0:00:05 > 0:00:08- Oh, my God! - Heave, two, three.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Heave!
0:00:12 > 0:00:14We're back, at the very edge of our isles.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18But now we're on a whole new kind of adventure.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21A unique, Great Guide to our coast.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28But this is a guide beyond anything you'll find
0:00:28 > 0:00:30in your average tourist brochure.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33A guide crammed with local knowledge,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38amazing discoveries and stunning secret spots.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Coast and our expert crew have spent
0:00:42 > 0:00:47over ten years navigating this ever-changing natural wonder.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And now we're bringing it all together, and more,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57to give you the ultimate guide to our coast.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We've selected eight stretches of British coast.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10North, south, east, west, and some of the best bits in between.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Each week we'll be taking to the sea
0:01:16 > 0:01:19in a remarkable array of boats and ships.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23We'll have a completely fresh perspective on the coast.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We'll seek out charismatic characters...
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Andy, fancy seeing you here!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..momentous events...
0:01:30 > 0:01:33This is Britain's most deadly shoreline.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37..secret spots and surprising stories.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39There's no denying that there's a charge to be had
0:01:39 > 0:01:41from holding something like this.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47A brand-new view of our coast with all the inside info you need
0:01:47 > 0:01:50to enjoy these shorelines like a local.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52All the way, all the way!
0:01:55 > 0:01:57This time, I'm heading for Scotland.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02This is Coast...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The Great Guide.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38On the West Coast of Scotland is an alluring island paradise.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Remote...
0:02:42 > 0:02:44rocky...
0:02:44 > 0:02:45breathtakingly beautiful.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Each island has its own personality,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57but these scattered gems and their inhabitants
0:02:57 > 0:03:00share a resilient, resourceful character.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Life here is far from easy...
0:03:06 > 0:03:07..but the rewards are rich.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14On a day like today, these islands are a heaven on earth
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and every inch cries out to be explored.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22But they're not for the unadventurous.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24We know.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Do you know, I reckon this is the most astounding spot
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I've ever trodden on in the British Isles. Unbelievable!
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The Coast experts have been delving into
0:03:34 > 0:03:38this intricate tangle of islands, lochs and sounds
0:03:38 > 0:03:40for more than a decade...
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Oh, wow!
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Just look at that.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49There's something almost a bit magical about it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52..digging deep into local knowledge...
0:03:52 > 0:03:53Oh!
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- Beauty!- There you go.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59..to tell you all you need to know about these shores.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10And now we're back in a landscape that I truly love,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and we're going to discover just what it is
0:04:12 > 0:04:14that makes these islands so special.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16We're going to go off the beaten track,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19we're going to throw away the traditional tourist books,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22because this is OUR Great Guide to the Western Isles.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I'll be making voyages,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31taking in some stunning sights...
0:04:34 > 0:04:36..hopping on and off different boats
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and different islands...
0:04:39 > 0:04:43..sampling the best they have to offer...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45That is magnificent.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49..and meeting characters who have made these remote shores their home.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I'm so glad you're in. I've come ever such a long way!
0:04:55 > 0:04:59On my island-hopping journey, I'll embark from Mull...
0:05:00 > 0:05:01..voyage to Staffa...
0:05:03 > 0:05:05..and on to remote Gometra.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Along the way, I'll compile our Great Guide
0:05:10 > 0:05:11from a wider canvas of stories
0:05:11 > 0:05:16on the vast stretch of coast that makes up these Western Islands.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20From Sula Sgeir in the north,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23to Ailsa Craig in the south...
0:05:26 > 0:05:30..the Western Isles are a coastal cluster of hundreds.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The islands of Argyll, mere miles from the mainland.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The moody waters of the Minch
0:05:41 > 0:05:43separate the Inner and Outer Hebrides.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49And out on a western limb, St Kilda.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57My journey begins on one of the Inner Hebrides' largest islands -
0:05:57 > 0:05:58Mull.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03The perfect springboard for an island adventure.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12A magnet for tourists, Mull is famous for its seafood,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16landed in picture-perfect harbours, like Tobermory.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20But I'm bypassing the obvious
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and heading for a lesser-known shore on the other side of the island.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Ulva Ferry - small but perfectly formed.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- Hi, Struan.- How are you?- Good.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40- How are you?- Very good.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45'The seafood here is second to none and I'm getting a chance to head out
0:06:45 > 0:06:47'and catch it with a pro.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55'My water taxi is taking me out to one of Mull's prime fishing spots.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'A watery larder that's world renowned.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'Hand caught, small quantity.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11'Fresh seafood deserves its place in our Great Guide.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'And it's independent fishermen, like David Monroe,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'who deliver their daily catch to the local restaurants.'
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Morning!- Good morning.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26OK.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Morning.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'I've got a special invite to watch this old hand at work.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Have you always made your living here?- Yes. Yeah, pretty much.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41It's a fairly tough way to make a buck, isn't it?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43A lot of hard effort.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45On a poor day it's very difficult,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48but on good days it's very rewarding.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50I have tried several other jobs,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52but I keep coming back to fishing.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53And what is it that you catch here?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56What is the mainstay of your operation?
