Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs

Paul Murton’s loch-hopping journey across Scotland reaches the quiet lochs of the Borders, where he learns dog handling techniques at a school for sheep dogs, and then heads to some man-made lochs in the Moorfoot Hills, where he hears tell of hidden treasure. Then, in Edinburgh he discovers the story of a Dutch-speaking Scottish minister on skates and goes in search of a lost river and two long-vanished lochs in the heart of the city. Crossing the Firth of Forth, Paul travels around the industrial lochs of the old Fife coal field before walking in the footsteps of Mary, Queen of Scots on a haunted island in Loch Leven.

Paul follows in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie exploring the lesser-known lochs along the west coast of Scotland. Landing at Glenuig, he makes his way inland to Loch Moidart and MacDonald country, walking the old coffin road, which was used for centuries by funeral parties, taking their dead to a sacred isle. On the track Paul meets a trials bike enthusiast and learns the secrets of a 'dabbing coat' before landing off the Green Isle where he rings a 1,100-year-old bell for the dead. Taking a boat north, Paul sails up Loch Shiel to Glenfinnan where Bonnie Prince Charlie officially began his rising to reclaim the throne for the Stuart dynasty. From a forgotten monument that commemorates this event, Paul heads back to the coast and Loch Ailort, where he learns how to knife fight before taking a trip across the loch to a deserted community on the roadless Ardnish peninsula.

In the first programme of the series, Paul visits Wester Ross and discovers the heritage of Little Loch Broom. He then travels to the off-grid community of Scoraig where he learns about violin making and wind power, before taking the plunge to explore the hidden depths of the Corrieshalloch Gorge. In Ullapool, on the shores of Loch Broom, Paul learns the Russian word for parsley and how a huge fleet of Russian fish factory ships known as Klondykers used to visit the town. He then follows a red herring that connects the lochs of the west coast to the history of the slave trade. Journey’s end is on the rocky summit of Stac Pollaidh.

On this Grand Tour, Paul discovers the strategic wartime importance of Loch Ryan and meets a man whose memory of those days is tinged with tragedy. In Stranraer, Paul discovers a legacy of Arctic exploration and an old can of bully beef, then meets a clan chief who tends a unique garden surrounded by two lochs. Reliving the days of steam trains, Paul walks the old railway line towards Loch Ken, where a monster lurks beneath the waters. On the banks of Loch Trool, he discovers some rocky evidence of Bruce's victory over the English in 1307, and then climbs the highest mountain south of Ben Lomond - the mighty Merrick.

In this programme, Paul travels from Britain's most westerly mainland point to a place once guarded by an ancient Celtic goddess. On the way he discovers how the ancient oak woods of Loch Sunart were once a hive of industry, then goes deep underground to discover how 18th-century miners named a new element. On the shores of Loch Linnhe, he meets the owner of a castle and recreates a scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail, before ending his grand tour from the heights of the pap of Glencoe.

Paul Murton explores the Argyll coast, starting from the sacred sands of Kilmory Bay on Loch Sween, and including a visit to Lilly Loch in Knapdale Forest, where he sees some beaver, before joining a group of steam enthusiasts restoring an old Puffer on the Crinan Canal. Stone-age rock art leads him north to Loch Awe, where he drives a herd of highland cows towards his final destination - the mountainous heights of Ben Cruachan.

Paul Murton tours Scotland's lochs. He embarks on a grand tour from Lairg on Loch Shin to Lochinver and finally, to the summit of Suilven.

Paul Murton begins his Grand Tour with a chilly swim across Loch Ba, high on Rannoch Moor, struggles against the elements while trainspotting and meets some veteran Tunnel Tigers - men who tunnelled deep inside the Grampians, diverting water to hydroelectric schemes.

Paul Murton explores the wilds of Loch Etive, from the spectacular tidal race of the Falls of Lora, where kayakers revel in the overfalls and ride a three-metre standing wave, to high-altitude camping on a hill opposite Buchaille Etive More, watching the sunset, and lights up the hundreds of lochans across Rannoch Moor.