0:00:38 > 0:00:41Hello. Today I'm in Scotland, leaving the mainland behind me
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and heading out to the Inner Hebrides
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and the magical island of Islay.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54'I'm starting out near Kilchiaran, on the island's west coast,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'where a deadly undertow wreaks havoc on this idyllic coastline.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:04This is one of nearly 300 wrecks that we do know of
0:01:04 > 0:01:07around the coast of Islay since the very earliest that we know of,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10which would probably be the early 18th century.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- Wow. That's a phenomenal number, isn't it?- Yes.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'I'll head around Loch Indaal to Bowmore,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'where a small group of islanders are making their voices heard.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23CHOIR SINGS
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'Moving north, I'll explore the tiny settlement of Finlaggan,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33'a place that for hundreds of years was a seat of power
0:01:33 > 0:01:36'to rival the Scottish throne.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43'Just above Port Askaig, I'll learn some of the legends
0:01:43 > 0:01:46'that have arisen from this incredible landscape
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'in the company of a globe-trotting artist.'
0:01:50 > 0:01:54This giantess, on one of her many exploits, was chasing some young man
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and tripped and fell, and that's the mark she made.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'Then it's down to the harbour to meet a chef who's been drawn here
0:02:03 > 0:02:05'from halfway across the world.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10'And he'll introduce me to some of the island's edible delights.'
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I know there are challenges being a chef on the island
0:02:12 > 0:02:16but this has got to be at the top of the list of benefits, hasn't it?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Yes, it's the best produce.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Along the way I'll be looking back
0:02:21 > 0:02:23at the very best of the BBC's rural programmes
0:02:23 > 0:02:25from this part of the world.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Islay is the southernmost island
0:02:31 > 0:02:33in the chain known as the Inner Hebrides.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It might be a remote outpost of the British Isles
0:02:36 > 0:02:39but it's also an important one.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Its varied landscape provides a vital habitat for birdlife
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and its eight distilleries produce some of Scotland's
0:02:46 > 0:02:48most distinctive whiskies.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50It stretches 25 miles from north to south
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and about the same distance from east to west,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57all wrapped in 130 miles of unspoilt coastline.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01But the seas surrounding this idyllic isle have often been
0:03:01 > 0:03:04a sailor's worst nightmare.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Islay's on one side of the main shipping route
0:03:06 > 0:03:08from north-west Britain to North America.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10But over the centuries,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13a combination of heavy seas and the rocky coastline
0:03:13 > 0:03:16has given these waters a fearsome reputation.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21To find out more, I'm meeting Malcolm Ogilvie,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24chairman of the Museum of Islay Life
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and an expert on the island's nautical history.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Malcolm, why is this such a hazardous stretch of water?
0:03:34 > 0:03:39It's a very rocky and windswept coast
0:03:39 > 0:03:42with terrific currents running round it.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48And in the old days, ships' navigation was imperfect,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50there were no lights by which to navigate,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52yet there was a lot of shipping
0:03:52 > 0:03:56as Islay guards part of the channel
0:03:56 > 0:03:58between Scotland and Northern Ireland
0:03:58 > 0:04:03out of which ships are coming from Liverpool, Belfast, the Clyde,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07going across the Atlantic or working their way up Scotland.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- And there are hazards.- Yeah.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12So it was a major shipping route and the hazards are evident,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15because we can see something right here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17What will we look at coming round here?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19This is an early steam ship.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23It would've been a wooden boat and you can still see a few of the ribs.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29And in the 1850s, 1860s, which is about the time this was wrecked,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31a ship called the Patty,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34the boilers they used were low pressure.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38They were called box boilers cos they were actually square,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and we can see some of the outline of it here.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41All those years ago,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- what do we know of the circumstances that it ended up here?- Nothing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Really?- We know its name. Even there there's a question mark about it,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- but we actually have no history of this boat at all.- Wow.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57But this is one of nearly 300 wrecks that we do know of
0:04:57 > 0:05:00around the coast of Islay since the very earliest that we know of,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03which would probably be the early 18th century.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07- Wow. That's a phenomenal number, isn't it?- Yes, yes.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09There are other wrecks we know more about, aren't there?
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Certainly, we do. There's one up in the north-west of the island
0:05:13 > 0:05:18which was called the Exmouth. It was a sailing ship leaving Ireland
0:05:18 > 0:05:22with people trying to make a new life in North America
0:05:22 > 0:05:26because of the potato famine. This was in the 1840s.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30And it had over 250 people on board and in very bad weather,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35and again, inadequate navigation, it crashed into some steep cliffs
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and all but three people were lost.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45'This channel along the west coast of Islay
0:05:45 > 0:05:49'wasn't just an important shipping route during peacetime.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'In the First World War it formed an essential part of the passage,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'bringing American troops over to the UK.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01'And it was here one October night in 1918 that disaster struck,
0:06:01 > 0:06:06'resulting in the largest loss of life at sea during the Great War.'