0:07:56 > 0:08:00We're pretty much after velvet crabs, lobsters and brown crabs.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02How good is the catch around here?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04In my opinion, it's very good-quality stuff here.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The colder water...and shellfish that grow a bit slower,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11so you tend to get a better meat yield from the shellfish.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So there's still a bit of a treasure trove up here if you know what you're doing?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16That's the secret, knowing what you're doing.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21'Alongside crabs and lobster,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'Mull's king scallops are a firm tourist favourite.'
0:08:27 > 0:08:32These are fertile waters up here for all creatures small and great.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41Warm, plankton-rich waters of the nearby Gulf Stream
0:08:41 > 0:08:43pull in much bigger predators.
0:08:46 > 0:08:5024 different species of whale, dolphin and porpoise
0:08:50 > 0:08:53make this coast the most diverse in Britain.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The ideal spot for whale watching.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04For our guide, Miranda Krestovnikoff
0:09:04 > 0:09:08got up close and personal with some magnificent minke.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Right in front!
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Oh, yes! Really close.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22There's another one.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29We're going to use an underwater camera to appreciate the true size
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and beauty of these animals.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37There was a whale coming in.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39A whale coming this way here, at nine o'clock.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Have you got the whale there, Mike?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- 'Yep.'- Got it here! Yeah. Beautiful.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Absolutely beautiful.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- Excellent.- Really sleek, but it's hard to keep up with them.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51They keep swimming through frame really quickly.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52Whoa!
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Blimey! I have to say, it's spectacular from here.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Very streamlined. You see, you don't appreciate when you see them
0:09:59 > 0:10:01on the surface just how streamlined they are.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Yep, it's coming closer in now.
0:10:04 > 0:10:05It's coming right underneath us.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- Fantastic. Brilliant. - Excellent. That's so close.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10It's really close.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16The same waters which attract the minke
0:10:16 > 0:10:19also offer the perfect habitat for a much smaller sea creature.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24That's standard size.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26The kind of size restaurants are looking for.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Here we go.- You could come with me!
0:10:29 > 0:10:32What do you say? Dinner for two?
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Sounds good.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Only one of us will walk away, however.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41'This lobster is destined for a local restaurant,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'and that's MY next port of call.'
0:10:45 > 0:10:50I'm heading back to Mull's Ballygown Bay for a taste of the home-grown.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57But the next story in our guide is on an island MUCH further north.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06Sula Sgeir is home to a decidedly different delicacy,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09where old customs die hard.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15It's home to a hunt for gannet chicks, known as guga.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It's been going on since 1549.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Nick Crane investigated what it involves.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34We lift them out of the nest with a ten-foot pole
0:11:34 > 0:11:36with a clamp at the end.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I pass it onto the next person behind me,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40who gives it a whack on the head.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43From the time I pick it out of the nest to the time it's dead,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45it's about three seconds.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We start plucking them, taking the feathers off.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The next part is what we call the factory.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Two of the boys actually take the down off the birds
0:11:57 > 0:11:59by dipping them into the fire
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and they are passed on to the next two guys,
0:12:02 > 0:12:09who actually split them open to leave four quarters of prime guga.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12We then salt them and make a pile of them.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16There's a special way of doing it so that the meat doesn't go off.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21We build a chute to the bottom of the isle.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26When we're going home, the gugas go down on the chute.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Guga hunting continues, albeit under licence.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39It's a fiercely defended way of life, unique to these isles.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I've arrived at Ballygown Bay.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55A handful of houses, no shops, not even a pub.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02I'm heading for a little-known tiny one-room restaurant.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07People pour here for a slice of island life
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and all that goes with it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I'm here to meet a lady who's cast off metropolitan life,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18embraced a simpler existence
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and adopted the island's spirit of resourcefulness.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Jeanette?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Hi.- How are you? - Neil, how do you do?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30- I'm good. I've come for lunch.- Good.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- I've got loads on.- Lead the way.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Making a meal from the basic and the local
0:13:37 > 0:13:39is something islanders do best.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And in Jeanette Cutlack's kitchen, nothing goes to waste.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Where do you get your ingredients
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- and where do you get your ideas for what you're going to do?- Well,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57I'm lucky to be surrounded by all this lovely produce.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02It's not just shellfish, there's lamb and beef and venison.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05You know, we've got it all right here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07That's not a local accent I'm hearing, is it?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10No, unfortunately not.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I'm from Brighton.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- Yep.- How did you come to be here?
0:14:14 > 0:14:18We, um, we came in 2008.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20We just thought it was beautiful.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24We came in April 2008, and by July we were here.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Alongside the game and seafood,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Jeanette produces a distinctively Scottish delicacy
0:14:31 > 0:14:33that's a must for our guide.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38As a Scot, I never pass up the promise of haggis.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41And what is this about haggis? I've seen a sign outside.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43You don't get many Brighton girls making haggis.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47No, I know. I had to learn a lot, a lot of trial and error.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Mostly error. We're lucky to have a slaughterhouse on the island -
0:14:51 > 0:14:53not all the islands have them.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58So to use a product that would otherwise go to waste, you know,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02that is a nice holistic approach to using all of the animal.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04So your haggis is unique around here?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08It is unique because all the meat that goes in it
0:15:08 > 0:15:12is from the island or from neighbouring islands.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Could I taste some haggis?- Yes, I've got some here, just for you.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20And in a natural casing as well.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Fantastic.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32That might be the best haggis I've ever had.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Sincerely.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37That is truly magnificent.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Jeanette's haggis definitely, definitely
0:15:40 > 0:15:42goes into the Great Guide.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Home-made isn't a gimmick up here.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50It's a necessity and a way of life.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53It's how communities are built and stay afloat.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58Islanders have a real knack
0:15:58 > 0:16:02of picking up an opportunity and running with it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07The people here are experts at island alchemy,
0:16:07 > 0:16:12transforming natural assets into home-grown industries.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17From burning peat for fuel, to drying herring,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20even the most humble of resources has its uses.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23Like seaweed.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29For our guide, on the island of Skye,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Alice Roberts investigated a secret ingredient
0:16:33 > 0:16:34found in this everyday algae.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39This is brown gold.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Seaweed. Strange as it seems,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46there are chemicals in this that, 200 years ago,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49were crucial to the glass-making industry.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54To make glass, you need soda ash,
0:16:54 > 0:16:59and until the late 1700s Britain's main source for that was Spain.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04But then came war with Napoleon, and all imports stopped.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Shattering news for the glass industry.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12Except you can also get soda ash from burning seaweed,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and that was the start of the brown-goldrush.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23The beaches of the Western Isles are abundant in this seaweed, or kelp.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26When burned, it produces soda ash.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30So 200 years ago, these quiet shorelines
0:17:30 > 0:17:32were ablaze with activity.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36The remains of the workers' cottages can still be seen.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37As the kelp industry boomed,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40they housed entire families that depended on the seaweed
0:17:40 > 0:17:42for their livelihood.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Our guide salutes the remarkable resourcefulness of islanders,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52past and present.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59This is our Great Guide to the Western Isles.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- Good morning. - Good morning.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Come aboard, sir. - How you doing?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09On THIS coast, the seas are the highways.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Boats, the best way to get from A to B.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And for these islands' 200,000 annual visitors,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24there is a rich choice of vessel on offer.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I'm heading out on a boat like no other.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The Glen Massan, a former fishing vessel,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'has been lovingly restored and converted
0:18:39 > 0:18:42'by her resourceful owner, Andy Thoms.'
0:18:43 > 0:18:46What age of vessel was she, and what condition was she in?
0:18:46 > 0:18:51She was a working fishing boat, she was built in 1975.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54How much did you have to do to her to make her what she is today?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57A lot. We had to take everything to bits.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01There is a photograph of us taking the wheelhouse off her,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and the fish hold cleaned out - a massive task.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07The engine taken out for restoration, and put back in again,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and then the whole of the accommodation and deckhouses
0:19:11 > 0:19:14were added by us...later.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18You say 1970s built, but you have created something
0:19:18 > 0:19:22that looks much older, she is a real sort of period piece, somehow.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Yes, we wanted to keep everything in keeping with the old wooden boats.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29So we've used a lot of mahogany, a lot of brass.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32When you see her out here on a day like today,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36you can absolutely see the potential of such a boat and such a place.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Yes. But even when you see them in the wild weather,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and you can hardly see them for the rain and the mist,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44they still look imposing.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47See you later.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53I'm going aboard,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56hitching a ride in style on this majestic boat.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I'm heading south, for Mull's Loch Scridain,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05famous for its staggering array of wildlife.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's where I am hoping to spot something very special.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Nature tourism is big business up here.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22There is no better way to take it all in than on this vintage craft...
0:20:24 > 0:20:26..as skipper Neil White knows.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31I know there's something about moving at this kind of speed
0:20:31 > 0:20:35over the water, just unties the knots in your rope somehow.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39It's leisurely. We plan the itinerary dependent on the weather
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and what the guests want to do, as best we can.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It's a great office, it's a great place to work.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Especially on a day like this. You couldn't get better.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Quiet cruising is the perfect way to spot some local wildlife.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Whether you prefer your nature experience to be floral,
0:21:03 > 0:21:08feathery or 50 fathoms deep, Coast's experts have explored it all,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and the wildlife of the Western Isles of Scotland
0:21:12 > 0:21:15is a definite must-see on our Great Guide.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21These shores are a twitcher's paradise.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Hen harriers, golden plover, Arctic terns.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34And around half of the British corncrake population
0:21:34 > 0:21:37make these islands their summer home.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45But it is Loch Scridain I have come to see -
0:21:45 > 0:21:50a wildlife paradise, and one of the best places to spy a bird of prey,
0:21:50 > 0:21:51renowned in these parts.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I was well warned not to come up here without a pair of binoculars
0:22:00 > 0:22:03because some of the wildlife is pretty hard to spot
0:22:03 > 0:22:04at the best of times.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Now, this stretch of forest here, hugging the coastline,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14is the home territory for a nesting pair of white-tailed sea eagles.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Now, they are our largest and rarest bird of prey.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21They were hunted and poisoned to extinction in 1916,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24but in more recent years they have been successfully reintroduced
0:22:24 > 0:22:26all over the Western Isles, and they are definitely here on Mull.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31The pair that haunt this coastline hunt in Kilfinichen Bay,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33just over there.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37And their favourite snack is said to be seal-pup afterbirth.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Oh, yes!
