0:00:05 > 0:00:07The British countryside in winter.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Cold, unforgiving, bleak.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18As temperatures plunge, the skies open,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22the winds rage and the light fades early.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This winter we've seen extremes of weather -
0:00:25 > 0:00:28mild, wet and freezing cold.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Conditions that challenge both wildlife
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and the people trying to survive here.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37In this series, I'm going to reveal
0:00:37 > 0:00:41the beauty beneath winter's bleak facade
0:00:41 > 0:00:45to uncover a different side of the season that often go unnoticed.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'I'll be exploring five of our most extreme winter landscapes.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I'll also be including some of my BBC colleagues' experiences
0:00:57 > 0:00:59from over the years.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Why do you release weather balloons then?
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Together, we'll reveal what's really out there
0:01:05 > 0:01:06during this challenging season.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Today, we're looking at islands.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They're environments that can be the most idyllic
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and the most demanding places to live.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I'll see both of these extremes
0:01:21 > 0:01:25as I visit Britain's most northerly group - the Shetlands.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I'll be finding out how the wildlife here
0:01:32 > 0:01:35adapts to meet the challenges of the sparse winter months.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36It does look odd.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I'll encounter the dazzling beauty
0:01:39 > 0:01:41of the winter Northern Lights.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44As well as discovering through history
0:01:44 > 0:01:47how the islanders have always celebrated...
0:01:47 > 0:01:49CHEERING
0:01:49 > 0:01:52..and survived through these darkest of months.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54No, there's no warmth coming off that, I can assure you.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56THEY CHUCKLE
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Welcome to The Great British Winter.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18I'm on the Mainland of Shetland,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20one of over 100 windswept islands
0:02:20 > 0:02:23that make up this remote archipelago.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25They are the most northerly part of Britain
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and, right now, I'm standing closer to the Arctic Circle
0:02:28 > 0:02:30than I am to Manchester,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34so, unsurprisingly, it's freezing!
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Sandwiched between the stormy Atlantic and the icy North Sea,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44these islands are just over 100 miles from mainland Britain,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48sitting right in the firing line of the North Atlantic storm tract.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54At this time of year,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58storm force gales can occur up to three times a week
0:02:58 > 0:03:02with awesome wind speeds of up to 170 miles an hour.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05This extreme weather makes the waters around Shetland
0:03:05 > 0:03:08some of the most volatile in the UK.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Just over 20 years ago,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14on the 5th January 1993,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18the effects of one particular winter storm were disastrous.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24In force 11 winds of up to 97 miles an hour,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27the Braer oil tanker was hopelessly blown off course
0:03:27 > 0:03:28and her engines failed.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32After a six-hour struggle, she ran aground
0:03:32 > 0:03:37spilling 84,000 tonnes of toxic crude oil into the sea.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And creating the worst environmental disaster
0:03:42 > 0:03:43ever to hit the British coast.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49The coastguards managed to winch the crew to safety,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51but Shetland's wildlife was not so lucky.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Seabird colonies, seals,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56shellfish, fish hatcheries
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and grazing bays were all badly polluted.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01The storm raged for almost a month,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05seriously hampering the clean-up effort.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But then, the brutal power of the waves
0:04:07 > 0:04:09started to work in the islanders' favour.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Ultimately, the sea's power, which is usually so unforgiving,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19in this case, broke up the oil and helped clean up the shores.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26What could have been an even greater disaster was averted.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34'Wintertime can be deadly
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'across all the low-lying islands of Scotland's northern fringe,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'as the residents of the Outer Hebrides know only too well.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:49On the 11th January 2005,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53140-mile-an-hour winds ripped through the islands
0:04:53 > 0:04:57leaving hundreds of buildings damaged.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00In South Uist, three generations of the same family were killed
0:05:00 > 0:05:03as they tried to escape their storm-battered home.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07By the time the storm had blown itself out,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11a £20 million trail of destruction had been left.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15This weather monitoring station was set up a few years ago
0:05:15 > 0:05:18to prevent a disaster like this happening again.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21And Julia Bradbury came to see a key bit of kit
0:05:21 > 0:05:24helping to track any extreme weather on the way.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29South Uist's weather station is kitted out
0:05:29 > 0:05:32to predict the tiniest changes in wind speed and direction
0:05:32 > 0:05:35as well as keeping a constant lookout for storms.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37But to get a real eye on the weather,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39you need to be up beyond the clouds.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- OK, Julia, what we've got here for you is a weather balloon...- Right.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45..which we need you to release.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Why do you release weather balloons then?
0:05:47 > 0:05:48What we need to do
0:05:48 > 0:05:50is measure the atmosphere
0:05:50 > 0:05:51up to fairly high altitudes.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Unless we know what's going on
0:05:53 > 0:05:54high up in the atmosphere,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57we just can't forecast what's going to happen on the surface.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And it is just a big, massive balloon?
0:05:59 > 0:06:01It will become huge before it eventually bursts
0:06:01 > 0:06:03up high in the atmosphere.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07And beneath it, it's a parachute, so that when the balloon bursts,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09the parachute is deployed
0:06:09 > 0:06:11and that allows the radio sond,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14which is the device which is taking all the measurements,
0:06:14 > 0:06:15to descend safely to the Earth.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- And I get to do it?- Yes. - Oh, that's so exciting!
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Right, first of all,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- we need to grab hold of the balloon in the right hand.- Uh-huh.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- So I'll hand you that. - Thank you very much.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- OK, if you hold on to the balloon. - Yeah, I've got it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30And, in your other hand,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- hold the radio sond.- Yes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35I feel like I can go up with this. Mary Poppins!
0:06:35 > 0:06:36SHE LAUGHS
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And what you'll need to do to release it, is, first of all,
0:06:39 > 0:06:40- let go of the balloon.- Yes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And then, a fraction of a second later, let go of the radio sond
0:06:43 > 0:06:46making sure that that doesn't tangle up either on you...
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Or anywhere else, OK.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Let's go.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Three, two, one...
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Releasing the balloon. Yeah!
0:06:57 > 0:06:58'It may look pretty humble,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03'but my balloon will get as high as 45,000 feet before it bursts.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04'Higher than a jumbo jet.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'So what can it tell us about today's weather?'
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- So this is your inner sanctum, Bob?- That's right.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Now, what about that information that's coming in from my balloon? Where is it?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Here it is. It's coming in on this computer screen. The temperature,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the humidity, the wind speed and direction,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24it's all there for the forecaster to use.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Nowadays, this technology is helping
0:07:26 > 0:07:28protect islanders off Scotland's west coast
0:07:28 > 0:07:31by warning against the dangers posed by the elements.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'But some residents will always be at risk.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:40The winter storms here can cause real problems
0:07:40 > 0:07:42for Shetland's vulnerable wildlife.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Seal pups are lifted on swells
0:07:47 > 0:07:50and carried miles from their breeding grounds.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And many other animals, like otters,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55can be displaced when their shelters flood.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58'Some would have little chance of surviving
0:07:58 > 0:08:00'without the care and dedicated work
0:08:00 > 0:08:02'of the islands' Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04'run by Jan and Pete Bevington.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Hi, Jan! Hi, Pete! How are you doing?- Hi, Ellie.- Hi.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I'm intrigued by what's in your box.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- Can I have a look?- OK, OK, then. - Just a very quick one.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15She'll be a little bit nervous.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Oh, my goodness! That's amazing.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18How old is this otter?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22She's nine weeks old and we got her about a week old.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Oh, my goodness. I don't want to disturb her for too long.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26You can carry her if you want.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Yes...
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'The couple founded the sanctuary in 1987
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'after finding a seal pup abandoned on the beach in front of their home.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'Since then, hundreds of animals have passed through their doors,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43'many of them, otters like this one.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46'Not surprising, maybe,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50'since Shetland boasts Britain's largest otter population.'
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Although nationally they're an endangered species,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57they thrive in this island environment throughout the winter,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59building their holts by freshwater creeks
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and feeding on the rocky shorelines on fish and crabs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06All this with not a natural predator in sight.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Their biggest threat is the harsh winter weather conditions
0:09:12 > 0:09:15that characterise island life at this time of year.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18And that's where Jan and Pete come in,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21working with wildlife organisations to help injured animals,
0:09:21 > 0:09:22like young Aida the otter.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'Today, she's being moved into her own shed
0:09:26 > 0:09:30'after living with Jan and Pete for the last two months.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Do you know her back story,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36how she ended up abandoned in the way she was?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38We're not exactly sure.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42It was a torrential...a day of torrential rain, it was terrible.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44And we think that,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47due to the fact we got four calls about otters that day,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51that maybe she was washed out of the holt and lost her mum.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54And she ended up on a little pier at Voe,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56a place not far from here.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- Do you tend to see more otters in winter?- Yeah, definitely.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01- Do you?- Yeah.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- What's the reason for that?- Well, weather conditions, for a start,
0:10:04 > 0:10:09and often, there's less fish for the mothers to catch in the winter time.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13So, if it gets desperate, which at times, it does,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17they'll move their cubs out of the holt at a very young age,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- probably younger than they normally would.- Right.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And they'll trek across land and the babies will get in trouble.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24So we often get that,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27or the mother will cross the road and get hit by a car...
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- So it's when they get desperate. - It really is that, yeah.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- Oh, that's tricky.- Yeah.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And so, in terms of feeding, is that all day, all night?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Day and night.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I mean, you really do have to emulate the whole conditions,
0:10:41 > 0:10:46so we actually had her upstairs in a spare bedroom,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49so we just kept, stayed there with her,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51every time we heard her, we got up and fed her, yeah.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Exhausting though, for you. - Yeah, it was.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55THEY CHUCKLE
0:10:55 > 0:10:56This is going to feel great.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But we'll miss it too, cos it's such a lovely experience.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04'Although they've obviously formed a close bond with Aida,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08'they're conscious that the aim is to release her back into the wild.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12'The last thing she needs is to become domesticated.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'So now Aida is healthy,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16'this next stage of rehabilitation
0:11:16 > 0:11:19'aims to gradually withdraw all human contact
0:11:19 > 0:11:21'to make sure she retains her animal instincts.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26'Then, once the harsh winter months pass,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28'she'll stand a better chance of survival
0:11:28 > 0:11:30'when she's released in the spring.'
0:11:30 > 0:11:35What we'll do here now is she'll be here for about two months
0:11:35 > 0:11:40and we will basically stop talking to her, bit by bit,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and so, she won't hear our voices.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And, hopefully, by the time she leaves here, April time,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49she'll move out into an outdoor otter pen,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51where we'll just have to feed her up
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and then, we don't talk to her at all, we just clean up the pool
0:11:54 > 0:11:58and give her food, so by the time she does leave,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00she will go for it, she will buy it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'Despite the danger of the winter weather,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07'otters continue to thrive in the wilds
0:12:07 > 0:12:10'of these remote Scottish islands at this time of year
0:12:10 > 0:12:13'and, hopefully, Aida will soon be joining them once again.'
0:12:16 > 0:12:18They are some of my favourite animals.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I caught my first glimpse of otters out in the open
0:12:23 > 0:12:25two years ago when I was in the Outer Hebrides
0:12:25 > 0:12:28with local wildlife expert Steve Duffield.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31'It took a little patience,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'but it was a winter sight I will never forget.'
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- It's quite a waiting game, isn't it? - It is, yeah.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'It's a long time coming, but right on cue.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:46There's one just over there, just...
0:12:46 > 0:12:48You see, if you look at the left hand side of the island
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- and then towards the seaweed, there's one just...- Oh, yes!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55It's fantastic!
0:12:55 > 0:13:00I've never seen an otter in broad daylight before, this is amazing!
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Yeah, there it is, right hand side,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- coming down this side of the island. - Yes!
0:13:05 > 0:13:08You see it rolling. If you now have a look in the telescope, Ellie,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11it was just rolling in the seaweed there.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Part of its grooming process?
0:13:13 > 0:13:19Yeah, it's really important that they maintain the quality of their fur
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and they're actually a fresh-water creature,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25but it's using the marine environment to its advantage,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27because there's more food in here.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29But they do have to sort of maintain their coats,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32so they can't let it get matted up with salt water.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35They'll have to return to fresh water to actually wash...
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- And clean it off. - And clean it off.- Oh, right!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Hello, getting off.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- It's going up the rock now. - The tail is amazing, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:47You see that, the way it's stiffened its tail there, that's spraying...
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Oh!- So it's just got a very stiff tail,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54so it's leaving a scent mark in there for the other otters.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57'And for the next hour or so,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01'these amazing creatures frolicked in the sea right in front of me.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03'It felt like my own personal show.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Oh, it's got a fish!
0:14:09 > 0:14:10Oh, that's amazing!
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'Back in Shetland, we're leaving Aida the otter
0:14:19 > 0:14:22'to settle into her new digs
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'and Jan and Pete are taking me to see another of the animals
0:14:24 > 0:14:28'that often end up at the shelter in the winter months.'
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Oh, wow!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- Maybe just give him a fish just to keep him happy.- How old is he?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48He... We're not totally sure how old he is,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51because he'd been in the wild as a pup
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and had an accident, probably through a storm,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56and hurt his left shoulder and flipper.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59He was completely skin and bone,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01couldn't even lift his head up when we picked him up.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04He must have been almost dead by the sound of things.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Well, the man that phoned, I said, "I think it's pitch black,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09"we'll maybe have to leave it till tomorrow morning."
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- And he said, "No, no, Jan, he won't last the night."- Wow!
0:15:12 > 0:15:15So we just set off between eight and nine at night
0:15:15 > 0:15:17and managed to get him.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24Grey seal pups like Hamish are most vulnerable at this time of year.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28That's because most seals mate around November
0:15:28 > 0:15:30and are pregnant for 11 and a half months,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33meaning that, as the winter begins to bite,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36their offspring can only be a few weeks old.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40These newborns are exposed
0:15:40 > 0:15:43not only to the predators hunting for scarce food,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but to the storms battering coast and seas.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Hamish is a casualty of this wild winter weather.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03How long has it taken to get him to this very healthy stage?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Uh...nearly a month.- A month?- Yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07So what's happening today?
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Well, today, because he's now eating fish on his own,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and we want to check out his flipper to see he's OK with it
0:16:13 > 0:16:15and strengthen the muscle.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17We want to take him out and put him into the big pool.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21To move Hamish outside,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24they're going to transport him in a crate,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26so to help, they've called in Ron Patterson,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'from the Scottish Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31'who works closely with the sanctuary.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Hey, that was pretty efficient. Great job!
0:16:38 > 0:16:43This is a big moment for Hamish and for Jan and Pete.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46It's time to see if their hard work's paid off.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49If his damaged flipper isn't properly healed,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Hamish will struggle to swim
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and would be unlikely to survive out in the wild.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54OK.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59There you go.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Moment of truth...
0:17:09 > 0:17:11He's reluctant... Ooh!
0:17:16 > 0:17:18HE CHUCKLES
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- Looking good.- Yeah?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26He just needs to strengthen that muscle up.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29How do you strengthen the muscle by keeping him in here?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Just the fact he's using it in here all the time
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and he'll swim up and down all the time and that'll get that strength.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And, hopefully, he'll be able to catch fish himself in the wild.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44'It's great news - Hamish looks well on the road to recovery.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49'It's a performance that certainly deserves a treat.'
0:17:49 > 0:17:50So what do you do with these?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Well, throw them in.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- Just throw them in.- Yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Just see if he will actually go for fish.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- Hurrah!- Yeah.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17And so, prospects for Hamish, what are you thinking having seen him in the pool for the first time today?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- Very good, I'm impressed.- Yeah.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I'm a lot more impressed than what I thought I would be when he first came in, that's for sure.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Probably another month to get him big and lots of blubber
0:18:27 > 0:18:28and then, we'll release him.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35'Jan and Peter help nurse many seals like Hamish
0:18:35 > 0:18:37'back to health every winter,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39'but, occasionally, out in these seas,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41'they get more unusual casualties.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46'None more so than this seven-foot leatherback turtle
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'that turned up in 2000, washed in from the Caribbean.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The reason this exotic visitor ended up here
0:18:55 > 0:18:56was because of the Gulf Stream -
0:18:56 > 0:18:59a warm, fast moving Atlantic current
0:18:59 > 0:19:01that starts at the tip of Florida
0:19:01 > 0:19:05and passes by Scotland's west coast catching Shetland in its path.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10This current is also the reason
0:19:10 > 0:19:13that, while Shetland may be exposed to strong winds,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16its climate stays on a par with the mainland.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23The Gulf Stream affects the whole of Britain,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27but its impacts are most noticeable on the islands in the south.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Nowhere is this more apparent in winter than on the Isles of Scilly.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40These are our most southerly coastal islands.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42They are also our warmest in winter,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46boasting temperatures comparable with the French Riviera,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49reaching an average 11 degrees centigrade.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53This climate means, over the years,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57the islands have developed a booming trade in flower exports
0:19:57 > 0:19:58during the winter months,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02with plants like narcissi able to grow here at this time of year.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14Head 760 miles further north though and it's a different story.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18'On Shetland, the winter landscape is somewhat more barren,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21'but great beauty can still be found here.'
0:20:23 > 0:20:27There's no denying that the winter weather here can be treacherous,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29but the winter light is so stunning
0:20:29 > 0:20:33that it attracts photographers and cameramen from miles around,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36keen to capture the beauty and wonder of these islands.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50I'm meeting an award-winning local photographer
0:20:50 > 0:20:54who is passionate about the beauty and light that winter offers here.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Hi, Ivan, good to meet you! - Hi, come in!- Thanks very much.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01Lovely.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07So what is it about winter light that you love as a photographer?
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I love the winter light because the sun sets right low the whole time,
0:21:11 > 0:21:12it never really gets very high
0:21:12 > 0:21:16- and, quite often, it's like an orangey colour.- Wow.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19And it casts really nice shadows off everything.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21And it's really clear. You get the frosty, clear air,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23you can see for miles and miles.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Absolutely glorious, that one. What others have you got on there?
0:21:28 > 0:21:30This is local, is it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Yeah, that's just up the road in a small village called Voe,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- in the winter.- Wow!- It's just that lovely, that lovely winter days
0:21:36 > 0:21:40when it's just frosty and still and a few degrees below freezing.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- It's just lovely. - It's lovely, that one.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- Oooh!- This is a small village
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- in Scalloway.- Yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50What are the tips for taking something like that?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Taking photos into the sun is never a good idea,
0:21:53 > 0:21:54so always looking across the light,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56so you get the light shining through
0:21:56 > 0:22:00and you get a far more even exposure.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Wow!
0:22:01 > 0:22:04This was our Christmas here, this year.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Oh, ooh!
0:22:06 > 0:22:07- Is that a wave?- That's a wave, yeah.
0:22:07 > 0:22:08Oh, my goodness!
0:22:08 > 0:22:10That was pretty rough,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- There were no boats sailing here for a few days.- Yeah, right.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Big, big seas.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17That wave is probably 80 foot high.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20That's extreme weather!
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Yeah, it's really difficult when you're trying to photograph that.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25You're really in all elements.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Through Ivan's lens,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31the low light and wind-lashed landscape
0:22:31 > 0:22:34are captured in mesmerizing detail.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38But, although the winter days here may be spectacular,
0:22:38 > 0:22:39they don't last long.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42This is the closet part of Britain to the North Pole,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45as far north, in fact, as parts of Greenland.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52This often means less than six hours of daylight for months on end.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55But these short days do have one advantage.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Clear night skies free from light pollution of town and cities
0:23:00 > 0:23:04reveal a whole new, nocturnal world.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Is that the Milky Way? - That is the Milky Way.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10On a nice, frosty winter's night here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12How do you get that photo?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Cos you can't, maybe you can't see that many with the naked eye.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- How do you get that? - You can't see it with the naked eye,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19but the camera picks it up very well
0:23:19 > 0:23:22if you're doing a really longer exposure, it really brightens it up.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25And winter this far north
0:23:25 > 0:23:28brings with it one special sight like no other.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31The northern lights.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34For a photographer like Ivan,
0:23:34 > 0:23:35it's an event
0:23:35 > 0:23:37that never fails to inspire.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39How often have you seen the northern lights?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- Hundreds of times in my lifetime. - Oh, really?- Literally hundreds,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46probably thousands, I would think.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I first saw them when I was little.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51I was doing a bit of fishing in a local stream
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and the first time I saw them, it was the most amazing green light.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56I didn't know what it was at the time.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And yeah, I actually thought
0:23:58 > 0:24:00it was some kind of magical thing.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I had no idea, it was kind of scary, cos I'd never seen it before.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05And then, I found out what it was.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09So I've really, I've been looking for them my whole life.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11That's a beautiful shot.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14How do you take photos of the northern lights?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Well, you have a lot of waiting about to do at night,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19standing out in the cold.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22You have to use a tripod to keep your camera really still.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27And just wait till it starts flaring up and go for it.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29How does it compare to what you see with the naked eye that night
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and what you get in the camera?
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Doing a longer exposure, it makes it look brighter
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- than when you see it with the human eye.- Yeah.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39But you still see a really, really good... Some nights, it's just beautiful.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41You can hardly take photos for looking at it,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- because it's so impressive. - That's incredible.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- That's a cracker! A self-portrait. - Self-portrait.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51One night, just standing about for hours and you get a bit bored,
0:24:51 > 0:24:56- so you start...you start doing all the strange stuff.- I like it.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59What are the right conditions when you know that it's going to happen?
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Ideally, you want the skies to be as clear as they can be,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05without cloud cover.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11During winter, this incredible sight can be seen in places like Shetland
0:25:11 > 0:25:13because they're so close to the North Pole.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- This is Britain down here.- Yeah.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- And on the 60-degree line is where Shetland sits.- Yeah.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22So this is the aurora where it's hitting the Earth.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25'These aurorae occur here, because it's in the polar regions
0:25:25 > 0:25:28'where electrically-charged particles from the sun
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'collide with particles charged by the Earth's magnetic field.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35'The result - the spectacular show.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Shetland is a good place to see the northern lights,
0:25:42 > 0:25:43if you're lucky.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46But the further north you go, the better your chances are.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It's something that Brian Cox discovered
0:25:48 > 0:25:51when he visited northern Canada in 2010.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Soon after dusk, and despite clear skies,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04there's no early performance from the aurora.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16So while we wait, Mike runs a film loop of the northern lights
0:26:16 > 0:26:19as seen from an extraterrestrial perspective.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22That's a beautiful image.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25I haven't seen an image like that before.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- It's taken from above the poles. - Yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29That's a spacecraft in orbit around the planet, yes,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31going from pole to pole.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'From space, you can really see the impact of the solar wind.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'Its energy feeds an unbroken circuit of aurora
0:26:39 > 0:26:42'that surrounds the pole.'
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And we will feel that it's a display put on just for us here,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49but when you see the pictures from space,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52you realise everybody on that oval is getting the display as well.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Well, my hope is that
0:26:53 > 0:26:57we'll be directly underneath that tiny thin band tonight,
0:26:57 > 0:26:58- here in Tromso.- Yes.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Thankfully, our luck holds
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and the skies remain crystal clear.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Until, at last, energy brought by the solar wind
0:27:11 > 0:27:14sets the upper atmosphere alight.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Absolutely amazing sight.
0:27:44 > 0:27:49Arcs, but...more like curtains of, of green.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54It doesn't look to me like it's cascading down,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56it looks like it's rising up from the ground.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08It is quite incredibly beautiful.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21The long dark winter nights here on Shetland
0:28:21 > 0:28:23are ideal for seeing the northern lights,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26but they've played a much more important role
0:28:26 > 0:28:27in the islands' history.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33In World War Two,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36the cover of darkness during the winter months here
0:28:36 > 0:28:39provided a vital lifeline for resistance fighters
0:28:39 > 0:28:41fleeing occupied Norway,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43as Neil Oliver found out.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47The islands became the base for a daring, secret operation -
0:28:47 > 0:28:49the Shetland Bus.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53The Bus was a fleet of fishing boats
0:28:53 > 0:28:57which smuggled people out and agents in to occupied Norway.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04'Many lives were saved and many lost.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08'The islanders have never forgotten the sacrifice of these men.'
0:29:09 > 0:29:12The names, the age,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15when they died and the boats they were on.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Look at that - 23, 28, 21, 21.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20- Just wee boys.- Just boys.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27'Karen Anderson's father was one of the Norwegian sailors who survived.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31'At 23 years old, Kaare Iversen risked everything for his homeland.'
0:29:31 > 0:29:35So how did your dad get involved in that story?
0:29:35 > 0:29:41Dad escaped from Norway in 1941
0:29:41 > 0:29:44on his father's boat
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and they came across to Shetland and he was approached
0:29:48 > 0:29:52to see if he was suitable for the Shetland Bus and he was.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Most of their missions were carried out in winter
0:29:55 > 0:29:58when the dark nights provided some cover
0:29:58 > 0:30:01for the 500-mile round trip across the North Sea to Norway.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Ammunition was stored at Scalloway Castle while resistance
0:30:07 > 0:30:10fighters and refugees found shelter with the locals.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18The men became heroes.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21After the war, their bravery was celebrated in the Norwegian
0:30:21 > 0:30:24feature film, Shetlandsgjengen - "The Shetland Gang."
0:30:31 > 0:30:32It was very dangerous
0:30:32 > 0:30:35because they didn't know what they were going across to Norway to face.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37The weather was against them for a start
0:30:37 > 0:30:41and the Norwegian fishing boats they were using, they were not big.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46He said if he was captured, that they all had a cyanide pill
0:30:46 > 0:30:49to take, rather than be interrogated by the Germans.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Losses were heavy. Over 100 died in storms or German attacks.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But many lives were saved.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06By the end of the war, more than 350 refugees had been carried to safety.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17How much does the story of the Shetland Bus still mean
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- to people in Shetland?- Oh, a great deal. I'm very proud of my dad.
0:31:21 > 0:31:27Really, I cannot say it in words how I feel about what...not only him
0:31:27 > 0:31:32but what other Norwegian boys did. It's part of Scalloway's history.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33Always will be.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42These rough seas that provided a lifeline to so many
0:31:42 > 0:31:44during the war years
0:31:44 > 0:31:48today sustain the livelihoods of many of the island's residents.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Thanks to the turbulent mixing up of the water,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55nutrients are brought to the surface from the depths of the sea
0:31:55 > 0:31:58which creates the perfect conditions for plankton
0:31:58 > 0:32:01and they, in turn, provide food for fish.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06The continental shelf around Shetland drops to
0:32:06 > 0:32:08depths of over 300 metres.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11It's not only one of the best places in Britain for fishing,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14it's one of the richest and most productive areas
0:32:14 > 0:32:15of sea in the world.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Lerwick Harbour is where much of this catch is landed
0:32:25 > 0:32:29and is kept busy year-round with the £81 million-worth of fish
0:32:29 > 0:32:30that pass through here.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36James Anderson's family have been working the seas out here
0:32:36 > 0:32:38for generations, fishing for cod and haddock.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44And at this time of year, he's as busy as ever.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48So what happens, then?
0:32:48 > 0:32:49You bring a catch in, how does it all work
0:32:49 > 0:32:51when you get back here to land it all?
0:32:51 > 0:32:57We just come in here usually weekly, maybe sometimes twice in a week.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00We just put it out here and it goes and gets sold
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and we usually head straight back out again.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Is there a pattern to the price of fish?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- does it go up during the winter, does it make it worth your while? - Usually does, yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Certainly in the past it was more so like that.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16But lately with tighter quotas we've had more balanced markets,
0:33:16 > 0:33:21but yeah, the winter's usually when you'll get your best tallies.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23- Yeah.- Your best markets.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29These guys stay out at sea for days on end and while in winter
0:33:29 > 0:33:31the price of fish can be at its best,
0:33:31 > 0:33:33the weather is often at its worst.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Today, the waters are calm, but when the winds whip up
0:33:38 > 0:33:41and storms roll in, ships can be caught on waves
0:33:41 > 0:33:43the size of ten-storey buildings.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It's an environment that tests both man and boat.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Have you ever been caught out there
0:33:51 > 0:33:53and thought this is a bit touch-and-go,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- really felt nervous about it? - Um, we've had some bad, uncomfortable weather
0:33:57 > 0:34:00but fishing around Shetland, we're usually not too far
0:34:00 > 0:34:03for getting in so we usually always manage to get in,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06if it's picking up. Good forecasts nowadays,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08we get the internet on the boats
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- so you know far more about what's coming...- Yeah.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12..than what we used to.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Do you experience much in the way of damage to nets,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18damage to boats or even risks to people during the winter?
0:34:18 > 0:34:23Yeah, you certainly increase all of those things.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26There's more wear and tear with the gear.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29More danger to the crew so you need to watch for that
0:34:29 > 0:34:32and sometimes you'll get a bit of damage round the boat, too, yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Men like James brave the winter storms and swells
0:34:36 > 0:34:39for the promise of making a good living,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'but these rewards all too often also bring increased risks.'
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Fishing out there is one of Britain's most dangerous jobs,
0:34:53 > 0:34:54especially in the winter,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58as the crews of the North Sea trawlers know only too well.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06In 2006, a BBC film crew was onboard the ship Amity in these waters
0:35:06 > 0:35:08as a storm blew in.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- RADIO ANNOUNCER:- Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties,
0:35:13 > 0:35:18cyclonic, five to seven, becoming north seven to severe gale nine.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Perhaps storm ten later in Forties.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Wintry showers, moderate...
0:35:24 > 0:35:27After four days at sea, Amity has caught virtually nothing.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Losing money and desperate for a catch,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31they're forced to fish in rough weather.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33In conditions like these,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36the smallest mistake can result in a serious accident
0:35:36 > 0:35:40but it's a risk that skipper Jimmy Buchan feels he has to take.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43It's a full force eight at the moment,
0:35:43 > 0:35:44probably even touching force nine.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Basically, we shouldn't be shooting
0:35:47 > 0:35:49but this is the pressure that comes on to the skipper.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I've got to get a pay for my crew
0:35:51 > 0:35:55so it's a gun-to-my-head kind of situation.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Watch yourself there, Kevin!
0:35:59 > 0:36:03The dangers of working in weather like this is
0:36:03 > 0:36:06if anything were to happen to a crewman,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09it's getting the boat around to pick him up
0:36:09 > 0:36:11because we've got gear on our stern
0:36:11 > 0:36:15and the boat just won't turn 360 degrees.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Last year, nine fishermen died and 34 fishing boats were lost
0:36:21 > 0:36:22from the UK fleet.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26For the first mate, Kevin, the risks are all too real.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Very dangerous craic, this.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32I remember fishing in Ireland once about 10, 12 years ago.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We were shooting herring nets
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and one of our friends got his legs caught in the net
0:36:37 > 0:36:40and he was took overboard.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44By the time we got the boat around to fetch him, he was gone,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46never to be found again.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55- RADIO:- Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58north or north-west gale nine to storm 10,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02squally wintry showers, moderate...
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Amity is heading into the storm.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09A tiny speck in the turbulent seas.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11As winds reach 60 mph, skipper Jimmy knows
0:37:11 > 0:37:15how vulnerable his boat is to the approaching storm.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20In a force 10, you probably get...
0:37:20 > 0:37:2412-15, 18 metre-high waves.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26If one of them's coming down on you,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28it's like a tenement building coming at you.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33So right now, I've got a big knot in my stomach because one half of me
0:37:33 > 0:37:37wants to stay out and the other half is saying
0:37:37 > 0:37:40"You'd better get your backside off the seas".
0:37:40 > 0:37:43I think we'll call the crew out shortly
0:37:43 > 0:37:48and we'll start her on in anyway, we'll start to head for home.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Jimmy is prepared to take the boat home even though
0:37:53 > 0:37:55they have caught very little.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Their poor catch will barely cover the cost of the fuel,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00leaving almost nothing for the crew.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05This is a dilemma that constantly faces skippers
0:38:05 > 0:38:07out in tough conditions.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11The Amity eventually returned safely back to port
0:38:11 > 0:38:16and like many other vessels has returned here time and again since,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18drawn by the lure of rich pickings.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30It's not just fisherman who are attracted to
0:38:30 > 0:38:32the fish in the seas around Britain.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36In winter, a species such as mackerel migrate past Shetland
0:38:36 > 0:38:38and they, in turn, attract killer whales.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45These giants of the ocean follow the mackerel migration route past
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Shetland and have learned that mopping up the spillage
0:38:48 > 0:38:52from fishermen's nets takes little effort for a fantastic feast.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59In the winter of 2009, Gordon Buchanan joined a North Sea
0:38:59 > 0:39:02fishing vessel to try and capture this sight on camera.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09We've got whales, we've got whales.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Just over to the left here, coming straight in.
0:39:12 > 0:39:13WHALES SNORT
0:39:18 > 0:39:22I'm finally going to get the chance to film killer whales in UK waters.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27I can't believe that they're coming.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Oh, gee, look at that! Really close.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36There are so many whales here,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40it's very difficult to estimate how many there are.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Possibly 50, possibly 60.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45There may even be up to 100 on the other side of the boat
0:39:45 > 0:39:49that we're just not seeing. And this is what they're here for.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Look, look, look, look. Jeez! Look at that.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Jeez! Oh, unbelievable.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Now that I've spent some time with them, I'm beginning to get
0:40:06 > 0:40:09a deeper understanding of what they're up to.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12They're just standing off about 300m, they're not coming in.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15There's loads of tail slapping going on, it's still happening.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18SLAPPING
0:40:18 > 0:40:20I'm not sure they're doing this to catch fish.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23After all, the boat is herding the fish for them,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25saving them the trouble.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Scientists believe that killer whales also slap their tails
0:40:28 > 0:40:32as a social activity and I think that's what's going on here.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37It's believed that when they're feeding on mackerel, it's
0:40:37 > 0:40:41the one opportunity that different families of killer whales
0:40:41 > 0:40:45have to come together, that's why you can find them in 100, 200.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46It's not one big super-pod,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49it's lots of different families coming together
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and when these families do come together, it's an opportunity
0:40:52 > 0:40:56for the males to mate with other females out with their family.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02After saying their hellos, it's time for lunch.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06And it's becoming very clear to me that these whales
0:41:06 > 0:41:10aren't just fishing randomly. They have a plan.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14They're coming in, cruising in like a flotilla. Oh, right.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Please, guys. Just come all the way in.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Every time, it's a large male that approaches the boat first,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26checking this out before giving the signal for the others to come in.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33With the whales in so close, it means I can now try to film them
0:41:33 > 0:41:36underwater. The weather's turning bad.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40A storm's brewing, but I'm still going to give it a go.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45I so want to enter their world, even if only for a moment or two.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47I'm right at the back of the boat.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50What I'm hoping will happen is the fish coming through the net
0:41:50 > 0:41:52just will drift the full length of the boat
0:41:52 > 0:41:54and the whales will come in here.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56We've seen them the length and the breadth of the boat
0:41:56 > 0:42:00but I think this is the only place we can actually use this pole
0:42:00 > 0:42:03successfully without getting in the way of the nets too much.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06OK, they're coming in.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12Camera's running up. Camera's running.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15In we go.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Come on, we've got to get this. We really have to get this.
0:42:27 > 0:42:34Ah, hold on tight. Oh, look at this wave. Whoa!
0:42:35 > 0:42:39SQUEAKING AND WHALESONG
0:42:39 > 0:42:41We've got him right here, right in front of me,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43I could reach out and touch him.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Oh, holy mackerel!
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Finally, I'm encountering this beautiful creature
0:42:53 > 0:42:55in his true home.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00Look at that. Thank you, ever, ever so much.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04Oh, you beauty. Whoo! Hoo-hoo-hoo!
0:43:06 > 0:43:12WHALESONG
0:43:12 > 0:43:17Here, the seas are providing plenty of food for both man and mammal.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22But at this time of year, one of the sources of nourishment that
0:43:22 > 0:43:26attracts life to these oceans also has its uses on dry land.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35The rough waters that ordinarily batter these islands at this time of year
0:43:35 > 0:43:39don't just create productive seas, they also help fertilise the land.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44Winter storms wash in tons of this stuff - seaweed.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52It's often used on northern Scottish islands to help enrich
0:43:52 > 0:43:56the coastal pastures known as the machair, as Julia Bradbury
0:43:56 > 0:43:59discovered when she visited the Outer Hebrides.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04It's pretty nippy but winter is when all the important stuff
0:44:04 > 0:44:07happens on the machair. And it's all because of this.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09SHE SNIFFS Fairly smelly.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Crofters like Angus MacDonald know its value.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13- Hi, Angus.- Hello, Julia.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15- Good to see you. - Good to see you, too.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Fair bit of seaweed you have here.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19There's not an awful lot there, really.
0:44:19 > 0:44:20That's just what came in last night.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22It's not been windy enough to bring lots of seaweed in.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25We tend to get more seaweed in January, February with
0:44:25 > 0:44:28Atlantic storms, when it's been blowing a gale
0:44:28 > 0:44:31and a high Atlantic swell, it breaks all the seaweed loose.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36Mainly, the kelp, this stuff here which is rooted to the rock
0:44:36 > 0:44:39- by the end there.- Yeah.- And then it breaks loose and comes ashore.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42- Thousands of tonnes, just that bay there...- So we're full?
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- ..could be full, yeah, with thousands of tonnes of seaweed. - Blimey.- Yeah.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- And what do you do with it all? - Come on, I'll show you.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53SHE SNIFFS Oh, Angus!
0:44:53 > 0:44:58- That is a pungent, pungent smell! - Yeah.
0:44:58 > 0:44:59Clearly... SHE COUGHS
0:44:59 > 0:45:02it's some sort of manure or becomes some sort of manure.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07Yeah, it's actually the seaweed that's been taken up about six weeks ago
0:45:07 > 0:45:10fresh off the beach and then is composted together in this heap
0:45:10 > 0:45:12and then it rots down.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15The heap would've originally been maybe three metres high
0:45:15 > 0:45:18so it sank down to about a metre high but it's composted now.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And this is your magic potion for the machair?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23This is really good for the machair.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It's full of nutrients, huge in humus
0:45:26 > 0:45:30and there's a massive injection of potash in it. Really full of potash.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33It holds the sandy machair soil. Not that you can see much of it today!
0:45:33 > 0:45:35- No, not under the snow!- Under all this snow.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37And now is the best or a good time of year to do it?
0:45:37 > 0:45:41Yes, it is a very good time of year, especially the wind brings it ashore in the first place
0:45:41 > 0:45:45and then the ground being frozen, a bit of snow on it,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47you can see exactly where you're spreading and how it's going on.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- Do you get used to the smell? - Oh, yes, I'm very used to the smell.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52- You can't even smell that?- That's a good smell.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- It's good compost, it's good seaweed.- Pfff!
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- Right, well, let's get spreading. - Yeah, let's go for it.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Angus is out here spreading seaweed every day in the winter,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07to give this challenging terrain the nutrients it needs.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09By spring, he assures me
0:46:09 > 0:46:13it'll be green with the first shoots of oats, barley and potatoes.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Oh! So, spreading done, and I'm pleased to say that the smell is...
0:46:21 > 0:46:23SHE SNIFFS No better!
0:46:23 > 0:46:27- You're STILL not getting used to it! - No, I'm still not getting used to it.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29I've got to say, Angus, looking out there now, here we are in the
0:46:29 > 0:46:32mid of winter, I'm not sure you'll be able to grow anything.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34But I wish you luck. You're the expert!
0:46:34 > 0:46:36You come back next August, and you'll see crops here.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- You're on!- Believe me. - You're on!
0:46:43 > 0:46:46And it's not only crops that are nourished by the goodness
0:46:46 > 0:46:48floating in on the winter tides.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53The seaweed that washes up on the shore provides
0:46:53 > 0:46:56a much-needed supplement to the winter diet of some of the animals
0:46:56 > 0:46:58that live here on Shetland.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01BLEATING
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Sheep are a regular feature on the shorelines,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07grazing at low tide on this veggie seafood that's packed with
0:47:07 > 0:47:10vitamins and minerals which are essential to keep them healthy
0:47:10 > 0:47:13through these cold and demanding months.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20When the tide goes out, they choose to go down on the beach
0:47:20 > 0:47:22and eat through this seaweed,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25which suggests they're getting plenty of nutrition from it.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28If nothing else, they appreciate the variation.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30And this isn't the only breed that's known to do this,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33other sheep will eat seaweed as well.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34It does look odd.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43These sheep are part of a smallholding known as a croft
0:47:43 > 0:47:46that's unique to the Highlands and islands of Scotland.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53'Farming them is way of life going back generations,
0:47:53 > 0:47:57'but one that was nearly wiped out by the Highland Clearances
0:47:57 > 0:47:59'of the 18th and 19th centuries.'
0:48:01 > 0:48:04As large-scale sheep farming became a lucrative business
0:48:04 > 0:48:07landowners began often-brutal evictions of tenants
0:48:07 > 0:48:09clearing their territory of people
0:48:09 > 0:48:12who'd lived off the land there for centuries.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18Many were forced to move to cities or emigrate overseas.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20But some stayed and fought back.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26In 1886, a law was passed covering eight Scottish counties -
0:48:26 > 0:48:27including Shetland -
0:48:27 > 0:48:30where crofters' rights and their land were secured.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37It's a proud tradition that's carried on to this day
0:48:37 > 0:48:40by people like Mary and Tony Isbister
0:48:40 > 0:48:43who've worked this croft on Shetland since the 1970s.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- Hi, Tony. How are you doing? Hi, Mary.- Hi.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53So is this a bit of winter work here with the cattle?
0:48:53 > 0:48:55- Are they in for the winter? - They're in for the winter, yeah.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59These are some pretty hardy breeds you have here on your farm.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02- What have you got?- We have all the Shetland breeds.- Mm-hmm.
0:49:02 > 0:49:08That's the cattle, ponies, sheep and poultry, geese.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11Have you had any other breeds that haven't been Shetland natives
0:49:11 > 0:49:13and realised that they aren't that well adapted
0:49:13 > 0:49:14to these cold conditions?
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Yes, we've had bigger breeds of sheep.
0:49:17 > 0:49:23They do well but only with a lot more feeding and looking after.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27- I see. - The sheep can survive without help
0:49:27 > 0:49:29but thrive with a little bit of help.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33- How tough can the winter get here? - It can get pretty bad.
0:49:33 > 0:49:38Over hundred-mile-an-hour winds and steady rain is not pleasant.
0:49:38 > 0:49:45- What was your worst winter? - It was 1991.- Mm-hmm.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50There were about five gales at that time over 100 miles an hour.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- How do the animals cope? - They can get through it.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57We have an island out here that we rent out in the Atlantic.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01- Wow.- That sheep seems to thrive.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06They have plenty of shelter and they seem to live off the seaweed.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10- They're seriously hardy to survive on an island by themselves all winter.- They're hardy, yeah.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Crofting out here relies on tough breeds that are able to
0:50:14 > 0:50:17survive in all weathers and, of course, there's one
0:50:17 > 0:50:21native of these shores that embodies these qualities more than any other.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26In spite of their cute appearance and miniature stature,
0:50:26 > 0:50:30they don't come much tougher than the iconic Shetland pony.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35They're ideally suited to survive these sparse conditions,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39developing a double coat in winter with guard hairs which repel
0:50:39 > 0:50:43the rain and keep the pony's skin dry even in the worst weather.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Small horses, like these ponies, have been kept on Shetland
0:50:50 > 0:50:51since the Bronze Age.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56But the island was already inhabited long before that.
0:50:58 > 0:51:04Human remains have been found dating back to 2500 BC but it's these
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Iron Age buildings, uncovered when today's residents built
0:51:07 > 0:51:11a road through to the airport, that give us the first real glimpse of
0:51:11 > 0:51:15how early human settlers survived Shetland's harsh winter months.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Archaeologist Val Turner is showing me just how they did it.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29- This is quite amazing, what's this, Val?- It is. This is a wheelhouse,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31or the remains of a wheelhouse
0:51:31 > 0:51:38that came at the end of the Iron Age, maybe about 650 AD.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Wheelhouses are named after their circular design,
0:51:41 > 0:51:44with internal stone walls resembling the spokes of a wheel.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49It's thought that they were important buildings in these ancient
0:51:49 > 0:51:54communities used both as homes and for religious and ritual activity.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57The walls look incredibly new to me.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01- Well, they were incredibly good at building dry stone.- Yeah.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05It feels really exposed here, we're right by the sea there.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Would this have felt quite a cold building?
0:52:07 > 0:52:10I think the walls were quite thick and you'd have had the fire.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Once it was in, you'd have kept it alight all the time.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15It must've been very difficult to keep a fire going
0:52:15 > 0:52:18- when there are so few trees here. - Wood was too valuable.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22If they did have it, they would use it for structural things,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24other things but mainly, they're burning peat.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- Which is perfectly good for making a fire.- Exactly.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29- You have all the stuff set up here. - Yes.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31How would this have been made, then, as a fire?
0:52:31 > 0:52:34You'd start with little bits of kindling
0:52:34 > 0:52:39although you might have seaweed or something like that.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Just a basic structure but then, of course,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46the key thing is you've got to have a spark to start your fire
0:52:46 > 0:52:49and you didn't just have your matches in your pocket.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51So, it's back to basics.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55My mission seems straightforward - use recreated Iron Age tools
0:52:55 > 0:52:58to make a spark which can in turn light some kindling.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01And, hey, presto - we'll have fire.
0:53:01 > 0:53:06- I have done it!- OK. - But it's not easy.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10'Considering Val's the expert, she isn't filling me with confidence.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:13No, there's no warmth coming off that, I can assure you.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15BOTH LAUGH
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Obviously, this would've been important to do in the winter
0:53:17 > 0:53:20but would it have been much harder to do in the winter?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Certainly doing it where there was a little bit of a wind or a draft,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25yes, that would make it harder than doing it
0:53:25 > 0:53:29in a place that was either warmer or was completely still.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33'After several attempts, I've only managed to produce a few
0:53:33 > 0:53:37'charred embers, and the Atlantic winds are beginning to bite.'
0:53:37 > 0:53:41- It's a very good job our survival doesn't depend on this, this winter!- Yes!
0:53:41 > 0:53:44- Because I think we'd be gonners... - OK.- ..with me at the helm,
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- sorry about that. - Fair enough.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50We decide to call it a day
0:53:50 > 0:53:54and head for shelter in the houses at the heart of the settlement.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59But the last residents of this building came to Shetland
0:53:59 > 0:54:00much later than the Iron Age.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05The Vikings arrived on these shores in the 9th century and
0:54:05 > 0:54:08there's evidence that they sheltered in the buildings they found,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12bringing their own tricks with them to see out the dark, cold months.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18- That's more like it on the fire front, there.- Absolutely.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Fire's obviously really important, especially in the winter.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24What other features are there in a settlement like this that
0:54:24 > 0:54:27would've been a big deal in the winter?
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Lamps, of course, because in here, you're in the dark.
0:54:30 > 0:54:31How's this made?
0:54:31 > 0:54:35It's made out of soapstone which you find in Shetland.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36It's a really soft stone.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40It's so soft, that you can actually scratch it with a fingernail.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45- Wow.- So it was easy to work and then once it's put in the fire,
0:54:45 > 0:54:46it hardens up a bit.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48- What's that in there? - That's fish oil
0:54:48 > 0:54:53and then the wicks are made out of the insides of reeds.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55You get the reeds and strip it back, strip the green off,
0:54:55 > 0:54:57and that's what's inside.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00What about bedding and clothing, that kind of thing?
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Well, they had their own sheep so
0:55:03 > 0:55:10they would've obviously had skins and also they wove it as cloth.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13And also, by Viking times, they'd started making flax
0:55:13 > 0:55:18- so they'd started growing flax and so they started producing linen. - Oh, wow.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20So it really can be quite sophisticated.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23How long did the Vikings remain here on the Shetland Islands?
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Well, arguably, they're still here.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29The people are still here. The crofting way of life
0:55:29 > 0:55:33really isn't too different from the Viking way of life.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37It's reflected in the place names, in the dialect.
0:55:39 > 0:55:40Even in some of the laws.
0:55:40 > 0:55:45So, yeah, a lot of Shetlanders would claim direct descendants...
0:55:45 > 0:55:48to be direct descendants from the Vikings.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49That's fascinating.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53The generations that settled these islands all found their own ways
0:55:53 > 0:55:57to cope out on this cold and exposed coast.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01But the Vikings' legacy is the one that most strongly endures
0:56:01 > 0:56:05and particularly associated with the winter months.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09The Viking influence can still be seen in many
0:56:09 > 0:56:12aspects of Shetland life, including at this time of year,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15the renowned island festival, Up Helly Aa.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22The ritual has been observed by generations of Shetlanders
0:56:22 > 0:56:24every January on the Isle of Lerwick
0:56:24 > 0:56:28and has grown to be one of the biggest fire festivals in Europe.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34From dawn until dusk, squads of islanders
0:56:34 > 0:56:37dressed as Vikings can be seen parading through the streets.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43As night falls, light-up time arrives and every man carries
0:56:43 > 0:56:48a flaming torch, setting the night sky ablaze as hundreds of men
0:56:48 > 0:56:53join together to march into the main town in a column miles long.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58SINGING
0:57:04 > 0:57:06At its climax, the 30-foot long galley
0:57:06 > 0:57:09they've spent all year building
0:57:09 > 0:57:12is torched and consumed by fire.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Three cheers for the boys that built the galley.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18- Hip-hip... CROWD:- Hooray! - Hip-hip... CROWD:- Hooray!
0:57:18 > 0:57:20- Hip-hip... CROWD:- Hooray!
0:57:26 > 0:57:29This spectacle is the last gasp of winter,
0:57:29 > 0:57:33a celebration of another harsh season survived.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48The winters here may be long.
0:57:48 > 0:57:54Everything and everyone that lives here has to use ingenuity to get by.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57- Are they in for the winter? - They're in for winter, yeah.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02But the beauty of the landscape,
0:58:02 > 0:58:04the variety of the wildlife...
0:58:07 > 0:58:08Hi, good to meet you.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11..and the warmth of the people
0:58:11 > 0:58:14easily outweigh the challenges that come with the season.
0:58:27 > 0:58:31Still, getting through it requires a pretty tough Viking spirit
0:58:31 > 0:58:35so it's no wonder that the biggest festival on this island celebrates
0:58:35 > 0:58:39the returning of the sun and the coming of spring.
0:58:42 > 0:58:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd