1 00:00:09,087 --> 00:00:11,885 Coast is home. 2 00:00:12,687 --> 00:00:14,040 We're back, 3 00:00:14,087 --> 00:00:18,717 to explore the most endlessly fascinating shoreline in the world - 4 00:00:18,767 --> 00:00:20,519 our own. 5 00:00:24,047 --> 00:00:27,437 The quest to discover surprising, secret stories 6 00:00:27,487 --> 00:00:30,843 from around the British lsles continues. 7 00:00:35,927 --> 00:00:37,838 This is Coast. 8 00:01:03,167 --> 00:01:06,045 We're about to embark on a voyage of discovery. 9 00:01:08,767 --> 00:01:13,921 Our destinations are the glorious islands of the British lsles. 10 00:01:14,927 --> 00:01:18,636 Jewels set in spectacular seas, 11 00:01:18,687 --> 00:01:22,282 with a treasure trove of secrets in store. 12 00:01:24,927 --> 00:01:31,446 This is an epic adventure to explore the mysteries of the isles. 13 00:01:37,847 --> 00:01:40,407 We'll journey far into the north, 14 00:01:40,447 --> 00:01:46,682 where Neil is intrigued by the curious case of the death of Lord Kitchener. 15 00:01:46,727 --> 00:01:49,844 His face was instantly recognisable. 16 00:01:49,887 --> 00:01:53,960 He was the poster boy of army recruitment during the First World War. 17 00:01:54,007 --> 00:01:57,556 He arrived here in Scapa Flow on 5th June, 1 91 6. 18 00:01:57,607 --> 00:02:00,201 A few hours later he was dead. 19 00:02:01,007 --> 00:02:05,205 NlCK: ln the south, England's biggest island beckons. 20 00:02:05,247 --> 00:02:09,559 lt's a mystery how these needles of chalk on the lsle of Wight 21 00:02:09,607 --> 00:02:12,326 have hung on so long. 22 00:02:12,367 --> 00:02:14,642 Coast newcomer Andy Torbet 23 00:02:14,687 --> 00:02:19,317 is scaling new heights to solve a geological puzzle. 24 00:02:19,367 --> 00:02:22,359 This rock face represents about a million years, 25 00:02:22,407 --> 00:02:27,003 so for every metre l go up, that's about 30,000 years. 26 00:02:28,047 --> 00:02:31,084 NlCK: As we head way out west in Scotland, 27 00:02:31,127 --> 00:02:33,880 our voyage of exploration takes Tessa 28 00:02:33,927 --> 00:02:38,523 on a mission to see a magical light in the sky. 29 00:02:38,567 --> 00:02:43,038 Will sunset reveal the mysterious green ray? 30 00:02:45,847 --> 00:02:51,399 My own magical mystery tour starts here on Orkney. 31 00:02:53,327 --> 00:02:56,842 Orkney is actually a collection of 70 islands. 32 00:02:59,047 --> 00:03:01,607 The harbour at Stromness has been a settlement 33 00:03:01,647 --> 00:03:03,877 since the time of the Vikings. 34 00:03:04,847 --> 00:03:09,284 The sea was the highway the islanders needed to survive. 35 00:03:09,327 --> 00:03:14,526 Stromness was once a jumping-off point for global adventure. 36 00:03:14,567 --> 00:03:17,400 The town was connected to the wider world 37 00:03:17,447 --> 00:03:21,599 by mighty sailing ships stopping over in the port. 38 00:03:21,647 --> 00:03:26,118 lf only we could have been here in the great days of sail. 39 00:03:26,167 --> 00:03:27,885 Well, how about that? 40 00:03:27,927 --> 00:03:31,886 And l'm hoping to hitch a lift on an island-hopping ride. 41 00:03:32,767 --> 00:03:37,045 Every year a fleet of tall ships races around the harbours of the globe, 42 00:03:37,087 --> 00:03:40,045 recreating historic trade routes. 43 00:03:40,087 --> 00:03:44,160 This year they're passing through the Northern lsles of Scotland. 44 00:03:44,207 --> 00:03:47,722 The community here was transformed by the tall ships. 45 00:03:47,767 --> 00:03:51,840 They brought wealth, but they also took men away. 46 00:03:51,887 --> 00:03:55,766 lt's a classic dilemma for all small isles. 47 00:03:55,807 --> 00:03:57,479 When the wider world comes knocking, 48 00:03:57,527 --> 00:04:02,123 is the attraction of island life strong enough to keep communities together? 49 00:04:02,167 --> 00:04:04,635 - Permission to board. - Welcome aboard. 50 00:04:04,687 --> 00:04:05,836 Thank you. 51 00:04:05,887 --> 00:04:09,436 To explore the effect these vessels had on the islanders, 52 00:04:09,487 --> 00:04:14,720 l'm signing on as a crew hand aboard the Norwegian tall ship Sorlandet. 53 00:04:14,767 --> 00:04:17,600 My destination is Shetland, 54 00:04:17,647 --> 00:04:21,356 but l'm planning to stop off at tiny Fair lsle. 55 00:04:21,407 --> 00:04:23,796 lt barely registers on the map, 56 00:04:23,847 --> 00:04:26,077 but the community there thrives, 57 00:04:26,127 --> 00:04:29,961 even though many other Scottish isles have been abandoned. 58 00:04:30,007 --> 00:04:34,603 lt's a mystery how those on Fair lsle manage to hang on. 59 00:04:34,647 --> 00:04:38,117 l want to discover the secret of their success. 60 00:04:39,527 --> 00:04:43,918 With a favourable wind, we'll get to Fair lsle within two days. 61 00:04:47,407 --> 00:04:49,796 We're under motor power now, 62 00:04:49,847 --> 00:04:54,045 but soon it'll be all hands on deck to unfurl the 27 sails. 63 00:05:01,527 --> 00:05:06,123 The islands of Orkney are disappearing below the horizon. 64 00:05:06,167 --> 00:05:09,000 l'm just putting myself in the shoes of the islanders 65 00:05:09,047 --> 00:05:11,322 who boarded ships just like this 66 00:05:11,367 --> 00:05:15,326 to sail to new lives in faraway lands. 67 00:05:15,367 --> 00:05:18,723 lt must have been hugely exciting. 68 00:05:18,767 --> 00:05:23,318 But their excitement was tempered by the prospect of hard graft, 69 00:05:23,367 --> 00:05:25,483 and so is mine. 70 00:05:25,527 --> 00:05:31,875 They've just taught me how to coil a rope, which is actually quite simple, 71 00:05:31,927 --> 00:05:35,317 or it would be if you were standing on your kitchen floor at home, 72 00:05:35,367 --> 00:05:38,279 but this floor's moving around all over the place. 73 00:05:39,767 --> 00:05:44,682 Then, before we've really got going, apparently it's time for bed. 74 00:05:44,727 --> 00:05:49,198 The ship runs on shift work, and l'm on an early. 75 00:05:51,127 --> 00:05:54,437 But sleep doesn't come easily when the boat's lurching 76 00:05:54,487 --> 00:05:57,524 and there's only a few hours of darkness. 77 00:06:00,127 --> 00:06:04,120 lt's four o'clock in the morning and l've just got out of my bunk. 78 00:06:04,167 --> 00:06:08,206 l'm on the four to eight watch. Got to get up on deck. 79 00:06:08,247 --> 00:06:09,965 The boat's going all over the place. 80 00:06:10,007 --> 00:06:12,475 l think they put all the sails up in the night. 81 00:06:12,527 --> 00:06:15,758 Like sailors of old, l'm keeping a log, 82 00:06:15,807 --> 00:06:18,526 a video diary of my voyage. 83 00:06:18,567 --> 00:06:20,797 We're far out to sea, 84 00:06:20,847 --> 00:06:24,806 being blown along under a rig full of square sails. 85 00:06:24,847 --> 00:06:26,838 Look at this. 86 00:06:28,967 --> 00:06:30,958 What a sight. 87 00:06:33,647 --> 00:06:36,559 This is what a square rigger looks like 88 00:06:36,607 --> 00:06:39,121 under a lot of sail out in the North Atlantic. 89 00:06:40,047 --> 00:06:41,765 Pretty impressive. 90 00:06:42,607 --> 00:06:45,838 There's precious little time to take in the view. 91 00:06:45,887 --> 00:06:48,560 Bad weather's blowing in 92 00:06:48,607 --> 00:06:52,282 and we've got to crack on towards Fair lsle. 93 00:06:52,327 --> 00:06:55,205 Mind your footing. There are people sleeping below. 94 00:06:57,447 --> 00:07:00,245 While the ship swings into action, 95 00:07:00,287 --> 00:07:03,324 Captain Ulf Hed calmly plots our route, 96 00:07:03,367 --> 00:07:06,484 heading for a small speck of land. 97 00:07:06,527 --> 00:07:10,918 Fair lsle looks like a tiny rock in the middle of the ocean, 98 00:07:10,967 --> 00:07:12,286 completely on its own. 99 00:07:12,327 --> 00:07:14,318 Why do you want to take the ship to Fair lsle? 100 00:07:14,367 --> 00:07:18,804 - There is barter with the inhabitants of Fair lsle. - Barter? 101 00:07:18,847 --> 00:07:22,237 Yes. Where you trade things that you have for things that they have. 102 00:07:22,287 --> 00:07:25,279 They used to do this with the ships in the old days. 103 00:07:25,327 --> 00:07:31,641 They would trade their woollen mittens for fish hooks or some things like that. 104 00:07:31,687 --> 00:07:35,236 What have you brought from Norway to trade with the inhabitants of Fair lsle? 105 00:07:35,287 --> 00:07:38,882 We brought some goat cheese, some brown Norwegian goat cheese. 106 00:07:38,927 --> 00:07:43,318 OK. And do you think they'll like that? Do you know that they like goat cheese? 107 00:07:43,367 --> 00:07:45,881 l think it remains to be found out. 108 00:07:45,927 --> 00:07:51,365 And the only issue we have now is that if the seas pick up too much, 109 00:07:51,407 --> 00:07:54,604 we will have an issue with anchoring at Fair lsle. 110 00:07:56,687 --> 00:08:02,796 NlCK: This tall ship is too big to get into the tiny harbour on Fair lsle. 111 00:08:02,847 --> 00:08:06,886 lnstead we're planning to drop anchor offshore. 112 00:08:07,687 --> 00:08:11,521 The bad weather could scupper that plan. 113 00:08:18,487 --> 00:08:20,443 l've just come off watch, 114 00:08:20,487 --> 00:08:24,241 and Fair lsle is just off the ship's rail. 115 00:08:24,287 --> 00:08:28,565 lt's the most remote inhabited island in the British archipelago 116 00:08:28,607 --> 00:08:32,395 and l've been wanting to set foot on it for most of my life. 117 00:08:32,447 --> 00:08:35,200 Just seeing it is exciting, 118 00:08:35,247 --> 00:08:38,159 but we don't know yet whether we're going to be able to go ashore 119 00:08:38,207 --> 00:08:41,085 because there's a strong wind and a big swell. 120 00:08:41,127 --> 00:08:43,595 We're just going to have to wait and see. 121 00:08:45,127 --> 00:08:50,599 Weather permitting, l'm hoping to meet the small community here on Fair lsle 122 00:08:50,647 --> 00:08:54,606 to discover how they've kept going when other isles were abandoned. 123 00:08:55,407 --> 00:09:00,879 lt'sjust one of the marvellous mysteries to explore in the Scottish islands. 124 00:09:09,167 --> 00:09:12,000 Shrouded in cloaks of sea mist, 125 00:09:12,047 --> 00:09:16,165 the Western lsles can seem like a shadowy secret world, 126 00:09:16,207 --> 00:09:19,961 fertile territory for the making of myths. 127 00:09:21,527 --> 00:09:25,520 Spectacular sights and tall tales 128 00:09:25,567 --> 00:09:31,961 captivated a new breed of tourists around 1 50 years ago. 129 00:09:32,007 --> 00:09:34,919 They departed from new gateways to adventure, 130 00:09:34,967 --> 00:09:37,117 like here at Largs. 131 00:09:38,647 --> 00:09:42,037 Following in the footsteps of Victorian travellers, 132 00:09:42,087 --> 00:09:45,238 Tessa's searching out the truth of an island tale 133 00:09:45,287 --> 00:09:48,563 that seems much stranger than fiction. 134 00:09:50,487 --> 00:09:52,045 TESSA: ln the late 1 800s, 135 00:09:52,087 --> 00:09:56,319 the sleepy town of Largs was a thriving tourist destination. 136 00:09:56,367 --> 00:10:00,724 The golden ticket for travel-hungry adventurers of the Victorian age 137 00:10:00,767 --> 00:10:03,679 was a grand tour of the Western lsles. 138 00:10:03,727 --> 00:10:08,847 The new craze for paddle-steamer voyages drew people here from far and wide, 139 00:10:08,887 --> 00:10:13,165 especially those obsessed with a scientific sense of discovery. 140 00:10:13,207 --> 00:10:16,279 One such traveller was French author Jules Verne, 141 00:10:16,327 --> 00:10:18,841 a founding father of science fiction. 142 00:10:18,887 --> 00:10:24,166 ln 1 879, Verne, in search of new wonders, travelled to the Western lsles. 143 00:10:25,047 --> 00:10:27,959 The man who wrote Around The World ln Eighty Days 144 00:10:28,007 --> 00:10:30,441 and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea 145 00:10:30,487 --> 00:10:34,446 was inspired here to write a book about a natural phenomenon, 146 00:10:34,487 --> 00:10:36,842 part fact, part fiction. 147 00:10:36,887 --> 00:10:40,596 The mysterious and elusive green ray. 148 00:10:41,407 --> 00:10:45,958 ln the book Jules Verne describes a fleeting green flash of light 149 00:10:46,007 --> 00:10:49,238 that reveals itselfjust as the sun sets. 150 00:10:49,287 --> 00:10:53,326 He called it ''le rayon vert'', meaning the green ray, 151 00:10:53,367 --> 00:10:56,086 more commonly known as the green flash. 152 00:11:01,367 --> 00:11:04,518 The novel tells the story of a young woman, Helena, 153 00:11:04,567 --> 00:11:06,558 who, having read of the green ray, 154 00:11:06,607 --> 00:11:09,280 sets off on a voyage to the Western lsles 155 00:11:09,327 --> 00:11:11,602 to try and see it herself. 156 00:11:11,647 --> 00:11:15,117 Legend tells that the green ray destroys illusions 157 00:11:15,167 --> 00:11:18,000 and will allow her to find true love. 158 00:11:20,407 --> 00:11:24,639 Joining me as l begin my voyage into the islands is lan Thompson, 159 00:11:24,687 --> 00:11:27,724 who has studied Verne's book. 160 00:11:27,767 --> 00:11:31,726 Does the green ray really exist? Will we be able to see it? 161 00:11:31,767 --> 00:11:33,644 Yes, the phenomenon certainly exists. 162 00:11:33,687 --> 00:11:36,201 We don't know that Verne himself witnessed it. 163 00:11:36,247 --> 00:11:40,877 There's nothing in the correspondence or diaries to prove that. 164 00:11:40,927 --> 00:11:45,125 But it certainly does exist and it has been witnessed, photographed. 165 00:11:45,167 --> 00:11:47,317 And l have here an example 166 00:11:47,367 --> 00:11:52,077 where we see just for a few seconds this green flash, or green ray. 167 00:11:52,127 --> 00:11:54,800 That was what Verne's heroine was after. 168 00:11:55,847 --> 00:11:58,042 TESSA: And it's what l'm after too. 169 00:11:59,967 --> 00:12:03,243 Like both Jules Verne and his heroine Helena, 170 00:12:03,287 --> 00:12:06,359 l'm boarding a steamer to travel to the Western lsles. 171 00:12:16,407 --> 00:12:20,719 The Green Ray is very interesting in Verne's huge output 172 00:12:20,767 --> 00:12:24,965 because it's the one novel that follows exactly his own travel, 173 00:12:25,007 --> 00:12:27,680 his travels in Scotland. 174 00:12:27,727 --> 00:12:31,720 He adored all the myths and legends and history of Scotland, 175 00:12:31,767 --> 00:12:35,601 and he regarded it as more or less his ancestral home. 176 00:12:35,647 --> 00:12:39,526 Why in particular are the Western lsles a good place 177 00:12:39,567 --> 00:12:41,558 for seeing this green flash phenomenon? 178 00:12:41,607 --> 00:12:43,882 lAN: The western coast of the Western lsles 179 00:12:43,927 --> 00:12:50,036 offered a completely unblocked view of the horizon at sunset. 180 00:12:51,247 --> 00:12:55,684 So in other words, here where we are right now is no good. 181 00:12:55,727 --> 00:12:57,877 lAN: You can't see a horizon. 182 00:12:57,927 --> 00:13:00,964 TESSA: lt's clearly not an easy phenomenon to capture. 183 00:13:01,007 --> 00:13:04,636 lt really does require very, very specific atmospheric conditions. 184 00:13:04,687 --> 00:13:07,360 - What do you think our chances are? - Pretty slim. 185 00:13:09,647 --> 00:13:14,118 TESSA: To have any hope, l need to push on to the open sea. 186 00:13:14,167 --> 00:13:18,285 Like Helena, l'm determined to witness the green flash. 187 00:13:18,327 --> 00:13:20,966 Has anybody else here seen it, though? 188 00:13:21,007 --> 00:13:24,363 l wonder if you could tell me whether you've ever heard of the green ray? 189 00:13:24,407 --> 00:13:25,442 l haven't, no. 190 00:13:25,487 --> 00:13:28,479 l don't suppose any of you know anything about the green flash? 191 00:13:28,527 --> 00:13:30,677 - No. - l haven't, l'm sorry. l don't. 192 00:13:30,727 --> 00:13:33,639 Have you ever heard of the green flash? 193 00:13:33,687 --> 00:13:35,439 - Oh, yes, l have. - Have you? 194 00:13:35,487 --> 00:13:37,205 ln fact, l've seen the green flash. 195 00:13:37,247 --> 00:13:41,286 Just as the sun goes down, just as it disappears over the horizon, 196 00:13:41,327 --> 00:13:44,717 there's a green flash and it's quite amazing to see it. 197 00:13:46,207 --> 00:13:48,641 TESSA: Reassured, l continue heading west. 198 00:13:48,687 --> 00:13:51,520 lt's a race against the sun. 199 00:13:55,367 --> 00:14:00,316 Back in Verne's day, the fashionable sets in London, Paris and Berlin 200 00:14:00,367 --> 00:14:03,996 saw the Western lsles as the last wilderness of Europe. 201 00:14:06,367 --> 00:14:10,246 lt's clear that Verne too was captivated by this place. 202 00:14:12,327 --> 00:14:15,603 As he made his way through the lochs and out to the islands, 203 00:14:15,647 --> 00:14:21,005 natural wonders like the Corryvreckan Whirlpool fuelled his imagination. 204 00:14:21,847 --> 00:14:27,444 As did the imposing island of Staffa and the wondrous Fingal's Cave. 205 00:14:31,247 --> 00:14:35,365 With sunset approaching, the paddle steamer leaves me behind. 206 00:14:36,607 --> 00:14:38,882 l've arrived at the island where Verne's heroine 207 00:14:38,927 --> 00:14:41,919 got her chance to see the green flash. 208 00:14:43,007 --> 00:14:45,680 But she had better luck than me. 209 00:14:45,727 --> 00:14:49,800 l've got a view of the horizon, but the clouds have closed in. 210 00:14:50,567 --> 00:14:55,482 The sun's nowhere to be seen. The elements are against me. 211 00:14:55,527 --> 00:14:57,085 But l was brought up in Scotland, 212 00:14:57,127 --> 00:15:00,324 so l'm not daft enough to have left the green flash to chance. 213 00:15:00,367 --> 00:15:02,244 l've got a plan B. 214 00:15:02,287 --> 00:15:04,243 l'm meeting Johannes Courtial, 215 00:15:04,287 --> 00:15:07,996 who's giving me my very own green flash demonstration. 216 00:15:08,047 --> 00:15:11,084 Johannes, how does a green flash actually work? 217 00:15:12,087 --> 00:15:15,523 There's the sun, and when it's setting, 218 00:15:15,567 --> 00:15:19,242 the light from the sun reaches the observer 219 00:15:19,287 --> 00:15:22,677 by entering the atmosphere, where it gets bent. 220 00:15:22,727 --> 00:15:25,321 When the sun sets on the horizon, 221 00:15:25,367 --> 00:15:29,485 the light goes through a bit of atmosphere a bit like a prism. 222 00:15:29,527 --> 00:15:31,882 - OK. - l happen to have one here. 223 00:15:31,927 --> 00:15:35,806 So if the atmosphere's like a prism, what effect does that have on the light? 224 00:15:35,847 --> 00:15:42,082 Well, what this does is it splits the sun's light into effectively a rainbow. 225 00:15:42,127 --> 00:15:46,006 The red bit is at the bottom, the blue bit is at the top, 226 00:15:46,047 --> 00:15:50,040 and as the sun then sets below the horizon, this rainbow disappears. 227 00:15:50,087 --> 00:15:52,999 The blue is at the end, so that would set last, 228 00:15:53,047 --> 00:15:55,402 but the green flash is green and not blue. 229 00:15:55,447 --> 00:15:58,837 And that is because blue light is scattered out by the atmosphere. 230 00:15:58,887 --> 00:16:00,445 This is why the sky is blue. 231 00:16:00,487 --> 00:16:03,240 And that's why in this rainbow blue is missing 232 00:16:03,287 --> 00:16:05,005 and then the top colour is green. 233 00:16:05,047 --> 00:16:08,835 So the last colour that is disappearing below the horizon is a bit of green, 234 00:16:08,887 --> 00:16:10,878 and that's it, that's the green flash. 235 00:16:10,927 --> 00:16:15,364 Eureka! So can you re-create the green flash here? 236 00:16:15,407 --> 00:16:18,001 Well, we'll do our best. We have all we need, l think. 237 00:16:18,047 --> 00:16:22,199 We have a fish tank with angled sides. This will act like a prism. 238 00:16:22,247 --> 00:16:26,445 TESSA: To make the tank mimic the bending power of the earth's atmosphere, 239 00:16:26,487 --> 00:16:28,159 we fill it with water... 240 00:16:29,847 --> 00:16:32,566 ..add powder to scatter the light... 241 00:16:32,607 --> 00:16:35,440 and finally a torch, our sun. 242 00:16:35,487 --> 00:16:39,878 - l can see some form of rainbow here. - Yeah, l do see it, actually, Johannes. 243 00:16:39,927 --> 00:16:42,680 A kind of bluey-green rim. 244 00:16:42,727 --> 00:16:45,525 But l thought that that green flash was meant to be at the top, 245 00:16:45,567 --> 00:16:48,365 the last bit of the sun to disappear not on the right-hand side. 246 00:16:48,407 --> 00:16:53,003 That's because our atmosphere here is standing on its side. This way is up. 247 00:16:53,927 --> 00:16:55,724 TESSA: With a little magic touch, 248 00:16:55,767 --> 00:16:59,043 it starts to look a lot more like the setting sun, 249 00:16:59,087 --> 00:17:02,238 complete with mysterious green flash. 250 00:17:04,367 --> 00:17:07,677 Given what we've been up against, l think you've worked wonders. 251 00:17:07,727 --> 00:17:10,195 This is amazing. l actually understand it. 252 00:17:10,247 --> 00:17:13,239 And though l may have cheated a little, 253 00:17:13,287 --> 00:17:16,916 with the help of a German scientist and a plastic fish tank, 254 00:17:16,967 --> 00:17:22,758 l've joined the lucky few to have seen the rare and mysterious green flash. 255 00:17:33,367 --> 00:17:37,440 NlCK: l'm sailing aboard the Norwegian tall ship Sorlandet, 256 00:17:37,487 --> 00:17:41,366 on a voyage between the Northern lsles of Scotland. 257 00:17:41,407 --> 00:17:45,844 We've arrived at Fair lsle, a wonderfully remote community. 258 00:17:47,407 --> 00:17:53,516 l've wanted to come here for years, since l first heard about it as a boy. 259 00:17:54,887 --> 00:17:59,358 But tall ships are too big for Fair lsle's tiny harbour, 260 00:17:59,407 --> 00:18:04,276 so we need to find calmer water to launch a boat. 261 00:18:04,927 --> 00:18:08,681 Captain, we seem to be sailing to and fro along the shore of Fair lsle. 262 00:18:08,727 --> 00:18:09,955 ls there a problem? 263 00:18:10,007 --> 00:18:13,966 ln the north end, up there where the other ships are, there is a bit of swell. 264 00:18:14,007 --> 00:18:16,077 So now we're at the south end of the island. 265 00:18:16,127 --> 00:18:18,880 We're going to pass it, turn the ship around, 266 00:18:18,927 --> 00:18:21,236 come back and see if we can anchor 267 00:18:21,287 --> 00:18:24,085 just about where we are now and a little bit closer to shore, 268 00:18:24,127 --> 00:18:26,687 and it ought to be safe. 269 00:18:27,967 --> 00:18:32,245 NlCK: We're hoping to drop anchor off this remarkable island, 270 00:18:32,287 --> 00:18:35,677 still home to about 70 people. 271 00:18:35,727 --> 00:18:39,356 A tiny stepping stone between Orkney and Shetland, 272 00:18:39,407 --> 00:18:43,366 Fair lsle is surrounded by an ocean of sea. 273 00:18:44,127 --> 00:18:47,517 3,000 miles over there is Canada, 274 00:18:47,567 --> 00:18:51,685 and hundreds of miles in that direction is Norway and mainland Europe. 275 00:18:51,727 --> 00:18:55,845 Fair lsle sat in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. 276 00:18:56,887 --> 00:19:00,926 Arriving by trading ship helps solve the mystery 277 00:19:00,967 --> 00:19:06,246 of how small island communities used to support themselves out here. 278 00:19:06,287 --> 00:19:09,484 Whenever the people on the island saw a sailing ship coming past, 279 00:19:09,527 --> 00:19:12,963 they'd try and sail out or row out to meet it. 280 00:19:13,007 --> 00:19:18,718 Today, we're going to try and meet them and barter with the islanders. 281 00:19:18,767 --> 00:19:20,917 You step in quickly as l tell you. 282 00:19:22,047 --> 00:19:24,959 NlCK: But getting off a big ship isn't easy. 283 00:19:26,487 --> 00:19:28,637 These are tense moments. 284 00:19:47,727 --> 00:19:49,718 MAN: Give us the line. 285 00:19:50,967 --> 00:19:55,518 Well, that was one of the most exciting embarkation moments l've ever had in my life. 286 00:19:55,567 --> 00:19:57,683 But we're now going to head for the shore 287 00:19:57,727 --> 00:20:00,685 through what's pretty impressive swell. 288 00:20:02,367 --> 00:20:04,323 Fair lsle looks pretty remote on a map, 289 00:20:04,367 --> 00:20:07,404 but it feels even more remote once you've arrived at it. 290 00:20:09,487 --> 00:20:14,242 Finally, after years of anticipation, l get to set foot on Fair lsle. 291 00:20:14,287 --> 00:20:18,360 This is a big moment for me. l feel quite emotional about it. 292 00:20:18,407 --> 00:20:20,398 (Cheering) 293 00:20:24,407 --> 00:20:26,045 - Thank you! - Welcome! 294 00:20:26,087 --> 00:20:30,478 Thank you! Thank you very much. That's a very nice welcome indeed. 295 00:20:30,527 --> 00:20:35,760 ln the past, islanders would exchange fresh goods and their famous knitwear 296 00:20:35,807 --> 00:20:41,643 for brandy, tea, flour and other essentials from the trading ships. 297 00:20:41,687 --> 00:20:45,965 They've been frantically knitting traditional keps, fisherman's hats, 298 00:20:46,007 --> 00:20:48,316 which they hope to barter. 299 00:20:48,367 --> 00:20:51,439 This is a famous Norwegian brown cheese. 300 00:20:51,487 --> 00:20:52,806 WOMAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 301 00:20:55,327 --> 00:20:56,806 This is the Linie Aquavit. 302 00:20:56,847 --> 00:20:59,315 WOMAN: lt's been over the equator. - Oh, yes. 303 00:20:59,367 --> 00:21:02,803 l think we'll have to open that tonight for all the knitters first. 304 00:21:02,847 --> 00:21:06,635 lt's easy to see this as a bit of fun, 305 00:21:06,687 --> 00:21:10,646 but exchanges like this happened for hundreds of years, 306 00:21:10,687 --> 00:21:13,326 keeping island communities alive. 307 00:21:13,367 --> 00:21:14,925 Fantastic. 308 00:21:16,767 --> 00:21:18,246 Barter complete, 309 00:21:18,287 --> 00:21:23,361 l've just an hour or so left to explore this fascinating island. 310 00:21:24,927 --> 00:21:30,001 There's a mystery at the heart of this community that intrigues me. 311 00:21:30,047 --> 00:21:33,722 What made them stay when life became difficult? 312 00:21:33,767 --> 00:21:37,282 Not so long ago, it was touch and go here on Fair lsle. 313 00:21:38,207 --> 00:21:41,961 l've got an article here from the Shetland Times of 1 956. 314 00:21:42,007 --> 00:21:45,522 The really dramatic passage in this article says, 315 00:21:45,567 --> 00:21:47,842 ''The report indicates that by this summer, 316 00:21:47,887 --> 00:21:51,800 it is possible that the island will reach the point of no return 317 00:21:51,847 --> 00:21:55,078 as far as manning essential services is concerned, 318 00:21:55,127 --> 00:21:58,403 so that evacuation will become inevitable.'' 319 00:21:59,207 --> 00:22:05,840 ln 1 956, a film crew came to capture the dying days of Fair lsle. 320 00:22:05,887 --> 00:22:10,039 The tall ships had gone. The island was increasingly isolated. 