0:06:12 > 0:06:17It seems all the graves we can see refer to just one ship, the Otranto.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- What happened? - That was an armed merchantman.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24She had been a liner before the war.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28And she was in a convoy off the coast here,
0:06:28 > 0:06:306th October, 1918.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35And there was a collision between two ships in the dark
0:06:35 > 0:06:37in a very bad storm
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and the Otranto sank with a great loss of life.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44So what was she carrying? She was carrying troops at the time?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Yes. She had a crew of about 300
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and she was carrying about 800 or 900 American troops.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56- Wow. - And the loss of life was 431 died.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Malcolm, you said it was a collision. What actually happened?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12What happened to the other boat involved?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15The two boats were in two different lines of the convoy,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and the captain of one boat thought the land they'd spotted
0:07:18 > 0:07:21was Northern Ireland and turned left away from it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Whereas the other captain thought it was Scotland
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and turned to the right, and so they collided.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And the Kashmir, the smaller boat, about 8,000 tonnes,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34collided amid ships with the Otranto, a rather bigger boat,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36at around 12,000 tonnes,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40and cut a great gash in its side which was a mortal wound.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And what hope is there for the Otranto at that point?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Very little, and indeed, for the 1,000 plus people on board,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but a very, very brave captain of a Destroyer,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53which was an escort vessel, a Destroyer called the Mounsey,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58defied the orders of the Otranto's captain and decided to come alongside
0:07:58 > 0:08:02so that troops and crew could jump on board his ship.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05There were still 400 people left on the Otranto
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and the captain gave the order to abandon ship.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12And these people were left to try and make it to shore.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Just 16 got to shore alive.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And then it was just a question of recovering
0:08:17 > 0:08:21the many hundreds of bodies that littered the coast here.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And that was all very carefully recorded indeed
0:08:24 > 0:08:26by the local police sergeant.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And he wrote it down meticulously in a notebook
0:08:29 > 0:08:32which I've actually brought with me from the museum.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33Let's see it.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Each and every person that the police sergeant recorded,
0:08:37 > 0:08:42he was numbering them, 193, 194,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46the dog tag that they would've been wearing, the name,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and then what ever they had in their pockets,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52such as Bible and razors, etcetera.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- Tremendous mark of respect. It's very carefully detailed.- Yes.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59"Tattoo on right wrist of a swallow." And so it goes on.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03So that he was getting as much description as he could
0:09:03 > 0:09:06in case relatives would be able to identify their lost loved one.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15These are all the crew.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19You can see on the labels the ship's cook, Chief Petty Officer,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Officer Steward, and some they have to record as "A Sailor"
0:09:24 > 0:09:26as they couldn't identify them.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31- Yeah, there's a lot of "A Sailors" and "Known Unto Gods".- Yes.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And then this really stands out, doesn't it?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37This big one, this was Captain Davidson, the captain of the Otranto.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39He lost his life as well.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42So it's a really dark chapter in the island's history,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- a real loss of life. - And if you think about it,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47it happened just five weeks before the Armistice
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- and the war would have been over. - Gosh.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03'Shipwrecks like the Otranto mark some of the darkest moments in Islay's history.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07'The natural landscape of the island is one that has shaped life here
0:10:07 > 0:10:11'in a positive and varied way, as Ben Fogle found out
0:10:11 > 0:10:12'when he visited these shores.'
0:10:19 > 0:10:22'Islay has a rich and varied landscape,
0:10:22 > 0:10:28'which is just one of the reasons that 150,000 tourists come here every year.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30'It is a working island,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34'but the natural environment underpins everything that happens here.'
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It's home to 3,500 inhabitants who rely on the natural ingredients
0:10:38 > 0:10:39the island provides.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45One of the most important of which is this stuff.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50It's peat, and it is the key to Islay's most important export.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'Each year, tens of thousands of barrels of whisky are made
0:10:55 > 0:11:00'on Islay, and they are exported to countries all over the world.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Thank you.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04There are seven distilleries here,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and they all produce their own very distinctive tipple.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I take my research very seriously.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16'Bruichladdich distillery has been making whisky for 120 years.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20'It closed in 1995 but reopened under new management in May
0:11:20 > 0:11:24'and is promising to return the art of whisky-making to its traditional roots.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28'Its rebirth is good news for the island and for the Treasury.'
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Oh yes, it is very lucrative.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Somewhere around 100 million a year created in revenue alone from Islay.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- That's in taxes? - Taxes on the whisky, on the spirits.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Per head of population,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43one of the most productive parts of the UK, I would say.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'There's not much that Ruaridh McLeod doesn't know about whiskey.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50'He worked at at Bruichladdich for well over 30 years
0:11:50 > 0:11:55'and remembers a time when there was a more relaxed attitude to working.'
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The first question I want to ask is what is this?
0:11:59 > 0:12:03That is the official dram by the company.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05When you say official dram, what do you mean by that?
0:12:05 > 0:12:09When you came into work, you got a dram.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12You were given an official tot of whisky?
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- That's right. - That's a very big tot, there.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16It's not that big.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18You started work at six in the morning
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and you got one at 7 o'clock in the morning.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Everybody got another one at 9 o'clock in the morning.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31We got another one at 12 o'clock, you got another one at two
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and you got one when everybody was going up again.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- So you got five of these every day? - Yes, aye.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40That's about the equivalent of two shots now, I think.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Well, ah, well... One-and-a-half!
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- LAUGHTER - Yes, I think so.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51'Whisky has been made on Islay since the 18th Century.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54'The basic principles remain pretty much the same.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'Barley is steeped in water and left to germinate.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00'This produces chemicals which convert starch to sugar.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'The grain is then dried over a peaty fire,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05'giving Islay's whiskies their distinctive flavour.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'And it's finally ready for milling.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Boiling water is then added to the ground barley.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21It's then mixed or mashed, as the experts call it,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24to make this rather yucky-looking sugary substance
0:13:24 > 0:13:27which is quite aptly-named wort.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This is where the yeast is added into these giant vats, here.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35As you can see by these vapours, this is fermenting very nicely.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'What's left is a weak alcoholic solution.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'This is distilled twice, producing spirit which can then
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'be transferred to oak casks, ready for the maturing process.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- This is the end product. - That's it, yes.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54Last week that was malted barley in the bins and it was water.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Now you end up with a glass of plain British spirit.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00What is the difference between plain British spirit and whisky?
