Rhys Jones begins his exploration in Sutherland, only marginally more populated than the Sahara, and originally occupied by Viking settlers. He spends the night in village of Tongue, prior to a snowy ascent of Ben Hope the next day. Ben Hope is a Munro, a mountain over 3,000 feet in height (of which there are 284), named after Scottish mountaineer Hugh Munro. It is a popular hobby to attempt to climb them all and there are over 3,500 "Munro-baggers" who have done so. Rhys Jones then visits the nearby village of Skerra, and hitches a lift via the Royal Mail's post bus. He arrives at Loch Naver, a barren area that was once occupied but was emptied during the Highland Clearances, after which an estimated 150,000 people had been forcibly removed from their homes. However, there are still around 17,500 crofters, most of whom are tenants of landowners. Rhys Jones visits one who led the formation of a trust that eventually enabled 100 crofters to buy back 21,000 acres (85 km2) of land. Suilven is the next peak to be climbed, but because of its remote location, Rhys Jones rests overnight in a bothy beforehand. The presenter then travels to the Isle of Skye, where he participates in a Céilidh before investigating the Cuillin, which have been put up for sale by their owner, the Clan MacLeod. Finally, Rhys Jones ascends Bruach na Frìthe, one of the principal summits on the Black Cuillin ridge.
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