Untamed Britain

Synopsis

Andrew Marr concludes his journey as he microlights and paraglides through the skies, getting a buzzard's eye view of the nation's untamed and untameable landscape. Along the way, he joins geologists, meteorologists, amateur photographers and festival goers to explore Britain's geology, the impact of the weather on our shores and the riches hidden beneath our feet.

Microlighting down the Great Glen Fault in the Scottish Highlands, Andrew learns about the very origins of the nation, where England and Scotland collided over 400 million years ago. In Northern Ireland, he discovers where geologists looked down from above at a river containing gold flowing through the Sperrin Mountains. While paragliding on the Welsh borders, he finds out how to read the clouds before flying over the east coast of Norfolk, where the wind's destructive powers are shown to devastating effect.

Geology and weather also affect the country's wildlife and satellite tracking demonstrates the migration of birds from Senegal and Siberia to Britain's shores. Using thermal imaging that is normally employed to search out insurgents in war zones, the shy Sika deer is tracked along the land on Lulworth Range.

He concludes his journey at the Glastonbury Festival, where for three days a miniature society flowers which is crowded, cheerful, dirty and mildly anarchic, and which has a transport system that only just works - features that sound vaguely familiar to Andrew.

Credits

Presenter

Andrew Marr

Broadcasts

1. Sun 24 Aug 2008
   21:00
   BBC One
2. Sun 24 Aug 2008
   21:00
   BBC HD
3. Tue 26 Aug 2008
   23:00
   BBC HD
4. Sat 30 Aug 2008
   01:20
   BBC One (except Scotland)
5. Sat 30 Aug 2008
   17:05
   BBC Two
6. Thu 18 Sep 2008
   20:00
   BBC HD
7. Wed 22 Oct 2008
   20:00
   BBC Four
8. Tue 18 Nov 2008
   21:00
   BBC HD
9. Sun 3 May 2009
   19:00
   BBC HD
10. Sat 26 Sep 2009
    16:05
    BBC HD