Treshnish Isles Scotland
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00:00 The Treshnish Isles, famed for their raw beauty, fascinating history and abundant wildlife.
00:24 They lie just a few miles off the Isle of Mull, surrounded by the Sea of Hebrides off
00:29 the west coast of Scotland.
00:32 Uninhabited for the last 150 years, they're remote and wild.
00:41 The Treshnish Isles are the newest place to come into the care of the National Trust for
00:45 Scotland.
00:47 The conservation charity has been caring for some of Scotland's most special places since
00:52 1931, including nearby Iona, Staffa, Canna, the Bishop's Isles and 40 miles out into the
01:00 Atlantic, St Kilda.
01:13 And I'm here to explore this amazing chain of islands from my favourite vehicle, a stand-up
01:17 paddle board.
01:18 I'm Cal Major, I'm an ocean advocate and adventurer and an ambassador for the National Trust for
01:23 Scotland and I am so excited to share this magical place with you.
01:27 Let's go check it out.
01:31 The Treshnish Isles are known for their distinctive silhouettes in the seascape and for their
01:35 internationally significant nesting seabird populations, including 20% of the UK's storm
01:42 petrels.
01:43 The entire archipelago is a site of special scientific interest and the sea around the
01:49 islands is part of the wider Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area.
01:55 They're also home to a large number of Scotland's breeding Atlantic seals.
02:10 This island is called Fladder, which means flat, and it's renowned for its large numbers
02:14 of shags which nest here.
02:16 I'm actually going to stay quite a way away from the cliffs and from the boulders where
02:19 they nest because I don't want to disturb them.
02:21 If I get too close and they fly away, they can leave their chicks which are then vulnerable.
02:29 The first islands I've come to are Carnarbor Maw and Carnarbor Beg which are right at the
02:42 top of the island chain and are home to the ruins of a medieval castle which is also a
02:47 scheduled monument.
02:48 Unfortunately, the clouds have just come over but it kind of adds to the mystery of it.
02:51 I'm going to go check it out.
03:05 This island is really cool actually.
03:07 The whole island itself is a fortress and the parts where there aren't big sheer rock
03:13 cliffs, the previous inhabitants have built big wall fortifications to stop anyone getting
03:19 in.
03:20 So we're going to go and try and find somewhere where we can get in and go and check out the
03:22 castle remains.
03:26 First mentioned in the 13th century in the Hakon Saga, this castle has seen everything
03:31 from clan wars to Jacobite uprisings.
03:36 The vegetation on each of the islands here in the Treshlish Isles is quite noticeably
03:40 different and on this island in particular, there are lots of nettles which are a sign
03:43 of previous human inhabitation.
03:46 Nettles thrive on nitrogen-rich soil which would have been formed from humans' middens
03:50 and also from human waste.
03:53 It's so cool to see that these stories, this piece of history has been preserved here on
03:58 this tiny island and I know that the National Trust for Scotland's expert archaeologists
04:03 are desperate to get out and explore for themselves.
04:21 As the weather cleared, I headed to the opposite end of the Treshlish Isles, to Vakamor, locally
04:26 referred to as the Dutchman's Cap due to its distinctive outline.
04:35 This island does have some sheer cliffs so I just need to find somewhere to land now.
04:45 Wow, look at this!
04:47 I'm sat right on the top of the Dutchman's Cap, so the very, very top of Vakamor and
04:53 from here I can see all the Treshlish Isles in the different directions and I feel like
04:57 I'm on top of the world.
04:59 It's such an amazing view.
05:00 It's wonderful.
05:11 And finally, for me, the jewel in the Treshlish Isles crown, longer.
05:29 We've saved the best till last.
05:44 This has to be my favourite of all the Treshlish Isles.
05:47 The bird colonies here are astounding and they're so used to human visitors that they've
05:52 become habituated to our presence.
05:56 But it's still really important not to disturb them while they're all here raising their
06:00 chicks.
06:01 So we're keeping a really close eye on their behaviour and making sure that we're not affecting
06:05 it and being extremely careful everywhere on the island where we're placing our feet
06:09 so that we don't accidentally trample on burrows.
06:15 Undoubtedly one of the stars of the show on longer are the puffins.
06:20 Despite their cute appearance, puffins are incredibly hardy seabirds, spending two thirds
06:26 of the year, including the entire winter, out to sea, only coming back to land for a
06:32 few months each breeding and nesting season.
06:36 They can swim up to 60 metres underwater hunting for fish and the distinctive growl you can
06:41 hear from puffins in their burrows is only audible while they're on land.
06:48 During those months on end at sea, they're completely silent.
06:55 Razorbills and gillimoths are members of the same orc family as puffins and over the summer
06:59 months we can see this year's chicks on the water with their parent learning to fend for
07:07 themselves.
07:10 From May to September each year, the Treshliss Isles hosts 50,000 nesting seabirds, many
07:16 of them setting up home on Blunga.
07:18 Shags, kittiwakes, mank's shearwaters, stormpetrels, razorbills, gillimoths, puffins and three different
07:26 types of large gull all nesting amongst each other in this special ocean ecosystem.
07:35 And of course the birds here rely on a healthy ocean to thrive.
07:39 I couldn't resist a quick dip to see the underwater world here for myself.
07:45 That was absolutely beautiful.
08:12 I can see now where the puffins are getting all their food from.
08:15 There's so much life underwater.
08:17 There's kelp, there's beautiful big patches of seaweed and it's really fun to kind of
08:22 swim amongst it and see what I can see.
08:23 Saw a big fish and there's a seal out there too.
08:26 That was lovely.
08:27 I'm going to get back in.
08:28 But I won't because it's actually quite cold.
08:31 There's such an remote chain of small islands, the Treshnish Isles have so much to boast.
08:59 From internationally important seabird colonies to phenomenally beautiful nature and a fascinating
09:04 history that you can really imagine coming to life out here in the Sea of Hebrides.
09:09 Exploring these islands has felt like a huge privilege.
09:11 It's been truly unforgettable.
09:13 There's a real beautiful rugged wildness about them that I think is so hard to find nowadays.
09:20 There's a sense of spaciousness but also of connection, our own connection to the big
09:25 picture through the history and the wildlife that makes these islands so magical.
09:32 These islands are so full of life that it can be easy to forget just how much work goes
09:37 into keeping them this way.
09:39 The National Trust for Scotland cares for these places in such a way that everyone can
09:44 experience their nature, beauty and heritage.
09:48 I'm a proud supporter of the National Trust for Scotland and I am beyond delighted to
09:53 have been asked to be their ambassador.
09:55 It feels like such a privilege to be part of a community of people who care just as
10:00 much as I do about Scotland's wildlife and heritage.
10:06 Developing personal connections to nature through first-hand experiences of its powerful
10:11 impact are a core part of my work in ocean conservation.
10:16 I hope that through my love of the sea I can help the National Trust for Scotland to do
10:20 even more to protect these special places and to inspire more people to support the
10:25 work they do for the love of Scotland.
10:28 You can donate to help the National Trust for Scotland carry out its important work
10:32 to care for its beautiful islands, their habitats and the wildlife that lives there.
10:38 Please visit www.nts.org.uk/islands.
10:45 Thank you.
10:45 [END]
10:47 [END]