companies that arrange bus trips all around scotland. but, i'm going on one that is really unique and really cool. remember ozzy osborne and the infamous rock and roll band black sabbath? [ rock noises ] well, this is their old tour bus. in fact, this kind of was the groupie love shack; now it's the honeymoon suite. oops. sorry about that. there's 15 bunk beds inside, a little kitchenette. it's nice, it's laidback. best way to go. hello. >> hi. ♪ >> the black sabbath tour bus drives all over the highlands, on trips that last between two and six days. it's a unique way to see the country. anything that you would recommend people bring with them when they come? >> warm clothing. >> warm clothing. it rains quite a bit. >> i enjoyed the haggis,

especially from the fish and chip shop. it's wicked. >> haggis from the fish and chip shop? >> yeah. deep-fried. >> deep-fried haggis. >> anything specific that you would say you can't leave scotland without? >> loch ness. >> loch ness? >> loch ness. yes. >> what's your theory? give me. have you seen it? >> i haven't seen it, and i'm skeptical. >> the bus visits historic sites, like the battlefield of culloden. the last battle ever to be fought on british soil took place here, in 1746. >> well, at the moment, we're standing effectively what was the graveyard, after the battle of culloden. now, the battle took place in april the 16th, 1746. fifteen hundred men were killed in less than 45 minutes. if any of you have any scottish heritage or ancestry, then what happened here on april 16, has affected your lives. >> fifteen hundred highlanders, led by bonnie prince charlie, were slaughtered in 45 minutes. the english leader, the duke of

cumberland, won the label butcher cumberland, for his brutal treatment of the defeated scottish forces. in the aftermath, many of charlie's followers were executed or transported, and the government banned wearing kilts, just six miles west of culloden lies loch ness, britain's biggest lake, a colossal 36 miles in length. ♪ of all the mysteries that remain unsolved in the world today, one of my all time favorites is the loch ness monster. now, the first sighting of old nessie occurred around the sixth century, ad. but it wasn't until 1933, when they built a road around the outside of the loch, that the mystery really began to deepen. one man believes in the existence of nessie so much, that in 1991, he left his home country of england, and moved up here, to prove that she exists somewhere out there.

are you seeing anything out there? >> no. no, not yet. so often do you see? >> i'm here all the time. summer and winter. full time. >> all year. >> aye, all year. the last nine years now. >> how did that happen? >> well, accident. no, not by accident. i was -- i've always been fascinated by this mystery, since i was a seven year old. >> and eventually, nine years ago, i thought, hang on. why don't i do what i want to do? follow me dreams, and live the life i want, which is to be totally involved in this mystery, so, here i am. >> steve gave up his job nine years ago, and finances his search for the monster by selling miniature models of nessie to tourists. what are some of the, kind of, established theories about nessie? >> people will look for all sorts of different things. we're all hunting for whatever the answer is, but some people are looking for giant sturgeon,

or giant catfish. one guy is hunting for a time gate, back into the past. he believes the answer is, we're seeing things from way back in the past through this, weird. people have got all sorts of different ideas as to what it is. >> now, have you had any sightings yourself? >> i wouldn't say i've seen anything that is 100 percent, definitely one of these animals. >> hmm mm. >> if i saw one of these animals, possibly i wouldn't even tell anybody. you know, doing what i do, if you're asked 60 times a day, have you seen it yet? doesn't take long to say, no. >> yeah. >> but, if i had a long sighting of it, and 60 times a day i had to describe the same event to 60 different people, i'd probably resort back to saying, no. ♪ there's no plan of how long it will take, but i can see another

decade of watching and waiting yet, however long it takes 'til we solve the mystery, really. ♪ >> carbisdale castle is the most opulent youth hostel in the world. it cost 20 dollars a night to stay here, and supposedly, it's haunted. ♪ [ door creaking ]

