AS WE ENJOY MORE OF THE BEST OF EUROPE.

THIS TIME, IT'S A WEE BIT OF WONDERFUL SCOTLAND.

WHERE LEGENDS OF BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE

SWIRL AROUND LONELY CASTLES.

WE'LL PONDER THE BIRTHPLACE OF CHRISTIANITY IN SCOTLAND,

TOSS A FEW CABERS,

AND WATCH TRADITIONAL DANCING AT HIGHLAND GAMES,

DISCOVER DARK SECRETS IN THE WEEPING GLEN...

THEY STARTED TO KILL THE MEN.

...SAMPLE SOME FINE SCOTCH,

AND ENDURE A LITTLE PIPING.

CROWNING BRITAIN IN THE NORTHWEST OF EUROPE,

SCOTLAND WELCOMES VISITORS.

FROM THE TOWN OF OBAN,

WE CRUISE TO THE ISLES OF MULL AND IONA,

THEN FOLLOW THE CALEDONIAN CANAL TO GLENCOE,

LOCH NESS,

AND ON TO CULLODEN.

OBAN, THE GATEWAY TO THE ISLES,

IS A BUSY LITTLE FERRY TERMINAL,

A CLASSIC SCOTTISH PORT TOWN,

JUST THE PLACE TO MUNCH FRESH SEAFOOD.

YOU WANT A WEE BIT OF THIS?

I'LL HAVE A CUP OF COCKLES, PLEASE.

CUP OF COCKLES?

THAT'S RIGHT.

THESE ARE COOKED WITHOUT SALT.

ALL RIGHT.

MIGHT WANT TO PUT A BIT OF SALT,

VINEGAR, BLACK PEPPER.

THE WIND, BOATS, GULLS, LAYERS OF ISLANDS

AND THE PROMISE OF A WIDE-OPEN ATLANTIC BEYOND

GIVE OBAN A SHIVER-AND-BUSTLE VITALITY.

THE COLISEUM OVERLOOKING OBAN WAS THE INSPIRATION

OF A LOCAL TYCOON IN 1900.

HE WANTED TO EMPLOY WORKERS

AND BUILD HIMSELF A FINE MEMORIAL.

A HIKE TO ITS PEACEFUL GARDEN IS REWARDED WITH A GRAND VIEW.

OBAN'S COMMERCIAL DISTRICT IS LITTLE MORE

THAN THE STREET ALONG THE HARBOR.

EAGER TO PLEASE ITS MANY VISITORS,

YOU'LL FIND LIVE FOLK DANCING NIGHTLY

AND WOOLENS AND TWEEDS PERPETUALLY ON SALE.

TOMORROW WE'RE SAILING TO THE ISLE OF MULL

AND HISTORIC IONA.

FOR TODAY, I'LL EXPLORE MY OPTIONS AT THE TOURIST OFFICE.

THERE'S PLENTY GOING ON.

THE "WHAT'S ON" BOARD LISTS PIPING ON THE HILLTOP,

FOLK DANCING,

AND LAWN BOWLING.

GOOD TRAVELERS MAKE A POINT TO GET OUT

OF THE "MUSEUM-AND-CASTLES" RUT AND INTO DAILY LIFE.

OH, LOVELY BALL!

THE OBAN LAWN BOWLING CLUB HAS WELCOMED VISITORS SINCE 1869.

ANYONE CAN WATCH, AND IF THERE'S NO MATCH,

YOU CAN RENT SHOES AND BALLS AND ACTUALLY PLAY.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB, MARGARET MacLAUCHLAN,

IS GIVING ME A LESSON IN THIS WONDERFULLY SCOTTISH PASTIME.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GAME IS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO

TRY TO GET YOUR BALL CLOSER TO THE JACK

THAN YOUR OPPONENT.

IT'S GOING TO BEND A LITTLE BIT THIS WAY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY, LET'S GIVE THAT A WHIRL.

WOW, YOU TOOK YOUR PORRIDGE THIS MORNING.

SEE, I'M THROWING IT TOO FAR

AND I FORGOT MY BIAS.

YOU FORGOT YOUR BIAS, YES.

TAKE THE BALL.

DO IT AGAIN?

YES.

REMEMBER YOUR BIAS THIS TIME.

OKAY.

NOT TOO HEAVY.

THAT'S NOT A BAD TRY.

NOT BAD.

HEY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE LESSON.

IT'S A PLEASURE.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

TO CELEBRATE OUR FIRST GAME OF LAWN BOWLING,

HOW ABOUT A LITTLE SCOTCH?

OBAN'S 200-YEAR-OLD WHISKEY DISTILLERY PRODUCES

NEARLY 15,000 BOTTLES A WEEK.

DON'T BREATHE IN TOO DEEPLY

BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT CAN TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.

THEY OFFER FRAGRANT TOURS.

SO WE'LL HAVE A LOOK IN THIS ONE NOW.

NOW, THIS ONE'S FINISHED FERMENTING.

NOW, OBAN'S QUITE UNIQUE.

THE WASH STILL IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE SPIRIT STILL.

NOW, EACH DISTILLERY WILL HAVE ITS OWN SHAPE OF STILL.

THAT'S TRADITION.

AND THE SHAPE OF THE STILL WILL INFLUENCE THE CHARACTER

OF THE WHISKEY.

SO THIS IS OBAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY,

AND IT'S 14 YEARS OLD.

THE TOUR FINISHES WITH A SMOOTH SAMPLE

AND A TRADITIONAL TOAST.

IN MY BRITAIN GUIDEBOOK, I RECOMMEND SLEEPING

IN BED AND BREAKFASTS TO SAVE MONEY

AND GET TO KNOW THE LOCALS.

AND THESE DAYS, MANY B & Bs ARE SMOKE-FREE.

NONSMOKERS HAVE IT EASIER IN BRITAIN THAN ON THE CONTINENT

WHERE SMOKE-FREE ACCOMMODATIONS

ARE STILL PRETTY RARE.

SO, THIS IS MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

I'VE SET UP A WEE LITTLE PANTRY,

GOT MY SINK HERE,

TOILET AND SHOWER JUST ACROSS THE HALL,

AND I'VE GOT MY OWN TEMPORARY LOCAL MOTHER.

WELL, RICK, THIS IS THE TROLLEY WHERE WE HAVE

TEA AND COFFEE AND BISCUITS, AND YOU HELP YOURSELF.

AND YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO USE IT.

THIS IS THE LOUNGE.

AND THIS IS WHERE WE LIKE TO SIT ON AN EVENING,

HAVE A TALK TO OUR GUESTS.

SO YOU ACTUALLY GET THE GUESTS GATHERING IN HERE?

OH, WE DO, WE DO GET THEM GATHERING IN HERE.

WE HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OBAN,

AND I HELP THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN.

AND I ASK THEM WHERE THEY'VE BEEN, WHERE THEY'VE COME FROM,

AND I LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.

RENA, WE NEED ONE GREAT PLACE FOR A SCOTTISH DINNER.

OH, THE STUDIO, OF COURSE.

IT'S VERY NICE INDEED THERE.

THEY HAVE LOVELY MEALS IN THERE,

AND YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM THE MENU.

AND YOU CAN HAVE SCOTTISH FOOD AS WELL.

SALMON AND STEAKS,

AND REALLY NICE STEAKS THEY ARE IN THERE.

NOW, I KNOW IT'S A TOURISTY THING,

BUT I REALLY WHEN I'M IN SCOTLAND,

I LIKE TO HAVE SOME HAGGIS.

WILL THEY SERVE THE HAGGIS,

DO YOU THINK?

I THINK SO.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT HAGGIS BECAUSE I'M NOT A HAGGIS EATER.

I THINK THEY SERVE IT TO ALL THE TOURISTS,

BUT YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HAD IT FOR A WHILE.

NO, AND I CAN DANCE IT.

I CAN SHOOT IT IF YOU LIKE.

[ LAUGHTER ]

THE STUDIO IS A FAVORITE FOR GOOD SCOTTISH COOKING.

HM.

THERE'S JUST NO HAGGIS ANYWHERE ON THIS MENU.

I GUESS SCOTTISH CUISINE HAS MOVED

BEYOND HAGGIS, NEEPS, AND TATTIES.

ACTUALLY, THAT'S A RELIEF.

ANGUS BEEF?

THAT'LL BE FOR ME.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME

HORSERADISH SAUCE WITH THAT?

OH, YES, PLEASE.

BECAUSE IT LETS US ORDER THE LOCALLY CAUGHT

GRILLED SALMON AND THE HIGHLAND ANGUS BEEF.

EACH MORNING TRAVELERS PILE ONTO THE HUGE OBAN-MULL FERRY.

ALL ABOARD FOR IONA, RAIN OR SHINE.

REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER, THE TOUR OF IONA AND MULL

OFFERS THE BEST ONE-DAY LOOK AT DRAMATIC AND HISTORIC

HEBRIDES ISLAND SCENERY.

PART TWO OF OUR TOUR:

AN ENTERTAINING BUS RIDE ACROSS THE ISLE OF MULL.

THE ISLAND OF MULL, IT'S A BIG ISLAND.

IT'S BIGGER THAN MOST FOLK REALIZE AT FIRST.

BIGGEST OF THE HEBRIDES.

345 SQUARE MILES.

INDEPENDENT AS I LIKE TO TRAVEL,

THERE ARE CASES WHEN CONNECTING HARD-TO-GET-TO

RURAL DESTINATIONS WITH AN ORGANIZED BUS TOUR

IS TIME AND MONEY WELL SPENT.

ALL THE VIKINGS THAT CAME HERE

CAME TO SETTLE AND FARM THE LAND.

THERE WAS ALSO VIKING RAIDERS.

THEY USED TO TIME THEIR RAIDS

TO OCCUR EVERY FIVE OR SIX YEARS.