It was just a wonderful cleanser, and a realisation of how happy you can be in the simplest situations
Exploring islands off the west coast of Scotland proved to be an incredibly personal journey for Dame Darcey Bussell. GEORGIA HUMPHREYS finds out more
PREPARE to be surprised by Dame Darcey Bussell in her new travel series. The former ballerina does a lot of things you would not expect; for example, donning a wetsuit and taking a dip in freezing cold waters in a beautiful secret spot, while visiting the Isle of Skye.
“I’ve never done wild swimming, and I’ve never had an urge to try it, knowing how cold it is,” notes the 51-year-old Londoner, who is the most famous British ballerina of her generation.
“But in those surroundings, it was very spiritual. It was quite magical and weird and wonderful, and I didn’t want to get out afterwards!”
We are used to seeing the dancing extraordinaire on stage – at 20 years old, she became the Royal Ballet’s youngest principal ballerina, and has performed in more than 100 productions with the company – or judging celebrities in the ballroom on Strictly Come Dancing (she announced her departure from the BBC show in 2019).
But the TV personality – who retired from ballet at the age of 38 – admits you’ll see a whole different side to her in Darcey Bussell’s Wild Scottish Coast, in which she takes in Skye, the Outer Hebrides, Islay, Jura and Bute.
Unique opportunities that came about, thanks to the four-part series, include being face to face with one of the rarest breeds of pony on earth, making a spectacular crossing across the sands with a herd of Highland cattle, and seeing one of the true wonders of the natural world; the Corryvreckan whirlpool.
“I think it’s something that I’ve always known, that for your wellbeing, mental and physical wellbeing, the outdoors is everything,” she reflects.
“You know, it’s the best medicine you could get. And being in an environment where you are quite isolated, getting ferries everywhere, it was the most amazing detox.”
Mother-of-two Darcey has a lot of family history in Scotland, and so relished the chance to find out more about her ancestry, too.
She admits it was emotional exploring the Isle of Bute, a place she had heard so much about from her grandfather, who spent many childhood summers on the island.
“I kept saying to him, ‘I will go and see it’, and I was always upset that I never got that possibility when he was still alive,” reveals the dancer, who has two daughters with husband, Angus Forbes. “So, to actually finally be there, it did really, really hit me – and I didn’t expect that.”
She continues: “It wasn’t just another job; it was a real experience and has become a passion... I can’t wait to take my family back there, and to show them all the places I got to see.”
One memory from the Isle of Bute that particularly stands out was filming at St Blanes – a ruin of an old chapel.