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Plain British spirit is a new make,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06it must stay in a cask for a minimum of three years to qualify as whisky.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11After that, it can go for blending or whatever in five or eight years.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15To be a decent malt, it has to stay in a cask for a minimum of eight or 10 years.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Is this a lot stronger than whisky?
0:14:17 > 0:14:21That is quite a bit stronger than whisky you'd buy in the bottle.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It tastes slightly different as well.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Ooh! Very strong! - It's quite a bit stronger.
0:14:29 > 0:14:3430 years down the line, you should end up with something like this, if it's in the right conditions.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- 30 year-old whisky? - That is 30-years-old.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41It was distilled in the distillery here and has been matured right through for 30 years now.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I think you'll find that it tastes much, much better.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I must have a try. I have been looking forward to this.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53That is beautiful.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56That really is amazing. It's very smooth, isn't it?
0:14:56 > 0:15:01Very smooth. A lovely light, smooth whisky. Very drinkable.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- Slainte mhath. - Slainte mhath.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08'Peat is not just a raw ingredient for whisky.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12'It is also used as a household fuel by islanders.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'Norrie Campbell is Islay's only professional peat cutter.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'He's been plying his trade since he was 12 years of age.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Can you just explain exactly what peat is?
0:15:21 > 0:15:26It is a mixture of sphagnum moss, heather,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28white grass roots,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30bog myrtle and cotton.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It doesn't actually grow because it is decayed.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37It just multiplies up and up and up.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40How old do you think that peat is that you have in your hand?
0:15:40 > 0:15:412,500 years.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46- How do you know that? - Six inches represents 1,000 years.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49When the turf comes off, that's 1,000 years.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53When the actual peat is cut, you are in to 2,000 years.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58If the peat was going to be longer, maybe another 1,000 years on to it.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01You have been cutting peat for many years. Do you find it a lonely job?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08A wee bit, at times. There is no doubt about it. No need to deny it.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12If I come on to a tough bit,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15I might just throw the spade down and walk away.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18But I will come back tomorrow and I will start afresh again.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23It is like a jigsaw puzzle.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26When you put it away for a wee while and come back,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30everything is forgotten about and you are fresh.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35- Have you ever considered leaving? - No. I did. I went to London once.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41It was as busy in London at 5.30am as Glasgow was at dinner time.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I headed back as quick as I could.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'Given conservation concerns about peatlands,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52'it's unclear just how long this work will remain part of island life.'
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Islay is a relatively small island.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02It is just 21 miles north to south, and about the same east to west.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Despite its small size, it is home to something very unique. This is it.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The world's first commercial wave power station.
0:17:17 > 0:17:23'The energy from the Atlantic Ocean is the key to this ground-breaking project.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'It's already feeding electricity through to the National Grid.'
0:17:26 > 0:17:29We've created an artificial borehole.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31We have built a cave into the sea.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34The swell comes in from the ocean, creates a head of water outside.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37The water inside wants to rise to meet that,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40which creates an air piston, effectively,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43so the air above it is compressed and forced out through our turbine.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- So the turbine spins as the air goes through it?- Exactly.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The same happens in reverse, when the swell recedes.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- The swell outside moves away. - It sucks the air back through it?
0:17:53 > 0:17:58- How much electricity would this create?- The installed capacity of the device is 500 kilowatts.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01That is enough to supply about 300 houses.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04We hope that this will move on and we will be able to construct
0:18:04 > 0:18:07lots of these and put them around the coastline.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09The wave energy that hits UK shores
0:18:09 > 0:18:13could supply the needs of the UK five times over.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'The Archibald family have been growing oysters for over ten years
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'on the shores of Loch Gruinart, which is fed by the Atlantic Ocean.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24'The water here is clean and mild in temperature
0:18:24 > 0:18:26'because of the influence of the Gulf Stream,
0:18:26 > 0:18:31'making it an ideal location for this kind of farming.'
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- What we do is we grow oysters on. - Right.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39We buy them in at about ten grams at six months of age,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41we put them into mesh bags.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43The tide comes in and the tide feeds them.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48They live on the plankton in the water and they grow.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Within a year, they are mostly grown.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Within two years, the first ones are ready for sale.
0:18:54 > 0:19:01We sell them mainly to hotels and round to wholesalers.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06- Is it quite labour-intensive? - It's quite labour-intensive. It is all manual work.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11We have to turn them maybe twice in their lives and grade them maybe four times in their life.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13When you say grading, what's grading?
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Taking out the big ones and the wee ones,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20separating them so they grow more evenly.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23If you leave them together, they will grow together.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Like that?- Like that.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Or the smaller ones don't get the right amount of food and they don't grow.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- Is that oyster there ready-to-eat? - Yes. There is an oyster in here.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38- I will open it for you. - Are they quite tough to open?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41They are very tough to open.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44There we go.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47How old is this one?
0:19:47 > 0:19:49This will be 18 months old.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53- Perfect. A vintage oyster. - A vintage oyster.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- So, can I eat that one? - There you go.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Right. Mm.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Mm. That's delicious.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Very salty. Surprising, that!
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- Great, thank you. - Thank you.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'Islay's beauty and natural resources are not only key to making
0:20:21 > 0:20:24'the island a viable place to live and work,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28'but they are also the very thing that make visitors like me
0:20:28 > 0:20:30'want to come back time and time again.'
0:20:39 > 0:20:42'On my island journey I'm travelling around the banks of Loch Indaal
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'to Bowmore, the island's capital,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'with a population of about 1,000 people.'
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Bowmore is a town normally associated with whisky,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02but I am not heading for the famous distillery, not this time anyway.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I'm actually going to the Gaelic College,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10where another local export has started winning awards and set tongues wagging.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17CHORAL SINGING
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'Galic choirs have always been an integral part of life in Islay.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'At one time, every town on the island would have had its own.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46'By the 1990s, this tradition and the Gaelic language itself
0:21:46 > 0:21:49'were in serious decline, and just one choir hung on.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57'Today, there has been a miraculous change in fortunes,
0:21:57 > 0:22:02'with Gaelic speakers now making up 60% of the island's population.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06'Boosting that revival is a new Islay-wide choir,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'led by conductor Iseabail Mactaggart,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'which boasts over 30 members
0:22:11 > 0:22:15'and has already won three national awards.'
0:22:15 > 0:22:17CHORAL SINGING
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Iseabail, that sounded absolutely fantastic in there.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Has there be a problem keeping Gaelic going on the island?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37I think, like a lot of places in Scotland,
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Gaelic has gradually declined over the years, and the numbers bear that out.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45I think in Islay there has been a wee bit of stabilisation,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48you know, more and more people are interested in it.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Both locals and people who have come to the island
0:22:51 > 0:22:56and visitors to the island are interested in culture and tradition.
0:22:56 > 0:23:03I think that yeah, you can see I think there has been a wee bit of a rekindling of interest in it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07What do you put the rejuvenation of Gaelic on the island down to?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Bilingualism itself is a fantastic asset.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12It doesn't matter what language you're bilingual in.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15People are putting more children into bilingual education.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17That is a good thing.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22I think both people who are locals and people who have moved to the island
0:23:22 > 0:23:26realise this is part of the island they have moved to.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31This is part of the heritage and let's own it and let's know about it
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and let's, you know, be proud of it.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36When I came in, you were singing a moving song.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40To the untrained ear it sounded like you were talking about fish.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43What where the words and what do they mean?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Take this information.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Fios is information. Take this information to the poet.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53The poet be the person to tell the world.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55He is exhorting people, take this information to the Bard.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58THEY SPEAK GAELIC
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Well done.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Crikey, quite a mouthful. They do it with real confidence, even the non-Gaelic speakers.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Yes, they do really, really well.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13CHORAL SINGING
0:24:39 > 0:24:41There is a lot of feeling coming out in your singing.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44That is obviously very important to you?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Yes. Some of the songs,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48one of the things we do do and we have been trying to do
0:24:48 > 0:24:53is to take Islay songs that were perhaps not very well-known,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56not sung, or not sung in a choral setting,
0:24:56 > 0:24:57and try to take them.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02We have done that in two or three songs. We love that.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I know it sounds brilliant,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07but you have also have others tell you the same thing.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- You have won awards? - Yes, yes.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15Our mixed choir has won both the kind of big mixed competition
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and the Puirt-a-beul, this vast dance music.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22We won that last year. Our ladies have won.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Our men have yet to win but one day we will.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30We have a great group of select and very committed men.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35- For the next challenge, maybe getting the men to win something? - Yes. That would be lovely.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Just to really keep the consistency and go for it.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42Part of it, as well, is taking, I would love to take more Islay songs
0:25:42 > 0:25:46and to get them better-known and out there and having
0:25:46 > 0:25:48the choir sing them with real pride and passion,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50having other people hear them.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52CHORAL SINGING
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'When Valentine Warner visited neighbouring Jura,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12'the sound of silence was the order of the day as he hunted the island's famous red deer
0:26:12 > 0:26:15'to take home for his larder.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:26For me, one of the greatest autumn treats is venison.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30I've come to Jura in the Western Isles of Scotland to get some of the best.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'Venison, the dark red, succulent meat we get from deer,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'is a delicious alternative to beef.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'It has all the flavour but a 10th of the fat,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44'and these days you can get it in many butchers and supermarkets.'
0:26:44 > 0:26:45That's an exciting piece of meat.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49'There are six types of wild deer in Britain.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53'My favourite are red deer and autumn's the best time to eat them
0:26:53 > 0:26:56'because they are at their physical peak after a summer of grazing.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'Scotland is home to the largest number of red deer in the UK.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- Morning, Andrew. - Morning, Val.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09'Jura, an island where people are outnumbered by deer 30-1,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11'is a spectacular place to hunt them.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I'm heading up the glen with Ewan McInnes,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18'who has been working on the estate for 19 years
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'and knows the 20,000 acres like the back of his hand.'
0:27:21 > 0:27:24OK, Val. That's us.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Get ourselves a rifle. - Great.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30You just go up there and have a lovely day. The best of luck.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36'Scotland's stag hunting, or stalking season, runs from July to October.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Best of luck. - Thanks.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40If we just do single file.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44'In autumn, stags are feeding on the high ground.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'To have a chance of shooting one up here,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49'we are going to have to keep a very low profile,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52'out of sight, smell and sound of these wary animals.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57'It's hard to stay silent in the face of these spectacular views.'
0:27:57 > 0:27:58Wow!
0:28:00 > 0:28:02- It's amazing, isn't it? - Extraordinary view.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04What a place!
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'Finally, after two hours of hard climbing,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14'we catch sight of some antlers.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:18We've found a young stag grazing on the other side
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and he's totally oblivious of our whereabouts.
0:28:21 > 0:28:27We're going to stalk this deer, go back around and try and take him from higher ground.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42(There he is.)
0:28:42 > 0:28:46'Closing in on our prey, Ewan and I circle round to get the stag in range of our rifle.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:54(This one. He's just here.)
0:28:54 > 0:28:57'I get the stag in my sight, but something's not right.'
0:28:59 > 0:29:02(I'm very uncomfortable. I didn't want to take it.)
0:29:04 > 0:29:07The last stag we actually got right up to it
0:29:07 > 0:29:09and had it in the sights of the rifle.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12But it was kind of alert to the fact we were there.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I was very uncomfortable and it started moving
0:29:14 > 0:29:16and as I was going to pull the trigger.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20That's a shot you should never take, possibly resulting in an injury, so I left that one.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27'After another two hours, we spot more stags on the hillside ahead.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37'A huge stag steps towards us.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43'But something spooks him and he vanishes.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50(We were playing such a quiet game that they pretty much walked on top of us.)
0:29:50 > 0:29:53We can try and crawl onto the edge, here.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00'Six hours after we started hunting, we crawl to the crest of the hill
0:30:00 > 0:30:04'and there before us is the perfect stag for the larder.'
0:30:04 > 0:30:06(Oh my God, I can see it.)
0:30:09 > 0:30:11(He's looking at us now.)
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Do you see the one? The one on the right?
0:30:15 > 0:30:19'Finally, I have got the chance of a clear shot.'
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- GUNSHOT - Good shot.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26It's a clean kill.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Well done! Well done!
0:30:29 > 0:30:33OK, we've done it. It's like a... HE EXHALES
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Our deer has fallen on the other side of the hill, our stag.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Well done.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I'm very pleased in the knowledge
0:30:48 > 0:30:51that the bullet could not have gone in at a better place.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53This animal died incredibly quickly.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57You've got to make the effort to kill animals as cleanly as possible.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59That's what we've done today. It's a good job.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01You are going to feel in there and find the spleen...
0:31:01 > 0:31:04'We gut the stag on the mountainside
0:31:04 > 0:31:07'before Andrew comes to collect us and our quarry.'
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Valentine Warner there, venturing into Jura's animal kingdom.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I have travelled north on my journey across Islay
0:31:16 > 0:31:18to the banks of Loch Finlaggan,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22heading to two tiny island which sit within the loch itself.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27At first glance it may appear insignificant and forgotten,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29but Finlaggan and its islands
0:31:29 > 0:31:33once played host to some majestic visitors.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Despite its small stature and remote location, for over a century,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40it was a power base as important as the Scottish throne.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Finlaggan was home to the Lords of the Isles,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48the chiefs of clans covering the Hebrides
0:31:48 > 0:31:51and much of the west coast of Scotland, who, in the 12th century,
0:31:51 > 0:31:58combined their power to create a force independent of royal control.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04It was these tiny islands within Loch Finlaggen that were the seat of that power.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06The chiefs would sail to Islay by longboat
0:32:06 > 0:32:12then they'd cross the loch from that boulder over there to a stone jetty on this side.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16There are about 20 or so buildings on this island for the Lords
0:32:16 > 0:32:19to stay in, but they travelled across to the smaller Council Isle,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23where they would sign charters and settle disputes.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26All the while they would be watched from the shore by a crowd of locals
0:32:26 > 0:32:29who would gather, a bit like people do today
0:32:29 > 0:32:32in the House of Commons, to see the great and the good
0:32:32 > 0:32:36in the flesh and more importantly, to witness justice being done.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44'The undisputed leader of these Lords was the head of the Clan MacDonald.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48'The MacDonalds descended from a 12th Century Prince called Somerled,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52'who returned to Islay and drove the Viking invaders out.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56'This bravery and show of force secured not only Islay
0:32:56 > 0:33:00'but the hereditary right to preside over the Lords of the Isles.'
0:33:04 > 0:33:06It's in this chapel that the title Lord of the Isles
0:33:06 > 0:33:09will be passed down from generation to generation.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14Priests, bishops, clan leaders, would all gather in this tiny space.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17The new McDonald leader will be dressed in white to symbolise
0:33:17 > 0:33:22integrity of heart and the light with which he will guide his people.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24In the climax to the ceremony,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the newly-installed leader stood in a footmark
0:33:27 > 0:33:30on the reverse of this very stone,
0:33:30 > 0:33:34quite literally following in the footsteps of his predecessors.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41'Four lords held this title, and under them,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'peace and order ruled for over 100 years.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48'When the 4th Lord of the Isles decided to go into battle
0:33:48 > 0:33:51'with the Scottish crown, he was defeated and banished.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54'It spelled the end of an era.'
0:33:57 > 0:34:00The power of the Lord of the Isles may be long gone
0:34:00 > 0:34:02but the name still lives on.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05It passed into royal ownership and today the title
0:34:05 > 0:34:10made great here is held by none other than the Prince of Wales.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Fascinating stories, but the island also boasts
0:34:14 > 0:34:17a remarkable natural history,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20as Bill Oddie discovered on a wild goose chase.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Right, then. I came here for wild geese
0:34:26 > 0:34:30and today is the day that I am going to find them.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Barney's barnacle geese. GWFs, Greenland white-fronts
0:34:38 > 0:34:4144,000 geese.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Should be able to find a couple of them, I think.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52In fact, I have seen quite a few geese already.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55And I do keep hearing them, too.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57And yet...
0:34:57 > 0:35:01They talk about wild goose chase and I know why
0:35:01 > 0:35:04because I've been chasing wild geese for 40-odd years.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06And when you come to somewhere like this
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and only got a couple of days, you have to promise yourself
0:35:09 > 0:35:12that you're going to go away with some magic moments.
0:35:12 > 0:35:13To be sure of that,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17it's a good idea to get a little bit of local knowledge.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Right. This is the...
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- All this is RSPB? - That's right. This whole area.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40'Actually, Dylan isn't really a local but he's been here so often
0:35:40 > 0:35:42'he's become an honorary local.'
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Right... Super close-up time.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00What's the percentage of the world population of these birds?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03I can never get my head round figures.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06It's around 20% of the world population overwinter on Islay.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11- On Islay?- Yeah, a significant proportion.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Males and females absolutely identical?- That's right.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- I certainly can't tell them apart! - Presumably they can!
0:36:18 > 0:36:19DYLAN LAUGHS
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Feed, feed, feed. They have delicate little beaks
0:36:24 > 0:36:28daintily plucking the juicy tops of the short grass.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And just now and again they have little bath break
0:36:31 > 0:36:33to keep the feathers in good nick.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Having a good time, too. Must be cold.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42'And the Greenland white-fronts - they feed in the longer grass
0:36:42 > 0:36:46'and they tend to dig up the roots or pull them up.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49'They've got bigger beaks to do that.'
0:36:49 > 0:36:53It's a bit disappointing to those who've heard of white-fronted geese.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56They expect it to be the whole front of the bird and it isn't.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58It's just the forehead that's the white-front.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01It should be white-foreheaded geese. How about that?
0:37:01 > 0:37:04It makes more sense than barnacle goose, doesn't it?
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Ah! Now, what is the story of that?
0:37:07 > 0:37:12It's related to going back to olden days when people believed
0:37:12 > 0:37:18that barnacle geese actually came out of the barnacles in winter.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Now, how they came to that conclusion...
0:37:21 > 0:37:23HE LAUGHS
0:37:25 > 0:37:28There are a couple of North American species around
0:37:28 > 0:37:30on Islay at the moment.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35A genuine Canada goose from Canada, and a snow goose as well.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38The Canada goose has been seen around this area,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40but the snow goose is on the other side of the island.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45- What's the Canada with?- It has been hanging around with barnacle geese.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47OK, well, let's have a scan through the barnacles.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50If we go through them methodically.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Barnacle, barnacle, barnacle...
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Hang on. Wait a minute.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58At the end - on the right hand end of the flock, that's it.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01- There's the Canada.- You've got it?
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Yeah. On the right hand there. Coming right out to the right hand end.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07It keeps hiding behind tufts of grass.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- He's the right end bird. - Oh, yeah, got you.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15This one looks very similar to the sort of Canada geese
0:38:15 > 0:38:20that I get on my local reservoir down in London,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22but it's not tame,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24it's with wild barnacles
0:38:24 > 0:38:30and so, as sure as you even can be, a real Canada goose from Canada...
0:38:30 > 0:38:32flying the Canadian flag.
0:38:35 > 0:38:41'OK, and now let's see if we can find the snow goose. Now, snow goose...
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'I wonder if that might be just a little bit easier to spot?'
0:38:47 > 0:38:50'This bird probably bred in either eastern Canada
0:38:50 > 0:38:54'or maybe in Greenland, there's just a few apparently nesting there now,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'but it thinks that it's a Greenland white-front because every year
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'for the last few years it's come back to Islay to the same field!'
0:39:09 > 0:39:12There are 40,000-odd geese on Islay.
0:39:14 > 0:39:19I haven't seen that number. In fact, they are scattered around.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21You don't see huge flocks.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28If you want, though, the really, truly unforgettable spectacle
0:39:28 > 0:39:34that Peter Scott experienced, you've got to go to a roost.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39So, are they punctual, these geese?
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Ha, I think they'll probably come in about 10.30pm,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45just after we go to bed.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Come on!
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Now...
0:39:51 > 0:39:55I would never have expected to come out at the edge of a salt marsh through there.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- That is great. - Suddenly out in the open.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02So...which direction do they come?
0:40:02 > 0:40:05They could come in from both ends of the bay.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09From this side and also from over there, beyond the woods,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11because the reserve is on the other side of that area.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15We should hear them before we see them, hopefully.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21You can't help but go quiet, can you?
0:40:21 > 0:40:23It wouldn't make any difference
0:40:23 > 0:40:28but it's like a sort of act of worship or something.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Just wait.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42(Come on.)
0:40:42 > 0:40:4430 seconds.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Try and count down.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53DISTANT QUACKING
0:40:53 > 0:40:57- You can hear them.- Yeah.- Hear? - Yeah, I can hear something.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Here they come!
0:41:02 > 0:41:04QUACKING INCREASES IN VOLUME
0:41:04 > 0:41:05(Oh, yes.)
0:41:18 > 0:41:20QUACKING CONTINUES
0:41:21 > 0:41:24They're going to do their whiffling drop.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Oh, it's great, isn't it? - From the sky.- Yeah.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32It's another of those things. I don't even think we know why they do it.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36It just looks like they enjoy it, don't they? Watch this, here I come!
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- Woo!- That's right. Yeah.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Let the wind...
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It's their one chance to do something a bit exciting in a day
0:41:42 > 0:41:45when they spend 90% of their time eating grass.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Oh, wow.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57CACOPHONY OF QUACKING
0:42:12 > 0:42:14QUACKING CONTINUES
0:42:26 > 0:42:30That really is truly breathtaking.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32I think it's something that, once in a lifetime,
0:42:32 > 0:42:37everyone should experience. You don't have to be a birdwatcher.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40It's magic.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46But it isn't only the bird life that's lured back to Islay
0:42:46 > 0:42:47time and time again.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52The island also has a powerful draw for the people who live here.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55People who have a special relationship with the landscape
0:42:55 > 0:43:00and can't quite seem to resist the pull of its timeless charms.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07I've come to the hills above Port Askaig to meet an artist
0:43:07 > 0:43:11who's worked all over the world but who's been lured back to Islay,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14drawing inspiration from the legends and landscapes that, for her,
0:43:14 > 0:43:19make this little rock in the Atlantic Ocean such a special place.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Hey, Heather. How are you?
0:43:23 > 0:43:27- Very well, thank you. Good.- Nice to see you.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32You've got quite a history here. I know you've lived away but what is your history here on Islay?
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Well, I was born over there in that house
0:43:36 > 0:43:40and I was brought up with Gaelic as my first language.
0:43:40 > 0:43:41Really?
0:43:41 > 0:43:44And I think that things like the old folk tales and things,
0:43:44 > 0:43:49they were part of the oral tradition, which is what Gaelic really was.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50An oral tradition.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55Very little of it was written down in comparison to English.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58And so the folk tales, I found them fascinating.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01And this folklore, these sites, they still excite you
0:44:01 > 0:44:04- and drive you on as an artist? - Yes. Yeah.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14Is there any sense of how far back some of these tales go?
0:44:14 > 0:44:19There was a well-known guy on Islay called John Francis Campbell
0:44:19 > 0:44:22who collected a huge volume of old folk tales.
0:44:22 > 0:44:28He discovered there were direct parallels with some of the Viking - the Norse - stories,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30the Russian stories,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33all these ones that went across Northern Europe.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36And some of those are incredibly early so, yeah,
0:44:36 > 0:44:41there is a big link but I'm not sure how the link has been formed.
0:44:41 > 0:44:47But it suggests some movement of people, stories, communications.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50- This interweaving of different cultures.- Yes. There's that
0:44:50 > 0:44:53but also, I'm wondering whether it's also to do with archetypes,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56so you end up with similar types of stories.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01- There are only so many good stories? - Well, yes. And so many good morals.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06While we're here, it's obviously close to home
0:45:06 > 0:45:08but what significance does this site have?
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Things like the giantess that lived on Jura.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Over there, on the Paps over there,
0:45:16 > 0:45:20the left-hand pap has got a sort of "Y" scraped out.
0:45:20 > 0:45:25And this giantess, on one of her many exploits,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29was chasing some young man and tripped and fell
0:45:29 > 0:45:31and that's the mark she made.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43The water horse, which is another of these tales, I did a series on that.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46I'm not familiar with that. What's the story there?
0:45:46 > 0:45:50The story is, at a lot of lochs in Scotland, there's reputed to be
0:45:50 > 0:45:52a water horse that lives in them
0:45:52 > 0:45:57and he was an agent of the devil and he lured travellers into the loch,
0:45:57 > 0:46:02drowned them, devil got the soul and he got the body.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06But those were the kind of stories I really enjoyed.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09And, as an artist, do you think, on this island,
0:46:09 > 0:46:12you could ever run out of those sites?
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Never. Because it's endless. It is, really.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22And it's not just former residents like Heather that are attracted
0:46:22 > 0:46:26to Islay as I'll be discovering on the final stop of my island journey.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I'm about to meet a chef who's been drawn here from half way across
0:46:30 > 0:46:34the world and now he's seeking out the local produce that inspires him.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37But first, if you're heading out in the next seven days,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41you'll need the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead.
0:48:50 > 0:48:57.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09I'm in the Inner Hebrides on a journey across Islay. I started
0:49:09 > 0:49:11at Kilchiaran discovering the stories
0:49:11 > 0:49:14of the shipwrecks on this busy coast.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Moving east to Bowmore, I learned how the island's Gaelic choir
0:49:18 > 0:49:22is winning awards and helping bring a declining language back to life.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Then I headed north, to Finlaggan,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29once the heart of power in western Scotland,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32before travelling to the hills above Port Askaig to meet
0:49:32 > 0:49:36an artist immersed in the landscape and legends of this magical isle.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Now I'm heading down to the port itself to meet a chef
0:49:40 > 0:49:46from halfway around the world, drawing his inspiration from Islay's local produce.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57- Hi, Ranga, I'm Joe.- Hi, Joe. Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00I know you're a chef, so I expected to find you slaving over a hot stove.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03What are we doing down here at the quayside?
0:50:03 > 0:50:06I came in to see any of my boys, getting our catch of the day.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Hopefully it's going to be the langoustines
0:50:09 > 0:50:12and we'll wait for the good stuff to come and we'll get them.
0:50:15 > 0:50:20I'm curious. What are the challenges being a chef in a place like Islay?
0:50:21 > 0:50:25It's quite seasonal and I use the seasonal ingredients.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28And nothing gets better than what we get from here.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32- Yeah.- It's all fresh from the sea, from the land and everything. From the farm.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37When you say seasonal, you're reliant on what can be sourced and found locally, are you?
0:50:37 > 0:50:42Yes, of course. Our langoustines, lobsters, oysters, vegetables, meat.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Everything. We source everything from locally, most of the time,
0:50:46 > 0:50:47when it is available.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50So there's a lot of cattle and sheep on the island.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Of course, fresh meat, as well.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Straight from the farmer, it goes to the butcher, then gets sold to me.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58There is no middle man to deal with.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03I suppose you have the best of both worlds. Regular ferries with stuff you can't get on the island
0:51:03 > 0:51:06but you also get the fresh local produce.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Yes, that's the advantage here in Islay.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11We get the freshest produce from here
0:51:11 > 0:51:14and top it up with produce from the mainland.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Trained in Madras, Ranga worked at a chef at some
0:51:19 > 0:51:23of Southern India's most exclusive resorts before he decided to swap
0:51:23 > 0:51:28it all for a life a continent away, on this secluded Scottish island.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32I know you were a chef in India and you wanted to come to the UK,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35but you could have gone anywhere at all.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36Why did you end up here?
