Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands

Islay: A Race Apart (3x4)

Air date: Sep 28, 2015

Among the islands of the Hebrides there's one that can rightly claim to have a separate identity - Islay - which was once the capital of the ancient Lordship of the Isles. This programme sees Paul travel from Finlaggan, where the famous ruler Somerled once held court, along Islay's windswept coast, through its historic ports and villages to end on its highest mountain. Along the way he will join a dedicated bunch of Ileach who are keeping the seafaring traditions of the island alive, discover the secrets of Islay's illicit whisky distilling past and travel to the stunning Mull of Oa on the island's south coast, before climbing Ben Vicar for a breathtaking view across the Hebrides.