee joke here and there, Father.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57- A wee joke here and there, Father. - And a wee drop here and there.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15One of the most familiar sights on Barra is the council dustcart
0:18:15 > 0:18:19which hoves into view somewhere or other nearly every day of the week.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22In charge is one of the island's great characters,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Donnie the Dustman. Donnie McNeil.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And it's his daughter Carrie who is now making
0:18:30 > 0:18:33her own mark on island life.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Can you push it down a bit?
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Down on the foreshore by the harbour at Castlebay,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Carrie's History of the Herring Industry
0:18:40 > 0:18:42is about to become a reality.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Her story is to be unveiled on a series of old fish barrels
0:18:46 > 0:18:49that line the newly-created tourist trail by the beach.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55He's just been helping me putting the things in place.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59He's kind of been my joiner. So I've had to put up with him.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02It's so true.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07That's what it should look like.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09She's done a fantastic job.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12She's composed all the stuff herself as well.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15All this Gaelic stuff, in the native tongue.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19SHE SPEAKS GAELIC
0:19:26 > 0:19:29At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century,
0:19:29 > 0:19:35herring fishing was one of the main fishery in the world.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The vision has come together.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is the way I wanted it to look, so I'm very happy.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The herring were called the Silver Darlings,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45so that's the idea I had.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49When you look along here, you'll see this glittering silver
0:19:49 > 0:19:50all the way along.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And you'll see it from the road as well, and also the wee fish,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55they're like a wee shoal.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It's a visual thing.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I think tourism is good for the islands.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02I like people coming to Barra
0:20:02 > 0:20:05so they can see what a beautiful place it is.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07That's what's good about tourism for me.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15I hope people can understand and realise people and their families
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and grandads, and great grandads, and their grandmothers were involved
0:20:19 > 0:20:22in such a thing and hopefully they'd feel proud about the place
0:20:22 > 0:20:26that Castlebay and Barra had in the wider fishing industry at the time.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30This whole project will make people think
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and hopefully show them that there used to be something here
0:20:33 > 0:20:36and maybe there'll be something here again.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41- This is fantastic. It is amazing. - Are you proud of her?- Very proud.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I'm always proud of her, whatever she does.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Whether it's this or just when she's lying in in the morning,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I'm still proud of her.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- Excuse me!- 12 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm still proud.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55That is not true. Thanks(!)
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Over on Vatersay, and Father Peter is still pounding the beat.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21One of his oldest friends is Dee Dee Campbell.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27He wants to ensure his fellow octogenarian
0:21:27 > 0:21:30will be at a big celebration planned for later tonight.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Very good. Lovely. Thank you very much.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42So I hope you're coming along this evening to the mass
0:21:42 > 0:21:46at 6 o'clock in the church.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- You bet. I'll be there, all right. - Will you be wearing a kilt tonight?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53No, I'm afraid I haven't got a kilt.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56If I had a kilt, it would be,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00I'm afraid to say to a Campbell, it would be a MacDonald one,
0:22:00 > 0:22:06- because I have a little MacDonald blood still in my veins.- You have?
0:22:06 > 0:22:11- Yes, indeed.- Have you got a kilt you could lend him for tonight?
0:22:11 > 0:22:16- I've never worn it.- You've never worn a kilt?- No.- Why not?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I prefer the dungarees.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20LAUGHTER
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Virtually every single islander
0:22:32 > 0:22:36is attending Father Peter's celebration mass this evening.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39The church has rarely been so packed.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42This is, after all, a chance to say thank you to the man
0:22:42 > 0:22:45who has christened and married many of the people here tonight.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52We are gathered here for a very particular reason this evening,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56because we are celebrating Father Peter's 50th anniversary
0:22:56 > 0:23:01of his priesthood, but also it's 40 years that he's been coming
0:23:01 > 0:23:06faithfully to his beloved island of Vatersay, so we celebrate that also.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09A few months ago he celebrated his birthday,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and he's hit the fine mark of 80.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17So we have three lovely celebrations under one umbrella this evening.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22So, if I can ask Mairi and Ma to come forward on behalf
0:23:22 > 0:23:27of the parish here to present Father Peter with his chasuble.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34This chasuble, or ceremonial cape,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37has been specially made for Father Peter by the ladies of the parish
0:23:37 > 0:23:41and will only be worn by him on his future visits here.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Father Peter can only stay on his beloved Vatersay
0:23:49 > 0:23:53for a few short periods each year.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54So whilst he's here,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57he's determined to make the most of every minute.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Every time I come here and I stand and I look over the beach,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and some days it's smooth and calm,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11and other days it's very rough and wonderful waves come in,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and then it's grey, but other days it's blue and green,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and, oh, it's so beautiful.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23And somehow, it always brings back to memory the old people
0:24:23 > 0:24:26whom I first knew in Vatersay.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Lovely, lovely people who made me so welcome.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37And do you see yourself being laid to rest here one day?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40I would like to be, but I think it is very unlikely.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Why do you say that?
