Ben Fogle fell in love with the Outer Hebrides while on Castaway. Twenty years on, he’s still head over heels…
At the start of the new millennium 20 years ago, Ben Fogle was marooned on an uninhabited Outer Hebridean island for the BBC series Castaway 2000. The groundbreaking reality show documented the year-long efforts of 36 women, men and children to build a selfsufficient community on the treeless, windswept isle of Taransay. For Fogle, it was the start of an enduring love affair with the Western Isles.
“The real star of Castaway 2000 was the Outer Hebrides,” he says. “It showed off a part of the world that people don’t think about going to because of the weather, and the fact that it’s relatively remote. But for me, the landscape and the weather were the highlights, and it gave me the chance to spend a year of my life living sustainably. We grew all our own crops. We harnessed our own energy with a wind turbine and a hydroelectric power dam. I learnt a lot about living a simpler, humbler life.”
He’s been back to Taransay several times – once for his honeymoon – and is planning a reunion with his fellow castaways this summer. In January, he visited the neighbouring island of Harris and performed his stage show Tales from the Wilderness on the beach, then joined 30 hardy swimmers for a dip in the sea. “I went up with my daughter and did a wild, free performance for the islanders as a celebration of the 20th anniversary, which was really moving. I love Harris and that beach, Luskentyre, is one of the most beautiful in the world – and I’ve been to a lot of beaches.”
Fogle has another reason to look back fondly on his year as an islander: it launched his TV career. His latest series follows people who have quit the rat race to move to the country. His favourite filming location for the series was in the Highlands, visiting a couple who relocated to an abandoned 200-year-old hotel in a village on the banks of Loch Tummel. “It was just outside the Cairngorms National Park, which is especially beautiful in winter when the peaks are snowy. I’ve been lucky enough to film pretty extensively around Scotland, and the Highlands are always a highlight. I’m a quarter Scottish myself – my grandfather was Scottish.”
Does he ever daydream about starting his own business? “There’s something attractive about the idea of being your own boss, but I’m under no illusions as to how much hard work goes into that. But, yes, I love the idea of having my own little boutique hotel in the Outer Hebrides.
In 2011, Fogle tried and failed to raise £2 million to buy Taransay when it came up for sale, but he hasn’t totally given up on his ambition of being lord of his own isle. “I’m still fascinated by islands. Taransay is out of the picture, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have dreams of one day having an island – maybe sharing it with a local community, coming up with a way of managing the land with minimal impact on the flora and the fauna. I’d love to do that.”
For the time being, he’s happy to spend his weekends and holidays exploring the remoter corners of the British Isles with his wife Marina and children Ludo and Iona (who’s named after the Inner Hebridean island). “As a father, I really want my children to understand the country that they come from, and I want them to have explored all of the regions. We encourage them to be close to nature and out in the wilds, and they love it. We’re planning to walk all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path next year.”
Like many people, he’s also planning to do more staycations because he wants to take fewer flights. “I’m trying to reduce my carbon footprint. It’s one of the reasons why making shows like this is particularly appealing, because I can remain on these shores and travel by train or ferry. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a start.”
Ben Fogle fell in love with the Outer Hebrides while on Castaway. Twenty years on, he’s still head over heels…
At the start of the new millennium 20 years ago, Ben Fogle was marooned on an uninhabited Outer Hebridean island for the BBC series Castaway 2000. The groundbreaking reality show documented the year-long efforts of 36 women, men and children to build a selfsufficient community on the treeless, windswept isle of Taransay. For Fogle, it was the start of an enduring love affair with the Western Isles.
“The real star of Castaway 2000 was the Outer Hebrides,” he says. “It showed off a part of the world that people don’t think about going to because of the weather, and the fact that it’s relatively remote. But for me, the landscape and the weather were the highlights, and it gave me the chance to spend a year of my life living sustainably. We grew all our own crops. We harnessed our own energy with a wind turbine and a hydroelectric power dam. I learnt a lot about living a simpler, humbler life.”
He’s been back to Taransay several times – once for his honeymoon – and is planning a reunion with his fellow castaways this summer. In January, he visited the neighbouring island of Harris and performed his stage show Tales from the Wilderness on the beach, then joined 30 hardy swimmers for a dip in the sea. “I went up with my daughter and did a wild, free performance for the islanders as a celebration of the 20th anniversary, which was really moving. I love Harris and that beach, Luskentyre, is one of the most beautiful in the world – and I’ve been to a lot of beaches.”
Fogle has another reason to look back fondly on his year as an islander: it launched his TV career. His latest series follows people who have quit the rat race to move to the country. His favourite filming location for the series was in the Highlands, visiting a couple who relocated to an abandoned 200-year-old hotel in a village on the banks of Loch Tummel. “It was just outside the Cairngorms National Park, which is especially beautiful in winter when the peaks are snowy. I’ve been lucky enough to film pretty extensively around Scotland, and the Highlands are always a highlight. I’m a quarter Scottish myself – my grandfather was Scottish.”
Does he ever daydream about starting his own business? “There’s something attractive about the idea of being your own boss, but I’m under no illusions as to how much hard work goes into that. But, yes, I love the idea of having my own little boutique hotel in the Outer Hebrides.
In 2011, Fogle tried and failed to raise £2 million to buy Taransay when it came up for sale, but he hasn’t totally given up on his ambition of being lord of his own isle. “I’m still fascinated by islands. Taransay is out of the picture, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have dreams of one day having an island – maybe sharing it with a local community, coming up with a way of managing the land with minimal impact on the flora and the fauna. I’d love to do that.”
For the time being, he’s happy to spend his weekends and holidays exploring the remoter corners of the British Isles with his wife Marina and children Ludo and Iona (who’s named after the Inner Hebridean island). “As a father, I really want my children to understand the country that they come from, and I want them to have explored all of the regions. We encourage them to be close to nature and out in the wilds, and they love it. We’re planning to walk all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path next year.”
Like many people, he’s also planning to do more staycations because he wants to take fewer flights. “I’m trying to reduce my carbon footprint. It’s one of the reasons why making shows like this is particularly appealing, because I can remain on these shores and travel by train or ferry. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a start.”