0:00:30 > 0:00:34Madness. What else would you do at ten o'clock on a Sunday morning?
0:00:34 > 0:00:42'Hello, and a very warm welcome to 'Hello, and a very warm welcome to
0:00:42 > 0:00:47the Adventure Show.' This month, we're near Oban for the Craggy
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Island Triathlon. It takes place on the island of Kerrera, over there.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54I'll be getting a ferry, not so our competitors, who'll have to swim
0:00:54 > 0:01:01the first part of this gruelling race and I can tell you, the water
0:01:02 > 0:01:04is pretty cold. 'Terrified.' 'Really?' Yes. What's worrying you?
0:01:04 > 0:01:08It's my first proper triathlon, it's different, it's off-road, it's
0:01:08 > 0:01:11the third time I've been in open water. So yeah, you can see why I'm
0:01:11 > 0:01:13terrified. But that swim is just the start. From there, it gets
0:01:13 > 0:01:16tougher as the racers complete a challenging mountain bike circuit
0:01:16 > 0:01:21of the southern half of the island before tackling a wild and boggy
0:01:21 > 0:01:24run through the centre of it. The three parts of this race are taxing
0:01:24 > 0:01:26in themselves, but there's a sting in the tail of all triathlons and
0:01:26 > 0:01:36that's how quick a turnaround competitors can make between each
0:01:36 > 0:01:37
0:01:37 > 0:01:41discipline. The really crucial part of the race where you can make up
0:01:42 > 0:01:44time or really lose time is in the transition zone. Here, the first
0:01:44 > 0:01:47transition is from swimming to mountain biking, there strip off
0:01:47 > 0:01:50the wetsuit, get into your biking shoes, get the bike ready and get
0:01:51 > 0:01:53out as fast as possible. Then they've got a 15 kilometre ride and
0:01:54 > 0:01:58come back into transition where you're going to get off the bike
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and into your running gear. Preparation is key to success here,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04with the added complication that everyone must bring their kit over
0:02:04 > 0:02:09to the island before heading back to the mainland for the start of
0:02:09 > 0:02:14the race. So if you've left anything on the wrong side of the
0:02:14 > 0:02:21water you'll have to manage without. I've left my running shoes in the
0:02:21 > 0:02:25car, so that's the first thing I'm trying to sort out. Hello. You do
0:02:25 > 0:02:29know that the wet suits are compulsory in this race? No, I've
0:02:29 > 0:02:32decided I don't need it any more. Good, that's very tough.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35definitely didn't put it on backwards. And the good thing is
0:02:36 > 0:02:38that no-one noticed, it's not going to be on the telly(!) It's the very
0:02:38 > 0:02:41first time a triathlon's been held on this tiny island.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44This is technically a sprint race, it may be a shorter course, but
0:02:44 > 0:02:47there are many challenges in store for the competitors. I'm unaware of
0:02:47 > 0:02:53another race in the world that swims from the mainland to an
0:02:53 > 0:02:57island. It doesn't happen anywhere else and that's caught people's
0:02:57 > 0:03:00imaginations. Fabulous. Any chance of a pull? I'm hearing from a few
0:03:00 > 0:03:03people, that the bike circuit is pretty technical. It's got its
0:03:03 > 0:03:06moments. There's a couple of little descents on the far side of the
0:03:06 > 0:03:09island that are steep, scrabilly, rocky and loose, and the unwary may
0:03:09 > 0:03:13well come a cropper there. And there's also a section that takes
0:03:13 > 0:03:15you down round the Gylen Castle itself. It's a wee bit kind of
0:03:16 > 0:03:19rollercoasterly. Nice, grassy and smooth, but it's up and down,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24twisty, turny, and yes, there's some technical stuff in there.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27the run itself, it's a 4K run, but... Yes, it's got a slight twist
0:03:27 > 0:03:31though. You start at sea-level, go to the highest point and you come
0:03:31 > 0:03:33all the way back down again and finish at Gylen Castle. And there
0:03:33 > 0:03:38aren't really any tracks, it's proper rough, open, tussocky,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41heathery, brackeny hillside. It's going to be great.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Also in this month's Adventure Show, we'll be discovering more about the
0:03:45 > 0:03:49island of Kerrera and its history. We'll find out why one woman
0:03:49 > 0:03:55believes the best way to travel is by open canoe, and we'll be joining
0:03:55 > 0:04:02Cameron McNeish as he heads into the Scottish hills. It's on the
0:04:02 > 0:04:06mountain tops that we are in wild Scotland. It's on the mountain tops
0:04:06 > 0:04:09that we see so much of the wildlife that we talk about. Even today we
0:04:09 > 0:04:11have been watching the antics of a couple of ravens who are really
0:04:11 > 0:04:15playing in this very, very strong gusty wind.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18But first, to the Kerrera Triathlon. It's just after nine o'clock in the
0:04:18 > 0:04:21morning, I'm at the start and there really is a sense of nervous
0:04:21 > 0:04:26excitement. There are slippery rocks, there is mud, there are
0:04:26 > 0:04:29puddles. Right? 'Over 200 people entered this brand new race.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32'Conditions today are wonderful. 'There are no waves out there,' the
0:04:32 > 0:04:42swim shouldn't be too bad, but the race for every competitor will be
0:04:42 > 0:04:45
0:04:45 > 0:04:48extremely tough. I'm just trying to keep calm. Thinking about the swim
0:04:48 > 0:04:51stroke and not trying to take in too much of the sea water, which
0:04:51 > 0:04:54will be the key for today. It's freezing water, it hits your face,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58you can't breathe properly and then you're off and you're trying to
0:04:58 > 0:05:01swim fast and you can't breathe, which makes it hard work. I've been
0:05:01 > 0:05:05in a reservoir once and that's it. Really? Yeah. And it was cold and
0:05:05 > 0:05:08it was not the best experience in the world, but yeah, I'll give it a
0:05:08 > 0:05:11go. You know what? I'm looking forward to it, because usually when
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I sight open water I seem to zigzag across, so I'm hoping that because
0:05:14 > 0:05:17it's a straight line it should be easier, but I'm also wondering
0:05:17 > 0:05:20about the currents. When you're standing at the start of the race,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24what are you thinking about? thinking, "This is ridiculous."
0:05:24 > 0:05:27It's Sunday morning and I'm in the water. But then I manage to flip my
0:05:27 > 0:05:30psychology and I think, "It's fine, this is amazing," and usually I
0:05:30 > 0:05:34look up and I look around and I'm like "I love off-road, this is why
0:05:34 > 0:05:39I do it". Here we go. The start of the Kerrera Triathlon 2011, 550
0:05:39 > 0:05:44metre swim. On the ferry slip at Gallanach, across the sound of
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Kerrera onto the island itself. Beautiful conditions today. There
0:05:48 > 0:05:51were concerns that the Sound of Kerrera could get pretty choppy.