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Well, because Jesuits are normally buried
0:24:47 > 0:24:51in a bit of Jesuit ground in a cemetery.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53No exceptions?
0:24:54 > 0:24:59No exceptions, I think. But yes, in spirit, I would be buried here.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10A few days later,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and Father Peter is returning to his other life in the heart of the city.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16He's looking forward to coming back to the islands
0:25:16 > 0:25:18at the first available opportunity.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The wedding's on Friday, so when do the kilts come?
0:25:26 > 0:25:29My goodness. It's cutting it all very fine, isn't it?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32With her son Lachie's wedding imminent,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35a nervy Clare is busy helping organise final arrangements.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38The event is taking place across the water,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42over in the next-door parish of Eriskay on South Uist.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Preparations are well under way for what promises to be
0:25:45 > 0:25:46the wedding of the year.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Lachie, one of her twin sons,
0:25:52 > 0:25:58is sitting his final seamanship exam just 48 hours before the wedding.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00And when does his exam finish?
0:26:00 > 0:26:0312.30! And when's his flight?
0:26:03 > 0:26:07So check-in at 1.30. So he's cutting it pretty fine, isn't he?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10With flights to the island scarce, Clare's starting to worry
0:26:10 > 0:26:14that he might not make it over in time to walk up the aisle.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17He could miss his own wedding. Oh my goodness!
0:26:17 > 0:26:19OK, then. Thanks for that.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I'll phone you in my next bout of anxiety.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25OK, then. Thanks just now. Bye.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28He can't get a flight to Barra, so he has to fly to Benbecula,
0:26:28 > 0:26:33and if the plane doesn't go for any reason,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35he's missed the ferry that evening,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and the flights are full the next day.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41So it's kind of stressful.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46He's trying to focus on his studies and then at 12.30
0:26:46 > 0:26:51he'll be focusing on the panic of getting here, really.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54You've always got to have Plan B,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57C, D, but I don't think Lachie has any plans.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- So there's no Plan B if he misses his plane?- No Plan B.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04- His twin could maybe stand in for him.- If he misses the flight?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If he misses the flight.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Father Peter's recent visit has sparked a new interest
0:27:17 > 0:27:20in the history of his parish in Father John Paul's mind,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24and in particular the history of Vatersay.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29In fact, there's a lot more to this place than meets the eye.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Almost the entire population is descended from a small group
0:27:32 > 0:27:35of families who came here after being forced to leave
0:27:35 > 0:27:38an even more remote island off Barra a century ago.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44It's a trip Father John Paul has been wanting to do
0:27:44 > 0:27:45ever since he first arrived,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50to investigate the mysterious story of Vatersay's origins.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Where are we off to today, Father John Paul?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Just a couple of islands south of Vatersay.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59People used to live in it and they had a lovely community
0:27:59 > 0:28:02from what I could gather, a close-knit community.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05They had a school, a church, but now there's no-one there
0:28:05 > 0:28:06and it's just desolate.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Totally uninhabited,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11just ruins everywhere, and every ruin will tell a story.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Also in the days to come,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18the ferry from Barra is taken over by wedding guests
0:28:18 > 0:28:20heading for what should be a memorable moment
0:28:20 > 0:28:23in the life of the Isles.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26- How are you feeling about today, then?- Very excited.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29A bit nervous, but very excited.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33And friends seek out an extraordinary range of wedding gifts
0:28:33 > 0:28:35to help the big day go with a swing.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38One of our friends was outfished.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Only the best for your daughter's wedding, then?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Of course. These are the smaller ones.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45The bigger ones are coming later.