Original subtitles

(wind whistling)

(triumphant music)

(lively music)

- Our journey begins in Fort William,

one of the largest towns in the Scottish Highlands,

before following the Great Glen Way,

the geological fault line that slashes across Scotland.

It takes us along the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness,

home to the world's most famous mythical monster.

Next we pass through Inverness, capital of the Highlands

and site of some of Scotland's bloodiest battles

before continuing on to the settlements

at the northernmost tip of the British mainland.

After crossing the Pentland Firth,

we reach the hauntingly-beautiful Orkney Islands,

glimpsing the mysterious Neolithic monuments

that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We end our journey at one of Scotland's

most extraordinary natural structures,

the tallest sea stack in Britain, the Old Man of Hoy.

(gentle music)

In the shadow of Britain's tallest peak, Ben Nevis,

in the heart of the Highlands lies the town of Fort William.

People have lived here since the eighth century.

The surrounding area is famous

as the backdrop of the film "Braveheart."

Today Fort William is known

as the outdoor capital of the UK

and is an important tourist center,

particularly for climbers of nearby Ben Nevis.

It's from here we begin our journey

along one of the world's greatest waterways,

the Caledonian Canal.

It cleverly combines bold engineering

with Scotland's natural landscape,

linking the lochs into a single waterway.

This section of the canal leads us over Loch Lochy,

long, straight, and set amidst rolling hills.

Not to be outdone by its famous neighbor, Loch Ness,

Lochy also has a monster, the River Horse.

It emerges when it's time to feed on the shores.

If bothered, the creature plunges back into the loch

where it overturns boats and leads other horses

into the waters to their doom.

Today the most commonly-found animal in Loch Lochy is fish,

particular trout, for which fishermen travel

from all over the world.

We now move to the green floodplains en route to Loch Oich.

It may be a picture of tranquility now,

but in times past it was witness

to horrific scenes of violence.

It was here in 1544

that the Battle of the Shirts was fought.

A vicious clash between four separate clans

is said to have turned the loch red

with the blood of their fallen.

These days the narrow waters of Loch Oich are home

to more sedate activities.

Surrounded by green woodlands,

it teems with fish and wildlife.

We continue to nearby Fort Augustus,

a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch Ness.

The abbey was once a place for Benedictine monks,

but is now a hotel.

It's known as the gateway to Loch Ness.

Here, a magnificent sequence of lochs

leaves the Caledonian canal down and into the lake.

Holding more water than all the lakes

in England and Wales combined, the magnificent Loch Ness

is the largest of all the lakes on our journey.

It is 230 meters at its deepest point

and over 36 kilometers long.

It's best known the world over for being the watery lair

of the legendary Loch Ness monster.

(somber music)

The first recorded sighting of the beast was in 565 A.D.

St. Columba, an Irish priest,

claims to have prevented the monster

from attacking a villager by raising his cross

and shouting, "Stop, go thou no further nor touch the man!"

Since then, Nessie has been more circumspect

in her appearances.

The mystery, though, lives on.

Each year millions of people come in the hope

of catching a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster.

(gentle music)

On the banks stands the famous Castle Urquhart.

A fort has stood here for over 1,500 years,

today it is only a ruin.

In the 14th century, Castle Urquhart came under the control

of Robert the Bruce as he rose to become king of Scots.

When he died in 1332, this was the only Highland castle

holding out against the English.

Amongst its remnants, the Grant Tower still stands,

giving panoramic views out across the loch.

In 2011, more than 300,000 people visited the fortress,

making it one of the most popular tourist sites in Scotland.

Loch Ness makes up just one section

of a 97-kilometer waterway

that cuts through the heart of the Highlands,

linking the North Sea with the Atlantic.

Considered a miracle of 19th-century engineering,

the Caledonian Canal Project set out to connect

these magnificent lochs.

Work began in 1803 and was masterminded

by the great engineer Thomas Telford.

It was planned to take seven years to complete

and would be one of Britain's

biggest-ever building projects.

In the early 19th century, without machines,

digging with picks and shovels was backbreaking work.

19 years later and having spent

almost double Telford's estimate,

a staggering $70 billion in today's money,

the canal finally opened for business.

But by then, many of the cargo ships of the day

were too big to pass along the waterway.

Yet, in 1873, the canal found another calling

when it was visited by Queen Victoria.

The publicity surrounding her trip

caused a huge increase in visitors to the region.

Today, the Caledonian Canal with its breathtaking scenery

is visited each year by about half a million tourists,

many of whom take the chance to enjoy

the three-day cruise along its length.

Our route along the canal ends here, at Inverness.

The capital of the Highlands,

it's home to over 65,000 people.

Considered a vital part of the Scottish economy,

here, traditional industries like distilleries

rub shoulders with high-tech firms and creative companies.

In the heart of the city

is the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew.

It was supposed to be topped by a 30-meter spire,

but funds ran out, and it was left unfinished.

The Kessock Bridge links the city of Inverness

with the village of North Kessock.

From here on a good day,

it's sometimes possible to spot dolphins.

We continue on to the Moray Firth where the fresh waters

of the Great Glen Way run out into the North Sea.

Close by, occupying a commanding,

strategic position, is Fort George.

It's the finest example

of 18th-century military engineering in the British Isles.

(gentle soaring music)

Behind these vast walls are garrison buildings,

parade grounds, and artillery defenses

brisling with cannons.

To defend the keep, there's a large, dry moat

with a drawbridge, making enemies vulnerable

to gunfire from the walls.

The fort was built to help put down

the Jacobite rebellions against the British king,

but by the time the construction was completed,

the fighting was over.

No shot in anger has ever been fired.

Instead, the fort became a recruiting base

and a training camp for the rapidly-expanding British Army.

Many Highland soldiers pass through its gates

on their way to fight for the Empire across the globe.

The architecture of the fortress

has hardly been changed since it was built.

Today it's home to the famous Scottish

infantry regiment, the Black Watch.

(upbeat dramatic music)

Our journey now takes out to sea

and to this jack-up oil rig.

The oil and gas industry is vital to the area

and to the wider UK economy.

Centered in Aberdeen, the North Sea oil industry

delivers almost half of Britain's energy needs.

As the most accessible reserves dwindle,

drillers are beginning to explore smaller fields

in remote locations using new techniques.

This is helping to make Scotland an international center

for cutting-edge engineering firms.

The oil and gas industry currently employs

some 60,000 offshore personnel.

Work is tough and hours are long,

but the pay isn't that bad, with an average salary

that's well over $100,000 a year.

(gentle music)

We move now over the Black Isle to the Cromarty Firth

and the magnificent bridge of the same name.

The kilometer-long span opened in 1979

to replace the ferry service.

The only other option before its construction

was to drive a long route inland to get to the other side.

Close by on the edge of the beautiful Dornoch Firth,

we find ourselves in one of the most exclusive locations

in Scotland, Skibo Castle.

Amidst 30 square kilometers of magnificent grounds,

a castle has stood here in one form or another

for around 900 years.

(dramatic music)

Rebuilt, modified, and extended many times in that period,

it was bought in the early 20th century

as a summer home by industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

He had been born to a working-class single room household

in Scottish Dunfermline before emigrating to America.

By 1902, he returned to Scotland

the richest man in the world,

determined to spend his fortune as a philanthropist.

The castle stayed in the hands

of the Carnegie family until the 1980s.

Today it's operated as The Carnegie Club,

a members-only hotel and private country resort.

Over the years it's welcomed many well-known personalities,

particularly when it hosted Madonna's wedding

to Guy Ritchie in the year 2000.

The grounds include the artificial Lake Louise.

It's one of only a few bodies of water

in Scotland known as lakes.

Also on the estate are 12 family lodges

and a recently-restored bathhouse

with a swimming pool and spa.

(cheerful music)

Perhaps most astonishing is that the castle

sits amidst its own 18-hole golf course,

which remains private.

Only 3,000 rounds are played on this links course each year.

The 17th hole is considered particularly tricky

with deep bunkers around the front of the green.

But no matter how you fare,

you'll be serenaded back to the castle

with your very own Scottish bagpiper

in time for a gourmet dinner.

Our journey now seems to take us

into a fairytale picture book as we reach Dunrobin Castle.

(gentle music)

With its turrets and spires,

the rambling ramshackle fortress

has been home to the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland

since the 13th century.

In Gaelic, the name Dunrobin

means Robin's Hill and may have come

from Robert the 6th Earl of Sutherland, who died in 1427.

During World War I, this place was used as a naval hospital.

In 1915, a fire broke out.

It's said that the damage would've been much worse

had a crew from a nearby naval ship not rush ashore

to form a bucket chain to the sea to tackle the fire.

The formal gardens were carefully laid out in 1850

by architect Sir Charles Barry,

best known for the Houses of Parliament in London.

Designed around two circular pools with fountains,

Barry said his inspiration

was the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

(gentle music)

Heading north, we passed through the Northern Highlands,

a land of stark, bleak beauty.

Teetering high on a cliff edge

over Sinclair's Bay, we find Keiss Castle.

Over time, the North Sea has eroded most of the foundations.

It was built in the 16th century as a country retreat

but soon fell into disrepair.

Abandoned in 1755, Keiss now stands

only as a famous ruin.

(birds calling)

Cracks continue to grow around the walls,

and it's likely that more of the castle

will collapse into the sea over the coming years.

We've now reached the most northeasterly point

of the British mainland, Duncansby Head.

Here, the Pentland Firth meets the North Sea.

The two pyramid-shaped sea stacks that jut

from the water like teeth are called the Duncansby Stacks.

The Great Stack is over 60 meters high,

higher than the summit of the nearby cliff.

Being so close to Norway, this place was the scene

of a number of sea and air clashes

during the Second World War.

Today, the sea stacks are a more sedate place,

home to a variety of rare birds

including colonies of guillemots, razorbills, and puffins.

Nearby and amongst the most famous place names in Britain,

John o' Groats is the end

of many a sponsored walk, run, and charity bike ride.

But the town is largely famous for a mistake.

Often thought to be the most northerly point

of the British mainland, it's not.

That distinction goes to Dunnet Head Lighthouse,

which stands heroically at the very point

at which the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea.

(gentle music)

Beyond Britannia where the endless ocean opens lies Orkney,

so said Orosius, a Portuguese priest in the fifth century.

And following in his wake, our journey now takes us

some 15 kilometers to that very place,

the Orkneys, an archipelago of 70 islands.

Bounded by 200-meter cliffs and steep heathery hills

is Rackwick Bay Beach on the island of Hoy.

A turquoise cove set against these dramatic hills,

it's one of Orkney's iconic sites.

It was this landscape that so inspired the work

of George Mackay Brown, considered to be

one of the greatest Scottish poets of the 20th century,

and it's easy to see why.

Further down the beach is Rackwick Bothy,

once the home of smallholders and fishermen

who grafted a living from the land and sea,

this restored croft is now a place

where walkers, climbers, and visitors can find shelter.

Our journey now takes us to the origins

of the Orkney Islands, a place shrouded in age and mystery.

Here in the center of Mainland

is the burial chamber of Maeshowe.

It dates from the Neolithic period around 2700 B.C.

Amazingly, the chamber is designed

so that during the winter solstice,

the last rays of the midwinter sun

shine directly through the entrance passage

to light the rear wall of the central room.

Today, Maeshowe is one of the monuments

that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site,

the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.

Nearby is the Ring of Brodgar, a relative newcomer,

having been built a few hundred years later around 2000 B.C.

The stone circle is 104 meters in diameter.

Originally made up of 60 stones, 27 still stand.

Nobody knows for certain what the ring was for,

perhaps a shrine to ancestors, a temple to the sun,

or an observatory of the stars.

Local legend has it that the stones

were a group of dancing giants

who grew so absorbed by their party

they forgot about the rising sun

and were turned to stone by the dawn light.

Unusual for such an ancient monument

is its true circularity.

It's considered to be one of

the most finely-crafted stone circles in the world.

Moving further along the rugged west coast

of Orkney's Mainland, we see how the landscape

has been shaped by the relentless pounding of the waves.

(waves crashing) (birds calling)

It's a place in constant motion.

Cliff faces are fast eroded,

and the land is quickly carved out by the roiling sea.

But the force of the ocean isn't only destructive.

(somber music)

Skara Brae had been buried and forgotten for millennia

before a violent storm in 1850 tore away a high dune

to reveal the outline of ancient buildings.

Older than Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids,

and the Great Wall of China, Skara Brae is unique

for its extraordinary degree of preservation.

The eight homes are built of closely-fitting

flat stone slabs.

Each is accessed through a low entrance

and has a stone floor that could be closed and bolted.

The village has a drainage system

and even a primitive lavatory in each dwelling.

Extraordinarily, the furniture of these Neolithic people,

stone beds and dressers, has survived intact.

Today, Skara Brae stands as a testament

to the tenacity of early man in his willingness

to settle in such a wild and isolated place.

(birds calling) (gentle music)

We continue now to our final destination.

At 137 meters tall, the Old Man of Hoy

is Britain's tallest sea stack.

With the relentless pounding of nature's forces,

the changes in the shape can be traced

through the centuries in maps and paintings.

In 1750, the Old Man was part of the headland,

jutting out from the shore.

At a later time, the sea carved out an arch at the base,

making it appear the stack had two crooked legs,

giving him his name.

A storm, though, washed away one of his limbs,

leaving the pillar that remains.

The future will almost certainly bring about

the Old Man's collapse, there's already a 40-meter crack

from the peak of the stack

that threatens to bring down its top section.

But until then, the Old Man of Hoy

refuses to return to the sea,

unsurprising, perhaps, in this,

one of the most resilient landscapes in the world

and a dramatic place to end this journey.

(triumphant music)

(logo whooshing)