0:05:51 > 0:05:58But the sun is out, slight breeze, perfect conditions for this first
0:05:59 > 0:06:01ever Kerrera Triathlon. After the swim, they head to 15 kilometres
0:06:02 > 0:06:07off-road on mountain bikes, on Land Rover and quad tracks and paths,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10pretty technical section it is as well. And then they finish off with
0:06:10 > 0:06:13a four kilometre off-road run up the hill on Kerrera, right up to
0:06:14 > 0:06:23the trig point, over 600 feet of climbing and then down towards the
0:06:23 > 0:06:27castle and the end of the race. But that's a long, long way away. At
0:06:27 > 0:06:30the moment, it's all about the swim. The start is always an absolute
0:06:30 > 0:06:34melee, you've got people with arms around your neck, you know, and the
0:06:34 > 0:06:37water's going in your mouth. It's really hard fighting for your own
0:06:37 > 0:06:40little bit of space and after that, it's about getting into a rhythm
0:06:40 > 0:06:45and having a little peek up every now and then to make sure you're
0:06:45 > 0:06:50not going off course. I've only swam in lakes before and it's nice
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and still usually. This will be totally different, salt water as
0:06:54 > 0:06:56well, and I'm just not really sure what to expect. It's going to be a
0:06:56 > 0:06:59challenge, yeah. The swim in particular is one of those things
0:06:59 > 0:07:02that people find hard. It's probably the barrier to entry to
0:07:02 > 0:07:06triathlon, and here that's no exception. There's a certain amount
0:07:06 > 0:07:12of trepidation of going across the sea. Yes, it's lumpy and bumpy out
0:07:12 > 0:07:14there, for sure. Organisers had to make sure, as this is a fairly busy
0:07:14 > 0:07:17channel, that the ferry wasn't running this morning, that they
0:07:17 > 0:07:23were on slack waters so that there's no tide running through the
0:07:23 > 0:07:26channel at this point. Already the field really spread out, and just
0:07:26 > 0:07:29as I speak, the wind's started to blow down the channel here, in the
0:07:29 > 0:07:38Sound of Kerrera and that will start to push some of the
0:07:38 > 0:07:42competitors away down towards Oban, but a few already are going nowhere.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Yes, I'm a really poor swimmer but you tend to find in off-road
0:07:45 > 0:07:48triathlons that it's not people that are good swimmers that do it,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52it's people that are mountain bikers or hill runners and they get
0:07:52 > 0:07:56the swim out the way. Actually getting on to the island, the first
0:07:56 > 0:07:59550 metres I think will be the hardest one, the rest of the
0:07:59 > 0:08:02kilometres will take care of themselves. I have had to learn to
0:08:02 > 0:08:06swim for this, virtually. I mean, I can swim breaststroke till...you
0:08:06 > 0:08:09know, forever, but I've had to learn front crawl for this. Even
0:08:09 > 0:08:12though it's slack water, there's still a slight current running so
0:08:12 > 0:08:20you'll see the swimmers heading up into the left and then drifting
0:08:20 > 0:08:23back down onto the slipway. Some of these competitors are really
0:08:23 > 0:08:27serious, some of the top-end guys and girls, and some of them are
0:08:27 > 0:08:30here for their first ever triathlon, just testing it out to see how they
0:08:30 > 0:08:35get on. But for every single person here it's a serious, serious
0:08:35 > 0:08:38challenge. This swim is a tough one. So for the faster racers, way, way
0:08:38 > 0:08:47out in front, very, very strong indeed, probably about 30 yards
0:08:47 > 0:08:50ahead of the rest of the pack. Towards the end, you start to try
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and get some blood into your legs, because when you get out of the
0:08:53 > 0:08:57water, you're a bit wobbly and things. If you can start kicking
0:08:57 > 0:09:00for the last few minutes, then it helps to kind of stabilise you when
0:09:00 > 0:09:04you get out. At the moment in transition, everything is peaceful
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and quiet. The swimmers are in the water just now and it's only when
0:09:07 > 0:09:10their feet will hit the concrete of the jetty will they start thinking
0:09:10 > 0:09:13about how they're going to make their transition, where their bike
0:09:13 > 0:09:16is, how quickly they're going to do it and then it's straight out onto
0:09:16 > 0:09:19the hill. It's over eight minutes into the
0:09:19 > 0:09:23race and the fastest competitors are already close to Kerrera.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28That's an astonishing achievement. Out in the lead is former Scottish
0:09:28 > 0:09:31national and international swimmer, Steven McKeown from Glenrothes.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36He's completed this part of the race in just nine minutes 48
0:09:36 > 0:09:39seconds, well ahead of his nearest rival. But there's a group of five
0:09:39 > 0:09:47chasing him and currently in second place is one of Britain's top
0:09:48 > 0:09:53female triathletes, Kerry McPhee. Well, that was a pretty impressive
0:09:53 > 0:09:55swim. Did that go to plan? Yes. I usually struggle with the swim so I
0:09:55 > 0:09:59was really pleased with that, really pleased. Are you warm? Just
0:09:59 > 0:10:04try to get the muscles working. fingers are a bit cold but it won't
0:10:04 > 0:10:07take long to warm up hopefully. Good luck. Thank you.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'A slick transition for Kerry McPhee as she heads onto her bike.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15'She's now neck and neck with the first person out of the water,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'Steven McKeown. 'Kerry's currently ranked second in the UK 'so she's
0:10:18 > 0:10:26an expert in this crucial discipline in triathlon - 'the
0:10:26 > 0:10:29transition. 'It's a real art 'and vital seconds can be won or lost
0:10:29 > 0:10:31here.' The cold in the water, you've got to get out of your
0:10:31 > 0:10:35wetsuit, it's quite awkward, and then immediately you've got to
0:10:35 > 0:10:38change the way your legs work, that's a very difficult thing to do.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It is quite difficult to get going sometimes. The bike course starts
0:10:42 > 0:10:47with quite a big climb actually. I have this underneath my wetsuit so
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I'll be quite cold coming out of the swim. But it's not a problem on
0:10:50 > 0:10:53this bike course, because I'm hoping to be quite warm after five
0:10:53 > 0:10:56minutes. Your legs have just come off a swim, they may be cramped,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00you've tried to get out of a wetsuit, you need to make sure you
0:11:00 > 0:11:03don't crank up a hard gear and make it look as if you're tough, because
0:11:03 > 0:11:06you're not hardcore, you'll just collapse, you'll probably rack your
0:11:06 > 0:11:10gears as well. You don't have very good balance once you come out of
0:11:10 > 0:11:13the water, so if you've got nothing to hold onto when you're trying to
0:11:13 > 0:11:16pull the wetsuit off, you can sort of topple over, which doesn't look
0:11:16 > 0:11:20very professional. Just having your kit laid out really well organised,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23so you get your helmet on, your shoes on and everything, and out of
0:11:23 > 0:11:26transition as quickly as possible. I passed so many people in
0:11:26 > 0:11:29transition trying to put socks on wet feet, and you just don't bother,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I don't think it's worth it. Back on the jetty, most of the
0:11:32 > 0:11:35competitors have taken less than 12 minutes for the swim which is
0:11:35 > 0:11:38pretty impressive. They're now starting up the first hill of the
0:11:38 > 0:11:41off-road bike section. But for quite a few swimmers there's still
0:11:41 > 0:11:45a long, long way to go. We're taking a short break from the
0:11:45 > 0:11:55action here on Kerrera. Right now, we're leaving the water to join
0:11:55 > 0:12:00
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Cameron McNeish on terra firma as I've just left the shores of Loch
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Earn in Stirlingshire and I'm climbing up through the historic
0:12:05 > 0:12:15lands of the Stewarts of Ardvorlich towards two very popular Munros,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I always think that Glen Vorlich is a magical kind of place especially
0:12:23 > 0:12:27on a lovely autumn morning like this one, and the house that I
0:12:27 > 0:12:30passed at the foot of the Glen, Ardvorlich House, has a couple of
0:12:30 > 0:12:34stones in it, or a least used to, I don't know whether they're still
0:12:34 > 0:12:38there, and they had magical qualities. One of them, the Clach
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Dearg, you used to be able to dip it in a bucket of water, twiddle it
0:12:41 > 0:12:47around three times, sun-wise, and the water took on healing qualities
0:12:47 > 0:12:52in the diseases and infections in cattle. The other stone that's in
0:12:52 > 0:12:54the house, the Glenbuckie stone, was similar. If the woman of the
0:12:54 > 0:13:00house twiddled the glenbuckie stone around three times sunwise then
0:13:00 > 0:13:03anybody who drunk that water would have their wishes fulfilled. Nice
0:13:03 > 0:13:07stories, whether they're true or not I have no idea, but certainly
0:13:07 > 0:13:10my wish today is that this weather stays the same all day long. The
0:13:10 > 0:13:20forecast is for rain and strong winds but I'm kind of wishing that
0:13:20 > 0:13:22
0:13:22 > 0:13:25the sun just stays like it is at The estate here is very keen for
0:13:25 > 0:13:28walkers to stick to the footpaths to avoid damaging the remnants of
0:13:28 > 0:13:31heather here in Glen Vorlich, and at this time of the year, when the
0:13:31 > 0:13:40heather becomes this beautiful purple, you can understand why this
0:13:40 > 0:13:43lovely plant has become synonymous with the Scottish Highlands. But
0:13:43 > 0:13:46there's another wee plant that you might find in between the heather,
0:13:46 > 0:13:56this little yellow plant called tormentil, and it's said, in days
0:13:56 > 0:13:59gone by, this was a cure for nervous diarrhoea. Now, it wouldn't
0:13:59 > 0:14:02be any great problem going up Ben Vorlich, but anybody who doesn't
0:14:02 > 0:14:12like steep ground might want to take a few mouthfuls of this before
0:14:12 > 0:14:25
0:14:25 > 0:14:32That's the summit ridge just ahead In many ways this is my favourite
0:14:32 > 0:14:35time of the year, it's certainly a toss-up between autumn and spring.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39In spring-time I know I've got the whole of the summer to look forward
0:14:39 > 0:14:42to. In autumn I know I've got the winter to look forward to. But we
0:14:42 > 0:14:45generally get better periods of good weather in autumn and there's
0:14:45 > 0:14:48something kind of special about the hills when they take on this sort
0:14:49 > 0:14:53of brown ochre-coloured hue that you don't get at other times of the
0:14:53 > 0:14:56year, plus this anticipation that winter is just around the corner.
