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From the sea lochs of Scotland to the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, seasoned train traveller Michael Portillo immerses himself in the magnificent scenery of the nation's coastal regions.
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2022
Michael Portillo begins a series of coastal railway journeys around the British Isles, starting in Siccar Point, the site of an extraordinary 18th-century discovery, and finishing at Holyrood House.
Michael Portillo continues his journey at the iconic Forth Bridge, before heading to tour the Royal Yacht Britannia and encountering a pair of vast steel sculptures.
Michael Portillo travels from the medieval city of Stirling through Perth, the historic crowning place of Scottish monarchs, and into Kirkcaldy, where he revisits some fond family memories.
Michael Portillo visits St Andrews, home to Scotland’s oldest university, in eastern Fife, before heading to the vibrant city of Dundee and the harbour town of Stonehaven.
Michael Portillo’s Scottish railway journey reaches Aberdeen, from which he heads to the wild and beautiful Forvie National Nature Reserve and Scotland's most easterly town, Peterhead.
Michael arrives bright and early in Inverness, from which he heads out on a scenic adventure to the Orkney archipelago and explores the battlefield at Culloden, overlooking the Moray Firth.
The stunning scenery of Scotland’s east coast continues to delight Michael Portillo as he travels by train around the Moray Firth.
Michael Portillo’s Scottish coastal railway journey reaches Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth, the third great inlet on the northeast coast of the Highlands.
Michael Portillo's coastal railway journey takes him past lochs and castles on the Far North Line to Britain’s northernmost railway station at Thurso.
Michael crosses over to the Orkney Islands, visiting the former naval base at Scapa Flow and learning about the islands' extensive Norwegian connections.
Michael starts a new railway journey in Newcastle, heading north to Berwick-upon-Tweed. His route takes in the River Tyne, Hadrian’s Wall, a former mining village and the fishing port of Amble.
Michael heads north from Newcastle to the former mining town of Lynemouth. Along the way, he visits a work of landform art made from the spoil of a coal mine and learns sea shanties in Blyth.
Michael finds a historic collection of Northumbrian bagpipes in Morpeth, before heading up the East Coast Main Line to the fishing port of Amble.
Michael travels from Alnmouth to Bamburgh Castle, an icon of Northumberland. Along the way, he takes to the waves in a traditional skiff and discover a fascinating map which charts shipwrecks.
Michael’s journey along the coast of Northumberland continues towards the Farne Islands, takes in the holy island of Lindisfarne, and finishes in England’s northernmost town, Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Michael Portillo explores the magnificent western coast of Scotland by rail and ferry, starting at the Hunterston B nuclear power plant and finishing along the deep waters of the Clyde.
From the 250-year-old 'new town' of Helensburgh on the north bank of the Clyde, Michael Portillo takes his favourite West Highland Line across to the waters of Loch Etive.
From the fishing port of Oban, Michael heads out to the Hebrides. He helps to harvest seaweed, visits the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, and sees a cave that inspired Felix Mendelssohn's music.
Michael heads aboard the Jacobite Express to cross the awe-inspiring Glenfinnan Viaduct, before visiting the immense Grampian Mountains and learning about the notorious Massacre of Glencoe.
Michael follows in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie as he travels over the sea to Skye, an island renowned for its wildlife, and then on to Lewis and Harris, home to the famous Harris Tweed.
Michael Portillo begins a new railway journey along the south coast of Wales. He visits a largely intact Roman amphitheatre and learns about the regeneration efforts in the mining town of Six Bells.
Michael Portillo continues his south Wales coastal railway journey in Barry Island, where he investigates the busy docks. He then heads to the Jurassic shoreline and the seaside resort of Porthcawl.
Michael Portillo’s rail adventure along the south coast of Wales reaches the town of Port Talbot, known across the world for its steel production.
Michael Portillo travels the breathtaking rural coastline of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, visiting a bee garden with a quarter of a million honeybees and Pembroke's magnificent Norman castle.
Michael Portillo reaches the most westerly station in Wales, Milford Haven, the biggest energy port in the United Kingdom. He then heads north, visiting Britain's smallest city and its cathedral.
Michael Portillo
Presenter
2023
Michael Portillo begins another railway adventure across and beyond the United Kingdom.
From the Isle of Man, Michael Portillo crosses the Irish Sea, bound for the mighty port of Liverpool and its historic waterfront.
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey, learning to make potted shrimp at Morecambe Bay, helping clip the topiaries at Levens Hall and visiting Cartmel's 12th-century priory.
Michael Portillo is in Cumbria, enjoying one of the most spectacular coastal railway journeys in Britain. He takes to the lake in Ulverston and hikes up Black Combe.
On the last leg of his railway journey around the north west coast of England, Michael meets a lifelong fan of Alfred Wainwright’s famous guidebooks.
Michael's journey propels him in search of the unknown universe in Boulby, North Yorkshire, as he joins the hunt for dark matter in the deepest mine in Britain.
