1
00:00:08,011 --> 00:00:12,061
Scoured by ice and weathered by storms.

2
00:00:16,651 --> 00:00:19,382
20,000 sguare miles of rugged coastline...

3
00:00:21,050 --> 00:00:23,109
.lochs and mountains.

4
00:00:25,891 --> 00:00:28,428
On the face ofit, it looks bleak and lifeless.

5
00:00:29,371 --> 00:00:32,181
But wildlife is thriving in this unforgiving place...

6
00:00:33,810 --> 00:00:35,710
...If You know where to look.

7
00:00:39,010 --> 00:00:41,069
The seasons may be harsh...

8
00:00:42,970 --> 00:00:44,552
...and the opportunities fleeting.

9
00:00:46,373 --> 00:00:49,707
But animals and people
have found ways to succeed here...

10
00:00:51,091 --> 00:00:53,264
.turning adversity into advantage.

11
00:00:56,210 --> 00:00:59,066
This is Scotland's wild heart...

12
00:01:00,690 --> 00:01:01,987
.the Highlands.

13
00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:38,309
(Flame whooshes)

14
00:01:41,253 --> 00:01:46,259
İt's late March in the Cairngorm mountains...
and the hills are on fire.

15
00:01:55,573 --> 00:02:00,500
The old heather is being put to the torch to
stimulate new growth for the grouse season.

16
00:02:06,734 --> 00:02:12,298
Traditionally this inferno marks the end of winter
and the start of spring in this wilderness.

17
00:02:17,493 --> 00:02:21,384
But spring is the most unpredictable
of all the seasons in the Highlands.

18
00:02:36,612 --> 00:02:40,901
Temperatures regulariy range
from -10 to 20 degrees.

19
00:02:42,013 --> 00:02:45,984
So to achieve success here,
animals have to battle with the extremes.

20
00:02:51,010 --> 00:02:52,705
İt's all about timing.

21
00:03:00,293 --> 00:03:05,788
Mate, nest, or give birth at the wrong time
and lives can be İost.

22
00:03:14,173 --> 00:03:18,349
But get it right,
and these mountains, forests and rivers

23
00:03:18,932 --> 00:03:22,266
provide the perfect place
to the raise the next generation.

24
00:03:22,370 --> 00:03:24,145
(Chirping)

25
00:03:31,692 --> 00:03:35,469
İt can be so good
that some travel thousands of miles

26
00:03:35,571 --> 00:03:38,142
to reap the bounty the Highlands has to offer.

27
00:04:37,450 --> 00:04:39,509
İtf's an osprey...

28
00:04:40,973 --> 00:04:44,147
...newly arrived from his wintering grounds
in West Africa

29
00:04:44,772 --> 00:04:47,628
and heading back
into the heart of the Highlands.

30
00:04:52,574 --> 00:04:58,343
200 pairs of ospreys make the Highlands' vast
network of river, loch and mountain their home.

31
00:05:04,493 --> 00:05:08,509
The hilis start to rise Just 20 miles north
of the country's central belt

32
00:05:09,211 --> 00:05:11,669
and cover two-thirds of the entire nation.

33
00:05:13,494 --> 00:05:18,182
To most of the world,
the Highlands define what Scotland is all about.

34
00:05:21,970 --> 00:05:24,029
(Birds cawing)

35
00:05:27,211 --> 00:05:29,270
ÖOne mile south of iconic Loch Ness,

36
00:05:30,212 --> 00:05:33,580
this valley has been home
to breeding ospreys for a decade.

37
00:05:37,329 --> 00:05:39,184
(Trilling)

38
00:05:42,292 --> 00:05:45,660
The female is already on the nest,
waiting for her mate.

39
00:05:51,653 --> 00:05:56,227
They've spent the winter in different parts
of Africa but ospreys mate for life.

40
00:05:57,093 --> 00:06:00,620
And now they're reunited on the same nest
they used last year.

41
00:06:03,413 --> 00:06:07,987
But after the gales of winter,
it needs some urgent home İmprovements.

42
00:06:22,371 --> 00:06:24,430
Already more than five feet wide,

43
00:06:25,134 --> 00:06:30,789
this platform will need to withstand strong winds,
heavy rain and maybe even sleet or snow.

44
00:06:53,773 --> 00:06:56,822
They need to complete the makeover
as gulckly as possible.

45
00:06:57,171 --> 00:06:59,026
Because once the eggs are laid,

46
00:06:59,132 --> 00:07:02,705
the female won't leave the nest
until she's raised her family.

47
00:07:06,653 --> 00:07:10,749
For the next 13 weeks,
she'll be completely dependent on the male.

48
00:07:17,732 --> 00:07:20,702
Spring's the busiest time
for the animals in the valley.

49
00:07:24,813 --> 00:07:29,341
Brown hares, curlews and stoats are
all getting ready for the breeding season.

50
00:07:36,250 --> 00:07:37,945
(Birds chirping)

51
00:07:38,053 --> 00:07:41,227
This male roe deer is keeping close watch
on a female...

52
00:07:42,730 --> 00:07:44,425
.but she won't let him near.

53
00:07:47,373 --> 00:07:51,742
She's already heavily pregnant
and searching for a gulet spot to give birth.

54
00:08:02,332 --> 00:08:05,984
The next few days will be critical
for all the wild animals here.

55
00:08:07,011 --> 00:08:09,070
A new generation is about to arrive.

56
00:08:11,691 --> 00:08:14,342
But the conditions are still far from settled.

57
00:08:25,173 --> 00:08:29,827
Although it's now April, the temperatures
still haven't climbed above 10 degrees

58
00:08:30,533 --> 00:08:34,868
and clouds hang heavy from Loch Awe
in the West to the Cairngorms in the East.

59
00:08:53,933 --> 00:08:58,860
But in the great Caledonian pine forest of
Abernethy, there's change in the air.

60
00:09:12,570 --> 00:09:14,629
İt's a red sguirrel.

61
00:09:16,452 --> 00:09:19,865
Although they've been displaced
by grey sguirrels in most of Britain,

62
00:09:19,971 --> 00:09:22,747
they're thriving here in the Caledonian forest.

63
00:09:23,971 --> 00:09:26,224
There are 120,000 of them in Scotland,

64
00:09:27,173 --> 00:09:30,746
75 per cent of the British population
and they're increasing.

65
00:09:36,214 --> 00:09:41,266
The habitat here is ideal for them with abundant
food and plenty of potential nest sites.

66
00:09:54,812 --> 00:09:58,271
With double-jointed ankles
and small sharp claws,

67
00:09:58,851 --> 00:10:00,910
they can get up and down trees fast.

68
00:10:09,451 --> 00:10:12,022
Early spring is a busy time for red sguirrels.

69
00:10:13,130 --> 00:10:15,064
(Chirping)

70
00:10:17,770 --> 00:10:19,625
Already pregnant with kittens,

71
00:10:19,734 --> 00:10:23,898
this female is looking for a comfortable nest site,
away from predators.

72
00:10:28,773 --> 00:10:33,859
She'll either build a drey from twigs and leaves
or use an uninhabited tree hole.

73
00:10:44,970 --> 00:10:46,904
She'll need to keep searching.

74
00:10:47,011 --> 00:10:49,184
But this female's territory is large.

75
00:10:50,212 --> 00:10:53,466
She's got 17 acres of pine forest
and river to search yet.

76
00:10:57,451 --> 00:10:59,863
50 miles beyond the forest, on the River Braan,

77
00:10:59,972 --> 00:11:03,624
a pair of special Highland birds
have already built their nest.

78
00:11:10,933 --> 00:11:15,302
They're dippers -
birds that are marvellousiy adapted for life

79
00:11:15,411 --> 00:11:17,550
in this fast-changing environment.

80
00:11:21,413 --> 00:11:26,146
Britain's only aguatic songbird, dippers have
waterproof plumage to keep them dry

81
00:11:26,251 --> 00:11:29,221
and long flexible feet for gripping slippery rocks.

82
00:11:36,212 --> 00:11:39,307
Their white bibs and dark bodies
keep them well camouflaged

83
00:11:39,412 --> 00:11:43,064
as they dive for insect larvae
amongst the boulders and rapids.

84
00:11:45,651 --> 00:11:48,029
İn spring, these are in plentiful supply.

85
00:12:13,973 --> 00:12:18,501
The dippers are working non-stop as they've
already got hungry mouths to feed.

86
00:12:22,613 --> 00:12:27,426
Carefully covered by a neat moss dome,
the nest position may look dangerous.

87
00:12:31,493 --> 00:12:35,703
But it offers total protection from predators
like stoats and weasels.

88
00:12:47,970 --> 00:12:49,665
Food goes in...

