Wildest Islands (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Hebrides - full transcript

Known as Europe's last wilderness,

the Hebrides archipelago
isn't just a land of beauty,

it's one of the most hostile places
on the planet.

While secret coves and deserted beaches

provide sanctuary
to a host of wild creatures.

For thousands of years
people have battled with the elements.

Even the vikings struggled to survive.

Fueled by rich organic seas,
the regions wildlife thrives,

but many human settlers disappear.

Adding myth and legend
to these wild islands of mystery.

Lying just off the coast of West Scotland,



the Hebrides Archipelago is made up
of more than 500 islands and islets,

stretching 200 km from north to south,

it's divided into an inner and outer group.

Many low lying islands
were born from the gradual uplift

of rock that's over
three billion years old.

Other's were formed more recently,

and violently, through volcanic explosions.

Isolation from the mainland,
has made the Hebrides

the perfect breeding ground
for millions of creatures.

The islands are home
to some of the largest gatherings,

and greatest spectacles on the planet.

Eight thousand years ago,
people also set up home here.

But many succumbed
to the islands often hostile weather,

and intimidating seas.



Evidence of previous communities
lies littered throughout the Archipelago.

Islanders cling onto
island life by a thread.

Ever since their exposure
following the end of the Ice Age,

the Hebrides has always been
a land of mystery.

Early sailors recounted calls of mermaids

from coastal caves.

Unable to resist their lure,
many were beckoned

to a watery grave.

These half human half fish creatures

remain a myth,
but eerie calls from the caves

are reported even today.

Many gray seals
choose the safety of hidden caves,

when giving birth to their pups.

They are one of the most vocal
of all seal species.

Half of the worlds population of gray seals

live along the British coast,

but not all mothers choose
the privacy of a personal birthing room.

The Monach Isles sit on the edge
of the outer Hebrides chain.

The islands isolated beaches
are the perfect locations

for one of the largest gatherings
of gray seals on the planet.

Each winter, over 35,000 arrive
on Monach's shores.

Mothers give birth
to just a single pup at a time.

However, around 9,000 are born here
each year.

Pups are suckled for just 18 days.

The mothers milk is so rich,
it contains about 60% fat.

The youngsters are born
weighing around 14 kg,

and put on approximately two kilo per day.

In around three weeks,
their weight more than triples.

Once this short suckling period is over

the pup is abandoned.

The mothers need to mate again.

Bull seals play no part
in raising their young.

But these half ton giants put every effort

into claiming their breeding rights.

It takes around ten years to be big, and
strong enough to win a territorial battle.

A snarl is often enough
to see off lesser rivals.

Sometimes,
the odds are more evenly balanced.

These two males
appear to have met their match.

Fights are often bloody,
and can lead into death.

Finally, one of the males backs down,

siring his next generation
will have to wait.

In around two weeks time,
hunger will drive the abandoned pups

to fend for themselves
in the islands fish rich sea.

While the low lying Monach Isles
provide sanctuary

to some of the regions
largest marine predators,

the mountains of another island
play home to Britain's biggest land mammal.

The isle of Rum
lies at the heart of the inner Hebrides.

Conical peaks, and rolling hills
are at the core of a deeply eroded volcano,

last active around 25 million years ago.

This islands dramatic creation
may be long in the past,

but today it's the setting for one of
nature's most energetic wildlife spectacles.

Red deer are the third largest deer
in the world.

Around 900 roam this remote island.

Their population
has remained relatively stable,

due to being isolated
from main land predators.

Despite this, internal casualties

have become a matter of course.

These stags are stocking up
for the annual rut,

Old antlers from last years battles,

provide an important source of calcium.

Mature males weigh just under 200 kilos,

and stand a meter and a half tall
at the shoulder.

There will be no mercy for light weights.

This stag is separated
from the rest of his male companions.

He's rounded up a small group of females,

who've responded to his mating calls.

But he isn't the only one
with eyes on this harem.

The rival challenges his opponent
by walking parallel to him and roaring.

Once antlers and size have been assessed,

the pair lunge into battle.

These intense bouts of sparring
are often bloody as well as fatal,

but with breeding rights at stake,
it's a risk most males are willing to take.

Individual clashes are usually over
in a matter of minutes.

But once the rut begins, the battle
continues on and off for around four weeks.

Those deer that pay the ultimate price

in their quest to acquire mates,

play an important role
in the life of another creature.

During winter, one of Britain's
most famous and rarest birds

relies on rut victims in order to survive.

Golden Eagles have a wing span
of up to 2 1/2 meters.

They're one of the most
powerful flying predators in the world.

They usually hunt rabbits and hares,

but carrion is a vital part
of their winter diet.

Their eyesight is eight times sharper
than humans,

they can spot a deer carcass
from more than a kilometer away.

In Celtic mythology,
the Golden Eagle is revered.

It symbolized the soul,

signifying the power of life over death.

However, another creature on the island
had the opposite effect,

it's calls made superstitious vikings
believe the hills were inhabited by trolls.

Each spring 120,000 pairs
of Manx shearwaters

arrive on Rums coast.

The island is a final destination on their
16,000 km journey from South America.

The hills soft volcanic soil
provides the perfect nesting ground,

and with no ground dwelling predators,

it's the perfect place to breed.

At just under 40 cm long,
Manx shearwaters

are relatively small sea birds.

They're no match for avian hunters
like black-backed gulls,

that are more than twice their size.

Shearwaters have
a unique survival strategy,

each partner takes turns at fishing,

and incubating their eggs.

To avoid being attacked, they return
to their burrows under the cover of night.

These eerie caws and coos are essential

in order for each pair to be reunited.

It's easy to understand how this added
to the vikings demonic beliefs,

especially as when the sun rises,

there's not a single sound.

Many myths and legends
are linked to the islands dry land,

but some of the most remarkable

emerged from the surrounding sea.

40 miles further north,
on the isle of Sky,

81 year old Ian McDonald
is on his annual mission.

He spent his whole life recounting tales

of enormous beasts swimming these seas.

Today, he's about to witness the event
once more.

Each October, Ian moves his cattle
to Stanshaw island,

where they graze during winter.

It's now spring,
and he's returning to the main island.

With no land bridge
to connect Sky to Stanshaw,

the cows have only one option.

Centuries ago, swimming cattle
between islands was common place.

Today, Ian is the last farmer
in the Hebrides

to continue this age old tradition.

At low tide, the seas separating islands
appear welcoming,

but when the waters turn,
it's a different story entirely.

Between the isles of Scarba and Jura,

strong Atlantic currents,

and an underwater peak, combine to create

some of the most treacherous waters
on the planet.

The tide speeds up as it enters
the narrow channel between the islands.

On hitting the underwater pinnacle,

standing waves over six meters tall
rise to the surface.

This is Corryvreckan,
the third largest whirlpool in the world.

It's roar can be heard
more than 16 km away.

Legend has it, a viking prince
spent three days and nights

on a boat anchored beside the whirlpool,

to prove he was worthy
of marrying a Hebridean Princess.

On the advice of scholars, the prince
had three special ropes made,

one was woven from wool,
one from hemp,

and the last used hair
from virtuous maidens.

On the third night
his boat was sucked into the vortex.

The anchor rope
made from the maidens hair snapped.

It turned out that one of the donors
hadn't been virtuous after all.

The prince's body was later washed up,

and buried in the nearby king's cave.

Corryvreckan whirlpool
plays an important role

in the Hebrides underwater ecosystem.

The rising waters and sucking whirls,

create an up-welling of nutrients,

and act as barriers
that concentrate the plankton.

Herring and sand eels
thrive on these miniatures meals,

these, in turn,
provide food for larger predators.

Shearwaters are first on the scene,

snatching the fish just below the surface.

But they are soon eclipsed
by the master high diver of them all.

Northern gannets are graceful flyers,

they have a wingspan
of around two meters.

Unlike most birds,
they have forward facing eyes,

which provide binocular vision.

This allows them to estimate how far
the fish are from the surface of the water.

Once locked onto their target,

they fold back their wings,

and plummet.

Gannets can hit the water at over 100 km/h,
to capture prey.

At the moment of impact,
they stretch their bodies

into a streamlined, torpedo like shape.

A maze of air cells
between their skin and muscles

is inflated to help cushion the blow.

It isn't only birds that are attracted
to these feeding frenzies.

The Hebrides fish rich waters also support

some of the largest
creatures on the planet.

Minke whales weigh up to 15 tons,

and reach over 10 meters in length.

They lunge at their prey
from beneath the surface.

Large volumes of fish and water
are engulfed before being sieved,

and swallowed hole.

The whales generally live solitary lives,

but can gather in groups of ten or more
when feeding.

The seas surrounding the Hebrides,

are some of the richest in the world.

Around these isolated islands,

the warm gulf stream waters
reach their northern extremity.

At the same time,
cooler currents from the north

bring many species
to their southern limits.

This temperature transition is reflected

in the great diversity
of marine creatures found here.

Twenty four species of whale, dolphin,
and porpoise patrol these waters.

Including Britain's largest fish.

Basking sharks can reach
up to seven meters in length,

and have a dorsal fin
up to a meter and a half high.

They're drawn
to the Hebrides plankton rich waters,

where they remain close to the surface
to feed.

They filter around a million and
a half liters of water every hour,

trapping the tiny creatures
in their extensive gill rakers.

The islands inlets, known as lochs,

also provide a food source
for many animals.

Including Europe's largest bird of prey.

White tailed eagles have a wing span
approaching 2 1/2 meters.

Their eyes are larger than humans,

and like the golden eagle,
their vision is far sharper than our own.

Each of their eyes
has two centers of focus,

they can see forwards and sideways
at the same time.

From an altitude of 300 meters,

they can pinpoint a shoal of fish

within an area
of almost eight square kilometers.

This bird has locked onto it's target,

and prepares to swoop in.

Also known as a sea eagle,
the white tailed eagles' diet

includes a great deal of fish.

During the breeding season,
it's the most important food.

Young chicks have big appetites.

White tailed eagles usually lay
one or two eggs,

so twins are common.

The young remain in the nest
for around ten weeks before they fledge.

Parents use the same nest
for several years.

The collection of sticks can end up weighing
as much as a small car, almost 1,000 kg.

On another island in the outer Hebrides,

lie a number of clues
to the existence of early man.

The isle of Lewis and Harris contain

some of the earliest evidence
of humans inhabiting the Hebrides.

6,000 year old peat bogs

point to woodlands
being raized to the ground

by neolithic herders,
to allow their deer to graze.

Today the island remains
virtually treeless.

While certain clues to early settlers
lie deep beneath the surface,

in one location is a monument,
that towers above the rest.

The Standing Stones of Callanish

were erected around 4,000 years ago.

They were old
long before Rome was heard of.

Thirteen stones,
averaging four meters tall,

form a circle 13 meters across.

They surround
an even taller central monument.

Legend has it that giants,
who once lived on the island,

were turned to stone as a punishment

for refusing to convert to Christianity.

The stones are also said to receive
a ghostly visitation

on the dawn of the midsummer solstice.

A shining figure is said to walk
through the circle,

heralded by the call of the cuckoo.

Other theories point to Callanish being
an ancient burial site,

or having an astronomical purpose.

The structures true purpose,
however, remains a mystery.

The Callanish stones
are made of lewisian gneiss,

one of the hardest types of rock
in the world.

