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00:00This time we're exploring new Scottish waters.
00:03We have been west, we've been north, we've been east.
00:06So it's only polite that we go south.
00:10We're going swimming and beyond.
00:14To discover new pastimes, people, and places.
00:21This is like apocalypse now, but with women.
00:23As we make our way across the Scottish borders through Dumfries and Galloway
00:27and all the way to Scotland's southernmost tip.
00:30This is Scotland's forgotten corner, but not for us because we're here.
00:34We're putting the world to rights while getting very wet.
00:37If we go down, we'll go down together.
00:39And very, very cold.
00:41I'm alive!
00:43As the temperature drops.
00:45You feel quite dizzy when it's that cold.
00:47On our eternal October swim venture.
00:50I was effervescent.
00:52I was swimming in cold champagne.
00:54It's going to be epic.
00:55Yes, team!
01:09Yes, my darling.
01:10Look who's back.
01:11Queen Bonero.
01:12She's in her proper place right there on your lap.
01:15She is.
01:15She's squashing me, and I will moan about it later, but I love her.
01:18Yes, the full team's back together for our last trip.
01:22Bonnie will help navigate right through Galloway, where we're taking a couple of dukes.
01:26Before we complete our mission to the southern tip of Borne, Scotland!
01:32See what I did there?
01:34Where are we going exactly, Jules?
01:36Look at the map.
01:37We're going down to be swimming in Wigton Bay.
01:39There's a beach there called Galliston Beach, but there's loads of history involved in this
01:44bay.
01:44I know you've got a fact for me, haven't you?
01:46Well, yeah.
01:46I have been doing a little bit of reading about the Mulberry Harbour Project during World War
01:50II.
01:50The seabed and the beach was similar to the condition at Normandy, so they built these
01:55floating harbours here, which they ended up testing out for Normandy.
01:59And it was top secret.
02:01Well, there's nothing secret about the group we're meeting today, so they won't be too
02:05hard to track down.
02:06We're going to be going swimming this morning with the macker mermaids.
02:09One of them, I'm sure, runs a cafe, and if the word is we're maybe going to the cafe
02:14after, that's the word.
02:15Yeah, I'm starting to worry the cake-to-swimming ratio is a little out of whack.
02:19There you go.
02:20Now, listen.
02:22This is awesome.
02:23This is us.
02:24We must be.
02:24Oh, this is beautiful.
02:25Look at this little town.
02:26It's beautiful.
02:27It looks so cute.
02:28Well, that looks like a wild swimmer there.
02:35We made it.
02:36Well done, Hempy.
02:37I'm expecting to find the mermaids lounging on the rocks, attempting to lure some sailors.
02:42Fear not, Captain.
02:44Looks like they're in human form today.
02:46Hello there.
02:47Hello.
02:49Oh, wow.
02:50What an amazing group.
02:52Oh, my goodness.
02:53I spy a guy as well, which I'm excited about.
02:55No, man.
02:56Welcome, welcome.
02:57Who's the boss?
02:59Ray.
03:00A reluctant boss.
03:02When did the group begin?
03:03So we started 2023 on International Women's Day.
03:06Oh, wow.
03:07We just stuck a post on Facebook saying, anybody fancy coming for a swim?
03:11And about 20 people rocked up.
03:13And now we've got over 300.
03:15All the ladies here are the regulars.
03:18And I know that there's been some consideration about what the tide is doing.
03:21Yeah.
03:21And that's why we're swimming.
03:22Could you tell us a little bit about that and why we're swimming now?
03:25It's a safety aspect.
03:25I was raised in Sussex and going to the beach and going for a swim is just what you did.
03:30And your mums used to just say, swim on an incoming tide.
03:32So if you drown, you get washed ashore, we know what happened to you.
03:36It's the only rule we have.
03:37And the same, I assume, goes for offshore winds as well.
03:40We weren't here yesterday because the waves were absolutely nuts.
03:43We do sometimes go around to the very shallow bay.
03:46So sometimes we just wave jump if we can't swim.
03:48Aye.
03:48But this beach, you're straight in.
03:50And when it's rough, it's pretty rough.
03:53Should we get in on that flood tide?
03:54Yeah.
03:55Well, yous lead the wave.
03:57Yay!
03:58Let's get ready.
03:58Let's go.
03:59It's blue and freezing today.
04:01I'm going to have to warm us all up with a bit of yoga magic.
04:04So just shake and re-bounce, re-bounce.
04:08And then just re-swish around like this.
04:11And then just a lovely big inhale and just follow with this up.
04:14And then exhale down.
04:17And then just stand and just take a little second to anything that's going on in your head
04:22and you want to get rid of, you're going to get rid of in that sea.
04:25Namaste to yourself always.
04:26Namaste to your swimming pals.
04:28Let's go!
04:32With the seawater fairly choppy, there's safety in numbers here
04:35as we can all look out for each other.
04:38Just walk in.
04:39Look what a wave!
04:42I love the waves because you've got no choice.
04:46That's us and...
04:49This is lovely.
04:50Oh, that's deep.
04:51There was no time to sort of talk your way out of it.
04:55Oh, my gosh.
04:59I'm just beating all these levels.
05:00I'm going all from all round.
05:02County Durham, Newcastle, Cobb and Chase.
05:08Actually, the waves are really good because they're a total distraction.
05:12Because you're coming in so cold.
05:14But I guess you're moving really quickly.
05:16It's just nice and bouncy, isn't it?
05:19They're pretty cool.
05:21They're pretty good.
05:22Oh, we're swimming.
05:22We just want to come along.
05:24We swung.
05:24Yeah.
05:25I can't do it.
05:30Oh, well, let's do a lovely float.
05:32Let's do a wee float.
05:34Oh.
05:35You've got to think of my swimming pool as well.
05:37Oh, my goodness.
05:38Are you not in that group?
05:40Oh, I'm not.
05:40Oh, my goodness.
05:41New synchronisation about me.
05:47Well, the Maccai mermaids are a hardy bunch of soul.
05:53they've been in there for over ten minutes
05:56and they're laughing
05:57and they're giggling and they're about to do a bit of
05:58Esther Williams synchronised swimming
06:00can everybody touch your feet
06:02if you can
06:05oh impossible
06:06to do synchronised swimming in a swell
06:08like this
06:10it's a disaster
06:11I love it
06:15no chance
06:16oh Brenda
06:21I'm actually crying laughing
06:25amazing oh my god
06:27we were all crying laughing
06:29nobody was listening and she was shouting
06:30where school did you go to
06:33honest to god I thought I was going to wet myself
06:36now if I can keep
06:37Hempy on target
06:38I want to go to that pub
06:42we're meeting the gang at their usual hangout
06:44what are you going in the cafe
06:45fellow mermaid Amy's cafe
06:47oh this looks lovely
06:49and then the pub
06:50hi how you doing
06:53Amy your cafe is beautiful
06:55oh thank you
06:56do you mind telling me why you started wild swimming
06:59I moved to the area to settle this family business with my mum
07:02and I thought it would be a good way to meet people
07:04and then I had a bit of a crazy summer with starting this
07:07and unfortunately I suffered a miscarriage
07:10and I just felt really let down by my body
07:14actually you know wild swimming really sort of helped mentally and physically with that recovery
07:19I kind of regained a little bit of faith in my body
07:23but it's really brave of you saying that
07:25and I've actually had two miscarriages as well
07:29you know you struck a chord when you said you felt your body had let you down
07:32you do feel it sure don't you
07:34I'm so sorry
07:36you know I've since had my little rainbow baby
07:39congratulations
07:41and the water and all that time
07:43it heals you doesn't it
07:44it really really does
07:49it's a lovely thing being in a group as well
07:51it's like everybody goes through all different things
07:54and sometimes in the water
07:55and there's sometimes as well when you're swimming
07:57well you don't need to talk about it
07:58do you think there's a lot of us come here and do that
08:01yeah
08:01a lot of us swim
08:02and everyone's got their own story
08:06I swim because it's just been held
08:08and it's something that I've been doing for a few years
08:10but last year I got cancer
08:12throat cancer
08:14and the treatment was really severe
08:17I just got time we're going to get through this
08:20the sea's been my salvation
08:22every day I swam
08:24and then when I got home I could close my eyes and still feel it
08:28oh that's beautiful
08:29and then I recorded it as well
