[narrator] On the edge of Europe
lies a land of austere beauty: Scotland. Remote and steeped in legend. A land of castles, kilts and bagpipes, of whisky and a mysterious monster. But only few people know the rich variety of Scottish nature and wildlife. Scotland,
in the far north of Great Britain, is a rugged, windy place. [bagpipe music plays] [narrator] The region, with its 500 islands
off the Atlantic coast, has always made
heavy demands on the inhabitants. Raw and lonely, the beauty of the Highlands
attracts countless visitors each year. Late winter. Gale after gale
pushes in from the Atlantic. Weeks of privation for the red deer. At the moment,
the frost has the Highlands in its grip. To survive here, you have to adapt. Feathered claws and nostrils help the grouse to overcome the winter. The mountain hare's small ears
reduce heat loss. Herds of deer roam the bare,
windswept ridges in search of food. The lower slopes
are now increasingly free of snow. On their farms, the crofters
are preparing for the advent of spring. Alistair Sutherland
is a textbook crofter, right down to the tweed jacket and weather-beaten shoes. And his trademark deerstalker hat. He's never been away from Scotland
and he never will. His heart is here in the rugged Highlands with his animals. [Alistair] Nature in the Highlands
is quite simple, because it's left to its own devices. You can see it from an eagle to a fox to a stag. You can see everything now. The Highlands is the most peaceful place
you can come to. And you can go to any house,
have a cup of tea, have a blather. And you can go down the road
another hundred yards, and going to the next house,
you get the same reception. It makes no difference. [narrator] Day by day,
spring moves up the mountainsides. Finally, the might of winter is broken. Unyielding ice is transformed
into glittering drops of water, and the Highlands are suddenly full
of the sight and sound of waterfalls. While black grouse
provide the background music. [grouse cooing] [narrator] The cocks
have turned out in their finery to perform their dances on the same mating grounds
as every year. According to an old saga, a grouse cock
went to a farmyard to learn to sing. Some meat
was cooking and turning to and fro in the boiling pot. The cock liked the noise
of the revolving meat so much that it imitated it
and twisted back and forth, greatly impressing the females. If dancing doesn't do it,
then mock fights will demonstrate
strength and superiority. Things soon get serious,
and feathers fly. [dramatic flute music plays] [narrator] A close eye
is kept on the winner, while the loser
retires to lick his wounds. The Highlands are a man-made paradise. Over the centuries, the trees originally covering
these magnificent mountains were cut down. Now only tiny pockets of natural forest remain. More than 200 years ago, the capercaillies
ceased to be forest dwellers and were not reintroduced into the wild
until much later. These shy birds
live under strict protection in remote, near-natural forests. The population has since recovered
to around 1,000 birds. They had originally adapted well
to their habitat of sparse, conifer-rich, stepped woods. Ironically, this successful assimilation turned out to be too inflexible
for the birds to live in any other surroundings. Capercaillies are only to be seen
during the mating season. As their hormone levels
go through the roof, the cocks let themselves go and become extremely aggressive. Spring in the Highlands is short, and things happen fast. A pair of ospreys. The birds are enjoying
something of a comeback. One hundred years ago, they were
almost extinct in Great Britain. Now there are 150 breeding pairs
in Scotland. The countless streams
are still full of crystal-clear, icy meltwater. Dark brown has given way to lush green. The lambs arrive early in the year. The sheep belong to an age-old strain
of domestic animals that long ago adapted to the harsh conditions
of life in the Highlands. After the long winter, Alistair is enjoying
working in the fresh air again. [Alistair] It's a nice time of the year. It's the time when everything's born, and you can get lambs
and you get calves. It's been very... comforting
to look at what's coming in front of you. I love the animals,
there's no doubt about it. The animals are very good to work with. Everything that's in it is good.