[ whispering ] apparently, the ghost of a nanny named betty still roams the corridors of this castle, and people have seen a woman in a white gown wandering around, and heard the voices of children crying at night. in this room that i'm staying in has had the most sightings of any room in the castle. i'm really not happy about staying here by myself tonight. ♪ thankfully, i didn't see any sign of betty last night. so, fully refreshed, i traveled to strathdon, for the clan choinnich highland games. the games are an ancient tradition, and are held all over the highland. they were originally used a test of skill and strength when recruiting clan warriors. this is alister. and he's a heavy. and he's participating in the highland games today. how many events will you do? >> we'll do eight events

today, ranging from putting the stones, to throwing the hammers, to tossing the caber. >> okay. what's putting the stones? >> well, putting the stone is similar to a shot put in the olympics, you know, but we use a bigger ball, which is a stone, you know. and the hammer is more or less, like a real sledgehammer, you know, with a ball on the end, you know. the olympics have got a chain. but we use the original, which is a wooden shaft. and then the caber is a tree trunk that's cut down right about 20 feet. it weighs maybe 150 pounds. [ announcement ] >> didn't quite make it. it has to fall into the twelve o'clock position for it to qualify. that's alister. he is the world champion of highland games. [ crowd cheers ] yeah!

whoa. that's beautiful. who is that? >> william wallace. >> it's william wallace. these particular highland games have been going on for over 159 years. right now, they've got two clans battling it out. the wallaces versus the forbes, just like the old days. [ yelling ] go, wallace! do it for william. oh. >> [ indistinct ] >> [ indistinct ] >> me! me! scotland versus the rest of the world over here. what's the strategy? >> twist. >> don't go with your bum. really put your feet in and lean back. >> from canada. >> united states. >> united states.

>> oh, that was pathetic. >> use your heel. right there. that's it. use it -- [ laughing ] >> go, go, go! now we're tied one all. best out of three. [ cheering ] >> pull! pull! pull! [ panting ] [ cheering ] thank you very much.

whoo hoo! ♪ from strathdon, i go to aberdeen, and fly to the orkney islands. orkney is made up of 70 or so islands off the north tip of mainland scotland. the people refer to themselves as orcadians, and don't feel they are part of scotland. this is an ancient landscape richly strewn with stone circles and burial chambers. skara brae is northern europe's most well-preserved prehistoric village. this is the path back in time, of sorts. so, starting here, first man on the moon, belonged to the american declaration of independence, birth of christ. now we are really time traveling people. we are going back, back, back. yes. skara brae, 3100 bc. now, that is back in the day, people. is that robert i see before me?

resident expert of skara brae. >> welcome to skara brae. >> thank you. oh, this is really neat. >> now, what you're actually looking at here, this has been all moved over. would be a whalebone, and timber frame, covered by skins, with turf and seaweed outside to keep the wind out. >> really? did they go whale hunting or -- >> no, they used beached whales for the whalebones. >> did it kind of stink in here? >> of course. >> i imagine it would have pretty intense. >> it wouldn't have smelled of flowers. no potpourri. >> no. definitely not. now, these are your beds. theses are mattresses of heavy bracken and grasses, covered with skins. it would've been quite comfortable. now, some people say they slept upright. >> really? why is that? >> well, even modern, primitive cultures today, believe that if you should actually go to sleep lying down, you won't wake up. [ wind ] >> how to make the traditional

orcadian delicacy of the blackening. you need yoghurt, eggs, iron brew, molasses, sand, and several other spontaneous ingredients. and, no. it's not something you eat. it's an event that happens before a wedding. these are all of the bride's friends. and they're gonna surprise her. paste her all over with the black stuff, and throw eggs at her. part of the fun. hi. >> hi. how are you? >> fine. >> this is the bride-to-be's mother, june. and, what's? very exciting. >> yes. >> does she know it's gonna happen? >> no. >> no. and these all the people conspiring. >> yes. >> blackening. how long has this happened? >> as long as i can remember. >> did it happen to you when you got married? >> oh, is it a fond memory, or something kind of a rite of passage? >> well, it is a fond memory, after the [ indistinct] >> she's gonna love you all. >> i know. [ laughing ] >> there she is, in the hat, obviously.

okay. [ yelling ] how much do you love your friends and family right now? [ laughing ] the bride's husband-to-be is also blackened. they are then paraded around the town in the back of the van. blackenings have been happening in scotland for centuries, and its origins are steeped in mystery. no one knows when they began. [ horn ] [ cheering ] that's her mom dunking her and cleaning her. and you know that water's got to be cold. [ laughing ]