89
00:12:49,770 --> 00:12:51,272
and waste comes oult.

90
00:13:17,890 --> 00:13:19,745
Even a large fish is delivered,

91
00:13:19,851 --> 00:13:22,422
an indication that the chicks are well grown.

92
00:13:30,493 --> 00:13:34,987
For now, the river's level is just right
for the chicks to make an easy exit.

93
00:13:36,690 --> 00:13:38,431
But if heavy rain arrives,

94
00:13:38,532 --> 00:13:42,469
the waterfall will become a torrent
which could sweep the nest away.

95
00:13:53,450 --> 00:13:55,384
At last the weather is warming.

96
00:13:56,252 --> 00:13:59,904
For the first time this year,
temperatures climb to 15 degrees.

97
00:14:01,493 --> 00:14:05,623
İ€'s now a priority for the Highland animals
to feed themselves up,

98
00:14:05,731 --> 00:14:07,790
ready for the next phase of spring.

99
00:14:41,291 --> 00:14:43,111
Över the next couple of months,

100
00:14:43,213 --> 00:14:47,582
the male osprey will need to catch
more than 400 fish to keep his family going.

101
00:15:01,489 --> 00:15:02,786
(Caws)

102
00:15:06,133 --> 00:15:10,741
He makes hunting look easy
but if's a game of stealth and patience.

103
00:15:14,251 --> 00:15:16,583
Önly one in four strikes are successful.

104
00:15:29,891 --> 00:15:32,223
He needs to find a fish in the right position

105
00:15:32,332 --> 00:15:36,508
and get the speed, angle
and point of entry exactly right.

106
00:15:56,571 --> 00:15:59,142
After hitting the water and grabbing the fish,

107
00:15:59,252 --> 00:16:02,426
the game still isn't over
for the osprey and its guarıy.

108
00:16:07,491 --> 00:16:09,550
He needs to get airborne again.

109
00:16:22,451 --> 00:16:25,022
His talons are eguipped with adhesive scales

110
00:16:25,691 --> 00:16:28,547
and long curved claws for an unbreakable hold.

111
00:16:29,611 --> 00:16:32,103
But a big trout can match him weight for weight

112
00:16:32,211 --> 00:16:34,669
and the instinct of the fish is to swim down.

113
00:16:39,773 --> 00:16:43,949
There are tales of weak and hungry öospreys
being dragged to the bottom,

114
00:16:44,053 --> 00:16:47,899
unable to release the fish
or lift off from the water successtully.

115
00:17:04,293 --> 00:17:08,309
But osprey wings are adapted
to give maximum lift from the water.

116
00:17:13,171 --> 00:17:15,742
And this male is young and strong.

117
00:17:20,611 --> 00:17:22,864
This is a struggle he's destined to win.

118
00:17:54,770 --> 00:17:56,590
He carries the fish headfirst,

119
00:17:56,691 --> 00:17:59,865
making it easier to fly the 20-mile journey home.

120
00:18:12,331 --> 00:18:15,266
Back in the valley, the female waits in the nest.

121
00:18:20,451 --> 00:18:22,829
Their need to feed is even more urgent now.

122
00:18:30,611 --> 00:18:32,670
She's no longer alone in the nest.

123
00:18:36,051 --> 00:18:38,224
There are definitely chicks in there.

124
00:18:46,611 --> 00:18:49,148
They're not the valley's only new arrivals.

125
00:18:52,814 --> 00:18:57,058
Deep in the long grass at the edge of the field
lles another new baby.

126
00:19:00,412 --> 00:19:04,383
With immaculate camouflage,
it instinctively lies motionless.

127
00:19:10,890 --> 00:19:12,949
The roe deer has given birth.

128
00:19:25,493 --> 00:19:29,623
Leaving her offspring alone like this
seems like a high-risk strategy.

129
00:19:31,250 --> 00:19:33,025
But the mother needs to feed

130
00:19:33,133 --> 00:19:37,866
and the youngster is too young to run away
from danger, so hiding is the only option.

131
00:19:44,770 --> 00:19:46,829
(High-pitched yelping)

132
00:20:03,450 --> 00:20:05,509
The mother approaches warily.

133
00:20:06,854 --> 00:20:11,064
She musitn't reveal the location
to any watching predators like eagles or foxes.

134
00:20:11,850 --> 00:20:13,909
(Yelping continues)

135
00:20:24,654 --> 00:20:28,625
But it's not predators
that are the greatest threat to young roe deer.

136
00:20:30,052 --> 00:20:33,101
A sudden drop in spring temperatures
could be fatal.

137
00:20:55,530 --> 00:20:57,589
(İnsistent chirping)

138
00:20:59,251 --> 00:21:01,310
The male osprey is back with the fish.

139
00:21:05,611 --> 00:21:07,750
He's now got a lot more mouths to feed.

140
00:21:10,491 --> 00:21:12,869
There are three hungry chicks in the nest.

141
00:21:20,051 --> 00:21:22,304
Fuelled by their high-protein fish diet,

142
00:21:23,131 --> 00:21:26,351
osprey chicks become full size in just five weeks.

143
00:21:30,972 --> 00:21:34,863
And once they're 12 weeks old,
they face an even bigger test...

144
00:21:37,170 --> 00:21:39,229
.a flight to distant Africa.

145
00:21:56,093 --> 00:22:00,860
Just öone mile north of the ospreys' valley
llies the Great Glen.

146
00:22:05,652 --> 00:22:09,589
Önce a mighty glacier,
it divides the Highlands in two.

147
00:22:11,533 --> 00:22:14,901
At its heart is the most famous body of water
in Scotland...

148
00:22:20,170 --> 00:22:22,070
.Loch Ness.

149
00:22:30,411 --> 00:22:32,664
İt deserves its legendary reputation.

150
00:22:33,694 --> 00:22:40,543
23 miles long, it contains more fresh water than
all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

151
00:23:09,330 --> 00:23:11,185
As for the monster...

152
00:23:12,130 --> 00:23:14,189
.Jt still hasn't been found.

153
00:23:16,012 --> 00:23:19,061
But the Highlands
are full of mysterious creatures.

154
00:23:23,770 --> 00:23:25,590
(Rustling)

155
00:23:30,490 --> 00:23:33,221
İt€'s 4am in Abernethy Forest...

156
00:23:34,170 --> 00:23:36,229
...and something is stirring.

157
00:23:37,210 --> 00:23:39,269
(Rustling and popping)

158
00:23:42,530 --> 00:23:44,066
(Popping)

159
00:23:55,611 --> 00:23:59,024
Capercaillie - the world's biggest grouse.

160
00:24:07,611 --> 00:24:09,989
There are jJust over 1,000 left in Scotland

161
00:24:11,491 --> 00:24:14,222
and their stronghold is here in the pine forest.

162
00:24:28,052 --> 00:24:32,307
Their bizarre popping call
penetrates deep into the forest.

163
00:24:35,892 --> 00:24:40,989
İt attracts the females
to a ritualistic display called a lek.

164
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:46,825
Here, in a forest clearing,

165
00:24:47,773 --> 00:24:52,222
the males will compete for the right to mate
exclusively with all the females.

166
00:24:59,333 --> 00:25:04,305
Weighing in at more than four kilos,
this young male is in superb condition.

167
00:25:05,010 --> 00:25:07,069
(Popping call)

168
00:25:14,971 --> 00:25:17,224
But an older male is up for the fight too.

169
00:25:24,413 --> 00:25:29,863
This veteran with a bald patch on his neck
has been king of the lek for many years.

170
00:25:44,411 --> 00:25:46,505
The females look on from the tree tops,

171
00:25:47,451 --> 00:25:50,307
desperate to see which suitor will be victorious.

172
00:25:56,930 --> 00:25:58,989
İt's time to raise the stakes.

173
00:26:10,409 --> 00:26:11,945
Game on.

174
00:26:13,210 --> 00:26:14,985
(Screeching)

175
00:26:26,050 --> 00:26:27,791
They're evenily matched.

176
00:26:27,891 --> 00:26:30,462
İtf's simply a guestion of who gives way first.

177
00:26:41,211 --> 00:26:43,350
The younger male is on the run...

178
00:26:43,451 --> 00:26:46,022
handing victory to the dominant, older bird.

179
00:26:53,250 --> 00:26:55,105
(Popping)

180
00:26:56,330 --> 00:26:58,230
Like an emperor of the forest,

181
00:26:58,811 --> 00:27:00,870
he's retained mastery of the lek.

182
00:27:02,570 --> 00:27:04,629
All the females are his.

183
00:27:13,732 --> 00:27:17,305
Nearby, the female sduirrel
is feeding on pine cones.

184
00:27:24,453 --> 00:27:28,219
The small seeds between the scales
are a protein-rich food source

185
00:27:29,170 --> 00:27:31,309
and she needs extra nourishment now.

186
00:27:32,850 --> 00:27:34,670
She's just given birth.

187
00:27:37,653 --> 00:27:42,659
There are two new kittens, hidden deep
in her drey high up in a Scot's pine.

188
00:27:48,771 --> 00:27:51,388
Soft moss is ideal for lining the nest.

189
00:28:02,531 --> 00:28:05,068
Sauirrels are fastidiously clean animals.

190
00:28:08,212 --> 00:28:12,501
But the tiny and blind babies
can't leave the nest for a toilet break.

191
00:28:14,334 --> 00:28:19,465
So regulariy changing the bedding is an
important part of the female sauirrel's routine.

192
00:28:21,571 --> 00:28:23,824
Although the drey is only ten inches across,

193
00:28:24,653 --> 00:28:28,908
it takes at least six mouthfuls of moss
to fill it up and make it snug.

194
00:28:35,131 --> 00:28:37,702
Önce the youngsters are able to grip and climb,

195
00:28:37,811 --> 00:28:40,269
they'li start leaving the drey to explore.

196
00:28:45,051 --> 00:28:47,110
But that's still many weeks away.

197
00:28:48,652 --> 00:28:52,350
So for now...she's stuck with
this time-consuming chore.

198
00:29:17,210 --> 00:29:19,030
High above Abernethy Forest,

199
00:29:19,133 --> 00:29:24,822
snow is still İying thick and deep on Cairngorm,
Cairn Toul and Ben Macduli.

200
00:29:30,131 --> 00:29:33,704
But it's 1st May and spring is picking up pace.

201
00:29:38,413 --> 00:29:42,907
Further down on the moorland edge,
wild flowers are coming into bloom.

202
00:29:44,452 --> 00:29:48,502
Bumblebees are buzzing
and new-born lambs are playing.

203
00:30:11,810 --> 00:30:13,824
(Bleating)

204
00:30:14,693 --> 00:30:18,140
FARMER: There we go.
Shall we empty your bucket, Ernestine?

205
00:30:18,890 --> 00:30:20,631
But despite the sunshine,

206
00:30:20,733 --> 00:30:25,660
the hill farmers know that it's still too early
to risk taking the sheep onto the mountains.

207
00:30:27,053 --> 00:30:30,182
Even in May,
heavy snow can fall in the Highlands,

208
00:30:30,973 --> 00:30:35,262
so for now, they'li feed them here in the valley,
close to the farm.

209
00:30:50,531 --> 00:30:52,863
But for the wild creatures of the Highlands,

210
00:30:52,972 --> 00:30:56,829
there's no chance of holding back
and waiting for better conditions.

211
00:30:56,932 --> 00:31:00,106
They just have to make the best ofit,
whatever the weather.

212
00:31:09,413 --> 00:31:13,782
Tawny owl and wagtail chicks
are already on the verge of independence.

213
00:31:18,011 --> 00:31:20,469
And the osprey chicks are growing fast too,

214
00:31:21,091 --> 00:31:23,549
demanding more and more fish from the male.

215
00:31:28,090 --> 00:31:29,626
(Chirping)

216
00:31:34,571 --> 00:31:36,824
The roe deer can sense change is coming.

217
00:31:40,011 --> 00:31:41,866
Her youngster is now more mobile

218
00:31:41,972 --> 00:31:45,340
and she's instinctively moving it
towards higher ground.

219
00:31:47,370 --> 00:31:49,304
İt could be a wise move.

220
00:31:49,411 --> 00:31:52,062
This valley has flooded many times in the past.

221
00:32:03,931 --> 00:32:05,990
She can't help it across the fence.

222
00:32:07,173 --> 00:32:10,620
Now it's a week old,
it has to work the problem out for itself.

223
00:32:16,050 --> 00:32:18,109
(Wind howling)

224
00:32:19,371 --> 00:32:21,749
The weather has taken a turn for the worst.

225
00:32:23,810 --> 00:32:25,665
İt's deteriorating fast.

226
00:32:32,371 --> 00:32:34,749
Temperatures are sliding into single figures

227
00:32:35,652 --> 00:32:38,462
and a cold front is now sweeping in
from the Atlantic.

228
00:32:42,410 --> 00:32:44,469
Heavy rain is on its way.

229
00:32:48,650 --> 00:32:50,709
(Distant thunder rumbles)