³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

Beginning today on the Moray Firth, Michael admires the impressive Cullen viaduct before enjoying a bowl of Cullen skink at a family-run fishmonger of 150 years’ standing. In the factory smokery, he learns from the owner how the famous soup acquires its distinctive taste.

Heading west along the firth, Michael reaches Forres Station and the seaside village of Findhorn, where he meets members of an eco-community founded in the 1960s. At the Findhorn Foundation, Michael discovers spiritual energy, sacred dancing and a history of very large vegetables.

Michael’s next destination is Ardersier and the mighty Fort George, which sits on an isolated spit of land jutting west into the firth. Its huge boundary walls and heavy guns at every approach are an awe-inspiring sight. Michael hears why it was built on this coast in the mid-18th century and the role it has played in Britain’s strategic defence, which continues to the present. He meets members of the Black Watch, part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who are based at the fort today. He also listens to a pipe and drum rehearsal and is permitted by Scotty the tailor to try on the regimental sergeant major’s jacket.

Nestled in woods next to the River Nairn, Michael discovers a romantic Scottish tower house, Cawdor Castle. Guided by Lady Cawdor, Michael discovers the castle’s literary connections to a tragic Scottish hero. On the castle lawn, around the cauldron, Michael joins the witches to hail Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor.