0:00:02 > 0:00:03I am Gordon Buchanan.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09I have filmed the most amazing creatures on the planet.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Wow! These are animals that have killed people.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16But, for me, some of the best wildlife
0:00:16 > 0:00:18is right here on our doorstep.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And I'd like some of our best-loved household names to experience it
0:00:24 > 0:00:25as I do.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29- It is just awe-inspiring. - God, that was unbelievable.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- Beautiful.- What an experience.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I could spend weeks or even months tracking down
0:00:35 > 0:00:36these elusive creatures.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40This time, I have just three days.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43This could be the biggest challenge of my career.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55I am on home territory on the island of Mull.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This is where I grew up and fell in love with the natural world.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I'm hoping to share that passion with someone I have only just met.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Alastair Campbell, the king of spin,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16architect of New Labour and all-round alpha male.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Were you always politically minded?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I think I was always anti-Establishment.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I was a bit of an anarchist at university.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30He's looking quite passive at the moment but let me remind you.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- You are the worst of British values...- Answer the question.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Frankly I think it's not a very sensible question.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And like most cowards, he's a hypocrite as well.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43This is a man more associated with Westminster than the West Coast.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45And for the next three days,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I'm taking him well out of his comfort zone.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Fasten your seatbelts. This could get interesting.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58MUSIC PLAYS
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Mull is the fourth largest island in Scotland,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09yet fewer than 3,000 people live here.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16It's only 30 miles long, yet has a coastline of over 300 miles.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Today, we're on the lookout for otters
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and the spectacular sea eagle.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Tomorrow, we head out to sea to hunt for puffins.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34And I'd love to show Alastair some seals.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I'm not good with discomfort.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40That is definitely something as I have gotten older.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Yeah, this is going to be interesting.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58For me, this is the best place in the world and...
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- This place?- Just the island, the whole island.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07Having grown-up here, it completely shaped my outlook on life and it is
0:03:07 > 0:03:10still the place that I call home.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14It's where I saw my very first otter.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Are they, kind of, thriving?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19They are, this was an animal that was persecuted up and down
0:03:19 > 0:03:22the country, but their last stronghold were places like Mull
0:03:22 > 0:03:26that were rugged enough with inaccessible parts of coastline.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29You know, people just didn't hunt them so...
0:03:29 > 0:03:32The next thing, you can't really come to Mull and not look
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- for the white-tailed sea eagle.- Or indeed see one.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Seeing one is harder than...
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Yes, than having the desire to see one.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45And this was an animal that was wiped out and reintroduced.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And Mull is one of the few places in Scotland
0:03:48 > 0:03:50there's a chance of seeing one.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The presence of white-tailed sea eagles brings in something like
0:03:53 > 0:03:55£3.5 million to the island.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59I am always very wary of these surveys.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Wary or not, we have a plan.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08So it is onto our first location, Loch Spelve, to look for otters.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Alastair is a man who likes to know if the odds are in his favour.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I would say 60% is good odds when it comes to wildlife.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- Right.- There is a 60% chance that we will see sea eagles today.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30- But there's...- Otters?- Otters, I would say 70% chance of otters.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47The remoteness of Loch Spelve and almost complete absence of human
0:04:47 > 0:04:51habitation makes it the perfect place to spot otters
0:04:51 > 0:04:53and all sorts of birdlife.
0:04:56 > 0:05:03The trick is to blend in, keep your distance and stay absolutely silent.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05PHONE RINGS
0:05:05 > 0:05:06That bloody phone.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I wonder if it's...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15You will never learn anything this way.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Bruce, I'll call you back. I'll phone you back. Bye.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Well, you can take the man out of Westminster.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Where's he gone?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29I think Alastair has frightened off any otters.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33But we do have a rather splendid heron.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35There are 64 different species worldwide,
0:05:35 > 0:05:40and they all have large pointed beaks that they use to grab fish
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- from the water. - What is that heron doing?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44He's just waiting to get something to eat.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46He seems to be having a long walk.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49That is their strategy, it is kind of stealth.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51How do you know he's not just going for a walk?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57He is definitely in the hunt mode.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02If he finds a nice little patch, he will just freeze and stand there and
0:06:02 > 0:06:06wait until he sees some movement and then use his big sort of
0:06:06 > 0:06:08snake-like neck to jab down.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10But they've got to... They're super quick.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Blink and you'd miss it. Look, there you go.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18There is wildlife all around if you know where to look.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21It's a vole. Hang on.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- Is that how you handle a vole? - If I can catch one...
0:06:26 > 0:06:28There is another one.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- If I can catch one...- Yeah. - If I can catch two,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35how easy is it going to be for a predator?
0:06:35 > 0:06:37I am losing my voles.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Don't go onto the road!
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Come on, Alastair. I'm wrestling with a vole.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50So, ordinarily, I am not into picking up wild animals,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52but these little fellows, being on the road like this,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- are going to get squished.- Ah!
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Not just the cars, but any buzzards that are hanging about on telegraph
0:06:59 > 0:07:01poles will swoop down and get them.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05The heartbeat is racing. You scared it.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- They're fine.- How do you know? How do you know what they think?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12How do you know how they feel?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15My vole has gone. The vole is liberated.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19I am going to put this one down, as well. They're probably related.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23- Are they?- They could be.- You just make this stuff up.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25You haven't got a clue if they're related.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26How similar did they look?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Look, if a vole comes along and sees us two together,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31do they say they are probably related?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- They haven't got a clue.- They have got very, very similar eyes.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36My vole is better looking than your vole.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- It loves your hand now.- It likes it, it is nice and warm.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43Keep off the road.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47This is what I love about going out and looking for wild animals,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49because you might have a mission, it's OK,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51let's go and look for one thing.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Is this your way of telling me we are not going to see an otter?
0:07:53 > 0:07:57- No, just kind of... - This is what we call spin.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- You are the king of spin.- So far we've seen a heron and a vole.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01A heron and a vole. You promised me an otter.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It takes commitment to spot an otter,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11but there are signs that they're around.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Have patience, Mr Campbell.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16Maybe if we head further down the loch.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Alastair, keep your eyes open.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I want reports of anything.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34All I've seen so far is a lot of rather disorganised geese.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Why are they wandering around aimlessly?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Staying safe. When you see them all together like that,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42it is about safety in numbers, so you've got, I would say,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46almost every one of those birds have seen other geese being
0:08:46 > 0:08:48attacked by a sea eagle.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Are you telling me that they basically just live in a state
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- of permanent paranoia?- Yes, they are thinking about two things
0:08:54 > 0:08:59most of the time and one is food and the other is being and living.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01What about the 60% otter?
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Yes, about that.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I am thinking there will be an otter...
0:09:11 > 0:09:12..in the loch.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20It is about a combination of skill and luck, maybe 50/50.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25A lot of it is down to being in the right place at the right time.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- So are we in the wrong place? - We are in the...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30We are in the wrong place at the right time.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Instinct tells me we are not going to see anything here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41So to keep him in enthused, I am taking him to see something
0:09:41 > 0:09:42I know is spectacular.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57If I pull this off, even Alastair will be impressed.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04So we drive to Loch na Keal 30 miles away, to look for sea eagles.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Sea eagles were hunted to extinction and reintroduced to the
0:10:10 > 0:10:12island of Rum back in the 1970s.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16But the eagles decided they liked Mull better
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and have been here ever since.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- May we come aboard?- How are you?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- Alastair, are you...?- I'm fine.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25He lied.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Success is never guaranteed.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But Martin Kievers and his crew run regular trips out to see them.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48He has been throwing fish to attract the sea eagles for a couple of years
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and now they recognise his boat.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54If we're lucky, we will see them just a few metres away.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58They will be unmistakable. You won't look at it and say, "What is that?"
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Some people describe them as a flying barn door.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05They are just, as I said, big huge seven foot wingspan.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10It's July, so they've chicks in the nest and the pressure is on
0:11:10 > 0:11:12to feed them.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16What the eagle is likely to do is to sort of circle,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19it could just swoop down, grab the fish and be off.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20They will be pretty fast onto it,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23because they know that if they don't get onto it, one of these gulls will
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- come down and steal it.- OK.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30They could appear at any moment.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34So I'm keeping my eyes peeled, and so is Alastair.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Although as a former tabloid reporter, he used to this.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40So, back in your journalism days,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43you didn't have to sit with binoculars trained
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- on people's front doors?- Koo Stark. Remember that?- Yes.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Prince Andrew's friend. Did you have to sit and wait and wait for her to
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- show up?- A ridiculous form of existence, really.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58See, I sit and wait for... different types of birds
0:11:58 > 0:12:02to come out of their houses.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06In later life, we used to have them at our door at home.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09And even though it was really, really annoying,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13there was a part of me that realised that I used to do that to people,
0:12:13 > 0:12:18so I couldn't be too, sort of, anti about it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23So did you take the tack of just ignoring the press outside your door?
0:12:23 > 0:12:24I did. If you say "no comment" it's awful.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Far better to say absolutely nothing, so regularly
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I just walked in and out saying nothing.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32So were you under siege at various points?
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Yes, not often but once or twice, yes.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50Wildlife filming, you could wait for hours, days, weeks,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52months for something to happen,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55whereas with the sea eagle, it is something absolutely wonderful
0:12:55 > 0:12:58that could happen in a very short space of time.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03I am incredibly excited about seeing something as majestic as a sea eagle
0:13:03 > 0:13:06up close but I am always slightly nervous that I am going to mess
0:13:06 > 0:13:10something up if I'm filming and I think Alastair probably wouldn't...
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Yeah, I think he would like that in some ways that I messed up
0:13:13 > 0:13:16so he could just rib me for the rest of the day.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19How are you feeling, Alastair? Are you tingling with anticipation?
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- I am, for the first time all day. - There you go.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33And there it is.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34A white-tailed sea eagle.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39But it is so far away.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41What is he thinking about?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44He is probably thinking about how much have I eaten today?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I see the boat out there and they will have something nice for me
0:13:48 > 0:13:50but can I be bothered?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Come on, sea eagle, come closer.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I want Alastair to see it for himself,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01just how magnificent this bird really is.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Then, out of nowhere, a second bird appears
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and flies straight towards us.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- Can you see him, Alastair? - Where?- Straight up there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Right above us.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Now, could you mistake that for anything?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- No.- Have a spy at it through your binoculars.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Look at that.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Slow and graceful.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Just an absolute monster.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Can you get a sense of how big it is, Alastair?
0:14:57 > 0:15:01It is the fourth-largest eagle in the world, after harpy eagle,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Philippine eagle and Steller's sea eagle.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Come on, you beauty.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Look at that. It is getting bigger and bigger and bigger
0:15:12 > 0:15:13as it gets closer.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20If you think of, you know, the precision that is required,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23for such a big bird, these big broad wings,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25the way that the waves are moving, the fish,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27the way that the wind is moving,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30to be able to swoop down at that precise moment.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I think I have even managed to impress Alastair.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41That was a thing of real, real beauty.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45There was the one that we were watching through the binoculars,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48for what seemed like ages that did not move at all and then suddenly
0:15:48 > 0:15:52this other one appeared and just hovered and hovered and hovered
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and seemed to get bigger and bigger as he got nearer and nearer
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and then straight down and off.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00It really was stunning to watch.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Beautiful.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05This is a kind of special bird for me.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09If you give an animal a little bit of help, it can prosper
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and they are thriving, doing so well,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14that they are spreading out across Scotland.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19So this is kind of Garden of Eden for white-tailed sea eagles
0:16:19 > 0:16:20in some way.
0:16:25 > 0:16:31I do feel really proud that it is kind of their home is also my home.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33And they bring more to the local economy than you do.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And I do, well, I think we do it together.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37We do the same job.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41What you did for the Labour administration,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- I am doing currently for sea eagles. - OK.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49They need their story to be told and I am the one with the camera.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53That's good. You see? A good, noble profession.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57We are not so different after all, Alastair.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Cut from the same cloth.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03The sea eagles saved the day.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I would never hear the end of it if all I came up with was a heron and a
0:17:06 > 0:17:10few geese, not to mention those magnificent voles.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14And there's always tomorrow.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17There is excitement about what we might see, not just the otters.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20What, another vole? We are going to see another vole? Oh, my God.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Can I cope with two voles in a day?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26I don't think you could cope with that.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Now that is a pretty stunning view, it really is.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40This is my home town of Tobermory.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47The signs of otters are teasing me, reminding me I still have to find
0:17:47 > 0:17:49one for Alastair.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53My big desire is I could show Alastair everything,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Mull at its best, but so much of that is in
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the hands of the gods, really.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Out there, there are whales, dolphins, basking sharks,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06killer whales, porpoise, but the real secret
0:18:06 > 0:18:08is actually finding them.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11So I am just hoping that luck is going to be on our side.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18For the next couple of days, we are heading out to sea
0:18:18 > 0:18:20and our first stop is Lunga, to look for sea birds.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- Now then.- There we go. The view gets nicer and nicer.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Richard Fairbairns and his crew are going to help me out.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Richard has been sailing these seas for the past 30 years,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and he knows the area and the creatures that live here
0:18:38 > 0:18:39better than anyone.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44On the way out, I'd love it if we would see otters,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46dolphins or even a minke whale.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51So I'm giving Alastair a lesson in spotting animals that lurk
0:18:51 > 0:18:53beneath the surface.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Just kind of use the time to study. Look at the waves,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00look at the way the light plays on the waves and then things that stand
0:19:00 > 0:19:02out are going to attract your eye.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05So we are just looking for little bubbles in the water?
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Yes, any dark shapes.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Anything that stands out, get your binoculars up
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and have a look at what it is.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But all the animals seem to be in hiding.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20They are all suddenly camera shy.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- You know they are in there.- Yes.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29And our otters are as elusive as they were yesterday.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Andy, just holler out if you see otters.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39He just said no sign of the otters, not an otter in sight.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Do you ever find yourself willing things to happen?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- All the time.- Willing whales, willing dolphins.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Nothing you can do about it, is there?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56This is not like tracking animals on land.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00A huge element of it is luck, but I think as long as you are
0:20:00 > 0:20:03making the best effort you can to spot wildlife,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06then you are going to be in the best position to see it.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Do you mind if you don't see anything?
0:20:08 > 0:20:13I do feel a weight of responsibility if I have somebody with me.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17You said that you couldn't sleep last night because of the
0:20:17 > 0:20:20otter situation. You feel guilt.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25I think I just want to give anyone who is with me the best experience
0:20:25 > 0:20:29that I can, but so much of it is up in the...
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Up in the air and you have no control.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33You nearly said lap of the gods, didn't you?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yes. It is up in the air, in the lap of the gods.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Lady luck.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It is luck, skill and patience.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Part of the joy in spotting wildlife is the wait.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The anticipation.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48It makes the encounters so much more rewarding.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53This is a place that I have seen otters before.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Many times.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00But I am just going to play down the whole otter thing because I think
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Alastair is going to just... They become like a unicorn.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06He doesn't actually think that they exist.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11In any reference that I make to otters I quickly kind of, yes...
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It just gives Alastair an opportunity to take the Mickey
0:21:14 > 0:21:16out of me so I am not going to mention them.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I am just going to present one to him.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26Now there is an incoming tide, this might give us our best chance.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29All of these creatures that are hidden amongst the rocks and in the
0:21:29 > 0:21:31shallows start moving around and otters have a better
0:21:31 > 0:21:33chance of hunting.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36When it is in the water, all you're going to see is the top of its head
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and maybe the slap of its tail as it dives under.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43If it's on the shore, it blends in perfectly with the seaweed.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48And, encouragingly, Alastair, I know several local people that have spent
0:21:48 > 0:21:52their entire lives on Mull and they have never seen an otter.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54How encouraging is that?
0:21:54 > 0:21:59You have gone from 60% to, I know people who have never seen one
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- in their entire lives.- A big part of your job must have been
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- managing people's expectations. - I did it better than you.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08God Almighty.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10THEY LAUGH
0:22:17 > 0:22:20This is perfect otter territory.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26There is an otter, right at the back, do you see?
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Where?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I've got it, I've got it.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31They exist!
0:22:31 > 0:22:34'All our efforts finally pay off.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- Oh, my God!- Wow.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38I reckon we should get ashore
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and see if we can get a closer look at them.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45I just hope we make it onto Lunga before the otter disappears.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56I think there is a good chance that the otter is still just over the edge there,
0:22:56 > 0:23:01so if we work our way round and maybe drop down onto the shore,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03we might spot it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05You have got the height advantage,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08you will be able to see further over the rock than I can.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14'Gently does it. We don't want to scare him.'
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Wait, wait, wait. Stay exactly where you are.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- See on the rock?- Where?- There.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23I've got it, I've got it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28I can see him, but just barely, he's hiding.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- What is he doing? - Drying himself off.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Tell you what, I am going to grab the camera.- Yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Well, finally and close up.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And doing rather strange things to itself.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Oh, my God, look at that.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Did you see that? Disappeared then pops its head right back up again.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I am going to sneak forward a wee bit.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- OK.- It is moving, it is moving.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13How big is it?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It will be about a metre, a metre and a half, but...
0:24:18 > 0:24:19..the fact that it is not...
0:24:21 > 0:24:23..you know, scarpering off,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26shows that it is actually quite comfortable with us being here.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30'So we move even closer.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Down, down, down, down. Hunker down.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Right, we have got ourselves in a perfect position.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Oh, my God, look.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It is looking straight at you. I think it has got some food.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52If we don't move too much, he probably won't be fussed.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55It is doing what my dog does to its private parts.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56It is just grooming.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00When it is nice and warm like this, they will just go through
0:25:00 > 0:25:02their coat meticulously.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Oh, it has only got one eye.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06What does that mean? It has had a fight?
0:25:06 > 0:25:11It has had a fight so it could well be, I would say, the chances are,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15that it's a male and the males are very territorial,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and they will fight with each other.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21They will fight for females and he has got a few battle scars.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23They have got big paws, haven't they?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25So the thing is, otters...
0:25:25 > 0:25:27It looks like a hand.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31They have very long, long fingers, long toes.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And they are webbed halfway up, so they are very dextrous with those paddles, feet,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39they can swim at a rate of knots. Under water,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41they are incredibly fast.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Very agile.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45He has done all this work on his coat,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49he is not going to want to slip straight back into the water.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52He is planning to have a bit of a nap, so he'll just find somewhere nice
0:25:52 > 0:25:56in the seaweed, somewhere between a couple of rocks that he can just...
0:25:56 > 0:25:58disappear.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'This is fabulous.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03'Alastair's really enthused.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07'And I would like to get him even closer.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Just watch yourself, I would hate to lose you
0:26:09 > 0:26:10at this stage.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Now you have seen the otter, actually,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18now that you've seen the otter I feel that
0:26:18 > 0:26:19you can, you can go.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Oh, beautiful. Look at that.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Is that not just the best?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Does that beat a heron?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Yep.- Does it beat a vole?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Definitely beats a vole.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Pretty guaranteed that that otter doesn't live in these islands,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45that it swam from Mull.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49They need fresh water to rinse their coat off.
0:26:49 > 0:26:55And here, there is one little spring, but not enough.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56You don't know it came from Mull,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58you do not know that that swum from Mull.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00No, it could have come from Tiree.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- Which is that way.- It is that way.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06But it has just got that kind of Mull look about it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07- Oh, it's got a Mull look(!)- Yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- One eye.- One-eyed.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23Hard-nosed PR man, ex-journalist... Losing it over a fluffy otter,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26who would have thought it?
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Me.- I think that is the biggest surprise of all,
0:27:29 > 0:27:34not how relaxed the otter is, but that Alastair Campbell,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36he is just a big softie.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38He's got feelings.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39- And emotions.- He's got a heart.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44- Glad you came?- Yes.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47That was top, worth the wait,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50it was worth the hassle, it was worth the cold.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Having an invited guest on my home island and unable to find my
0:27:56 > 0:28:01favourite mammal would just be a shame, it would be too much to bear.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05And also, the pressure of Alastair constantly ribbing me.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06That has all come to an end,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11so what I hope to find from Alastair is a new... A respect...
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Yeah, just respect, that is all that I want from him.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Did he...?
0:28:16 > 0:28:17LAUGHTER
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Karma. Do you believe, Mr Campbell, in karma?
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Yes.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24You now have my full respect...
0:28:25 > 0:28:27..for the rest of the journey.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Yeah. How the mighty fall.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Right on their arse.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Lunga is known for its geology,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and its thriving population of sea birds.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42It has been described as a green jewel in a peacock sea.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48My friends and I spent a lot of time here in the past.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52And like most teenagers, we brought essential supplies with us.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54We used to
0:28:54 > 0:28:58get dropped off here when we were younger, when we were teenagers,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00with a couple of crates of beer,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03couple of boxes of wine and a big basket of crab.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Crates of beer and boxes of wine?
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Yep.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09We were obviously over 18, must have been.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11We used to come out and camp here for
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- five days at a time.- Camp?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15In the summer.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20Did I mention - I am hoping to persuade Alastair to come camping?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I have never camped in my life.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23No intention of ever doing so.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28OK, this could complicate my plans for tonight.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34A route takes us through a village which was abandoned in the 19th century.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38The people that lived here would have been scoffing the puffins
0:29:38 > 0:29:40in the summer months. Yeah,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44and do you know what the favourite breakfast of island-dwelling Hebrideans was?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Puffin legs.
0:29:46 > 0:29:47Puffin... Puffin porridge.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- OK.- You get your oats, just make traditional porridge,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53and then you'd plop a whole puffin, guts and all,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- right into the middle of it.- God.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57- Not fancy that?- No.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02- See, this is, you say that you exercise every day when you can... - Yes...
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- So, there you go.- This is good for your glutes.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07This is...
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Gluteus maximus.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12The gift I'm giving you that will keep on giving.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15We are heading towards a sea stack just off the shoreline.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Let's just get round to the rock.
0:30:18 > 0:30:19To Dun Cruit, or Harp Rock.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23That is really spectacular.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34It's where thousands of birds have chosen to nest.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38- What do you think?- What a racket.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I know. Isn't it? So, if you look closely, these are all...
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Kind of a mixture of guillemots and razorbills.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48So, you'll see the guillemots are the ones with the very slender beak,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51white front, black head, black wings.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56- Yeah.- So, what you're hearing is a kind of dispute between neighbours.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58See these guys that are all right over there,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01there is lots of them in the same space?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Is that because it's kind of prime property or...?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Yeah, it's all about...
