Grand Tours of Scotland's Rivers Series 2

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[edit] General Information

Travel Documentary hosted by Paul Murton, published by BBC in 2023 - English narration

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Paul Murton sets off downstream to explore a further five rivers over six programmes from source to sea.

[edit] Chapter 1: Ups and Downs

Paul explores the upper reaches of the river Dee, which rises higher than any river in the UK. In the heart of the Cairngorm mountains, he learns about writer and mountain lover Nan Shepherd’s passion for the living landscape. He then hears tales about a hundred year-old Jacobite, and a zeppelin airship that attacked a bare mountain. On Royal Deeside Paul is intrigued by the story of John Brown - Queen Victoria’s very special friend whose photograph and ring she took to the grave.

[edit] Chapter 2: All the Way to the Sea

Paul explores the lower reaches of Royal Deeside. Heading downstream, he runs aground in a canoe and then gets stuck trying to thread his body through an ancient fertility stone. In the village of Banchory, he breathes in the scent of lavender, and then takes a train along the Royal Deeside Line before heading into Aberdeen where he learns a secret recipe for the city’s famous rowie - a Caledonian version of the croissant. Journey’s end is on the city’s famous golden sands.

[edit] Chapter 3: As Time Flows By

Paul explores the River Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, following it from where it rises above the Devil’s Beef Tub all the way to the Solway Firth. On the way, he samples some dubious-smelling 'healthy' spa water, hears disturbing evidence that Robert the Bruce may have been an Essex boy, and discovers the explosive devil’s porridge, before following in the footsteps of Robert Burns by taking a dunk in the briny close to where the river meets the sea.

[edit] Chapter 4: Tales of Mystery and Imagination

The North Esk south of Edinburgh is a hidden gem. Paul follows it from the Pentland Hills through a landscape steeped in myth and legend. From the picturesque and delightful Habbie’s Howe, he reaches Roslin Glen, which inspired some of our greatest artists and writers - especially the mysterious Rosslyn Chapel on the cliffs above. The power of the river was later harnessed for papermaking. Paul discovers the legacy of industry before heading to ancient Musselburgh on the coast near Edinburgh.

[edit] Chapter 5: An Independent River

Paul follows the River Teviot through Teviotdale, once the haunt of notorious border reivers. In the town of Hawick, Paul Murton joins the annual Common Riding - an event that recalls the border wars with England. In Jedburgh, close to the ruined medieval abbey, Paul is reminded of a crazy night flight by Nazi deputy leader Rudolf Hess. Paul then joins a paranormal researcher in an attempt to contact ghosts in Jedburgh’s old jail before heading to the river’s confluence with the Tweed - a location for a once-magnificent Scottish castle, and where a king went off with a bang.

[edit] Chapter 6: It's a 'Saer Fecht'

Paul follows the river Ythan in rural Aberdeenshire, which flows through a landscape of wheat fields and haunted castles and on to a coast rich in wildlife. On the way, Paul Murton learns how to make a haystack, speak the local 'Doric' and has a ghostly encounter with a woman in Fyvie Castle. He visits Gight Castle, the ruined home of poet Lord Byron’s family. Journey’s end is at the mouth of the river, where sand dunes have created Scotland’s version of the Sahara.