♪ i fly from the orkney islands to the capital edinburgh, where i head off to saint andrews, and then finally back for the madness of the edinburgh festival. saint andrew's is the home of golf. the game was invented in scotland over 500 years ago. the club has six courses. the most famous being the old course. but to play on it, you have to enter a ballot, and just hope your name is drawn. all right. now, that i've actually been drawn, i'm so excited about that, i need two gentlemen to help me. and, this is jim. >> good morning, megan. >> top of the morning. >> my most excellent caddy, and this is bill. >> the most excellent professional. >> here in scotland, we tend to think golf's in our blood, so we don't need golf lessons. we think that we can do by our birth right. that looks great, megan. now, this hole has broken the hearts of more professional golfers than i can remember.

>> okay. >> so. >> so. >> are you ready? >> right on. so, let's go. oh, megan, i'm straight in the bunker. >> oh, into the bunker. that's heartbreaking. >> we're gonna give it a go -- >> okay. >> would you like to hold on up that rake? >> why is this place so special for golfers? >> well, i suppose it's home of golf. and, it's also the home of the royal and ancient golf club. they are the body that set the rules for the game. ♪ in 1754, the club was formed by a group of gentlemen of noble birth. they built a clubhouse, on the understanding that they would take care of the course. little did they know that 200 years later, golf would be one of the world's most popular sports.

>> what do you think? >> all right. nice stroke on the putt, ok? no problem. >> okay, sir. oh, a little too hard, wouldn't you say? ♪ saint andrew's is 55 miles north of scotland's capital city edinburgh. in the year, 2000, the scottish parliament returned here to limited rule, after a recess of 300 years, a small step on the road to possible independence. but, the city is most famous for the biggest arts festival in the world. [ crowd cheering ] i am at the edinburgh festival. i don't know exactly where they are at, but what it is, is this

amazing cultural extravaganza, of dance and theatre and art and music, and it's just, hey, going on everywhere you look. you interpret that yourself. i didn't quite expect this. i think i expected it to be very proper, formal, but over a million people come every year to see this festival, and it's kind of evolved from being the high cultural stuff, to being stuff that they call fringe. >> [ indistinct ] when they hear i'm a d.j., they just start to run away! hey! >> we are run away to wembly! oy, oy! [indistinct ] ♪ the festival runs from august to september, during which time the population of the city doubles.

♪ these 8,000 people have all come to see the edinburgh military tattoo, which is groups coming from all over the world, bagpipe bands, and military units, come together for an incredible display. [ clapping ] the edinburgh tattoo brings together military bands from all over the british commonwealth. [ singing ] [ chanting ]

after a dazzling display of military musical prowess, the evening ends with a lone piper and fireworks. ♪ [ fireworks ]

i can't believe this is the end of my journey. but it has been fantastic. i love scotland. i love how it appreciates its past. i love what strong character it has, and how many characters there are here. its future is so bright. so, whether it remains part of great britain, or whether it finally achieves its independence, that scottish spirit is always gonna thrive. >> stay tuned for a special "globe trekker" extra. ♪ >> funding for this program is provided by subaru.

>> funding for this program is female announcer: at subaru, we build vehicles like the rugged outback, with symmetrical all-wheel drive standard and plenty of cargo space for those who pack even more adventure into life. subaru, a proud sponsor of "globe trekker." >> you can find more about the series on our web site. programs from the globe trekker series are available on dvd, or visit globetrekkerchannel.tv to find out where you can watch us online. music from the series is available on cd. you can also order globe trekker books, featuring information on festivals, events, and outdoor activities. to order globe trekker products call 888-565-0361, or visit globetrekkertv.com.

♪ >> pounded day and night by the atlantic ocean, the island was almost abandoned in 1974, after it was cut off by storms for two months. apart from its inaccessibility, and its bareness, remoteness, tory island is actually famous 'cause it's got a king. hi, there. are you the king? >> that's right. >> oh, what a privilege. >> [ indistinct ] welcome. >> thank you. what's that? is there a reply?

what can i say? >> well, [ indistinct ] you say [ indistinct ] >> what's that? is that gaelic, there? >> yeah. [ indistinct ] >> do most people speak gaelic - >> oh, yes, of course. that's our first language. >> as a king, have you got any special duties or special clothes, the big, is that the crown? >> no. not at all. >> no. >> because if that was the case, people would have been thinking, that i would be a very rich king. >> as a matter of fact, i'm one of the poorest kings on earth. >> are you? that's rough. >> rough, and happy, thank god, and, uh, willing to welcome all visitors off the boat. >> do have a lot, a big coronation? a big party when somebody gets -- >> yes, a matter of fact, when the son and the daughter of the last king gave me the honor, we had a big party, a big ceilidh, an irish ceilidh, 'til six o'clock in the morning. >> really? oh, that sounds good. [ singing ] king patsy's island is only two and a half miles long, and less than a mile wide. but, despite population of 125, tory is thriving.

♪ the island has even managed to put itself on the artistic map, with a school of painters, some of whose work recently sold in the states for $3,000. ♪ i met up with artist, anton menin at the island's gallery. >> -- and i suppose, how i get my ideas, you know, from mythology, you know? >> mythology is very much alive

and well in anton's work, and on tory itself, which is rich in a culture vanished from the mainland. stories of the mythical cyclops, balor of the evil eye, the celtic god of darkness, are as alive today as they were 2,000 years bc. anton took me across the island, to balor's four, on the east coast. >> and over here is tar moor, where balor's daughter was imprisoned, and she was guarded by -- >> right. >> and this is the famous, the wishing stone that's famous for visitors come and, you know, and you have a choice with, you can get three stones and throw three stones onto it. >> or you have the choice of going out and turning around three times. the choice is yours, you know? >> well, i'm gonna go for the stones. i've got to get three stones to land on it? >> from here? >> yeah. be careful.

>> one, two, yeah, last one -- >> one more. >> last one, yeah. whoa! look at this. this is madness. where else can i be, but in ireland, standing on the most dangerous cliff, force eight gale, throwing stones at a wishing stone. one, two, yeah.

steves: a selection of ferries make the 50-mile crossing between helsinki and tallinn nearly hourly. because of the ease of this delightful two-hour cruise and the variety a quick trip over to estonia adds to your nordic travels, pairing helsinki and tallinn is a natural. stepping off the boat in tallinn, the capital of estonia, you feel you've traveled a long way culturally from finland. its a mix of east and west. tallinn's nordic lutheran culture and language connect it with stockholm and helsinki, but two centuries of czarist russian rule and nearly 50 years as part of the soviet union have blended in a distinctly russian flavor. fins and estonians share a similar history. first, swedish domination, then russian. then independence after world war i.

until 1940, the estonians were about as affluent as the fins, but then estonia was gobbled up by an expanding soviet empire and spent the decades after world war ii under communism. when the ussr fell, estonia regained its freedom, and in 2004, it joined the european union. tallinn has modernized at an astounding rate since the fall of the soviet union. its business district shines with the same glass and steel gleam you'll find in any modern city. yet nearby are the rugged and fully intact medieval walls, and the town within these ramparts has a beautifully preserved old-world ambiance. among medieval cities in the north of europe, none are as well preserved as tallinn. the town hall square was a marketplace through the centuries. its fine old buildings are a reminder that tallinn was once an important medieval trading center. today it's a touristy scene, full of people just having fun. through the season, each midday,

cruise-ship groups congest the center as they blitz the town in the care of local guides. like many tourist zones, tallinn's is a commercial gauntlet. here there's a hokey torture museum, strolling russian dolls, medieval theme restaurants complete with touts, and enthusiastic hawkers of ye olde taste treats. woman: [ laughs ] steves: but just a couple blocks away is, for me, the real attraction of tallinn -- workaday locals enjoying real freedom and better economic times. still-ramshackle courtyards host inviting cafés. bistros serve organic cuisine in a chic patina of old-world-meets new. and just outside the walls, it seems there's no tourism at all. under towering ramparts, the former moat is now a park, perfect for a warm afternoon stroll.

when will. all welcome to watch it all student outcomes also got coming up. it's a false identity. after so many military setbacks what to do congolese government forces and un troops do. this time to turn the tide against the tutsi led and twenty three notion often hear about the picture on the battlefield there. it's way too early to talk of