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PAUL MURTON: The tangled,
island-studded coast of Argyll
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00:00:10,020 --> 00:00:12,500
creates a labyrinth
of lochs and islands
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00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:14,460
where travellers never seem far
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00:00:14,620 --> 00:00:17,620
from the legends and myths
of the past.
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00:00:18,780 --> 00:00:20,860
Some of my earliest
childhood memories
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are of the lochs along this coast,
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a place where the history
of generations
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is literally written
into the landscape.
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Scotland's lochs are
a product of an element
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we have in spectacular abundance -
water.
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With so much of the stuff about,
it's hardly surprising
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00:00:42,340 --> 00:00:45,380
that there are tens of thousands
of lochs in Scotland.
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And they come
in all shapes and sizes.
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00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:51,300
We've got long fjord-like sea lochs,
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great freshwater lochs
of the Central Highlands,
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00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:58,060
and innumerable lochans
that stud the open moors.
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In this series, I'm setting out
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on a loch-hopping journey
across Scotland,
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meeting the people
who live close to their shores,
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00:01:05,980 --> 00:01:09,540
and discovering how lochs have
influenced an entire nation.
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For this Grand Tour,
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I'm following
a route from the west coast,
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travelling the length of Scotland's
longest freshwater loch.
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My journey takes me from a sacred
place on the Atlantic coast,
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heads north through a landscape
littered with ancient monuments,
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00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:41,700
to the shores of Loch Awe.
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Sailing among its mythical islands,
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I discover a hollow mountain
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and a witch who drowned
an entire landscape.
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This is Loch Sween,
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an arm of the sea
facing the mountainous Paps of Jura.
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The word 'Sween' derives
from an old Norse name
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for a leader called Sven
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00:02:04,260 --> 00:02:06,460
who is said to have once ruled here.
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And this beautiful stretch
of white shell sand is Kilmory Bay,
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a place I've known since childhood.
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00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:15,980
When I was a wee boy,
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my parents would drive us down here
for weekends by the sea.
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And we'd camp on the sheep-cropped
grass of the Machair.
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We'd collect driftwood and build
fires and cook whelks in a bucket.
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Those were really great days.
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Now, there is something about
the idyllic beauty of this place
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that seems to exude
a magic all of it's own,
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which was something
that my mother put down
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to the history of Kilmory
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and its ancient chapel
where the past is recorded in stone.
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Built in the 1200s,
it was used as a place of worship
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until the Reformation
of the 16th century.
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Now, this is pretty much as
I remember it when I was a wee boy.
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We've got lines
of beautifully carved grave slabs
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leaning up against the chapel wall.
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And, behind me,
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we've got a very interesting early
Christian cross-marked grave slab
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which actually dates from the tenth,
or perhaps even the ninth century,
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which would make them older
than the original chapel here.
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But these later grave slabs,
dating from the Middle Ages,
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late Middle Ages,
show the knights with their swords,
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their great unsheathed swords.
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And, on top of the slabs,
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we've got a very significant
and important symbol,
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00:03:36,780 --> 00:03:41,380
this is an image of the great
Highland war galley, or 'birlinn',
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which was very significant
in this part of the world.
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00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:47,420
And over here is
the MacMillan's Cross
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which is, quite simply, a superb
example of the stonemason's craft.
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There's a sword on this side,
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and, on the reverse side,
we've got a fabulous hunting scene
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with a deer being chased by hounds.
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But, on this side, as you'd expect,
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the crucified Christ on his cross
and, by his side, his mother Mary,
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after whom this chapel is dedicated.
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It really is a superb piece of work.
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Back in my kayak, I head up the loch.
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The chapel of Kilmory
symbolised spiritual power,
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which went hand-in-hand
with the earthly power
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wielded by the mighty lord
of Loch Sween,
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who gave his name to an entire clan -
Clan McSween.
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And it was
from this magnificent castle
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that he ruled
the surrounding lands.
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Castle Sween, or Sven's Castle,
guards the ancient lands of Knapdale,
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and is thought to be
the oldest surviving castle
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00:04:53,060 --> 00:04:54,660
on the Scottish coast.
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In medieval Scotland,
the area thrived,
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but emigration and afforestation
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have altered
the culture and landscape.
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But with change comes opportunity.
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Today, Knapdale Forest has attracted
some unusual new residents.
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The incomers I'm talking about
are European beaver.
