Great Coastal Railway Journeys Season 1, Episode 9: Lairg to Caithness

1

Dunbar to Edinburgh

Michael Portillo begins a series of coastal railway journeys around the British Isles, starting in Siccar Point, the site of an extraordinary 18th-century discovery, and finishing at Holyrood House.

30 min

2

Leith to Culross

Michael Portillo continues his journey at the iconic Forth Bridge, before heading to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia and encountering a pair of vast steel sculptures.

30 min

3

Stirling to East Neuk

Michael Portillo travels from the medieval city of Stirling through Perth, the historic crowning place of Scottish monarchs, and into Kirkcaldy, where he revisits some fond family memories.

30 min

4

St Andrews to Stonehaven

Michael Portillo visits St Andrews, home to Scotland’s oldest university, in eastern Fife, before heading to the vibrant city of Dundee and the harbour town of Stonehaven.

30 min

5

Forvie to Peterhead

Michael Portillo’s Scottish railway journey reaches Aberdeen, from which he heads to the wild and beautiful Forvie National Nature Reserve and Scotland's most easterly town, Peterhead.

30 min

6

Inverness to the Cairngorms

Michael arrives bright and early in Inverness, from which he heads out on a scenic adventure to the Orkney archipelago and explores the battlefield at Culloden, overlooking the Moray Firth.

30 min

7

Cullen to Cawdor

The stunning scenery of Scotland’s east coast continues to delight Michael Portillo as he travels by train around the Moray Firth.

30 min

8

Invergordon to Tain

Michael Portillo’s Scottish coastal railway journey reaches Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth, the third great inlet on the northeast coast of the Highlands.

30 min

9

Lairg to Caithness

Michael Portillo's coastal railway journey takes him past lochs and castles on the Far North Line to Britain’s northernmost railway station at Thurso.

30 min

10

Thurso to Orkney

Michael crosses over to the Orkney Islands, visiting the former naval base at Scapa Flow and learning about the islands' extensive Norwegian connections.

30 min

11

Tynemouth to Bardon Mill

Michael starts a new railway journey in Newcastle, heading north to Berwick-upon-Tweed. His route takes in the River Tyne, Hadrian’s Wall, a former mining village and the fishing port of Amble.

30 min

12

Newcastle to Lynemouth

Michael heads north from Newcastle to the former mining town of Lynemouth. Along the way, he visits a work of landform art made from the spoil of a coal mine and learns sea shanties in Blyth.

30 min

13

Morpeth to Amble

Michael finds a historic collection of Northumbrian bagpipes in Morpeth, before heading up the East Coast Main Line to the fishing port of Amble.

30 min

14

Alnmouth to Bamburgh

Michael travels from Alnmouth to Bamburgh Castle, an icon of Northumberland. Along the way, he takes to the waves in a traditional skiff and discover a fascinating map which charts shipwrecks.

30 min

15

Farne Islands to Berwick-upon-Tweed

Michael’s journey along the coast of Northumberland continues towards the Farne Islands, takes in the holy island of Lindisfarne, and finishes in England’s northernmost town, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

30 min

16

Fairlie to Port Glasgow

Michael Portillo explores the magnificent western coast of Scotland by rail and ferry, starting at the Hunterston B nuclear power plant and finishing along the deep waters of the Clyde.

30 min

17

Helensburgh to Connel

From the 250-year-old 'new town' of Helensburgh on the north bank of the Clyde, Michael Portillo takes his favourite West Highland Line across to the waters of Loch Etive.

30 min

18

Oban to Staffa

From the fishing port of Oban, Michael heads out to the Hebrides. He helps to harvest seaweed, visits the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, and sees a cave that inspired Felix Mendelssohn's music.

30 min

19

Fort William to Glenfinnan

Michael heads aboard the Jacobite Express to cross the awe-inspiring Glenfinnan Viaduct, before visiting the immense Grampian Mountains and learning about the notorious Massacre of Glencoe.

30 min

20

Mallaig to Isle of Lewis and Harris

Michael follows in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie as he travels over the sea to Skye, an island renowned for its wildlife, and then on to Lewis and Harris, home to the famous Harris Tweed.

30 min

21

Avonmouth to Six Bells

Michael Portillo begins a new railway journey along the south coast of Wales. He visits a largely intact Roman amphitheatre and learns about the regeneration efforts in the mining town of Six Bells.

30 min

22

Barry Island to Pyle

Michael Portillo continues his south Wales coastal railway journey in Barry Island, where he investigates the busy docks. He then heads to the Jurassic shoreline and the seaside resort of Porthcawl.

30 min

23

Port Talbot to Pembrey Burry Port

Michael Portillo’s rail adventure along the south coast of Wales reaches the town of Port Talbot, known across the world for its steel production.

30 min

24

Carmarthen to Pembroke

Michael Portillo travels the breathtaking rural coastline of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, visiting a bee garden with a quarter of a million honeybees and Pembroke's magnificent Norman castle.

30 min

25

Milford Haven to Fishguard

Michael Portillo reaches the most westerly station in Wales, Milford Haven, the biggest energy port in the United Kingdom. He then heads north, visiting Britain's smallest city and its cathedral.

30 min