BBC - Grand Tours of Scotland Series 1 (2010) Part 5 In Search of Perfect Isolation

Paul Murton follows in the footsteps of the first tourists to Scotland. With a Victorian guidebook in his hands, Paul travels across the country tracing the changes that have taken place since the birth of Scottish tourism 200 years ago.

For centuries, Scotland was regarded as a place to avoid, and early travellers complained about the terrible weather, bad food, poor roads and the uncouth habits of the natives. To find out what changed to make Scotland an internationally celebrated tourist destination, Paul recreates six Scottish tours suggested by a well-thumbed, 19th-century copy of Black's Picturesque Guide to Scotland.

Part 5 In Search of Perfect Isolation

Paul travels to the Northern Isles to discover how their remoteness from the mainland became a draw for tourists in search of perfect isolation. After all, Shetland is closer to the Arctic Circle than to London and closer to the coast of Norway than to the English border! Keen to escape the noise and pressures of their overcrowded world, more adventurous tourists braved the rough seas to travel to Orkney and Shetland, hoping to restore themselves in the peace and quiet of the far north. Paul's journey begins on board a Norwegian racing yacht in the ocean to the east of Shetland. Landing at Lerwick, Paul continues to explore the main island and its fabulous wildlife before heading out to sea again and sailing south to the musical Orkney Islands.

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