Great British Train Journeys from Above Season 1 Episode 1

Reality Insight Hub

Great British Train Journeys from Above Season 1 Episode 1 #RealityInsightHub  🎞 Please subscribe to our official channel to watch the full movie for free, as soon as possible. ❤️Reality Insight Hub❤️ 👉 Official Channel: https://www.dailymotion.com/TrailerBolt 👉 THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Transcript

00:00Join us on a voyage of discovery as we follow the most spectacular steam train journeys in

00:15Britain from above. We'll showcase these machines in all their glory traveling through the most

00:25breathtaking landscape the country has to offer. The North Yorkshire Moors, the Highlands of Scotland,

00:35the rolling hills of Somerset and Snowdonia known today as Errerie. Our trains are time travelers

00:47transporting us back to the golden age of steam to unravel the truth about Britain's great railway

01:00revolution. Sit back, soak up the scenery and enjoy all the romance and the thrill of a steam train

01:14journey like you've never seen it before. The Highlands of Scotland are a land of mystery and magic.

01:44A world of ancient mountains and lochs. Of myth and legend. And through its heartland runs a railway

01:56that's been voted the greatest in the world. It's called the Jacobite Railway and it starts in Fort William.

02:26But the steam train is also known as the Hogwarts Express

02:36and has become world-famous thanks to its starring role in the Harry Potter movies.

02:46As the train waits in the station, we're about to embark on an unforgettable adventure

02:52that will take us back three centuries to uncover a dramatic chapter of Scottish history.

03:04The greatest threat to the English throne in the last 300 years.

03:10The train is about to set off on a 42-mile journey through the Scottish Highlands from Fort William to Maleg.

03:28The train passes the most iconic landmarks of the Jacobite Rebellion.

03:34At the world-renowned Glenfinnan Viaduct, we'll discover the exact spot where Bonny Prince Charlie united Highland clansmen against the Crown.

03:51And on our way to Maleg, we'll pass the loch that will reveal if the rebellion was a success.

03:58The Jacobite Railway is about to become a front row seat to the bloodiest chapter in Scottish history.

04:00The Jacobite Rebellion was a success.

04:01As the train inches its way out of the station, the Jacobite Railway is about to become a front row seat to the bloodiest chapter in Scottish history.

04:25in Scottish history, the Jacobite Rebellion.

04:31We'll find out who they were and why the rebellion took place,

04:35and more importantly, how the outcome would shape Scotland forever.

04:41On the outskirts of Fort William, the train picks up speed

04:57through the foothills of the highest mountain in Britain.

05:03Once a vast volcano, Ben Nevis is all that remains

05:08after a cataclysmic explosion millions of years ago.

05:14The train journey has begun in its shadow.

05:20Fort William, as its name implies,

05:23was originally a fort built as a garrison

05:26to protect the English crown from the Scottish clans.

05:30They had never accepted rule by an English king.

05:46As the train leaves Fort William,

05:48and its journey through the mountains begins,

05:51it's about to pass a remarkable example

05:57of the challenge of building a railway in this environment.

06:07The train crosses the Caledonian Canal,

06:10which runs north to Inverness.

06:12But to create the canal, in the foothills of the mountains,

06:19engineers had to form Neptune's Staircase.

06:27Built more than 200 years ago,

06:29it's the longest staircase lock in Britain.

06:32And it raises canal boats 60 feet.

06:51Two miles out from Fort William,

06:53the landscape opens and the train begins

06:55to leave civilisation behind.

07:00We've reached Loch Eel,

07:02where the Jacobite Railway starts its journey

07:04through the mystery and enchantment of the Highlands.

07:19Whilst the track is flat and straight,

07:21it's an opportunity for passengers to enjoy the thrill

07:24of the golden age of travel.

07:29As the steam engine picks up speed

07:31and races along with stunning views.

07:44The railway has entered clan country.

07:48For centuries, this landscape was dominated by the

07:50one of Scotland's most ancient clans,

07:53the Camerons.

07:57Historically, the Highlands were divided into territories

08:00ruled over by different clans.

08:03Loch Eel was the ancestral home of the Cameron clan.

