New BBC series on Scotland's 'sacred isles' launches tonight

                                                                                                                          Tuesday October 17 2023

A BBC series focussing on Scotland’s sacred isles returns to TV screens tonight, featuring islands including Arran, Orkney and Jura.

Following the popular first series broadcast in 2021, this second series features presenter Ben Fogle making another journey across Scottish islands, meeting local people to celebrate each island’s unique sacred heritage and discovering how faith and belief are woven into their  communities.

Islands featured in this series include Arran, Holy Isle, Islay and Jura, the Orkney Islands and Skye. 

Reflecting on the series Ben said: “This series has reinforced my belief in the magic of Scotland’s islands and the strength of the communities, who live there. And I have been humbled to find out more about these sacred places and their deep connection with the land, the sea and the elements.”

In the first episode, which will go out on BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer tonight (October 17), Ben takes the short but busy ferry trip across the Firth of Clyde to the isle of Arran.

Only two hours from Glasgow and known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran is a popular holiday getaway.

He learns more about Arran’s faith history and its prefab churches, known as ‘Tin Kirks’  which were manufactured from corrugated iron on the mainland and shipped across to the island. Ben visits one of the last on Arran, a fascinating and atmospheric ‘sacred place’ which sadly, due to declining church attendance, closed its doors earlier this year after being in use for one hundred years.

Ben is also taught how to make traditional Hallah bread by Barb and Sharon, the island’s only practising Jews and finds out about the sacred practices of the Jewish Sabbath.

He then journeys across to Holy Isle just off Arran’s east coast.

Returning to Arran, Ben hikes up to a stunning mountain loch lying one thousand feet above sea level, before visiting a beautiful cliff top apothecary garden, where he learns about the ancient links between Celtic beliefs and traditional herbal remedies.

Before leaving, Ben is roped into performing at the Arran Folk Festival.

He concludes his journey realising that, despite its proximity to the mainland, he’s experienced an island with tremendous warmth and community spirit where diverse faiths thrive

Produced by Tern, which is part of Zinc Media, Scotland’s Sacred Islands with Ben Fogle is a co-commission between BBC Scotland and BBC Unscripted and is produced in partnership with The Open University.

The first series, which broadcast in 2021, featured Shetland and islands in the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

Scotland’s Sacred Islands with Ben Fogle will be on the BBC Scotland channel on Tuesday, October 17 at 8pm and will also be shown on BBC One on Sunday October 22.

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