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Plentiful food...
0:22:45 > 0:22:47..undisturbed territory...
0:22:49 > 0:22:52..and a pick of coast, loch or freshwater
0:22:52 > 0:22:54make this place manna for sea eagles.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00They are thriving on this coast.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Although spotting them is more luck than skill.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10If you prefer your birds smaller and somewhat cuter,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12head for the Shiants,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15a small group of islands 80-odd miles north of Mull.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21For our guide, Miranda went bird catching,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24in her search for Britain's oldest puffin.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29EB 73152.
0:23:29 > 0:23:3134 years old.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Over 100 in puffin years.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39So you are catching them in the net here.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- How does this work? - The bird flies into some slack net.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- This pocket.- It forms a pocket, that's right.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46So it doesn't harm the bird.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50It holds it there safely, and we come along and extract it.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Hopefully these burrow-faithful birds return to the same nest site.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00That gives us a chance to nab EB 73152.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03We'd never spot him by sight!
0:24:03 > 0:24:05One puffin looks pretty much like another.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09The only way we can tell is simply through the ring.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12That's it, cos the birds look exactly the same
0:24:12 > 0:24:14once they get to adulthood.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I would say that this one is going to be over 15 years.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21That was ringed in 1990, so that is going to be 26, 27 years old,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23at least.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26No sign of EB 73152, but surprisingly
0:24:26 > 0:24:30there are lots of old puffins.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Wow, look at that.
0:24:31 > 0:24:341st of July, 1985.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35That's nearly 30 years old.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That's really awesome.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40I'm looking for one long-lived bird,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44but this island is full of puffin pensioners.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48It's remarkable to find they can grow so old offshore.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Oh, look at that!
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Cuteness in the extreme.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- You want to swap? - Well, if you're happy to.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Yes, have a cuddle.- That's not going to take my arm off, is it?
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Oh, look at that.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02That is just the best thing.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04How sweet.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14The OAP puffin might have eluded Miranda, but in recent years,
0:25:14 > 0:25:19a puffin to beat EB 73152 has been discovered on the Shiants.
0:25:21 > 0:25:2437 years old, a new British record.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28At Loch Scridain...
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Well, I'd settle for ANYTHING feathery right now.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Skipper Neil thinks that he has glimpsed a dark shadow above
0:25:38 > 0:25:44the trees over there, and that could be the first sign of a sea eagle.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46But for me,
0:25:46 > 0:25:47nothing so far.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I'm not TOO disappointed.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Seven years ago, I did strike lucky.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Not on a boat...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59..but on the tiny island of Canna.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06And unfortunately for me, this pair of eagles didn't nest in a tree.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16This is not the best fun I've ever had.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Let me assure you.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Oh! I'm here!
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I'm here! Oh, I'm so pleased.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Right.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Jolly good.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33OK.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38I have to say, right, at first sight,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41this does not look like a bird's nest as such to me.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Is this standard issue, just a flattened platform of debris?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47This is it, yes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Uh-huh.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Quite often it's built up -
0:26:50 > 0:26:52at the beginning of the season it looks a lot better,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55there's a lot of sticks and seaweed and various other things.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Then it lines it a bit with heather and various things like that.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02By the end of the season, of course, the birds have been here,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04you know, for several months.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07So by the time they're finished with this, it's as you see it now.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Still no sign of the birds.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Until, finally...
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's iconic, isn't it? To see it against the Cuillin of Skye.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Absolutely.- What a backdrop.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32So, just how big is that bird that we are looking at?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Well, it's the largest bird of prey we have got in the UK,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and that is an 8-foot wingspan approximately.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42So that is huge, and it is often described as a flying barn door,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45it's very big. It's also very broad.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47A very, very broad wing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49So they are absolutely massive birds,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and there are different sizes between male and female.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54We find the female is a much bigger bird than the male.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- That was amazing.- That was great.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Now, as well as eagles,
0:28:09 > 0:28:15I was promised mountain hares, otters, dolphins, seals.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19So far,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21nothing at all. But then,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25wildlife cannot be expected to stick to the script.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27And it hasn't!
0:28:39 > 0:28:41The wildlife might not be performing,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44but the scenery here has more than made up for it.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55This is our Great Guide to the Western Isles.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00To discover the hidden secrets of these shores, our expert team
0:29:00 > 0:29:02have been island-hopping for more than a decade.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09But, if you can only fit in a whistle-stop tour,
0:29:09 > 0:29:14what are the must-see sights to say you've seen this sprawling coast?
0:29:17 > 0:29:19This is our flying visit.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28There's no end point or start point for the Western Isles.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29You just have to island-hop.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Leave the mainland on a paddle steamer
0:29:40 > 0:29:41and head out to the open sea.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Past the islands of Argyll.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Some inhabited, some abandoned.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Some just half an hour from the mainland.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The wild island refuge of Arran, one of my favourites.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Where molten volcanic rock has shaped the dramatic mountains.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10These are known as the Small Isles.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13They've got great Gaelic names.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Canna, Rum, Eigg and Muck.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17The Inner Hebrides.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24Occupied for over 4,000 years,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28these tiny islands cling on to a traditional way of life.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Head north for Skye, and a climber's paradise.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Dramatic pinnacles and pillars of rock.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45The setting for Nick to authentically recreate
0:30:45 > 0:30:49an Edwardian climb of Skye's famous Cioch.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53If you fall off one side,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56I go off the other side and we counterbalance with the rope.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Look at that! There's the coast.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Unbelievable. Do you know,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09I reckon this is the most astounding spot I have ever trodden on in the
0:31:09 > 0:31:12British Isles. I think it really is.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17Across the teeming waters of the Minch to the Outer Hebrides.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22A 130-mile necklace of natural wonders.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27The grandaddies of coastal geology,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29with some rocks three billion years old.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Mingulay is an island carved by Mother Nature.
0:31:35 > 0:31:40This island claims Scotland's only inshore coral reef,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43recently designated a marine protection area.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Onto South Uist's Askernish,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52where the dunes conceal an 18-hole Victorian golf course.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Ten years ago, I couldn't resist a quick round.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Ya dancer! Look at that!
0:32:03 > 0:32:07- Not too shabby.- That was a cracker. - A disaster, obviously!
0:32:07 > 0:32:09You wanted to play off the beach for your second shot!
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Oh, I'm great on the beach!
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Further north, Benbecula,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19home to a landmark resembling a giant golf ball.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Hi-tech radar that has guarded Britain against rogue aircraft
0:32:26 > 0:32:27since the Cold War.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Next stop, Harris.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Soft white sand.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Turquoise waters.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49And famous for its tweed.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54This would be a sartorial leap for me,
0:32:54 > 0:32:59to get rid of the old anorak and present Coast in a genuine Harris.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Oh, it's very comfortable.- How's that for you?- It's lovely. Oh, yes.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Now, that really is an improvement, don't you think?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- Yes.- Coast and beyond!
0:33:09 > 0:33:13Harris is separated from Lewis in name only.
0:33:13 > 0:33:14They're parts of the same island
0:33:14 > 0:33:16with a range of mountains in between.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25The Butt of Lewis is the most north-westerly inhabited point
0:33:25 > 0:33:26in Europe,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30and has a coast rich in archaeological remains,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32like the standing stones of Callanish.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42The Vikings called these islands Havbredey -
0:33:42 > 0:33:44the isles on the edge of the sea.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47There is nothing but 2,000 or so miles
0:33:47 > 0:33:50of Atlantic Ocean between these isles and North America.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56But, if you only do the unmissable sights,
0:33:56 > 0:33:57then you are missing so much.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Follow us for the bigger picture.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13We are exploring Scotland's Western Isles for our Great Guide.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19From Mull, I've sailed five miles to the mystical island of Staffa.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30It's probably the most famous rock on Scotland's splintery edge.
0:34:30 > 0:34:3260 million years old.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Staffa is the stuff of legend.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Untouched, uninhabited.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47A place of pilgrimage for scientists and artists alike.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54This is the first time I've ever seen this for real.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56All the times I've been on the islands,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59I've never made it out to Staffa and the cave, and it is a wonder.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02It's very reminiscent of the Giant's Causeway, actually,
0:35:02 > 0:35:07but with something more added, just to make it even better.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10You get a real sense of the scale from here,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and the columns give it that feel of a cathedral.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17It does look like something built and designed,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19rather than just a creation of nature.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Staffa's hexagonal basalt columns were formed by molten lava,
0:35:28 > 0:35:33slowly cooling as it erupted into a once-freezing atmosphere.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Staffa doesn't just LOOK good.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41She sounds pretty spectacular as well.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Her Gaelic name, Uamh-Binn, means "melodious cave".
0:35:55 > 0:35:59In 1829, she inspired a musical maestro.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Composer Felix Mendelssohn paid homage to Staffa
0:36:04 > 0:36:06with his Hebrides Overture.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08OVERTURE PLAYS
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Also known as Fingal's Cave.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Why IS this cave so musical?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29That's a question for our Great Guide.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Hermione Cockburn took acoustic expert David Sharp
0:36:37 > 0:36:39deep inside to find out.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43The sound is so different as you just come through the mouth
0:36:43 > 0:36:47- of the cave to where we are here. - It just completely changes.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49It is so reverberant in here, isn't it? It is just so echoey.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55'Maybe that's the musical secret of this chamber, its reverberation.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'So that's what David's going to measure.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:01And how is the gun going to help us measure reverberation?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04OK, well, the thing about a gun is that the gunshot is a very
0:37:04 > 0:37:08high-energy burst of sound. So we get the initial burst of sound,
0:37:08 > 0:37:13and then we get reflected sound and reverberating sound dying away
0:37:13 > 0:37:15slowly afterwards, and we are going to measure that.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17So my job is to fire the gun?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Don't forget your ear defenders.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20No. Thank you!
0:37:21 > 0:37:22OK.
0:37:30 > 0:37:31Has it shown up on the trace?
0:37:31 > 0:37:33It has shown up very nicely.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36This big jump up is you firing the gun,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41and then we can see the sound level drops off quite gradually as we get
0:37:41 > 0:37:43the reflected sound just dying away slowly.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46So actually, the reverberation time is about four seconds.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Most concert halls are designed to have a reverberation time somewhere
0:37:50 > 0:37:52around two seconds, so this is more echoey
0:37:52 > 0:37:54than a concert hall, in terms of its acoustics.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Fingal's Cave on Staffa,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05one of the best sights and sounds on the planet.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13I'm heading north for Gometra,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16where I'll meet the island's only full-time resident.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25My route will take me past a staggering array of landscapes.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33And a stop to meet an expert who's explored the secrets
0:38:33 > 0:38:34beneath these seas.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41For this leg of my journey,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I've swapped boats - to sail these seas like a local.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Are you any good at coiling rope?
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Er... I'm going to say yes.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Give it a go.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57I'll get this tight.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00'I'm on deck with Mark Jardine,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'a man who has turned his love of the sea into his livelihood,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07'showing tourists the ropes on his traditional sailing boat,
0:39:07 > 0:39:08'the Birthe Marie.'
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Mark, are you from a seafaring family?
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Strangely, I'm not.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I've always been obsessed with boats and the sea,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32but both my mother and father
0:39:32 > 0:39:34didn't come from a maritime background.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37My mother was a nurse and my father was a teacher.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39How did you end up on the water, then, full-time?
0:39:39 > 0:39:41My father, when he was teaching,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43had good school holidays in the summer,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45and we would usually come to the West Coast,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48to the West Coast of Scotland, to Iona principally,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51so we were always on the shore, watching boats,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54and I just found it fascinating.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01My job in the summer is a dream job for me, and it's a lifestyle choice.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03That's my excuse when I can't, at the end of the year,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07show that I've made much money! But I've had a great time.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15This is our Great Guide to the Western Isles and,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17while I'm surrounded by water right now,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20you can't come up here without taking in some stone.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Over millennia,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28colliding continents,
0:40:28 > 0:40:29erupting volcanoes...
0:40:32 > 0:40:34..moving ice sheets...
0:40:34 > 0:40:38and an ever-changing climate have created an extraordinarily diverse
0:40:38 > 0:40:40geological landscape.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50This is our inside guide to the rock around here.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53'And it's an epic story.'
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Our experts have delved deep to discover tales
0:40:57 > 0:40:59of how these islands' inhabitants
0:40:59 > 0:41:02have exploited rocky riches beneath their feet.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06On three islands, three different stories.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Iona, and a beautiful stone, prized through the centuries.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17Ailsa Craig, and a rock integral to one of the oldest sports
0:41:17 > 0:41:19in the Winter Olympics.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22And Easdale,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25where a 200-year-old industry roofed the world.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34We started with jeweller and adventurer Adam McIntosh
0:41:34 > 0:41:36on the island of Iona,
0:41:36 > 0:41:43in search of a secret seam of a legendary stone - green marble.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52For our guide, Adam braved the Scottish seas.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It's freezing!
0:42:00 > 0:42:03On my left here, we have the old marble quarry,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08and the seam of marble supposedly runs under the ocean here,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10so we are going to follow the path of the green marble
0:42:10 > 0:42:13and hopefully find some nice gemstones.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21A-ha!
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Bingo!
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Lovely big chunk of Scottish green marble.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30- Moment of truth, man.- It really is,
0:42:30 > 0:42:33because when you've got all this seaweed and algae growing on it,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35you just don't know what's inside.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- Shall we put it on and have a go? - Go for it. Nice.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- There we go.- There we go. - The moment of truth.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Oh!
0:42:49 > 0:42:50- Beauty!- There you go.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- Absolutely...- Like strips of
0:42:52 > 0:42:55- green bacon.- Dude, that is gorgeous.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Wicked.- Absolutely gorgeous.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03The marble is from limestone that's been metamorphosised.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06This green pigment here is serpentine.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08It's from ancient seaweed.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11It's about 2,800 million years old.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14- Wow.- Give or take a decade or two.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15But for sure, it's stunning.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22Iona's marble was made from seaweed and limestone.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26But a volcano can take credit for the next rock in our guide.
0:43:29 > 0:43:3360 million years ago, this landscape was littered with volcanoes.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37When the molten rock cooled,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40it created hard cores resistant to the sea.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Ailsa Craig is a hard granite plug,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48whose rock comes with a Scottish sporting pedigree.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55For our guide, Nick rediscovered
0:43:55 > 0:43:57how the ancient geology was
0:43:57 > 0:43:59tailor-made for curling.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05- Can I pick it up?- Yes, by all means.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07NICK GROANS AND LAUGHS
0:44:07 > 0:44:08It weighs a tonne!
0:44:08 > 0:44:1040lb exactly.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11Wow!
0:44:11 > 0:44:14That is beautiful. Isn't that amazing?
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Now that, that's the Common Ailsa. Or Ailsite.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21The thing is, I'm used to granite being very rough.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22Ah, yes.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25- This is so smooth. - It polishes up very well.
0:44:25 > 0:44:26Yes.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29That's the blue, the running part of the stone.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34- That's the bit that slides on the ice.- Slides on the ice, yes.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Beautiful. You'd never think that a hunk of rough granite hauled out
0:44:37 > 0:44:41of the top of an old volcano could be turned into something like that.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50Because of the rock's unrivalled toughness, for many competitors,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53they are the curling stones of choice for the Winter Olympics.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57So, curling stones will be coming from Ailsa Craig for years to come.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03The granite from this island will find itself
0:45:03 > 0:45:06shipped to far-flung corners of the globe.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14But exporting rock is no new thing in the Western Isles.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Going into our guide is the slate that roofed homes across the world.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33Discovering an industry that literally changed shape of an island
0:45:33 > 0:45:36was a mission for Hermione Cockburn
0:45:36 > 0:45:37on Easdale.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Easdale is tiny,
0:45:42 > 0:45:47yet the village is surrounded by no fewer than seven quarries.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51And as you tour the island, suddenly they come into view.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57Oh, wow. Just look at that.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59Beautiful clear pool.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04You can see over there all the slate banked up and disappearing down into
0:46:04 > 0:46:07the water. There's something almost a bit magical about it,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09it's just beautiful.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11The quarrying was so intensive,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14the landscape looks moth-eaten on a massive scale.
0:46:15 > 0:46:20Big chunks of Easdale have been removed slate by slate.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24And this damage was done by hand.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Quarrymen worked with picks, shovels and muscle.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37If you look at the slates close-up,
0:46:37 > 0:46:42you can see that it's made up of lots of thin layers and it's got a
0:46:42 > 0:46:43beautiful bluey black colour.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47Now, it's formed from mud that was originally laid down on an ancient
0:46:47 > 0:46:50ocean floor more than 500 million years ago,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53and that mud was then heated and compressed
0:46:53 > 0:46:55and formed a rock, this slate,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57that splits very easily into fine sheets,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00making it absolutely perfect for making hardy roof tiles.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08SO perfect that over nine million slates a year were exported
0:47:08 > 0:47:11from Easdale at the height of the industry in the 1860s.
0:47:16 > 0:47:17The Western Isles,
0:47:17 > 0:47:21where geology meets industry in a breathtaking setting.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33I'm heading north for isolated Gometra.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36But on the way, I've popped ashore.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43I'm meeting someone who combines archaeology with getting wet.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47I can't resist finding out what secrets rest
0:47:47 > 0:47:51- beneath the waves on this coast.- Hi.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53- How are you?- Nice to meet you.
0:47:53 > 0:47:54You too.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Annabel Lawrence is a maritime archaeologist.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59She runs a fascinating project...
0:48:03 > 0:48:06..set up to identify and research wrecks in the area.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12It relies on local divers and local knowledge
0:48:12 > 0:48:15to piece together underwater mysteries.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19How much stuff is out there, you know,
0:48:19 > 0:48:21just out of sight because it's underwater?
0:48:21 > 0:48:27We regularly dive and we know of at least 20 sites that are accessible.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30But clearly, there's a lot more there.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37The earliest sites that have been found are 17th-century.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40We know that there is an Armada wreck at Tobermory that hasn't been
0:48:40 > 0:48:43discovered, and we've got shipwrecks right up...
0:48:43 > 0:48:45The latest one was 1975.
0:48:48 > 0:48:49It is extraordinary to think of it, isn't it,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52that you say there's an Armada wreck out there?
0:48:52 > 0:48:56You know it's there, and even after all this time, since 1588,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59- no-one has pinned it down. - That's right.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05But a ship from the Armada is not the only unusual wreck
0:49:05 > 0:49:08these enigmatic waters conceal.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15- What is this?- Well, this is the remains of a Sunderland flying boat,
0:49:15 > 0:49:20and these were the planes that were used to go out on sorties to drop,
0:49:20 > 0:49:23you know, bombs on U-boats, basically.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31It's a relatively small area in the scheme of things,
0:49:31 > 0:49:33and yet there's so much mystery...
0:49:33 > 0:49:35- That's right.- ..lost within.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38The bit I love about it the most is that we can get people that may not
0:49:38 > 0:49:41have the opportunity to get involved in these sorts of projects,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44and they can actually be part of solving the puzzle.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50I'm continuing my journey north for Gometra...
0:49:51 > 0:49:54..home to just one full-time resident.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00But the next story for our guide is somewhere even more remote.
0:50:03 > 0:50:0641 miles beyond the Outer Hebrides.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12The wild, wild west, St Kilda.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16This archipelago is the remotest spot in Britain.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Its last human residents left in the 1930s.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26But it's not completely isolated.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29A wild bunch call this place home.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34For our guide, Andy Torbet went in search
0:50:34 > 0:50:37of some rambunctious residents with
0:50:37 > 0:50:39scientific significance.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45St Kilda is home to Britain's only truly wild population of sheep.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51Foul, wintry rain is our welcome
0:50:51 > 0:50:55to the most remarkable flock of sheep in our isles.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58What's unique about these sheep is they are left
0:50:58 > 0:51:00totally to their own devices.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05They live or die without the help or intervention from humans.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09They've had to fend for themselves and survive out here.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13There is not another flock of sheep like this anywhere in the UK.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Jill Pilkington knows the flock better than most.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21These sheep are unique because man hasn't managed them
0:51:21 > 0:51:23for thousands of years -
0:51:23 > 0:51:25there's no immigration or emigration from the island,
0:51:25 > 0:51:27so we have a closed population.
0:51:27 > 0:51:28These are the original sheep.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30All those lovely white, fluffy animals you see
0:51:30 > 0:51:34- prancing around the fields. - Yes, man saw a bit of white on one
0:51:34 > 0:51:36and said, "Oh, I'll breed from that."
0:51:36 > 0:51:38A Bronze Age farmer would recognise these sheep.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44They have lived virtually unchanged for at least 3,000 years.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47The flock has been studied for decades.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51These are lovely normal-horned males, big horns. Male.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53'They're researching the genetics of breeding.'
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Take a circumference and length of his testicles.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04'November is the ideal time to study their breeding habits.'
0:52:05 > 0:52:09I've been told, as winter approaches, love is in the air,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12because, as the females come into oestrous right about now,
0:52:12 > 0:52:14the rut is on.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20During the rut, rams lock horns.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23They fight for the right to have a female all to themselves.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40The scientific study of this flock is vital,
0:52:40 > 0:52:44providing experts with a unique insight into breeding,
0:52:44 > 0:52:48but also ageing, that could one day be relevant to humans.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56Cut off from the mainland, it's a tough existence for the sheep,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59but a little bit of heaven for the scientists.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Whilst life for those scientists might be isolated,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15it's at least only in short bursts.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23After three hours at sea, my final destination is in sight.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33And the person I've come to meet is the personification of cut-off.
0:53:35 > 0:53:36This is Gometra.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42A true wilderness.
0:53:42 > 0:53:47A platform that surveys a myriad of islands and epic seas.
0:53:49 > 0:53:54There's no road, just an eight-mile dirt track to the nearest house.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Only the intrepid make it to this island.
0:54:01 > 0:54:06This place describes itself as the second-most-populated island in the
0:54:06 > 0:54:10Staffa archipelago, but so far I haven't seen a soul.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17If you fancy it, the island is currently searching
0:54:17 > 0:54:19for new residents.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25The only criteria is a willingness to tend 300 sheep and some
0:54:25 > 0:54:29DIY skills to renovate the island's handful of properties.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34The rewards on offer are rich.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41Red deer, otters, feral goats, golden eagles.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46As well as utter peace and quiet.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Look. Finally, some houses.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56This is where I've arranged to meet off-grid granny Rhoda Munro.
0:54:58 > 0:54:59Hello, hello.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03I'm so glad you're in. I've come ever such a long way!
0:55:04 > 0:55:05I was hoping you would be here soon.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09- How are you? Which is you? - The second one. OK.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Rhoda, how long have you lived here?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17I have lived here nine years.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21We moved here from Alva, where we had farmed for 27 years.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24How many other residents are there here full-time?
0:55:24 > 0:55:28Full-time, there's just me at the moment.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31And what's it like?
0:55:31 > 0:55:33I mean, it feels remote, to say the least.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39Well, it IS remote, but it's very peaceful.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41You've got to like your own company.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45You're never lonely. You're only lonely if you want to be lonely.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49If you felt lonely here, it's not the place for you.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52How do you get water, power and the rest?
0:55:52 > 0:55:56There's a spring just past the last cottage, up the hill.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00I don't have power. I have a little generator
0:56:00 > 0:56:04that I put on for a hour or so in the evening, just to catch up
0:56:04 > 0:56:08on e-mails and anything else that comes through on the computer.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12- Where does the rest of your light come from?- Candles.- Candles.
0:56:12 > 0:56:13Candles.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15- NEIL LAUGHS - I've got a good line of candles.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I could tell you the best ones to burn.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Aye, candlepower.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24- It's very romantic.- What's the single best thing about Gometra?
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Everywhere you turn, there's something different.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32There's sheep, deer going past your door.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34You can watch the boats on the loch.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38You can see the sunset, the sunrise.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42This whole island is magical.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45How long will you stay here?
0:56:46 > 0:56:47You, yourself and you?
0:56:47 > 0:56:50When the time's right to leave, I'll know.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52But I'm not ready to leave here yet.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56But I'll know when I do, when the time comes.
0:57:00 > 0:57:06Surviving island life is a test of strength, resilience and spirit.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09Our Great Guide applauds Rhoda.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14A woman who has found all she needs in her own company, and this island.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18- Thanks, Rhoda.- You're very welcome.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20- And do come back soon.- I will, I will.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22- OK.- Safe travels.- Thank you.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37After Rhoda's gone, I'LL be the only resident!
0:57:42 > 0:57:44If you are searching out a slice of isolation,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47our guide says Gometra is the one to put on your map.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53As I head back to the mainland,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56I'm leaving behind a cluster of islands
0:57:56 > 0:57:59bursting with immeasurable riches,
0:57:59 > 0:58:01communities,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03histories,
0:58:03 > 0:58:05natural wonders.
0:58:05 > 0:58:10This westernmost edge of Britain has revealed a world of its own,
0:58:10 > 0:58:14and proudly so. The inhabitants of these islands are inspirational,
0:58:14 > 0:58:18inventive, they are happy. I guarantee anyone who comes up here,
0:58:18 > 0:58:21as well as being struck by the wow factor,
0:58:21 > 0:58:23will be overwhelmed by the desire
0:58:23 > 0:58:26to come back again and again and again.