08:11And today, the chief of the clan still carries the name

08:15Cameron of Loch Eel.

08:20As the track weaves along Loch Eel,

08:23voices of the past echo through the empty landscape

08:27from a time three centuries ago.

08:29It was in these hills that the Camerons gathered with clans

08:30from throughout the Highlands.

08:31The clansmen were supporters of James the Second,

08:32a Scottish king who for four years also held the English throne.

08:34The clansmen were supporters of James the Second,

08:36a Scottish king who for four years also held the English throne.

08:40But he was overthrown and replaced with a new king,

08:42and replaced with a new king,

08:43with a radically reduced role chosen by the English.

08:46The Jacobites, named after Jacobus, the Latin name for James,

08:49wanted to return James the Second,

08:50to the English.

08:51James the Second to the throne and make him king of England and Scotland again.

08:54The Jacobites, named after Jacobus, the Latin name for James,

08:56wanted to return James the Second to the throne and make him king of England and Scotland again.

08:57But, as the largest ever mass rising of Scottish forces gathered in the evening,

09:01the first half of the world began to return the re-browns of the English.

09:06But he was overthrown and replaced with a new king with a radically reduced role chosen by the English.

09:09The Jacobites, named after Jacobus, the Latin name for James,

09:14wanted to return James the Second to the throne and make him king of England and Scotland again.

09:20But, as the largest ever mass rising of Scottish forces gathered in the years,

09:25of scottish forces gathered in these hills could they take the english crown

09:38over 20 years after the imposition of an english king 16 000 rebels from 26 scottish clans

09:47marched south to confront the english forces at the battle of sheriff muir

09:55the rebels outnumbered the english forces almost three to one but the battle was a disaster

10:05the rising was put down and the leaders killed or exiled

10:12it was a major setback for the rebels but was there a more successful uprising to come

10:2515 miles from fort william the train is chugging hard on the first steep climb through the highlands

10:34but the reward will be the most spectacular spot on the entire line

10:39so naturally it's the place the harry potter filmmakers chose to convey

10:50an enchanting world of magic and mystery on the big screen

11:02the glenfinnan viaduct

11:20instantly recognizable to hundreds of millions of movie fans across the globe

11:25the magnificent viaduct and its spellbinding highland backdrop plays a leading role in the movies

11:32it's the magic moment that harry hermione and ron travel into the wizard world for the start of term

11:45at hogwarts

11:51even before the viaduct became a global superstar glenfinnan was already a celebrated location in scottish history

11:59in scottish history

12:05because what unfolded here was pivotal to the fate of the rebellion

12:12little wonder that every day hundreds of people flock to glenfinnan to take in this scottish spectacle

12:30coming up

12:37as our magical mystery tour continues

12:41we'll discover the unforgettable scene that transformed the glenfinnan viaduct

12:46into a cinematic icon

12:49and how three centuries earlier at the same location

12:54there was the beginning of an even stronger rebel uprising

12:59in the scottish highlands

13:12we're tracing the journey of a steam train

13:27through some of the most famous landscape in the country

13:31on the jacobite railway

13:37three centuries ago this remote world of ancient mountains and rocks was clan country

13:43where tribes of highlanders united to overthrow the english crown

13:48the king's forces had already put down the largest uprising in scottish history

13:58but was there a stronger rebellion to come

14:01and the railway's most iconic spot the answer starts to unfold

14:17the glenfinnan viaduct has played such a significant role in scottish history

14:36that it features on the ten pound note and we're about to discover why

14:46as the train stops here the passengers take in the beauty of their surroundings

14:52the arched viaduct is a horseshoe curve 100 feet above the ground that follows the steep contours of the mountains

15:02and looking south reaching out towards the horizon passengers can spot loch shiel glistening like a fjord

15:18stretching for 17 miles the narrow loch surrounded by towering mountains

15:24mountains is a quintessential view of the highlands

15:30but the most iconic part of the extraordinary railway vista

15:35is the monument on the shore of the loch

15:47the monument takes us back in time over 300 years

15:54to one of the most dramatic scenes in scottish history

16:11in the early hours of the 19th of august 1745 bonnie prince charlie stepped ashore here

