Re: 'Scotland's Sacred Islands' with Ben Fogle | Forum

Howburn Digger wrote:

I really don't have a problem with Ben Fogle. He is as BBC predictable as a cup of tepid low-caffeine coffee with three sugars plus a handful of Marshmallows dropped in as well! Not the way I like my coffee...!

The use of drones and the really magnificent camera work used by these programme directors is quite breathtaking. Even with relatively small parts of their content devoted to Archaeology, these programmes are right up TMA's street and we are looking at landscapes very little or only lightly touched since the Bronze or early Iron Age. Aerial shots show up the modern roads, little new build houses, ruined cotts and patches of old rig and furrow but aside from that - it is as fresh as Creation and Mother Nature left it. I've been over there a few times now and the landscape's beauty actually hurts. I remember visiting the radar missile tracking station and loving the fact I could see St Kilda from the car park area on top of Clettraval beside the radar dome, a Sea Eagle flew overhead and I walked twenty yards down to a couple of massive chambered cairns. Back at the car park the guy (Mr Fergusson - two s's) driving the minibus around passed me a beautiful Neolithic Flint Axe he'd picked up of the ground a few weeks earlier.... he kept it in his minibus glove compartment...

My ill feeling about the programme were really to do with the sections where it appeared to be equating a sense of spirituality with the presence of Prince Charles. As if a Windsor's arrival at a croft bestowed some Godly wisdom on the place and its apparent Royal-Loving forelock-tugging yokels. This section of the programme harked directly at some kind of divine right of kingship. Charles Windsor as a God-appointed righteous ruler and font of nameless spirituality and green-wisdom. Aaaargh! Instead for me it breathed great volumes of rank condescending Windsor halitosis across the islands, the wilderness, the ancient history and those who currently live there. It really made me want to vomit and seemed to channel the worst of the empty spirituality, questionable 'mindfulness' and the worthless personal playdough of the roll-your-own ball of 'Me-ism' posing as "Spirituality" in the FB, Amazon, Air B'n'B new normal. I've got it all out now.

Just give me the archaeology, the long shots of the beautiful beaches and the strange counterpoint of Radar Missile Tracking overlooking St Kilda!

Thanks for your in-depth and insightful response HD. I agree with almost all of what you said - my recollection of the Prince Charles bit was that it was old footage which seemed an anachronism belonging in the last century. The fact the three episodes were scheduled for Sunday morning and had 'sacred' in the title was a clue that archaeology and prehistory would not be its focus. I don't know much about Ben Fogle really (wished he would have packed long trousers though - it looked so perishing cold in The Harris/Lewis episode) his emphasis seemed to be early Celtic Christianity especially on Iona.

It was the Harris/Lewis episode which prompted me to post it here as it made me recall my own visit there in May 2013. The first day of which was warm and sunny though we did wonder why the local people seemed to be heading for the mainland. A wonderful memorable day, a long walk to Bosta, my first sighting of a golden eagle watching us from a high ridge before taking to flight. The rest of the week was all archaeology, experienced mostly in howling 24/7 wind and some horizontal rain. Marvellous none the less - week I will never forget.