0:14:56 > 0:15:06It's almost time to start looking out the cold gear, looking out the
0:15:06 > 0:15:07
0:15:07 > 0:15:12ice axes and crampons for what we I think we're picking up the tail
0:15:12 > 0:15:22end of the hurricane that's swept the east coast of America. It
0:15:22 > 0:15:23
0:15:23 > 0:15:26certainly feels hurricane force Over in the Alps, there's a couple
0:15:26 > 0:15:29of mountains called Pollux and Castor, they're the celestial twins
0:15:29 > 0:15:34of the Bernese Oberland and here in Scotland, there are quite a number
0:15:34 > 0:15:37of Munros that we kind of twin together. We think of the likes of
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Ben More and Stob Binnein, or these two that we're on here today, Ben
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin. But these two couldn't be more
0:15:44 > 0:15:47different, Ben Vorlich has a nice footpath running away up to the
0:15:47 > 0:15:50summit and on Stuc a'Chroin there's no real paths to speak off, it's
0:15:50 > 0:16:00rugged, it's steep, it involves a bit of scrambling, so it's
0:16:00 > 0:16:02
0:16:02 > 0:16:08Wow! Ben Vorlich, it means "The hill of the sea bay" and I assume
0:16:08 > 0:16:12that's all the bays down in Loch Earn. And it's not to be confused
0:16:12 > 0:16:18with the other Ben Vorlich in the Arrochar alps. It's about a good
0:16:18 > 0:16:21eagle's flight over in that direction to the west. Well, that's
0:16:21 > 0:16:31the easy one done. The real difficulty in this wind will be
0:16:31 > 0:16:31
0:16:32 > 0:16:34scrambling up Stuc a'Chroin across One of the real beauties of hill
0:16:35 > 0:16:37walking in Scotland, when you're on the top there's always this great
0:16:38 > 0:16:41sense of wildness and I think that's maybe what attracts a great
0:16:41 > 0:16:44number of us to the hills, because once you're above the sort of
0:16:44 > 0:16:52forestry line then you are in a land that's not dictated to by
0:16:52 > 0:16:55agriculture. There's not paths and tracks all over the place, you kind
0:16:55 > 0:16:59of really are in the wildness of Scotland, particularly when you go
0:16:59 > 0:17:07above 2,000 feet. It's on the mountain tops that we are in wild
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Scotland. I think another reason why I enjoy this particular part of
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Scotland is it's the land of my ancestors. The McNeishes were a set
0:17:16 > 0:17:18of the clan MacGregor and this is all clan MacGregor territory. Rob
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Roy MacGregor himself was buried not very far from here at
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Balquhidder in the churchyard there, and my own clan McNeish lived just
0:17:25 > 0:17:28at the far end of Loch Earn and it's said that they had a pretty
0:17:28 > 0:17:30fierce battle with the traditional enemies, the MacNabs, and the
0:17:30 > 0:17:40McNeishes were pretty well annihilated and the story goes that
0:17:40 > 0:17:44only one boy survived that fight. So there's a few McNeishes left
0:17:44 > 0:17:47today, not many of us, but there's a few and we probably all come from
0:17:47 > 0:17:57that one lad who survived that fight on Neishes' Isle at the far
0:17:57 > 0:18:00
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Well, that wasn't too bad, was it? When you look across here from Ben
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Vorlich at this black face of Stuc a'Chroin it looks almost impossible
0:18:07 > 0:18:11but when you get close to it, when you get beneath that face, it kind
0:18:11 > 0:18:17of rears back and all you have to do is follow the zigzag path up
0:18:17 > 0:18:27through the crags and as scrambling routes go it's fairly benign. But
0:18:27 > 0:18:29
0:18:29 > 0:18:32we're not at the summit yet, it's 200 or 300 metres that way. It's a
0:18:32 > 0:18:35disappointingly flat summit for such a nice wee scrambly route, but
0:18:35 > 0:18:39here we are, Stuc a'Chroin and I guess I've been quite lucky to have
0:18:39 > 0:18:42had two of my three wishes granted. The wind has decreased quite a bit
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and I didn't need the tormentil on the scrambly bit. But granted,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48wishes are not important on a day like this because beyond the casts
0:18:48 > 0:18:52of Stirling I've got the whole of the lowlands in front of me, and
0:18:52 > 0:18:56around the side of it the whole of the Trossachs are reared before me,
0:18:56 > 0:19:06and then to the north, all the hills of Breadalbane. I'll tell you,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08
0:19:09 > 0:19:12it doesn't get much better than Welcome back to Kerrera. Before we
0:19:12 > 0:19:15head to the Craggy Island Triathlon we're going to find out a bit more
0:19:15 > 0:19:18about this small island and its history and I'll be with Duncan
0:19:18 > 0:19:21MacEachen who was born and brought up on the island. And I'll be
0:19:21 > 0:19:30catching up with Duncan's partner, Susan, who runs the local tea shop
0:19:30 > 0:19:33here. I'm getting a reputation for someone that eats a lot of cake.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39And I'm visiting the spectacular and rather tragic Gylen Castle, a
0:19:39 > 0:19:4216th century monument to bad strategic planning. The island is
0:19:42 > 0:19:46around five square miles in size and is home to around 40 people.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Now, it's just a short hop and skip from the mainland but unless you
0:19:49 > 0:19:53want to plunge into the water like our hardy triathletes, you have to
0:19:53 > 0:19:55get here by boat. It's a vital lifeline service in the full
0:19:55 > 0:19:58context of the phrase. Royal Mail, Hydro Electric, British Telecom,
0:19:58 > 0:20:07farmers' hay, fuel, coal, sheep, everything goes across in the Gylen
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Lady and it runs seven days a week all year long. Christmas day and
0:20:12 > 0:20:16New Year's day? The two days that I do get off are Christmas Day and
0:20:16 > 0:20:19New Years Day. But I have been known to do odd trips on those days
0:20:19 > 0:20:22as well. It's a commercial ferry and there's been a lot of talk
0:20:22 > 0:20:24about subsidies and there's a big national review to introduce road
0:20:24 > 0:20:29equivalent tariff and we're watching with interest to see how
0:20:29 > 0:20:32that will impact on Kerrera. about getting around the island, is
0:20:32 > 0:20:35it easy or is it challenging as well? It's very challenging and the
0:20:35 > 0:20:38roads on the island are very basic, they're just farm tracks and
0:20:38 > 0:20:41they're very narrow, they overgrow with vegetation in the summer time,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44there's no road linking the north and the south, so you actually have
0:20:44 > 0:20:54two communities within the island of Kerrera, the north end and the
0:20:54 > 0:20:58south end, and it makes for very interesting practicalities.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Tell me a wee bit about your history with the island. Born and
0:21:02 > 0:21:05brought up on the island and I went to the local primary school when it
0:21:05 > 0:21:08was still open. You have total freedom to roam around and you're
0:21:08 > 0:21:11not worried about buses or lorries or traffic or any of the other
0:21:11 > 0:21:14modern trappings, you're just left to roam naturally and freely and
0:21:14 > 0:21:23roam in and out of people's houses and get fed wherever you turn up
0:21:23 > 0:21:25and you feel very relaxed and laid back, as it should be. Today, there
0:21:25 > 0:21:29are several young families on Kerrera, including Jill, her
0:21:29 > 0:21:37husband Tom and their son, Oliver. Like Duncan, Jill was born and
0:21:37 > 0:21:40brought up on the island. I went to primary school on the island. There
0:21:40 > 0:21:44were seven of us, seven kids in my primary school. It was the church
0:21:44 > 0:21:47building down the road. We had one big classroom, all of us at
0:21:47 > 0:21:51different tables in there according to what year we were in. One
0:21:51 > 0:21:54teacher. It was magic! But there's not enough kids on the island at
0:21:54 > 0:21:58the moment. There's four of them of preschool age, not enough to set up
0:21:58 > 0:22:02a school. So you've been investigating home-schooling.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06What's happening with that? I can home school him myself, which I'm a
0:22:06 > 0:22:10little bit reluctant to do because I don't want him to be home-
0:22:10 > 0:22:13schooled on his own. But if we set up a school that has Olli and James
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and Alexander, the twins at the top, then I think we run into problems
0:22:16 > 0:22:20with insurance. And what would be the alternative if that doesn't
0:22:20 > 0:22:24work? The way it's worked at the north end, their parents would put
0:22:24 > 0:22:27them in a boat to take them across, a taxi would pick them up from the
0:22:27 > 0:22:30other side and take them into school, and then if the weather
0:22:30 > 0:22:33looked like it was coming in then the parents, Karen and David would
0:22:33 > 0:22:37phone up the taxi company and the school and say "could you go and
0:22:37 > 0:22:40collect the kids and put them on the boat to come back"? Because I
0:22:40 > 0:22:44think originally they were told, you know, "well, if the child can't
0:22:44 > 0:22:47get back then it's all right, we can put them up in a hostel" and
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Karen was going "they'll be five" you know "that's not right". Well,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54it will certainly be an interesting school life really, it's not a walk
0:22:54 > 0:22:57down the corner to go to school. have a kind of romantic idea of him
0:22:57 > 0:23:01paddling in, him and paddling in together to school, kind of getting
0:23:01 > 0:23:06a couple of kayaks and off we go. Today Kerrera is a vibrant place
0:23:06 > 0:23:09both to visit and live, but the island has had a turbulent past.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The castle was built here by the chief of the clan McDougall in 1587,
0:23:12 > 0:23:18basically to control access from Mull to the mainland, to control
0:23:18 > 0:23:23the cattle trading and some of the ports. But sixty-five years later
0:23:23 > 0:23:26something dramatic and tragic happened. So the McDougall's
0:23:26 > 0:23:30obviously thought this was a very strong and strategic and safe place
0:23:30 > 0:23:32to hide up, and this fantastic oriel window above me has two huge
0:23:32 > 0:23:35holes in it where the defenders would literally drop rocks and
0:23:35 > 0:23:45obstacles and boiling water or oil or whatever they had, on people
0:23:45 > 0:23:46
0:23:46 > 0:23:49trying to get through the main door. However it didn't work out that way.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52In 1647 a covenant or a group of troops attacked and laid siege to
0:23:52 > 0:23:55the McDougall garrison in the castle, all seemed to go well and
0:23:56 > 0:24:03the McDougall's held out for quite some time, so the story goes, until
0:24:03 > 0:24:05they ran out of water. The well that was in the castle was not
0:24:05 > 0:24:11sufficient to sustain the troops and eventually they had to
0:24:11 > 0:24:14surrender, they were all massacred, bar one McDougall son. So the
0:24:14 > 0:24:17castle was then ransacked and the clan McDougall lost their most
0:24:17 > 0:24:23precious possession, the brooch of Lorn, which as legend has it was
0:24:23 > 0:24:28attached to Robert the Bruce's cloak. Since the sacking the castle
0:24:28 > 0:24:32has remained roofless and uninhabited. While Duncan's looking
0:24:32 > 0:24:38to the past I'm looking to the future. Today there's a much warmer
0:24:38 > 0:24:45welcome for visitors. I'm taking a break at Kerrera's only cafe. The
0:24:45 > 0:24:49tea garden here is now run by Susan Marshall, much to her own surprise.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I just came up for the summer to work here and then at the end of
0:24:52 > 0:24:58the season the people that were running it were leaving and so I
0:24:58 > 0:25:02took over, and that's been me ever since. Did you have any experience
0:25:02 > 0:25:06at all of running a tea room or a cafe? No. On the first day Joy said
0:25:06 > 0:25:11"do you want to rustle up a soup" and I said "ooh" and that was when
0:25:11 > 0:25:15it dawned on me that actually I had to do all the cooking and I had no
0:25:15 > 0:25:20idea of how to cook for large quantities. What about producing
0:25:20 > 0:25:23food on the island, is that possible? Well, we do try to grow
0:25:23 > 0:25:26some things in the vegetable garden but as the summer gets busier and
0:25:26 > 0:25:30busier that then becomes quite difficult keeping on top of all
0:25:30 > 0:25:35that. We do have salads and chives and potatoes and a few things that
0:25:35 > 0:25:38we grow, and make everything from scratch. I bake all the cakes and
0:25:38 > 0:25:44the scones and make my own breads by hand, no bread machines, just
0:25:44 > 0:25:51the traditional way. So they're getting not a lot of choice but
0:25:51 > 0:25:55very, hopefully good quality foods. What is it about Kerrera that's
0:25:55 > 0:25:57kept you here? It's just such a special place. It's a beautiful,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00beautiful island and it's quite unique because you're not a million
0:26:00 > 0:26:10miles away from the mainland but that wee ferry ride and you feel
0:26:10 > 0:26:22
0:26:22 > 0:26:24lovely and remote and all this Welcome back to the Craggy Island
0:26:24 > 0:26:33Triathlon, and after completing the first of three disciplines, already
0:26:33 > 0:26:39there are some pretty tired bodies out there. It's cold, very cold,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43but I'll be fine once I get myself. I need my glasses. I can't see
0:26:43 > 0:26:47without my glasses on. Out on the bike Kerry McPhee who finished
0:26:47 > 0:26:49second in the swim is now leading the race. She stole the lead from
0:26:49 > 0:26:59Steven McKeown during the transition and is now powering up
0:26:59 > 0:27:02the first hill. I'm really pushing the climb and then as soon as I get
0:27:02 > 0:27:06to the top of the climb I think "don't stop pushing, keep going". I
0:27:06 > 0:27:09find a lot of people maybe ease up on the climbs. I don't know if
0:27:09 > 0:27:12that's just me using my psychology to get ahead, and then people might
0:27:12 > 0:27:16ease off on the down hill because it feels like they're going fast.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20So that's the kind of thing I tell myself, I just say "go for it" I
0:27:20 > 0:27:23relax my elbows and just go for it and enjoy it. A wee way behind in
0:27:23 > 0:27:26second place is veteran racer Dai Gittins. Dai finished in the top
0:27:26 > 0:27:29ten in the World Championships earlier this year. The first place
0:27:29 > 0:27:32swimmer Steven McKeown has already fallen behind and both he and Dai
0:27:32 > 0:27:35are being chased hard by adventure racer and iron man athlete Sean
0:27:35 > 0:27:40McFarlane, whose tactics for the bike section are different from
0:27:40 > 0:27:43most other competitors. I picked a cycle-cross bike for the bike
0:27:43 > 0:27:46course and I think I've seen actually one other cycle-cross bike,
0:27:46 > 0:27:51and I biked the course yesterday and I'm not sure that's the right
0:27:51 > 0:27:54choice. The difference of course being that a cycle-cross bike has
0:27:54 > 0:27:57got smaller tyres. It's got thinner tyres. It's basically just a racer
0:27:57 > 0:28:00with drop handle bars but with slightly thicker tyres than a racer
0:28:00 > 0:28:04obviously. But I'm not sure it's the right bike. But we'll see,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06we'll see, we'll see. Well, they're back, the rest of the pack are
0:28:06 > 0:28:10heading up the first hill and they're still recovering from the
0:28:10 > 0:28:16swim. The swim was pretty cold. It's getting better now the swim
0:28:16 > 0:28:19done. Was it hard? I just don't know how to swim, that's that
0:28:19 > 0:28:28problem. Really hard, really cold. But yes, it was good. So I'm just
0:28:28 > 0:28:33hoping it get's better. How are you doing? Not well. Hard work so far.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Brutal. Feeling OK. Biking is my best bit. It's my first one so I've
0:28:37 > 0:28:41got no idea how I'm going to do. Taking a traditional triathlon and
0:28:41 > 0:28:47making it an off-road event is a recent idea. It's a pretty brutal
0:28:47 > 0:28:53way to spend your weekend. So, what's the attraction? Because I
0:28:53 > 0:28:59get really muddy and it's really fun. It's a good all over, all
0:28:59 > 0:29:03rounder fitness. You don't have to be fantastic at anything. And you
0:29:04 > 0:29:06particularly like off-road ones I've noticed. Yes. Why's that?
0:29:06 > 0:29:11more interesting, otherwise you just get tarmac boredom. There's
0:29:11 > 0:29:14not much tarmac out here is there? If you find any can you tell me?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17love the fact that it's you know, a bit diverse. I love the fact that
0:29:17 > 0:29:20the people who take part in triathlon, particularly the off-
0:29:20 > 0:29:23road variety of triathlon, are a wee bit kind of hardy and they
0:29:23 > 0:29:27don't require their handholding. They just get on with it.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29they're as hard as nails. Most of them are in fact as hard as nails
0:29:29 > 0:29:34and slightly nutty. I think it's just the challenge. It's all
0:29:34 > 0:29:37different aspects, you're cycling, you're running, you're swimming. So
0:29:37 > 0:29:41the training's never boring and it's, I mean it's in great settings
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and you can't ask for much more on a day like this. Because the
0:29:43 > 0:29:45terrain's different, different people are better at hills,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48different people are better at rough ground, and actually that's
0:29:48 > 0:29:51quite enjoyable because you see different people in the event that
0:29:51 > 0:29:54you wouldn't normally see who would disappear off on like a road
0:29:54 > 0:29:57triathlon because they're much better roadrunners. But maybe once
0:29:57 > 0:30:00the terrain's a bit rougher they come back towards you. Is it
0:30:00 > 0:30:09important then to not panic if people are getting away in front of
0:30:09 > 0:30:11you because you know that your Well, you just enjoy it and you
0:30:11 > 0:30:14know that if you go out far too hard on the
0:30:14 > 0:30:17bike that you're going to really,$$NEWLINE really struggle on
0:30:17 > 0:30:19the run and not enjoy the run. Because I'm a slightly weaker
0:30:19 > 0:30:23swimmer, usually when I get out there's like hundreds of cyclists
0:30:23 > 0:30:25ahead of me and so it's really good fun then, you can just pick them
0:30:25 > 0:30:28off, just hammer a line along the right
0:30:28 > 0:30:30hand side or something and just pick off as many cyclists as
0:30:30 > 0:30:32possible. It's actually my target, I see
0:30:32 > 0:30:36somebody up ahead and then try and catch them up.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Some of it gets technical. Some of it is steep and some of the steep
0:30:39 > 0:30:42hills have very loose gravel and chucking stones and so on which
0:30:42 > 0:30:45easily could throw you off the bike. So it's not going to be
0:30:45 > 0:30:48straightforward, it is a mountain bike and it's accurately described
0:30:48 > 0:30:51as a mountain bike. Out on the course and many of the
0:30:51 > 0:30:53athletes are right at their limit. This is one of the hardest bits and
0:30:53 > 0:30:58John Anderson has had a serious tumble.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Are you all right mate? Medic! In events like this everyone must
0:31:01 > 0:31:06be prepared to help out and our camera man is no exception.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Are you all right mate? Can you get a medic down there?
0:31:08 > 0:31:17First indications suggest that John has suffered nothing worse than bad
0:31:17 > 0:31:19bruising. Just sit down. It's OK. Slow down.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22But he's taken to Oban hospital for a thorough check-up.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25He'll certainly remember his first Craggy Island Triathlon.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30Meanwhile the other racers continue onto the castle at the southern tip
0:31:30 > 0:31:37of the island. If I could see and breathe it would
0:31:37 > 0:31:39help. Iron man is definitely easier. I think I need to do a bit of
0:31:39 > 0:31:42practicing on off-road. It's really, really quite difficult
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and a bit scary at times, I have to say.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49I've got to get back on this otherwise everyone's going to be
0:31:49 > 0:31:53gone home by the time I get, there'll be no tea and cakes left.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Meanwhile at the head of the race the lead has changed.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Alex Johnson from Oban is now out in front in spite of a poor start
0:31:59 > 0:32:02to the race. Horrific swim.
0:32:02 > 0:32:03That's my first open-water swim ever and it was just really quite
0:32:03 > 0:32:08brutal. I ended up doing breaststroke for
0:32:08 > 0:32:11the majority of it so I think I got out of the water in about 100th or
0:32:11 > 0:32:15something. Really? So I had quite a lot to do
0:32:15 > 0:32:18on the bike. I got through transition with a
0:32:18 > 0:32:22couple of team mates, so we just absolutely went for it on the bike.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Alex's team mate, Chris Bell, is right behind him.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30This is only Chris's second triathlon but he is really strong
0:32:30 > 0:32:33on the bike. I spent the last two summers as a mountain bike guide in
0:32:33 > 0:32:37the French Alps, but I'm not used to short courses like this. In the
0:32:37 > 0:32:40instruction manual for the race they said just go off as fast as
0:32:40 > 0:32:43you possibly can on the bike and wait untill you taste blood. So I
0:32:43 > 0:32:46think that's the fun. So back to the leading pack, Kerry
0:32:46 > 0:32:49McPhee has dropped down a few places but she's still way ahead of
0:32:49 > 0:32:55her nearest female rival and putting most of the men to shame.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It's tough but it's good tough. you know if you're going up a climb
0:32:58 > 0:33:02that there's going to have to be a and it really keeps you going and
0:33:02 > 0:33:06it pushes you and makes you dig in and that's the part that I love
0:33:06 > 0:33:08about it and I love that it's in the countryside and it's wide open
0:33:08 > 0:33:11and lots of unknown elements, especially when you're doing a race
0:33:11 > 0:33:14organised by Paul McGreal. How did you get into this in the
0:33:14 > 0:33:18first place? I only started doing triathlon about maybe a couple of
0:33:18 > 0:33:21years ago and my first off-road was roughly about this time last year,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24it was the Durty Triathlon and it went quite well and since then I've
0:33:24 > 0:33:27kind of progressed. It's just brilliant. I just love it, and
0:33:27 > 0:33:31we're in the perfect location. I mean Scotland and off-road are
0:33:31 > 0:33:34the perfect marriage, aren't they? Especially on a morning like today.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36For the men, Sean McFarlane is now sitting in fifth place. Right
0:33:36 > 0:33:42behind him is Mick Nally from Dunfermline, and then it's local
0:33:42 > 0:33:48man Steven McKinnis. This is only Steven's third triathlon and like
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Sean McFarlane he's opted for a cycle-cross bike. I'm kind of new
0:33:51 > 0:33:56to this sport really. I mean I'm a hell runner mountain biker, but
0:33:56 > 0:33:59swimming, I'm not a swimmer. I think I was out of the water
0:33:59 > 0:34:04probably about 80th position or something, which is pretty terrible.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07But I managed to get back in on the bike so I was pleased with that.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10The competitors are now scattered throughout the course and the
0:34:10 > 0:34:13leaders are approaching the next transition, a leap out of the
0:34:13 > 0:34:18saddle to swap bikes for running shoes. But there's a surprise for
0:34:18 > 0:34:21the organisers with the leaders being faster than expected. Alex
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Johnson and Chris Bell are the first in. We're much, much quicker
0:34:25 > 0:34:27than expected. We have the first two cyclists in, both of them from
0:34:27 > 0:34:35Nevis Cycles in Fort William.$$NEWLINE So a quick
0:34:35 > 0:34:42transition into the running. That was a pretty good cycle? Yes, it
0:34:42 > 0:34:45was all good. The lycra felt good too. Right, he's just in. Good luck.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Nearly a minute behind the winning pair is John Woodrow. He came in
0:34:48 > 0:34:52third in the Durty Triathlon earlier this year, so is someone to
0:34:52 > 0:34:58look out for. Hard on his heels is Steven McKinnis and there's only
0:34:59 > 0:35:02about 20 seconds between these two. Right. Do you think the choice of
0:35:02 > 0:35:05cycle-cross bike was the wise thing today? Yes, perfect, perfect. It
0:35:05 > 0:35:10was a bit of a dodgy decision before then but it turned out to be
0:35:10 > 0:35:13perfect. Transition is both pressured and confusing. While
0:35:13 > 0:35:19Steven nearly heads off the wrong way, Sean McFarlane has made a
0:35:19 > 0:35:22super quick change and is powering out ahead of him. The legs are a
0:35:22 > 0:35:26little bit sore but you tend to find after about 500 metres that
0:35:26 > 0:35:29your legs calm down. Initially when you get off of the bike your legs
0:35:29 > 0:35:32are saying "no more" but then through experience you know that
0:35:32 > 0:35:36that pain will go away hopefully, and it usually does so we'll see.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39But I'm looking behind you and seeing the hill that we go up and
0:35:39 > 0:35:43so I'm not too sure today. Still having an incredible race, Kerry
0:35:43 > 0:35:50McPhee enters transition in 6th place overall. So, an impressive
0:35:50 > 0:35:59cycle, all good? Yes, so far so good. Fingers crossed. It won't be
0:35:59 > 0:36:02too much of the run. Legs working? Hopefully. Good luck. Thank you.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Usually towards the end of the bike I'll maybe get into a bit of a
0:36:06 > 0:36:09lower gear and get my legs spinning a little bit quicker, just to get
0:36:09 > 0:36:13the blood flowing through my legs and get that kind of running motion,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17and then as soon as I jump off the bike it's just go for it, just push
0:36:17 > 0:36:20hard. I mean you've got a hill your legs are going to hurt anyway
0:36:20 > 0:36:24aren't they? So just do it, just go for it. We'll be rejoining the
0:36:24 > 0:36:27action here on Kerrera shortly. Now we're back to the mainland to join
0:36:27 > 0:36:35an expert paddler who says there's no better way to travel through the
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Scottish landscape. Paddling allows you to be part of
0:36:37 > 0:36:40the landscape I think more than working through it or biking
0:36:40 > 0:36:43through it, because you're taking your time more often, you're often
0:36:43 > 0:36:49getting the chance just to explore around little corners that you
0:36:49 > 0:36:51wouldn't necessarily get to by walking. An instructor at her
0:36:51 > 0:37:01national outdoor centre, Glemore Lodge, Nancy Chambers is passionate
0:37:01 > 0:37:03about canoeing and the journeys it leads her on.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08Her expeditions have taken her to Norway, Canada and across the
0:37:08 > 0:37:15length and breadth of Scotland. Today with water levels looking
0:37:15 > 0:37:19good she's heading out on a trip down the River Spey. So I've got my
0:37:19 > 0:37:23paddles, I've got a throw bag and I've got my helmet. So what I'm
0:37:23 > 0:37:29putting on just now is some swim lines on the back of the boat, my
0:37:29 > 0:37:34rescue bag, my repair kit just in case and buoyancy aid. We'll have a
0:37:34 > 0:37:37few other bits and pieces as well. So right now we've just started on
0:37:37 > 0:37:40the River Spey and we're doing a little section from Ballindalloch
0:37:40 > 0:37:47down to Knockando, a beautiful section of the river, a nice grade
0:37:47 > 0:37:51one, grade two, and today the water level is a fantastic level. It
0:37:51 > 0:37:57should be big and bouncy but not too scary, so it should be great.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02I'm looking forward to it. For me the open water is definitely a
0:38:02 > 0:38:06journey, love it. I love being able to get away, go for a couple of
0:38:06 > 0:38:14days, even if it's just half a day, and just getting out in the boat
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and going from A to B, it's all about the journey. Steering the
0:38:18 > 0:38:22boat is nice and easy. As I'm coming along what I'm doing is I'll
0:38:22 > 0:38:29put my power in and then I'll twist my blade and then I can manoeuvre
0:38:29 > 0:38:32the boat around or back again with the single blade.
0:38:32 > 0:38:39If I'm moving really quickly I can just use the blade as a rudder here,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43and that's the general steering. I'm just going to cross the river a
0:38:43 > 0:38:48wee bit here, just so we get onto the best line for going down the
0:38:48 > 0:38:51rapid. I love being in the wilderness. I absolutely love it.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54There's no feeling like it. But being in the wilderness we're
0:38:54 > 0:38:58making every decision and every decision has to count, it brings a
0:38:58 > 0:39:02new edge to it and it's a fantastic feeling at the end of the day to
0:39:02 > 0:39:05get down a section of river or across a section of loch where
0:39:05 > 0:39:08you've made all these decisions and you've come out of it perfectly and
0:39:08 > 0:39:11you're sitting there around the camp fire at night having a cup of
0:39:11 > 0:39:14tea, spin the yarn, chatting about what you've got on today and what
0:39:14 > 0:39:24wildlife you've seen, where you've been and just having a good time
0:39:24 > 0:39:29
0:39:29 > 0:39:32with some of your mates as well. It's great. We've got the first
0:39:33 > 0:39:38little rapids just coming up and we're just going to go down the
0:39:38 > 0:39:41centre of it and there's just a couple of little waves. You're
0:39:41 > 0:39:45standing up in your boat seeing what's going on, as you're going
0:39:45 > 0:39:55down every decision has to count, it brings a new edge to it and it's
0:39:55 > 0:39:56
0:39:56 > 0:39:59a fantastic feeling of, "girl My parents were really into the
0:39:59 > 0:40:03outdoors and they sent me on a kayaking course, I think, when I
0:40:03 > 0:40:06was only about twelve or thirteen, and then I went to work at a
0:40:06 > 0:40:10sailing school when I was about 18 and they did a bit of sea kayaking
0:40:10 > 0:40:16there and that really got me into it, and I had a history of sea
0:40:16 > 0:40:19kayaking, canoeing, river kayaking, since then. This little section
0:40:19 > 0:40:23here, we've got to an area called Craigellachie and there's an old
0:40:23 > 0:40:26railway bridge just behind us or just in front of us, and there's a
0:40:26 > 0:40:36real nice little camping spot for the Speyside Way folks up there and
0:40:36 > 0:40:40
0:40:40 > 0:40:43it's great for camping if you're going to be doing a descent as well.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46When you're travelling on the river, the river has some input into the
0:40:46 > 0:40:49pace that you're going at as well. So, sometimes you'll be going at
0:40:49 > 0:40:5315k an hour because the river's taking you at that speed, sometimes
0:40:53 > 0:40:56you'll be going at less than 2k an hour because you're battling into a
0:40:56 > 0:40:58head wind or you're trying to move up river. There's a big white water
0:40:58 > 0:41:06section and there's always butterflies, there's always that
0:41:06 > 0:41:09anticipation of what's going on and what's going to happen. Then you
0:41:09 > 0:41:12get a bit of a view of the river and you're starting to think about
0:41:12 > 0:41:16the line that you're taking, whether you want to take the
0:41:16 > 0:41:18"yeeha" line or whether you want to take the dry line. The "yeeha" line
0:41:18 > 0:41:26is definitely the wettest line, best fun, bounciest line possible,
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and they're brilliant fun, you can't beat it sometimes.
0:41:31 > 0:41:40But there are other times when you want to stay dry, as well. I love
0:41:40 > 0:41:43that rapid, it's such a nice rapid. The river height might be exactly
0:41:43 > 0:41:46the same, the boulders might be exactly the same, but each time,
0:41:46 > 0:41:50you'll take a slightly different line down it or you'll be with
0:41:50 > 0:41:53different people or the weather is different. It just makes it a
0:41:53 > 0:41:56different experience. It's not always the paddling, it's being out
0:41:56 > 0:42:00in the environment and the people that you're with, I think, that
0:42:00 > 0:42:05make it. Sharing her passion for canoeing is Nancy Chambers from
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Scotland's National Outdoor Centre at Glenmore Lodge. But if you're
0:42:09 > 0:42:18keen to record your exploits in the outdoors, then we may be able to
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Kendal Mountain Festival is one of the biggest in the world, and
0:42:20 > 0:42:27during the festival, there's an Adventure Film Academy for aspiring
0:42:27 > 0:42:30camera people, editors, producers and directors. This year, for the
0:42:30 > 0:42:35first time, it's being run in association with The Adventure Show
0:42:35 > 0:42:37and BBC Sports Scotland. Not only does it offer the chance to learn
0:42:38 > 0:42:43from leading industry professionals, but students make their own short
0:42:43 > 0:42:46films, and we hope to showcase some of those later in the series.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50signed up for the Adventure Film Academy because I'd been thinking
0:42:50 > 0:42:52about doing a film making course for a while, so when I saw the
0:42:53 > 0:42:56adventure one, that was perfect because I'm quite outdoorsy, and I
0:42:56 > 0:43:00think it's one of the best courses I've ever been on, it's changed my
0:43:00 > 0:43:03whole life. From that, I started working as an intern on the
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Adventure Show, so I've been involved in all kinds of events and
0:43:08 > 0:43:12trips and had real hands-on experience in adventure film making.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15It takes people who are from all walks of life but have an interest
0:43:15 > 0:43:17in adventure sports which can be climbing, it can be kayaking, it
0:43:17 > 0:43:21can be mountain biking, and it really teaches them the absolute
0:43:21 > 0:43:31basics of camera work and editing, so that they can go out and record
0:43:31 > 0:43:34
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Today's course is a swim down at the pool, just down there. It's a
0:43:37 > 0:43:40400 metre swim, and there's a cycle route which goes around
0:43:40 > 0:43:48Ingleborough, which is 23 miles, I believe, which is quite a tough
0:43:48 > 0:43:54ride. Then there's a run up Ingleborough which is seven miles
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and a 2,000 foot climb. From the first day, we were out with the
0:43:57 > 0:44:01cameras, and although I really wanted to do filming, I was quite
0:44:01 > 0:44:05nervous about the first time I actually did some. We were out with
0:44:05 > 0:44:09some mountain bikers and they really threw you in at the deep end
0:44:09 > 0:44:12with the practical work. We have a strong belief that the best way
0:44:12 > 0:44:16that people learn skills is by doing, and for that reason, we
0:44:16 > 0:44:19really try to avoid too much talking. We really like to get
0:44:19 > 0:44:25people engaged very early on, get hands-on with equipment, learn by
0:44:25 > 0:44:29making mistakes. So, from day one, it's all go. We tend to use Sony
0:44:29 > 0:44:32V1E HDV cameras. We're using GoPros as well, especially being in the
0:44:32 > 0:44:36outside environment, GoPros tend to be quite bullet-proof, they're used
0:44:36 > 0:44:40all over nowadays. But we can also do some quite interesting tricks
0:44:40 > 0:44:42with them. The editing skills that you would tend to get would
0:44:42 > 0:44:45probably be the equivalent of four weeks of training, whereas
0:44:45 > 0:44:47importing footage, it's splitting it up into different bins, working
0:44:47 > 0:44:50with markers, with in-points, with out-points, with a timeline, using
0:44:50 > 0:45:00transitions, using texts, trimming, rolling, rippling, you name it, we
0:45:00 > 0:45:02
0:45:02 > 0:45:07do the lot, but we do it in an immensely condensed amount of time.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10It's a rollercoaster ride of fun, to be honest. It's good. I've just
0:45:10 > 0:45:12completed a BA in film and TV production and I saw the course
0:45:12 > 0:45:15advertised online, that was linking directly to adventure film making
0:45:15 > 0:45:21and working directly with industry professionals, and with them giving
0:45:21 > 0:45:24you tips and guidance was really beneficial.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28You might be doing something the way you thought was good, but then
0:45:28 > 0:45:33one of them would say, "Think about it in this way", and it opens your
0:45:33 > 0:45:37eyes up to completely new practices. The Film Academy is great because
0:45:37 > 0:45:40you really are working with the people that are at the top of their
0:45:40 > 0:45:43game. They've worked on all the kind of major adventure films and
0:45:44 > 0:45:47series that are going on at the moment, so you know that you're
0:45:47 > 0:45:49getting the best tuition that you can, and you never feel afraid to
0:45:50 > 0:45:59ask questions or have a go at things because they're really
0:46:00 > 0:46:00
0:46:00 > 0:46:03supportive and they just want you to get stuck in and have a go.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07gentleman should always raise his hat to any passing lady. 'The
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Adventure Film Academy is a week- long course. 'After three days of
0:46:09 > 0:46:14intensive tuition there's just two days left 'for participants to make
0:46:14 > 0:46:19their own short film. 'A chance to make an initial idea right through
0:46:19 > 0:46:20to a finished product.' The film has to be no longer than two
0:46:20 > 0:46:25minutes. We found that two minutes is
0:46:25 > 0:46:28actually a perfect length because it's achievable in 48 hours. You
0:46:28 > 0:46:31think, "Oh, no, 48 hours is masses, "you can make a lot longer than
0:46:31 > 0:46:35that" but this has to be to professional standards, it has to
0:46:35 > 0:46:42be broadcastable so that when it's made, it can be shown on TV to
0:46:42 > 0:46:45those high standards. One of the best bits of feedback that we get
0:46:45 > 0:46:49after Film Academy week is done is that they're expecting to learn a
0:46:49 > 0:46:52lot and they clearly have, but the high pace and pressure of the week
0:46:52 > 0:46:56is the one thing they remember, and often a year later people will come
0:46:56 > 0:46:59back to us and say that it's one of the best things they ever did in
0:46:59 > 0:47:02their life. It's really, really good to see how people get
0:47:02 > 0:47:08empowered, how people start being completely bewildered, and at the
0:47:08 > 0:47:11end of the week, they're like, "Hey, I can make a film". If you'd like
0:47:11 > 0:47:14to take part in this year's course and try your hand in adventure film
0:47:14 > 0:47:24making, follow us on Facebook, where you'll find more information
0:47:24 > 0:47:28
0:47:28 > 0:47:31and all the details you'll need to Welcome back to the triathlon. I'm
0:47:31 > 0:47:34heading to the finish line near Gylen Castle as the lead
0:47:34 > 0:47:39competitors hurtle across the hillside to this southern tip of
0:47:39 > 0:47:45the island. Back at transition, though, most of the racers are
0:47:45 > 0:47:49changing from two wheels to two feet. Do you feel ready for the run
0:47:49 > 0:47:52now? Give me two minutes and I'll find out! Hopefully, my legs are OK.
0:47:52 > 0:48:00A decent cycle? Brilliant cycle, really good, lots of steep descents
0:48:00 > 0:48:03and fast, loose, rocky descents, and a few technical bits in there.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05The run, I'll just wait and see what happens, it's not my strong
0:48:05 > 0:48:10point. You've got proper fell- running shoes, though, so you're
0:48:10 > 0:48:15prepared well. Yes, you caught me there. I get better running down
0:48:15 > 0:48:18hill than up hill. The bike to run transition is the hardest, because
0:48:18 > 0:48:22the minute you get off the bike and start running you tend to have a
0:48:22 > 0:48:25lot of blood pooled in your legs so it's very difficult when you first
0:48:25 > 0:48:30get going, so the first few steps are quite wobbly, the blood's
0:48:30 > 0:48:33draining from your brain and you're in debt, it's quite awkward. So it
0:48:33 > 0:48:41takes about the first 100 metres or so to get your legs properly sorted,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44and after that, you've just got to plod on. It's a bit of a survival,
0:48:44 > 0:48:53the run. Loving it! A lovely way to start the day. The running is not
0:48:53 > 0:48:56my strongest point. Still going! I'm hoping I can fast walk, jog,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59we'll see. It's hellish, but it's brilliant. There's about 200 metres
0:48:59 > 0:49:02of hill to climb, some quite steep climbs in that.
0:49:02 > 0:49:10So, that's going to sort a few people out, I imagine. Hopefully,
0:49:10 > 0:49:16to my benefit. So not competitive at all?! Oh, no, no, no. Yes!
0:49:16 > 0:49:19No...! There, yet? It's a proper hill run and some of the vegetation
0:49:19 > 0:49:27is grass and heather and bracken, but most of it is very runable and
0:49:27 > 0:49:30green grass, and it will be very enjoyable for them to do. It's a
0:49:30 > 0:49:33sprint triathlon, but for those who are used to doing normal sprint
0:49:33 > 0:49:37triathlons, just how different will this be? I would hesitate to call
0:49:37 > 0:49:40it a sprint triathlon. If you try and sprint it, I think you'll burn
0:49:40 > 0:49:46out before the end, especially on the last hill section because you
0:49:46 > 0:49:52do climb up to over 600 feet. The fastest racers are now
0:49:52 > 0:49:55approaching that high point, and it's Alex Johnson still in the lead.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58But not far behind, he's being chased by Sean McFarlane and Steven
0:49:58 > 0:50:01McKinnis. Mick Nally from Dunfermline has powered into fourth
0:50:01 > 0:50:08place, and the leading woman, Kerry McPhee has moved up to fifth place
0:50:08 > 0:50:12overall. She's having a tremendous race. I really like hill running,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15this type of running. I don't know why, I just enjoy getting off the
0:50:15 > 0:50:20bike and going, although the last three races that I've done I've
0:50:20 > 0:50:23been sick on the run. My nutrition has been a nightmare so today is a
0:50:23 > 0:50:27test of nutritional strength to see if I can hold off being sick and
0:50:27 > 0:50:30just go for it. So how important is it to get the nutrition and the
0:50:30 > 0:50:34hydration right? It's pretty important if it ends up making you
0:50:34 > 0:50:38sick. But this isn't too long a race, so it shouldn't be an issue.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I had my porridge this morning and my cup of coffee, so that should do
0:50:41 > 0:50:47me. By now, the competitors have completed the 550 metre swim, 15
0:50:47 > 0:50:53kilometre bike ride and are well into the run. The body is beginning
0:50:53 > 0:50:58to ache and the steepest uphill section is still to come. This is
0:50:58 > 0:51:03where those hours of training pay off. At the moment I'm using this
0:51:03 > 0:51:06race as a tune up for the British Champs. So the type of training I'm
0:51:06 > 0:51:10doing is about five or six swims a week just now. Lots of road biking,
0:51:10 > 0:51:14actually, just to bring up my bike strength and then lots of running
0:51:14 > 0:51:18as well. I do one long run, about an hour-and-a-half a week, and then
0:51:18 > 0:51:21one threshold one which is just as fast as you can hold, and then one
0:51:21 > 0:51:24interval session which is fast and slow, and then a few more fillers,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28it's nice and easy. An intense training regime for someone at the
0:51:28 > 0:51:33very top of this sport. But everyone in today's race has
0:51:33 > 0:51:36prepared for it in their own way. always do a bit of recreational
0:51:36 > 0:51:45running, I do a lot of long days on hills, scrambling, climbing, things
0:51:45 > 0:51:49like that. What are your strengths then? Keeping going. I think that's
0:51:49 > 0:51:52probably my only strength! I don't train as much as I should. I mean,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56I don't practice transitions or anything like that. So for me, it's
0:51:56 > 0:51:59just a way of keeping fit. So I go out every week, do swimming maybe
0:51:59 > 0:52:03twice a week, running a couple of times a week, cycling a couple of
0:52:03 > 0:52:06times a week. I don't take it too seriously. My main aim is to make
0:52:06 > 0:52:10sure I keep moving. It's so tempting on the steeper sections to
0:52:10 > 0:52:14just sort of stop and that just loses you time. I want to keep
0:52:14 > 0:52:18going, so that will be my aim for success. If I know I've done the
0:52:18 > 0:52:21run as best I can, then that's great. Grinning through it, yes.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Training and endurance is key to enjoying this race, especially when
0:52:25 > 0:52:30organised by Paul McGreal. Paul's got a reputation for choosing
0:52:30 > 0:52:35locations which will test competitors to the full.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38We're taking them on pretty much a grand tour of the island hotspots.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42They'll be seeing the coast and fabulous views across to Mull and
0:52:42 > 0:52:45back to the mainland and down the sound and across to Oban. They'll
0:52:45 > 0:52:49see some great sights and they'll be well and truly exposed in full-
0:52:49 > 0:52:52on Scottish countryside. I know Paul McGreal organised it, so I
0:52:52 > 0:52:56knew it would be off-road almost the whole way, and it was tough.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00There was one part, he'd said in the race briefing I'm sure, that at
0:53:00 > 0:53:03no point would you be on all fours, but there was one part that we were
0:53:03 > 0:53:07on all fours climbing up the summit, actually using our arms. So it was
0:53:07 > 0:53:14a tough run, a very tough run. We're at the top and it's all
0:53:14 > 0:53:20downhill. It was great fun, great fun. You've done it! A breeze!
0:53:20 > 0:53:24a wonderful day. Whose idea was that?! By now, the fastest racers
0:53:24 > 0:53:29are running for home and once again the lead has changed.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Sean McFarlane has moved up from second place to take the lead. He's
0:53:32 > 0:53:37closely followed by Steven MacInnes, and Alex Johnson has dropped from
0:53:37 > 0:53:41first to third place. I was leading the run up until the top and then
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Steven MacInnes caught me and he just passed me as we started to
0:53:44 > 0:53:48descend off the top and then we went the wrong way, so by the time
0:53:49 > 0:53:52we'd rejoined, me and Steven had dropped down to second and third.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57Just behind this front group, Mick Nally is hanging on to fourth place
0:53:57 > 0:54:07and Kerry MacPhee is still in fifth. But back up the hill, there are
0:54:07 > 0:54:10
0:54:10 > 0:54:13some tired limbs. Ah! Yes! Downhill now. Nice. I'm not in pain. But at
0:54:13 > 0:54:17the finish, it's Sean McFarlane over the line first in a fantastic
0:54:17 > 0:54:23time of one hour, ten minutes and ten seconds. Steven MacInnes is a
0:54:23 > 0:54:30very close second, just four seconds behind. A first place for
0:54:30 > 0:54:34you, but a tight one. Yes, it was a struggle today. There were a few
0:54:34 > 0:54:37bits and pieces, we went the wrong way. There were a couple of guys in
0:54:37 > 0:54:40the run that were just ahead of me coming off the hill and they went
0:54:40 > 0:54:44the wrong way. I would have caught the second-placed guy, but the
0:54:44 > 0:54:47first-placed guy was pretty strong. I'd gone the wrong way on the bike,
0:54:47 > 0:54:50but it was tough today. It was very tough. And it's weird because
0:54:50 > 0:54:53conditions were fairly benign, it wasn't windy, it was... No, it was
0:54:53 > 0:54:56just the off-road element of it. The whole thing was off-road and it
0:54:56 > 0:55:00wasn't even on tracks all the time, so it was through heather, bracken,
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and it was beautifully marked, I have to say, but you're not always
0:55:03 > 0:55:07looking at the ground and looking for markers... I made that mistake
0:55:07 > 0:55:10on the bike and then those guys made it on the run. But it's up to
0:55:10 > 0:55:15competitors to know the course, so yes, it's our fault. A very close
0:55:15 > 0:55:21second-place finish for you. Yes. A bit close. I tried to pull it back,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24but just no chance. I was in the lead just about half a mile before
0:55:24 > 0:55:29the end and I took a wrong turning and it probably cost me there, the
0:55:29 > 0:55:33win. But, hey-ho. Third to finish is Alex Johnson who completed the
0:55:33 > 0:55:36course in one hour, eleven minutes. Just 15 seconds behind, Mick Nally
0:55:36 > 0:55:38achieved a very close fourth place, and what an amazing performance
0:55:39 > 0:55:48from Kerry MacPhee, fifth finisher overall and the first woman to
0:55:48 > 0:55:53cross the line in a time of 1 hour 11.24. That's just over a minute
0:55:54 > 0:55:58behind the first man, a fantastic achievement. Brilliant race, really
0:55:58 > 0:56:00good fun. First over the line, you must be absolutely delighted.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04really pleased. Yes, really pleased, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe
0:56:04 > 0:56:08because it was so short, but usually you have patches in a race
0:56:08 > 0:56:12where you're like, "What am I doing?" But it was really fun. I'm
0:56:12 > 0:56:15really pleased to come first. what about this place? It just
0:56:15 > 0:56:18looks incredible. It is amazing. I mean, how many races are there
0:56:18 > 0:56:23where you swim to the island that you're going to bike and run
0:56:23 > 0:56:27around? It was amazing. It was really, really good, really
0:56:27 > 0:56:30kind of wild, although on the bike, I got to a gate and it was locked,
0:56:30 > 0:56:33and I thought, "I don't know which way to go, I don't know if I'm
0:56:33 > 0:56:37supposed to open the gate." That doesn't usually happen in a race.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40So I just waited until the next person came and I was like, "Is
0:56:40 > 0:56:44this the way?" So it really was just like bike around the island
0:56:44 > 0:56:47and run over it. Further back, most of the racers are now on the final
0:56:47 > 0:56:49stage of this Craggy Island Triathlon. The end is almost in
0:56:49 > 0:56:53sight. I'm still alive, all evidence to the contrary. Are we
0:56:53 > 0:56:58nearly there yet? I really enjoyed it. It's really good, yes. Yes? Yes,
0:56:58 > 0:57:03the scenery's beautiful. Whoa! really IS a Craggy Island Triathlon,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06even if our cameraman can't stay upright. Living the dream, son. How
0:57:06 > 0:57:11was the run? Oh, you know, up and down.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16It's been a perfect day for this very first triathlon on Kerrera.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Hard. Lovely route though. Marvellous. Marvellous. Great track.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24Hyperventilating all the way round. Good race though, great race.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27at the end, there's a great way to cool off. I really enjoyed it. I'm
0:57:27 > 0:57:37enjoying the finish as well. Terrific finish. Terrific spot.
0:57:37 > 0:58:08
0:58:08 > 0:58:14just a reminder of the final But for everyone, this has been a
0:58:14 > 0:58:17tremendous achievement. I'm going to be last but I'm going to finish.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20But you've done it! And that's it for this month's Adventure Show.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23Next time we have a special programme - we head to the