Michael Portillo travels from Whitby, where he explores the port’s shipbuilding and seafaring heritage, to Robin Hood's Bay, a former smuggling haven.
Michael Portillo is in the seaside resort of Scarborough to explore one of the greatest royal fortresses in England.
Michael Portillo travels from the pretty seaside resort of Hornsea, famous for its distinctive pottery, to Spurn Point, where Michael learns about a life-saving 19th-century invention.
Michael Portillo has reached Lincolnshire, where his coastal railway journey from Middlesbrough ends. In Grimsby, he investigates an important new stage in the town’s history.
Michael Portillo is on Northern Ireland’s spectacular Causeway Coast to begin a railway journey that takes him along the north and east coasts of Ireland through the provinces of Ulster and Leinster.
Michael Portillo is in the glens of Antrim, where Ireland’s folklore and magical myths flourish and he is transfixed by tales of fairies and legends of the sea.
Michael Portillo is in Bangor, County Down, en route to the Northern Irish capital, Belfast.
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey along the Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts of Ireland, travelling from Newry into the Republic. He helps shake bags of oysters and visits an ancient cairn.
Michael Portillo begins the final leg of his railway journey, beginning in the harbour town of Dun Laoghaire
Michael is on a rail journey across the southern coast of England, beginning in Dorset. He takes to the water in Portland Harbour and hears the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
Michael alights at Wareham to visit Dorset’s internationally renowned Jurassic Coast. He heads through Swanage, Poole and Sandbanks before ending his journey on Brownsea Island.
Michael heads from a bustling Southampton to the Isle of Wight, where he rides the island’s railway, made up of recycled London Underground trains.
Michael helps out at a coastguard training centre, visits the harbour master at the great maritime city of Portsmouth and learns about conservation projects in Chichester.
The final leg of Michael's journey begins in Fishbourne, the location of one of the most significant Roman sites in Britain.
2024
Michael Portillo embarks on another journey exploring the shores of Britain, travelling from the Jurassic Coast to the rugged tip of the Lizard Peninsula and beyond to the spectacular Isles of Scilly.
Michael Portillo reaches Devon’s county town, Exeter, dominated since the Middle Ages by its magnificent gothic cathedral. He joins stonemasons charged with conserving its intricate Beer stonework.
Michael leaves Devon for Cornwall and the rugged Atlantic coast of its northern shore, where the ruins of Tintagel Castle emerge from the mist and spray of the sea.
Michael reaches the pretty Cornish fishing village of St Mawes, today an exclusive holiday destination for connoisseurs of yachts, fine food and luxury hotels.
Michael Portillo nears the end of his railway adventure tracking the rugged coast of south west England. He finishes in the westernmost reaches of England, in the Scillonian archipelago.
Michael Portillo embarks on a railway journey around the western coast of Wales. He begins on the Victorian Cliff Railway at Aberystwyth, finishing the first leg in Tywyn.
Michael Portillo continues his railway journey in north Wales, tracking the coastline north from Harlech to skirt the Llyn Peninsula.
Michael Portillo steams through the glorious scenery of the Snowdonia National Park on one of Britain’s greatest heritage lines, the Welsh Highland Railway.
Michael is on the Isle of Anglesey, where the briny waters of the Menai Strait are being used to create a Welsh gastronomic delight.
Michael Portillo takes the train to the medieval walled town of Conwy on the last leg of his exploration of the shores of north Wales.
Michael Portillo sets off on a new railway adventure to explore the twin shores of the English Channel and the estuaries of the Thames and Medway.
Michael Portillo travels through the longest undersea tunnel in the world on the Eurotunnel shuttle rail service from Folkestone to Calais.
Michael Portillo’s railway adventure along the north and south coasts of the English Channel resumes in Dover, where he recalls the biggest evacuation in military history.
Michael Portillo’s railway exploration of the Channel coastline and Thames estuary via Calais has reached the Isle of Thanet. Flat and temperate, it’s excellent terrain for growing.
Michael's adventure nears its end on the north Kent coast. In Faversham, he gets out onto the water in the last sailing barge to work on the Thames.
Michael Portillo embarks on a new railway journey around the coast of the east of England. He begins in the Thames estuary, travelling across tidal mud flats and salt marsh to end up in Wrabness.
Michael Portillo reaches the Deben estuary on his coastal railway journey around eastern England. At Woodbridge, he is plunged in at the deep end on a rafting challenge with the sea scouts.
Michael Portillo’s East Anglian coastal railway journey takes him to the treacherous waters off the Norfolk coast, which have sunk many ships and cost many lives.
Michael examines a replica of the smallest bone in the oldest and largest mammoth ever found in Britain, before sampling Sheringham's local crab and enjoying the North Norfolk Railway heritage line.
Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of the eastern reaches of England is drawing to a close at the Wash. He travels on the smallest public railway in the world and visits the magnificent Holkham Hall.