08:32and they played it for me
08:35I was back in Garlaston swimming
08:37just swimming, just swimming, just swimming
08:43I binge watched you and Greg
08:45and my first few weeks of treatment
08:47at night when I couldn't sleep
08:48it was like my salvation
08:50yeah no I'm going to get back
08:51so I've made you this mermaid
08:54hell that's so beautiful
08:55so I'll just travel round with you yeah
08:57I can't
08:58thank you so much
09:05thank you so much
09:23that was a really happy group today
09:24oh it was hysterical
09:27there is something in the water
09:28and I think what happens is
09:30you're encouraged to lose your inhibitions
09:32when you go in the water
09:34sometimes when we're in a big group
09:36you do see the people that peel off and swim
09:38and you think
09:38I wonder what they're sorting through in their mind
09:40you could describe it like a big pot of popcorn
09:42and people are popping at different times
09:44some people aren't ready
09:45maybe to share something
09:46or they're processing something
09:48and other people want to talk
09:51the upshot of that is that people
09:53share these incredible stories with us
09:55it's a real privilege to hear them
09:58Amy's story chimed in with me
10:00because it's happened to us
10:02to be that honest like that
10:04but also positive at the same time
10:05she was saying
10:06I felt like I'd done something wrong
10:07I felt like my body had let me down
10:09like that's really important to hear
10:11because nobody really says anything like that
10:14oh Heather though
10:16she was so lovely
10:17but I'm loved this as well
10:18I kind of almost feel a little bit overwhelmed
10:21about that
10:21what she's been through for goodness sake
10:24my experience is
10:25that people avoid you
10:27in those moments
10:28that something's happened to you
10:29because they don't know what to say
10:31and if only they realise
10:33that it's okay not to know what to say
10:36people appreciate
10:37any kind of reaching out
10:39the person's not expecting you to fix them
10:41they need to go through it
10:43do you know
10:43groups like that are just so supportive
10:45even outside the water
10:46in their cafe hangout
10:47the healing power of cake
10:49shouldn't be underestimated either
10:50but I think perhaps you and I
10:52might have had a bit too much
10:53healing recently Greg
10:55what we like
10:56we're like
10:56we could roll up the road
10:58like proper
10:58like shove us down that
11:00quite happily at this stage
11:01just dump the swimming altogether
11:02and just eat those cakes
11:05and just
11:06I'm telling you something though
11:08it's a wee bit square
11:09that I want to go to my bed
11:10now I'm so shattered
11:11I'm going to go to the pub
11:12you are not
11:13you're not
11:14because I'm not having any snoring
11:15in this fancy
11:16I'm not having it
11:17Bonnie's already in her bed
11:18maybe you go to the pub
11:20and come back
11:20me and Bonnie will be asleep
11:21okay
11:22deal
11:23deal
11:23okay
11:30Greg you want a wee tea to our pub
11:32that'd be great thanks
11:34oh yes
11:35wee tea outside
11:36cannae whack it
11:37here MP
11:38let's watch Bon Bon
11:40this is nice isn't it
11:42yeah
11:42it's fantastic
11:43why does tea always taste better
11:45outside
11:47do you want to see where we're going
11:48we're going to meet the Queens
11:49and Kings swimming group
11:50and once we're finished
11:51we're going all the way down to here
11:54but that'll be worth it
11:54because there's a lighthouse
11:55at the end of it
11:56and I know you love that
11:57fantastic
11:57so Bonnie you alright with this
11:58yeah she's okay with it
12:00we're on
12:01Bonnie's okayed it
12:02MP
12:03are you going to miss the van
12:04I sold it yesterday
12:05there's a guy coming
12:06to pick it up tomorrow
12:09I'll miss it for about four seconds
12:12we've got some moody weather
12:13I know it is
12:14to accompany us
12:14look at it
12:15it's raining
12:16here we go right come on
12:17what are you going to still do
12:18brush your teeth and that
12:19can I tidy up
12:21by the way
12:21how much will I end up doing all this myself
12:27a little bit of a curveball
12:30when it comes to the weather
12:30you just take it
12:32we're meeting our next group
12:34on the other side of Whiting Bay
12:35at Mossyard Beach
12:37tell me about the group
12:38the swim at Queens and Kings
12:40that's what they're called
12:43so Susie
12:44wait for this
12:44used to play rugby
12:46at an international level
12:48so they will have a scrum in the water
12:49I don't know
12:50but it's just going to be tough
12:51so this at this
12:52better name's not going to bother Susie
12:53no
12:59oh Greg
13:00here's the sign for Mossyard
13:02look at this
13:03it's like rolling
13:05Teletubby's farm
13:06Bonnie's excited
13:07oh Bonnie look
13:08here's all the cows
13:09get them Bonnie
13:10get a wee photo of that cow
13:12hold on Greg
13:13good morning
13:15don't you dare
13:17Bonnie's growling at a cow
13:18if you can believe that
13:19so it should dare be respectful
13:21this isn't your place
13:24Bonnie you've got to understand
13:25that that cow could take you
13:27take you right down
13:28look
13:29Heather
13:30can you see it
13:31Heather the mermaid
13:32oh I think I see them
13:34give them a toot
13:38right there Sus
13:39come on
13:42oh no
13:43oh no
13:48so is it the kings and queens or is it the queens and kings
13:51oh it's the queens and kings
13:52come on
13:53we do our place
13:54we're always outnumbered aren't we
13:55we do our place
13:57so what's the royal thing I'm worried that I need to curtsy or something
14:00oh no
14:01none of that
14:02it's not a rugby theme
14:03like I used to be the scrum queens
14:05but it folded in 20, 21 and then that's why
14:09the scrum collapsed
14:09so it collapsed
14:10the royally collapsed
14:12Susie were doing a bit of nosing about the group
14:13and so you used to be a rugby champion
14:16you played internationally
14:17yeah Scottish rugby
14:18is that right
14:1813 caps
14:19is that right
14:2013 that's me
14:20wow
14:21oh my god
14:22yeah
14:24one of the reasons for the group was I kind of lost that kind of community
14:27when the rugby
14:28and then we started going out cold water swimming
14:30it just grew and grew
14:31and now we've got wee groups
14:32it's not just the swimming
14:34it's like the banter
14:35it's like the chat that we have as well
14:38I know
14:38it's like we're to like get the men in a boat
14:40we can all get in
14:41Paul's a firefighter is that right
14:42yeah that's right aye
14:43it's two completely opposite worlds
14:45where they sort of work the high pressure side
14:47but then you step out of the workplace
14:49you come here
14:49you get in the water
14:50the cold gets you
14:51everything just melts away
14:53I love the poetry of it though
14:54you're like a marbled character
14:55fire and water
14:56that's us
14:57yeah that's all of us
14:58that's all of us
14:59that's all of us
15:00what a sport yous have got
15:01that's great
15:02so
15:02you're going in
15:04we're going in
15:04we're going in
15:09Susie's going to get us all warmed up
15:10by the power of rugby
15:13we're up to you
15:15we're up to you
15:20we're up to you
15:21that's us
15:23that's all of us properly energized except Bonnie absolutely no chance there's no shame in not going
15:36in even for dogs I love your heart it's a great heart
15:56everything that you've been worrying about your whole life you know the rain the cars not working
16:02all this boring stuff it strips it away and you're just a human living on earth for those five or
16:08ten
16:08minutes you know and it's a great opportunity for father-daughter bonding too do you love it
16:14grace uh yeah and normally get dragged along by him oh that's really nice to do together though isn't it
16:21yeah but it's fun you know I'm laughing at you're saying that really sincere thing with that
16:25that height thing on your head this is just stunning and the water is so beautiful
16:33I was happy in my heart though when you cut me floating on an ocean and confused
16:48I worked through covid and tried to catch him for blind so I needed a reset so it helped me
16:54with that
16:55stress management especially yeah and a bit of anxiety just reset you straight away
17:26very very hardy the galloegians we're top stop
17:45I'm going straight to these
17:53what are these here these are school biscuits I remember them oh school biscuits how could I forget
17:58them thanks for coming with us today how y'all feeling wonderful one of the things that struck me
18:05by being down here is how much of a different identity you guys have yeah I think we're well I
18:11mean we're saying we're the hidden gem but we're also quite forgotten about here like you really have
18:15to fight against the grain to get anywhere right from down here and I think because that we've all got
18:20quite a lot of grit and determination so we're all quite a good community in that between sort of
18:24central scotland the central belt and then you have to get over the hills and somewhere or another to
18:29get here right so there's a lot of don't be telling us what to do we'll do our own thing
18:32down
18:33absolutely you're also connected to england and ireland in a way that a lot of scotland isn't yeah so
18:37we're only actually if you're at port patrick you're only 18 miles from ireland and if you're on a
18:41really sunny day at the solway first you can see cumbria because i met some gentlemen the other
18:45night they had what seemed to be irish accent and then they went oh no no no we're galloway irish
18:49it was its own identity they do they do they talk like uh we're at the cry hoser we are
18:54yeah
18:55that was really good that's what they say that's been rare and then there's been a lot of laughing
19:00down here which uh we're all a bit off our heads to be fair i really want to finally unravel
19:08why
19:08there are so few guys in these groups so i've took out about 120 people since january and most
19:14of it have been men individually so men are doing it but it's a bit more like one-to-one
19:20if that's the approach then that's great i think in scotland especially in the west coast like
19:25men are still feeling quite vulnerable like speaking about mental health they're not quite there yet
19:29it's just that like encouragement and then giving them a safe space to say actually it's fine like if
19:33you go in there and you want to cry or you're feeling really overwhelmed or you're tense your anxiety is
19:37off the richter scale yeah wild swimming is definitely helping the mental health we're an
19:41island and it's free why are we not doing that that's been amazing for our last day i feel as
19:47if we're
19:48honorary gallowidians i'll baptize you to the swim queen
20:03oh greg i love their wild energy they were kind of rebels weren't they i loved it but listen that
20:09was a great last group to swim with wasn't it where we're going now we're going off you're getting
20:14the reward now you're going to the lighthouse at muller gallery here we go
20:27still a wee bit cold i'm all right look at the sunshine that's breaking out like the kings and
20:32queens look what it was like this morning and now look at the weather love your husband and love your
20:38wife isn't this world enough scotland's most southerly point we're headed to
20:47if we were to look east right you'd see that newcastle
20:52sunderland and durham are all further north than where we are trying to spy that now and i can't
20:56cope with it but people that enjoy those facts will be enjoyed that very much people that like having
21:01their mind-bended geography out their nuts will love that isn't this world enough
21:10isn't this world i'll tell you what jules people complain about phones all the time including me
21:15but they sure make navigating a breeze went the wrong way no i've not went the wrong way why
21:26i don't know what you want to do i don't know what you want to do oh should i let
21:29bonnie do it right
21:29turn round i think you're gonna be back up well just wait a second will you
21:36oh bonnie it's all tense on the last day
21:40bonnie told me that she doesn't even like you it's not to be said after that that's the end of
21:45it
21:47there's only one way out of this wee marital tiff i think we'll have time to go for another wee
21:52swim it looks awful bonnie here hey there's always time for a final swing if you see a beach give
21:57us
21:57a shout i'm looking the north there's a nice little poetry to jumping in the water here because we swam
22:02at unce which was the northernmost point in scollard and now we could sort of mirror that at the
22:07other end of the compass oh great fact bringing us home there yes
22:14oh what about here let's nip down here do you want to yeah come on all right okay look there's
22:20cows on the beach this is beautiful
22:27actually the cows feel they're even allowed in here there's a cow like sunbathing on the beach there
22:37i've lost breath is in this world wow look bonnie lee watch the cows in the field but look at
22:44it
22:44though into gorgeous fantastic we wanted to get a southerly swim to go with the unst swim so this is
22:50the
22:51opposite end of the compass uh for us and you know we need our other bookend it's not enough just
22:56to
22:56have one bookend your books aren't going to stay up what is eating a cow pat stop that gross
23:32oh
23:34Oh, Greg, that was amazing.
23:35So glad we stopped, but do you know what?
23:38We'd better get moving.
23:41Lucky there's some camera-wielding fellas around to give us a push.
23:47Thanks for pulling in there, Greg.
23:48You're very welcome.
23:49We nearly got stuck in the mud there.
23:51Stuck in the mud?
23:52The wheels were spinning.
23:53Bonnie was eating cow pats, and now I think she's trodden a few.
23:57So the van smells earthy, shall we say.
24:01Don't it as lovely, Greg?
24:02My body feels nice and cool, though, does yours?
24:04It does. It was a lovely last swim.
24:07Heather, she's hanging out that there.
24:10Put it in there.
24:16Our last stop, the stunning lighthouse on the southern tip of the Mull of Galloway
24:20that's been saving lives since 1830.
24:23And, get this, it was designed by Robert Louis Stevenson's grandfather.
24:28Aww, that's the last Greg fact of this trip.
24:35Look at the way it's just peeking over the hill there.
24:39Look at it.
24:39Wow.
24:40Do you remember the last time we were at a lighthouse?
24:42Hardin' or Merkin.
24:42And we couldn't even see anything.
24:44It was all hard and missed.
24:45That was the most westerly point of Scotland.
24:48So hold on, we've done the most westerly point, we've done the most northerly point.
24:51Yes, I know.
24:52And let's see it together.
24:54And now we're going to the most southernly point of Scotland!
24:59Woo-hoo!
25:00Oh my gosh.
25:02How dramatic is that?
25:07Greg, look down there.
25:09Food crashing.
25:10Oh, boy.
25:10This is stunning.
25:12Look at that.
25:13Look at Scotland.
25:19I'm telling you, this is spectacular.
25:25Oh, yeah.
25:29This is glorious.
25:31Isn't it?
25:35Can't get excited.
25:37Oh, I can't wait.
25:43Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho.
25:50Wow.
25:52Look at this.
25:55This is amazing, Hempe.
25:57So this is us at the southernmost point of Scotland.
26:02And it's over.
26:04Oh, all right, we're splitting up.
26:05No, not the marriage.
26:07What a place to tell me.
26:09The journey is coming to an end.
26:10I mean, what a journey it's been.
26:12Just a few weeks ago, we were surfing in Coldingham Bay.
26:15I know.
26:15I keep thinking how emotional and so much fun this journey's been when I think about everyone
26:20we've met.
26:21You've just basically foraged a brand new bunch of pals.
26:24You've picked them all up like Pokemon.
26:25How can I not?
26:26And you have too.
26:27Pals for life.
26:28What I didn't realise was how much laughing we've done.
26:31Absolutely.
26:32We've been howling with laughter.
26:36Now, I've got a question for you.
26:37Yes.
26:38Because this is a great spot.
26:39You know, you can look towards Ireland, you can look towards England, you can look back
26:42towards Scotland.
26:43Where do we go next?
26:45Do you know what?
26:46We don't need to pick because we could do all of them.
26:50I don't care where we go as long as I'm doing it with you.
26:52Oh, you weren't saying that half an hour ago in the van and I was driving you crazy,
26:57weren't you?
26:57No, you were ready to shove me out.
27:00Well, I couldn't have done this with anybody else but you.
27:03You're making it sound like it's finished.
27:04It's not.
27:05I'm not allowing it.
27:06I think I really do feel this.
27:09This is it.
27:09It's just starting.
27:16It's just starting.
27:41It's just starting.
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