Ben Fogle plans pilgrimage to the Hebrides for new TV show
23 April 2021
Twenty years after Castaway 2000 and the start of his love affair with Scotland and its islands began, Ben Fogle returns to the country he has described “the most beautiful place on Earth” for a new BBC series.
Sacred Islands will be presented by Ben Fogle for a travelogue of his journey through the Scottish islands.
Along the way he hopes to engage with islanders across Scotland, learning what holds them to the island, through history, religion, community, spirituality, and faith.
Two of the four programmes in the series are expected to be recorded shortly in the Western Isles. Producers are looking at one show to covering Lewis and Harris, the second being filmed in Uist and Barra.
Ben Fogle said: “Castaway changed me in so many ways. I was not the star of Castaway, the island of Taransay was, the Outer Hebrides was, Scotland was. I’m still fascinated by Scotland’s islands.
“The remoteness, the peace, the wonder - I even named my daughter Iona after one. I’m lucky to have been to a lot of places but to me these islands are the most beautiful on Earth.
“This is where my roots really are, where I feel spiritually at home. This is my dream series. It’s like a personal pilgrimage.’
Production is due to be begin soon and will follow strict Covid-19 protocols and restrictions. The series will broadcast later in the year.
