Monty Halls' Great Hebridean Escape

After a year of city living, marine biologist and professional diver Monty Halls returns to live the good life in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. This time, he and his canine companion, Reuben, are sharing a restored crofter's cottage on the Hebridean island of North Uist. And this time, he has a job to do - as volunteer wildlife ranger. Monty throws himself into island life - Highland Games, fishing for salmon and trout, and exploring the wildlife and remote reaches of his new domain. But winter is just around the corner, and he also needs to dig peat for fuel and fatten up pigs and turkeys for Christmas.

Monty's busy leading nature treks along stunning beaches, exploring tourist trails, and setting up nature trails. But serious adventure also beckons, with a two-day boat trip to the islands known as the 'edge of the world', St Kilda.

Monty has begun to restore abandoned walking trails, but he needs to raise several thousand pounds to pay for marker posts and trail guides. At the North Uist Agricultural Show, Monty meets up with Niall Leveson-Gower, who runs the local hunting lodge, and hatches plans for a great feast at his hotel to showcase local produce and raise funds.

Monty has managed to raise the money he needed, and now heads to the Island of Barra where he helps the ex-ranger, Jonathan Grant, establish a new walking track.

As November starts, Monty realises that he has loads of work to do, and little time left. To help open up the islands to tourists he's writing a guide book to a series of trails. This week, he investigates the Bonnie Prince Charlie route on horseback - following the prince's escape route from the islands in 1746 after his abortive attempt to seize the English throne. He also heads south to Vatersay, to help with an anti-erosion project, then up to Benbecula to join a hedgehog patrol, trapping this introduced and unwanted species for relocation to the mainland. Before Monty can start marking out his trails, his trusty Landover grinds to a halt, and has to be towed away for repairs. So he sets in a tiny hire car out to mark the trail on Berneray, then heads for the shelter of a local pub, where students from the local college are practising traditional music around the inviting peat fire. He interrupts his trail-blazing to visit the final lamb sales of the year. Meeting Heather Morrison, the crofter he got his turkeys and pigs from, he finds that lamb prices are up from £5 to nearly £50 in just one year. After weathering a power cut, Monty guns up his quad bike to research the final trail, meeting archaeologist Kirsty Macdonald on the site of an old Iron Age 'wheelhouse' Before returning to mark it out the trail, Monty organises a beach clean-up, collecting fifty bags stuffed with rubbish. Then he returns to mark out the Udal trail, but a particularly lusty sledge-hammer blow lands on his foot. Assessing the massive lump, he has no option but to dunk his foot in the icy seawater - 'old-style Hebridean first aid!' As he hobbles away, the first snowstorm of the winter hits with a vengeance.

With all the research for walking trails and interpretation boards done, Monty has recruited graphic designer Richard Chyzy to help get the material published. He gives Richard until Christmas - three weeks away - to get everything ready, and sets out to raise enough money to pay for a big print run of the trail guides. First, wildlife artist Steve Burgess visits to paint a stag in rut, agreeing to donate half the proceeds to Monty's ranger fund. Then, he boxes up his turkeys to be processed for the table - all proceeds again to the fund. Monty occupies the long winter nights by signing up for ceilidh lessons, and devotes the days to wildlife watching - migrating swans, and the elusive otter. The highlight of Monty's island Christmas is the traditional dip in the sea, followed by Christmas dinner for friends. When the time comes for Monty to say goodbye to his pigs, there's a surprise - rather than send them for slaughter, he has decided to 'buy' their freedom - arranging for them to go to a city farm. Monty wraps up his job on the islands by hammering in the ceremonial 'last post' on his walking trails. Then after New Year's Eve celebrated with local friends he's heartened to be told by the ranger committee that his work has highlighted the need for a permanent ranger. As a fitting climax, Monty's walks booklets and interpretation boards arrive just as he's boarding the ferry - his final act is to fix one of the boards onboard so that visitors will see them as they sail to the islands. Then, he and Reuben wave farewell as they sail to the mainland and home. 'This place has left an indelible mark - my life is richer for knowing these islands. This is the start of a lifelong association with the Uists and Barra'.