BBC Documentaries

Wild Shetland - Scotland's Viking Frontier (2019x105)

: 23, 2019

Ewan McGregor narrates a captivating portrait of wild Shetland - the remote islands at the northerly limits of Britain - and traces the course of a breeding season from the depths of winter to high summer as the animals on the islands battle for survival. In never-before-seen footage, an orca pod hunts seals along the rocky coasts while a mother otter struggles to protect her twin cubs from marauding male otters and spring storms. We also meet some comical puffins, spectacular diving gannets and mysterious storm petrels nesting in an ancient Pictish tower. The programme also features stunning scenes of human life, from crofting and boat building to the jaw-dropping Up Helly Aa fire festival with its Viking hordes.