0:51:36 > 0:51:40I just applied on my website in India, I got the job offer
0:51:40 > 0:51:43from here, and I took it and came here.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45It was quite different for me at first.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48I didn't realise it would be so remote.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51- But it's a great place to work, a great community.- I find that funny
0:51:51 > 0:51:54because you could have gone anywhere. You come here
0:51:54 > 0:51:57and you didn't real realise how remote it was going to be.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01Yes, yes. Of course. That's true. It's so remote.
0:52:01 > 0:52:06- I came at the height of winter, and I thought about going back.- Did you?!
0:52:06 > 0:52:09But I made a brave decision and stayed on and I'm here now.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12So what were your first impressions, coming over?
0:52:12 > 0:52:15- The wind and rain coming at you? - Yes.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20It was a typical winter's day, blowing at gale force
0:52:20 > 0:52:24and landing up here, I wondered if I had landed or it was a plane crash, or what.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30But it's a good place to live and a good place to work.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32A few moments ago, I noticed a boat go behind us.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36Is that your guys but shall we go and take a look at what's come in?
0:52:36 > 0:52:37Aye. It shall be our guys.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41We can go and check out what they have got in the boat.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45It might be the catch of the day, and should be langoustines, hopefully.
0:52:45 > 0:52:46- Let's go across.- Let's see.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- Are these your guys? - Yes. They are my guys.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Hi, guys. I think we're looking for some langoustine.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- Have you been out this morning? What have you got?- Yeah, we have.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05We've got some here for you.
0:53:08 > 0:53:14- Wow.- How's that, Ranga?- That's nice, aye.- So, how long are they?
0:53:15 > 0:53:18About nine or ten inches long, are they?
0:53:18 > 0:53:22- I could take one out to show you if you like. - Yeah, let's have a look.
0:53:22 > 0:53:23- Check the quality, eh?- Sure.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Brilliant. Make sure I don't drop him.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31This is bigger than those in a supermarket.
0:53:31 > 0:53:36- Is this a specimen langoustine? - Aye, that's quite a good one.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40But you will see quite a lot of bigger ones than you'll see in the supermarket.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Ones in the supermarket are very small.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Why is that? Do many of them go abroad?
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- Yeah. Most of the bigger ones go abroad.- Why?
0:53:48 > 0:53:51- Because of more demand? - There's just more demand.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54I think more people eat shellfish out there
0:53:54 > 0:53:57than they do in Britain, which is a shame.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02It would be better if more of our catch was kept at home rather than sent abroad, but that's just...
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Everyone's got the idea of the Spanish seafood platter you get
0:54:05 > 0:54:09but it'll be up to 80% Scottish produce that will be on it.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11- Really?- Yeah. Definitely.
0:54:11 > 0:54:17- And just how much of your stuff does go abroad?- Probably about 80%, yeah.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Really? That much?
0:54:19 > 0:54:24Yeah, and then maybe 20% will be kept on the island.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29Definitely, there's none of my catch will go anywhere else in Scotland.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Only on Isla or away to Spain.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33A lovely day for it.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Do you have to go out far today or can you stay in a bit closer?
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Och, we're working just south of Jura just now,
0:54:40 > 0:54:44so it's maybe seven or eight miles away from here.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48- Wow, it doesn't get much more local than that, then, does it?- No.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Not at all, that's it.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03People always seem to be talking about food miles and where food is sourced from.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06This couldn't be any more fresh and local, could it?
0:55:06 > 0:55:10Better where possible that it's nearer to us. That's the best one.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14- Even the sourcing is helping us a great deal in the quality of the food.- Yeah.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18It's wonderful fresh produce, you know exactly where it's come from
0:55:18 > 0:55:24and who's pulled it out of the sea. This must be one of the advantages of being an island chef.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29Yes. It's some of the best produce and when you get that delivered
0:55:29 > 0:55:31- to your door, you are happier cooking them.- Yeah.
0:55:31 > 0:55:36- It's very nice.- So you wouldn't swap for some fancy London restaurant?
0:55:36 > 0:55:41- You're happy enough here, knowing where you get this food from?- No.
0:55:41 > 0:55:42No, I'm happy.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46As a chef, wherever you work, you look for fresh produce
0:55:46 > 0:55:48and that's what I'm getting here.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52There is no chance of swapping and I'm happy with what I'm getting here.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54- I'm more than happy.- Perfect.
0:55:54 > 0:55:59Ranga, I'm hoping that if I hand that back to the guys, and those langoustine make it up to the hotel
0:55:59 > 0:56:04- maybe I can have a taste, see what you're on about? - Surely, you can taste the best.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08- Very good. Thanks, guys. - See you later.- See you.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Travelling around this small Scottish island
0:56:25 > 0:56:27has been an unforgettable experience.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32I've discovered a landscape both beautiful and breathtaking.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36But for me it's the human stories, both old and new,
0:56:36 > 0:56:40that make Islay a truly unique place.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46And what a way to finish my journey - fresh langoustine,
0:56:46 > 0:56:48eaten by the water's edge.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50I really am being a bit spoilt.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Mmm.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Absolutely delicious.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:15 > 0:57:18E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk