0:00:03 > 0:00:06I'm Helen Mark and I grew up in Scotland,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10but for the last 31 years, I've made Northern Ireland my home.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's making my eyes water.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I have always felt comfortable in Northern Ireland, but I've never
0:00:15 > 0:00:18really examined why and I often wonder if the many people
0:00:18 > 0:00:23from Northern Ireland who have settled in Scotland, feel the same?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26- You're really Glaswegian. - Oh, don't tell me that!
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Your mother's going to be furious with you.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30At the closest point,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Scotland and the North Antrim Coast are just 12 miles apart
0:00:34 > 0:00:37and the migration of people between the two countries
0:00:37 > 0:00:40has been going on for centuries.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- Good test of your sailing skills. - And your stomach, I think, as well!
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But, it's the modern mix of cultures that I am interested in.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Them and us, cheek by jowl.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Just what are the ties that bind us
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and are they as strong as ever?
0:00:57 > 0:00:58With a Glasgow gig,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00if you come out without getting bottled, you've done well.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03When they start playing that music, you know,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05I feel this Scottishness welling up in me.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It's early morning and ferries in Larne and here in Belfast
0:01:28 > 0:01:32are preparing to cross the North Channel of the Irish Sea.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Today, I'm going to get a lift with Ian Caldwell in this truck.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43He travels over about three times a week
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and I'm hoping I will be able to join him.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- Hello, Ian?- Hello! - Hi, how are you?- Not too bad.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- Where are you heading this morning? - I'm going to Morecambe this morning.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- And how long does that take? - Takes about three and a half hours.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- Do you mind if I join you? - Not at all. Come on ahead.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- And I hear there's a bit of breakfast involved.- I hope so!
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Thousands of people go back and forth
0:02:05 > 0:02:09across the Irish Sea everyday, it's a melting pot
0:02:09 > 0:02:11where Northern Ireland and Scotland meet,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15so today I'm going to talk to the people who live with the sea
0:02:15 > 0:02:20and on the sea, the people for whom this narrow stretch of water
0:02:20 > 0:02:21has become a way of life.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Scotland has never been more accessible to Northern Ireland.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33There are more than 16 flights a day to Scottish airports
0:02:33 > 0:02:38and 15 ferry crossings carry nearly two million passengers a year,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and over eight million tons of freight.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43There are a number of ferry routes to Scotland.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The route I'm taking today is from Belfast to Cairnryan,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49a few miles up Loch Ryan from Stranraer.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54It's about a two hour trip, plenty of time for an Ulster Fry.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- Ladies first, Helen. - The truckers' lounge. Fabulous!
0:02:58 > 0:03:02I've been back and forth on the ferry hundreds of times and I've
0:03:02 > 0:03:04always looked on in envy at the truckers lounge.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- It's a bit like an inner sanctum, isn't it?- Oh, aye.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I'll take a piece of toast. Lovely.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11When you come on board,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14do you have a quick look round to see if you know anyone?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Yes, I saw a couple of old faces that I know from days gone by.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Do you get chatting? - Of course you do, yeah.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's quite lonely on the road. Must be nice to have
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- a bit of company from time to time. - It is.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Can you make friendships in the time you are on the boat?
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- You get to know them over the years and see them all the time.- Mm-hmm.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I suppose you have a lot in common, you know.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37We're all drivers at the end of the day and I think the Scottish people
0:03:37 > 0:03:40are very much like the Northern Irish as well -
0:03:40 > 0:03:43the mentality and sense of humour and everything else.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So who makes the best truck drivers? Scottish or Northern Irish?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49There's only one truck driver in the world
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and he's Northern Irish, isn't he?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57It's not just lorry drivers that are constantly crossing
0:03:57 > 0:04:00the North Channel. Many other passengers have lives
0:04:00 > 0:04:03that straddle both sides of the water.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Archie Smyth is Chairman of Larne FC and his son Marc has spent the last
0:04:07 > 0:04:1012 years playing professional football in Scotland,
0:04:10 > 0:04:15for clubs like Partick Thistle and Ayr United. This season
0:04:15 > 0:04:17he's back in Northern Ireland playing for Cliftonville,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20but his son is staying in Scotland, so it will still be
0:04:20 > 0:04:22a regular trip.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25EXCHANGE OF GREETINGS
0:04:25 > 0:04:29From what I know, you are no strangers to this ferry.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33No, indeed we are not. We come over quite regularly,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36in fact, we kept a car over here because it was a lot cheaper.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39But going back and forwards like that all the time, does it make you
0:04:39 > 0:04:42feel you aren't quite sure which country you belong to?
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I think for me, it is kind of different,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48because I see both as my home.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It's like last time I went over, I have now moved back to Ireland
0:04:51 > 0:04:54but when I go to Scotland, I feel like I am going home,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58do you know what I mean? I am kind of torn between the two places.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03So this ferry boat is a really important link for you?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Without it, I would be lost. The fact of the matter is, between work
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and family, I have needed it to do both and even now, I'll need it
0:05:10 > 0:05:15even more for family because my son still stays in Scotland and my wife,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17my daughter and me being in Ireland,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19so for me, it's of massive importance.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21I have a lot of family live over there.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23My brother played for Hearts in Scotland - Jackie,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26and he still lives in Musselburgh.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29My parents lived in Edinburgh, so a lot of links.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- A really strong Scottish connection. - There is. My name is Archie
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and it is sort of Scottish as well.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- I was actually born in Scotland - Edinburgh.- So was I.- So was he!
0:05:39 > 0:05:44- So am I talking to two Scotsmen, then?- Och aye the noo!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54After the Smyths, I've come upstairs to the ship's spa to meet
0:05:54 > 0:05:59Natalli McDervit. She grew up near Stranraer, and after a lifetime
0:05:59 > 0:06:01of watching the ferries come and go,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03she now has a part time job here.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06It is quite strange having this done on a ferry boat,
0:06:06 > 0:06:13I have to say, Natalli. But it feels good. So you are from Stranraer?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- Have you lived there all your life? - More or less, yes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18But you have lots of connections with Northern Ireland, don't you?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Yes, I do. For all different reasons,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I have friends - friends in Lisburn, in Larne,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29in Belfast - just through various things like jobs, friends of friends
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and relations, you get to know people.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33And you were going back across on the ferry
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- just to keep up that friendship? - Yes, I did.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I used to go back and forward. I still do.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I am actually going on Friday to meet a friend.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43We are going to Belfast, go out for dinner, do a bit of shopping.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46What, you go to Belfast for a social life?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Yes, most people from Stranraer are quite regularly in Belfast.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54Between shopping, hen nights and stag dos and...
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I was actually away to Belfast three weeks ago to get a school uniform.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- You just jump on the boat.- What? - Jump on the boat and away you go.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05There is definitely a closeness between the two countries,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08but do you think that connection is even stronger
0:07:08 > 0:07:12down the West Coast of Scotland and across Ayrshire?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I feel we have a closer bond
0:07:15 > 0:07:18sometimes than...when you go up the North of Scotland
0:07:18 > 0:07:21you're not as familiar whereas if you're from Stranraer,
0:07:21 > 0:07:22you're used to spending Ulster money,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26you used to being friends with people from Co Antrim.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28You're used to the accent, used to it all.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- You go to socialise, to do your shopping...- Yes.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33You're almost Northern Irish!
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Chatting to people who use the boat a lot,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46it is like Northern Ireland and Scotland
0:07:46 > 0:07:48morph into one big community,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51like two different sides of a big river.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54But what about the people who spend the bulk of their lives
0:07:54 > 0:07:59in the middle, on the sea itself? That's who I want to talk to next.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The ship's crew work seven days on and seven days off.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06There's five crossings a day,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09so most of their 12 hour shift is spent at sea.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Today's Captain, Mark Robinson, has been driving ferries,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21or rather "conning" ferries, to use the right word, for 24 years.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25He's been working on this stretch of water for 12.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28How would you describe the conditions out sailing today?
0:08:28 > 0:08:33It's light seas, blue skies and no swell.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36There is a light westerly wind, so this is about as good as it gets.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Calm crossing.- Calm crossing.- It can be quite rough, can't it?
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It can be very rough at times.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- Do you think there's anything special about it?- It is magical.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51And standing here is fantastic. What a view you get!
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- It is great to be on the bridge. - Where are we now on the crossing?
0:08:55 > 0:09:00If you have a look on the chart. We can take a bearing from there.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- That's the Maiden's Lighthouse. - We have got the coast here
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and Islandmagee...
0:09:08 > 0:09:12And we take a bearing from there...
0:09:12 > 0:09:15..and that is where we are at the moment.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18So, we're really just mid-channel, halfway between Scotland and Ireland.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22So, you have these two great landmasses
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and we are right in the middle. Isn't it?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29This is the interesting thing because for us, this is our home,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33our workplace and we are actually a small community
0:09:33 > 0:09:35moving backwards and forwards.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39There is 55 crew minimum which live on board and quite often,
0:09:39 > 0:09:40we would be up to 75.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- They live on the boat? - Yes, we all live on the boat.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Take Alan, he lives at Carrickfergus, just here,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52so he sails past his own house every day!
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Allen.- Hi.- Is it true you sail past your house...
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Not quite literally, but we do pass Carrickfergus, yes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- ..several times in the one day. - Yes, we do.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- You can't even nip ashore?- No, may as well be docking in Australia.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17- I had no idea the crew had to do this.- We live on board for the week,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20so half the time you are working and the other half you're in your cabin,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22or in the rec room,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I have to say, I am a bit disappointed
0:10:25 > 0:10:27at the size of the steering wheel. It's tiny!
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- Were you expecting a big wooden steering wheel?- Yes, nice big one.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Thankfully not!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I think times have moved on from then.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I'm fascinated by the fact that the crew stay on board the boat
0:10:44 > 0:10:45for a whole week.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So I've managed to persuade one of the customer services crew,
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Ros Smith, to show me what life is like on board the boat
0:10:53 > 0:10:57and she is in one of these rooms down this corridor at the end.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58This one, I think.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Hello?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06THEY EXCHANGE GREETINGS
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- So, this is the cabin.- This is our wee cabin, here, so it is.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- It's quite confined, isn't it. - We try and make it homely.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Yeah, like the stickers and things, that's nice and girly.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- But that was actually Louise's idea. - She's your other half, as it were?
0:11:19 > 0:11:23This is red crew and Louise is on yellow crew.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24That's the opposite week.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28We share, so when I am not here, Louise is here.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33- So we try and agree on a few wee homely touches.- I do love the fish.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Again, Louise has to take the credit for the fish and I have agreed
0:11:37 > 0:11:40on my week on, I'll certainly look after them.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I do worry about them sometimes.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Last week, the weather was a bit rocky-rolly and every now and again
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I was getting out and going, "Hello, are you all right?"
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's quite a responsibility for you, isn't it?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54You don't want to come in one day and see them belly up.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I wouldn't like to be the one that would have to tell Louise.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I think I would actually send off for a new fish, to be honest with you!
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Shall we leave Tom and Dick in peace? Go get a cuppa?- Absolutely.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- Find out about life on the boat? - That would be lovely, Helen.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11You've got people from Scotland and Northern Ireland living together
0:12:11 > 0:12:13on the boat for this length of time, you know,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16people from two different countries,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- so how does everyone get on together?- Do you know,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21it is actually like a family.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Personally, I love all things Scottish, always have done.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29I would envy anyone from Scotland. They are just proud to be Scottish.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Whereas we have got a wee bit more of an umbrella to come under,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35proud to be Northern Irish, proud to be Irish,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- or you are proud to be from Ulster.- That is interesting.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41In a way, you are almost envious of the Scots
0:12:41 > 0:12:46- and do you think that's what drew you to the job?- It probably had.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Plus sailing into Scotland...such a difference. You are sailing into
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Belfast and it is quite industrial and you are going over to...
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and it's just a different scenery and I loved that,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59the difference between the two.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It's interesting talking to Rosalind about Scotland's strong sense
0:13:07 > 0:13:11of cultural identity and even though I've lived most of my life
0:13:11 > 0:13:16in Northern Ireland, it's hard not to feel a rush of affection
0:13:16 > 0:13:19when I begin to approach the Scottish coast.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Before I get to Cairnryan, I've decided to take
0:13:22 > 0:13:25another visit to the bridge to get a better view.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I also want to find out how you park a boat
0:13:30 > 0:13:32that's over 200 metres long?
0:13:35 > 0:13:39OK, I'm looking ahead and this quay is getting closer and closer.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40Just take me through what you do.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Basically, as we approach it, I will slow
0:13:43 > 0:13:47the ship down to about five knots, spin her round and back in.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52I am going to let the ship follow the tide
0:13:52 > 0:13:57and it'll do that naturally without all this engineering.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03You've got this great boat, you are just drifting into the harbour,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07so you must understand about the tides and the water so well.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11- You've got all the technology but it's intuitive.- It is.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Brilliant!
0:14:13 > 0:14:17We have to park the ship to within an inch, using the little
0:14:17 > 0:14:19piece of sticky tape on the glass window.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Sticky tape?- Sticky tape. Yes!
0:14:22 > 0:14:26If you see here, the black tape on the pipe
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and I line that up with a little piece of paint on the quay.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- It all comes down to that. - That's what it does.- Paint and tape!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- Just coming into position. - Look at that.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Just comes into the side, gently,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45there's not even going to be a bump.
0:14:45 > 0:14:4710 metres to the mark.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Five feet, three feet...
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And you just have to line-up the two
0:14:52 > 0:14:53bits of sticky tape.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55That's on to the pad.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Cargo man bridge, you are clear for the ramps.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59RADIO RESPONSE
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- And that's it?- That's it, Helen. Safely berthed in Scotland.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08While Ian Caldwell heads to Morecambe in his lorry,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and the crew prepare to travel back to Belfast, I'm going north.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17From Cairnryan, I'm making my way up the West Coast to Ayrshire,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19and the small village of Patna.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I want to meet a community who spend endless weekends going
0:15:22 > 0:15:25backwards and forwards on the ferry, a community who
0:15:25 > 0:15:30are passionate about what they stand for on both sides of the water.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44This is a recent parade in Airdrie. Around 70 Orange Lodges from all
0:15:44 > 0:15:47over Scotland came out to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51The origins of the Orange Order in Scotland can be traced back
0:15:51 > 0:15:55to the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Many Scottish regiments fought alongside Orange yeomanry,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02and began to establish lodges when they came back home.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Scotland's first civilian lodge was set up in the Ayrshire village
0:16:05 > 0:16:10of Maybole in 1808, and they still have a strong presence in the area.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15I'm about seven miles from Maybole, I'm in the small village of Patna
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and the local band are busy preparing to take
0:16:18 > 0:16:21part in a parade back in Belfast.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25The Knox family will be there en masse.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28WOMAN: One. Two.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- You've your whole family here, haven't you?- Yes, uh-huh.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35So who's who, and who's doing what?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37My husband over there, he plays the flute.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40He also plays the big drum and the side drum, as well.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42My daughter, and my son play the drums,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Alexander also plays the flute.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47My brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and my niece are in the corner
0:16:47 > 0:16:50as well, and my father-in-law is in Turkey,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52but he's here in spirit.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And he'll be going with you to the parade in Belfast?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58That is such a squad of folk to get organised, Jackie!
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Oh, yes.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And you're heading over again next week, so what, do you fly?
0:17:04 > 0:17:05No, we go on the ferry.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Why do you go on a ferry, then?
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I think it's just a better start to the weekend, you go over and you meet
0:17:10 > 0:17:14people that you've maybe been meeting for years, it starts the weekend,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18have a laugh and a joke, a Coca-Cola or something, before you go.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Or something?- Yes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Why did you want to be part of an Orange Lodge and playing in a band?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28My husband has been in it for years,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and once the kids kind of decided that they wanted to follow
0:17:32 > 0:17:37in that, then, I decided it was something I wanted to do, as well.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41When you go over, do you feel connected to Northern Ireland?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- Do you become part of that?- Yes.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Or do you stay a Scottish band?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48We are a Scottish band, but I think when you're over there you're just
0:17:48 > 0:17:50another band in the big scene,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53you don't feel as if you are any different to
0:17:53 > 0:17:57the Northern Ireland bands that are playing, or the English bands
0:17:57 > 0:18:01that are playing, it's just a big family of bands when you are there.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05What about in Scotland, are there many bands playing
0:18:05 > 0:18:08like yourselves, or is it dying out, or is it better than it used to be?
0:18:08 > 0:18:10There's still a lot of bands on the go, and there's still bands
0:18:10 > 0:18:15starting up, but it's difficult, you know, with the general public, being
0:18:15 > 0:18:20in a band, and having to justify why you do it a lot of the time.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22So what do you say to people?
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Just get to know us.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Get to know us as people, you know.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29You say to somebody you're in a lodge or you're in a band,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and a lot of times you can't say it to people, but you say to people
0:18:32 > 0:18:37and they automatically... you've got to explain why, you have to justify it,
0:18:37 > 0:18:42but you just have to overcome the hurdles and deal with it.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I'm just going to leave them to get on with their practice.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52I love the idea that all the families come together,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56and then the small committees from around this village bond together
0:18:56 > 0:19:00to play in the band, and it's something that brings them together.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04and the community around them.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12After my slight detour inland to Patna, I'm now making my way
0:19:12 > 0:19:15back to the sea at Greenock, and to the Clyde Coastguard.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Her Majesty's Coastguard Service was established 200 years ago,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24primarily to combat the economic threat of smuggling.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Today their role is clearly focused on the coordination of search
0:19:30 > 0:19:32and rescue,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and trying to prevent maritime incidents through education.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38For people on the water, or in trouble on the coast,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41the Coastguard is the primary emergency service.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45OK, Roger, the Troon lifeboat are already aware of the situation.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50If you just proceed on passage and they'll come out and assist you in.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I've come to meet John Griffiths.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55It looks like his team are having a busy day.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Just in there, John, just below The Wig.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00There's an incident happening at the moment?
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Yes, there is. We have a report of a dinghy in difficulty in Loch Ryan,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and we're just launching the Stranraer inshore lifeboat
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and sending the Stranraer coastguard rescue team to investigate.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13And that's all co-ordinated from here,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15even though we're talking about Loch Ryan,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16it's all done in this place?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Yes.- Right.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The incident, obviously, the incident right now is in here,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25so we've got the Stranraer inshore lifeboat, and the coastguard rescue
0:20:25 > 0:20:29team based in Stranraer will be going to look, and they may be contacting
0:20:29 > 0:20:32to see if there are any ferries on the move, to see if they can be of
0:20:32 > 0:20:34any help, but I think it may be a bit further down the loch
0:20:34 > 0:20:35rather than up here.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Uh-huh.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Now, looking at the map, what's your territory?
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We cover, from a coast perspective,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47from the Mull of Galloway in the South here,
0:20:47 > 0:20:51up to Ardnamurchan Point just up the top there.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56We also pick up information from our aerial sites off the Northern Irish
0:20:56 > 0:21:00coast as well, as it looks into the Northern Ireland area,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04so if we have any incidents over there, we would respond to them,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07take the information, and if it's thought best
0:21:07 > 0:21:10we would pass the coordination to the Belfast coastguard.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12When you see it on a map, like this,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17you really can see the close relationship between the edge of
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Scotland and Northern Ireland, that water there looks really narrow.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Yes. And it's a very busy waterway, obviously all the traffic,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26the commercial traffic for Liverpool,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28tanker traffic for Milford Haven, that sort of thing,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31so there's a lot of traffic coming in and out of there at all times.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35The coastguard service has moved a long way
0:21:35 > 0:21:38since spotting distress flares with binoculars.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41So much so, that eventually the roles of Belfast
0:21:41 > 0:21:44and the Clyde coastguard will be combined.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Today though, both stations are monitoring
0:21:46 > 0:21:49one of the narrowest stretches of water in the UK.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- OK.- Right, now we can see the action on the water.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54We can see the ferries going across here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- The green triangles? - Yes, the green triangles.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57There's one here at Cairnryan
0:21:57 > 0:22:01and obviously you've got Belfast Harbour, with all the vessels here.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Obviously, you can see Belfast Harbour is quite busy.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06What about the purple arrows at the top?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09This is a traffic separation scheme, designed to ensure that ships
0:22:09 > 0:22:14navigate safely through dangerous waters, similar to the Dover Strait.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18It's designed to basically keep ships at a safe
0:22:18 > 0:22:21distance as they are transiting through a very narrow
0:22:21 > 0:22:23part of the coast.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27It's fascinating, isn't it, the idea of this piece of water
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- and the amount of traffic that goes back and forth.- Oh yes.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Could you give me your thoughts about
0:22:31 > 0:22:35whether you think it divides the two countries or
0:22:35 > 0:22:39whether it's an integral part of both countries?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I think at one time, obviously, a long, long time ago, it would've been
0:22:43 > 0:22:47a division, and getting across there would've been a challenge.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49These days it's nothing,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52it's a water bridge, I suppose,
0:22:52 > 0:22:53is the best way of putting it,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56instead of having a brick bridge, it's a water bridge,
0:22:56 > 0:22:57So you get in your boat and go.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59I think!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The shortest crossing between Scotland
0:23:03 > 0:23:05and Northern Ireland is the tip of the Kintyre
0:23:05 > 0:23:09peninsula in Scotland to the North Antrim coast, but this only
0:23:09 > 0:23:12just beats another route further south, between the small
0:23:12 > 0:23:15ports of Donaghadee and Portpatrick, just down from Stranraer.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24If there are two communities that represent the closeness
0:23:24 > 0:23:28of Scotland and Northern Ireland, it's Portpatrick and Donaghadee.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33People just pop over for a few drinks, a spot of lunch.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35And at just 18 miles apart,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Portpatrick is closer to Donaghadee
0:23:37 > 0:23:41than Belfast is, and you don't have to worry about the traffic.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Today I'm joining Evelyn and Murdoch Bennett.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49They set off a couple of hours ago from Donaghadee,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51it's a crossing they've done many times before.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Helen, I would like you to release the rope...
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- From here?- ..from there, and just...
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Shall I do that now?- Yes, do that now.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03See what's happening?
0:24:03 > 0:24:04It's going over there.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06You can release it a bit more now.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10That's it. Lovely. Well done.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13My first sail-raising assist.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18There's quite a roll on the water, so...
0:24:18 > 0:24:21There's usually quite a roll in the water just out here.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25What about the crossing, though?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Is it a bit of a challenge on a yacht?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29It can be quite rough, it can be quite rough.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Yes.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33I always reckon if you can do this you can do almost anything.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39You need to understand the wind, don't you?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Yes, you do, very much so.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And respect it?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45And respect wind and sea.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Because it's so narrow, is that what makes it such a challenge?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Well, it's a challenge,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55because the sea conditions, and the water obviously goes up through
0:24:55 > 0:24:59the narrow gap of the North Channel, so there are quite strong tides,
0:24:59 > 0:25:04and then inshore here you get different counter-tides as well.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06All of the North Atlantic is trying to empty
0:25:06 > 0:25:08itself down into the Irish Sea,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and hence it has to get back out again.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12And you've got to understand that?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14You've got to understand it, yeah.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16I mean, if it's a challenging sail,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19what makes you keep going back and forth?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- The drink!- The drink?!
0:25:21 > 0:25:22SHE LAUGHS
0:25:27 > 0:25:28As well as being a keen sailor,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32Murdoch is a lifelong member of Donaghadee's lifeboat crew.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Today, the Bennett's are catching up with an old friend,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and RNLI colleague, Robert Erskine.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Hi, Robert.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41How you doing, Evelyn?
0:25:41 > 0:25:44This is great you are here to take this rope from me.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46No problem.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Robert was born in Larne, but he's lived in Portpatrick for over
0:25:49 > 0:25:5230 years, and now owns a hotel here.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56He was cox of Portpatrick's lifeboat crew for 29 years.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01When you have a team in Portpatrick and a team in Donaghadee,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05you really are working across the same piece of water,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07so when something happens out in the Channel,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10how do you decide which lifeboat goes, Donaghadee or Portpatrick?
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Well, we've got to, Her Majesty's Coastguards are the coordinators,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17they get the first, initial response from whoever is in trouble.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21So it will be Clyde Coastguard, or Belfast Coastguard,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and they decide what boat is the closest, and if it's us,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29we'll go, obviously, and if it's Donaghadee, it could be them.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31But the bond between Donaghadee
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and Portpatrick through the lifeboat is very, very strong.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Oh, very much so, indeed.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40There always was a bond, but I think the Princess Victoria,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43really, highlighted when the two boats worked together,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and since then I think it's really got stronger.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52In January, 1953, lifeboat crews from Donaghadee and Portpatrick
0:26:52 > 0:26:56were called out in high winds to help rescue people from the Princess
0:26:56 > 0:27:01Victoria, a passenger ferry that ran between Stranraer and Larne.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Over 130 lives were lost that day,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and it's a tragedy that's still commemorated by both communities.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It is a very significant bond,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and an example of how Scotland and Northern Ireland are connected.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And, you know, the water is a boundary in some ways, but...
0:27:20 > 0:27:23It's a plus point for us because, it's like trams, they come and go
0:27:23 > 0:27:28and the yachts and the power boats come across here
0:27:28 > 0:27:31all the time, and it's great for the village,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33because it brings income in, as well.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Well that's interesting, because a lot of people would say that water
0:27:36 > 0:27:40actually divides two countries, but you don't think that at all.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44No, it brings people across, and they'll get together,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and it's a great feeling, when the harbour's full of yachts
0:27:47 > 0:27:50and a good weekend, it's brilliant, the craic's good,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53you'd think you were actually back in Northern Ireland.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I suppose there's a Celtic connection between the two
0:27:55 > 0:27:59countries, looking after each other, and enjoying themselves.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02They're known to enjoy themselves with a drink every now and again,
0:28:02 > 0:28:03and it doesn't make them bad people.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05There's a strong bond.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Very strong, and hopefully
0:28:06 > 0:28:09it will continue for another three or 400 years.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The more you talk to people, the more you realise that
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Northern Ireland, Scotland, this side, that side - it doesn't really
0:28:16 > 0:28:21matter, the sea creates a natural border, but for the people who live
0:28:21 > 0:28:24with it, it also washes it away,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27and that is strangely liberating.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd