1
00:00:07,362 --> 00:00:09,495
Known as Europe's last wilderness,

2
00:00:09,655 --> 00:00:13,016
the Hebrides archipelago
isn't just a land of beauty,

3
00:00:18,391 --> 00:00:20,936
it's one of the most hostile places
on the planet.

4
00:00:28,792 --> 00:00:31,287
While secret coves and deserted beaches

5
00:00:31,447 --> 00:00:33,912
provide sanctuary
to a host of wild creatures.

6
00:00:36,078 --> 00:00:39,438
For thousands of years
people have battled with the elements.

7
00:00:40,308 --> 00:00:42,788
Even the vikings struggled to survive.

8
00:00:47,267 --> 00:00:51,466
Fueled by rich organic seas,
the regions wildlife thrives,

9
00:00:54,484 --> 00:00:57,336
but many human settlers disappear.

10
00:00:58,622 --> 00:01:03,127
Adding myth and legend
to these wild islands of mystery.

11
00:01:51,370 --> 00:01:54,378
Lying just off the coast of West Scotland,

12
00:01:54,538 --> 00:01:59,320
the Hebrides Archipelago is made up
of more than 500 islands and islets,

13
00:02:03,453 --> 00:02:06,486
stretching 200 km from north to south,

14
00:02:06,646 --> 00:02:09,686
it's divided into an inner and outer group.

15
00:02:13,314 --> 00:02:17,091
Many low lying islands
were born from the gradual uplift

16
00:02:17,251 --> 00:02:20,003
of rock that's over three billion years old.

17
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,680
Other's were formed more recently,

18
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,104
and violently, through volcanic explosions.

19
00:02:37,327 --> 00:02:39,728
Isolation from the mainland,
has made the Hebrides

20
00:02:39,888 --> 00:02:43,088
the perfect breeding ground
for millions of creatures.

21
00:02:51,183 --> 00:02:53,647
The islands are home
to some of the largest gatherings,

22
00:02:53,807 --> 00:02:55,886
and greatest spectacles on the planet.

23
00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,327
Eight thousand years ago,
people also set up home here.

24
00:03:08,304 --> 00:03:11,376
But many succumbed
to the islands often hostile weather,

25
00:03:11,536 --> 00:03:13,520
and intimidating seas.

26
00:03:17,117 --> 00:03:21,840
Evidence of previous communities
lies littered throughout the Archipelago.

27
00:03:26,972 --> 00:03:29,691
Islanders cling onto island life by a thread.

28
00:03:47,101 --> 00:03:50,301
Ever since their exposure
following the end of the Ice Age,

29
00:03:50,461 --> 00:03:53,245
the Hebrides has always been
a land of mystery.

30
00:04:02,588 --> 00:04:04,796
Early sailors recounted calls of mermaids

31
00:04:04,956 --> 00:04:06,395
from coastal caves.

32
00:04:11,677 --> 00:04:14,237
Unable to resist their lure,
many were beckoned

33
00:04:14,397 --> 00:04:17,505
to a watery grave.

34
00:04:17,665 --> 00:04:19,713
These half human half fish creatures

35
00:04:19,873 --> 00:04:23,329
remain a myth,
but eerie calls from the caves

36
00:04:23,489 --> 00:04:25,212
are reported even today.

37
00:04:33,250 --> 00:04:36,269
Many gray seals
choose the safety of hidden caves,

38
00:04:36,429 --> 00:04:38,879
when giving birth to their pups.

39
00:04:40,453 --> 00:04:44,287
They are one of the most vocal
of all seal species.

40
00:04:47,945 --> 00:04:50,120
Half of the worlds population of gray seals

41
00:04:50,280 --> 00:04:52,931
live along the British coast,

42
00:04:53,091 --> 00:04:56,480
but not all mothers choose
the privacy of a personal birthing room.

43
00:04:59,431 --> 00:05:03,080
The Monach Isles sit on the edge
of the outer Hebrides chain.

44
00:05:09,798 --> 00:05:12,600
The islands isolated beaches
are the perfect locations

45
00:05:12,759 --> 00:05:15,847
for one of the largest gatherings
of gray seals on the planet.

46
00:05:21,039 --> 00:05:25,217
Each winter, over 35,000 arrive
on Monach's shores.

47
00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,361
Mothers give birth
to just a single pup at a time.

48
00:05:38,747 --> 00:05:42,363
However, around 9,000 are born here
each year.

49
00:05:48,276 --> 00:05:50,825
Pups are suckled for just 18 days.

50
00:05:50,985 --> 00:05:54,793
The mothers milk is so rich,
it contains about 60% fat.

51
00:06:03,304 --> 00:06:06,505
The youngsters are born
weighing around 14 kg,

52
00:06:06,665 --> 00:06:09,417
and put on approximately two kilo per day.

53
00:06:16,905 --> 00:06:20,105
In around three weeks,
their weight more than triples.

54
00:06:25,545 --> 00:06:28,259
Once this short suckling period is over

55
00:06:28,419 --> 00:06:30,375
the pup is abandoned.

56
00:06:33,837 --> 00:06:36,013
The mothers need to mate again.

57
00:06:48,779 --> 00:06:51,372
Bull seals play no part
in raising their young.

58
00:06:54,442 --> 00:06:56,970
But these half ton giants put every effort

59
00:06:57,130 --> 00:06:59,498
into claiming their breeding rights.

60
00:07:02,570 --> 00:07:07,320
It takes around ten years to be big,
and strong enough to win a territorial battle.

61
00:07:11,237 --> 00:07:14,886
A snarl is often enough
to see off lesser rivals.

62
00:07:21,062 --> 00:07:24,166
Sometimes,
the odds are more evenly balanced.

63
00:07:27,558 --> 00:07:30,214
These two males
appear to have met their match.

64
00:07:33,606 --> 00:07:37,200
Fights are often bloody,
and can lead into death.

65
00:07:58,157 --> 00:08:01,260
Finally, one of the males backs down,

66
00:08:01,420 --> 00:08:04,173
siring his next generation
will have to wait.

67
00:08:11,565 --> 00:08:14,997
In around two weeks time,
hunger will drive the abandoned pups

68
00:08:15,157 --> 00:08:18,880
to fend for themselves
in the islands fish rich sea.

69
00:08:22,281 --> 00:08:24,773
While the low lying Monach Isles
provide sanctuary

70
00:08:24,933 --> 00:08:28,248
to some of the regions
largest marine predators,

71
00:08:28,408 --> 00:08:32,800
the mountains of another island
play home to Britain's biggest land mammal.

72
00:08:39,609 --> 00:08:42,937
The isle of Rum
lies at the heart of the inner Hebrides.

73
00:08:45,913 --> 00:08:50,600
Conical peaks, and rolling hills
are at the core of a deeply eroded volcano,

74
00:08:50,753 --> 00:08:53,593
last active around 25 million years ago.

75
00:09:03,929 --> 00:09:07,385
This islands dramatic creation
may be long in the past,

76
00:09:07,545 --> 00:09:11,960
but today it's the setting for one of nature's
most energetic wildlife spectacles.

77
00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,795
Red deer are the third largest deer
in the world.

78
00:09:31,170 --> 00:09:34,876
Around 900 roam this remote island.

79
00:09:36,450 --> 00:09:39,042
Their population
has remained relatively stable,

80
00:09:39,202 --> 00:09:42,118
due to being isolated
from main land predators.

81
00:09:43,948 --> 00:09:46,220
Despite this, internal casualties

82
00:09:46,380 --> 00:09:48,806
have become a matter of course.

83
00:09:50,156 --> 00:09:52,876
These stags are stocking up
for the annual rut,

84
00:09:55,478 --> 00:09:57,622
Old antlers from last years battles,

85
00:09:57,782 --> 00:10:00,118
provide an important source of calcium.

86
00:10:03,296 --> 00:10:06,272
Mature males weigh just under 200 kilos,

87
00:10:06,432 --> 00:10:09,472
and stand a meter and a half tall
at the shoulder.

88
00:10:12,448 --> 00:10:14,784
There will be no mercy for light weights.

89
00:10:18,848 --> 00:10:22,240
This stag is separated
from the rest of his male companions.

90
00:10:27,904 --> 00:10:30,144
He's rounded up a small group of females,

91
00:10:30,304 --> 00:10:33,274
who've responded to his mating calls.

92
00:10:37,418 --> 00:10:40,413
But he isn't the only one
with eyes on this harem.

93
00:10:49,404 --> 00:10:54,360
The rival challenges his opponent
by walking parallel to him and roaring.

94
00:11:04,284 --> 00:11:07,452
Once antlers and size have been assessed,

95
00:11:07,612 --> 00:11:10,077
the pair lunge into battle.

96
00:11:19,548 --> 00:11:23,437
These intense bouts of sparring
are often bloody as well as fatal,

97
00:11:23,597 --> 00:11:28,480
but with breeding rights at stake,
it's a risk most males are willing to take.

98
00:11:47,995 --> 00:11:51,802
Individual clashes are usually over
in a matter of minutes.

99
00:11:57,243 --> 00:12:03,360
But once the rut begins, the battle
continues on and off for around four weeks.

100
00:12:15,363 --> 00:12:17,667
Those deer that pay the ultimate price

101
00:12:17,827 --> 00:12:19,971
in their quest to acquire mates,

102
00:12:20,131 --> 00:12:23,266
play an important role
in the life of another creature.

103
00:12:35,010 --> 00:12:38,404
During winter, one of Britain's
most famous and rarest birds

104
00:12:38,564 --> 00:12:41,572
relies on rut victims in order to survive.

105
00:12:49,508 --> 00:12:54,008
Golden Eagles have a wing span
of up to 2 1/2 meters.

106
00:12:54,168 --> 00:12:57,520
They're one of the most
powerful flying predators in the world.

107
00:13:01,251 --> 00:13:04,387
They usually hunt rabbits and hares,

108
00:13:04,547 --> 00:13:07,299
but carrion is a vital part
of their winter diet.

109
00:13:11,171 --> 00:13:14,211
Their eyesight is eight times sharper
than humans,

110
00:13:14,371 --> 00:13:18,000
they can spot a deer carcass
from more than a kilometer away.

111
00:13:22,627 --> 00:13:26,268
In Celtic mythology,
the Golden Eagle is revered.

112
00:13:29,315 --> 00:13:31,107
It symbolized the soul,

113
00:13:31,267 --> 00:13:34,525
signifying the power of life over death.

114
00:13:36,707 --> 00:13:40,339
However, another creature on the island
had the opposite effect,

115
00:13:40,499 --> 00:13:47,280
it's calls made superstitious vikings believe
the hills were inhabited by trolls.

116
00:13:54,019 --> 00:13:57,986
Each spring 120,000 pairs
of Manx shearwaters

117
00:13:58,146 --> 00:14:00,483
arrive on Rums coast.

118
00:14:01,859 --> 00:14:06,640
The island is a final destination on their
16,000 km journey from South America.

119
00:14:08,963 --> 00:14:13,120
The hills soft volcanic soil
provides the perfect nesting ground,

120
00:14:13,283 --> 00:14:15,619
and with no ground dwelling predators,

121
00:14:15,779 --> 00:14:17,731
it's the perfect place to breed.

122
00:14:24,678 --> 00:14:28,326
At just under 40 cm long,
Manx shearwaters

123
00:14:28,486 --> 00:14:30,412
are relatively small sea birds.

124
00:14:37,540 --> 00:14:41,252
They're no match for avian hunters
like black-backed gulls,

125
00:14:41,412 --> 00:14:43,716
that are more than twice their size.

126
00:14:49,476 --> 00:14:52,612
Shearwaters have
a unique survival strategy,

127
00:14:52,772 --> 00:14:55,012
each partner takes turns at fishing,

128
00:14:55,172 --> 00:14:57,028
and incubating their eggs.

129
00:15:00,228 --> 00:15:04,760
To avoid being attacked, they return
to their burrows under the cover of night.

130
00:15:07,684 --> 00:15:09,957
These eerie caws and coos are essential

131
00:15:10,117 --> 00:15:12,164
in order for each pair to be reunited.

132
00:15:16,039 --> 00:15:20,920
It's easy to understand how this added
to the vikings demonic beliefs,

133
00:15:21,098 --> 00:15:23,371
especially as when the sun rises,

134
00:15:23,531 --> 00:15:25,707
there's not a single sound.

135
00:15:33,355 --> 00:15:37,227
Many myths and legends
are linked to the islands dry land,

136
00:15:37,387 --> 00:15:39,019
but some of the most remarkable

137
00:15:39,179 --> 00:15:41,579
emerged from the surrounding sea.

138
00:15:46,507 --> 00:15:49,387
40 miles further north,
on the isle of Sky,

139
00:15:49,547 --> 00:15:53,387
81 year old Ian McDonald
is on his annual mission.

140
00:16:02,507 --> 00:16:04,651
He spent his whole life recounting tales

141
00:16:04,811 --> 00:16:07,627
of enormous beasts swimming these seas.

142
00:16:13,547 --> 00:16:16,683
Today, he's about to witness the event
once more.

143
00:16:30,191 --> 00:16:34,044
Each October, Ian moves his cattle
to Stanshaw island,

144
00:16:34,204 --> 00:16:36,343
where they graze during winter.

145
00:16:38,845 --> 00:16:42,141
It's now spring,
and he's returning to the main island.

146
00:16:51,773 --> 00:16:54,909
With no land bridge
to connect Sky to Stanshaw,

147
00:16:55,069 --> 00:16:57,503
the cows have only one option.

148
00:17:11,781 --> 00:17:17,080
Centuries ago, swimming cattle between islands
was common place.

149
00:17:17,226 --> 00:17:20,554
Today, Ian is the last farmer
in the Hebrides

150
00:17:20,714 --> 00:17:23,178
to continue this age old tradition.

151
00:17:58,545 --> 00:18:02,546
At low tide, the seas separating islands
appear welcoming,

152
00:18:08,658 --> 00:18:12,146
but when the waters turn,
it's a different story entirely.

153
00:18:27,555 --> 00:18:30,089
Between the isles of Scarba and Jura,

154
00:18:30,249 --> 00:18:32,008
strong Atlantic currents,

155
00:18:32,168 --> 00:18:34,825
and an underwater peak, combine to create

156
00:18:34,985 --> 00:18:37,609
some of the most treacherous waters
on the planet.

157
00:18:45,784 --> 00:18:50,120
The tide speeds up as it enters
the narrow channel between the islands.

158
00:18:55,765 --> 00:18:57,685
On hitting the underwater pinnacle,

159
00:18:57,845 --> 00:19:01,141
standing waves over six meters tall
rise to the surface.

160
00:19:05,191 --> 00:19:10,040
This is Corryvreckan,
the third largest whirlpool in the world.

161
00:19:16,180 --> 00:19:19,829
It's roar can be heard
more than 16 km away.

162
00:19:26,005 --> 00:19:29,365
Legend has it, a viking prince
spent three days and nights

163
00:19:29,525 --> 00:19:32,373
on a boat anchored beside the whirlpool,

164
00:19:32,533 --> 00:19:35,765
to prove he was worthy
of marrying a Hebridean Princess.

165
00:19:40,501 --> 00:19:44,197
On the advice of scholars, the prince
had three special ropes made,

166
00:19:44,357 --> 00:19:49,120
one was woven from wool,
one from hemp,

167
00:19:49,269 --> 00:19:52,340
and the last used hair
from virtuous maidens.

168
00:19:54,676 --> 00:19:57,675
On the third night
his boat was sucked into the vortex.

169
00:19:59,979 --> 00:20:03,670
The anchor rope
made from the maidens hair snapped.

170
00:20:09,173 --> 00:20:13,800
It turned out that one of the donors
hadn't been virtuous after all.

171
00:20:18,316 --> 00:20:20,812
The prince's body was later washed up,

172
00:20:20,972 --> 00:20:23,788
and buried in the nearby king's cave.

173
00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:33,976
Corryvreckan whirlpool
plays an important role

174
00:20:34,136 --> 00:20:36,824
in the Hebrides underwater ecosystem.

175
00:20:38,702 --> 00:20:40,910
The rising waters and sucking whirls,

176
00:20:41,070 --> 00:20:43,150
create an up-welling of nutrients,

177
00:20:43,310 --> 00:20:46,559
and act as barriers
that concentrate the plankton.

178
00:20:49,983 --> 00:20:54,239
Herring and sand eels
thrive on these miniatures meals,

179
00:20:54,399 --> 00:20:57,784
these, in turn,
provide food for larger predators.

180
00:21:01,086 --> 00:21:03,263
Shearwaters are first on the scene,

181
00:21:03,423 --> 00:21:05,791
snatching the fish just below the surface.

182
00:21:10,911 --> 00:21:14,880
But they are soon eclipsed
by the master high diver of them all.

183
00:21:25,336 --> 00:21:28,615
Northern gannets are graceful flyers,

184
00:21:28,775 --> 00:21:31,303
they have a wingspan
of around two meters.

185
00:21:35,271 --> 00:21:39,303
Unlike most birds,
they have forward facing eyes,

186
00:21:39,463 --> 00:21:42,368
which provide binocular vision.

187
00:21:46,432 --> 00:21:51,040
This allows them to estimate how far
the fish are from the surface of the water.

188
00:21:52,128 --> 00:21:54,272
Once locked onto their target,

189
00:21:54,432 --> 00:21:56,288
they fold back their wings,

190
00:21:56,448 --> 00:21:57,920
and plummet.

191
00:22:03,136 --> 00:22:07,560
Gannets can hit the water at over 100 km/h,
to capture prey.

192
00:22:14,976 --> 00:22:17,476
At the moment of impact,
they stretch their bodies

193
00:22:17,636 --> 00:22:20,228
into a streamlined, torpedo like shape.

194
00:22:24,452 --> 00:22:27,204
A maze of air cells
between their skin and muscles

195
00:22:27,364 --> 00:22:31,198
is inflated to help cushion the blow.

196
00:22:45,156 --> 00:22:48,960
It isn't only birds that are attracted
to these feeding frenzies.

197
00:22:50,755 --> 00:22:53,284
The Hebrides fish rich waters also support

198
00:22:53,444 --> 00:22:56,164
some of the largest creatures on the planet.

199
00:22:59,526 --> 00:23:03,046
Minke whales weigh up to 15 tons,

200
00:23:03,206 --> 00:23:06,112
and reach over 10 meters in length.

201
00:23:10,981 --> 00:23:13,638
They lunge at their prey
from beneath the surface.

202
00:23:22,182 --> 00:23:26,142
Large volumes of fish and water
are engulfed before being sieved,

203
00:23:26,302 --> 00:23:27,960
and swallowed hole.

204
00:23:37,062 --> 00:23:39,686
The whales generally live solitary lives,

205
00:23:39,846 --> 00:23:42,949
but can gather in groups of ten or more
when feeding.

206
00:23:58,039 --> 00:23:59,895
The seas surrounding the Hebrides,

207
00:24:00,055 --> 00:24:02,391
are some of the richest in the world.

208
00:24:05,689 --> 00:24:08,121
Around these isolated islands,

209
00:24:08,281 --> 00:24:11,910
the warm gulf stream waters
reach their northern extremity.

210
00:24:17,817 --> 00:24:21,049
At the same time,
cooler currents from the north

211
00:24:21,209 --> 00:24:23,897
bring many species
to their southern limits.

212
00:24:29,272 --> 00:24:31,416
This temperature transition is reflected

213
00:24:31,576 --> 00:24:34,777
in the great diversity
of marine creatures found here.

214
00:24:42,265 --> 00:24:47,070
Twenty four species of whale, dolphin,
and porpoise patrol these waters.

215
00:24:49,947 --> 00:24:53,179
Including Britain's largest fish.

216
00:24:58,683 --> 00:25:02,043
Basking sharks can reach
up to seven meters in length,

217
00:25:02,203 --> 00:25:05,435
and have a dorsal fin
up to a meter and a half high.

218
00:25:09,914 --> 00:25:12,733
They're drawn
to the Hebrides plankton rich waters,

219
00:25:12,893 --> 00:25:15,745
where they remain close to the surface
to feed.

220
00:25:21,089 --> 00:25:23,881
They filter around a million and a half liters
of water every hour,

221
00:25:24,041 --> 00:25:28,400
trapping the tiny creatures
in their extensive gill rakers.

222
00:25:41,824 --> 00:25:44,451
The islands inlets, known as lochs,

223
00:25:44,611 --> 00:25:47,779
also provide a food source
for many animals.

224
00:25:49,957 --> 00:25:52,933
Including Europe's largest bird of prey.

225
00:25:59,333 --> 00:26:03,600
White tailed eagles have a wing span
approaching 2 1/2 meters.

226
00:26:06,660 --> 00:26:08,901
Their eyes are larger than humans,

227
00:26:09,061 --> 00:26:13,991
and like the golden eagle,
their vision is far sharper than our own.

228
00:26:19,122 --> 00:26:22,514
Each of their eyes
has two centers of focus,

229
00:26:22,674 --> 00:26:25,394
they can see forwards and sideways
at the same time.

230
00:26:28,882 --> 00:26:31,274
From an altitude of 300 meters,

231
00:26:31,434 --> 00:26:33,619
they can pinpoint a shoal of fish

232
00:26:33,779 --> 00:26:37,224
within an area
of almost eight square kilometers.

233
00:26:40,809 --> 00:26:43,113
This bird has locked onto it's target,

234
00:26:43,273 --> 00:26:45,545
and prepares to swoop in.

235
00:26:57,992 --> 00:27:01,391
Also known as a sea eagle,
the white tailed eagles' diet

236
00:27:01,551 --> 00:27:03,881
includes a great deal of fish.

237
00:27:07,987 --> 00:27:11,635
During the breeding season,
it's the most important food.

238
00:27:19,123 --> 00:27:21,549
Young chicks have big appetites.

239
00:27:26,803 --> 00:27:29,971
White tailed eagles usually lay
one or two eggs,

240
00:27:30,131 --> 00:27:32,301
so twins are common.

241
00:27:34,291 --> 00:27:39,040
The young remain in the nest
for around ten weeks before they fledge.

242
00:27:46,579 --> 00:27:48,979
Parents use the same nest
for several years.

243
00:27:55,667 --> 00:28:01,480
The collection of sticks can end up weighing
as much as a small car, almost 1,000 kg.

244
00:28:12,691 --> 00:28:14,899
On another island in the outer Hebrides,

245
00:28:15,059 --> 00:28:18,295
lie a number of clues
to the existence of early man.

246
00:28:33,516 --> 00:28:35,445
The isle of Lewis and Harris contain

247
00:28:35,605 --> 00:28:39,195
some of the earliest evidence
of humans inhabiting the Hebrides.

248
00:28:47,483 --> 00:28:49,595
6,000 year old peat bogs

249
00:28:49,755 --> 00:28:52,382
point to woodlands
being raized to the ground

250
00:28:52,542 --> 00:28:55,967
by neolithic herders,
to allow their deer to graze.

251
00:28:59,635 --> 00:29:02,515
Today the island remains virtually treeless.

252
00:29:06,343 --> 00:29:10,560
While certain clues to early settlers
lie deep beneath the surface,

253
00:29:10,719 --> 00:29:14,120
in one location is a monument,
that towers above the rest.

254
00:29:24,633 --> 00:29:26,649
The Standing Stones of Callanish

255
00:29:26,809 --> 00:29:29,529
were erected around 4,000 years ago.

256
00:29:34,932 --> 00:29:37,684
They were old
long before Rome was heard of.

257
00:29:44,052 --> 00:29:47,348
Thirteen stones,
averaging four meters tall,

258
00:29:47,508 --> 00:29:50,382
form a circle 13 meters across.

259
00:29:51,412 --> 00:29:54,068
They surround
an even taller central monument.

260
00:30:02,580 --> 00:30:06,035
Legend has it that giants,
who once lived on the island,

261
00:30:06,195 --> 00:30:08,276
were turned to stone as a punishment

262
00:30:08,436 --> 00:30:11,284
for refusing to convert to Christianity.

263
00:30:17,748 --> 00:30:20,680
The stones are also said to receive
a ghostly visitation

264
00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,227
on the dawn of the midsummer solstice.

265
00:30:27,433 --> 00:30:30,120
A shining figure is said to walk
through the circle,

266
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,585
heralded by the call of the cuckoo.

267
00:30:36,361 --> 00:30:39,698
Other theories point to Callanish being
an ancient burial site,

268
00:30:39,864 --> 00:30:41,675
or having an astronomical purpose.

269
00:30:46,377 --> 00:30:49,416
The structures true purpose,
however, remains a mystery.

270
00:30:55,049 --> 00:30:57,705
The Callanish stones
are made of lewisian gneiss,

271
00:30:57,865 --> 00:31:00,829
one of the hardest types of rock
in the world.

272
00:31:03,043 --> 00:31:05,922
It plays an important role
at the coast of the island,

273
00:31:06,082 --> 00:31:08,419
helping creating a unique environment.

274
00:31:23,139 --> 00:31:26,082
The Machair
is one of Europe's rarest habitats.

275
00:31:29,528 --> 00:31:31,800
It's unique to North West Scotland,

276
00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:33,912
and the West of Ireland.

277
00:31:57,815 --> 00:31:59,960
These wind swept coastal plains,

278
00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,768
consist of calcium rich shell sand,
that is highly fertile,

279
00:32:03,928 --> 00:32:07,191
and free draining.

280
00:32:12,312 --> 00:32:17,680
Lewisian gneiss, which makes up
the regions bed rock, doesn't erode easily.

281
00:32:17,847 --> 00:32:22,040
This means that rivers flowing to the coast
carry very little sediment,

282
00:32:22,208 --> 00:32:26,610
which keeps the Machair sands
free of bulky organic matter.

283
00:32:36,376 --> 00:32:38,936
These are the most fertile soils
on the islands,

284
00:32:39,096 --> 00:32:42,584
and have always influenced
the location of human settlements.

285
00:32:45,997 --> 00:32:49,005
Around 20,000 people
live on the island today.

286
00:32:55,789 --> 00:32:58,969
Just up shore,
some of Europe's most elusive creatures

287
00:32:59,129 --> 00:33:00,780
have also settled home here.

288
00:33:05,718 --> 00:33:09,297
Despite their name,
common seals are quite rare.

289
00:33:12,087 --> 00:33:15,280
Their gray cousins outnumber them
by a ratio of six to one.

290
00:33:20,607 --> 00:33:24,338
At just under two meters in length,
they're smaller than the gray,

291
00:33:24,512 --> 00:33:27,360
and prefer to bask on rocks
in secluded inlets.

292
00:33:32,832 --> 00:33:35,968
Common seals travel up to 50 km to feed,

293
00:33:36,128 --> 00:33:38,592
and often remain at sea for several days.

294
00:33:41,802 --> 00:33:44,393
They can dive under water
for up to ten minutes,

295
00:33:44,553 --> 00:33:47,146
and reach depths of more than 50 meters.

296
00:33:57,962 --> 00:33:59,962
These coastal inlets are also home

297
00:34:00,122 --> 00:34:03,466
to one of the worlds most secretive
fresh water mammals.

298
00:34:06,602 --> 00:34:11,720
The Hebrides is home to one of the densest
populations of otters in North West Europe.

299
00:34:13,529 --> 00:34:18,308
At high tide, they feed
in the islands' food rich coastal waters.

300
00:34:24,543 --> 00:34:27,999
The otters rely on the sea
for the majority of their food,

301
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:30,975
but they still need fresh water
to wash away the salt,

302
00:34:31,135 --> 00:34:33,721
and keep their coats water proof.

303
00:34:35,807 --> 00:34:38,815
They spend most of their time on dry land.

304
00:34:43,359 --> 00:34:46,239
Local fold lore tells tales of otter kings,

305
00:34:46,399 --> 00:34:49,379
who were accompanied
by seven black otters.

306
00:34:51,305 --> 00:34:54,162
When captured these beasts
would grant any wish

307
00:34:54,322 --> 00:34:56,547
in exchange for their freedom.

308
00:35:03,868 --> 00:35:09,610
The Shiant isles lie six kilometers
off the coast of Lewis and Harris.

309
00:35:15,217 --> 00:35:17,968
The surrounding waters
are famed for another legend.

310
00:35:26,969 --> 00:35:32,049
The Blue Men of the Minch
are said to have inhabited under water caves.

311
00:35:40,790 --> 00:35:44,004
Sailors were fearful
of passing through this stretch of water,

312
00:35:44,161 --> 00:35:47,924
as they believed that Merman type creatures
would lure them to their death.

313
00:36:03,190 --> 00:36:05,237
For many years the Shiant sustained

314
00:36:05,397 --> 00:36:07,862
a small population of around 30 people.

315
00:36:09,334 --> 00:36:13,240
However, the last residents
abandoned the island, over a century ago.

316
00:36:22,326 --> 00:36:24,652
These isolated isles are built entirely

317
00:36:24,812 --> 00:36:27,874
from hexagonally jointed basalt columns.

318
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,121
They're part of the same ancient lava flow

319
00:36:36,281 --> 00:36:41,360
that formed the Giants Causeway
in Northern Ireland, 60 million years ago.

320
00:36:49,186 --> 00:36:52,675
The magma cooled rapidly,
forcing it to crystallize,

321
00:36:52,835 --> 00:36:55,617
and form these giant geometric shapes.

322
00:37:00,099 --> 00:37:03,673
Standing 120 meters tall,
these spectacular columns

323
00:37:03,833 --> 00:37:06,716
dwarf their Irish counterparts.

324
00:37:19,810 --> 00:37:22,370
The islands grassy cliffs
are the breeding home

325
00:37:22,530 --> 00:37:25,762
to an estimated 80,000 pairs
of Atlantic puffins.

326
00:37:30,530 --> 00:37:33,058
These enigmatic birds live a solitary life

327
00:37:33,218 --> 00:37:35,202
out at sea for most of the year.

328
00:37:38,562 --> 00:37:41,730
During summer,
they congregate in immense numbers.

329
00:37:47,266 --> 00:37:50,275
Puffins choose
the same mating partner for life,

330
00:37:50,435 --> 00:37:53,890
and reunited couples
reuse last seasons' nesting burrow.

331
00:38:00,066 --> 00:38:03,489
Sand eels are the staple diet
for a newly hatched chick.

332
00:38:03,649 --> 00:38:06,145
Both parents take turns fishing.

333
00:38:14,337 --> 00:38:17,472
Feeding areas can range
up to 100 km off shore,

334
00:38:17,632 --> 00:38:20,319
so several fish are caught on each trip.

335
00:38:24,832 --> 00:38:28,880
There tongues hold anything they catch
against spines in their pallet,

336
00:38:29,052 --> 00:38:31,771
this leaves the bill free
to capture more fish.

337
00:38:36,828 --> 00:38:40,380
Puffins are small birds,
standing just 18 cm tall,

338
00:38:40,540 --> 00:38:43,414
and weighing around 500 grams.

339
00:38:45,020 --> 00:38:47,452
They are the perfect meal
for an aerial predator

340
00:38:47,612 --> 00:38:50,075
more than three times their size.

341
00:38:58,748 --> 00:39:02,300
Great Black-backed Gulls
are opportunistic hunters,

342
00:39:02,460 --> 00:39:05,244
that steal and scavenge
most of their food.

343
00:39:11,452 --> 00:39:13,436
They're the largest of all gulls,

344
00:39:13,596 --> 00:39:17,213
and will hunt and kill
any creature smaller than themselves.

345
00:39:26,365 --> 00:39:28,733
This one has locked onto it's target.

346
00:39:37,853 --> 00:39:40,148
The puffin stands little chance

347
00:39:40,301 --> 00:39:43,837
against the gulls aggression, strength,
and endurance.

348
00:40:02,461 --> 00:40:06,813
Many partners never return
from their fishing trips.

349
00:40:18,333 --> 00:40:20,573
The Shiant isles may be isolated,

350
00:40:20,733 --> 00:40:25,720
but their location between the inner, and
outer islands, doesn't quite make them remote.

351
00:40:34,557 --> 00:40:36,739
To the far west of the outer islands,

352
00:40:36,899 --> 00:40:40,797
sits the most hostile
and isolated Archipelago of all.

353
00:40:44,828 --> 00:40:47,901
A legendary land where people eat birds.

354
00:40:52,251 --> 00:40:54,300
St. Kilda is by far the remotest

355
00:40:54,460 --> 00:40:56,347
of all the Hebridean islands.

356
00:40:58,844 --> 00:41:02,140
Lying 160 km from the mainland,

357
00:41:02,300 --> 00:41:06,800
the Archipelago was formed around
60 million years ago through volcanic activity.

358
00:41:10,906 --> 00:41:13,594
It contains the highest sea cliffs in Britain,

359
00:41:13,754 --> 00:41:17,840
which face some of the harshest storms
the Atlantic Ocean has to offer.

360
00:41:26,362 --> 00:41:29,018
The climate is generally cool,
with mists and showers

361
00:41:29,178 --> 00:41:31,770
dampening the island
at all times of the year.

362
00:41:39,162 --> 00:41:43,040
It's thought that people arrived at St. Kilda
as early as the bronze age.

363
00:41:48,346 --> 00:41:52,800
These visitors brought with them
one of the worlds most primitive forms of sheep.

364
00:41:57,370 --> 00:42:01,818
Four thousand years later,
the Soay sheep are still here.

365
00:42:06,842 --> 00:42:09,786
They're smaller than domestic sheep,
but heartier,

366
00:42:09,946 --> 00:42:11,738
and far more agile.

367
00:42:15,386 --> 00:42:17,594
Unlike their relatives, Soay sheep

368
00:42:17,754 --> 00:42:22,228
shed their coats naturally,
so don't require sheering.

369
00:42:24,282 --> 00:42:26,554
Their extraordinary long reign
on the islands

370
00:42:26,714 --> 00:42:30,600
is in part down to the fact that
they don't herd together like ordinary sheep.

371
00:42:33,306 --> 00:42:36,478
When startled, they separate
and scatter in all directions,

372
00:42:36,638 --> 00:42:39,726
making their capture difficult for predators.

373
00:42:44,307 --> 00:42:48,524
Around 2,000 Soay sheep
roam St. Kilda today.

374
00:42:58,227 --> 00:43:01,777
Iron age houses, a testament
to people setting up permanent home

375
00:43:01,937 --> 00:43:03,795
around 2,000 years ago.

376
00:43:11,486 --> 00:43:16,763
This line of continuous adaptation
came to an abrupt end, just over 80 years ago.

377
00:43:21,358 --> 00:43:26,273
For centuries people survived
by eating the islands vast supply of sea birds.

378
00:43:32,206 --> 00:43:36,960
St. Kilda's cliffs are home to some of the
largest populations of sea birds in the world.

379
00:43:40,622 --> 00:43:43,983
Because fishing the Atlantic's stormy seas
was too dangerous,

380
00:43:44,143 --> 00:43:47,711
people turned
to an alternative supply of food.

381
00:43:50,261 --> 00:43:51,926
Gannets, fulmars,

382
00:43:52,086 --> 00:43:54,878
and puffins
made up the majority of their diet.

383
00:43:56,670 --> 00:44:00,510
Each resident ate, on average,
115 fulmars every year.

384
00:44:03,366 --> 00:44:05,958
Puffins became an every day snack,

385
00:44:06,118 --> 00:44:08,133
just like a packet of crisps.

386
00:44:10,054 --> 00:44:12,455
But this source of food was seasonal,

387
00:44:12,615 --> 00:44:15,142
the birds only used St. Kilda to nest.

388
00:44:18,342 --> 00:44:21,959
At the end of summer,
the islanders cliffs became bare.

389
00:44:25,542 --> 00:44:28,231
In 1930, following food shortages,

390
00:44:28,391 --> 00:44:31,846
and disease,
the last 36 residents of St. Kilda

391
00:44:32,006 --> 00:44:34,694
were evacuated to the main land.

392
00:44:40,006 --> 00:44:42,982
Over 60,000 pairs of gannets
still return to St. Kilda

393
00:44:43,142 --> 00:44:46,688
each spring, it's the
largest colony in the world.

394
00:44:50,647 --> 00:44:53,455
Although people no longer pose a threat
to the sea birds,

395
00:44:53,615 --> 00:44:57,246
some of their own have taken to piracy.

396
00:45:04,286 --> 00:45:07,678
Great skuas arrived on St. Kilda
around 50 years ago.

397
00:45:12,958 --> 00:45:17,680
Gannets are much larger than
these aerial thieves, but skuas work in teams.

398
00:45:19,965 --> 00:45:24,308
They harass their targets,
forcing them to regurgitate their prey.

399
00:45:26,108 --> 00:45:29,313
Grabbing their victims wings mid flight
causes them to stall,

400
00:45:29,469 --> 00:45:31,228
and crash into the sea.

401
00:45:36,197 --> 00:45:38,436
Not all gannets survive such attacks,

402
00:45:38,596 --> 00:45:41,887
and the skuas end up
with an even larger bounty.

403
00:45:56,197 --> 00:46:00,127
One bird, however,
isn't prepared to just lie down and die.

404
00:46:02,445 --> 00:46:04,781
Fulmars are medium sized sea birds,

405
00:46:04,941 --> 00:46:07,415
with a wing span of just over a meter.

406
00:46:10,493 --> 00:46:14,691
On paper, they're no match
for the islands aggressive predators.

407
00:46:20,157 --> 00:46:23,132
But this unassuming bird
has a secret weapon.

408
00:46:28,636 --> 00:46:31,293
It spots an approaching arctic skua,

409
00:46:31,453 --> 00:46:33,533
another of the islands thieves.

410
00:46:35,548 --> 00:46:38,141
As the intruder gets within striking range,

411
00:46:38,301 --> 00:46:40,797
the fulmar unleashes a unique defense.

412
00:46:43,964 --> 00:46:47,485
This projectile vomit
consists of highly acidic fish oil.

413
00:46:50,492 --> 00:46:54,160
The fulmars have a spitting range
of up to 1 1/2 meters.

414
00:47:01,381 --> 00:47:05,093
The foul smelling, noxious oil,
damages intruders feathers,

415
00:47:05,253 --> 00:47:08,511
which affects water proofing and flight.

416
00:47:11,604 --> 00:47:15,920
Most predators have learned to give
this particular species a very wide berth.

417
00:47:19,732 --> 00:47:25,880
St. Kilda has the largest breeding population
of fulmars in the UK, over 65,000 pairs.

418
00:47:27,540 --> 00:47:31,720
They played an important role
in the lives of the people who lived here.

419
00:47:31,892 --> 00:47:34,612
Along with being part of their staple diet,

420
00:47:34,772 --> 00:47:38,414
the birds oil was used for burning in lamps.

421
00:47:40,955 --> 00:47:43,163
It even had a medicinal purpose,

422
00:47:43,323 --> 00:47:45,686
being rubbed into tired muscles.

423
00:47:53,436 --> 00:47:56,604
Today fulmars,
and all other sea birds in Britain,

424
00:47:56,764 --> 00:48:01,764
are protected by law,
however, there is an exception,

425
00:48:02,276 --> 00:48:05,572
and on one island
the bird eating legend lives on.

426
00:48:09,700 --> 00:48:12,708
In the small town of Ness,
in the outer Hebrides,

427
00:48:12,868 --> 00:48:15,780
a group of men are setting sail
for Sula Sgeir,

428
00:48:17,891 --> 00:48:20,931
a remote island 60 km north of their home.

429
00:48:27,428 --> 00:48:30,692
Each August, they take part
in the annual guga hunt.

430
00:48:33,900 --> 00:48:37,196
Guga is the Scottish Gaelic name
for gannet chick,

431
00:48:40,916 --> 00:48:46,301
and at this time of year, Sula Sgeir
has around 5,000 on the verge of fledging.

432
00:49:04,307 --> 00:49:08,214
Over a ten day period,
2,000 almost fully grown chicks

433
00:49:08,374 --> 00:49:10,258
are grabbed from their nests.

434
00:49:34,605 --> 00:49:38,189
Once killed, they're plucked, singed,

435
00:49:38,349 --> 00:49:40,045
and salted.

436
00:49:57,811 --> 00:50:00,366
Guga meat is seen as a delicacy.

437
00:50:02,995 --> 00:50:07,360
People from Ness have been hunting gannets
on this small island for over 500 years.

438
00:50:11,604 --> 00:50:15,124
It's an age old tradition
that today continues.

439
00:50:46,216 --> 00:50:48,521
The Hebrides is a land of wonder.

440
00:50:55,241 --> 00:50:57,993
Isolation, and food rich seas,

441
00:50:58,153 --> 00:51:00,713
provide safety for many wild creatures.

442
00:51:07,465 --> 00:51:10,793
But over time,
people have struggled to survive.

443
00:51:19,880 --> 00:51:22,890
Myth and legend litter the island shores.

444
00:51:30,274 --> 00:51:35,080
But many wild spectacles,
and age old traditions, live on.