Hebrides: Islands on the Edge

Is anyone watching the series Hebrides: Islands on the Edge? If you prefer your land and seascapes atmospheric and awe-inspiring, if you love the sight of owls swooping and eagles soaring, if long stretches of pure-white deserted beaches fill you with longing and if you yearn to stare at the challenge of climbing dark, broody mountains, then you simply must watch this BBC series of four programmes (echoing the four seasons).

I fell in love with Scotland as a young boy (about 13 years old) by reading a book based in the Highlands, written by Captain W E Johns (he of the Biggles fame), based around the adventures of another of his heroes, Gimlet. I lived in Kent and had never been further north than London but I was immediately entranced by his (Johns') description of this northern land. It was many years later that I went on the first of many walking holidays in the Scottish mountains; the scenery was exactly as I had dreamt/imagined from the book and the magic has never faded.

I have, however, spent virtually no time at all on the Islands and the programmes have shown me the Hebrides in all its stunning beauty. It's moved me to prepare for a month's tour next year.  There is something indescribable about the Scottish scenery and mountains in particular that draws me back time and again. Do others on here get that same spine-tingling sensation whenever you see images of the Highlands and Islands? If not, watch these programmes - you will be spellbound.

(ps This article was not written by Alex Salmond, Sean Connery or Nicola Sturgeon)

Yep
A smashing place to be when the weathers Fine(which is not often).As i know from my army days, we use to call the Heb's the lake district with atitude.I knew i was in for it when the stores QM said here you are simmo your Canadian winter warfare gear for your little holiday in the Hebs.
I always remember having to crawl on my hands and knee's to get from my FFR landrover to the generator to fill it up as the wind was so strong and not being able to see a hand in front of your face in the blinding snow.The term brass monkeys come's to mind.Happy Days!.
Simmo in the Correze.

I would, but they're repeats, to go along with the dozens of other repeats that are on at the moment, oh and all the rotten sport too!
Roll on the Autumn.  

Inkflo wrote: oh and all the rotten sport too! Roll on the Autumn.  

No joy there, I'm afraid Inkflo - it'll be wall-to-wall football with overpaid and under-educated pundits, pontificating about the angle of this shot and the glory of that pass and ... well, you know the rest, don't you?

Who needs a telly here anyway?  We watch life shows of aigles bottées, milans, deer, green lizzards, beautiful butterflies and lots of little birds, some of which I do not yet know the names of...

No time for telly here  . Haven't got one and don't miss it.

Myriam, we are the same. Haven't had a TV for several years now. I do admit to sneaking a few French programmes on TV replay though. My excuse is that it is good for keeping up with the language  

Myriam wrote:Who needs a telly here anyway?  We watch life shows of aigles bottées, milans, deer, green lizzards, beautiful butterflies and lots of little birds, some of which I do not yet know the names of...

No time for telly here  . Haven't got one and don't miss it.

You're probably better off without it Myriam, we never had tv in the UK for 10 years.
We spend all day in the garden here from around 6am, so by evening, we're both ready to come indoors and relax, and usually far too tired to do anything else but watch tv!
I must admit to liking a good drama too, when I can find one.  

Hi folks
We have freesat and french sat tv But to be honest you ain't missing much if it's not dumming down TV soap's and football it french quiz programmes. I thought that when televison first started it was to educate, inform and entertain with quality programming .The inventors would be spinning in there graves if they saw the American and English rubbish on televison now.
Simmo in the Correze

simmo wrote:But to be honest you ain't missing much

Hi Simmo & others re TV. I agree that a lot of TV is awful but there is some excellent stuff hiding away amongst the rubbish, although you do have to look for it. For example, the programme mentioned in my earlier post is superb; tonight I watched a programme I'd recorded a few days ago about the castles built for Ludwig 11 of Bavaria, which were positively jaw-dropping in their splendour and over-the-top beauty; I have travelled from my armchair from Peru to the farthest reaches of the universe and from the frozen Arctic wastes to the Atacama desert in Chile; I have "conducted" Handel's Water Music as the barges floated down the Thames and "been a soloist" in Beethoven's Ninth (including a bow to my many admirers at the end); I have marvelled at Hubble's images of worlds unknown and seen the make-up of the smallest parts of a flower-head; I have sat in awe at the polymathic knowledge of a 20 year old on University Challenge and been outraged at the inane stupidity of politicians being interviewed on Newsnight; I have been hugely entertained by Cumberbatch & Freeman in their portrayal of Sherlock & Watson and horrified in almost disbelief at man's inhumanity to man witnessed daily on the news.

For me, television is not a way of life but it is certainly one part of my leisure time that gives me enjoyment and I would miss it if I didn't have it. By the same token, I would miss my books, my garden, my walking, my mountains and many other things if I had to do without them. The important thing is to choose those bits that you want and leave the rest.

I totally agree tocyvi, it's a matter of being selective. I just thing there's not much to select from at the moment!
That said, I agree with you about Sherlock, one of the best things on telly, can't wait for the next series, loved Homeland, The Americans, John Wilson at the proms, The White Queen, The Tudors, The Hour which was one of the most addictive dramas the BBC have broadcast and now, in their wisdom have dropped.  

Hi Inkflo. It is also interesting to note that most of the good stuff is on BBC and you don't have to put up with interminable advertising breaks

As a question aside, does anyone watch French TV? I watch some French programmes via the computer. I was just wondering, as all comments seem to be on British ones.

The BBC has deteriorated a lot in recent years, especially the spelling and grammar, but in the main, I still think they are unbeatable.
Tradzoner, I don't have French tv, but like you, I do watch the occasional programme on line. The last time was the Bastille Day parade live from Paris on TV2.
Has anyone ever watched Canadian tv? It's horrendous, impossible to tell when the adverts begin or end, and they literally are on every five minutes.

The french TV has a programme on a saturday teatime, with a young lady going round France in her car and getting the locals to produce and  cook the local dishes. They all get round a table at the end and polish the lot off(food and wine that is) a very interesting programme but do not ask me the name of the programme or the channel you will have to find that info yourself.It's a memory thing or lack of it!.    
Simmo in the Correze.