Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 281,727 playable programmes from the BBC

Grand Tours of Scotland

Series 1

Episode 1: The Romantic Ideal

Duration: 29 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC One ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Two HD

Paul Murton follows in the footsteps of the first tourists to Scotland. With a Victorian guidebook in his hands, Paul travels across the country tracing the changes that have taken place since the birth of Scottish tourism 200 years ago.

For centuries, Scotland was regarded as a place to avoid, and early travellers complained about the terrible weather, bad food, poor roads and the uncouth habits of the natives. To find out what changed to make Scotland an internationally celebrated tourist destination, Paul recreates six Scottish tours suggested by a well-thumbed, 19th-century copy of Black's Picturesque Guide to Scotland.

In this first journey, Paul goes in search of the romantic ideal, travelling from the Trossachs out to Iona and then the fabled Isle of Staffa - all places that enchanted and inspired visitors with the magic of Scotland's unique history and landscape. Show less

About this data

This data is drawn from the data stream that informs BBC's iPlayer and Sounds. The information shows what was scheduled to be broadcast, meaning it was/is subject to change and may not be accurate. More