The River Forth is a quintessentially Scottish river, flowing from highlands to lowlands. Paul follows its meandering and history-filled course to the sea.
This Grand Tour follows the River Forth from the eastern slopes of Ben Lomond in the southern highlands, through the picturesque Trossachs, to the Firth of Forth. On the way, Paul walks in the footsteps of outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy, discovers the secrets of Flanders Moss – the biggest lowland raised bog in the UK – and takes part in the victory over an English army at Bannockburn. In the city of Stirling, he is uplifted by the musical story of Big Noise, a movement that originated in Venezuela, and which champions musical skills for young people from less privileged backgrounds. Heading downstream, Paul arrives at the riverside town of Alloa, where he discovers the story of a teenage backing group. In 1960, they played a gig here with the heartthrob and crooner of the day, Johnny Gentle. The backing group called themselves the Silver Beetles. A few years later, they went on to conquer the world of music as The Beatles.