A New Island Life

Paul visits two islands of the Inner Hebrides, Gigha and Jura, which are only a few miles apart but couldn't be more different. He begins his journey at the stunning Achamore Gardens on Gigha, which were created in the 1930s by malted drink millionaire Colonel Sir James Horlick. Sir James loved Gigha's mild climate so much that he bought the island and made it his home. Today Gigha is owned by the community, and many of its residents are incomers attracted by the opportunity to begin a new island life on this small and fertile place.

Where Gigha is small, lush and verdant, Paul's next destination, Jura, is rugged and awe-inspiring. Despite being one of Scotland's largest islands, just 200 people live on Jura alongside more than 5,000 deer. Paul continues his exploration of the island by taking a boat trip to experience the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool at the north of Jura, which nearly claimed the life of author George Orwell, before visiting the remote and beautiful Glen Garrisdale Bay and getting a lesson in how to cut peat.