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And although they've only
been resident for a few years,
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they were once common
throughout Scotland
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and would have been familiar
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to the men who sailed
the Highland war galleys of old.
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Beavers in Britain were hunted
to extinction 400 years ago.
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But now they're back,
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thanks to a series of initiatives
across Europe
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to save the species from extinction.
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This is the lovely Lilly Loch,
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where I've come
in hope of glimpsing beaver.
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Guiding me is Ben Harrower,
and his faithful spaniel Dottie.
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If the beaver's
on the loch or riverside,
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usually, the first thing you'll see
is a tree that's been cut
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or partially cut,
or a branch that's been snipped.
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And other signs
would include a dam or a lodge
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as well, along the shoreline.
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Paddling through a flooded landscape,
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we come to the most telling signs
of beaver on the loch.
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That's the dam.
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It's quite large, this one,
probably, maybe, um, 15 meters.
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So the beavers have dragged logs
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and stopped the outlet
of the wee lochan
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and flooded it,
so this is all flooded territory.
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Yup.
How long did it take them
to build this dam?
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They built it in...
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Within six months,
a lot of the structure was there,
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but nine months in total to get
this 15-meter stretch of dam built.
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And are your beavers busy beavers?
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Well, every night
they'll be servicing this dam,
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checking on it,
and if there's a breach
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they're usually quite quick
in repairing it.
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00:06:58,140 --> 00:07:00,260
So, yeah, if they're living
on this loch,
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they generally keep
this dam well maintained.
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Despite all the evidence
of beaver activity,
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I'm disappointed
not to have seen one.
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However, remote cameras
set up near the dam
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might have recorded their activity.
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If we're lucky, perhaps I'll get
my beaver shot after all.
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Together with Ben's colleague
Gill Dowse,
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we examine
some potential beaver footage.
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Oh, yay!
Oh, is that the beaver?
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Yes, yup, there's one there.
Wow!
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00:07:32,420 --> 00:07:35,420
It looks like a giant guinea pig,
I have to say.
(LAUGHS) Yes!
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They're about the size
of a tubby spaniel,
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they're a bit bigger
than you think, really.
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Is this a night-vision shot?
Yes.
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Is that why we're seeing it
in black and white?
That's right. What else have we got?
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Oh, what's brilliant,
you can see the tail there.
Oh, wow! Look, there's its tail!
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Yeah, so that's fantastic.
A massive beaver's tail.
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And swimming!
And swimming off!
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That's fantastic,
that's great footage.
I love that.
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What else have we got?
Is there two?
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Well, no, there's just one.
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It's quite difficult to tell
'cause it's night-vision here.
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So you don't have
face recognition cameras for beavers?
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(LAUGHS) No, it's quite difficult
to tell the animals apart,
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certainly the male and female.
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How long have you been
involved in the project?
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I'm incredibly lucky,
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I've been working with the trial
since 2009, when it started.
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It's, yeah, fantastic.
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It's the first mammal
to be reintroduced back to the UK,
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and it's 400 years
since they've been extinct.
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It's amazing.
Very exciting.
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Oh, what's this?
Oh, wow, fantastic.
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That's an otter!
That's an otter, yeah.
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So that's from here.
An otter using the dam.
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Yep.
Amazing.
That's great footage.
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Oh, wow!
Fantastic, that's daytime as well!
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During the daytime!
That's really nice footage.
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A daylight shot of the beaver.
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The teeth are really long
on a beaver,
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and they continue growing,
they never stop growing.
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And they're really,
really dark orange
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because they take in the tannin
from the bark,
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and that's what strengthens
their teeth.
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So it's not a nicotine stain?
No, no, no.
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And you can tell it's an adult
'cause the tail's quite wide.
Uh-huh.
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Knapdale, with its hills,
lochs, and hollows,
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makes ideal habitat
for beaver engineers
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and forms a network of waterways
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that were exploited
by human engineers
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to supply a constant source of water
for the famous Crinan Canal.
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Completed in 1801,
the canal provides a 14km short cut
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from the Firth of Clyde
to the Atlantic.
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Where the canal reaches
Loch Crinan in the west,
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a small community quickly grew up.
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Crinan is still a busy place,
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and the boat yard is
a hive of activity.
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Among the modern craft
is a relic from the past -
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a vessel that once graced millions
of television screens
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as the good ship The Vital Spark,
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00:09:47,380 --> 00:09:49,340
a little steam ship, or 'puffer',
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that plied the coastal trade
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in the early years
of the 20th century.