It all ties in together. Your day can change
to two or three different jobs in one day. [calling to sheep] [narrator] The farmers can't wait
to see how many lambs he'll have to mark with his dye stamp. The summer pasture
is on the opposite side of the kyle, a kilometer-long shallow inlet that changes drastically
according to the tide. Time to go. The lambs will only be able
to reach the other side when the kyle is at its lowest point. This calls for teamwork between the shepherd
and his Border Collies. By the time the last sheep is across, the kyle is already filling again. But the effort is worthwhile. For the sheep,
the reward is juicy green grass, and for the crofter,
a breathtaking sunset. Over 10,000 kilometers of coastline, much of it free of humans. Scotland's inland waters are mysterious, sometimes literally unfathomable. The stuff of myth and legend. Might these be pictures
of the famous Loch Ness monster? Footage of Nessie? [ominous music plays] [upbeat violin jig plays] [narrator] The strange creature
turns out to be an otter. These animals
are usually at home in freshwater, but in Scotland,
they've taken to living in the sea. They're protected against the cold
by their extremely dense fur: 50,000 hairs per square centimeter. The Atlantic has food in abundance. Which is just as well,
as otters are bundles of energy. After a quick break,
it's back into the water. The craggy cliffs are covered
in a thick carpet of marsh daisies, bunched together to get some shelter
from the ever-active wind. The perfect nesting place
for oyster catchers: a good view of the sea, yet at the same time well camouflaged. Full steam ahead. Every day that weather conditions allow, lobster fisherman Calum McInnan is in his boat off the coast of Skye. [Calum] My relation with the sea is, I've always just enjoyed the sea, and anything I've done
is always in the sea. And if I don't see the sea, it's not me. Since I was a young kid, I was always
with putting traps in the sea, lobster pots in the water, and always messing about in the shore. And then when I grew older, I always wanted to be a fisherman. There's been hard times and good times, but now I'm still quite happy to do what I am doing. Things have changed dramatically
over the years. The expense
and the restrictions of quotas... And there is quite a few that have just sold the boats and have gone away to work. Oil-related work. But there's still an element
of people that will just be established for a while. They'll always be the genuine fishermen. They'll always just want
to stick to the one job. [narrator] The lobster pots are empty, so what's the attraction
for the flocks of seagulls suddenly circling the boat? Calum knows. A few fish for supper,
and the rest get thrown back. Actually,
Calum wanted to attract a sea eagle that he often finds waiting for him. But he hasn't seen it for days. Time and again,
the average seagull's capacity for greed astonishes even an old hand like Calum. Living on and with the sea, even Calum needs a hand
from time to time. [Calum] One of my sons
is on the boat with me. He's hoping to keep going with the boat. That'll allow me to take a back step and just work at a more leisurely pace
than what I'm doing at the moment. [narrator] From the coast
back to the mountains. [sweeping flute music plays] [narrator] The osprey has become a symbol
for successful nature preservation. The fish-rich rivers and lakes
of the Highlands offer the raptors ideal conditions. Beavers, on the other hand,
are just beginning their comeback. They, too, were driven to extinction. In 2009, conservationists
reintroduced three pairs into the wild. The first offspring are a hopeful sign. In deeper parts of the lake, shy black-throated divers
have found a small island to breed on. A real rarity. There are fewer than 200 pairs
in the whole of Scotland. From the day it's born,
in case of danger, the chick will leave the island
and follow its parents. Not always the best decision, because it hasn't yet learned to dive. [ominous music plays] [rousing bagpipe music plays] [narrator] The osprey
was looking for a bigger meal. Its main source of food is fish. Occasionally, it will catch small mammals,
birds, reptiles or amphibians. The prey is not for the adult bird; it has young to feed. Now the upper slopes of the Highlands are also decked out in lush green. The largest animal in Scotland
is the red deer. The fauns have nothing to fear. They no longer have natural enemies here. And there's always Mum nearby if they get a bit overexcited. Only the adults
have to be on the lookout. Deer numbers are kept high to provide sufficient targets
for shooting parties. This is not without complications, particularly for
ambitious reforestation projects. [corralling sheep] [narrator] Alistair is helping a friend
with the sheep shearing using traditional skills
that go back centuries. Sheep are gentle creatures
with a thick skin. [Alistair] You can work with them,
no bother. They're easy animals. North Country Cheviots are very easy... [narrator]
But when it comes to their wool, they can be very stubborn. Scotland has almost seven million sheep, which means they outnumber
the human population by over a million. In the meantime, Alistair has let
his problem child out again. The calf was ill for a long time, and now it can at last rejoin the herd. [Alistair] Their quietness... They're easy to work with, and you can just catch a horn
and round you go. It's quite easy to handle and work with. A lot of people doesn't like the horns,
but the horns doesn't do any harm. It's a guidance. They can guide them through anything, no bother at all. Once they get confidence in you,
they're no bother. [narrator]
And if you give these animals affection, they come to trust you completely. Highland cattle
look a bit like outsize cuddly toys. They're very robust, however, and are outside all year round. Landmark and place of interest in one: the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye. Today, Calum's come
to this part of the island to cut some peat, something there's no shortage of
in Scotland. The heath land is a result
of deforestation and grazing. Peat has been used in Scotland
for centuries, amongst other things for around 100 distilleries. After soaking, the barley is laid out
on the malting floors, which are peat-fired from below. The malt is steeped in smoke, giving it its unmistakable aroma. Then it is ground and mixed, fermented and distilled. All according to a secret formula,
of course. The serenity and dedication with which the Scots
distill their national drink seem to be an integral part
of the whisky itself. "Sunlight in bottles"
is how George Bernard Shaw described his favorite tipple. Until it fits that description, it's rolled away to mature
for ten or 20 years. But regardless of how long
one has to wait, the amber spirit will taste as good
as it has done for centuries. The attraction of the far north
of Great Britain is its wonderful remoteness: endless space and peace and quiet. On Bass Rock, however,
you can forget about peace and quiet. And space. Tens of thousands of gannets see to that. The birds form colonies
wherever the rocky terrain allows. Scotland is the land of the gannet, with the highest breeding population
in the world. A wingspan of almost two meters
makes them the ultimate gliders. The steep cliff faces overlooking the sea
are the most popular. Every ledge that offers shelter is used. Guillemots prefer the safety of smaller colonies
to bring up their young. [loud squawking] [narrator]
But they're never completely safe. A skua scans the assembled company. A young guillemot
without parental supervision. The skua makes its move. Back from the sea,
the parent can't find its young. Which causes further complications. The catch is now up for grabs. For guillemots, the bare cliff is enough. But not for puffins. Their rolling gait, carefree clumsiness and a tragicomic facial expression have made these birds
the coast's favorites. In the breeding season, puffins seek out grass-covered cliffs where they dig shallow nests
to lay their eggs in. Bumping beaks is a mating ritual. Puffins are astonishingly tolerant
of each other, because they already arrive
at the breeding grounds in pairs, so there's little room for jealousy. Only the nesting hollow
is private property. Brooding is undertaken by both partners. And those not yet busy looking for food can make the most
of the unusually warm evening weather. Picture postcard landscapes, deep blue lakes and castles shrouded in myth and legend
like Eilean Donan: Despite the thin population, there are traces of history
wherever you go. Attractive ports
like Tobermory or Portree with their lovingly turned-out houses are also typically Scottish. [bagpipe music] [narrator] And once a year,
the Scots themselves milk the tartan clichés
for all they're worth. And Alistair's always there. The major event of the summer is the Highland Games. Here, the pipes and the kilt, the fundamentals of Scottish identity, cannot be missed, neither visually nor acoustically. The bagpipes were brought to Britain
by the Romans, and the Scots never gave them back. No wonder, seeing they were so useful
for promoting the fighting spirit. Although even today
the Games have elements of combat that cannot be overlooked, the precise origin
of the competitions are lost in the mists of history. All in all, a great spectacle. The Scots love the substantial. In all the various disciplines, strength plays a decisive role, coupled with a goodly portion of humor. The skirl of the pipes fades into the wide expanse of the Highlands. Here, others are sounding off. [bellowing] [narrator] The deer have got used to
the proximity of horses. But contact with humans is avoided. Easily, thanks to
the ultra-fine sense of smell the animals possess. In large parts of Europe, the deer have withdrawn
to the seclusion of dense woodlands. In Scotland, due to the lack of trees, they roam the countryside,
their original habitat. Each doe that strays too far
is brought back by the stag. Purposefully,
it heads for the sea with its herd. Red deer in the North Atlantic. An unusual sight. At low tide, the animals
get the salt they need from seaweed. Scotland has more deer
than almost any other European country. They rule both the coasts and the mountains. Low clouds presage the end of summer. With increasing frequency, gales blow in from the Atlantic. Hurricane-strength gusts
churn up the sea. The hastily-hung-up washing
dries quickly. Unchecked,
a storm pushes up into the Highlands, its heavy gusts
causing another interesting phenomenon: a waterfall that flows upwards. [wind howling] [narrator] A golden eagle
settles down to a fresh meal. One faun didn't survive the gale. The Highlands now boasts
several hundred pairs of these majestic raptors, and the population is stable. "Light rain between the showers:" a typical Scottish weather forecast. In autumn, "light" becomes "driving." The thin layer of peat
can't hold the water for long. With an annual average rainfall
of more than 1,500 millimeters, the consequences
of deforestation are obvious. There is frequent flooding, not unusual in a country
with a shortage of sunshine. But the light makes up for it. Autumn in miniature. As the days grow shorter, the animals make the most
of the abundance of food. Then the heather blooms, transforming the Highlands. Alistair checks his small herd, his pride and joy, one more time. C'mon. [narrator] He has, of course,
brought some treats with him. The fearsome-looking horns
are no problem. According to Alistair, nature conservation
has had a major effect. [Alistair] If you can go into the hills, you can see anything
you want to see nowadays: plenty of deer, foxes, badger. You can see anything you want
if you're knocking about in the Highlands here. It's free range.
Everything seems to just work away. Birds and bees and everything go together. [narrator] The animals
sense his love of the country. Later on, Alistair ploughs up
a piece of land with his tractor in preparation for next year. Down below, Calum has put out to sea. The work is routine,
so his thoughts can wander. [Calum] I am very happy
that he's keeping the boat going, my son. I really want to see my family be always involved in fishing. We've got grandchildren, where I'm hoping
they'll be fishermen as well. [narrator] Calum
has sorted out some lobster pots and brings them back to the harbor. He wants to use the fine autumn day
for some repair work. Calum, too, could never imagine
living anywhere else. [Calum] As far as I can see,
there's no other scenery anywhere else compared with the scenery
we have on Skye and the Hebrides. It changes from day to day. In different light,
you can see different... It's all different scenery. [birds squawking] [narrator] Birds of passage
are a sign of the approaching winter. Those who have fallen
for Scotland's rugged charm, however, will never want to move on.