0:31:06 > 0:31:10It's all about finding somewhere that they feel safe and secure.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12So these spaces where there's nobody...?
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- Nobody wants to be there.- Too steep.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Kind of sloping at the wrong angle.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Too low down.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22So, all the squabbling is about actual kind of...
0:31:22 > 0:31:25It's basically, "Get off my patch, my fence is bigger than your fence."
0:31:25 > 0:31:26"I was here first."
0:31:28 > 0:31:29All these sea birds come here
0:31:29 > 0:31:32because this is a relatively safe place
0:31:32 > 0:31:34to rear your young. There is no terrestrial predators here.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36There's nothing on the ground.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39There's no cats, there's no rats, there's no foxes,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41there's no badgers.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44But what they are most at risk from is another bird.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47The ultimate sea-bird killer
0:31:47 > 0:31:50are peregrine falcons.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51Have a look at this. A dead puffin.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55And that has been killed by...
0:31:55 > 0:31:57A parrot.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59- By a peregrine.- How do you know?
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Because a peregrine is really meticulous in how it eats,
0:32:03 > 0:32:04so, there you go.
0:32:04 > 0:32:05You've got the breastbone there.
0:32:05 > 0:32:11The peregrine will just strip all the meat off and it just leaves
0:32:11 > 0:32:14this kind of distinctive bit of evidence.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Wow.- So, it's kind of...
0:32:17 > 0:32:19- You know that?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:32:19 > 0:32:20- Fact?- Fact, fact, fact.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23So, that cannot have died in any other way?
0:32:23 > 0:32:24No. It... No.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26It cannot have died in any other way.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- Are you sure?- Some things...- I'm challenging your assumptions here.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- Some things I know. - You do know that, yeah?- Yeah.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35That's enough of dead puffins.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Live ones are much more interesting.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50If we kind of just keep our eye on them,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and see how comfortable they are,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56they won't go too far.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58And maybe just a little bit closer.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Don't worry.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07So, this was... When I was ten,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10I came here to Lunga for the very first time and this was, I suppose,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14the very first wildlife spectacle I ever saw.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19The puffins have come here to nest in these burrows at the top of these cliffs
0:33:19 > 0:33:22because they feel perfectly safe.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29I love it, because it's a sort of, it's a trust, it's a kind of,
0:33:29 > 0:33:34there's a little relationship going on between me, you and the puffins.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37They've cleverly made their nests in old rabbit burrows.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Look, oh, we're sitting right on top of it, don't worry, fella.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Look at that.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Taking it down there to eat it?
0:33:47 > 0:33:49No, to check the chick's down there.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- The chick?- Yeah.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54So, he'll come back out.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57At the moment... Oh, here he is. Look.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Can you hear that?
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- Yeah.- So, that's...
0:34:00 > 0:34:02The chick underground.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04How many languages do you speak?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I speak French, fluent French and German...
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- Puffin?- Yeah.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11- You can talk puffin?- Fluent.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- OK. Right, hang on, let me try something.- Go on.
0:34:13 > 0:34:14HE BELLOWS
0:34:14 > 0:34:19It's rubbish. You've got a really bad accent.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21What's the matter?
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Does the mother not...?
0:34:23 > 0:34:27No, she won't mind. She's probably back up to see.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30HE BELLOWS
0:34:30 > 0:34:31PUFFIN BELLOWS
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Oh, that's a reply.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36HE BELLOWS
0:34:37 > 0:34:39PUFFIN BELLOWS
0:34:39 > 0:34:41LAUGHTER
0:34:45 > 0:34:47HE BELLOWS
0:34:49 > 0:34:50Right, you want to give it a go?
0:34:50 > 0:34:54- What do I do?- Just try and make that noise.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57ALASTAIR BELLOWS That is appalling.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00You'll scare the thing.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05You sound like you're being sick. Try that.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07ALASTAIR BELLOWS
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Are you sure that you studied languages?
0:35:11 > 0:35:13- Should I try French?- Try French.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Bonsoir.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18German. Try German.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21ALASTAIR SPEAKS GERMAN
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Segue into puffin if you can.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Make your epiglottis rattle.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Now, there is a thing I never thought I'd say to you.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30ALASTAIR MIMICS PUFFIN Oh, you are, yeah, well done.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32PUFFIN REPLIES
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Alastair Campbell can talk puffin.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37- A long reply.- That's an achievement.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45For me, watching wildlife has always been incredibly life-affirming.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51As long as I am able to walk up onto the top of a cliff,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- I will be willing... - Just watch them.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Yeah. ..to spend time with these birds.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56I just love them.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I'm hoping it's having the same effect on Alastair.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04'A man who's had well-documented battles with depression.'
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Is it something you'd do again?
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Yeah.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10It's sort of soothing.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16- I prefer these to the... - Guillemots.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20The property-price warlords.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23That's just argy-bargy all the time.
0:36:23 > 0:36:24Yeah.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27- No.- These guys seem pretty chilled.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47But the day is not over yet.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Eventually we'll end up in Tiree, the most westerly of the Inner Hebrides.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It's where Alastair's father was born and the reason
0:36:58 > 0:37:00he wanted to make this trip.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04OK. We're good.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- We're ashore.- Oh!
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Can you hop off there, Alastair.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09You all right? Yeah.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13My next challenge is possibly the biggest one yet.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16To persuade Alastair to spend the night in a tent.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22I'm in a tent.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25I'm too old for this.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29Night-night.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34It's 6am.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38And there is a rustling coming from Alastair's tent.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40HE GROANS
0:37:44 > 0:37:45HE SIGHS
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Morning.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56This is the beach in Tiree.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58It's absolutely beautiful.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02It would be even more beautiful...
0:38:04 > 0:38:06..if I had slept...more than...
0:38:07 > 0:38:09..fitfully...
0:38:10 > 0:38:11..a couple of hours.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15And it would be even more beautiful if my neck...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19..moved properly.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22So, that was my first...
0:38:24 > 0:38:26..and almost certainly my last...
0:38:28 > 0:38:29..night in a tent.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Morning, Alastair.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34Gordon, good morning.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40What he needs is coffee.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42As always, I've come prepared.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Cooking on gas.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48- Well...- That's the one thing...
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- ..I can't do without, wherever. - Coffee.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Yeah, coffee. Coffee and whisky,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57the two things that I take on a trip with me and if I had to forego one of them,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59I'd forego the whisky.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00I think that is a wise decision.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03'As I prepare a delicious breakfast for Alastair,'
0:39:03 > 0:39:05'he gives me a grammar lesson.'
0:39:05 > 0:39:09If you were to say, would you like fewer eggs or less eggs?
0:39:11 > 0:39:12I would like fewer eggs.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15That's correct. So, why do you keep saying less, when you mean fewer?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Cos I'm not an educated man.
0:39:17 > 0:39:18You are.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21LAUGHTER
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Not in the same way as you.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27But the way you should remember it is less wildlife, fewer birds.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28Less wildlife, fewer birds.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Less wildlife, fewer birds.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32I will do my best.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35The trouble is I like being a bit of an oik.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38You don't! You're quite well spoken for a...
0:39:39 > 0:39:42For an oik? I'll just give these a bit of a...
0:39:42 > 0:39:43a flash fry.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Alastair's father was from Tiree.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51And he's always had a strong connection to the island.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Did you spend much time here at all when you were younger?
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- Every summer as a child. - Really?- Yeah.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- What was that like? - Yeah, it was fantastic.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- It was fantastic. - So what would you do?
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Beach, bike...
0:40:04 > 0:40:07There is actually a little golf course.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08We played golf.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13- My dad...- His younger brother kept the family croft.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17And I think my dad felt when he came back he had to sort of...
0:40:17 > 0:40:18help a lot.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21He used to spend an awful lot of time mending buildings
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and fences and all that sort of stuff.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Do you reckon he was proud of you?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Of your kind of achievements?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Oh, yeah. But I don't think he...
0:40:30 > 0:40:31I don't think he ever...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34I don't think either of my parents ever...
0:40:34 > 0:40:36sort of fully understood what my life was about.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Sometimes I think they just sort of...
0:40:38 > 0:40:40They just found it really odd.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Seeing Nelson Mandela at something or I'd been with Clinton or...
0:40:43 > 0:40:47It was like, or, my mum, in particular,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50she used to absolutely hate it when I was on the television.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52- Really?- In the news.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55When she died, I discovered mountains of this stuff
0:40:55 > 0:40:57that she cut out of papers and...
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Was she the type of mother that would say... give you advice or say,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04"I'm not sure, Alastair, that you should be doing this"?
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- Oh, all the time.- Really? - Yeah, but to be honest,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09a lot of it was advice if I'd have taken it,
0:41:09 > 0:41:10I'd never done stuff that I did.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Actually, you know, I thought of it this morning.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Even though she's dead, if I'm doing a sit-down interview,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17I'll put a tie on.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Cos she'd always, if I ever appeared on television without a tie,
0:41:20 > 0:41:21she'd say, "Why weren't you wearing a tie?"
0:41:21 > 0:41:26And the idea of being on television without having shaved,
0:41:26 > 0:41:27- that is terrible.- Oh, dear.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31Actually one of my first really bad fights was here.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- Physical fights?- Yeah.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Actually, I lost as well.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Oh, dear.- I got absolutely battered.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40- Maybe we should find him. - No, I'm not going to do that.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48There's something else Alastair remembers
0:41:48 > 0:41:51from the summers he spent here and that's the seals.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56I've seen a seal bobbing about.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- Have you really?- On the water. Yeah, there was one earlier on.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03We're going to head north to a place where there's a lot more seals.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07And just see if we can get them to come in close.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12But it's how we get them to come close - that's the challenge.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Seals are intrigued by curious sounds.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18And what you might not know about Alastair
0:42:18 > 0:42:21is that he is an accomplished bagpipe player.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26One of the best ways to entice seals...
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- Wait a minute, I told you. - ..is singing to them.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Or...
0:42:31 > 0:42:33- you play the bagpipes.- Yeah.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36His father taught him to play when he was little.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Never to an audience of seals.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41But there's a first time for everything.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44I'm feeling good about this. I think this could work.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46How do we remember the difference between less and fewer?
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- I can't remember.- You can, you can.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52You wouldn't say "the otters is", would you?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54No, I wouldn't ever. Never ever.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Unless it was a pub. The Otters is a great pub.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- Is that correct?- Exactly, well done.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Thank you very much, Mr Campbell. Thank you.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Well, there's still no signs of seals,
0:43:17 > 0:43:22but all around is evidence of a much smaller creature.
0:43:22 > 0:43:23Those little squiggly things.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26- Yeah?- They are from lugworms.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30A lugworm is a really sizeable worm
0:43:30 > 0:43:33that lives in the sand and what it does
0:43:33 > 0:43:36is it processes the sand, taking out all the little particles,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39cos it's not just sand, it's kind of debris,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42organic material in there and the lugworm ingests that
0:43:42 > 0:43:46in one end and out the back-end comes clean sand.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48So, let me show you.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51I suppose this is worm poop.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56All this beach has passed through a lugworm at some point in history.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Every single grain of sand.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01No. But how many people -
0:44:01 > 0:44:04cos I didn't, if you're on a beautiful white beach like this -
0:44:04 > 0:44:06know that they're actually on worm shit?
0:44:06 > 0:44:07Yeah. Not many.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09But now you can point that out.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Where are these seals going to be?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18At the moment, the tide's out.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21I reckon there would be some on the water, some on land.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22- I'll have a look.- Have a look.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27So, the lesson today, really,
0:44:27 > 0:44:33is whether the playing of a bagpipe will encourage seals to come closer
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and have a look. The weight of the camera rests on my shoulders,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39but the weight of responsibility rests on this man.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Yes, I know, but the presupposing
0:44:42 > 0:44:46that what you just said is that the seals are there.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48And I've yet to see any sign.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51I heard that it's all about the quality of the player.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54If they are actually half decent, the seals will come.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Yeah, but they have to be within earshot.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Yeah, but they've got a good sense of hearing.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01The thing is, what would heighten the chances,
0:45:01 > 0:45:03because they can hear very well underwater,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06so can you get into the water and play the pipes underwater?
0:45:06 > 0:45:11- Would that...? That wouldn't work? - I think that would be impossible.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14If you had a deep breath?
0:45:14 > 0:45:15- No.- No? Scuba gear?
0:45:15 > 0:45:18No, cos water would go into all the drones.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21What if you blew really hard, just a single note?
0:45:22 > 0:45:26May I say, Mr Gordon Buchanan, Scottish wildlife expert,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29that you are disrespecting your culture and your heritage...
0:45:29 > 0:45:30I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34..asking these trivial, childlike, glib questions
0:45:34 > 0:45:37about your national instrument.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45I find it slightly alarming that I've been awake now for seven hours
0:45:45 > 0:45:47and I've seen zero seal activity.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49OK. I've got a diversion for you.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50Go on.
0:45:50 > 0:45:55Would you like me to show you the largest penis in the animal kingdom?
0:45:55 > 0:45:56- Barnacles.- Yeah.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59So, proportionately, they have the largest penis.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- Who measures barnacles' penises? - Strange people will do such things.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05They are hermaphrodites. They are male and female,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09but they have to mate with another one. So that...
0:46:09 > 0:46:12extraordinarily large penis will come out
0:46:12 > 0:46:15and actually fertilise a neighbouring barnacle.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18So, if the barnacle was six foot three inches tall,
0:46:18 > 0:46:20how big would the penis be?
0:46:20 > 0:46:22You would be talking about...
0:46:22 > 0:46:25not impregnating someone up on the beach,
0:46:25 > 0:46:27but I wouldn't be safe.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30I wouldn't be safe at this distance.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32I'm just saying.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Where do you think those seals are?
0:46:36 > 0:46:38We've got the best chance of spotting a seal
0:46:38 > 0:46:41on rocks or skerries like these
0:46:41 > 0:46:45when it comes to rest after it's been hunting for fish.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Mr Campbell, I have something to point out.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49You have an audience of one.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52- Where?- That little skerry there. There is a gull in the water.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54- A gull?- A gull.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57And to the right of it, there is a...
0:46:57 > 0:46:58a seal.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01Do you see him? Or her.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Perfect. Right, you set up,
0:47:04 > 0:47:10I'll set up and I want to record the expression on the face of this seal
0:47:10 > 0:47:13when it hears your music.
0:47:16 > 0:47:21If ever a seal could have an expression of anticipation,
0:47:21 > 0:47:23this seal has it.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28ALASTAIR PLAYS THE BAGPIPES
0:47:42 > 0:47:43It's interested.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08If they were sea lions, they can, they would clap.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10But seals being seals,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12the flippers can't meet at the front.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14They definitely... It definitely works.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16- Could you see it?- Yes, yes.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Does that tie in with your kind of sense of Scottish identity?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I think the pipes are a big part of Scotland,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25a big part of history of Scottish heritage.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27And I do feel that particularly now Dad's dead,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30I do feel that sort of...
0:48:30 > 0:48:31I feel as though the tie that is still there
0:48:31 > 0:48:34- is actually through pipes and music. - Yeah.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40What's disappointing is that we've only managed to attract one seal.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43And I know there are far more out there.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45There is a way that we can get closer to the seals -
0:48:45 > 0:48:47much, much closer -
0:48:47 > 0:48:49and see them really in their element,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52and that's to get into the water with them.
0:48:52 > 0:48:53But can I persuade Alastair
0:48:53 > 0:48:56to get up close and personal with those seals?
0:48:58 > 0:49:03If the seals aren't coming to us, we'll have to go to them.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06So, we're heading north, to the Cairns of Coll.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10I know from past experience it's a really great place to find them.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13I don't want Alastair to see
0:49:13 > 0:49:17that I've actually got a nice woolly bear suit and a dry suit
0:49:17 > 0:49:20and all he's got is a very thin wet suit.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23He won't know how warm I am.
0:49:25 > 0:49:31And here we have Alastair Campbell as you've never seen him before.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Why haven't I got those?
0:49:33 > 0:49:38Because you said I was a titch and you were tall
0:49:38 > 0:49:39and my suit won't fit you.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43- Yeah, but my feet are going to be freezing.- Hey, you can have these.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Oh, well, that's better.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48I'd always hoped that I'd see Alastair Campbell in a wet suit.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51It's kind of, sometimes, when I close my eyes at night-time,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54it's all I can imagine, but I never, ever thought,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57never thought I'd actually see it.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- Hoping is one thing.- Yeah, listen, I will tell you one thing,
0:50:00 > 0:50:05I must admit, I've never played the bagpipes in a wet suit before.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08It worked on dry land, but will it work at sea?
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Come on, Alastair, get those pipes warmed up.
0:50:16 > 0:50:21I want the entire colony to rush up and start bobbing about and...
0:50:21 > 0:50:25Right, I want to see these seals. I want to see them dance.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27ALASTAIR PLAYS THE BAGPIPES
0:50:36 > 0:50:39This is about as surreal as it gets.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41That's stating the obvious.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59He hasn't even finished tuning up and the seals are intrigued.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Alastair, that has worked a treat.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06We're surrounded.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09THEY LAUGH
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Who would have thought?
0:51:11 > 0:51:12Right, I'm going to slip in.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23I'm used to swimming with sea creatures underwater.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26But for Alastair, this is the very first time
0:51:26 > 0:51:28he's ever done anything like this.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30- Just put that in my mouth?- Yep.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32And if you go in, if there is any water gets in...
0:51:32 > 0:51:35Just bite down on those two little grips there.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40And if you go in and you get any water in there,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- just big blow out and that will clear any water.- OK.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46So, good on him that he's so game.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55- I just drop in, yeah?- Yeah.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Swimming in these kelp forests is magical.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13They are the perfect cover for seals when they're hunting.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Too perfect, in fact,
0:52:15 > 0:52:18because we haven't managed to spot a single one.
0:52:20 > 0:52:21There's seals all around us,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25it's just the fact that we can't actually see them underwater.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26Not yet.
0:52:34 > 0:52:35Are you happy, Alastair?
0:52:37 > 0:52:41One, it's not as cold as I feared.
0:52:42 > 0:52:48Two, I feel strangely comforted being surrounded by these seals.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53But I'm still hoping to bring them even closer for Alastair.
0:52:58 > 0:53:04Just thinking, if I start waving my fins out of the water,
0:53:04 > 0:53:08they might pay attention and run right ahead of me. Coo-ee!
0:53:08 > 0:53:09Coo-ee!
0:53:12 > 0:53:14We might not be able to see them,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17but they can see us despite the murky conditions.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23Seals' eyes are specially adapted to allow them to see underwater.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Although, I don't think they'll like the look of either Alastair or me.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Even so, Alastair is in his element.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41I love it when they just pop their head up like that.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43You see, you sort of see that one, he's looking over.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- I know.- And you think, if you go a bit nearer,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49it will come a bit nearer and it does and then it just...
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Why the hell would it want to see you or me?
0:53:52 > 0:53:54The thing is, they do feel more confident
0:53:54 > 0:53:55when the visibility is clearer.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57Cos they can see you from further away.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02On a better visibility day, we would see much more.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05But there is a big stinger down there, so watch...
0:54:05 > 0:54:07- Oh, is there? Where? - It's drifted off.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Oh, don't tell me that.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16- That's a fit man. That's a fit man. - Right.
0:54:17 > 0:54:18Well done.
0:54:24 > 0:54:30It's been an intense three days, but I've loved every second of it.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33And I'm hoping it's been just as rewarding for Alastair.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35I was worried that...
0:54:36 > 0:54:41..you might not have enough of an interest in the wildlife,
0:54:41 > 0:54:44but how has it been for you?
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Well, I've had several...
0:54:48 > 0:54:51..fabulous moments.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55And not just moments, but extended experiences.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59Your enthusiasm, your passion for what you do,
0:54:59 > 0:55:01what's good about going with somebody like you,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03is that you have got the knowledge.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07And that just helps make it more than just,
0:55:07 > 0:55:09"Wow, look at that."
0:55:10 > 0:55:14You say you can go on a wildlife walk and it will give you a lift.
0:55:14 > 0:55:19I find cos I have, you know, fairly variable moods
0:55:19 > 0:55:23and, you know, sometimes very, very low moods,
0:55:23 > 0:55:28is that I find that place can lift me but also it can take me down
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34The biggest cliche about mental health issues, about depression,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37is that it's a taboo subject.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40For you, you're kind of more than happy to talk about it.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I think that shows strength of character.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48You never hear anybody say, "Why would he be cancerous?"
0:55:48 > 0:55:51"Why would you choose to be asthmatic?"
0:55:51 > 0:55:54But the way people talk about depression in particular,
0:55:54 > 0:55:57it's like it's not really an illness.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Everybody who has lived with that
0:55:58 > 0:56:01has also had to live with this kind of taboo
0:56:01 > 0:56:05and a sense of shame about it and all the rest of it
0:56:05 > 0:56:08and I do honestly think we'll look back one day and just think,
0:56:08 > 0:56:09"Why was it like that?"
0:56:11 > 0:56:15- Thank you.- It has been so much fun. It really has. I've loved it.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18We packed in so much as well.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Other stuff keeps coming back in my head.
0:56:20 > 0:56:25You just think about all those little creatures that we've seen.
0:56:25 > 0:56:26- The vole?- Yeah.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29There was a point of this journey
0:56:29 > 0:56:31- where I thought that was going to be it!- BLEEP- vole!
0:56:31 > 0:56:34There was a point in this journey where I thought,
0:56:34 > 0:56:36"Christ, I really hope that it's not."
0:56:38 > 0:56:39No, it's been great.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45We're heading back towards Tobermory.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49For the first time in three days, there's no pressure to deliver.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51We're just enjoying sailing in the sunset...
0:56:53 > 0:56:56..when something catches my eye.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58Oh, look at that.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02The unmistakable shape of dolphins glistening in the water.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06Look, right, keep your eyes tuned, just in front of the boat.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08Oh, gosh.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Right, you might even see them underwater.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Oh, wow.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Oh, look at that!
0:57:16 > 0:57:20That is a farewell, Hebridean style.
0:57:20 > 0:57:25- That is incredible. Unbelievable.- Oh, goodness me.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Things can only get better.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36- Oh, my...- Look, isn't that just...?
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Oh, wow. Oh, my word.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41That is just... They're everywhere.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45- They're having fun. - Yeah. Having fun.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52Look at the sunlight, the last of the sun's rays just...
0:57:52 > 0:57:54kissing their dorsal fins.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59That's poetry, isn't it?
0:57:59 > 0:58:01No, they are. That's incredible.