All language subtitles for New01

Perhaps you think you know Scotland.

This land of proud tradition,

rugged mountains,

sparkling lochs

and heather-clad hills.

But look again...

..and our country may
surprise you...

..with its vastness...

..its spectacle...

..its subtlety...

..and its splendour.

For this is a wild country...

..on the cusp of change.

A land where animals and plants
are fighting

to reclaim their place
in the natural order.

This is Scotland...

..The New Wild.

Our country has a vast
and varied coastline...

..surrounded by nearly 800 islands,

ranging from the craggy
heights of Skye...

..to the water world of North Uist.

While only 93 are inhabited
by people...

..these beautiful and remote places
are a haven

for some of the most spectacular
wildlife in our nation.

Lifeboats of diversity...

..surrounded by a wild
and unruly sea.

On the very edge of
the west of Scotland

lie the remote Monach Isles.

They were inhabited for
thousands of years,

but the last people
left in the 1940s.

These beautiful islands have been
reclaimed by nature.

And now, every autumn, the pristine
shell sand beaches become the scene

for a wildlife spectacle.

The grey seal pupping season.

Every year, over 10,000 grey seals
make the pilgrimage

to these beaches...

..where pregnant females give birth
to snowy white pups.

Each tiny pup has just three weeks
to grow large enough

to fend for itself...

..suckling on its mother's milk,

which is among the richest
in the animal kingdom.

It's 50% fat,

ten times that of cow's milk,

which should enable the pups
to triple in size

in a few short weeks.

For the pups to grow,

they need to feed hourly.

But occasionally the females head
to the shallows to cool off,

leaving their youngsters unattended.

One pup finds himself alone
on the beach.

PUP WHINES

He's getting hungry.

PUP YELPS

With no sign of his mother,

he sets off to look for her.

He's only a few days old.

He's confused.

No luck here.

The older pup tries to get away...

..with the lost infant in pursuit.

The beach is a dangerous place
for youngsters.

SEAL BELLOWS

As well as pupping time,

this is also when grey seals mate.

The bulls are pumped
with testosterone.

Weighing in at more than 300kg,

they're prepared to
battle each other

for access to the females.

Two huge bulls scrap
in the shallows.

They're evenly matched

so could fight to the death.

The winner will now seek
a female to mate with.

Peace returns.

But the lost pup is still
desperate to feed.

He hasn't seen his mother
for two hours now,

but he's not going to get a meal
from this bigger infant.

His mother has returned
from the shallows

to the spot where she left him.

She sniffs a nearby pup.

Perhaps this could be him?

No joy.

In desperation, her pup tries
to feed from another newborn.

His mother continues her search
further up the beach.

He's heading in the right direction.

Mother and pup are reunited.

At last, he can feed
to his heart's content.

He must know fatten up to be ready
for independence

in just three weeks' time.

Just a few kilometres east
of the Monachs

lie Scotland's lowest-lying islands.

The Uists.

Because these isles are so flat,

they're vulnerable to
rising sea levels.

But their relationship with the sea

is also what makes these islands
so exceptional.

Here is a habitat unique
to western Scotland

and Ireland.

The machair.

Machair is part of the
ancient system of farming

called crofting.

It's low intensity agriculture,

where seaweed is used as fertiliser,

grazing is managed
and crops are rotated

to give nature a chance.

In the spring and summer,
the machair

becomes a glorious carpet
of wildflowers...

..attracting in a huge array
of wildlife.

A pair of lapwing are working hard
to raise their two tiny chicks.

They're ground-nesting birds
who rely on the long grass

for feeding and breeding.

Their tiny chicks are fully mobile

and so they keep a constant lookout.

A curious oystercatcher has strayed
too close to one of the chicks.

LAPWING SCREECHES

Eventually, the oystercatcher
gets the message.

Once, the lapwing's distinctive
calls were heard

throughout Scotland.

But as farming has become
more intense,

their numbers have declined.

However, there's an even rarer
and more elusive bird found here.

Often heard on these islands
but seldom seen.

The corncrake.

CORNCRAKE RASPS

These secretive birds
hide in long grass,

and this has nearly led to
their extinction in Britain.

When fields and grasslands
are mowed early,

nestlings can be killed.

But here in the Uists,

crofters leave the grass long
until the end of July,

throwing a lifeline
to these rare birds.

Crofters have been working
with nature for centuries,

passing down their methods from
generation to generation,

creating a balance between
the human and wildlife needs

found across these islands.

This close bond between people
and wildlife means

some very special
relationships develop.

This crofter has new lodgers.

A pair of nesting wrens.

CHICKS TRILL

Wrens only weigh around 9g

and are particularly vulnerable
in harsh winters.

But this pair are successfully
raising their chicks

in the safety and shelter
of the crofter's barn.

On the far side of the croft,

a pair of short-eared owls
are hunting for voles.

Unlike most owls,

these birds frequently hunt
during daylight hours.

And this pair has a lot
of food to find,

for they have a growing family.

A couple of weeks ago,

their five chicks hatched
in the long grass here

and now both parents have their
work cut out feeding the brood.

A job that's made all the harder
as the five chicks are now mobile.

LAMB BLEATS

The lambs are curious.

What can this be?

Perhaps a new playmate?

Short-eared owls are
doing well here.

Their numbers are growing

and they're a common sight
across the Uists.

But the bigger picture on these
islands is more worrying.

Rising sea levels and stronger,
longer gales are increasing.

In some places, up to 20 metres
of land have been lost

to the sea forever.

And in the future,
the sea could infiltrate

the fresh water table,

putting the ecosystem under threat.

The crofting system helps preserve
the rich habitats here.

But this unique place is
under great pressure

from our changing climate.

Some things can be done to help
these vulnerable islands...

..using the natural world
itself as protection.

In the shallow waters
lapping the coast,

bathed in sunlight,

lie fields of seagrass.

These meadows act as storm breaks,

buffering the worst of the waves
before they hit the shoreline,

preventing erosion.

They're also one of
the most productive

ecosystems in the world,

creating a rich habitat
for marine wildlife.

Snakelocks anemones...

..spider crabs...

..and greater sandeels shelter
amongst the grass blades.

Only now are seagrass meadows
being fully appreciated.

Although they capture carbon
up to 35 times faster

than tropical rainforests,

92% of them have been lost.

Scottish waters have the highest
abundance in the UK,

and conservation work is now well
under way to expand them further.

These Hebridean waters
are among the richest

in the British Isles.

In the summer months,

the mix of light and warmth produces
billions of tonnes of plankton...

..attracting in the most
spectacular summer visitors.

Basking sharks.

They can grow up to
11 metres in length,

the largest weighing
in at 16 tonnes.

But a passing seal
has nothing to fear.

For these sharks
only have tiny teeth.

To feed, they open their giant jaws
a metre wide

and sieve plankton,

taking in 6,000 litres of water
through their gills every hour.

Hundreds of sharks migrate here
every year to feed

along the cooler water channels.

Here, they were harpooned for
the oil in their liver.

That ended in 1995,

allowing their numbers
to start growing again.

And now new measures have been taken
to protect them further.

In 2020, the Sea of the Hebrides
was designated

a Marine Protected Area.

And here in Scotland,

these oceangoing behemoths
have a chance

to continue their recovery.

Off the coast of Lewis

are a group of remote
and rugged islands,

the Shiants.

These isles are of
international importance

and specially protected.

For every spring, hundreds
of thousands of seabirds

come here to breed.

Including 10% of the UK's
population of puffins.

Alongside their close relatives,
guillemots and razorbills.

They've spent most of
the last year at sea,

and now they return
to this colony,

flying in wheels, tier upon tier -

a protection strategy
against predators.

The Shiants are a booming
seabird city.

With a predatory rat population
recently exterminated,

the auks now have the islands
to themselves,

each species taking up residence
in a different rocky apartment.

Puffins can be found from the shore
to the high cliffs,

nesting under boulders
and in burrows.

Further down, guillemots
raise their young

on the great boulder ledges.

While feisty razorbills
are found throughout

this auk metropolis.

Many of the puffins are
too young to breed

but will spend spring learning
the ways of the colony.

They try to catch the eye
of a potential mate.

And if that suitably impresses,

the pair bill.

Which always draws in an audience.

Puffins pair for life,

so finding the right partner
might take some time.

Other puffins are old hands
and nest here every year.

Tucked away under a boulder,

a male cares for his puffling.

His partner has been fishing

and now has a healthy stash
of sandeels

to take back to her burrow.

But her alluring meal is catching
the eye of a rookie puffin.

He hasn't learned the etiquette
of colony life yet.

Young puffins aren't the only
chancers after a free meal.

A razorbill is interested, too.

The razorbill will
need to look elsewhere.

These auks can make for
unruly neighbours.

They're highly territorial.

Any roaming guillemot chicks
need to beware.

Razorbills don't take kindly
to strangers.

They'll even attack their own kind.

But their aggression belies
their softer side.

They also mate for life.

A pair affectionately
reaffirm their bond.

They, too, have a chick here
amongst the boulders...

..who relies on them for every meal.

They're pursuit divers,

capable of plunging to depths
of 120 metres...

..using their wings to propel
them at speed.

It's been a successful trip
for this father,

and he returns to feed
his hungry offspring.

This chick is on the verge
of fledging.

And that means making
the perilous journey

down through the rocks
to the sea.

Many chicks perish before
reaching the water.

But this youngster has
his father by his side,

showing him each and every step.

They're attracting attention
from other razorbills.

CHICK SQUEALS

Dad to the rescue.

Eventually, the pair make it
to the water's edge.

Now the chick will spend the winter
learning how to hunt for fish.

And if he does well,

he has a chance of living
up to 40 years.

As for the puffling,

he'll eventually fledge
from his burrow, too.

Under cover of darkness.

Further south, on the island of Rum,
night is falling.

An eerie sound gradually
builds into a cacophony.

BIRDS CHATTER

When the Vikings first came here,

they thought these mountains
were inhabited by trolls

and called one Trollval.

But the supernatural sounds
are actually made by birds.

These mountaintops hold one of
the world's biggest colonies

of Manx shearwaters.

They spend most of the year
as far away as Brazil

but, using the stars as their guide,

a fifth of the world's population
returns annually

to these cliffs to
raise their young.

The chicks are now
at their heaviest.

This extra weight is crucial
to enable them to fledge...

..and make the journey all the way
to South America.

As the wheel of the seasons turns,

the summer cries of
the trolls disappear.

But Rum is never silent for long.

BELLOWING

In October, another sound starts
to dominate this rugged landscape.

Red deer stags.

DEER BELLOWS

It's autumn, time
for the annual rut.

This island is a special place
for deer.

Bought for the nation in the 1950s,

it's where many theories of animal
behaviour were developed.

Many of the hinds here are tagged

so scientists can identify them
throughout their lives.

But at this time of year,

the adult males are
the stars of the show.

A magnificent stag guards his hinds.

At 11 years old,

he's been the most successful stag
here for years,

fathering more calves
than all the others.

But as the hinds come into season,

he's about to face challenges
to his dominance.

Other stags from around the island
are closing in.

They toss their antlers in the grass
to appear more intimidating.

The old stag must keep
his hinds close.

Otherwise, an opportunist
could sneak in and mate.

As long as he's on patrol,

most of them won't dare.

But there's always one foolish
enough to give it a go.

The upstarts are unlikely
to try again in a hurry.

Every encounter takes its toll.

He has to constantly keep
his challengers at bay.

For days, he hardly eats or sleeps,
perpetually on the move.

Until eventually he's exhausted.

Now he's at his most
vulnerable to attack.

An old rival has been waiting
for this moment.

DEER ROARS

He boldly sneaks in
amongst the hinds.

Right under the nose
of the dominant stag.

This time, the two adversaries
are more evenly matched.

Just one stab from a sharp
tine could prove fatal.

It's going the old stag's way.

It's all over.

The challenger is one antler down.

But at least he has his life.

The monarch of the glen
is still in charge.

It will be his genes that will
pass down to the next generation.

The challenger's chances
of mating are over,

but next year his antlers
will grow again

and he'll be back to
fight another day.

Across the water,

on the mainland west coast,

is one of Scotland's
best kept secrets.

Warmed by the Gulf Stream,

this place is mild and wet...

..creating the perfect conditions
for temperate rainforest.

Much rarer than their
tropical namesakes,

these forests cover less
than 1% of the planet,

and Scotland is one of their
last European strongholds.

These are mysterious,
magical places.

The trees -

ancient oak, ash, hazel and pine -

are thought to have been here
since the retreat

of the Ice Age 10,000 years ago.

This is a place of great diversity.

Almost every surface is
covered by organisms

who thrive in these damp conditions.

Some species found hardly
anywhere else on the planet.

Liverworts and mosses

are ancient plants,

evolving more than
450 million years ago.

Nearly 1,000 species of moss
find a home here.

Together, they act
as a giant sponge,

slowing the flow of rain
into streams and rivers.

Fungi also flourish
in these cool forests.

Turkeytail fungus grows in layers
on dead trees.

And glue fungus has the ability
to trap fallen twigs,

sticking them together
high in the canopy.

Here, it has the dead wood
to itself,

free from the fierce competition
on the forest floor.

As spring warmth creeps
into the rainforest,

it becomes a hive of activity.

Migrant redstarts arrive.

And pearl-bordered fritillary
butterflies emerge.

But these fragments are under
huge pressure from overgrazing,

non-native conifers and
invasive rhododendrons.

They need careful
management to ensure

their long-term survival.

Beneath the shallow seas that border
the temperate forest

lies another wonder of Scotland.

The cold-water soft coral reef.

Here in the Firth of Lorne,

marine life has been protected
by new legislation

and is quickly recovering from
overfishing and dredging.

Sustained by the Gulf Stream,

animals like the octopus
are doing well here.

And our slowly warming seas may
be helping this animal thrive -

even in the cool waters of the
far distant Shetland Islands.

Shetland is a globally important
stronghold of the otter.

An experienced female
is fishing in the bay,

unconcerned by the human
activity around her.

As comfortable in the water
as she is on land,

she's a practiced hunter.

And she needs to be.

On the shore,

in a bed of kelp,

is her male cub.

At ten months old,

he's almost as large as his mother

but still relies on her
to catch his meals.

Otter cubs stay with their mothers
for up to 18 months,

during which time they must learn
how to hunt for themselves.

But he's not ready yet

and calls for her constantly.

She's found an octopus.

A substantial meal for
the growing youngster.

Cubs must eat a quarter of
their body weight every day

before they're strong enough
to become independent.

So this is just what
he needs to prepare

for life in the wild North Sea.

Further west, the Monach Isles are
also battered by high winds...

..and another group of youngsters
is gearing up for adult life.

By late October, the island's
seal pups have been feeding

from their mothers for three weeks.

They're beginning to moult off
their white fur coats,

and many have tripled in body size.

Now they're starting to explore.

With humans no longer here,

the seals have the run
of the island.

The larger pups wander far inland
from the sand dunes.

Some even visiting
the abandoned cottages.

These ruined buildings,

with their stories
of loss and hardship,

could be a melancholy place.

But this thriving population
of grey seals

fills these islands with
new life and hope.

A positive symbol of
Scotland's New Wild.

Now the pups are nearly big enough
to survive on their own,

their mothers will soon
abandon them.

Many of the cows are
coming into season.

The most dominant bulls now
have their choice of females.

Mating is always preceded
by a boisterous tussle.

But the struggle ends
in a long embrace

lasting up to half an hour.

The females will return here
to give birth again next year.

Meanwhile, the pups
will wander the island

for another four weeks...

..preparing for their
next big adventure.

A life in the vast Atlantic Ocean.

Grey seals are prospering
in the Monachs.

The seclusion and absence
of humanity

has served them well.

But some species can gain
from being close to people,

and in turn help us, too.

The white-tailed eagle.

Once hunted to extinction here,

they were reintroduced to
the Hebrides in the 1970s.

Since then, they've flourished,

and their population is
now 150 pairs strong.

They've become a significant
tourist attraction.

And visitors flock
from around the world

to get a close-up view of
this magnificent bird.

It's been calculated that watching
and photographing wildlife

is worth up to £8 million a year
to Mull's economy.

Clear evidence that protecting
nature can benefit us, too.

In our fragile world,

full of conflict and strife,

wild animals need places to thrive.

It's known that enjoying wild places

and living alongside
these magnificent species

is good for our health,
both mental and physical.

Wild animals and people are
finding a way to live together

in the remote islands of Scotland.

From the machair of the Uists...

..to the mountains of Rum...

..we're moving towards
a greater understanding

of just how important
the natural world is.

Here, in Scotland's New Wild.

Throughout the series,

the crew worked with
many of Scotland's

leading conservationists.

One of Scotland's most ambitious
marine restoration projects

is currently under way here,

in Loch Craignish in Argyll.

Local charity Seawilding
are replenishing

some of the loch's seagrass meadows
with their very own hands.

Will Goudy is the project manager
of this pioneering scheme.

This season, we tried to harvest
about 125,000 seeds -

is the target.

And then hoping to increase
that year on year.

And we normally harvest
for about a six-week

to two-month period.

Absolutely fantastic when
you're in the water,

working with the seagrass.

The environment is just wonderful,
and it's just so peaceful.

We're interested in
restoring seagrass

because it's a very important
habitat for many species.

It supports a huge amount
of biodiversity.

It's a keystone species,

and it creates these
three-dimensional habitats

which create a haven
for young juvenile fish

and other marine life.

And it also sequesters carbon
as well and locks it away

into the sediments.

The flowering stems and seeds
are brought back on shore

and placed in tanks.

After a few months' maturing,

they can start to be separated.

So far, we've processed
about 100,000 seeds,

and they'll just stay here
in this bag,

in the tank to keep them fresh
until we're ready

to plant them out in a
couple of months' time.

Preparing the seeds for planting
is a team effort.

We have lots and lots of volunteers
who come out from the community

to help us with the
seagrass harvesting

and the processing
of the seeds as well.

So far, we've planted
about 350,000 seeds,

and we think we've got about five
hectares of seagrass meadow

in the loch here.

But we reckon we've got
about 80 hectares

of potential restoration area.

So I get a huge amount
of satisfaction

from doing this work.

It's just really nice to know

that we're actually
making a difference.

We have enough remnant populations
of seagrass around Scotland

which potentially can be restored,

so we're hopeful that
in decades to come

we'll get back to
where we once were.

Further west, on the island of Rum,

the rugged peaks offer
a dramatic backdrop

for the 1,000 red deer
who live here.

Scientists have been studying
the red deer of Kilmory

for over 50 years.

DEER BELLOWS

The genetic information
gathered here

has helped inform the management of
red deer populations across Europe.

Autumn is rutting season,

a crucial period for
field worker Ali Morris.

It's one of our busiest times
of year.

And you just never know
what's going to be happening

at this time of year,
so it's pretty exciting.

The Red Deer Project began in 1971,

making it one of the longest-running
mammal studies in the world.

The deer within the glen are tagged
to make them easier to identify.

The reason we can follow
them through their lives

is that they're hefted.

That means they kind of live
and grow up in the areas

that their mothers were born in.

So that's how we can follow
down through the generations.

So we've noticed that
there's a difference

in the timing of events
throughout the year.

So, for example, our calving season
has become earlier,

and that's come forward
12 days since the 1980s.

And this is thought
to be as a result

of warmer climate during the summer.

Earlier calves also mean
an earlier rut.

Studying it requires
a patient approach.

We go from baking hot
to freezing cold

and soaking wet quite often
on a daily basis.

But at the moment, we're
enjoying a little nice spell

of almost sunshine.

Oh, a fight!

So we've got Glariola 09 on the...

..oh, well, being pushed up
the hill and now back down it.

Oh, and going over!

Oh, somebody's broken an antler!

That's Glariola 09's antler broken.

Wisdom 11 has won.

That was amazing.

You can even see the antler
on the ground there now.

Poor old man.

He'll be feeling really weird,

not knowing what way to
quite balance his head.

Ali sets off to carefully
retrieve the antler.

That is a catastrophic break,

and his rut's done for this year.

It is a real privilege to be able
to get up close and personal

with these animals
throughout their lives.

And I've seen several
generations of animals

through my career here -

from a purely observational point
of view, it's a real privilege.