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Now renamed Auld Reekie,
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she was built in 1943
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and is undergoing
extensive restoration
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by a group of enthusiasts.
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I join Douglas Smith to lend a hand.
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00:10:07,380 --> 00:10:10,260
Now, Douglas, you've been working
on this boat for quite a while.
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When did you first get involved?
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It was 10 years ago,
2008 we started.
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Well, the idea, at first, was mooted
amongst some of our friends.
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00:10:19,300 --> 00:10:20,740
Uh-huh.
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00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:23,020
Duncan MacGilvary, he's at home
in Islay just now,
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00:10:23,180 --> 00:10:26,820
and him and a friend decided
to buy this and do it up.
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What was he thinking of?
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I would like to know.
(THEY LAUGH)
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But these puffers, I suppose
for a man like yourself from Islay,
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would have a place in your memory
and in your heart.
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That's right, that's right.
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As kids, we used to jump on the
bikes and go up to Bruichladdich
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and watch the puffers
coming into the pier,
mainly for the distilleries.
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00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:46,300
Uh-huh.
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You go up there, and there might be
four or five of them
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sitting off the pier
waiting to get in.
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00:10:50,980 --> 00:10:52,860
They hauled the barley in
for the distilleries
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and took the whisky
out to the mainland.
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00:10:54,700 --> 00:10:57,900
So these were a vital part
of island life at one time?
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Yeah, yeah.
And you're bringing this one
back to life.
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Yeah, it's been a big team effort.
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00:11:08,460 --> 00:11:12,980
Leaving Crinan, I head north
passing through Kilmartin Glen,
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00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:16,340
which boasts one of the most
archaeologically rich landscapes
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in Britain.
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00:11:18,380 --> 00:11:21,820
For 10km, the route passes
through a concentration
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of over 350 ancient monuments,
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including cairns, standing stones,
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00:11:27,940 --> 00:11:30,300
stone circles, and hill forts.
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00:11:31,860 --> 00:11:33,340
If that wasn't enough,
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00:11:33,500 --> 00:11:36,500
there is more prehistoric rock art
to be found here
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00:11:36,660 --> 00:11:38,700
than anywhere else in Great Britain.
220
00:11:38,860 --> 00:11:42,900
And hidden amongst the woods and
up on the hills are hundreds of sites
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where strange symbols
have been cut into the stone.
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Now, despite the best efforts
of academics and archaeologists,
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00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:53,260
they remain ultimately mysterious.
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00:11:56,220 --> 00:12:00,420
Kilmartin Glen is one of the most
prolific areas for rock art
225
00:12:00,580 --> 00:12:02,180
in Great Britain.
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00:12:02,340 --> 00:12:07,380
To lead me into this lost word
is archaeologist Aaron Watson.
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00:12:07,540 --> 00:12:12,060
It's very difficult
to date carvings in a rock.
Uh-huh.
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00:12:12,220 --> 00:12:16,180
But, by association
with sites elsewhere,
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00:12:16,340 --> 00:12:18,060
and through excavation,
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00:12:18,220 --> 00:12:20,340
we have a pretty good sense
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00:12:20,500 --> 00:12:24,420
that they're between
4,000 and 5,000 years old.
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00:12:24,580 --> 00:12:27,460
Right, so about as old
as the Pyramids?
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00:12:29,780 --> 00:12:31,300
Archaeologists have puzzled
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00:12:31,460 --> 00:12:34,740
over the meaning of these
mysterious carved rings.
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00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:37,780
Aaron has his own interpretation.
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This shape, this form is
somehow fundamental
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00:12:42,500 --> 00:12:44,980
to the beliefs of these people.
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Not far from here,
in Kilmartin Glen,
239
00:12:47,980 --> 00:12:54,540
there are built monuments
which take the circular form.
240
00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:57,220
And rather than us just looking
at the surface of the rock
241
00:12:57,380 --> 00:12:59,020
and seeing circles,
242
00:12:59,180 --> 00:13:02,700
you can actually move
into these monuments,
243
00:13:02,860 --> 00:13:05,940
which create a circular boundary
around you.
244
00:13:06,100 --> 00:13:09,460
And they seem to be carefully
positioned in the landscape,
245
00:13:09,620 --> 00:13:14,140
so that when you look
at the hills around,
246
00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:16,140
they also seem to surround you.
247
00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:20,100
Perhaps these people are
seeing themselves
248
00:13:20,260 --> 00:13:23,060
as being at the centre of the world.
249
00:13:26,420 --> 00:13:29,020
Placing myself
at the centre of things,
250
00:13:29,180 --> 00:13:32,060
I take a photograph
of the cup and ring marks,
251
00:13:32,220 --> 00:13:35,460
and then head north
making for my next destination -
252
00:13:35,620 --> 00:13:37,820
the mighty Loch Awe.
253
00:13:39,780 --> 00:13:43,580
Loch Awe is Scotland's
longest freshwater loch.
254
00:13:43,740 --> 00:13:48,300
From the south-west, it stretches
north-east for over 40km.
255
00:13:48,460 --> 00:13:51,740
Rarely more than 2km wide,
256
00:13:51,900 --> 00:13:55,340
Loch Awe boasts
ancient picturesque castles,
257
00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,420
and wooded mythological islands.
258
00:13:58,580 --> 00:14:02,140
The loch is also on the route
taken by the drovers of old.
259
00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:03,780
Here at Portsonachan,
260
00:14:03,940 --> 00:14:07,660
cattle were once taken across
the loch on their way to market.
261
00:14:07,820 --> 00:14:12,700
Today, the descendants of those
cattle have become Scottish icons.
262
00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:16,940
Queenie Strickland is
a modern cattle breeder
263
00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:20,100
who well understands
the heritage of her herd.
264
00:14:20,260 --> 00:14:22,820
Queenie, we're surrounded
by your cows here.
265
00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:25,500
These are traditional
highland cattle, are they?
266
00:14:25,660 --> 00:14:27,140
Yes, they are.
267
00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:28,860
Originally, they were black
268
00:14:29,020 --> 00:14:30,980
but they have bred the black out,
269
00:14:31,140 --> 00:14:33,740
well, not all of them,
and it makes them red.
270
00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:35,580
But you're a cattle breeder,
271
00:14:35,740 --> 00:14:39,540
so you've breeding cattle
for what particular purpose?
272
00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:41,380
Er, as a hobby.
273
00:14:41,540 --> 00:14:43,700
As a hobby?
As a hobby, yes.
274
00:14:43,860 --> 00:14:45,660
Um, it started off as a hobby,
275
00:14:45,820 --> 00:14:47,580
and it's now got
slightly more serious.
276
00:14:47,740 --> 00:14:49,780
How many cattle have
you got here, Queenie?
277
00:14:49,940 --> 00:14:51,420
At the moment, about 100.
278
00:14:51,580 --> 00:14:54,380
So 100's more than a hobby, it's
moved on beyond that now, has it?
279
00:14:54,540 --> 00:14:56,260
I suppose so, yes.
(LAUGHS)
280
00:14:56,420 --> 00:14:57,900
You can say that, I suppose.
281
00:14:58,060 --> 00:15:00,020
So are you breeding to sell them on?
282
00:15:00,180 --> 00:15:04,780
Yes, we sell the females, yes,
um, for breeding,
283
00:15:04,940 --> 00:15:06,660
and the ones that don't make it,
284
00:15:06,820 --> 00:15:08,980
they end up, I'm afraid...
285
00:15:09,140 --> 00:15:10,620
..as hamburgers.
286
00:15:10,780 --> 00:15:12,620
You shouldn't say that sort of thing.
(LAUGHS)
287
00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:14,820
You're not going to be
a hamburger, are you?
288
00:15:14,980 --> 00:15:16,860
Queenie,
in amongst these beautiful beasts,
289
00:15:17,020 --> 00:15:18,540
they'll never be hamburgers.
290
00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:22,060
Queenie is just as unsentimental
and pragmatic
291
00:15:22,220 --> 00:15:24,300
as the old cattle drovers
would have been,
292
00:15:24,460 --> 00:15:28,180
when beef formed the mainstay
of the Highland economy.
293
00:15:30,660 --> 00:15:33,460
To discover more
about this lost way of life,
294
00:15:33,620 --> 00:15:37,020
John Keay undertook an experiment
in living history.
295
00:15:37,180 --> 00:15:40,140
In the 1980s, he spent six weeks
296
00:15:40,300 --> 00:15:45,460
walking a small herd of cattle
from Skye to Crieff in Perthshire,
297
00:15:45,620 --> 00:15:49,100
a distance of over 200 miles.
298
00:15:49,260 --> 00:15:51,260
So when you were conducting
this experiment,
299
00:15:51,420 --> 00:15:53,620
was there anything in particular
that you learned
300
00:15:53,780 --> 00:15:55,340
about the art of cattle droving?
301
00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:57,700
Yes, eh, it's very slow.
302
00:15:57,860 --> 00:15:59,380
(THEY CHUCKLE)
303
00:15:59,540 --> 00:16:03,100
Your rate of progress is probably
about 1.5 miles an hour.
304
00:16:03,260 --> 00:16:06,300
Um, but, I mean,
the most attractive thing to me
305
00:16:06,460 --> 00:16:11,980
was the importance of keeping
their feet in good condition.
306
00:16:12,140 --> 00:16:16,900
Their feet wear very rapidly
on surfaces like this - loose.
307
00:16:17,060 --> 00:16:19,460
In the old days, they actually
used to shoe them.
308
00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,700
You know, with a horse,
you've got a round hoof,
309
00:16:21,860 --> 00:16:23,500
and you put a horseshoe on it.
310
00:16:23,660 --> 00:16:26,100
With cattle,
they've got a cloven foot,
311
00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:29,420
so they had to have two plates,
two shoes on each foot.
312
00:16:29,580 --> 00:16:30,580
Really?
313
00:16:30,740 --> 00:16:34,340
I mean, I was really interested
in the drove roads, originally,
314
00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:37,540
and the first thing you discover
is there are no drove roads
in the Highlands,
315
00:16:37,700 --> 00:16:39,180
there are only drove routes.
316
00:16:39,340 --> 00:16:41,100
And even when the military roads
were built,
317
00:16:41,260 --> 00:16:43,220
drovers, for the most part,
avoided them.
318
00:16:43,380 --> 00:16:44,860
Did they really, why was that?
319
00:16:45,020 --> 00:16:47,900
Partly because what you want
the cattle to do
320
00:16:48,060 --> 00:16:49,980
is to graze their way
across the hill,
321
00:16:50,140 --> 00:16:53,020
because that way they get
plenty to eat and, uh,
322
00:16:53,180 --> 00:16:55,540
remain in good condition, hopefully.
323
00:16:55,700 --> 00:16:58,740
Did you enjoy the experience?
Yes, I was...
324
00:16:58,900 --> 00:17:01,020
I mean, by the end of it,
I was absolutely exhausted.
325
00:17:01,180 --> 00:17:04,700
I mean, we all were completely
dead on our feet, but it was fun.
326
00:17:06,530 --> 00:17:09,250
Leaving John and Queenie
to round up the herd,
327
00:17:09,410 --> 00:17:11,770
I return to the shores of the loch.
328
00:17:11,930 --> 00:17:13,410
In Victorian times,
329
00:17:13,570 --> 00:17:16,370
early tourists could enjoy
the delights of Loch Awe
330
00:17:16,530 --> 00:17:18,930
from the decks of pleasure steamers.
331
00:17:19,090 --> 00:17:21,650
To recreate a sense
of the cruising heyday,
332
00:17:21,810 --> 00:17:23,610
I've joined Paddy Shaw,
333
00:17:23,770 --> 00:17:26,610
who skippered the last
commercial steamer on the loch,
334
00:17:26,770 --> 00:17:30,650
and Roger Martin aboard his boat,
the Bunnahabhain.
335
00:17:30,810 --> 00:17:32,610
(STEAM WHISTLE BLARES)
336
00:17:33,730 --> 00:17:35,370
Why 'Bunnahabhain'?
337
00:17:35,530 --> 00:17:37,650
It's an Islay whisky,
338
00:17:37,810 --> 00:17:40,290
and there is a bit of a tradition
in Scotland
339
00:17:40,450 --> 00:17:42,210
to name steam boats after whiskies.
340
00:17:42,370 --> 00:17:43,850
Is there, indeed?
Yes.
341
00:17:44,010 --> 00:17:46,210
And how old is the Bunnahabhain?
342
00:17:46,370 --> 00:17:48,890
The hull was built in 1999...
Uh-huh.
343
00:17:49,050 --> 00:17:50,770
..and the engine in 2002,
344
00:17:50,930 --> 00:17:52,610
and the boiler about the same time.
345
00:17:52,770 --> 00:17:54,770
So she's a pretty new boat.
Yes.
346
00:17:54,930 --> 00:17:56,410
But she looks much older.
347
00:17:56,570 --> 00:17:58,610
She's based on an Edwardian design,
348
00:17:58,770 --> 00:18:01,970
and so it's got the classic lines
with the straight bow,
349
00:18:02,130 --> 00:18:05,450
and the counter stir,
and the nice curve to it
350
00:18:05,610 --> 00:18:07,090
and the funnel leaning back.
351
00:18:07,250 --> 00:18:09,170
She's a beautiful looking boat,
352
00:18:09,330 --> 00:18:11,810
and all powered by this
one little steam engine.
353
00:18:11,970 --> 00:18:15,370
Indeed.
Absolutely tiny, almost looks
like a model to me.
354
00:18:15,530 --> 00:18:20,210
Well, some people look upon it
as model engineering.
(LAUGHS)
355
00:18:20,370 --> 00:18:25,370
It's a twin cylinder, high-pressure,
double acting steam engine,
356
00:18:25,530 --> 00:18:29,770
and it produces
about 4 or 5 bhp.
357
00:18:29,930 --> 00:18:31,410
Is that all?
358
00:18:31,570 --> 00:18:35,490
That's all, and it takes the boat
at 6, 6.5 miles an hour.
359
00:18:35,650 --> 00:18:38,450
That's fantastic, isn't it?
Who would have thought?
Yeah.
360
00:18:40,650 --> 00:18:44,690
Of course, the Bunnahabhain
is equipped with a steam whistle.
361
00:18:44,850 --> 00:18:48,410
And I can't restrain myself
any longer.
362
00:18:48,570 --> 00:18:50,570
Can I have a shot?
Oh, please do, go on.
363
00:18:50,730 --> 00:18:52,850
Is it hot?
Eh, no, it's not too hot.
364
00:18:53,010 --> 00:18:54,490
Half way up.
365
00:18:54,650 --> 00:18:56,690
(STEAM WHISTLE BLARES)
366
00:18:58,370 --> 00:19:01,330
Hear that lonesome whistle blow.
(THEY CHUCKLE)
367
00:19:04,650 --> 00:19:08,530
Paddy Shaw skippered the last
commercial steamer on the loch,
368
00:19:08,690 --> 00:19:10,170
the Lady Rowena,
369
00:19:10,330 --> 00:19:13,170
taking tourists aboard
for pleasure trips.
370
00:19:14,530 --> 00:19:16,810
It must be quite difficult
navigating the loch at night,
371
00:19:16,970 --> 00:19:19,290
I would have thought,
because there's no navigation aids,
372
00:19:19,450 --> 00:19:21,290
as far as I can see,
along the shore.
373
00:19:21,450 --> 00:19:22,930
Well, that's right, that's right.
374
00:19:23,090 --> 00:19:26,770
We used to take young people,
especially,
375
00:19:26,930 --> 00:19:29,010
to dances down in Dalavich,
376
00:19:29,170 --> 00:19:31,290
right down at the other end
of the loch.
377
00:19:31,450 --> 00:19:34,610
And, um, it was alright
till coming back.
378
00:19:34,770 --> 00:19:37,050
And it was, sometimes, pitch dark.
Uh-huh.
379
00:19:37,210 --> 00:19:44,330
And also the crowd would be quite,
sort of, good form, kind of thing.
380
00:19:44,490 --> 00:19:47,410
And, uh, we had to, um...
381
00:19:47,570 --> 00:19:51,010
And one of the problems,
being no navigational aids,
382
00:19:51,170 --> 00:19:55,570
I had to prime
some of the householders in the area
383
00:19:55,730 --> 00:19:58,890
to keep a light on here and there
so I knew where I was.
384
00:20:02,050 --> 00:20:05,010
The Bunnahabhain takes us,
at a steady pace,
385
00:20:05,170 --> 00:20:07,650
among the legendary islands
in the loch.
386
00:20:08,930 --> 00:20:14,130
This is Fraoch Eilean which, in myth,
was once guarded by a dragon.
387
00:20:14,290 --> 00:20:18,650
And a sense of mystery
and imagination still hangs heavy
388
00:20:18,810 --> 00:20:21,130
over the waters of the loch.
389
00:20:21,290 --> 00:20:23,090
Here on the shore to the north,
390
00:20:23,250 --> 00:20:26,450
the creatures of legend seem
to have found a home.
391
00:20:27,850 --> 00:20:29,690
This is St Conan's Kirk,
392
00:20:29,850 --> 00:20:34,810
one of the most remarkable
and eccentric churches in Scotland.
393
00:20:34,970 --> 00:20:39,330
It looks as if it's come straight
from the pages of a gothic romance.
394
00:20:40,650 --> 00:20:45,450
This extraordinary church was built
by local laird Walter Campbell,
395
00:20:45,610 --> 00:20:48,250
who lived
on one of the islands in the loch.
396
00:20:50,450 --> 00:20:53,050
Walter wasn't trained
as an architect,
397
00:20:53,210 --> 00:20:56,650
which might explain why his creation
is such a bizarre blend
398
00:20:56,810 --> 00:21:00,530
of different ecclesiastical styles
and periods.
399
00:21:00,690 --> 00:21:03,050
There are Saxon doorways,
400
00:21:03,210 --> 00:21:04,730
Gothic windows,
401
00:21:04,890 --> 00:21:06,850
Romanesque arches,
402
00:21:07,010 --> 00:21:08,730
Norman columns,
403
00:21:08,890 --> 00:21:10,610
anything that took Walter's fancy
was in.
404
00:21:11,930 --> 00:21:16,730
And the result is quite wonderful,
exuberant, and unrestrained.
405
00:21:18,490 --> 00:21:21,250
Walter began work here in 1907,
406
00:21:21,410 --> 00:21:25,650
but, tragically, he died before
his dream project was completed,
407
00:21:25,810 --> 00:21:29,010
leaving his sister
to realise his vision.
408
00:21:29,170 --> 00:21:31,450
And it wasn't until 1930
409
00:21:31,610 --> 00:21:34,890
that the first church service
took place here.
410
00:21:35,050 --> 00:21:39,690
Walter never left St Conan's,
not even in death,
411
00:21:39,850 --> 00:21:41,970
because he was buried here.
412
00:21:42,130 --> 00:21:44,530
And this is his effigy,
413
00:21:44,690 --> 00:21:47,850
looking for all the world
like a knight of old
414
00:21:48,010 --> 00:21:52,330
who's fallen into a deep slumber
at the end of some holy quest.
415
00:21:53,690 --> 00:21:55,450
And what's he dreaming about?
416
00:21:55,610 --> 00:21:58,770
Well, probably, this is his dream.
417
00:21:58,930 --> 00:22:03,250
And you walk through it
every time you enter St Conan's Kirk.
418
00:22:06,010 --> 00:22:08,090
The dreaming spires
of St Conan's Kirk,
419
00:22:08,250 --> 00:22:11,370
and the myths and legends
that inspired it
420
00:22:11,530 --> 00:22:16,890
are a far cry from the architecture
that dominates my next destination.
421
00:22:18,130 --> 00:22:19,610
Just along the loch,
422
00:22:19,770 --> 00:22:22,090
and beneath the shapely peak
of Ben Cruachan,
423
00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:24,490
is an entrance to an underworld.
424
00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:29,050
But this is no gateway
to a fabled land,
425
00:22:29,210 --> 00:22:31,330
this is modernity.
426
00:22:31,490 --> 00:22:35,010
Yet, even here in the heart
of the hollow mountain,
427
00:22:35,170 --> 00:22:39,410
there is something mythic
about the scale of the engineering.
428
00:22:39,570 --> 00:22:42,170
Now, David, we've come
quite a long way to get here,
429
00:22:42,330 --> 00:22:44,170
how deep are we into the mountain?
430
00:22:44,330 --> 00:22:47,210
So we're 400 meters below
the surface of Ben Cruachan,
431
00:22:47,370 --> 00:22:48,930
and 1km in from Loch Awe.
432
00:22:49,090 --> 00:22:50,130
Right, right.
433
00:22:50,290 --> 00:22:52,210
And this is,
if you're talking about cavernous,
434
00:22:52,370 --> 00:22:55,650
this really is an enormous space
that's been dug out of the mountain.
435
00:22:55,810 --> 00:22:58,930
Yes.
Now, is that the main generating
hall
we're looking at?
436
00:22:59,090 --> 00:23:00,570
That's the main generating hall,
437
00:23:00,730 --> 00:23:02,570
that contains
four turbine-generator units,
438
00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:05,090
or, in the case of Cruachan,
motor generator units,
439
00:23:05,250 --> 00:23:07,170
'cause the station is reversible
440
00:23:07,330 --> 00:23:10,890
and can pump water in addition
to generating electricity.
441
00:23:11,050 --> 00:23:13,370
So, when these turbines are
not generating,
442
00:23:13,530 --> 00:23:15,570
they're pumping water
back up to the dam?
443
00:23:15,730 --> 00:23:18,650
Indeed so. the reservoir itself acts
as a battery.
444
00:23:18,810 --> 00:23:20,890
Then, when a peak demand
comes along,
445
00:23:21,050 --> 00:23:23,930
we can run that water
back through the generators,
446
00:23:24,090 --> 00:23:26,530
generate further power,
and satisfy that peak demand.
447
00:23:26,690 --> 00:23:28,530
But what I love about it
448
00:23:28,690 --> 00:23:31,410
is the fact that it looks really,
really high tech and futuristic.
449
00:23:31,570 --> 00:23:33,050
I know it was built in the '60s,
450
00:23:33,210 --> 00:23:35,050
but it's still got
that sort of James Bond feel.
451
00:23:35,210 --> 00:23:36,210
Yes.
452
00:23:36,370 --> 00:23:38,570
But, despite that,
it's just simply powered
453
00:23:38,730 --> 00:23:40,530
by water falling through a pipe.
454
00:23:40,690 --> 00:23:44,570
Exactly, very, very fundamental,
but very reliable technology.
455
00:23:47,170 --> 00:23:49,690
If the hollow mountain,
full of generators,
456
00:23:49,850 --> 00:23:52,370
is the heart of the Cruachan scheme,
457
00:23:52,530 --> 00:23:55,610
then the high-level dam is the head.
458
00:23:55,770 --> 00:23:57,690
And it's where I'm going next,
459
00:23:57,850 --> 00:24:01,290
following a track
which takes me high above Loch Awe.
460
00:24:02,690 --> 00:24:05,450
The efforts of engineers
to tame nature here,
461
00:24:05,610 --> 00:24:08,490
by generating electricity
from an artificial loch,
462
00:24:08,650 --> 00:24:11,610
reminds me of an ancient legend
463
00:24:11,770 --> 00:24:14,610
which tells of a local witch,
a cailleach,
464
00:24:14,770 --> 00:24:17,170
who lived on Ben Cruachan.
465
00:24:17,330 --> 00:24:19,410
The cailleach had the task
466
00:24:19,570 --> 00:24:24,210
of guarding a sacred well
high up on the ben.
467
00:24:24,370 --> 00:24:26,970
During the day,
she'd roll away a stone
468
00:24:27,130 --> 00:24:29,810
and let the water
flow down the mountainside
469
00:24:29,970 --> 00:24:31,770
and fill the rivers below.
470
00:24:31,930 --> 00:24:34,770
And at night,
she'd cover it over again,
471
00:24:34,930 --> 00:24:38,050
at least,
that's what she was meant to do.
472
00:24:38,210 --> 00:24:41,050
But, one night, she forgot.
473
00:24:41,210 --> 00:24:45,450
Exhausted, she slept
for three days and three nights.
474
00:24:45,610 --> 00:24:50,410
When she awoke, she discovered that
the entire glen below had flooded,
475
00:24:50,570 --> 00:24:52,890
forming a great loch.
476
00:24:53,050 --> 00:24:58,010
This is the fabled origin
of Loch Awe.
477
00:24:58,170 --> 00:25:01,570
Now, if you think of the dam
as the cailleach's well,
478
00:25:01,730 --> 00:25:04,850
and the water that powers
the generators as the flood,
479
00:25:05,010 --> 00:25:08,650
then you've got a modern version
of the old legend.
480
00:25:08,810 --> 00:25:11,850
And, from up here,
you've got a magnificent view
481
00:25:12,010 --> 00:25:13,770
that makes sense of it all,
482
00:25:13,930 --> 00:25:17,450
'cause down there we've got the dam,
the cailleach's well,
483
00:25:17,610 --> 00:25:20,770
while, in front of me,
we've got the land that was flooded,
484
00:25:20,930 --> 00:25:25,210
which today is the mighty
and magnificent Loch Awe,
485
00:25:25,370 --> 00:25:27,130
stretching all the way to the horizon
486
00:25:27,290 --> 00:25:30,210
and the distant peaks
of the Knapdale Hills,
487
00:25:30,370 --> 00:25:34,730
making this the perfect place
for me to end my Grand Tour.
488
00:25:36,570 --> 00:25:39,570
Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2019
40426
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