16:19his ambition was to put his father the son of james ii on the throne

16:30so he would one day inherit the throne himself and become king

16:40the prince was hoping to be welcomed by hundreds of clansmen

16:44but when he arrived there was barely a soul to be seen

17:01but in late afternoon the sound of bagpipes coming over the hills

17:06the people of the hills

17:09hailed the arrival of 1200 clansmen who wanted to pledge their allegiance to the prince

17:18over half of the men were from clan cameron led by their chief donald cameron of lochil

17:26at the top of the monument stands the unknown highlander it's a tribute to the men who pledged to give their lives for the rebellion

17:43to signal the start of the rebellion the prince raised his standard and together with his highland army

17:51set out on his mission to take the english throne

17:57but would the prince's plan to invade england be a success

18:09today half a million people visit glenfinnan every year

18:13it's an opportunity to pay their respects to a historic moment in scotland's history

18:26but there's another reason why so many people come

18:33magic

18:36harry potter fans will recognize the great lake in the grounds of the famous school of magic

18:42hogwarts

18:45loch shiel's size together with its spellbinding scenery made it the perfect spot to bring the great lake

18:53to life in the second movie harry potter and the chamber of secrets

19:00harry is flying around the sky on his broomstick

19:03playing the magical game of quidditch and loch shiel is the backdrop to the stadium

19:12the glenfinnan viaduct is the most popular spot on this magical tourist trail

19:23because it features in so many standout scenes

19:26but the most memorable scene is from chamber of secrets when harry and ron are chasing the train in a flying car

19:37swooping wildly around the viaduct because it's been placed under a curse

19:42thanks to one of the most watched movie franchises in hollywood history

19:49the glenfinnan viaduct has been etched into the memory of hundreds of millions of movie fans

19:55for all time

20:02from harry potter to bonnie prince charlie the glenfinnan viaduct is of great cultural and historical

20:10importance but it's also an engineering masterpiece

20:14repairs are needed so it's being preserved for future generations to enjoy

20:26when the railway was built over a hundred and twenty years ago

20:32the line's engineer was robert mcalpine who founded what is still one of britain's large construction

20:38companies using the breakthrough material of the day on an industrial scale for the very first time

20:47gave him a new nickname

20:51concrete bob

20:55and today stretching over 1200 feet the viaduct is still the longest concrete railway structure in scotland

21:08of glenfinnan

21:15after glenfinnan concrete bob's railway climbs to the highest point of the entire line

21:24as the weather closes in and the landscape appears more ominous than ever before

21:31we're about to discover how ambitious or foolhardy you had to be to build a railway up here

21:38this stretch of rocky terrain after glenfinnan encapsulates why the line was one of the final

21:54challenges for victorian railway engineers the train carves a path through the toughest terrain imaginable

22:02a strong rock called micashist is everywhere

22:11so digging out tunnels and cuttings and building embankments and bridges did not come cheap

22:21when construction work began the target was to build the railway in just four years

22:32further along the line we'll discover how a spark of genius this time from concrete bob's son

22:40would help overcome the back-breaking challenge of digging through mile after mile of unforgiving rock

22:47cruising down from the line's high point we reach the shores of loch hillt

23:00where there's yet another example of a famous scene from the harry potter films

23:0422 miles from fort william it's an opportunity to relax look out the window and enjoy some of the most

23:19spectacular scenery scotland has to offer

23:31so

23:33so

23:39so

23:41so

23:43so

23:45the final resting place of hogwarts headmaster albus dumbledore is this mystical tree dotted island

24:10called island nemoina

24:16dumbledore's grave on loch hillt adds to the flying car over the glenfinnan viaduct and wizards

24:23buzzing around over loch shield transforming the jacobite railway into the real hogwarts express

24:31the jewel of the highlands

24:45the atlantic coast

24:50and a date with destiny for the rebels would bonnie prince charlie's bold plan to invade england

25:00finally brings success

25:15in the highlands of scotland we're tracing the journey of a steam train

25:34on the jacobite railway

25:43that's transported us back three centuries to follow in the footsteps of bonnie prince charlie

25:50and his army of rebels

25:56the train is heading for the place that will reveal whether the prince was able to achieve his