321 00:22:10,807 --> 00:22:14,083 Young men were forced to leave to find wives. 322 00:22:14,127 --> 00:22:17,961 The population wasjust 47. 323 00:22:18,007 --> 00:22:22,000 But the proposed evacuation never materialised. 324 00:22:22,047 --> 00:22:26,120 So how did Fair lsle come back from the brink? 325 00:22:26,167 --> 00:22:31,195 l'm meeting Anne Sinclair to share memories of life back then. 326 00:22:32,367 --> 00:22:36,997 - Got that, south light. That's... - That's the lighthouse just down there. 327 00:22:37,047 --> 00:22:39,402 Here's some Fair lsle knitting patterns. 328 00:22:39,447 --> 00:22:42,519 - They haven't changed at all. - Well, no. lt's called traditional. 329 00:22:42,567 --> 00:22:43,682 Yeah. 330 00:22:43,727 --> 00:22:47,037 And that, l think, is my Auntie Molly's hands. 331 00:22:47,087 --> 00:22:50,477 - You can recognise your aunt's hands? - Yep, they're the same as mine. 332 00:22:50,527 --> 00:22:55,840 Anne's parents were from Fair lsle, but like many others, they'd left. 333 00:22:55,887 --> 00:23:00,881 When the call came to help save the island, the family returned. 334 00:23:00,927 --> 00:23:03,236 - So which year did you come back? - '57. 335 00:23:03,287 --> 00:23:07,041 You came back here at the most difficult time in the island's history. 336 00:23:07,087 --> 00:23:10,124 Yes, Dad especially was really quite keen to come back here, 337 00:23:10,167 --> 00:23:14,558 and they did say if young farmers didn't come, they'd evacuate Fair lsle. 338 00:23:14,607 --> 00:23:18,998 So that was the kind of final thing, and Dad said, ''Right, let's go.'' 339 00:23:19,047 --> 00:23:22,801 Why did Fair lsle survive as a community 340 00:23:22,847 --> 00:23:27,318 when so many islands off the north coast of Scotland 341 00:23:27,367 --> 00:23:30,484 became depopulated and then abandoned? 342 00:23:30,527 --> 00:23:33,087 l think it was sheer determination to a certain extent, 343 00:23:33,127 --> 00:23:37,086 but l think a lot of people really saw that this was a good way to live. 344 00:23:37,127 --> 00:23:41,405 And there's quite a lot of young families over the years that came back 345 00:23:41,447 --> 00:23:45,156 and it stayed fairly young, and l think that's important. 346 00:23:45,207 --> 00:23:48,722 A lot of people have the idea, oh, Fair lsle, get away from it all, 347 00:23:48,767 --> 00:23:50,086 it'll be like a magic place, 348 00:23:50,127 --> 00:23:53,676 and in fact we're all human beings here the same as everywhere else. 349 00:23:53,727 --> 00:23:57,481 lt's a magical place, but it won't solve anybody's problems. 350 00:23:57,527 --> 00:23:59,324 They won't get away from anything. 351 00:24:00,047 --> 00:24:04,438 Right now l've got to get back to the tall ship waiting for me offshore, 352 00:24:04,487 --> 00:24:08,196 to continue my magical mystery tour towards Shetland. 353 00:24:09,287 --> 00:24:14,156 l'm leaving Anne with a DVD of memories in exchange for a Fair lsle kep. 354 00:24:14,207 --> 00:24:16,960 That way, and now you can put it to the side. 355 00:24:17,007 --> 00:24:20,317 - That's warm. - A typical Fair lsle fisherman. 356 00:24:20,367 --> 00:24:22,756 l'm not tough enough to be a Fair lsle fisherman. 357 00:24:24,207 --> 00:24:29,281 Few are fortunate enough to live in the Northern lsles, 358 00:24:29,327 --> 00:24:32,763 so they seem remote to many of us. 359 00:24:32,807 --> 00:24:35,958 But if you're looking for uncharted territory, 360 00:24:36,007 --> 00:24:41,320 surprisingly you can find it a stone's throw from the busy south coast of England, 361 00:24:41,367 --> 00:24:43,358 on the lsle of Wight. 362 00:24:45,247 --> 00:24:50,321 A short hop from the mainland, this is a popular holiday destination. 363 00:24:50,367 --> 00:24:53,200 lt's England's biggest island, 364 00:24:53,247 --> 00:24:57,604 but you'd think tourists would have explored every inch. 365 00:24:57,647 --> 00:25:00,366 Well, not quite every inch. 366 00:25:03,767 --> 00:25:06,679 Zoologist and ex-soldier Andy Torbet 367 00:25:06,727 --> 00:25:11,926 is about to have an adventure on rocks where most would fear to tread. 368 00:25:16,407 --> 00:25:20,685 AND Y: The lsle of Wight is a great location to explore geology in action. 369 00:25:20,727 --> 00:25:26,438 The strata of different rock types are exposed for all to see and touch. 370 00:25:26,487 --> 00:25:31,800 But there's one part of this island where the geology remains a mystery. 371 00:25:34,047 --> 00:25:37,562 Geologists have been poring over the lsle of Wight for hundreds of years, 372 00:25:37,607 --> 00:25:40,997 but there's one bit they've never been able to reach. 373 00:25:42,927 --> 00:25:46,044 This is the geological map of the UK, 374 00:25:46,087 --> 00:25:48,726 where the different colours represent different rocks. 375 00:25:48,767 --> 00:25:50,758 lf we zoom in to the lsle of Wight, 376 00:25:50,807 --> 00:25:54,117 you'll see this thin light green band represents the chalk. 377 00:25:54,167 --> 00:25:57,284 But if we zoom in even closer, 378 00:25:57,327 --> 00:26:00,239 you'll see the Needles aren't coloured in. 379 00:26:00,287 --> 00:26:04,678 That's because geologists haven't been able to get out there to take a sample. 380 00:26:04,727 --> 00:26:06,718 So they've asked me to help. 381 00:26:15,047 --> 00:26:18,562 There's no doubt it's chalk, but what sort of chalk, 382 00:26:18,607 --> 00:26:20,757 and why has it resisted the sea 383 00:26:20,807 --> 00:26:23,719 when the surrounding chalk crumbled away long ago? 384 00:26:26,167 --> 00:26:28,806 To find out, the geologists need a virgin sample 385 00:26:28,847 --> 00:26:30,599 from the point of the needle, 386 00:26:30,647 --> 00:26:34,276 chalk that's not contaminated with the sea gunge around the base. 387 00:26:36,287 --> 00:26:40,644 There are very few records of this needle ever being climbed, 388 00:26:40,687 --> 00:26:42,678 and up close l can see why. 389 00:26:43,927 --> 00:26:45,838 l'm an experienced climber, 390 00:26:45,887 --> 00:26:50,722 but l've never tried to scale a chalk stack in the middle of the sea. 391 00:26:50,767 --> 00:26:54,965 l need to enlist a buddy with some local knowledge for a bit of training. 392 00:26:55,007 --> 00:26:57,680 Yeah, it's getting that first six feet. 393 00:26:57,727 --> 00:27:00,799 Dave Talbot has climbed on chalk before. 394 00:27:00,847 --> 00:27:03,407 lt poses a unique challenge. 395 00:27:05,447 --> 00:27:09,042 Crumbly chalk is made up of the bodies of tiny sea creatures 396 00:27:09,087 --> 00:27:12,796 built up on the seabed over millions of years. 397 00:27:12,847 --> 00:27:16,203 lt's very old and not very stable. 398 00:27:16,247 --> 00:27:18,363 Bits break off all the time. 399 00:27:20,287 --> 00:27:22,198 This is a typical section of chalk lift. 400 00:27:22,247 --> 00:27:25,205 You can see things like this that kind of look really loose. 401 00:27:25,247 --> 00:27:26,566 l don't know quite how... 402 00:27:26,607 --> 00:27:29,804 Yeah, l mean, that's incredibly loose. 403 00:27:29,847 --> 00:27:33,396 Even sections like this that maybe even appear more solid, 404 00:27:33,447 --> 00:27:37,156 if you get your hand on it, as if you were climbing, it just crumbles away. 405 00:27:37,207 --> 00:27:38,606 lt's really unpredictable. 406 00:27:38,647 --> 00:27:42,117 Some of the sections can be quite solid but other bits really loose. 407 00:27:42,167 --> 00:27:45,557 We don't know what we're going to encounter when we're climbing it. 408 00:27:45,607 --> 00:27:49,839 Even these spikes driven into the rock can't be relied on in the event of a slip. 409 00:27:52,367 --> 00:27:54,278 lt's not solid. Chalk's not solid. 410 00:27:54,327 --> 00:27:57,160 The best way of doing it is just try not to fall off. 411 00:27:59,207 --> 00:28:02,040 And if this glorious weather holds out, 412 00:28:02,087 --> 00:28:04,317 we'll be attempting the climb tomorrow. 413 00:28:04,367 --> 00:28:08,042 We'll have to keep our wits about us. You've seen what that chalk's like. 414 00:28:08,087 --> 00:28:12,319 lt's going to be crumbly, flaky, unpredictable and really slippery at the bottom. 415 00:28:12,367 --> 00:28:14,881 lt's going to be like climbing on cheese. 416 00:28:14,927 --> 00:28:17,157 So hanging out on that stuff out over the sea 417 00:28:17,207 --> 00:28:19,004 is going to be quite interesting. 418 00:28:26,407 --> 00:28:29,444 The next morning we're all kitted up and ready to go. 419 00:28:29,487 --> 00:28:31,239 - Nice bit of weather. - Spot on. 420 00:28:31,287 --> 00:28:33,039 Little bit of breeze. 421 00:28:34,847 --> 00:28:35,996 Morning, guys. 422 00:28:36,047 --> 00:28:39,119 And we've been joined by Pete Hopson and Andy Farrant, 423 00:28:39,167 --> 00:28:42,318 two scientists from the British Geological Survey. 424 00:28:45,887 --> 00:28:49,084 Although the water looks calm, the swell is a worry. 425 00:28:57,127 --> 00:28:59,516 The wind's picked up, so the swell's picked up. 426 00:28:59,567 --> 00:29:03,480 Getting on the rock is going to be much, much harder than we thought. 427 00:29:08,247 --> 00:29:09,236 Beautiful. 428 00:29:16,167 --> 00:29:20,957 Safely off and kitted up, Dave's nominated me to lead the climb. 429 00:29:23,967 --> 00:29:26,720 We need a pure sample of chalk from the summit 430 00:29:26,767 --> 00:29:29,918 to work out why this pinnacle has defied the sea for so long. 431 00:29:38,847 --> 00:29:42,203 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 432 00:29:42,247 --> 00:29:43,680 Whoa. 433 00:29:43,727 --> 00:29:45,877 That was my next hand hold. 434 00:29:45,927 --> 00:29:47,280 Below! 435 00:29:48,927 --> 00:29:50,963 You just can't trust anything you're doing. 436 00:29:52,447 --> 00:29:54,358 That's what l'm talking about. 437 00:29:54,407 --> 00:29:56,921 lt's fragile, it's crumbly, it's unpredictable, 438 00:29:56,967 --> 00:30:00,243 and every time you pull on a hold or step up, your heart's in your mouth, 439 00:30:00,287 --> 00:30:03,916 but it's an amazing place to be, especially on a day like today. 440 00:30:03,967 --> 00:30:08,563 lt might not be the safest place in the world, but it's pretty spectacular. 441 00:30:18,327 --> 00:30:22,923 The geologists tell me that from the sea line to the top, 442 00:30:22,967 --> 00:30:25,765 this rock face represents about a million years, 443 00:30:25,807 --> 00:30:31,006 so for every metre l go up, that's about 30,000 years. 444 00:30:37,807 --> 00:30:39,126 Whoa. 445 00:30:39,167 --> 00:30:41,158 Below! 446 00:30:57,927 --> 00:30:59,918 That was a bit easier. 447 00:31:02,007 --> 00:31:04,680 Done it. Champion. Still in one piece. 448 00:31:07,487 --> 00:31:10,126 As we're climbing for the British Geological Survey, 449 00:31:10,167 --> 00:31:12,840 we're able to take a sample of chalk away. 450 00:31:12,887 --> 00:31:15,481 lt's not something we'd be doing otherwise. 451 00:31:18,127 --> 00:31:20,197 - Hey, nice one. Well done. - Beautiful, mate. 452 00:31:20,247 --> 00:31:21,680 - Good effort. - Cheers, buddy. 453 00:31:21,727 --> 00:31:23,445 - Well done. - That was awesome. 454 00:31:23,487 --> 00:31:26,877 lt's a bizarre way to climb. lt's quite intimidating. 455 00:31:26,927 --> 00:31:29,043 We've got to figure out how to get down now. 456 00:31:29,087 --> 00:31:31,476 AND Y: We'll get the rock samples the guys need, 457 00:31:31,527 --> 00:31:34,644 get ourselves down, and that'll be mission accomplished. 458 00:31:40,527 --> 00:31:41,926 Cool. 459 00:31:52,527 --> 00:31:56,566 Our chalk sample will need detailed analysis at a lab. 460 00:31:56,607 --> 00:31:57,881 Dave, nice bit of chalk. 461 00:31:58,607 --> 00:32:02,646 But sample in hand, hopefully we can clear up one mystery right now. 462 00:32:03,647 --> 00:32:06,286 Why have the Needles lasted so long? 463 00:32:06,327 --> 00:32:09,558 ls the chalk harder than the surrounding coast? 464 00:32:09,607 --> 00:32:11,757 We've got a way to find out. 465 00:32:11,807 --> 00:32:14,924 This is a very simple field test. 466 00:32:14,967 --> 00:32:16,878 lt's called a Schmidt hammer. 467 00:32:16,927 --> 00:32:18,076 Right. 468 00:32:18,127 --> 00:32:21,437 This device will give a number to the hardness of our sample. 469 00:32:21,487 --> 00:32:25,162 There's the bang, and here we have a reading. 470 00:32:25,207 --> 00:32:29,519 This one's 22. That's quite hard for chalk. 471 00:32:30,927 --> 00:32:35,478 Now we compare it with the chalk the geologists have brought along from the mainland. 472 00:32:37,647 --> 00:32:40,161 lt's barely reading 1 0 on here, 473 00:32:40,207 --> 00:32:43,483 which is significantly lower than the one from the needle. 474 00:32:43,527 --> 00:32:45,597 This is much, much harder. 475 00:32:45,647 --> 00:32:50,004 AND Y: So why is the Needles' chalk much harder than normal chalk? 476 00:32:50,047 --> 00:32:54,802 This chalk was moved by earth forces 477 00:32:54,847 --> 00:32:57,964 and it was bent over until it was nearly vertical, 478 00:32:58,007 --> 00:33:00,601 and the compression on that chalk 479 00:33:00,647 --> 00:33:03,844 has created quite a lot of internal pressure. 480 00:33:03,887 --> 00:33:08,677 The little pore spaces between the individual grains 481 00:33:08,727 --> 00:33:14,962 have been filled with calcite minerals because of that pressure on the rock, 482 00:33:15,007 --> 00:33:17,805 and that's what's made it significantly harder 483 00:33:17,847 --> 00:33:21,635 than other samples of chalk that we see around the south of England. 484 00:33:21,687 --> 00:33:25,839 So all the information we've brought back, is that going to allow you to finish the map? 485 00:33:25,887 --> 00:33:30,403 PETER: Now we can move forward and finally print the new geological map. 486 00:33:35,967 --> 00:33:40,518 NlCK: With the Needles on the map, there's one mystery less in our isles, 487 00:33:41,447 --> 00:33:44,041 but still plenty more to explore. 488 00:33:48,727 --> 00:33:50,604 l'm on an island-hopping adventure 489 00:33:50,647 --> 00:33:54,799 aboard a tall ship in the waters of northern Scotland. 490 00:33:56,367 --> 00:33:58,642 Now it's all hands on deck. 491 00:33:58,687 --> 00:34:00,917 When the weather's against you, 492 00:34:00,967 --> 00:34:05,882 it takes every able body to wrestle with the wild Atlantic. 493 00:34:13,047 --> 00:34:14,924 l'm en route for Shetland, 494 00:34:14,967 --> 00:34:19,995 following in the wake of islanders who left a familiar life on land 495 00:34:20,047 --> 00:34:22,163 for the mysteries of the sea. 496 00:34:23,127 --> 00:34:28,759 To find out what lay in store, like them, l'm travelling 1 9th-century style. 497 00:34:28,807 --> 00:34:33,562 Back then, ships like this carried island men to adventure across the sea, 498 00:34:33,607 --> 00:34:35,643 but it wasn't a free ride. 499 00:34:35,687 --> 00:34:40,078 They often had to work their passage. l think l'd better do the same. 500 00:34:41,207 --> 00:34:45,246 At sea, a boat becomes an island in itself. 501 00:34:45,287 --> 00:34:49,246 Everyone needs to pull together and toe the line. 502 00:34:50,447 --> 00:34:54,838 While some jobs are mundane, others are exhilarating. 503 00:34:56,047 --> 00:34:59,005 l'm about to have the biggest adventure you can have on a tall ship, 504 00:34:59,047 --> 00:35:00,560 which is going up in the rigging. 505 00:35:00,607 --> 00:35:03,599 l've got a helmet camera mounted on my nut, 506 00:35:03,647 --> 00:35:05,603 and the man who's taking me up is David, 507 00:35:05,647 --> 00:35:08,445 who has a lifetime's experience on sailing ships. 508 00:35:08,487 --> 00:35:11,559 - So, David, take me up. - lf you go first. 509 00:35:17,487 --> 00:35:20,240 Here we go. This is... 510 00:35:21,647 --> 00:35:26,323 Already the deck is receding below me now. 511 00:35:27,687 --> 00:35:30,440 Whoa. Gosh, the wind's strong. 512 00:35:30,487 --> 00:35:34,275 DAVlD: Yeah, the wind is about one third stronger up here. 513 00:35:34,327 --> 00:35:38,605 NlCK: Oh, the ship's moving all over the place. This is really difficult. 514 00:35:40,047 --> 00:35:42,322 - ls this where l clip on? - Yes, please. 515 00:35:42,367 --> 00:35:44,835 DAVlD: On the wire itself. That's it. 516 00:35:44,887 --> 00:35:47,640 NlCK: Clipped on. This is the moment. 517 00:35:47,687 --> 00:35:52,238 Up and over the edge, leaning out over the deck. 518 00:35:53,047 --> 00:35:55,322 - Arms out straight. - You're doing fine. 519 00:35:55,367 --> 00:35:57,358 Pushing with my feet. 520 00:35:59,327 --> 00:36:02,842 One foot on the platform. Two feet on the platform. 521 00:36:02,887 --> 00:36:04,366 l'm up. 522 00:36:04,407 --> 00:36:06,523 Expletive deleted. 523 00:36:06,567 --> 00:36:08,558 Oh, man. 524 00:36:08,607 --> 00:36:10,723 What a sight. What a sight. 525 00:36:20,287 --> 00:36:25,236 To be up in the top of the rigging of a tall ship, looking out across the ocean, 526 00:36:25,287 --> 00:36:30,759 the sails billowing with wind, totally timeless moment. 527 00:36:30,807 --> 00:36:36,006 This is exactly what seafarers for hundreds of years have seen. 528 00:36:40,727 --> 00:36:45,437 The crew of these mighty vessels witnessed extraordinary sights 529 00:36:45,487 --> 00:36:49,366 and no doubt spun some tall tales too. 530 00:36:51,087 --> 00:36:53,920 Plying their trade around the Scottish islands, 531 00:36:53,967 --> 00:36:57,721 the seafarers didn't just transport goods. 532 00:36:57,767 --> 00:37:02,522 They carried stories passed from isle to isle, 533 00:37:02,567 --> 00:37:04,956 generation to generation. 534 00:37:05,007 --> 00:37:10,001 One of the most enduring tells of a mysterious creature, 535 00:37:10,047 --> 00:37:12,481 the selkie. 536 00:37:12,527 --> 00:37:18,079 The song of the selkie captivates one of our most legendary folk artists, 537 00:37:18,127 --> 00:37:20,243 June Tabor. 538 00:37:20,287 --> 00:37:24,246 JUNE: l'm a singer of songs that tell good stories. 539 00:37:26,567 --> 00:37:32,358 And one of the great, truly great narrative ballads of these islands 540 00:37:32,407 --> 00:37:34,716 concerns a seal. 541 00:37:36,247 --> 00:37:39,000 The Great Selkie of Sule Skerry. 542 00:37:40,767 --> 00:37:44,396 lt happened on a certain day 543 00:37:45,687 --> 00:37:50,124 As this fair maid lay fast asleep 544 00:37:52,047 --> 00:37:56,086 That in and came a grey selkie 545 00:37:57,327 --> 00:38:02,117 Sat him down at her bare feet 546 00:38:05,367 --> 00:38:10,077 A selkie, well, it's a seal in many parts of the Western lsles, 547 00:38:10,127 --> 00:38:15,155 but it's also a magical mystical being 548 00:38:15,207 --> 00:38:17,516 that uses the form of the seal 549 00:38:17,567 --> 00:38:22,322 to travel between a land below the waves to the land of men. 550 00:38:23,927 --> 00:38:27,966 The seal is a person. Look at those eyes. 551 00:38:28,007 --> 00:38:32,637 Listen to the cries of the seals as they almost sing. 552 00:38:32,687 --> 00:38:36,999 You can understand why people thought that there was more to them 553 00:38:37,047 --> 00:38:39,038 than just an animal presence. 554 00:38:42,327 --> 00:38:47,526 And, woe, alas, this weary fate 555 00:38:48,287 --> 00:38:53,202 This weary fate that's laid on me 556 00:38:53,887 --> 00:38:57,960 That a man should come from the west of Hoy 557 00:38:58,967 --> 00:39:04,280 To father here the child on me 558 00:39:05,087 --> 00:39:10,605 She's been seduced by an otherworldly creature, 559 00:39:10,647 --> 00:39:15,118 who in the sea is a seal and on land is a man. 560 00:39:15,167 --> 00:39:17,635 ''l'm your child's father.'' 561 00:39:17,687 --> 00:39:19,678 She's horrified. 562 00:39:20,407 --> 00:39:21,886 What's she going to do? 563 00:39:21,927 --> 00:39:26,523 He offers to marry her, but she doesn't take him seriously. 564 00:39:26,567 --> 00:39:30,321 ''You can marry who you like. l won't marry you.'' 565 00:39:31,647 --> 00:39:37,165 And she has raised his little wee son 566 00:39:37,967 --> 00:39:42,438 For seven years all at her knee 567 00:39:44,007 --> 00:39:49,400 And once seven years were passed and gone 568 00:39:49,447 --> 00:39:53,565 He's come with gold and white money 569 00:39:55,207 --> 00:39:57,198 And then he comes back. 570 00:39:58,087 --> 00:40:01,397 ''Please marry me. l've brought gold. l've brought money.'' 571 00:40:02,287 --> 00:40:04,562 She still won't have him. 572 00:40:04,607 --> 00:40:07,758 And he prophesies. 573 00:40:07,807 --> 00:40:10,924 ''l'm going to put a gold chain round this child's neck, 574 00:40:10,967 --> 00:40:14,039 so if he comes back, you'll know it's him, 575 00:40:14,087 --> 00:40:16,601 but l'm going to take him away. 576 00:40:16,647 --> 00:40:21,357 And you, well, you'll marry somebody else, you'll forget me, 577 00:40:21,407 --> 00:40:23,045 but he's going to be a gunner.'' 578 00:40:25,687 --> 00:40:28,406 And in time, as the selkie had prophesied, 579 00:40:28,447 --> 00:40:31,120 she did marry a gunner. 580 00:40:31,167 --> 00:40:33,601 And he went out on a May morning... 581 00:40:35,367 --> 00:40:37,358 ..and shot two seals... 582 00:40:38,727 --> 00:40:40,319 ..a big bull male... 583 00:40:41,607 --> 00:40:45,600 ..and a young male with a gold chain around his neck. 584 00:40:50,367 --> 00:40:53,245 Oh, woe, alas 585 00:40:54,247 --> 00:40:57,159 This weary fate 586 00:40:57,687 --> 00:41:02,966 This weary fate that's laid on me 587 00:41:04,127 --> 00:41:10,316 And so she sighs and so she cries 588 00:41:11,407 --> 00:41:14,444 And her tender heart 589 00:41:14,487 --> 00:41:17,479 lt broke in three 590 00:41:21,007 --> 00:41:23,521 And so it was finished. 591 00:41:43,447 --> 00:41:45,677 This is the most amazing place to be on a tall ship, 592 00:41:45,727 --> 00:41:49,163 taking the helm in a good wind on the open ocean. 593 00:41:49,207 --> 00:41:51,004 lt's an incredible feeling. 594 00:41:52,607 --> 00:41:56,805 This is a voyage of real highs and lows. 595 00:41:56,847 --> 00:41:59,759 l'm trying to steer a steady course to Shetland. 596 00:42:00,447 --> 00:42:03,837 lt's a responsible job when you're at your wits'end, 597 00:42:03,887 --> 00:42:08,642 after three days aboard, snatching sleep when you can. 598 00:42:11,807 --> 00:42:13,957 There's one very odd thing that happens. 599 00:42:14,007 --> 00:42:17,841 Your body clock goes completely peculiar. 600 00:42:19,087 --> 00:42:22,796 Right now l have no idea what time of day it is. 601 00:42:24,647 --> 00:42:28,765 lt must be evening cos l slept for two hours. 602 00:42:28,807 --> 00:42:32,004 l got out of this bunk - l was sleeping fully clothed, like l am now - 603 00:42:32,047 --> 00:42:35,881 and then l ate a meal which turned out to be supper. 604 00:42:35,927 --> 00:42:39,158 Getting a bit tired. ln fact, l'm now permanently tired. 605 00:42:40,407 --> 00:42:42,841 But the ship doesn't sleep. 606 00:42:44,887 --> 00:42:47,765 There's an important tack at midnight. 607 00:42:47,807 --> 00:42:51,880 Everyone's needed to move the massive sails. 608 00:42:51,927 --> 00:42:54,600 - Are you ready to do this? ALL: Yes! 609 00:42:54,647 --> 00:42:56,239 MAN: Yeah. Very good. 610 00:42:56,287 --> 00:42:58,926 People standing over here, go forward. 611 00:43:00,847 --> 00:43:04,601 lt's gone badly wrong. We've got some of the sails on one side of the ship. 612 00:43:04,647 --> 00:43:06,956 Some on the other have got caught by the wind. 613 00:43:07,007 --> 00:43:09,805 Now there's a rush on to try and get the ship straightened out. 614 00:43:17,447 --> 00:43:20,439 Suddenly everyone stops. 615 00:43:20,487 --> 00:43:22,398 The crew must rethink. 616 00:43:22,447 --> 00:43:26,360 There's a palpable air of tension on the deck now. 617 00:43:26,407 --> 00:43:29,319 MAN: Pull it towards me. Pull it towards me. 618 00:43:29,367 --> 00:43:32,359 - Here we go. - (Man shouting orders) 619 00:43:41,167 --> 00:43:45,285 Despite our efforts, the ship did more of a three-point turn 620 00:43:45,327 --> 00:43:47,318 than an elegant tack. 621 00:43:48,567 --> 00:43:51,206 But at least we're back on course for Shetland. 622 00:43:52,207 --> 00:43:56,598 Tall ships connected the Northern lsles of Scotland to the globe, 623 00:43:56,647 --> 00:44:01,596 but as well as trade, big boats have also brought tragedy. 624 00:44:04,327 --> 00:44:08,957 Around 1 00 years ago, Scottish waters became a battle ground. 625 00:44:11,167 --> 00:44:15,718 During the First World War, enemy ships stalked these shores. 626 00:44:18,647 --> 00:44:23,675 To meet the German threat, the Royal Navy headed north to a base on Orkney... 627 00:44:25,487 --> 00:44:29,765 ..at the sheltered bay of Scapa Flow. 628 00:44:29,807 --> 00:44:32,640 The navy's mighty warships went long ago, 629 00:44:32,687 --> 00:44:36,123 but intrigue lingers in their wake. 630 00:44:37,367 --> 00:44:41,758 Neil's exploring how the most famous face of the First World War 631 00:44:41,807 --> 00:44:47,245 came to lose his life here in the most mysterious fashion. 632 00:44:48,127 --> 00:44:52,803 This is the curious case of the death of Lord Kitchener. 633 00:44:52,847 --> 00:44:56,522 NElL: Our tale begins in the summer of 1 91 6. 634 00:44:56,567 --> 00:45:00,526 Scapa Flow is awash with ships of the British Grand Fleet, 635 00:45:00,567 --> 00:45:04,560 the most fearsome instrument of war the world has ever seen. 636 00:45:04,607 --> 00:45:10,477 On 5th June, HMS Hampshire is about to slip out for a covert mission to Russia. 637 00:45:10,527 --> 00:45:14,486 On board is one of Britain's most celebrated men. 638 00:45:14,527 --> 00:45:17,166 His face was instantly recognisable, 639 00:45:17,207 --> 00:45:20,836 and nearly 1 00 years later, it still is. 640 00:45:20,887 --> 00:45:24,038 Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener. 641 00:45:24,087 --> 00:45:28,444 He was the poster boy of army recruitment during the First World War. 642 00:45:28,487 --> 00:45:32,400 When he arrived here in Scapa Flow on 5th June, 1 91 6, 643 00:45:32,447 --> 00:45:36,122 he was suffering from no more than a mild bout of sea sickness. 644 00:45:36,167 --> 00:45:38,806 A few hours later he was dead, 645 00:45:38,847 --> 00:45:43,921 and exactly how he died and why puzzles some people even to this day. 646 00:45:45,127 --> 00:45:47,800 Conspiracy theories surrounding Kitchener's fate 647 00:45:47,847 --> 00:45:50,281 swirl around these murky waters. 648 00:45:50,327 --> 00:45:51,999 Ripples of intrigue remain 649 00:45:52,047 --> 00:45:55,596 after the shock of terrible events that made grim headlines. 650 00:45:56,487 --> 00:45:58,239 Look at this. 651 00:45:58,287 --> 00:46:00,198 Not many people's death 652 00:46:00,247 --> 00:46:04,763 would warrant a full front-page picture of a newspaper in 1 91 6, 653 00:46:04,807 --> 00:46:09,085 but the nation was amazed and bemused by the loss of Kitchener. 654 00:46:09,127 --> 00:46:13,723 Somehow the warship he'd been travelling on had sunk in home waters, 655 00:46:13,767 --> 00:46:16,964 killing over 600 men, including Kitchener. 656 00:46:17,007 --> 00:46:22,286 To the people he was a hero, a patriot and a friend. 657 00:46:22,327 --> 00:46:24,761 They'd heeded his call to war. 658 00:46:24,807 --> 00:46:28,846 WOMAN: Oh, we don't want to lose you 659 00:46:28,887 --> 00:46:32,482 But we think you ought to go 660 00:46:32,527 --> 00:46:35,564 NElL: ''Your country needs you'' was his rallying cry, 661 00:46:35,607 --> 00:46:38,644 and his country did not disappoint him. 662 00:46:38,687 --> 00:46:43,636 From 1 91 4 onwards, two and a half million men answered the call. 663 00:46:43,687 --> 00:46:47,521 Whole communities, mates from the same factories and towns, 664 00:46:47,567 --> 00:46:49,762 formed the famous Pals battalions. 665 00:46:50,767 --> 00:46:56,683 By summer 1 91 6, this band of brothers had become Kitchener's New Army. 666 00:46:58,127 --> 00:47:01,676 ''We were two years in the making and ten minutes in the destroying,'' 667 00:47:01,727 --> 00:47:04,195 said one of Kitchener's New Army. 668 00:47:04,247 --> 00:47:06,636 Pals battalions were brutally butchered 669 00:47:06,687 --> 00:47:10,760 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in July 1 91 6, 670 00:47:10,807 --> 00:47:13,799 but Kitchener didn't live to see his men mown down. 671 00:47:13,847 --> 00:47:16,520 He was dead before the battle could get under way, 672 00:47:16,567 --> 00:47:20,196 while his soldiers and his country still loved him. 673 00:47:20,247 --> 00:47:24,160 The nation demanded to know why HMS Hampshire sank 674 00:47:24,207 --> 00:47:27,961 as it set out from Orkney with their national hero on board. 675 00:47:28,007 --> 00:47:31,795 An investigation was conducted to formulate the official answer. 676 00:47:32,647 --> 00:47:35,286 - How you doing, Nick? - Hey, Neil, good to see you. 677 00:47:35,327 --> 00:47:37,045 l'm meeting historian Nick Hewitt, 678 00:47:37,087 --> 00:47:39,647 who's going to give me the authorised version 679 00:47:39,687 --> 00:47:42,440 of HMS Hampshire's loss and Kitchener's death. 680 00:47:42,487 --> 00:47:47,402 So on 5th June, Kitchener is right here in Scapa Flow. 681 00:47:47,447 --> 00:47:49,881 - He is. - And is this photographic proof? 682 00:47:49,927 --> 00:47:53,078 This is the last picture we know of Kitchener, leaving the lron Duke, 683 00:47:53,127 --> 00:47:55,800 walking along the decks to board the Hampshire. 684 00:47:55,847 --> 00:47:58,361 Why is Kitchener en route to Russia, anyway? 685 00:47:58,407 --> 00:48:00,443 Russia is on the verge of collapse 686 00:48:00,487 --> 00:48:03,684 and Kitchener is the face of British military might. 687 00:48:03,727 --> 00:48:07,276 He's a logical man to send round and put some pep in the Russians. 688 00:48:07,327 --> 00:48:09,079 So what happens? 689 00:48:09,127 --> 00:48:11,083 What they're looking to do is very simple, 690 00:48:11,127 --> 00:48:15,325 to take Kitchener from Scapa Flow to Russia, which is in that direction. 691 00:48:15,367 --> 00:48:20,316 The problem is there is what's described as the worst gale of the century. 692 00:48:20,367 --> 00:48:22,881 The Hampshire sets off from alongside the lron Duke. 693 00:48:22,927 --> 00:48:24,485 NElL: lnto the teeth of the gale. 694 00:48:24,527 --> 00:48:27,883 NlCK: The captain sensibly starts to move her in closer to the shore, 695 00:48:27,927 --> 00:48:29,963 to try and get some degree of shelter. 696 00:48:30,007 --> 00:48:33,363 lt doesn't help, it's coming into their head, but it's the right thing to do. 697 00:48:33,407 --> 00:48:36,524 What they don't know is that off Marwick Head 698 00:48:36,567 --> 00:48:38,717 there is a small German minefield 699 00:48:38,767 --> 00:48:42,680 that's been laid secretly by a U-boat the week before, 700 00:48:42,727 --> 00:48:45,844 and the Hampshire runs straight into one of these mines. 701 00:48:46,727 --> 00:48:48,399 NElL: That's the official account 702 00:48:48,447 --> 00:48:51,120 the government hoped would lay the story to rest. 703 00:48:51,167 --> 00:48:54,603 But some on the islands of Orkney remained uneasy. 704 00:48:54,647 --> 00:48:59,357 They had witnessed mysterious events on the night of the tragedy. 705 00:49:01,207 --> 00:49:03,596 We've reached the spot where Kitchener died, 706 00:49:03,647 --> 00:49:06,764 about a mile, a mile and a half offshore. 707 00:49:06,807 --> 00:49:12,325 The Hampshire lies upside down on the sea bed about 70 metres below my feet. 708 00:49:13,287 --> 00:49:17,803 The ship sank in minutes. Over 600 men perished. 709 00:49:17,847 --> 00:49:19,963 Despite the terrible storm, 710 00:49:20,007 --> 00:49:24,125 islanders tried to help survivors struggling to get up the cliffs. 711 00:49:25,247 --> 00:49:29,718 The rescuers felt more men should have been saved, so why weren't they? 712 00:49:29,767 --> 00:49:31,962 - Hello, James. - Hello there, Neil. 713 00:49:32,007 --> 00:49:37,684 James Sabiston heard strange tales passed down from his grandparents. 714 00:49:37,727 --> 00:49:40,924 My grandparents and my mother lived here. 715 00:49:40,967 --> 00:49:44,084 Two survivors managed to get to his grandparents'house 716 00:49:44,127 --> 00:49:45,765 the night the ship went down. 717 00:49:45,807 --> 00:49:48,116 l presume everyone was just in their beds. 718 00:49:48,167 --> 00:49:49,998 Oh, yes, they were all in bed. 719 00:49:50,047 --> 00:49:51,765 l think they came to the door, 720 00:49:51,807 --> 00:49:55,004 knocked on the door about two o'clock in the morning. 721 00:49:55,047 --> 00:49:59,040 And my grandmother went to the door and l think she was a bit worried, 722 00:49:59,087 --> 00:50:02,636 wasn't sure if it was a spy or something coming in. 723 00:50:02,687 --> 00:50:04,405 But she took 'em in anyway. 724 00:50:05,487 --> 00:50:08,877 There's some photographs here. And that's one of Dick Simpson. 725 00:50:08,927 --> 00:50:11,157 - l'm not sure who's with him. - He's just a boy. 726 00:50:11,207 --> 00:50:13,118 - Yes, 20. - Aye. 727 00:50:13,167 --> 00:50:16,000 - That's Chuck Bowman. - What did he say? 728 00:50:16,047 --> 00:50:19,926 He said, ''Our ship's gone down and we want some help.'' 729 00:50:19,967 --> 00:50:22,527 There were some more maybe to be saved. 730 00:50:22,567 --> 00:50:28,517 And so what did your grandparents do once they realised there was a tragedy? 731 00:50:28,567 --> 00:50:33,197 My grandfather, he went out to the neighbour and got men from there. 732 00:50:33,247 --> 00:50:37,001 They got ropes and they took up three survivors that way 733 00:50:37,047 --> 00:50:39,880 before they were stopped by the authorities. 734 00:50:39,927 --> 00:50:42,839 Your grandfather and the rest were stopped 735 00:50:42,887 --> 00:50:44,445 from doing any more of the rescue? 736 00:50:44,487 --> 00:50:45,636 Oh, yes, yes. 737 00:50:45,687 --> 00:50:50,556 What is the word on why anyone would stop a rescue? 738 00:50:50,607 --> 00:50:53,280 That's what makes it so suspicious, l would say. 739 00:50:54,647 --> 00:50:58,686 You'd think there was something going on somewhere. 740 00:50:58,727 --> 00:51:01,844 Who do you think the authorities actually were? 741 00:51:01,887 --> 00:51:04,082 l don't know who this was, 742 00:51:04,127 --> 00:51:08,723 whether they were naval authorities or police or who. 743 00:51:08,767 --> 00:51:10,723 l don't know really who that was. 744 00:51:11,687 --> 00:51:14,326 James's grandfather never did find out for sure 745 00:51:14,367 --> 00:51:17,086 who'd stopped the rescue efforts or why. 746 00:51:20,607 --> 00:51:24,964 This is the bay where the sailors were struggling to get ashore. 747 00:51:25,007 --> 00:51:27,919 l'm hoping Tom Muir from the local museum 748 00:51:27,967 --> 00:51:31,277 can shed more light on the mysterious authorities 749 00:51:31,327 --> 00:51:33,887 who prevented the locals from helping. 750 00:51:34,847 --> 00:51:37,042 TOM: There were troops down here. 751 00:51:37,087 --> 00:51:38,884 There was an order from the admiralty 752 00:51:38,927 --> 00:51:43,239 not to allow civilians down to the shore 753 00:51:43,287 --> 00:51:46,802 because there might be sensitive papers washed up 754 00:51:46,847 --> 00:51:49,315 which they didn't want falling into enemy hands. 755 00:51:49,367 --> 00:51:52,882 - Right, so it's at paranoia stage. - Very. 756 00:51:52,927 --> 00:51:57,125 Do you think it's possible that the conditions that night were just so appalling 757 00:51:57,167 --> 00:52:00,000 that the authorities might have been right in thinking 758 00:52:00,047 --> 00:52:02,686 that no-one could help in the water, anyway? 759 00:52:02,727 --> 00:52:04,604 They certainly could have helped. 760 00:52:04,647 --> 00:52:08,322 The people around here were farmers, but they were also fishermen as well, 761 00:52:08,367 --> 00:52:11,359 so they knew the tides, they knew where the rafts would come in, 762 00:52:11,407 --> 00:52:15,844 they knew that life rafts would come in here at the Bay of Skaill. 763 00:52:15,887 --> 00:52:20,119 So when the life rafts did come in, there was nobody there to help them. 764 00:52:20,167 --> 00:52:22,522 They were just smashed against the rocks, 765 00:52:22,567 --> 00:52:24,159 and there was that feeling 766 00:52:24,207 --> 00:52:29,884 that if the authorities had allowed them to go out and help... 767 00:52:29,927 --> 00:52:35,399 The human emotion, the desire to go and help them was denied, 768 00:52:35,447 --> 00:52:37,324 and that cost lives. 769 00:52:40,767 --> 00:52:45,158 Sailors Dick Simpson and Jack Bowman 770 00:52:45,207 --> 00:52:47,675 were two of only 1 2 survivors. 771 00:52:48,527 --> 00:52:52,076 Lord Kitchener and the rest of the crew perished. 772 00:52:56,207 --> 00:52:59,404 The islanders raised money for a memorial to the tragedy, 773 00:52:59,447 --> 00:53:02,245 but the story would not die. 774 00:53:02,287 --> 00:53:05,006 The secrecy that scuppered local rescue efforts 775 00:53:05,047 --> 00:53:08,483 suggested sinister motives to some. 776 00:53:08,527 --> 00:53:10,722 Was the government hiding something? 777 00:53:12,367 --> 00:53:16,201 The people may have loved Lord Kitchener in 1 91 6, 778 00:53:16,247 --> 00:53:18,966 but many of those in power did not. 779 00:53:19,007 --> 00:53:22,716 As secretary of state for war, he was accused of having overseen 780 00:53:22,767 --> 00:53:25,759 the bungled and disastrous operation at Gallipoli, 781 00:53:25,807 --> 00:53:29,595 with a cost of 1 00,000 Allied casualties. 782 00:53:29,647 --> 00:53:33,765 And the army on the Western Front had almost run out of shells at one point 783 00:53:33,807 --> 00:53:36,002 while Kitchener was in charge of munitions. 784 00:53:36,047 --> 00:53:39,005 So he had lost some influential friends, 785 00:53:39,047 --> 00:53:41,880 but had he made some murderous enemies? 786 00:53:42,887 --> 00:53:46,926 The fame he'd won in South Africa during the Boer War, the violence of his death, 787 00:53:46,967 --> 00:53:51,961 and the fact his body wasn't recovered gave rise to conspiracy theories. 788 00:53:54,007 --> 00:53:57,477 l'm going to run three of them past Nick. 789 00:53:57,527 --> 00:54:00,599 Firstly, had Kitchener's misconduct of the war 790 00:54:00,647 --> 00:54:03,525 so infuriated ministers like Lloyd George 791 00:54:03,567 --> 00:54:07,560 that his ship was deliberately sent into waters they knew were mined? 792 00:54:07,607 --> 00:54:10,075 The key thing is they've already fired him. 793 00:54:10,127 --> 00:54:13,642 ln December 1 91 5, he loses the operational control of the army. 794 00:54:13,687 --> 00:54:15,643 He's got no control over the battlefield. 795 00:54:15,687 --> 00:54:18,918 There's absolutely no need for the government to have him murdered. 796 00:54:18,967 --> 00:54:22,482 - OK, we can put that one in the bin. - Absolutely. ln it goes. 797 00:54:23,967 --> 00:54:27,198 This is a particular favourite of mine, without a doubt, 798 00:54:27,247 --> 00:54:29,807 that Lord Kitchener goes to Russia 799 00:54:29,847 --> 00:54:33,726 and there turns himself into a chap called Joseph Stalin. 800 00:54:33,767 --> 00:54:35,997 NlCK: There's a moustache thing going on here. 801 00:54:36,047 --> 00:54:39,278 l don't think we should dignify it with a response. lt's ridiculous. 802 00:54:39,327 --> 00:54:42,524 What a shame. lt's marvellous. What a movie it would make. 803 00:54:42,567 --> 00:54:46,196 l suppose in some ways this would possibly be the most credible. 804 00:54:46,247 --> 00:54:51,196 The legendary spy, in inverted commas, Fritz, a South African, 805 00:54:51,247 --> 00:54:54,523 embittered towards Kitchener particularly and the British in general 806 00:54:54,567 --> 00:54:57,639 because his mother and his sister die during the Boer War, 807 00:54:57,687 --> 00:54:59,643 that this man had sworn vengeance 808 00:54:59,687 --> 00:55:01,996 and managed to somehow get aboard the Hampshire, 809 00:55:02,047 --> 00:55:04,561 cause the explosion and then lived to tell the tale. 810 00:55:04,607 --> 00:55:08,043 lt's the hardest one to disprove, l'll give you that. 811 00:55:08,087 --> 00:55:10,726 He wrote a memoir obviously saying that he did it. 812 00:55:10,767 --> 00:55:13,998 His claim that he gets on the ship and he sabotages the ship 813 00:55:14,047 --> 00:55:17,323 and then he swims away and joins a submarine and gets away with it 814 00:55:17,367 --> 00:55:20,006 when so many men were drowning in such appalling weather 815 00:55:20,047 --> 00:55:21,719 is really, really hard to believe. 816 00:55:21,767 --> 00:55:23,803 - OK. - l think we have to put Fritz in. 817 00:55:23,847 --> 00:55:25,803 - Done. - ln he goes. 818 00:55:29,967 --> 00:55:34,563 The people of Orkney still live with the loss of HMS Hampshire. 819 00:55:34,607 --> 00:55:40,000 They tend the cemetery of sailors claimed by the sea, 820 00:55:40,047 --> 00:55:42,117 men the locals couldn't save. 821 00:55:45,927 --> 00:55:47,645 1 00 years on, 822 00:55:47,687 --> 00:55:53,284 what are we to make of the curious case of the death of Lord Kitchener? 823 00:55:53,327 --> 00:55:57,002 l can't help feeling that this sad episode 824 00:55:57,047 --> 00:55:59,959 has been hijacked by the conspiracy theorists. 825 00:56:00,007 --> 00:56:04,319 This isn't really about the death of a national hero, mysterious or otherwise. 826 00:56:04,367 --> 00:56:09,202 lt's about a tragedy, it's the loss of over 600 lives 827 00:56:09,247 --> 00:56:13,604 and the scars that remain on an island community that was unable to help. 828 00:56:24,527 --> 00:56:28,679 NlCK: Orkney was where l started my island adventure. 829 00:56:28,727 --> 00:56:32,481 Four long days and short nights later, 830 00:56:32,527 --> 00:56:36,440 the edge of Shetland sits on the horizon. 831 00:56:37,527 --> 00:56:39,358 Journey's end. 832 00:56:44,847 --> 00:56:47,839 We've arrived off the Shetland lslands. We're waiting for the pilot. 833 00:56:47,887 --> 00:56:52,961 The big seas have abated. lt's as calm and almost as flat as the Mediterranean. 834 00:56:53,007 --> 00:56:55,202 And the Shetlands look as welcoming to me 835 00:56:55,247 --> 00:56:59,604 as they always have done to voyagers coming in from across the ocean. 836 00:56:59,647 --> 00:57:01,638 Wonderful sight. 837 00:57:05,927 --> 00:57:10,443 l've made it, and l'm absolutely exhausted. 838 00:57:12,407 --> 00:57:15,877 But what a way to arrive in Shetland 839 00:57:15,927 --> 00:57:20,557 for a rare gathering of square riggers from around the globe. 840 00:57:20,607 --> 00:57:22,598 Permission to come ashore. 841 00:57:27,887 --> 00:57:30,401 Lerwick is absolutely packed. 842 00:57:30,447 --> 00:57:34,486 lt's as if the whole island has poured down to the quayside 843 00:57:34,527 --> 00:57:35,676 to see the ships come in. 844 00:57:36,567 --> 00:57:39,764 The tall ships are on their annual race. 845 00:57:39,807 --> 00:57:43,686 This isjust a brief stop-over for them. 846 00:57:43,727 --> 00:57:47,402 But for me, the experience of life under sail 847 00:57:47,447 --> 00:57:50,598 will linger long in the memory. 848 00:57:50,647 --> 00:57:53,002 Friendships forged at sea, 849 00:57:53,047 --> 00:57:57,996 formed from the shared experience of pulling together. 850 00:57:58,047 --> 00:58:00,436 Making landfall on new shores 851 00:58:00,487 --> 00:58:04,241 with a warm welcome for a stranger from down south. 852 00:58:05,847 --> 00:58:09,601 l've travelled far but always felt at home. 853 00:58:09,647 --> 00:58:13,003 Our islands hold a mysterious attraction. 854 00:58:13,047 --> 00:58:17,916 Their magic spoke to our ancestors, and it still calls us. 855 00:58:18,687 --> 00:58:23,124 One thing that unites us across these isles is that we're all islanders, 856 00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:27,957 whether we live on rocks in the sea that are very large or very small. 857 00:58:28,007 --> 00:58:30,202 Maybe the joy of coming to the coast 858 00:58:30,247 --> 00:58:36,163 is that here we can still experience the very essence of our island story.