It plays an important role
at the coast of the island,

helping creating a unique environment.

The Machair
is one of Europe's rarest habitats.

It's unique to North West Scotland,

and the West of Ireland.

These wind swept coastal plains,

consist of calcium rich shell sand,
that is highly fertile,

and free draining.

Lewisian gneiss, which makes up
the regions bed rock, doesn't erode easily.

This means that rivers flowing to the coast
carry very little sediment,

which keeps the Machair sands
free of bulky organic matter.

These are the most fertile soils
on the islands,

and have always influenced
the location of human settlements.

Around 20,000 people
live on the island today.

Just up shore,
some of Europe's most elusive creatures

have also settled home here.

Despite their name,
common seals are quite rare.

Their gray cousins outnumber them
by a ratio of six to one.

At just under two meters in length,
they're smaller than the gray,

and prefer to bask on rocks
in secluded inlets.

Common seals travel up to 50 km to feed,

and often remain at sea for several days.

They can dive under water
for up to ten minutes,

and reach depths of more than 50 meters.

These coastal inlets are also home

to one of the worlds most secretive
fresh water mammals.

The Hebrides is home to one of the densest
populations of otters in North West Europe.

At high tide, they feed
in the islands' food rich coastal waters.

The otters rely on the sea
for the majority of their food,

but they still need fresh water
to wash away the salt,

and keep their coats water proof.

They spend most of their time on dry land.

Local fold lore tells tales of otter kings,

who were accompanied
by seven black otters.

When captured these beasts
would grant any wish

in exchange for their freedom.

The Shiant isles lie six kilometers
off the coast of Lewis and Harris.

The surrounding waters
are famed for another legend.

The Blue Men of the Minch are said
to have inhabited under water caves.

Sailors were fearful
of passing through this stretch of water,

as they believed that Merman type creatures
would lure them to their death.

For many years the Shiant sustained

a small population of around 30 people.

However, the last residents
abandoned the island, over a century ago.

These isolated isles are built entirely

from hexagonally jointed basalt columns.

They're part of the same ancient lava flow

that formed the Giants Causeway
in Northern Ireland, 60 million years ago.

The magma cooled rapidly,
forcing it to crystallize,

and form these giant geometric shapes.

Standing 120 meters tall,
these spectacular columns

dwarf their Irish counterparts.

The islands grassy cliffs
are the breeding home

to an estimated 80,000 pairs
of Atlantic puffins.

These enigmatic birds live a solitary life

out at sea for most of the year.

During summer,
they congregate in immense numbers.

Puffins choose
the same mating partner for life,

and reunited couples
reuse last seasons' nesting burrow.

Sand eels are the staple diet
for a newly hatched chick.

Both parents take turns fishing.

Feeding areas can range
up to 100 km off shore,

so several fish are caught on each trip.

There tongues hold anything they catch
against spines in their pallet,

this leaves the bill free
to capture more fish.

Puffins are small birds,
standing just 18 cm tall,

and weighing around 500 grams.

They are the perfect meal
for an aerial predator

more than three times their size.

Great Black-backed Gulls
are opportunistic hunters,

that steal and scavenge
most of their food.

They're the largest of all gulls,

and will hunt and kill
any creature smaller than themselves.

This one has locked onto it's target.

The puffin stands little chance

against the gulls aggression, strength,
and endurance.

Many partners never return
from their fishing trips.

The Shiant isles may be isolated,

but their location between the inner, and outer
islands, doesn't quite make them remote.

To the far west of the outer islands,

sits the most hostile
and isolated Archipelago of all.

A legendary land where people eat birds.

St. Kilda is by far the remotest

of all the Hebridean islands.

Lying 160 km from the mainland,

the Archipelago was formed around 60 million
years ago through volcanic activity.

It contains the highest
sea cliffs in Britain,

which face some of the harshest storms
the Atlantic Ocean has to offer.

The climate is generally cool,
with mists and showers

dampening the island
at all times of the year.

It's thought that people arrived at St.
Kilda as early as the bronze age.

These visitors brought with them one of
the worlds most primitive forms of sheep.

Four thousand years later,
the Soay sheep are still here.

They're smaller than domestic sheep,
but heartier,

and far more agile.

Unlike their relatives, Soay sheep

shed their coats naturally,
so don't require sheering.

Their extraordinary long reign
on the islands

is in part down to the fact that they
don't herd together like ordinary sheep.

When startled, they separate
and scatter in all directions,

making their capture
difficult for predators.

Around 2,000 Soay sheep
roam St. Kilda today.

Iron age houses, a testament
to people setting up permanent home

around 2,000 years ago.

This line of continuous adaptation came
to an abrupt end, just over 80 years ago.

For centuries people survived by eating
the islands vast supply of sea birds.

St. Kilda's cliffs are home to some of the
largest populations of sea birds in the world.

Because fishing the Atlantic's stormy seas
was too dangerous,

people turned
to an alternative supply of food.

Gannets, fulmars,

and puffins
made up the majority of their diet.

Each resident ate, on average,
115 fulmars every year.

Puffins became an every day snack,

just like a packet of crisps.

But this source of food was seasonal,

the birds only used St. Kilda to nest.

At the end of summer,
the islanders cliffs became bare.

In 1930, following food shortages,

and disease,
the last 36 residents of St. Kilda

were evacuated to the main land.

Over 60,000 pairs of gannets
still return to St. Kilda

each spring, it's the
largest colony in the world.

Although people no longer pose a threat
to the sea birds,

some of their own have taken to piracy.

Great skuas arrived on St. Kilda
around 50 years ago.

Gannets are much larger than these
aerial thieves, but skuas work in teams.

They harass their targets,
forcing them to regurgitate their prey.

Grabbing their victims wings mid flight
causes them to stall,

and crash into the sea.

Not all gannets survive such attacks,

and the skuas end up
with an even larger bounty.

One bird, however,
isn't prepared to just lie down and die.

Fulmars are medium sized sea birds,

with a wing span of just over a meter.

On paper, they're no match
for the islands aggressive predators.

But this unassuming bird
has a secret weapon.

It spots an approaching arctic skua,

another of the islands thieves.

As the intruder gets within striking range,

the fulmar unleashes a unique defense.

This projectile vomit
consists of highly acidic fish oil.

The fulmars have a spitting range
of up to 1 1/2 meters.

The foul smelling, noxious oil,
damages intruders feathers,

which affects water proofing and flight.

Most predators have learned to give
this particular species a very wide berth.

St. Kilda has the largest breeding population
of fulmars in the UK, over 65,000 pairs.

They played an important role
in the lives of the people who lived here.

Along with being part of their staple diet,

the birds oil was used
for burning in lamps.

It even had a medicinal purpose,

being rubbed into tired muscles.

Today fulmars,
and all other sea birds in Britain,

are protected by law,
however, there is an exception,

and on one island
the bird eating legend lives on.

In the small town of Ness,
in the outer Hebrides,

a group of men are setting sail
for Sula Sgeir,

a remote island 60 km north of their home.

Each August, they take part
in the annual guga hunt.

Guga is the Scottish Gaelic name
for gannet chick,

and at this time of year, Sula Sgeir
has around 5,000 on the verge of fledging.

Over a ten day period,
2,000 almost fully grown chicks

are grabbed from their nests.

Once killed, they're plucked, singed,

and salted.

Guga meat is seen as a delicacy.

People from Ness have been hunting gannets
on this small island for over 500 years.

It's an age old tradition
that today continues.

The Hebrides is a land of wonder.

Isolation, and food rich seas,

provide safety for many wild creatures.

But over time,
people have struggled to survive.

Myth and legend litter the island shores.

But many wild spectacles,
and age old traditions, live on.