26:01ultimate goal

26:05invading england taking the crown

26:08and putting his grandfather james ii on the throne

26:24as the train heads further and further west

26:41the landscape is more isolated than any we've seen

26:45after leaving loch islet station we've already traveled 26 miles but there's still 16 to go

27:03we're heading for loch nanoaf a place that was both the beginning of bonnie prince charlie's story

27:10and reveals the outcome

27:12as the steam engine races into view it passes an isolated white building

27:26this is our lady of the braze church

27:33but the last mass here was nearly 50 years ago

27:42and today the church standing in the empty landscape asks the question

27:51why did all the people who called this enchanting place home leave

27:56the answer lies with the fate of bonnie prince charlie

28:12after the prince and his rebel army left glenfinnan to invade england they began to march towards london

28:19with a newfound belief that they really could achieve their goal and topple the english king

28:28after support for the cause mounted with an unexpectedly one-sided victory at preston pans

28:34the rebels crossed the border into england and reached derby over half the way to london

28:42the train is approaching the lock that will reveal the outcome of bonnie prince charlie's invasion

29:02it's also a section of the line that illustrates the engineering challenge

29:06of carving a railway through the highlands

29:17of carving a railway through the highlands

29:19the highlands

29:21there are three long tunnels and three viaducts in just this short three-mile section of the line

29:34following in his father's footsteps concrete bob's son malcolm mcalpine also had an innovative

29:41approach to engineering at the time drilling tunnels was a notoriously difficult operation

29:48but observing a water-powered drill used by his dentist malcolm had his own eureka moment

29:57he realized that water could be the power source that would revolutionize the drilling of tunnels

30:03it was cheaply available and brought about a four-fold increase in the speed of drilling

30:19as it heads further west the train arrives at loch nanowath

30:23where bonnie prince charlie first set foot on the scottish mainland with his small band of supporters

30:35just five months later with the prince's army of highlanders camped near derby

30:49the crown was tantalizingly within reach

30:54but spooked by reports of a large number of the king's soldiers gathering nearby with superior weaponry

31:00the rebel army retreated all the way to scotland

31:10where four months later at the battle of culloden the end came for the rebels

31:16the prince left his men exposed to cannon fire and they were decimated

31:26the old fighting ways of the highlands were defeated by modern warfare

31:33the prince was to flee scotland as a fugitive with the equivalent today

31:38of a five million pound bounty on his head loch nanowath is gaelic for loch of the caves

31:48and it's believed the prince sheltered in one of the lochs caves overnight before escaping to france

32:04the lord of culloden on the opposite side of the loch to the railway lies the ardnish peninsula

32:16where the empty landscape demonstrates how the defeat of the rebellion changed scotland forever

32:25over the century following the defeat the clan system collapsed and tens of thousands of highlanders

32:32were forced from their lands as a result of the infamous highland clearances creating a scottish

32:39diaspora in north america and australasia where many of their descendants live today

32:51an already sparsely populated land became desolate

32:55today the ardnish peninsula is completely uninhabited the abandoned crofting villages along the coastline

33:06are an evocative reminder of a happier past

33:15once a flourishing place with a deep history the ruins of pianmenich was once a village that recorded

33:2248 people in the 1841 census

33:28there's an iron age fort and the remains of a viking boat shed on the shore

33:37the last resident to leave the area was nelly mcqueen who moved out of this bothy

33:43during the second world war unable to survive on wartime rations

33:52the ruins like our lady of the braise church nearby stand as memorials to a once thriving highland community

34:06and with it the promise of one of scotland's most dramatic coastlines

34:11and with it the promise of one of scotland's most dramatic coastlines

34:36the pristine beaches of the atlantic coast

34:44are the jewel of the highlands

34:49with crystal clear water that you might expect in the caribbean

34:53this is an unspoiled haven with mile after mile of white sand for the few people who venture here

35:06further along the coastline are small communities put on the map thanks to the railway

35:23for centuries travel into the mainland from the tiny fishing village of arisa was slow and arduous

35:30before the railway opened access to the rest of the world was by coastal steamer

35:48or by a mail coach that took seven and a half hours to reach fort william

35:53on the railway the journey took less than two hours

36:15as the train approaches arisa our journey west has arrived at the most westerly train station in scotland

36:33the railway in four years

36:40concrete bob and his son malcolm had been challenged to build the railway in four years

36:49trains began running almost a year ahead of schedule

36:56arisa station is the perfect spot to celebrate the groundbreaking engineering achievement of concrete

37:02bob bob and malcolm this is where the morning and afternoon services cross paths every day

37:12a fitting tribute to the wonder and majesty of steam trains

37:18and their key role in the revitalization of the highlands

37:22coming up on the last leg of our journey

37:32we continue through this land of extremes

37:38past scotland's deepest loch and its shortest river

37:42and the boat trip to the isle of sky that's come to symbolize the romantic legacy of bonnie prince charlie

38:05in the highlands of scotland we're following a steam train

38:19that's come to be known as the real hogwarts express

38:23and has brought to life the story of bonnie prince charlie and his army of rebels

38:29from the hope of glenfinnan

38:41to the despair of the devastating highland clearances that followed

38:50but at the turn of the 19th century hope was on the horizon once more

38:59the future of the

39:29Leaving Arisek Station, the train has turned north.

39:35With just seven miles left, the train has left the mountains behind.

39:41But the landscape is just as scenic.

39:50The steam train is heading towards a vast open coastline.

39:54Stretching as far as the eye can see to the Atlantic and the Western Isles on the horizon.

40:12On the approach to Mora Station, we cross the Mora River.

40:25To the east, Britain's shortest river flows for less than a mile past another gorgeous white sand beach.

40:40And to the west, Loch Mora stretches for 12 miles.

40:45The waters of Britain's deepest loch sink down over 300 metres.

40:55Plenty of room for a mythical beast called Morag.

41:00Morag is considerably more shy than her more famous relative, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.

41:06According to Highland folklore, the half-human, half-fish species of the Mora River.

41:10The waters of Britain's deepest loch sink down over 300 metres.

41:14Plenty of room for a mythical beast called Morag.

41:17Morag is considerably more shy than her more famous relative, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.

41:24According to Highland folklore, the half-human, half-fish creature appears when the Mora Clan is defeated in battle.

41:36Which means, Morag would have been at the height of her appearance during the rebellion.

41:41As the train passes Loch Mora, passengers can spot an island that's a final reminder of the dark days after Culloden.

42:00Like Bonnie Prince Charlie, many rebels went into hiding.

42:11One of them, Lord Lovett, took refuge on this isolated island, Eileen Ban.

42:19But in 1747, after he was captured by English forces, Lord Lovett entered the history books as the last person to be publicly beheaded in Britain.

42:35On the last leg of our journey, the train hugs the rugged Atlantic coastline all the way to Mallet.

42:56Despite Lord Lovett's grisly end, his legacy lives on in the port where he encouraged his tenants to relocate and pursue fishing.

43:16By the time of the Second World War, Malleg had established itself as the busiest herring port in Europe.

43:22But the fortunes of Malleg waxed and waned with shoals of herring that didn't always turn up where and when they were expected to.

43:37Today, steam trains have returned and brought fame back to the region.

43:42The Jacobite Railway brings in tens of thousands of people from all over the world every year.

44:01All of them eager for their own taste of the mystery and the magic of the Hogwarts Express.

44:11And there's one last tale to tell.

44:22After fleeing the mainland, the prince met Flora MacDonald.

44:32She risked her own life out of compassion for a fugitive who had staked everything on his bid to win a kingdom and lost.

44:43Flora disguised the prince as an Irish maid and helped him to escape on a boat to the safety of Skye.

45:00But Flora was arrested and jailed in the Tower of London for treason.

45:04Her act of bravery in support of the prince has come to symbolize Scotland's resistance to the English crown.

45:19The prince did eventually escape to France.

45:22But he would never be king of England or Scotland.

45:39As our adventure draws to a close,

45:44it's an opportunity to reflect on one of the greatest steam train journeys in the world.

45:52through the drama of the Highlands

45:57and the history of Scotland.

46:01.

46:31Transcription by CastingWords

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended